American Explorer: 5 midwest states in 3 days (2022)

 

“Headwinds are strong vexations” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Ever since I rode in Georgia in 2018 and scored my 10^th “gateway” state to the American Explorer award, I have been  thinking how I could get more states.  I’m pretty well pinned down here on the west coast and already have the Pacific Ocean states – and the rest I need are more than a day’s drive away.  A short summary of previous states is here.

Having done two multi-state rides in 2016 -  a 3 state  ride to bag VA, DC and MD, and a two state ride for NJ and PA, I figured a trip of a few days, carefully planned, could be “profitable” but still had some work to do to come up with a “Grand Plan”.

I had borrowed and  rented bikes to ride most remote states, but wanted something I could bring  to avoid the time and  bother (not to mention liability) of dealing with both. In 1999  I spotted a Raleigh bike with a Ritchie breakaway frame on Craigslist and it turned out to be a good deal. Inspection showed  it to be in mint condition to boot.    Frame was borderline too big, but with the seat post fully inserted, it would work.

I then started planning a spring trip to visit my sister in Ohio, with some side trips west to pick up IN, IL and KS.   Sadly, however, Covid-19 derailed that trip (airline ticket fully refunded) and everything stopped for two years.

Fast forward to  February, 2022,  I was browsing Facebook. A friend whose family owns and operates a lumber yard in Rock Port, MO had posted a video of her cat roaming high up in the lumber barn, and I thought  "I really want to visit them sometime - but when will I have a reason to travel to Missouri? And  then it dawned on me: What about the Grand Plan?

Thanks to Lynne Fitzsimmons who had recently compiled a list of multi-state rides, I determined that I could get 6 Midwestern states in 3 rides, or 5 in two rides, with a "bit" of driving between each ride (3-4 hrs = a bit). I called a buddy, Rick,  who had indicated he’d be interested in coming along (he could drive sag and just hang out), and he was on board.  I immediately booked airfare, reserved a car and motel rooms, and we were set for a late April trip to the Midwest.  Itinerary included Omaha, NE,  Rock Port, MO , Luverne, MN and Sisseton, SD,  then back to Omaha.

We left Seattle on Thursday April 21, and arrived in Omaha late afternoon.  Got our bags, the bike, and our spacious Jeep Grand Cherokee (plenty of room in back for a bike) and immediately drove to the motel in Rock Port, MO. Not really trying, I had managed to secure a room yards from the route start! The bike arrived in mostly good shape with just one small broken cable fitting on the rear derailleur. Fortunately it didn’t seem to affect shifting.

Before going to bed, I checked  “Epic ride weather”  and it was a mixed forecast:  Warm temps 65-70, no rain but strong WSW winds – 15-25 mph with gusts to 30+.   I wasn’t experienced with such strong, sustained winds but I was going to GET experienced pretty fast.  The first route was the Missouri River Populaire (4133), a mostly “square”116k  route  that heads West, North, East, and South and gets MO, NE and IA along the way.  

Friday, I am up early; eat a motel “complimentary breakfast”, dress, and head  out at 8am sharp  – only to find right off  that my new Wahoo Bolt that worked FINE in Washington state has lost its mind and doesn’t seem  to know where I am!  Speed is 0, distance is 0, but it seems to know where the turns on the route are.  I set my phone to RideWithGPS and it’ll have to be the route tracker today.   As I start to roll again  I realize my little front bag is rubbing on the front tire! I spend a futile few minutes of fiddling with it, try to find something to tie it up, but nothing works. I give up and throw it and its contents in my backpack. The travel bike has no luggage capabilities yet, so I have a small backpack for tubes, pump, and everything else.

Between fussing with the Wahoo and the front bag,  I have now wasted a good 15-20 min so far and not gone 100 yards from  the start, so I roll back to the beginning and restart my trip recorder.  I have no idea how I will come out but I will NOT start with a 15 minute deficit.

The first westbound leg  goes well, I have a bit of a tailwind/crosswind, and I’m  making very good time.  For the first few miles in Missouri, the  road has little shoulder but the traffic is low so taking the lane is fine. I cross the Missouri river, and now in Nebraska, the roads are better. I’ve turned north and the crosswind/tailwind is pushing me along – I’m making excellent time.  All I see around me are open fields, with nothing growing on them at this time of year.  The road is alternately flat, or gently rolling with mild to moderate (up to 4%) grades. 

 

With the favorable winds  I manage to get to the halfway point in just over 2 hours!  A pit stop at the C-store for food, water and bathroom and  I’m now on my way east – and my friend  the wind now becomes a crosswind/headwind. And I  slow down – a LOT.  Where I was making 15 mph plus, now I’m going 7 mph.  And the wind keeps blowing, non-stop.  Nothing to do but just gear down and “spin” as best I can and try to not worry about speed. This eastbound leg east on route 2 is brutal -- just a long straight flat road that stretches out  in front of you mile after mile, with the wind fighting you every yard.  Julie from the lumberyard had mentioned to me (having seen my route) that she and her husband rode their motorcycle on Rt 2 and hated every minute.  I was right with them on that.

Finally it’s time to turn to the south.  And the roads that were formerly generally flat to rolling are now more uphill than downhill – with multi-stage “ups”. And of course, I still have the headwind that won’t quit.   I have to pedal on the downhills to keep going, and on the steepest parts of the uphills  (5%) I have to get off and walk 50 yards or so now and then.  I think fighting  the wind is roughly the same effort as riding up a 4% grade, which added to 5% makes 9% - walkable for me and the Raleigh. The bike is just a double chainring and I miss the triple on my Fuji touring on these climbs.  I don’t want to risk getting out of breath or triggering cramps by over-exertion. Walking is slow-- but not by much on the hardest grades and it mitigates the risks of pushing too hard. 

I get to a small town, Hamburg - and there isn't much going on.  The wind is strong, but at least the route is sheltered for a short way by houses and trees.  Later I found out why not much was going on, it had been flooded by the nearby Missouri river recently and suffered much damage.   Flags were flying in the center of town:

 

 

And now 6 hrs in or so,  I am starting to do the math - over and over again.   “so many miles to go, at such and so pace with so many minutes left, divide -- and will I make it?” and every time I do it, it looks like it’s going to be close.  I rue having to walk each time I hit a steeper grade, but it’s all I can do.  I resign myself to whatever fate awaits me but I'm not quitting.   If I make it, I make it.  Just have to keep going as best I can. 

This last southbound  leg took a good  two hours and compared to how much progress I made in the first 2 hrs, it was crazy how much longer it took.  The wind is constantly pushing against you, pushing, and aside from a copse of trees or house to serve as a break, it does not stop.  It takes a certain mindset to deal with it, and I was only about halfway “there” at this point. 

I knew there was a downhill near the end of the route, and when I  made the right turn onto US 136, with just a couple miles to go,  I was ready for it.  Surprise!  Headwind  still!  5% downhill grade and I am still plugging along at barely 10 mph.   I had 20 minutes left on the clock  and I am still wondering if I’m going to finish in time.  I can’t see the finish up ahead -- it’s down and around  a curve. Then Rick, who had  been tracking my progress on his phone,  me passes me going the other way in the car – he didn’t know about my 20 minute start delay, so he figures I’m DNF and headed out looking for me. 

But fortunately, I manage to get to the finish with 15 minutes to spare!  One ride in the bank and 3 states done!

 

After catching a shower and changing clothes at the motel (I had paid extra for a late late checkout) we headed over to the Burke and Sons lumber yard where I had a very pleasant visit with the owner’s wife, who showed me  around, - got to visit both Momma Cat and Rusty (Hoover the Lumberyard Cat’s successor).  Here's Rusty, chilling:

 

 

Next stop: Luverne, MN for night 2 of the expedition, a few hours drive north up I-29.

That evening in the motel, I pondered the wisdom of doing ride #2,  Sioux Falls SD to Luverne MN. and back – east west.  Turned out I had booked a room  at the “wrong end” of the 122 k perm.  The weather looked similar to what we had before, a bit cooler but still windy.  I had been researching ‘riding in windy conditions” and  the general consensus was “headwind out, tailwind back.”   That hadn’t been practical on day 1, but might entail some extra driving on day 2.  Plus I wasn’t confident Wahoo would adapt to starting a route in the middle.  And finally, I figured if I rested  Saturday, I should be recovered enough to ride Sunday – but if I rode Saturday and DNF, then prospects for Sunday DNF were increased.  The routes overlapped on SD, so missing one ride would only lose 1 state. Two DNF was not an option I wanted to consider. 

As I went to bed I resolved  “I’ll just not set my alarm and see if I wake up in time on Saturday.”  And although I did wake up on time, I immediately said “Today is a rest day, let’s see what there is to see around here.”   We got breakfast, and found that there were some interesting geological features at a nearby park – a quartz uplifted cliff.  And on top was “the alignment” – 1750 foot long line of large boulders that had been placed on an east-west line by unknown people at an unknown time for unknown purpose(s).    The wind was plenty strong as usual and I wasn’t missing riding against it today.

We headed over to Sioux Falls for some lunch, and also to buy another bottom layer for the next day’s ride.  The forecast was wind – of course – but much colder.  Where I had been wearing full summer gear on Friday, Sunday needed full WINTER gear with wind chill temps into the low 30s. 

Sious Falls was a delight!  Nice diner, good food, friendly people and staff.  We asked a worker at Duluth Trading Company “what’s there to see around here” told us that “there’s shopping  -- and the falls” so we did some shopping .  Turns out downtown Sioux Falls has been gentrified over the past 10 years and had great shopping.  Toy store, variety store, and we were set with gifts to bring home. Then we visited the falls, where we saw the brick foundation of what had been an ambitious flour mill, built at great expense and abandoned after just two years in operation, due to low river flow to run the machinery.  You’d think they would have researched that a bit before going to the bother of building the mill, right?

Our time for being tourists having ended, we are back in the car and on our way north again on I-29 to Sisseton, SD.  We got there in time for me to take the car and scout the route, which goes mostly straight north  34 miles, and then retraces the route south.  Halfway is a small town with a café, bar/restaurant, and a church.  I asked at the bar/restaurant “who might be open on Sunday?” wondering where I might buy some water, and  the answer was “nobody on Sunday AM is open”  so I bought 4 500ml bottles of water and cached them across the street in a rusted out Tin Lizzy that was on display in a vacant lot.

 

 

Sunday AM, I ate a microwaved breakfast sandwich I had bought at the grocery the night before, for a more substantial breakfast  than Super-8 provides, put on all my winter gear, and rode 50 yards to the start of the ride.

Today, Wahoo was behaving (mostly) and  the wind was now a WNW headwind/crosswind  to start with.  It slowed me down to 7-8 mph on the flats.  Occasionally I would pass a copse of trees or some houses that would give a few seconds of relief, but for the most part, it was NON STOP.

Wondering if that headwind would REALLY be a tailwind on the  return, I reversed course for 100 yards.  Having confirmed that it would be a tailwind, I made a U-turn again and continued.  Now my Wahoo is completely confused, and keeps prompting me to take side roads to “get me back on the route” even though I AM on the route.  The double U-turn really confused it.

Prrevious inquiries about the route on the RUSA facebook group indicated that this route was scenic. When I had driven it the day before, all I saw was FLAT farmland and an occasional house/farm.   Today, at a slower pace I noticed the many small ponds on either side of the road with numerous and varied waterfowl.  Lots of birds slowly moving on the ponds,  but when I got within 50 yards, they’d all lift up and move on.

Two hours in and  wind was really getting to me.  Every half hour or so I’d find a wind break,  pull over have a bit to eat and think “OK, this isn't any fun.  I kinda want it to end."  To keep myself going, I would also say "I can quit any time I want – but not just yet” and  after resting a few minutes out of the wind, I'd get back on the bike and  start moving again.   There was one spot where the  northbound  road turned west, and  that WNW wind was even stronger against me, but I persevered and was relieved to turn north again.   Lots of straight mostly flat road with nothing but the rushing wind to keep me company:

 

Then I started to get philosophical.  I thought, “I’m not really thrilled having to work so hard for so little forward movement – but I’m doing this voluntarily, so I must LIKE doing it”  And it seemed odd to me that I had to reason with myself to come to the conclusion that even though fighting the wind wasn’t very enjoyable, it was still something I liked to do. 

It wasn't until days later that I finally concluded:   Do I like riding into a headwind?   No -- but I like riding “in general” enough that I am willing to put up with it. 

To keep my spirits up a little, I was also banking on my experience the other day.  I wasn’t too worried about the time it was taking me to get to the top of the route.  As it turned out,  I made it in good enough time to sit down and enjoy eating a chicken finger – a nice respite in the gas station C store.   Families with lots of kids came in for the same (they actually had a wide variety of fried snacks).

After I had finished one, I had the strong impression it time to head back.  Suited up, a very light drizzle had started, and I headed south with a GREAT TAILWIND.  I was cruising at 15-17 mph mile after mile. It was awesome.   The wind was no longer an enemy, it was an ally and now the hills I had to walk before I just flew up (sometimes in low gear but still, no more walking).   I noticed that there were some long slow grades I had ridden down that had been invisible to me with the headwind.  They were not a problem now, but I did slow to 12 mph going up them.  The wind would at times throw the small raindrops into my face sideways so hard they’d sting a bit, but it was fine.  Just keep pushing, buddy.

When I got to my water cache, there were 2 bottles left, I poured one into a frame bottle and threw the other in my backpack. 

There isn’t a lot more to say about the return trip, it was just a blur of fields that I had passed before but now I cruising almost effortlessly to the finish.   When I arrived, Rick said “You were going a LOT faster on the return trip!” and I agreed.

The 2^nd ride was in the bag with about 20 minutes to spare.  I now had 5 states to add to my American Explorer plaque, and well earned they were.

We threw the bike into the back of our Jeep SUV, and drove just 10 miles south to a truck stop where I bought a shower for $10 and got every penny worth.   If/when I do another one of these expeditions, that will be part of the Grand Plan.

 

 

Our final road trip was back to Omaha, and for dinner along the way we found a restaurant somewhat “off” the highway.  “Wimps” and they serve steaks, etc.  After missing a turn, we wound up on a 2 lane road with nothing but farmland in every direction .  GPS assures us it’s just ahead, and it IS – a small building like a rambler house in an equally small town.  It's just like the restaurant where I got water  - small place, with a few tables, a bar, and a pool table, where most people eating there know each other. We both had a good meal topped with a huge serving of ice cream. 

Epilogue:

My short trip to the Midwest has been the highlight of 2022 so far.  The effort extended to finish those two rides in the face of a serious obstacle has paid dividends to my attitude to obstacles in general.  I'm sure future rides will have other challenges, and I can approach them with increased confidence and resolve.

I also found I like the Midwest much more than I would have predicted.  The friendliness of the people and respect I found on the road  - virtually all the vehicles that passed crossed the center line and gave me the full lane -- makes me quite willing to go  back for more.

Postscript: My equipment

I brought two knapsacks, one small one that a middle school kid would use for a book bag (which is what it was) and a larger one made for work to carry a laptop and other gear.   I rode day 1 with the first one  and just halfway through, it was digging into my shoulders like crazy.  I was suffering with the backpack almost as much as suffering fighting the headwind.  On ride 2, I substituted the larger bag with wider and better padded straps and also a front snap to keep it positioned properly.  Made a huge difference, almost no suffering.  I will make sure I have on-bike luggage capabilities next time.

I was concerned about a taillight for the travel bike (which needed one) and among the suggestions was a Varia radar light.   Not cheap at $200 but some people swore by it, so I got one.  It did pair nicely with the Wahoo Bolt, but what I found was that on the wide open roads, I would get just a few seconds notice of a vehicle behind before I’d hear it, and then seconds later it would zoom past in the other lane at 60 mph.  The “notice” of a vehicle behind seemed rather useless.  However, I also understood that the light would flash differently when it detected a vehicle so I had Rick follow me a short distance and tell me what he saw.  He said “When I got closer to you, the light ‘went crazy’”   OK, that’s good enough for me.    Battery life was good IF fully charged, it had almost 50% left after day 1, but although I charged it for a few hrs for day 2 ride, and the app SAID it was full, it wasn’t full and died 6 hrs into the ride.  I will be sure to charge it overnight next time.

The other taillight was a Princeton Tec Swerve Taillight that had been recommended by a friend and I was pleased with its attachment to the seat stay as well as its performance.  Bright and long lasting.   And no charging issues, it uses AA batteries. 

 PPS: Cats and how this all started

My wife and I are cat people, and 5 years ago got two litter mate kittens:  Hoover (male) and Bella (female).  Hoover was so cute I thought of getting him a Facebook page, but found that spot was taken by Hoover the Lumberyard Cat, who lived at Burke and Sons Lumberyard in Rock Port, MO.  I've followed that Hoover ever since, until his demise in 2017.  They subsequently got Rusty to take his place and I've been wanting to visit them every since I "met" their Hoover.   They posted a video of Rusty wandering on the rafters of one of the outbuildings and he was so confident, my urge to visit got very strong, and -- and this trip is what came of all that.   The original Hoover:

 

 

 

American Explorer: Notes from rides in my first 10 states

RUSA (Randonneurs USA) is a long distance cycling organization with local groups all over the country.  I belong to RUSA and also the local group Seattle International Randonneurs.

RUSA offers a variety of Awards for cycling achievements.  Many are based on riding various groups of distances, over certain time periods.  One of these is the "American Explorer" award, which is given for riding approved rides in a minimum of 10 different states.  One ride that enters multiple states will count those states toward the award, so it is possible to get the award with fewer than 10 rides.

I've been riding with RUSA since 2014, and by 2018 finally accumulated my first 10 states.  I thought I'd document some of the memories I have.  The states below are in more-or-less chronological order.

Washington: I live in Washington, and have ridden dozens of rides here, so it's hard to pick out just sizione.  My first official RUSA ride was the Spring 200k in 2014.  I was nearly the last person to finish, and I recall my first ride up Newport way - it is a 4 mile climb up to about 400 feet and when it's at the end of the ride, it just seems to go on forever.   I was happy to get to the finish and have some chili in the off-the-alley garage where some of the rest of the riders were hanging out and brevet cards were being signed.

Oregon: I've ridden in Oregon twice.  My first ride was the 2014 Three Capes 300k, not long after the 200k above.  It was my first ride with Narayan Krishnamoorthy and also Lynne Fitzsimmons.  We kept together early on  the ride and split apart in the middle when we got to the windy coast.  I fell behind but they waited for me up ahead, and we rode the rest together.  Early on in the ride, as we ascended the coast range, the rain started.  Narayan said "Let's stop and put on raingear."  I had no raingear.  I was wearing everything I brought already.  I just waited while he and Lynne donned helmet covers and other raingear.
Also on this ride there was a control at a Safeway at the coast.  I got a cup of coffee.  The rest of the group bought other easy-to-eat items, and I had no time to drink the hot coffee.  Lesson learned!

Colorado:  Later in 2014 I had some business trips to Boulder, and found some time to wedge in a 100k ride.  I rented a bike for a day and registered for the Cherryvale Cruise, a square loop starting and ending in Boulder: east, north, west, south.  I remember the wide open spaces and views.  I rememember heading west on a long straight road that had "right turn only" lanes popping up every 1/4 mile and making staying in the right place hard.  I remember stopping once to see a whole field of prairie dogs popping up.  My work shift started at 8pm and I finished the ride barely in time to drive to the site, (nearby) and change in the parking lot, grab a slice of pizza, and head over to work in the nick of time.  Oh, and I recall stopping at a school playground in the hopes of finding a water fountain, but no luck.


Maryland/DC/Virginia: 2016: Belle Haven Boogie (old perm system). This was a three-for-one state ride that was really fun. I was visiting relatives in Baltimore and planned an extra day to ride, and one had a bike I could borrow.  It started on a bike trail that had been recently flooded and had mud in spots, transitioned to a road through a park that was full of patched potholes and impatient drivers, and then became relaxed to the turnaround in Alexandria.  It then returned through DC right past the back steps of the Lincoln Monument, up some railtrails, and then back to Maryland.  Not a lot of climbing, and a nice mix of roads and trails, this was a great route for anyone working on American Explorer to pick up three states in one go.  Look for the Belle Haven Boogie route.

New Jersey/Pennsylvania: Another two-for-one ride, also in 2016. I was able to rent a bike and was in town for work, scheduled an extra day, and rode the Liberty Bell 100k from Princeton to Philadelphia.  I recall a few things: long straigh flat roads in bright sun with an unrelenting headwind.  I recall riding along the Delaware river, with a long city park on the river side of the road.  Riding over the bridge was fun, and the route ends just a couple of blocks from the bridge.  And NO Liberty Bell! It was out for 'maintenance'.  A few things to note about this ride:  it's a one-way trip, and you take the train from the other side of  the river to get back to the start.  I was short on time to catch the next train so I took a cab from Philadelphia to Camden.  2nd note: the train ride is not just 10 minutes. 3rd note: it might be dark when you get to Princeton, have lights.  4th note: be sure you know how to get from the train to the start - there is a main road that cuts across town and you need a plan to get across it.   I didn't have lights, and I didn't have a route planned, so riding to the car in the dark without a good plan was a bit of adventure.  I will never ride again without backup lights.

California: One ride, the Pitter Patter Pop.  2017. I was down in CA for some company training and booked an extra day so I could do the ride.  I had the loan of a bike from another rando, so off I went. I discovered I had forgotten my cycling gloves; conveniently there was an REI next to the start. I still have those gloves.

The weather had been windy and raining the day before and I was worried but it held off for 2/3 of the ride.  The ride starts with gentle rollers though wide open hills covered with green grass and spotted with cows (cattle).  Then it gets a bit hillier, and you go through a varitey of windfarms.  Then it hits Patterson Mountain, and you go up and up and up and UP with one false summit after another, and every time you see the next part, it's actually steeper than the part you are on, until you're really on a very steep road up to the summit.  Once past that, you zip down to the flats past wineries.  Then the rain started and kept me company all the way to the finish.  At the finish control (a Safeway) my purchase was a roll of paper towels to dry off with in the Safeway bathroom before I changed back into my street clothes.

Georgia:  My 10th state.  I was in Atlanta to visit coworkers I had never met in 10 years, and also needed my 10th state; I hooked up with Audax Atlanta to ride their Ironic BBQ ride - ironic because it was supposed to feature BBQ restaurants on the route but most were closed or gone. I was able to borrow a bike, and got a very nice lightweight one with electronic DI2 shifters.   about an hour in, I noticed the right one wasn't shifting right; turns out the housing on the shifter had cracked.  For the rest of the ride I had to hold it with my right thumb while I shifted to keep it stable.  I managed to hang with some riders and make it to the end some time before the very last riders came in (being not-the-last for me is doing well).   Met some very friendly people along the way, hung around at the end for pizza on a picnic table (shoved under cover to avoid the shower that we were afraid was coming sooner.   I remember Georgia as a state with very little flat ground, but the hills are gentle, and short, and give you a downhill for every uphill without too much waiting.  This in contrast to Washington that has long uphill grades that just keep going mile after mile, and then dump you into a downhill that may be thrilling but is over far too soon.

And that's my 10 states!  2018 Notes: I don't know which state will be next; I suspect Idaho but we will see.  If I get sent east again for work (it could happen) I will for sure add NY to the list. 

As it turned out I hatched a Grand Plan to get more states. Read about it here

Twilight Zone: Steens Mountain ride

August 2017: The big cross-country solar eclipse is scheduled for Aug. 21, 2017.  My friend and I have been planning "doing the eclipse" for at least 13 years, and now it's almost here.  Because he needs assistance getting around, he decided to drive over 2 days from Eugene to Baker City, and arrive on Friday, Aug 18. I would meet him there, driving from Seattle and we'd have some time to hang out before the big event.

I had read an article about "Steens Mountain" - a nearly 10000 foot "peak" in southeast Oregon, with a road you can ride on a bicycle, and all I knew was "it was a great ride".   Although Baker City is still 200 miles from the start of the ride, it's 371 miles closer than Seattle.  I asked my friend if it'd be OK to do the ride on Saturday, and he said sure.

I had the alarm set for 4am, got up at 3:45, got ready, and rolled out of Baker City in the dark at 4:30 am.  As I drove south, the sky lightened, and I got a spectacular view of the setting waning crescent moon hanging above the eastern horizon with bright Venus just above it.

The road alterately went over ridges, twisting and turning in 40 mph curves, and flat straight stretches where could open it up and fly.

As I descended one of these ridge roads just south of John Day, I spotted a man shuffling along the side of the road, the same direction as I was going.  He had long hair, sweatpants, and bare feet. We were miles from any town, store, or house.  I passed him, and then thought, "What's wrong with this picture? What's he doing out here miles from anywhere, with bare feet no less?"  I turned around, and pulled up next to him "Hey, you need a lift?" "Oh that'd be great". I turned around again, and he got in.  "I'm heading to Burns, if that's OK with you", I said.  "Sure, I guess."  

He told me that he had come up from Santa Barbara, where he lived, with two friends, to see the eclipse.  They were going to photograph it and had found a great site, and left him there to save it.  "Where are they now?" "I don't know..."   He continued: "I was walking down a path, and there were teenagers on bikes with guns, although they didn't shoot them.  And I saw a momma bear feeding her cubs, and a mother moose feeding her babies. "

"I'm Geoff, what's your name?"  "I'm actually Transgender - I didn't even know that word until recently. I go by Birdie - like 'tweet tweet'.  And I'm trying to make some other changes in my life, too. I've always been left handed, but I've decided to be right handed from now on.  Hey, do you have a tissue for my nose?" "Here are some napkins."  I noticed later as he needed to put them in the trash, they had blood on them, and his face was scratched up.  "How'd your face get scratched?  Did you fall out of a car?" "Yes, that's what happened."   (I regretted giving him the suggestion , he seemed to sieze on it as reality).

"So where are your friends? Can we give them a call?"  "I don't have a phone." "I do, do you know their number?"  He didn't know.  He continued "Last night I was cleaning out my furnace, and dealing with a pile of bricks in the basement - there's a lot of work to do at my house."

We neared Burns, and after driving through the deserted town, I said "Hey, we're in Burns, how about I let you out here?" "Sure, OK..."  He was an easy to get along with guy.

As he got out and stepped on the gravel shoulder, he remarked "I have bare feet. I used to have flip flops."  "Well, perhaps but you were bare feet when I picked you up."

He shut the door and started shuffling off.  I watched him for 30 seconds as I drove away, then turned around, and parked right by the Senior Center. "Hey hang on a sec.  Lemme make a call."  911.  "911 what is your emergency?"  "I am in Burns right by the Senior Center.  I picked up a guy back on 395 coming from John Day, who is bare footed, scratched up, and lost." "OK we'll send an officer."

5 minutes later, the officer arrives, and talks with Birdie.   He gets the same story I got.  "Are you on any drugs? Marijuana? "No." "Take any medications? "  "Niacin."  "What day is it?"  "Thursday?  (it was Saturday)  Took us 3 days to drive up... Friday?"  "What year is it?"  "2017" "Who is the President?" " Donald Trump".  But he also told the officer about the furnace.  "Where IS your house?" "oh..  that's a good question!" 

The officer called for another officer to confirm all details and then said "We think that since you're scratched up, and you've been out all night, you should get checked out at the hospital.  We can commit you, or you can sign yourself in." "What's cheaper?" "Neither, but if you're indigent, they will treat you."

At this point I asked the officers if it was OK if I took off, and they were "Yeah sure, you're good. We got this."  So I shook his hand, said goodbye, and said "These fellows will take care of you."  And I drove the rest of the way to the bike ride.

What an interesting delay!  I hope his friends will look for him, and eventually make it to town!

8:30 I start up Steens Mountain - a gravel road, 30 miles long to the summit , going up almost all the time at various pitches.  There is a lot of washboarding that is hard to ride on going uphill and impossible to ride on going downhill.  There is an occasional path of flat road, and also windrows of loose gravel that are dangerous to ride in.  The ride is slow going and I'm tempted to quit or get a ride to the top many times, but eventually I get there, hours later than I had planned.  I did NOT want to ride down - difficult riding, very slow and brakes all the way, and it'd be dark before I got to the bottom - so I decided to try to hitch a ride to the bottom.  There were a few cars in the summit parking lot, and eventually a group of hikers came back to one. "Can I hitch a ride down?" "Sure."  4 people, mid 30's, 3 guys, one girl,  plus a medium dog with short salt and pepper color coat.  We pulled the wheels off the bike and fit it in the back, then 2 up front, 3 in the back, with the girl in the middle with the dog on her lap.  The dog's head was right where she could rest it on my knee, which was just fine with me.  I told them this whole story as we drove down the 30 miles of washboard gravel road.

As we neared Frenchglen where I was going to get off, I went to pet the dog and noticed her nametag for the first time.  BIRDIE.

The 300k that wasn't

In the sport of Randonneuring, cyclists ride pre-determined routes of varying length from 100k to 1200k (and even beyond) and document their ride with a Brevet Card at checkpoints, making sure to arrive at each checkpoint within the allotted time.  Documentation is usually by way of a stamp, for an organized ride, or by obtaining a store receipt for a self-ridden permanent ride.

Warning: this story contains a number of incidents of rule bending and possibly rule breaking.  The author is prepared to defend every incident, but realizes others may not agree with his reasoning.


The backstory:

In Seattle, there is an organized ride "The Chilly Hilly" that happens in January on hilly Bainbridge Island.   On this 33 mile ride there is one big hill "Baker Hill" and it's practically a loop on its own - where you start the ascent is a block away from where you end it.    A couple years ago, I decided to ride two loops of the route.  On the second loop, I thought "I've ridden Baker Hill up one way, what would it be like to ride it backwards?" and that's what I did.   I expected to have a few people holler at me "Wrong way" but what actually happened was I was seeing people I knew going the other way, and was happily hollering "Hey Leo!" or "Hi Claire".

This happy event got stuck in the back of my mind, and I subsequently wondered about riding the Northwest Classic "STP" - Seatte to Portland - backwards.  I even tried to figure out how I would do it - ride the train to Portland, stay overnight at my brother's house 20 miles away, have him drive me to the start at 5:00 AM -- it all seemed rather implausible.

Then I started randonneuring.  The STP route is one of our 300k permanent rides, and it's documented in either direction.  I could ride the route backwards and get RUSA credit for it. A plus, but  it wasn't going to happen until a friend posted a request on Facebook "Would someone be willing to drive my car to Portland and leave it there for me to return to Seattle after I finish my STP ride?"  Suddenly the plan just put itself together.  Drive down Friday, ride back on Saturday - a one day PTS ride for me!

And so it happened.  I left my van in Seattle, near Sarah's house - a couple miles from the official finish of the route.   I drove down on Friday, stayed at a motel my friend paid for, parked her car in a lot, packed all my street clothes in a pre-addressed If-it-fits-it-ships box, and got myself over to the start location, the Safeway on Lovejoy street, at 5:10 AM, just 5 minutes before the scheduled start.

I bought a sandwich and Frappucino, got my first receipt, and headed out a few minutes late at 5:25 am.  The sky in the east was getting light and the sun would be up soon.

The ride proceeded well enough, and when I got to Longview, I was looking for a Wendy's, the "official" control.  Block after block, no Wendys.  Finally I saw a Jack in the Box and had a great breakfast platter.  After all, the card said "Wendys or open" which meant some flexibility was allowed.

The second control was to be in Chehailis and as I rode the twisting and turning route, I kept an eye out for the Main street food market, but apparently rode past it.  I kept looking for a place to stop, and finally my Garmin said "next route turn 8 miles" I knew I had left Chehailis behind.   Fortunately at that moment, a man and woman sitting on the side of the road offering free water appeared.  I got some water and also asked him to put the time and initial my card.  I figured something was better than nothing.

Now, the next stop is supposed to be in Sumner, which according to the card is "34 mi / 56 Km from Seattle   or 143 mi / 230 Km "    from Portland.   I could see it being 56 miles from Seattle, but not 56 km.  Someone got their math bollixed up here.  But even more important, when I got to mile 143 on my ride, I wasn't in Sumner - I was up on the Puyallup plateau.  And I was getting really hungry.  I finally pulled into a Burger King for some real food and got a receipt.  And as I followed the route down the Puyallup hill, I realized I was never going to get to downtown Sumner.  Well, I had a receipt from somewhere "nearby" anyway.

So now I get to the rather sketchy part.  It was getting later and later, and I had work the next day, so getting to bed was becoming a real thing for me.  I estimated my arrival time at the finish to be 12:30 plus or minus a half hour.  I started to think "what if I rode to the car and then drove to QFC?" or "what if I drove to the car and just went home?".  Thing is, if I rode to the QFC, I would still have a few miles to get to the car after, vs. just riding to the car. And at the rate I was moving, a few miles seemed daunting.  When I got to the start of the Interurban trail, I did a quick check on distance to the car vs. distance to the QFC, and the car was just 3 miles closer.  I had talked with another randonneur just last week about route changes and he said with full conviction "oh it doesn't matter if you deviate from the route as long as you do the distance".  I am willing to bet others feel differently about this -- but since I was riding "STP backwards" and I didn't start from the STP start point (or end point) I was a bit less concerned about riding to the car - as long as I did the miles.  So, my odometer said 166.  I will ride up and down the trail and the road until it says 169 and then press on to the car.   You know, riding 3 miles for just distance on the same road takes way longer than you'd imagine.

I headed up the Interurban and then rather thar go up the west side of Lake Washington, I kept going on the Green River trail, heading for Ellis above Boeing field, to connect with 15th heading north (lots of UP on that road) and after more pedalling, I arrived at my car.  Now, how to document the arrival? (I had already given up going to QFC).  I took a photo of my Garmin along with part of the Seattle skyline, showing I was IN Seattle at 12:48 AM, 18:33 after my offical start time (21 hours being the final cutoff).  I found it impossible to get the light towers on Queen Anne Hill and the garmin in focus at the same time:

I figured I had pushed beyond the limits of "the rules" as far as riding perms go.  I had started within one hour of my stated start time, gotten receipts where I could along the way, but I had unilaterally modified the end point (keeping to the total distance ridden) and the only proof I had was a photo -- and my Inreach tracking:

My original goal had simply been to ride the STP backwards.  Getting RUSA credit for it was a "nice to have" but not the main point of the ride.  And the next day, I realized I had run my brevet card through the wash!  I wasn't going to go any further with it, but another rider who is very familiar with randonneuring, urged me to submit it anyway.

I figured the card and all its "discrepances" deserved a full explanation.  Whether or not to grant credit is the decision of our "permanents" people.  I gladly accept their decision.

Cool damp 100k "Uncommonly Testy" (Factoria start)

Still riding my bike, still engaged in the cycling sport of "Randonneuring" and I'm on a quest for my second P-12 award -- gained by riding a 100 kilometer (62 mile) ride each month for 12 consecutive months.  This is my second P-12 series, and today was ride number 11.  I was cutting it close to the end of the month because I don't have a lot of free time on weekends, but my wife was having a baby shower at the house this afternoon, so that left me with some valuable daylight weekend hours.
And because of the event, the ride was scheduled to go "rain or shine".    I got at least one of those.

I almost wore my summer jersey but with the cooler weather and rain in the forecast, I switched to my full sleeve wool jersey, worn under my rain jacket.  Lightweight tights, and carried fuzzy full finger gloves and windproof headband in case it got cool and / or wet or both.

The start is close to my house.  I rolled out a few minutes late for my 1:30 PM start time, and arrived at the Factoria 7-11 just after 1:35.  I wanted a two pack of Reeses Peanut Butter cups, but they were not to be found, so I got a large Payday bar.  The clerk looked outside and said "Here comes the rain.  And more behind that, and more behind that."  He was right.

Bike trail to Lake Washington boulevard, and the well travelled route to Renton along the lake.  First control is an info control at the Renton airport.  There's a great statue there of an aviator, standing next to a sign post with directional signs all the way down a pole with air distances to cities all over the world.  The question to answer was "who is this a statue of?".

Then we ride through downtown Renton, which looks like it is caught between mostly abandoned small town downtown and gentrification attempts that haven't found their new tenants yet.   Renton is doing much better over at 'The Landing' which is all new suburbia generica retail.

We pop out of downtown and hit the Cedar River trail.  It's starting to rain now, but not heavy rain, more like spritzing rain.  You could go out to the mailbox and hardly get damp in this rain.   The trail has a few people walking dogs here and there but they're all either hearing me coming or were intending to get off the trail anyway, many move to the grass on either side as I approach.  The trail is a 'rails to trails' trail that has a slight overall uphill grade in this southeast direction as it runs parallel to highway 169 toward Maple Valley.  It doesn't turn much, sightlines are good.  In a couple places where it encounters heavy cross traffic, it has underpass tunnels.  Otherwise there are occasional road crossings that must be dealt with carefully.

I pass a few other brave souls out on their bikes today, but by and large the trail is empty.  Nine miles later, I cross under Highway 18 and am nearly at the Testy Chef Cafe.  Now, the Testy Chef shows up frequently in photo postings by various members of the Seattle International Randonneurs (My local group) but I have never been there, so I was anticipating a garlic burger which I had heard was very good.  To get there from the trail, just after you cross under Hwy 18 there is a little dirt path to the right that leads up to the back of the restaurant.  I wheeled my bike up the path, came around the front, and started to take of my gloves when a person inside said "We're closed! -- we close at 1:30 on Sunday".  To which a second person said "We're closed."   OK, fine.  No burger for me.  As I turned to put my gloves back on, a third person appeared and said... wait for it... "We're closed."

Off I go, heading north now toward Issaquah.  There are a few hills along this part of the route, but they're not steep and they're not long.  It's rather rural, with a number of manufactured homes on lots I pass by one house that looks like they have their compost bin in the front yard, and observe a lone flower holding onto summer in the face of fall:

Riding on past the Cedar Grove landfill and climbing a couple more hills, I note my altimeter at 477 feet above sea level, the high point on the route.

Finally we get to turn onto Issaquah Hobart road and get some well deserved downhill to Issaquah.  I just get going when I note my rear tire seems to have an unusual amount of "bounce" to it.  I pull over and give it a squeeze, and it IS soft.  I look closer and see bubbles coming out of the sidewall.  I for sure have a flat going and now is a good time to change it.  I pull into a gravel lot in front of a power substation and flip the bike upside down, with the handlebar in a low bush to keep it from getting scratched.  Pull the wheel, take the tire off, and there is a little tiny sharp wire that's gotten in at an angle through the tread.  There's barely 1/32nd of an inch showing, and I can't grab it.  I take the knife of my multi-tool and manage to break it level with the tire but it's not coming out.  I put a tire patch over the spot where the wire was, stick in a new tube, and hope for the best.   I'm set back about 15-20 minutes, but so far I'm doing well and it's not endangering the ride.

The ride to Issaquah is downhill and as my speed picks up to 20 mph, I start to feel the cold.  It's time to pull over and put my headband over my ears and swap my summer  bike gloves for my fleece full finger gloves.  These are good to 35 degrees, and with the wind chill, we might be hitting that.
I make it to Issaquah, and as I get on the East Lake Sammamish bike trail, my stomach starts to  rumble. Recall I had been counting on food at the Testy Chef ("We're closed!"). I know that there's a McDonalds just ahead, and if I can catch the light just right, it'll be super easy to get through the intersection.  As luck would have it, as I arrive at the light, the cars are all turning left, so I merge in, make the left, and I'm at the door in 5 more pedal strokes.

I order a Fish Sandwich and a cup of water, sit down and enjoy the warm steamed bun with tasty fish, cheese and tartar sauce.  It's a  nice respite from the cool damp outside.  A small girl from the table next to me stands nearby and stares at me and my bike shoes with a slightly disapproving expression but doesn't say anything.  They leave before I do, and I watch through the window as her father lets her navigate across the parking lot alone (!!!). He manages to collect her before an entering car can run her down.  

The drama over, so is my fish sandwich.  I finish off the water,  and put my gloves, headband, helmet and glasses on, and head out north on East Lake Sammamish boulevard.  It's about 7 miles up the road to the next turn, and a couple of short hills.  The rain is still spitting down ,not hard, but you'd be using your wipers, perhaps on intermittent wipe,  if you were driving in it.

Cut through Marymoor park, noting people who are watching soccer games in progress all have their umbrellas out.  Turn right, north, on the Sammamish River Trail.  In five miles of easy riding, I'll have my third control.  It's just past the underpass under 145th, the road that goes to the Redhook brewery, site of the start and end of the Stinky Spoke Poker Ride every January.  I will say no more about that here, but if you have an off-road capable bike, you gotta do this ride at least once.  If you get lucky it might even SNOW.

OK, enough about the Stinky.  I'm at the control, and the question is "How many picnic tables are there here?".  I wonder if the number ever changes?  I make a note of it and make the u-turn to head south.  We're on a little out-and-back section of the route, 5 miles to the turn onto new road.

At Marymoor park, we keep going straight south on West Lake Sammamish road.  After less than a mile I have to merge over to the left lane to make a left to KEEP on West Lake Sam road, otherwise I'll be heading up Bel-Red road.  I have to wait for traffic to clear to merge left but no worries, they're all stacking up in the left turn lane, and I catch them just as the light turns green, and follow the train through the light.

West Lake Sammamish is hillier than East Lake Sammamish but it's not horrible.  A few 4%-5% grades but they're all short. about an eighth to a quarter mile.  It's starting to get dark now and my headlight is doing its best but the batteries are low and it has to run on low power mode which isn't quite as bright as I would like on this wet road.  Nevertheless, it's getting me closer to the end, less than 10 miles to go now.

One of the longer hills is just ahead, and it's steep enough that although I really don't need to, I decide to unmount and walk it so I can eat my Payday bar (I have half left, the other half went down for dessert at the McDonalds) and quiet my rumbling stomach again.  It's not a long hill but long enough to get the rest of the bar eaten just as I near the top.  I'm glad I walked because the shoulder is full of wet leaves and fir cones, not good cycling surface for sure.

Once up the hill I remount and head down the short straight section to the last info control at 34th.  "On the sign facing the lake it says watch for "_____"?   This road has beaten me before. It's less than a mile long but starts at 4% and then after about a half mile kicks up to 15% grade.  I have already decided to walk this section.  I'm nearly home and well ahead of schedule.  As it turns out, it takes me just 5 minutes to walk the steep part,  I wouldn't have done much better trying to grind it out on my bike.

We now go through what one of my friends calls "the scary tunnel" under I-90.  It's about 75 yards long and curves, two lanes, no shoulder.  If you take the lane, cars SHOULD just wait for you but two decide to cross the double yellow centerline and pass me anyway.    Sigh.  I'd say something to them if I had a chance, but I'm not going to get a chance today.

Exiting the tunnel, we navigate through a shopping center parking lot to avoid a busy intersection, and we're nearly done.  Behind the shopping center is the road that is our last road, just keep on straight ahead and after just a mite of a climb you're at the high spot and can coast (or speed) down to the plaza where the QFC grocery store is your final control.

I buy a small Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream and note my finishing time at 7:50, 6 hrs and 20 minutes after my registered start time, and with 25 minutes to spare.   10 minutes later I'm home.

I'd ride this route again. It's very similar to another one, the Factoria - Maple Valley - Redmond route,but with some changes.  And I have to get to the Testy Chef one of these days when it's actually OPEN.