Yesterday we cycled from White Bird to New Meadows which was a 61, fairly hilly ride through pretty much similar scenery as the day before (winding roads alongside river, with trees bordering), with some small towns on the way to stop at for breaks. Riggins was one of these towns whereby we pulled up outside a nice looking cafe for a mid morning coffee and Robin noticed that his spedometor was reading that we were travelling at 95mph. Well I can tell you we certainly were not. After thorough exploration as to the reasons why this may have happened (on Robin's part as he was highly distressed by this inconvenience. All I wanted to do was get my coffee!), Robin discovered (or rather thinks that he has discovered) that the cause of this were some radioactive rocks that were in a truck we parked next to!! Hmmm, I'm not so sure. Anyway, you'll be pleased to know that the spedometer is now in full working order and clearly displayed that we were going at 12mph today in the wind (thats more like it)! Last night we stayed at a hot springs camp site with a lodge type place attached to the hot springs pool, which was thriving in the 1950's (there are old photos everywhere). The decor hadn't changed much either but was very cosy and we spent an evening playing air hockey in the games room trying to escape from the heat outside.
Today we travelled from New Meadows to Cambridge and besides the last 20 miles of head wind, the 51 mile ride has been very pleasant, after yesterday's climb, today was mostly downhill with no major dramas!
We are beginging to think about our plans for the end of our cycle tour now as we have 11 days remaining and will hit the border of Oregon in just 2 days time-how exciting! We are also trying to make sure we spend all of our group budget remaining so a few motel nights will be coming up which will be great for the end of our trip! But lets not dwell on the end too much for now as we still have the whole length of Oregon to travel.
Saturday 31 July 2010
Friday 30 July 2010
Missoula, Montana to White Bird, Idaho
Well folks, the last few weeks have been hectic and we have had the most spectacular scenery/cycling/wildlife/history (cowboys, Indians and Gold Rushes) but this has not included much internet access.
We crossed the Continental Divide for the final time at Lolo Pass and indulged in the free hot chocolate at the visitor's centre (cue log cabin in the forest) as we tried to warm up from the cold rain, thunder and lightning all around us! I suppose it had to happen sooner or later - all the other high altitude biking had been in pretty-much blue cloudless skies. By the time we had descended into the thick green forests we were freezing. The forests carpet the steep hill sides, with the mountains all around towering above and disappearing into puffy white underbellies of the clouds, a bit like how photos of rainforests look. The trees for some reason were an order of magnitude taller than any we had seen to date - old hulks of cedar, pine, spruce and all adding to the stillness and coolness at ground level. Luckily, one of our group knows us only too well and had already reserved the last remaining cabin for the night as the travellers sought refuge.
The road from Powell to Syringa is rightly labelled a scenic byway. Our 70 miles of cruising downhill follows rightly named Clearwater River - nice cycling but only if the wood truckers don't run you over (I have a nifty mirror on my glasses to keep an eye on what's steaming up our back - I strongly believe this will become an iconic fashion statement... perhaps!). Each twist in the valley presented the same scene of crashing white water, towering cloud-licked mountains and thick lush green trees. We stayed at a cosy log cabin and whilst Luc frequented the hot tub, Robin went for a very little run!
Syringa to White Bird involved about three turns - positively a navigation overload from the previous day! We followed the wider calmer Clearwater River before turning at the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. The Nez Perce tribe had in the 19 Century originally lived in the Montana/Idaho mountains but landownership conflicts with all the pioneers (gold rush prompted) had broken the peace at White Bird battleground afterwhich they desperately attempted to avoid the US military attacks by moving east, along the route we were following. The story is not all one-sided but at places like Big Hole in the wide Big Hole Valley, the soldiers attacked the Nez Perce camp with attrocities to many women and childern. Sadly they didn't escape to the freedom of Canada, instead they were intercepted and banished to Oklahoma. Sorry, digression.
Disappointingly none of the towns we passed through this morning had cafes open for breakfast before attacked two mammoth hills totalling 2000feet of climb but fortunately between them, Grangeville had a wonderful milkshake stall (30 flavours - we only tried 2!), and then the what goes up must come down theory was proven with a zooming 8 mile downhill. Nice.
We crossed the Continental Divide for the final time at Lolo Pass and indulged in the free hot chocolate at the visitor's centre (cue log cabin in the forest) as we tried to warm up from the cold rain, thunder and lightning all around us! I suppose it had to happen sooner or later - all the other high altitude biking had been in pretty-much blue cloudless skies. By the time we had descended into the thick green forests we were freezing. The forests carpet the steep hill sides, with the mountains all around towering above and disappearing into puffy white underbellies of the clouds, a bit like how photos of rainforests look. The trees for some reason were an order of magnitude taller than any we had seen to date - old hulks of cedar, pine, spruce and all adding to the stillness and coolness at ground level. Luckily, one of our group knows us only too well and had already reserved the last remaining cabin for the night as the travellers sought refuge.
The road from Powell to Syringa is rightly labelled a scenic byway. Our 70 miles of cruising downhill follows rightly named Clearwater River - nice cycling but only if the wood truckers don't run you over (I have a nifty mirror on my glasses to keep an eye on what's steaming up our back - I strongly believe this will become an iconic fashion statement... perhaps!). Each twist in the valley presented the same scene of crashing white water, towering cloud-licked mountains and thick lush green trees. We stayed at a cosy log cabin and whilst Luc frequented the hot tub, Robin went for a very little run!
Syringa to White Bird involved about three turns - positively a navigation overload from the previous day! We followed the wider calmer Clearwater River before turning at the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. The Nez Perce tribe had in the 19 Century originally lived in the Montana/Idaho mountains but landownership conflicts with all the pioneers (gold rush prompted) had broken the peace at White Bird battleground afterwhich they desperately attempted to avoid the US military attacks by moving east, along the route we were following. The story is not all one-sided but at places like Big Hole in the wide Big Hole Valley, the soldiers attacked the Nez Perce camp with attrocities to many women and childern. Sadly they didn't escape to the freedom of Canada, instead they were intercepted and banished to Oklahoma. Sorry, digression.
Disappointingly none of the towns we passed through this morning had cafes open for breakfast before attacked two mammoth hills totalling 2000feet of climb but fortunately between them, Grangeville had a wonderful milkshake stall (30 flavours - we only tried 2!), and then the what goes up must come down theory was proven with a zooming 8 mile downhill. Nice.
Tuesday 27 July 2010
Highlights of Montana and Yellowstone National Park
We havn't managed to update our blog for sometime due to lack of towns with libraries/internet access and a string of longer days, meaning that we sometimes don't have the time to update especially if we are on cooking duty that evening. The past 2 weeks we have in awe of our surroundings; one of my favourite days being luckily my birthday where we toured yellowstone (in the van) and saw numerous bears up really close!! As you can see by my face in the photo Robin took of me, when I saw my first bear literally jump out about 5 metres in front of me onto the road from the surrounding forests, I was shocked to say the least! But I have since learnt that they are not really that unfriendly, they just like to wander around roads and campsites, not really bothering anyone!Another highlight was a Rodeo we went to in Dubois, Wyoming where small children rode on the backs of sheep!! Not sure about that. Today is a day off in Missoula, Montana which is the home of Adventure Cycling headquarters where all our routes are maps are developed and surprisingly enough Missoula is a very bicycle friendly town, with designated bike lanes and people pulling prams with children on the back of their bikes! We were invited by Adventure Cycling for a BBQ lunch and had a tour of the office where numerous old bikes are mounted to the walls and photos of the TransAm history all over the place-very interesting. We felt extremely important as we had our photos taken which will be archived in history forever (along with the other thousands of riders that pass through)! A day off goes so quickly though so its off to get something to eat and then to bed early ready for tomorrow and another long climbling day!
Friday 23 July 2010
3,000 miles done and welcome to Montana!
Since 22 May, Luc and I have been cycling across America. We have been following the TransAmerica bicycle route which people have cycled since 1976 a rambling route from Yorktown, Virginia to Florence, Oregon - a total of 4,325 miles.
Sitting in the evening sunset in a campground in Montana, the memory of dipping our wheels in the Atlantic Ocean feels very distant. Yorktown was selected not by chance - the British defeat at Yorktown arguably led to the birth of the United States and the lush corn fields of Virginia were filled with a sense of history. Trucks and sidewalk-users waved encouragingly at us and friendly store-owners shared stories about their local areas. The temperature and humidity was high and growing. Western Virginia comprises the shady forested Appalachian Mountains. The east-most are named the Blue Ridge, somewhat aptly in the midday haze. They fade into eastern Kentucky but the atmosphere changed as our route winded through narrrow valleys, the constrasts of poverty and mining riches... and angry dogs. Western Kentucky is calmer, with more horses and fields than burnt out trailers and coal trucks but wherever you go you are reminded by the church bilboards - you are in the Bible Belt.
We crossed the Ohio River ferry into Illinois in the crisp early morning sunlight and enjoyed a couple of days of rolling fields, towns and forests but onyl just survived the muggy, mosquito-filled nights. We cycled for a day alongside the mighty Mississippi before crossing as a convoy into Missouri and the Ozark Mountains - a self-propelled rollercoaster rides of forested humid hills (State warnings of dangerously high heat indexes ringing in our ears) and a toughest challenge. And then Kansas - flat, straight, hot, windy and passing through the epicenter of the breadbowl's harvest with all the trucks and combines that entails. Some call Kansas boring but the wide open spaces of the unplowed and unending Flint Hills were awesome and we shared the fourth of July celebrations in a tiny community with a big atmosphere (and thunderstorm!). Colorado rose up at the end of the Great Plains with sagebush, wildlife and snow-capped mountains. Amongst the flowering alpine meadows we spotted elk deer and antelope.
At the State line of wonderful Wyoming, the headwind started. Antelope, cowboys and geothermal springs failed to distract us from this fact. The stunning jagged Teton Mountains rising up from Jackson Bowl, buffalo (or bison?!), rodeos, and the odd close encounter with bears did. And now Montana - all of above was mere training as to the definition of wide open spaces. Frontier tails of Trails and the Gold Rush litter the landscape. You appreciate how far north we have come by the bitter cold air first thing.
We are part of a group of around a dozen riders with two leaders from Adventure Cycling who provide support by driving a van which carries our luggage during the day. We camp in city parks, gardens, community/church halls (my favourite, as they were usually cool) and even a commercial campground or motel as a treat.
We're over halfway and on the downhill stretch - although we know there'll be plenty of uphills before the Pacific and Oregon! Some days are long and over 70 miles, others shorter. Sometimes we have help (gradients or winds) but more often than not they hinder. Somedays we pass through historic monuments, national parks or state wildlife reserves, otherdays we just ride on one road past nothing but cornfields (no, literally in Kansas). We are sharing an amazing adventure and somehow managing to overcome all the nasties - the aching legs/bottoms/arms, the confusing turns and never-ending inclines.
We set out to have this adventure but also to raise some much needed money for RedR. Let me tell you a little about RedR. Uniquely, they provide people and training to support aid agencies' competent response such as the UN, Oxfam and many smaller local organisations. For 30 years, they have made a massive impact supporting the relieving suffering from disasters. RedR are a fantastic international disaster relief charity who we have supported in different ways for a number of years. Their work saves and rebuilds the lives of people affected by natural disasters and conflict by ensuring that the right people, with the right skills are available to respond. We would be very grateful for your support and we would encourgage you to consider donating through www.justgiving.com/bikeamerica.
Sitting in the evening sunset in a campground in Montana, the memory of dipping our wheels in the Atlantic Ocean feels very distant. Yorktown was selected not by chance - the British defeat at Yorktown arguably led to the birth of the United States and the lush corn fields of Virginia were filled with a sense of history. Trucks and sidewalk-users waved encouragingly at us and friendly store-owners shared stories about their local areas. The temperature and humidity was high and growing. Western Virginia comprises the shady forested Appalachian Mountains. The east-most are named the Blue Ridge, somewhat aptly in the midday haze. They fade into eastern Kentucky but the atmosphere changed as our route winded through narrrow valleys, the constrasts of poverty and mining riches... and angry dogs. Western Kentucky is calmer, with more horses and fields than burnt out trailers and coal trucks but wherever you go you are reminded by the church bilboards - you are in the Bible Belt.
We crossed the Ohio River ferry into Illinois in the crisp early morning sunlight and enjoyed a couple of days of rolling fields, towns and forests but onyl just survived the muggy, mosquito-filled nights. We cycled for a day alongside the mighty Mississippi before crossing as a convoy into Missouri and the Ozark Mountains - a self-propelled rollercoaster rides of forested humid hills (State warnings of dangerously high heat indexes ringing in our ears) and a toughest challenge. And then Kansas - flat, straight, hot, windy and passing through the epicenter of the breadbowl's harvest with all the trucks and combines that entails. Some call Kansas boring but the wide open spaces of the unplowed and unending Flint Hills were awesome and we shared the fourth of July celebrations in a tiny community with a big atmosphere (and thunderstorm!). Colorado rose up at the end of the Great Plains with sagebush, wildlife and snow-capped mountains. Amongst the flowering alpine meadows we spotted elk deer and antelope.
At the State line of wonderful Wyoming, the headwind started. Antelope, cowboys and geothermal springs failed to distract us from this fact. The stunning jagged Teton Mountains rising up from Jackson Bowl, buffalo (or bison?!), rodeos, and the odd close encounter with bears did. And now Montana - all of above was mere training as to the definition of wide open spaces. Frontier tails of Trails and the Gold Rush litter the landscape. You appreciate how far north we have come by the bitter cold air first thing.
We are part of a group of around a dozen riders with two leaders from Adventure Cycling who provide support by driving a van which carries our luggage during the day. We camp in city parks, gardens, community/church halls (my favourite, as they were usually cool) and even a commercial campground or motel as a treat.
We're over halfway and on the downhill stretch - although we know there'll be plenty of uphills before the Pacific and Oregon! Some days are long and over 70 miles, others shorter. Sometimes we have help (gradients or winds) but more often than not they hinder. Somedays we pass through historic monuments, national parks or state wildlife reserves, otherdays we just ride on one road past nothing but cornfields (no, literally in Kansas). We are sharing an amazing adventure and somehow managing to overcome all the nasties - the aching legs/bottoms/arms, the confusing turns and never-ending inclines.
We set out to have this adventure but also to raise some much needed money for RedR. Let me tell you a little about RedR. Uniquely, they provide people and training to support aid agencies' competent response such as the UN, Oxfam and many smaller local organisations. For 30 years, they have made a massive impact supporting the relieving suffering from disasters. RedR are a fantastic international disaster relief charity who we have supported in different ways for a number of years. Their work saves and rebuilds the lives of people affected by natural disasters and conflict by ensuring that the right people, with the right skills are available to respond. We would be very grateful for your support and we would encourgage you to consider donating through www.justgiving.com/bikeamerica.
Thursday 15 July 2010
Rawlins to Jeffrey City, WY (67 miles) to Lander, WY (57 miles)
Rawlins was a great place; for one thing it had a population over 50 which was very exciting! Despite the treacherous windy weather, we arrived in one piece but managed to snap a tent pole in the wind and bend all of our tent pegs banging them into the hard ground. It was a unanimous decision (not just because Robin was cooking) that we should go out to eat or else we would be chasing our plates around the campsite with food flying everywhere! Luckily by bedtime (which is about 8.30pm these days) the wind has settled a little and we both got a surprisingly good sleep.
Yesterday we cycled to Jeffrey City. Do not be misled by the name; Jeffrey City is not a city at all. In fact it is a ghost town and seems to be described as such by those whom live there also (about 30 people I think). Jeffrey City once had a population of over 5000 people as it has Uranium in the area. Until there was a nuclear explosion in three mile Island and the town went bust, it was thriving. Sadly today, the town consists of closed down gas stations, stores and motels (one of which we stayed in). Yes, we stayed in a non operational motel that has probably been closed for years, so it was in need of a little more than a lick of paint to say the least. As there is no where to stopover between Rawlins and Lander which is around 130 miles, the owner agreed to open it for us for one night. Interesting place.
Today we are in Lander and again to our surprise it has a population of over 100 - 6800 in fact! We have cycled 57 miles of beautifully dramatic scenery with no wind and mainly gradual downhill so it's been one of the most pleasant days yet. Makes up for all these nasty head wind days we've been having lately! We have set up our tent in a campsite up on a hill overlooking the town and have already visited the bike shop and outdoor shops to try and find a replacement for our broken tent pole and pegs! Tonight we have a friend of Jerry's joining us for dinner (a guy who cycled the Southern Tier of America with him this year, just before this trip) so we've decided to go out. Better wash my hair then!
Yesterday we cycled to Jeffrey City. Do not be misled by the name; Jeffrey City is not a city at all. In fact it is a ghost town and seems to be described as such by those whom live there also (about 30 people I think). Jeffrey City once had a population of over 5000 people as it has Uranium in the area. Until there was a nuclear explosion in three mile Island and the town went bust, it was thriving. Sadly today, the town consists of closed down gas stations, stores and motels (one of which we stayed in). Yes, we stayed in a non operational motel that has probably been closed for years, so it was in need of a little more than a lick of paint to say the least. As there is no where to stopover between Rawlins and Lander which is around 130 miles, the owner agreed to open it for us for one night. Interesting place.
Today we are in Lander and again to our surprise it has a population of over 100 - 6800 in fact! We have cycled 57 miles of beautifully dramatic scenery with no wind and mainly gradual downhill so it's been one of the most pleasant days yet. Makes up for all these nasty head wind days we've been having lately! We have set up our tent in a campsite up on a hill overlooking the town and have already visited the bike shop and outdoor shops to try and find a replacement for our broken tent pole and pegs! Tonight we have a friend of Jerry's joining us for dinner (a guy who cycled the Southern Tier of America with him this year, just before this trip) so we've decided to go out. Better wash my hair then!
Tuesday 13 July 2010
Breckenridge, CO to Hot Sulphur Springs, CO to Walden, CO to Saragota, WY to Rawlins, WY
Well the climbs of the Rockies seem a distance away now; the weather has become warmer again and we have descended down to about 7000 ft. We are in Wyoming now but are apparently still in the Rocky Mountain Range so still have some rolling hills but the difficult thing at the moment is the wind again. It is very fierce. So much so that I find it difficult to actually stay on the bike at times!
The last couple of days cycling through the tops of the mountains has been gorgeous and we've managed to do a little wildlife spotting. We've seen moose, deer, prairie dogs, chipmunks, coyotes and loads of antelope (apparently 50% of the Nations Antelope are in Wyoming)! Some have been very close just back from the roadside and we've even managed to video them too.
Breckenridge, CO to Hot Sulphur Springs, CO
Wow! Dillon Dam was amazing with not a ripple on the reflections of the snow covered peaks. Then down, down down and the temperature steadily rising before passing through the strangest volcanic scenery. The village of Hot Sulphur Springs amazingly has hot sulphur springs (116 degrees!) which smell of eggs and naturally we tried out. For the record sulphur does not seem to deter mosquitoes! Luc cooked Bangers and Mash for the group - went down a treat.
The last couple of days cycling through the tops of the mountains has been gorgeous and we've managed to do a little wildlife spotting. We've seen moose, deer, prairie dogs, chipmunks, coyotes and loads of antelope (apparently 50% of the Nations Antelope are in Wyoming)! Some have been very close just back from the roadside and we've even managed to video them too.
Breckenridge, CO to Hot Sulphur Springs, CO
Wow! Dillon Dam was amazing with not a ripple on the reflections of the snow covered peaks. Then down, down down and the temperature steadily rising before passing through the strangest volcanic scenery. The village of Hot Sulphur Springs amazingly has hot sulphur springs (116 degrees!) which smell of eggs and naturally we tried out. For the record sulphur does not seem to deter mosquitoes! Luc cooked Bangers and Mash for the group - went down a treat.
Hot Sulphur Springs, CO to Walden, CO
First thing was very chilly (layer of ice on tent!). Luc started the day resembling the Micheline man - wearing pretty much everything she had. Naturally the sun came and and we ended up baking. Lots of the pine trees had died thanks to a nasty beetle problem but this couldn't detract from the view - a truely beautiful day of climbing valleys to cross the Continental Divide (again!) at Willow Creek Pass and then downhill (ish) to Walden. We spotted our first MOOSE!
Walden, CO to Saragota, WY
A long day with high head winds, including a 2.5 mile uphill and then a 3.5 mile downhill (you still need to pedal a lot to keep going because of the wind). We passed the impressive Welcome to Wyoming sign but the states seemed to merge their landscapes into one another.
Cruising the high plains of Wyoming - we spotted Coyotes, badgers, prairie dogs (like mere cats) and loads of antelope. Also saw real cowboys on horseback herding up cattle - tonnes of dust flying up into the air. We crossed the 2,500 mile mark today - wowsers - but also had to contend with a fair amount of head/tail wind which didn't make things easy.
Saragota, WY to Rawlins, WY
Today we're in Rawlins, which was only a 42 mile day and so considered a half rest day. However, I have done absolutely no resting as this was one of my hardest days yet due to the winds! We have 85 miles tomorrow so I hope its a tailwind otherwise we won't be getting in until 10pm!
More big sky plains crossed to reach this little oasis in the sage bush grassland. Headwind is not pleasant, having to pedal hard just to stay in one place! We've completed our 7th map today, with only 5 to go...
Saturday 10 July 2010
Rest Day in the Rockies!
Beautiful, lovely Breckenridge! What a place to have a day off! Breckenridge is a gorgeous ski resort town with plenty of outdoor activities to do in the summer too and lots of good shops, cafes and restaurants. Situated in the heart of the Rocky Mountains; a good place for Mountain biking, Robin and Steve decided to do this! As if they hadn't had enough biking already!! Needless to say, I didn't, and instead Kath and I headed into town for a mid morning coffee and pastry followed by massages and haircuts. Perfect way to relax! Ending the evening with a lovely meal and beer at the local brewery, and then a dip in the hot tub with brownies and ice cream! The problem is with luxury on this trip, is that its all the worse getting back into it! Although today has not been too bad. Our reward for all the hills has been a 72 mile downhill with panoramic views of the Rockies! Well, we're not quite at our destination yet; hot sulphur springs. We've stopped 17 miles away at a town called Kremmling for lunch and now taking cover in the library until the rain stops! I can hear the thunder crashing!
Apparently tonight we are camping next to the hot sulphur springs, hence the name 'hot sulphur springs', and wuill get to use the natural spa there which sounds nice. I'm cooking with Phil tonight though so won't be able to spend too much time relaxing! Something easy I thought; bangers and mash!
Apparently tonight we are camping next to the hot sulphur springs, hence the name 'hot sulphur springs', and wuill get to use the natural spa there which sounds nice. I'm cooking with Phil tonight though so won't be able to spend too much time relaxing! Something easy I thought; bangers and mash!
Thursday 8 July 2010
Pueblo to Royal Gorge (51 miles), to Fairplay (66 miles) to Breckinridge (23 miles)
We woke in our tent at Royal Gorge campsite, which had been swaying too and frow all night forcing Robin to get out and check at one point during the night if the tree we had pitched under was about the fall down on top of us due to the force of the winds! Luckily, we didn't blow away!
Royal Gorge to Fairplay was the start of the climbing to our 11,500 ft highest point in the trip at the Rocky mountains. There was a fair amount of uphill to cycle on this 66 mile day which meant that the day was a little longer than usual but I tend to always expect the worst and am then presently surprised! It was a beautiful day; fairly cool with stunning views of the mountains and lots of wildlife to spot-we saw dear, chipmunks, bison but no bears yet! However the weather took a turn for the worst and we got caught in a thunder/hail storm about 12 miles from Fairplay. We managed to take shelter (well as best we could) at the side of an old abandoned house until it eased off and then just went for it, arriving very cold and wet! The town of Fairplay is at approximatey 9,500 ft and is home to the best hat shop ever where they custom make traditional cowboy hats out of any material you wish-Robin was planning on a custom made hat for my birthday until he found out they cost around $500 each! Maybe not. Fairplay also has the town of South Park; remember the cartoon type comedy series?!
We began today with a little lie in not getting up until 6.30am for 2 reasons; our motel in Breckinridge would not be available until 1pm anyway and today's ride was only 23 miles. After a 7am breakfast, we layered up in our winter warmers; today was going to be around 3 degrees celcius and probably colder the higher we get. It was nice not to have to deal with the heat for a change and I enjoyed the fresh, cool air on the climb up. As we were already at 9,500 ft today, we only had another 2000ft to climb to reach the summit so within the first 10 miles, we were there. The hills generally have a steady gradient but go on for miles which is far less tiring than what we encountered in the Apalachians and Missouri. However, we did not have to deal with any kind of altitude there like we have here. It did not effect anyone greatly but both Robin and I found that we felt generally like we had less energy and it sometimes felt more difficult to get enough air; similar to when you are gasping for breath after sprinting or something, although you shouldn't have been as the gradient was not high. Today was a great day and very enjoyable, nothing to have been too concerned about and we all waited at the summit until everyone arrived so we could have a group photo! The summit is also the Continental Divide; the watershed ridge whereby rainfall either drops into the Atlantic on one side or the Pacific on the other, much to Robin's amusement!
We're waiting for a way to upload our photos, so in the meantime, here's a couple from other people of what we've been seeing!
We are currently in Breckinridge Library. It is a lovely sk
iing resort town; which seems to be just as busy in summer months. We can see snow on the tops of the mountains and the temperature is very cool to cold (feels more like home!). We are about to go exploring the town, which seems to have lots of various shops/cafes before heading to our lodgings (indoor for 2 nights as its rest day tomorrow!).
Royal Gorge to Fairplay was the start of the climbing to our 11,500 ft highest point in the trip at the Rocky mountains. There was a fair amount of uphill to cycle on this 66 mile day which meant that the day was a little longer than usual but I tend to always expect the worst and am then presently surprised! It was a beautiful day; fairly cool with stunning views of the mountains and lots of wildlife to spot-we saw dear, chipmunks, bison but no bears yet! However the weather took a turn for the worst and we got caught in a thunder/hail storm about 12 miles from Fairplay. We managed to take shelter (well as best we could) at the side of an old abandoned house until it eased off and then just went for it, arriving very cold and wet! The town of Fairplay is at approximatey 9,500 ft and is home to the best hat shop ever where they custom make traditional cowboy hats out of any material you wish-Robin was planning on a custom made hat for my birthday until he found out they cost around $500 each! Maybe not. Fairplay also has the town of South Park; remember the cartoon type comedy series?!
We began today with a little lie in not getting up until 6.30am for 2 reasons; our motel in Breckinridge would not be available until 1pm anyway and today's ride was only 23 miles. After a 7am breakfast, we layered up in our winter warmers; today was going to be around 3 degrees celcius and probably colder the higher we get. It was nice not to have to deal with the heat for a change and I enjoyed the fresh, cool air on the climb up. As we were already at 9,500 ft today, we only had another 2000ft to climb to reach the summit so within the first 10 miles, we were there. The hills generally have a steady gradient but go on for miles which is far less tiring than what we encountered in the Apalachians and Missouri. However, we did not have to deal with any kind of altitude there like we have here. It did not effect anyone greatly but both Robin and I found that we felt generally like we had less energy and it sometimes felt more difficult to get enough air; similar to when you are gasping for breath after sprinting or something, although you shouldn't have been as the gradient was not high. Today was a great day and very enjoyable, nothing to have been too concerned about and we all waited at the summit until everyone arrived so we could have a group photo! The summit is also the Continental Divide; the watershed ridge whereby rainfall either drops into the Atlantic on one side or the Pacific on the other, much to Robin's amusement!
We're waiting for a way to upload our photos, so in the meantime, here's a couple from other people of what we've been seeing!
We are currently in Breckinridge Library. It is a lovely sk
iing resort town; which seems to be just as busy in summer months. We can see snow on the tops of the mountains and the temperature is very cool to cold (feels more like home!). We are about to go exploring the town, which seems to have lots of various shops/cafes before heading to our lodgings (indoor for 2 nights as its rest day tomorrow!).
Tuesday 6 July 2010
Welcome to Colourful Colorado! Ordway to Pueblo; Pueblo to Canon City
So, Robin was on cooking duty but, since it was the Fourth July and since local T-bone steaks were on offer, we got talking to a local restaurant who agreed to cook up the slabs of almost half a cow per person - wowsers. The breeze had been picking up and, after a short burst of sunshine, the clouds returned with a vengeance. Thick black and billowing with thunder and lightning. We set off to the nearby Sugar City fireworks more like storm chasers than party goers but amazingly the storm blew over by the time we arrived. All of the 200 residents appeared to have turned out and the local fire department proceeded to set off some dodgy fireworks (at least three didn't quite work on the lift off bit and just exploded on the ground - prompting loads of cheers from the locals!) whilst Luc got eaten by Mosquitoes (she is literally applying the Benadryl next to me as I type!). The fireworks were good but what made the night was the backdrop of thunderstorm clouds - towering 50 mile wide columns of cloud illuminated by lightning sheets and forks - at least six storms covered the horizon!
Sunday 4 July 2010
Leoti to Eads, CO (79 miles) to Ordway, CO (61 miles)
The past couple of days have seen us travel into Colorado (sixth state), cross another time zone (now 7 hours ahead of home), and reach 2000 mile marker! Eads was again a very small town with many shops looking as though they had closed down. We did manage to find the local pharmacy and mini supermarket though which appeared to have everything you could possibly want anyway, so can't complain. We stayed in a very basic motel with a very comfy bed (thats all you need after 79 miles!) and spent the afternoon having a nap and relaxing! Throughout our ride today, we met many other cyclists. There is a group of about 25 cycling the US for MS and taking a similar route and schedule that we are currently so we chatted with many of them on yesterday's ride into Eads, which makes for slightly more interesting cycling - we love each other dearly but sometimes a change of face is nice! The crossing into Colorado was our most colourful yet! Check out the sign! And it's always nice to put your watch back an hour!
Today was great - finally we had a little tailwind, although it took Robin a considerable amount of time to convince me that we were actually getting a tailwind (I couldn't feel it until we turned around to go back on ourselves by about 100 yards as we'd missed the turn for 'America's smallest Jail' and then I definately felt the headwind!). The smallest Jail was literally 1 cell in the middle of nowhere. I checked to see whether it was still operational - it looked fully furnished but there was noone inside! Already the strong aggressive winds of Kansas seem to have faded and Colorado almost resembles a desert; without the desert heat. Today was very cool and we had to wear our jackets for some of the ride!
Coasting in Ordway, we located our hotel (yes we are being spoilt lately - will have to dust off our tents next time we use them!) to find that our rooms were not quite ready; understandably since we had arrived at 1030am, that wind really did give us a push I guess! We have our room now, absolutely lovely old hotel with a bath, which I have just enjoyed! Robin is cooking with Mike tonight and there is extra pressure on as its the 4th JULY!! Independence day so very important to celebrate - we are having steak and chicken (for those who don't like steak) and Mike has convinced the hotel staff to cook it for us at a small cost. So, actually all that Robin has had to do is buy the food! Tonight, after our good meal we intend to visit some fireworks!! a
Today was great - finally we had a little tailwind, although it took Robin a considerable amount of time to convince me that we were actually getting a tailwind (I couldn't feel it until we turned around to go back on ourselves by about 100 yards as we'd missed the turn for 'America's smallest Jail' and then I definately felt the headwind!). The smallest Jail was literally 1 cell in the middle of nowhere. I checked to see whether it was still operational - it looked fully furnished but there was noone inside! Already the strong aggressive winds of Kansas seem to have faded and Colorado almost resembles a desert; without the desert heat. Today was very cool and we had to wear our jackets for some of the ride!
Coasting in Ordway, we located our hotel (yes we are being spoilt lately - will have to dust off our tents next time we use them!) to find that our rooms were not quite ready; understandably since we had arrived at 1030am, that wind really did give us a push I guess! We have our room now, absolutely lovely old hotel with a bath, which I have just enjoyed! Robin is cooking with Mike tonight and there is extra pressure on as its the 4th JULY!! Independence day so very important to celebrate - we are having steak and chicken (for those who don't like steak) and Mike has convinced the hotel staff to cook it for us at a small cost. So, actually all that Robin has had to do is buy the food! Tonight, after our good meal we intend to visit some fireworks!! a
Saturday 3 July 2010
Larned to Ness City (65) to Leoti (79 miles) - 2000 miles, 6 states and 2 time zones DONE (almost)
Hello from Western Kansas! We have been busy uploading and updating for your reading pleasure - you will see at the top you can see maps of Our Route, slideshows of our Photos and Videos, and short introductions on Our Group members. We hope you like them!
The past couple of days from Larned to Leoti have been in the most part enjoyable, especially the day we travelled to Ness City when we had a little tail wind and flew into town. However, our luck changed yesterday when we had a very strong south westerly wind and lots of HUGE combines, grain/cattle trucks and a few massive wind turbines on trucks zooming and whizzing past at speed. We are in the epicentre of Kansas' wheat harvest - add in a strong cross-wind and little cyclists like us just get blown around like leaves! The combine caravans travel up from Texas and follow the crops, it really is a like a wave across the country. This day was horrible, and dangerous - I was quite literally thrown off the road by gusts of wind on numerous occassions and at one point seriously thought that I may have to walk into Leoti. But I did cycle in and we are now sat in our motel room enjoying a day's rest. Not looking forward to tomorrow as the weather forecast is similar, the road will be the same and traffic is likely to be similar to yesterday, also it is another 80 mile day.
Cycling here is a lot like sailing. You feel like you are at sea, with the wheat waves on an ocean. The horizon dead flat and distant. The only features to see are trucks wizzing (ships?) and grain silos dotted at regular intervals like... ummm, running out of parallels... light houses/cliffs/supertankers - you decide.
Today, in Leoti, which is a very small town we did nothing other than have a lie in and good breakfast, and wander main street (not a lot to see or do), followed by a meal at the one and only mexican restaurant. It is good to have a rest and the wind today was so strong, we could hardly walk in it, let alone cycle in it! We met another group of cyclists (raising money for MS), whom came from Scott City (24 miles away), but decided to stop here for the night rather than continue on due to the extent of the strong winds. They too are planning to ride to Eads, Colorado tomorrow, same as we are, so we should see many cyclists on the road tomorrow! We also chatted to a self-contained guy called Kirk who has overtaken us - http://pedalaround.blogspot.com/
And tomorrow (besides the wind), should be an exciting day as we go into Colorado (our sixth state!), cross a time zone (1 hour extra in the day), and hit 2000 mile mark! All in one day! Bye Bye Kansas, I have partially enjoyed you but will not miss those winds!!
The past couple of days from Larned to Leoti have been in the most part enjoyable, especially the day we travelled to Ness City when we had a little tail wind and flew into town. However, our luck changed yesterday when we had a very strong south westerly wind and lots of HUGE combines, grain/cattle trucks and a few massive wind turbines on trucks zooming and whizzing past at speed. We are in the epicentre of Kansas' wheat harvest - add in a strong cross-wind and little cyclists like us just get blown around like leaves! The combine caravans travel up from Texas and follow the crops, it really is a like a wave across the country. This day was horrible, and dangerous - I was quite literally thrown off the road by gusts of wind on numerous occassions and at one point seriously thought that I may have to walk into Leoti. But I did cycle in and we are now sat in our motel room enjoying a day's rest. Not looking forward to tomorrow as the weather forecast is similar, the road will be the same and traffic is likely to be similar to yesterday, also it is another 80 mile day.
Cycling here is a lot like sailing. You feel like you are at sea, with the wheat waves on an ocean. The horizon dead flat and distant. The only features to see are trucks wizzing (ships?) and grain silos dotted at regular intervals like... ummm, running out of parallels... light houses/cliffs/supertankers - you decide.
Today, in Leoti, which is a very small town we did nothing other than have a lie in and good breakfast, and wander main street (not a lot to see or do), followed by a meal at the one and only mexican restaurant. It is good to have a rest and the wind today was so strong, we could hardly walk in it, let alone cycle in it! We met another group of cyclists (raising money for MS), whom came from Scott City (24 miles away), but decided to stop here for the night rather than continue on due to the extent of the strong winds. They too are planning to ride to Eads, Colorado tomorrow, same as we are, so we should see many cyclists on the road tomorrow! We also chatted to a self-contained guy called Kirk who has overtaken us - http://pedalaround.blogspot.com/
And tomorrow (besides the wind), should be an exciting day as we go into Colorado (our sixth state!), cross a time zone (1 hour extra in the day), and hit 2000 mile mark! All in one day! Bye Bye Kansas, I have partially enjoyed you but will not miss those winds!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)