Sunday, June 30, 2013

Day 14 - Pocatello to Idaho Falls, ID

Anne and Michael rode the tandem to Idaho Falls. The course was a great tandem route as it only rose 275' during the 65-mile distance. It had many turns like those going to Gladstone, IL; thus, much more interesting from a road perspective than yesterday. However, the scenery was much the same. So, we didn't take any pictures until we reached our motel as directly across from the motel was the Idaho Falls waterway and diversion dam.
In the background you can see a Mormon Temple. The Mormon faith is very strong in Idaho Fall; therefore, many of the businesses are closed on Sunday, the day we arrived.

Anne found a place to lounge in the pony bench shown here. Our motel is in the background.

Here is how we keep our clothes clean. The 97 degree heat makes for very fast drying.

Here is what we do when we have to wait on our rooms to be ready.
Everyone is catches up on what is happening at home via iPhones, iPads and laptops.

Some tips to note for preparing for a tour like we are doing. These tips will help you get ready faster in the morning of the ride, improve the chances of you having everything you want and make the ride more enjoyable:
  1. Stretch all your muscles every morning, especially across the back and legs.
  2. Apply a chamois cream like Buttbutter before you leave.
  3. Apply plenty of sunscreen to ALL exposed areas.
  4. Check the next day's weather forecast and layout all the clothes you want to wear before you go to bed.
  5. Layout any gels, prepare your water bottle and all items you will need.
  6. Go to bed early.

Tomorrow is one of the toughest if not the toughest rides of the tour - 90 miles to Jackson, WY. It goes over the Teton Pass Summit at 8,431' meaning we will climb 3,731'. So, along the way, we say goodbye to Idaho; our second state.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Day 13 - Burley to Pocatello, ID

We woke up to this beautiful sunrise...

Michael rode the single bike, along with Kass, a Dutch rider, the 86 miles to Pocatello, ID. We were fortunate the sun stayed behind the cloud cover you can see in the picture above the entire ride. That was a difference of ~20 degrees; so, instead of ~97 it was ~77. Those who came in later in the day were not so lucky as they had to ride a number of miles in the 97 degree heat. The support really watches out for the riders making sure they have cold water and ice for bandanas to put around the neck, etc.

Forgot to mention yesterday that, during the ride, there was a scavenger hunt.You had to find 10 items along the way. Below shows how one of the teams was explaining how to be safe when turning a corner.

Again, the terrain in southern ID is so much different than OR. Today, we rode a stretch in the open range that was over 15 miles without a turn! The only thing we had to look out for were cattle on the road as there were no fences. However, there were many cattle crossings, that is, a four foot wide grate the full width of the road. These were about every four miles. Not sure what purpose they serve since the cattle can simply walk around them. John Schneider, you would have fun jumping them as they are not quite as wide as a single railroad tracks you've jumped many times.

This pictures give you an idea of what I mean by flat. The rider is my Dutch friend, Kass.

We are discovering how hard the ride can be on bikes. Riding on the chip seal roads pops rocks up all the time hitting your frame and spokes pretty hard. I am so glad I followed the tour information guide where it said not to bring aero wheels as they would not have survived the harness of the roads.

In case you are wondering how a support vehicle setup looks, here is one where Anne is helping with the SAG stop. They were playing music and talking to the riders to keep up their spirits and it worked.

There is another van and trailer set up and a van for repairs.

Tomorrow, we take the tandem to Idaho Falls, ID. Hopefully, we will stay cool.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Day 12 - Twin Falls to Burley, ID

Another beautiful day with all blue skies and no clouds. The temperatures are continuing to rise. It was in the 70's when Anne and Michael left on the tandem at 9:00; whereas, it was in the 60's when Michael left the day before. The heat is following us as it is over 100 in Mountain Home where we were yesterday.

The first thing we did was take a detour off the scheduled route to see the Shoshone Falls just outside of Twin Falls. In this case, a picture is worth a thousand words. Here is a panoramic view.

The Shoshone Falls is a part of the Snake River Gorge.

After taking in the gorgeous views, we had fun climbing back out of the gorge up the 3 miles of 6-8% grades. Anne did a great job of stoking us up the climb.

Then, we headed for Burley our next overnight stop. We passed many seas of wheat like the picture shows

here and seas of lavender and sugar beets. Yesterday, you heard about Holstein's standing side by side for ~900' to feed. Below, you can see how much it takes feed the thousands of  livestock we saw. Now, that's a lot of hay!



Now, that the Garmin Edge 800 and compact crank working, I can say the Garmin greatly reduces mental stress of staying on course compared to having to read cue sheets. The compact crank does the same but for physical stress. If you ever consider a long tour, put these in your budget,.

The accommodations continue to be superb; the Best Western in Burley, ID.


Now, it is 97 in Burley!

Tomorrow, it is on to Pocatello, ID.

 

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Day 11 - Mountain Home to Twin Falls, ID

Wow! What a day for a century ride. Not a cloud in the deep blue sky. Slight tailwind and fairly flat. Temperature started out in the 60's and hit 99 by 1:30 pm. However, if you rode at a good pace then much of the ride was only in the 70's and 80's; therefore, Michael on the single bike did just that and arrived at the motel before the support crew. Naturally, since the ride was 97 miles, I had to go the extra 3 to make it a hundreds.

All along the route, you could see for miles on either side of the road because it is so flat compared to OR. I thought by going on this ride we would not see too many corn fields like on RAGBRAI. Well, today not only corn fields but ones as far as you could see. Unlike IA, these fields were irrigated.

Speaking of crops, since we started this tour, Anne and Michael have seen fields of sugar beets, onions, mint, wheat, corn, potatoes and lavender.

Lots of beef, like today, along the route, a guestimate of 5,000 to 10,000 head of Holsteins were seen at many feedlots. That's a lot of beef! In one feedlot, they were lined up side by side, with their heads in feeding slots, for at least 900 yards. As we rode by, they seemed to raise their head one at a time. It felt great to be just a star!

Upon arrival at Twin Falls, stopped to take pictures of the beautiful Snake River Gorge from the suspension bridge spanning the gorge. While taking the pictures, you could feel the bridge going up and downGot to see a group of young adults base jump from the bridge. That is, they jump from the middle of the bride out and down about 100' and then deploy the hang glider chutes. It was scary to see them jump; however, they all landed within a 30' radius of where they were suppose to and not in the water.

You can see the Snake River Gorge and some jumpers by viewing the album at https://plus.google.com/photos/102207335230379372875/albums/5891329806057309137

The new compact crank worked great and it is easy to see why almost everyone on the ride has one. On a tour like, this it is a very good choice.

Tom Lambert, I fixed the rear tubeless tire and it held up the entire ride. This time I only inflated them to 100 psi. I must say, on the chip sealed road surface prevalent in ID, they really improve the ride and roll real well. I think the reason the sealant did not hold the time when I thought it should was because I inflated the tire too much at the support van and blew the sealant from the puncture.

Tomorrow, we take the tandem to Burley, ID. Just outside of Twin Falls, we will stop to see the Shoshone Falls.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Day 10 - Boise, ID to Mountain Home, ID

A beautiful day to ride with no rain in the forecast and not overly hot. We rode the tandem. Started out in the 60's and finished in the 80's. So, the temperatures have definitely warmed up since we left OR. Part of today's course had us ride again on Interstate 84 for some six miles. This time, however, it was not as much debris as the last time we were on Interstate 84.

Our first ride in ID was not nearly as scenic as what we saw throughout OR. Instead of trees, it was mostly sagebrush and certainly no wind breaks. Fortunately, the winds were mostly 5-10 SSW and the terrain was fairly flat.

After the first stage of the ride, Astoria, OR to Boise, ID, a woman in our party left the ride to return to work leaving her husband behind to finish the ride to NH. However, we picked up a father and teenage son and a father and two mid-30's sons from Indiana and Ohio. The latter father had a tough start as he experienced a blowout in the front and rear tires before he even got on his bike in Boise. You know, those that sound like a gunshot.

Anne and I dined with Yea-Chi Hu from New Taipei City, Taiwan. She is 33 and a teacher in Taiwan. Although she said she was nervous because of her english, we told her she need not be. We found her delightful and learned a lot about the Taiwanese culture. It was interesting to hear her view on things and compare them to what we heard in China a few years ago. Rachel, we hope to introduce you to her in Casper.

Tomorrow, we move on to Twin Falls, ID; a 97-mile ride in temperatures forecast to be in the mid-90's. Should be fun!


Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Day 9 - Rest Day in Boise, ID

We walked a couple miles to attend mass at St John's Cathedral; the stained glass windows were something to behold as they were so beautiful. We took pictures. Then toured the downtown on the return trip to the motel. It rained on and off during the entire day. Found the people of Boise to be very friendly and courteous.

Boise is definitely a bicycle-friendly city. There are bike paths and bike racks everywhere. Helping the use of bikes is that much of Boise is very flat. Went to a really large bike shop called George's of all things.

A lot of the day was spent catching up on things, cleaning and fixing bikes, etc. Bought what was needed to repair my tubeless tire but didn't have much luck. Will try again tomorrow. Did receive a new Edge 800 from Garmin as a replacement for the one that stopped working during the all day rain last week. Set it up like the replaced unit and loaded the course routes from here to Casper, WY.

Had a great meal at a Pub and Microbrewery called the Ram. A very large place with large screen tv's and memorabilia everywhere. It is known as the "tallest bar" in Boise.

Here is the link for America By Bicycle's blog http://www.americabybicycle.com/wordpress/?cat=22. There  you will find another version of what is happening and many pictures, even one of us at the Idaho State Line!

Tomorrow we head for Mountain Home, ID. Hope it doesn't rain.

Monday, June 24, 2013

Day 8 - Ontario, OR to Boise, ID

Although there was rain in the forecast, it didn't. Another nice day as Anne and Michael left Ontario and OR for new adventures in ID that began a mile from our motel. This was jersey day as all of the riders wore their America By Bicycle jerseys to Boise. The 64-mile ride took us over rolling hills and a short two mile detour around a road under repair. We ventured into the farmland where they have to use a lot of irrigation. We think we saw vast fields of either beets or asparagus. Anyway, they had very large green leaves. Some of the corn we doubted will make it to knee-high by the Fourth of July.

We stopped at Hyde Park just was we got into Boise. It seemed everybody did as there was a sea of ABB jerseys  in this corner bar. Hyde Park is a lot like the District in Omaha but smaller. While waiting on dinner, Michael walked into a Triathlon store across the street. Of course, that resulted in a discussion of what we were doing. I told them about our Lake Geode Challenge Tri. They commented triathletes in the midwest are tough, especially in high humidity. Sorry George, but I don't think any of them will be coming to the LGC.

Tomorrow is our first rest day; so, we get to spent the day walking around downtown since that is where our motel is. I hope to find a valve stem for the tubeless tire that I lost somewhere and some more tire sealant. I want to try that rear tire again. I patched the tire from the inside and will put some super glue into the cut area. If it fails, I will have a tube as backup. I hope the replacement Garmin is overnighting for the 800 destroyed in the all day rain. Missed is the way it kept us on course.

We were going to sleep in, but someone found a Mass at 8:30 we can attend and thank God for the safe trip, new friendships and good weather (well, except for the rain all day Friday!) we have had. After that, we will mail stuff home we are not using and walk around Boise and prepare for the trip to Mountain Home, ID.

Day 7 - Baker City, OR to Ontario, OR

Today was a nice ride. Started out in the mid-40's but warmed to 60's very quickly. One nice thing about a supported ride is there are lots of opportunities to shed clothing along the way. So, if you are too warm, you can put arm and/or leg warmers, etc. in the support vehicle.

Michael started out on the single bike and rode through rolling terrain parallelling Interstate 84. A couple of times we passed under the interstate. Again, many old, dilapidated building were seen along the way. These are old wood structures built to house the pioneers who made possible what we have today.

Rolling along, all of a sudden a pss, pss sound was heard then it stopped. A tire had been punctured and the Stan's sealant in the tire closed the puncture. Thought all was good until apparently the sealant blew through the puncture. Fortunately a support was nearby and provided a tire. This was just before the start of a four mile stretch on Interstate 84. A mile later, a wire from shredded truck tire punctured the sidewall. Fortunately, a couple of the tour riders came along and provided a tube as none was available otherwise. There is a lot of glass, etc., especially from shredded tires, on the shoulders of interstates, that can puncture tires. On all the road surfaces so far, the touring group has averaged about three to five flats per day.

Michael made it to SAG stop at mile 34 and exchanged the single bike for Anne and the tandem. We rode the remaining 50 miles without incident. Much of the ride was along the Snake River where there were many people on the river and on the bank fishing for channel catfish. We told one about all the catfish in Iowa. Next, we rode along a straight and flat road lined with fields of corn (thought we escaped corn fields) and fields of other local produce. As the winds were calm to favorable, we rolled right along reaching Ontario on the far eastern side of OR and only a mile from the ID state line. A highlight was making our daily stop at the Dairy Queen. Did you know the first DQ was started in Canada in 1955? Now you do.

Tomorrow, we leave OR and head to Boise, ID.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Day 6 - John Day, OR to Baker City, OR

As ugly as the weather was yesterday, it was simply beautiful today. Although the temperature at the start was 43, it was sunny and felt much warmer and winds were calm. Actually, the temperatures throughout the day was just ideal for riding. Michael rode to the second SAG stop; then, Anne and Michael rode the tandem to Baker City. It was great very pretty riding through the canyon along the winding Powder River. It looked much like Vrain Canyon near Lyons, CO. The ride from the first SAG stop to the second was quiet, serene and majestic with very little traffic, gorgeous views of snow capped mountains, evergreen trees, old camper and trapper buildings, an old railroad car alone in a field and great descents along winding roads. Newt, I'm getting better at descents. Michael even stopped to take pictures! Rachel you would go crazy with all the photo ops. Renee and Rachel, as you love CO, you would find central to eastern OR a pretty close second.

Denny, I thought of you the last couple of days as we have met some 10-15 riders riding self contained. They must be admired for the ascents they have to climb while carrying so much weight. One young lady had panniers on the front and rear ends of the bike. You could hardly see the bike due to the size of the panniers. There were a number of couples just themselves. Also met three young men; one, going to Virginia, one to Maine and one to Denver. They were really excited with their adventures so far. The one thing you must have on a ride through the mountain regions is PATIENCE as on the long 3-10 mile climbs no one rides much over 6-10 mph.

Speaking of climbing, Michael is finding he did not plan his gearing very well. The 39 front/27 rear is barely making it. Charlie, please send me the compact setup you were going to let me use for the Rockies Ride last year!

Some have not been able to access the album in Picasa showing the pictures Michael has taken on his iPhone. Hopefully, now you will be able to by left clicking on the following link and then clicking on the Go to Link: https://plus.google.com/photos/102207335230379372875/albums/5891329806057309137
Please let me know if it works. You will find captions below most to the pictures.

At this point, we have just passed the 500 mile mark. Only 2,800 to go!

Tomorrow, its 81 miles to Ontario our last stop in OR before heading into ID.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Day 5 - Prineville, OR to John Day, OR

What a day! What we feared the last three days, happened today - cold and rain together. We left Prineville in light rain and a temperature of 43 and arrived in John Day in pouring rain and a temperature of 49. For only a 30 mile stretch did it not rain and we never saw the sun. All this makes a 117-mile ride very challenging. Only having calm winds kept if from being a Perfect Storm scenario. The only reason Michael made it was due to the preparation he received from the Saturday morning rides through much of the winter with the "boys" in Burlington. Although on none of those Michael did had rain.

The five to 10+ mile descents on wet pavements really kept you alert, To keep from obtaining too much momentum meant keeping pressure on the brake levers and tired hands. It was hard to keep the bike from shimmying due to the arms shaking from the cold. Highlights of the day was seeing Anne at two SAG stops and eating a bowl of clam chowder with her at the last SAG stop.

We are in the Cascade Mountains and there are some very pretty canyons. We went through one today another highlight. Fortunately, that was during the time when it was not raining. The descent on the winding road was really fun and gives one just a tiny feel for what the riders of the Tour de France must feel on some of the descents we see on television. Randy Wright would have loved it.

The final highlight was finding a jacuzzi in our room and using it to get warm again!

Mentioned yesterday was you were going hear about an item that takes the stress out of cross country tours. That item is a bike computer with maps like a Garmin 800. If you don't  have one, you have to use cue sheets provided by the tour. These are not always the easiest to follow with turns scheduled at specific mileages. The other  problem is you have to follow the sheet while riding and it is easy to miss a turn. If you do, that could be disastrous and result in many unplanned miles to get back on course. The Garmin works great; however, I found out today, it does not do well in the rain. So, make sure you keep a small baggie with you. Mine has stopped working; so, I made a arrangements with Garmin to overnight a replacement to be picked up Monday in Boise. I hope I don't get lost in the interim.

Tomorrow is suppose to start in the 40's (what's new); however, it is suppose to be sunny and warm up to the 70's by afternoon. We may do another bike exchange at the 3rd SAG stop.

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Day 4 - Kah-nee-ta, OR to Prineville, OR

We decided to split this 60-mile ride from the Kah-nee-ta resort and Indian reservation at the 30-mile SAG stop because of the 5,000+ total feet of climbing. Michael rode the first leg and Michael and Anne did the second on the tandem.

Although it was only 39 when we arose, it sunny and much warmer in the sun. Scenery, like most of the days, was beautiful with many flowers, etc. you would expect on the prairie. We even got to see the snow-capped Mt Jefferson in the distance. Very few homes along the entire route and no commercial places to stop for the last 30 miles, that is, from the last SAG stop. The tour guides do stop at various places along the route if you need something.

Speaking of the tour guides, although they have lots of rules, as mentioned in the first blog, they are really necessary when trying to herd  cats. The guides are very helpful and certainly know the route well. The SAG stops are great as there are lots of cookies, fig bars, peanuts, bananas, gatorade, and the like.The food has been very good with all-you-can-eat breakfasts with lots of variety and dinners like dining out. Nothing on the cheap.

Michael did have a stressful event during his portion. Riding alone at the time, he thought he might be in the wrong town to meet the SAG stop. So, he stopped a couple of places to ask for directions. At the second stop, a gas station, while he was asking directions of someone at the pump, out walked Anne! Was he ever glad to see her. Turns out you could see the SAG stop from the station; what a relief!

One thing we are learning quickly is to be very organized. Always put things back in your bags in the same place. Immediately after showering, set up for the next day's ride and  put everything in one place in the room. These all reduce stress greatly. Tomorrow, I will tell you about another item that greatly reduces stress while riding.

Tomorrow's ride is long - 119 miles. Michael is planning to ride with a rider from Holland who rides well.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Day 3 - Welches, OR to Kah-nee-ta, OR

The day started with half the fear "rain" allayed; however, the other half "cold" was present at 52. Bearable for most as many were wearing shorts, but not for Michael as he was totally covered and still cold! Due to over 5,000 feet of climbing, especially the 2,700 foot climb in 13 miles at the start, we decided to forego the tandem. Anne went along with the sag person and helped her throughout the day. It was great seeing Anne at the two stops. The scenery along the route was pretty even though it was overcast most of the day. By the time we got near the Kah-nee-ta Resort the sun came out and warmed things up. Oregon is a lot like Colorado - when you are in the sun you are warm otherwise not so. The resort is even more fabulous than yesterday's Resort of the Mountain. This is the last of the resorts; so, back to reality, however, it was great while it lasted! We created a Picasa album showing pictures Michael took on his iPhone. Not great quality, but you will get the idea. There is probably an easier way to provide access, however, try coping and pasting the following into your browser - https://plus.google.com/photos/102207335230379372875/albums/5891329806057309137/5891330164073109714?pid=5891330164073109714&oid=102207335230379372875. Later, Anne may add pictures she has taken.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Day 2 - St Helens, OR to Welches, OR

We left St Helens on the tandem to a beautiful, sunny and 52-degree day. At the 40-mile sag stop, we traded in the tandem for Michael on a single bike. That 40-mile ride was tremendous on a tandem as it was basically flat. The scenery on the bike path along the Columbia River was super. We saw some 50-100 floating homes; really they were on some kind of pontoon system. No yards to cut, plenty of opportunity to fish whenever you want and most important little worry about the river flooding. Maybe we should do that on the Mississippi! The last 35-miles on the single bike was nice, too, especially when we reached the countryside away from all the traffic and trucks. The traffic is one item we are still trying to adjust to. Those big logging trucks go pass sometimes within less than 10'. We can be thankful there is nothing like those in Iowa. Although OR has bike lanes everywhere, the drivers do not drive like it is a bike friendly state. Often on a three or four lane highway, they don't move to the inside lane. My stop during the 35-mile was at Calamity Jane's, home of the biggest hamburgers, the large was 1 lb! That's a lot of beef. Accommodations tonight are fabulous as we are staying at the Resort at the Mountain. Tomorrow will be challenging as it starts out with 13-mile climb from an elevation of 1,300' to 4,000'. Currently, it is 57 degrees and raining. I will be praying that is stops raining by the time we leave.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Day 1 - Astoria, OR to St Helens, OR

Up at 5:45 am, get all the essential out of the way, eat, load the bags in the trailer, get on the tandem and we are off on a 69-mile ride to St. Helen's. Since this was the same route Kenny took us from the Portland Airport to Astoria, we didn't think it would be too tough on a tandem. Shows how different the perspective is from a van vs. on a bike! It was challenging with grades of 4 to 6% and long. The worst was a 4+ mile 5.5% climb with no breaks until we reached the top. Our average speed was between 6 and 8 mph. I was especially proud of Anne for hanging in there. I must admit I was toast when we reached the top. Our reward was a 3-mile descent. The scenery was really nice along the way. We took a picture of Mt. Ranier in the far distance. We made it to St Helen after a number of stops due my leg cramps. The weather was in the mid 60's and sunny. We looked forward to the two sag stops for the opportunity to refuel, walk around and talk to other riders at the stop. I should mention there are 41 riders on the ride, comprised of nine from outside the USA, 11 females and some 21 states. Tomorrow, 75 miles to Welches, OR.

Getting There & the Day Before the Ride Began

I am new to blogging so we will have to see how this goes! This blog is about Michael and Anne Hunter's Xcountry bike trip from Astoria, OR beginning on 6/17/13 and finishing in Portsmouth, NH on 8/5/13. We will across the Norther Tier going through Idaho, Wyoming, S Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, across Lake Michigan via ferry, Michigan, Ontario, Canada, New York, Vermont and finally New Hampshire! It is with America By Bicycle (ABB). We are riding a tandem some of the time and Michael will ride a single bike the other time. Many, including ourselves, have ask, "Why are you doing this?" Well, because it is there, for the experience and it is a bucket list item. The experience started in Cedar Rapids, IA where we got on the plane to Portland, OR. A beautiful flight and we arrived in Portland 15 minutes ahead of schedule. Our transportation to Astoria was right on time and the Chinese driver "Kenny" was extremely nice. However, he spoke so fast that neither Anne nor I followed much of what he was saying so we mostly just kept shaking our heads up and down. The accommodations at the Holiday Inn Express were great. Our room faced the Columbia River and to the right about a quarter mile we could see a high bridge that spanned the river for about two miles. After we assembled the Co-Motion tandem, we went on a 30-mile roundtrip ride for a "dip your rear wheel in the Pacific Ocean" ride. Actually, from where the road ended to the beach was about a 400' walk over fine sand to the ocean. So, we decided to not do the dip and say we did. After the ride, we had to attend four mandatory orientation meetings ABB presented. They are really concerned rider safety. They have lots of rules for loading bags, where not to lean your bike, washing your hands first at the sag stops and on and on for the good of all. However, some of us are wondering how many demerits we will receive before the ride's end!