Week 4

Happy Memorial Day Weekend Folks. We're writing to you from the Glasgow, MT library, having just hit the halfway mark of our trip, both in miles and expected days (1500 miles!). It's been a pretty exciting 7 days since last update, full of adversities that are really starting to put this into the "adventure" category, or what I would call "this isn't what I pictured at all" category - both good things I suppose, especially with the hindsight goggles on.

Day 25: Since we have been "banking extra miles" as we call it by doing longer than average days (we figured we need to average 50-60 mi a day, where as we have been recently doing 70-90 mi days) we took a second day off! The weather was still pretty sour, and 48 hrs off from cycling helped fix those sore muslces and joints, and made us stronger I think. We went to the North Dakota State Heritage Museum, which was fascinating, and free! By the end of the day however, we were already getting the itch to hit the road again. After being on the move all the time, it actually feels odd to not be going anywhere. At least that's how I feel - Molly sure seems to enjoy the relaxing.

Day 26: Hit the road early and had a very nice ride along the Bismarck river park and bike trail. No illegal trespassing on road construction this time! Bismarck is a pretty cool city, definitely lots of sprawl, but also lots of bicycle paths and lanes. It became rural very quickly, and we fought a light headwind for the majority of the day. We road about 70 mi and camped at East Totten Recreation Area, right on the shores of Lake Audubon. There was a group fishing near the campsite, which was no big deal, until after we set up camp nearby, at which point they started blaring car radios with the latest rap hits. They kept playing this one song over and over which goes "Make it rain trick, gunna make it rain b**ch" or something like that. Camping in rural North Dakota, just like I pictured it...

Throughout the day we kept skirting rain showers, but for the most part stayed dry. This is Big Sky territory , because you can see for 50 miles in every direction - which is mixed blessing with the weather - since you can see a storm coming from far away, but it also give you the impression you are about to get rained on, when actually the storm is 15 miles away or more, and you never even get a sprinkle.



Day 27: Took a peak out of the tent this morning to check on the rain. The rain clouds looked like they were on top of us, and today they really were. It rained until about 10 AM, so we just hung out in the tent and read until the rain dissipated. We hit the road, and had a decent tailwind, so we felt pretty good. We didn't see many cars on the road today, and were making good time, until the rain clouds caught up with us again. We decided to call it a day around mile 50 - there was a ranch near the lake which rents out trailers and let us set up camp under a pine tree to get some cover from the rain.

We asked the owner, "who rents the trailers?" He responded that usually they are vacationing fishermen, but that because of an enormous gas and oil boom in North Dakota, which has erupted the past 3 years, it was all drilling workers. He went on to say that our planned route over the next few days (which was mapped out 8 years ago) is miserable and dangerous - extremely heavy truck traffic (big 18-wheelers with oversized loads of drilling equipment, excavated soils and tankers) as well as extremely deteriorated roads, with very little options of avoiding them, since we had just bicycled into the heart of drilling country, and we'd need to backtrack 2-3 days to catch an alternate route.

It made for a very worrisome and sleepless night. What to do!?! Add to that we have been having some pretty gnarly tummy grumbles, Molly having "grumbles-plus". We think it's from the local well water we drank at the last campsite. The weather has also become cold rainy and windy. Harumph!

Day 28: It was even colder and rainier in the morning. Despite still not feeling well, we decided to get out of this spot and ride 15 mi into the wind and rain to the next town, Parshall ND, the gateway to drilling country and figure it out from there. Maybe we'd just get a hotel and rest there for the day.

Turns out every hotel in a 100 mi radius is booked out for workers. As we rode through Parshall looking rather miserable and cold and a little scared a pickup truck pulled up to talk to us. Harry, a local pipeline worker told us that our upcoming route was a "death trap". We asked if he could drive us about 40 mi north of our planned route up to better roads with a wide shoulder and 2 lanes of westbound traffic ( much better for passing traffic ). He said he's working but would make some calls. He gave us his number and we hung out at the local gas station warming up.

10 min later Harry pulled up, and said he'd drive us. Being a mountain biker he knew the bind we were in. God Bless You Harry! We drove on back gravel roads so that he could avoid getting caught by any supervisors (although we had a well rehearsed semi-fake alibi that Molly was sick and he, being a Good Samaritan, was taking us to a doctor). He also gave us an awesome tour, showing us oil and gas drills, explained how it works, local history, and showed us some still operational cold war era nuke missile silos ready to go at the push of a button. We didn't take any pictures, we'd like stay off any no-fly lists.

After getting dropped off on US-2 near Stanley ND we biked another 10 mi and found an RV park. There weren't any spots left, the place was full of trucks, trailers and mud, but the owner let us set up camp in a patch of grass near their house. Emotionally and physically exhausted we went to bed before the sun set. Just like I pictured it...

Our little patch of grass amongst the big oil and gas boys

Big Trucks!

Prairie Dog!

Day 29: We were ready to get out of this oil and gas country as fast as possible. Woke up a little grumpy, but things were better quickly. The owner gave us a breakfast of coffee, muffins and bananas (this and camping were free) and while eating saw a prairie dog! We hit the road with a light tailwind and it was flat and we wanted to get far. After getting through the biggest city in the area, Williston, which with the trucks was more intimidating than NYC, even though NYC is 533 times bigger, we finally made it to quieter roads. After 95 miles for the day, made it to Bainsville MT, a tiny town about 20 mi west of the Montana border. Montana was immediately more scenic, and full of mosquitoes (there is standing water everywhere - more on that later). We camped for free in a nice little city park and used the volunteer fire departments facilities for a restroom. Good to be back on the open road.

Drilling site.

Iron Woman!

These mosquitoes are horrible!

Camping in the city park of Bainsville (pop: 208)

Grain elevator at train station. You see them in every town along the High-Line.

Day 30: Today we had a very nice ride with a strong tailwind to Wolf Point, MT. We rode 70 mi but were in town by 2 pm. We were due for a hotel and needed to do some laundry. We strolled around town as the rain rolled in and continued through the night (hotel was a good choice). Had some McDonalds (molly's favorite guilty pleasure) and then found a tiny microbrewery (nicks favorite guilty pleasure) run by the local doctor called DocZ's. A very good day!

The bicycle tornado has destoyed another hotel room. Molly, don't stand on the bed!

A sampling of our snack stash. Mmmm, pop-tarts

Day 31: We have come to a crossroads. The official Lewis and Clark mapped route goes through central Montana on MT-200 (which is more isolated with some stretches having 90 mi between towns and is also a little more hilly), or we could do our own route staying on US-2, which runs along the northern border of Montana, and then cut down to reconnect near Ft Benton MT in about a week. This route is called the High-Line which follows the Northern Pacific Railroad, is generally flatter, towns are slightly closer together and would shave about 100 mi off our overall route. It is also the official route for Adventure Cycling's Northern Tier bike route, but we didn't have their map, so we'd have to go off the road maps. We chose the high-line.

We rode about 50 mi to Glasgow MT, into a pretty stiff headwind and would get hit with a rainstorm for about 5 min every hour - some with pea-sized hail. Ouch. Sometimes when it got a little crazy I would laugh like a wild man, I guess it makes me feel alive.

Turns out that the Dakotas and Montana are getting about 300% more than their average rainfall, like a lot of the rest of the country. We sure picked the right Spring and Summer to do this trip. After talking to some folks in Glasgow about our trip they said we definitely made the right crossroads choice. MT200 is under 3 ft of water in sections and one entire 30 mi section is closed due to sink-holes, with no nearby detours. So all in all we've been pretty lucky even if it is a little colder and rainier than expected. We also passed through a lot of Missouri and Kansas about a week or so before a lot of those nasty storms hit. Here's hoping the relative good luck keeps up (and the snow is out of the Rockies by the time we get there!)

Big skies and fields of green and flowers.

Hello neighbor!

Day 32: That brings us to today. It's about time for our weekly day off and this will be the biggest town we will see for 4 days or so (it's a whopper - 3500 people). And there is a pretty bad headwind today which helps the justification. I hope everyone is happy and healthy, time for me to go eat third lunch.

Welp - I guess we'll just eat, sleep, and update the blog from the library!

Week 3-1/2

Hi again!

Molly here. It's only been 3 days since our last post, but we are at a hotel with great internet connection (doesn't happen very often in these parts) so we were able to upload photos and video to our last post and while I am here I thought I would fill you in on the last 3 days. But before I do that, a little Pacentacizing: I just have to say that although this trip is physically difficult and a lot of what we write about is food and wind, this trip has also been so meaningful and thought provoking. Before Nick and I left NYC we talked about how much we were looking forward to "getting away from it all". Stepping out of the daily grind can give you the chance to gain a new perspective on where you stand and the exposure to new scenery and people can lead you to think about things you don't always think about. While biking for up to 8 hours a day I have thought about the awe-inspiring beauty of life and the natural world, about the human capacity to endure and overcome great difficulties, about the sadness of the impact that land and money hungry individuals have had on native people, and about how much I love Nick and my incredible family and friends.  And of course, I have also thought about how my butt hurts my neck hurts my legs hurt and WHAT'S FOR LUNCH?!

Now here's the details of the last few days:

Day 21: Today was my birthday, but we really celebrated yesterday so it was back in the saddle for us. We did give ourselves a late start and filled up with waffles (my fave) at Day's Inn before heading out. We biked 60 miles to a nice R.V. Park outside of Gettysburg, S.D. Today there was a strong wind that forced us to eat my birthday lunch in a ditch! Nick's bike chain broke about 15 miles to our destination, but we handled it with no problem by attaching a spare chain link that we had with us. We took a bike maintenance class in Cincinnati before we started this trip, and we sure are glad we did! We had birthday dinner number 2 at the restaurant at the R.V. Park.

Lewis and Clark pointing us in the wrong direction

Lunch in a ditch, much less windy down here.

Day 22: The forecast has been predicting rain for the last couple days but we've been managing to avoid it (must be all of the birthday wishes for good weather- thanks guys!). We decided to make a long haul to Pollock, S.D. to take advantage of a tailwind and attempt to beat the rain once again. It was long and hilly, but we made 89 miles and stayed in a tiny little hotel that felt like grandma and grandpa's house. In the morning the hotel owner, Arthur (an 80 year old man), insisted we stopped by the visitor's center so he could show us more about his town. He called the lady who ran the center (an 80 year old woman) who opened it up for us. They both walked us through the center showing us photos and mementos that they themselves had collected and told us the sad story of the tiny town. The river was dammed in the 60's forcing the whole town to be demolished and rebuilt further away from the river. Ever since then, the population has diminished and they even had to shut down the school as there are now only 2 children left in the once thriving river town. It is sad to think what will become of Pollock.

The long road winding through the rolling green hills

Day 23: Forecasts of rain and thunderstorms continued and this time seemed imminent. We decided to have yet another long day and set off on an 88 mile hilly ride to Bismarck , North Dakota. The day went off without a hitch and we made it to the promised land by dinner (Dave's Famous BBQ). The hotel has a hot tub which we hit up after dinner and slept well knowing we have earned a day off tomorrow!

We made it to North Dakota!

Day 24: It has been 8 days since our last day off and after the last 2 loooong days, we are ready! Our hotel is located next door to the biggest shopping mall in North Dakota so we will get some Starbucks and stock up on some supplies (more fuel for our camping stove and more bike repair stuff). The hardest thing we will have to do today is decide where to eat! And its been pouring rain all day - sweet justification.


Q & A Time!

First of all you guys crack me up! Second of all:

What kind of cheese(s) did Steve use?
Velveeta

Was it brothy/thin or rather viscous?
It was velveeta-y

Was there any pasta involved or did Steve at least acknowledge a potential for pasta, maybe an orzo or stelline?
No pasta, but potatoes. There was sausage in there too!

Do you ever worry, when you are tired and road-weary, that you may be attacked by coyotes or bears or maybe a Lakota Sioux raiding party come to your camp to take your scalps?
No, but I am now.

Was the end of that question culturally insensitive?
Yes. You should be ashamed of yourself!

What are your favorite colors?
Blue and blue

Have you come up with any cool nicknames for yourselves like "The Road Warriors" or "The Pedal Pushers?"
Not yet, but those are some PRETTY GOOD suggestions.

Also, how fast did you get that Mercedes going? I imagine it's pretty wide open up there.
Probably 200 mph. (Don't tell Dallen the hotel owner)

Would you have gone out to check out what was under the cabin @ Snake Creek Rec Area for $200? What about $250? Or a brownie sundae?

Nick said he would do it for the brownie sundae

Last Question: Carolyn, you asked about any gross stories and I got one for ya.

Towards the beginning of our ride, I was taking advantage of the fact that I could eat whatever I want because we are exercising all day. So I got a giant burger and fries and like 4 cokes for lunch. I didn't realize that immediately after leaving the town there was a giant hill followed by lots of other hills. And I barfed while riding my bike and got it all over my shirt. Gross enough for you? Needless to say I have learned to still eat a lot, but to eat a small amount often instead of a ton of greasy food all at once.

 

That's a wrap! Hope all is well with all of you!

Week 3

Howdy partners! It seems like it has been a while since the last update. These past 8 days or so have taken us into the heart of South Dakota. It has been very eventful, and all is very well. Here are the details:

Day 12: If you recall, day 11 was a buttkicker with a serious head-wind, and we called it an early day. Well, what goes around comes around (literally with high and low fronts), becauase today we had a ripping tailwind right at our backs. After making it to our planned destination for the day (60 miles by about 2pm) we decided to keep going further to take advantage of the awesome wind. So, we rode all the way to Sioux City, Iowa, averaging a whopping 15 mph, and we pulled off our first centery ever! We hit 100 miles right as we rode into Sioux City, at Floyd's Monument and Grave, who was the only Louis and Clark member to have died on their journey (burst appendix). We finished at 103 miles and celebrated by splurging on a Holiday Inn Express and some Chili's takeout.

Our bike computer showing our 100 mile accomplishment. (Floyd's monument to the left).

Surf and Turf from Chili's and a hot shower. Sweet rewards.

Day 13: Another good day of tailwind. It's also been really hot - today it reached 93 degrees. The morning started with a delightful ride on a city bike path which turned out to be a fiasco when we ignored the "bike path closed" sign a few miles in. What we thought would just be minor repairs turned into a huge construction project on the adjacent highway which resulted in the demolishment of the bike path. Instead if going back and finding an alternate route, we walked our bikes through a couple miles of active highway construction, bulldozers and all, until the bike path started again. We got some strange looks from the workers but nobody said a word. At least we had our helmets! We went on to ride 80 miles and camped beside a beautiful lake outside of Yankon, SD. Pretty cool town. Good ice cream.

From now on we will take these signs seriously.

Campsite in Yankton.

Day 14: Since we just bicycled 180 miles in 2 days we took it a little easy today. Biked about 30 miles and then camped outside Springfield, SD. Our luck was starting to change as the wind began to change back to a headwind. Before getting to the campground we loaded up our bikes with a bag of charcoal, some grillins and veggies. Still hot so we relaxed in the sun by the river, had a great steak and porkchop bbq while the sun was setting.

Loading up on grub at Doug's Food Center. (Pepsi, feel free to send us a check).

Grillin.

Day 15: Thunderstorms rumbled in the distance through the evening, but we were spared. However, the weather has changed drastically. Today was cool in the 50s, overcast, and windy (the bad kind). We labored 50 miles to Pickstown, SD through hills and headwind. On the way we had a peanut butter sammy lunch in Marty, SD, which is a surreal and kind of eerie Native American town. It was on the Yankton Sioux reservation, and had a large Catholic missionary and school onsite. Apparently some not so good things happened there in the 1950s and 60s, but now the Sioux run the school, so things have gotten better. We got a hotel that night as reports were for some nasty storms that night, and boy are we glad we did! There were some big winds, big rains and big lighting where we stayed, and tornadoes about 150 mi east of us.

Day 16: Crummy day. Rainy, windy (bad kind) and very cold, highs in the low 40s. Took the day off, not a good day for biking and we were due for a day off. There wasn't much to do in Pickstown, we ate a lot at the local gas station cafe (twice), rested, and took a stroll to the post office to mail back more stuff. I'd say we've mailed about 12 lbs of stuff that we really didn't need. I think we are pretty bare bones now, and won't be able to dump any more weight. However, I have started to tear out the pages of the book I am reading after finishing each chapter - hey, every little bit helps.

Day 17: The weather wasn't much better, and while we wished we could just take all crummy weather days off, we can't. So we layered up and put on basically all of the bicycling clothing we had (maybe I should have waited a week to mail back that extra clothing) and rode into a very cold, misty, and windy day. It never warmed higher than 45 degrees, and with the wind felt like the low 30s. We fought a 25 mph head-wind all day. See the video below to get a better idea of what the wind was like. We were not happy campers, but we grinned our teeth and grinded on. We stopped for a long 2-hr lunch in the town of Platte, SD, to get out of the elements and warm up. We wandered into a local ice-cream and lunch spot, and it was a doozy. Steve, the owner was there, as well as some of his friends. Steve gave us free coffee and candy, let us try as many of his homemade ice creams as we wanted for free, and tested some of his new concoctions on us - cheese soup, chili dog with sauerkrat, and chicken salad sandwhices (all for free, but we left money anyway). Steve is a really great guy and kind soul, and shared his hard-luck story with us, which was very inspiring. He reminded us that life isn't about the rat-race, making a bunch of money, and immersing yourself in stuff. Life is about family and friends, being happy and making those around you happy. We promised to send him a post card when we finish. Finished the day at Snake Creek Rec Area (54 mi) and since we were literally shivering when we arrived, we got a little basic cabin with bunk bed for $30. There were some critters underneath the cabin that night, not quite sure what it was - it sounded like a mix of a pig/rat/raccoon. We decided to pretend that it was a cute little prairy dog down there, but you couldn't have paid me $100 to find out what it really was.

Our new friend, Steve.

Day 18: More cold and more headwind! We biked (if you call moving slightly faster than walking "biking") 47 mi to Chamberlain and found a campground. While biking we got stuck behind some Dakota boys herding cattle for a few miles. There were probably 200 cows taking up the whole road so we jumped in to help them (2 bikes and a ATV on the road, with 2 ATVs flanking in the grass). After a while one of the ATV guys escorted us to the front of the pack. Cow herding was a first for us and definitely today's highlight.

Herding Cattle.

Day 19: Today was better. We slept in a bit had doughnuts and coffee for breakfast and stopped by the Lakota Sioux Indian Museum. We only biked 25 mi to Ft. Thompson. The next town was 60 mi further from Ft Thompson, and after 2 tough headwind days 25 mi sounded better than 85 mi. The sun was starting to come out again, so our spirits were improving. We planned on camping, but couldnt find any campgrounds in the area. It was also on the Crow Sioux reservation, and we weren't feeling too solid about "stealth" camping, since after stopping at a convenience store some beer drinking locals recommended not to go "that way" ("that way" being where we were thinking about setting up camp). So we got a hotel, and went to the local casino for a really good meal, and some light gambling. Spent $5 on slots, we were up $13 at one point (shoulda cashed out) but lost it all! $5 poorer...

Mamma needs a new pair of bike shorts!

Day 20: We had a tailwind! Horray! We rode that 60 mi full of rolling hills and river views to Pierre, SD, the sprawling megapolis and capital city, population 13,000, and were here by 1:30 PM. Since tomorrow is Molly's birthday (Happy Birthday Molly!!!) we got a room at the Day's Inn. Upon mentioning that it was Molly's birthday, they gave us a discounted rate in a nice room, and the owner lent us his Mercedes so that we can drive outside of town to the best steakhouse in SD - The Cattlemen's Club! These guys are awesome (plan A had been McDonalds - Molly loves her MickeyD's). We just got back from the steakhouse and have full bellies and happy birthday smiles. And that brings us to now.

Lunch stop en route to Pierre

Lord won't you lend me your Mercedes-Bendz?

Tomorrow looks to be decent tailwind so fingers crossed. As I'm sure you've noticed, wind is a central theme. We check the wind forecast daily. I now care more about the wind then sports, current events, or the meaning of life, unless the meaning of life is "wind", which would be a two-for. The Sioux call this land the Wind Center of the Earth Spirit. Those guys know a thing or two.

Q&A Time:

How much water do you drink a day?

I would say we drink one large (24 oz) water bottle every 15 miles or so. More on hot days. We both carry enough water to last an average 50-60 mile day. So far we have been going through at least one town every 50 miles to refill our bottles if we need to (usually in convenience store bathrooms). Once we get to Montana we may need to use natural water supplies to refill. We opted for iodine as opposed to a pump filter to save on weight and money.

How do you plan your routes each day?

At first we thought we could plan weeks at a time. As we've gone on we've realized that so much depends on the weather so now we pretty much take it day by day. Every night we look at our maps and the latest forecast. If hills and weather look good we plan for a longer day (60- 80 miles) and if not we plan for a shorter one. We sometimes give ourselves a couple options so if we are feeling good we keep going and if not we stop. We have these great maps for the entire route from the Adventure Cycling Association that detail distance, elevation, and what services each town has (camping, hotels, grocery, restaurant, gas station, bike shop etc). Sometimes our final decisions on where to stop really depend on where the campgrounds and/or lodging are sometimes even if we would prefer to do a 50 mile day we have to choose between a 25 or and 80 miler.

Icing the knee and planning tomorrow's route.

What bikes/ gear are you guys using?

We both have touring bikes which are made to carry extra weight and come with them components needed to easily attach front and back racks. I have a Surly Long Haul Trucker and Molly has a Jamis Aurora. We are carrying basic tools (Allen wrench set, 2 spare tubes and 1 spare tire each, frame mounted bike pump, lube, pliers, chain link, brake wire etc). We have mountain biking cleats and pedals which give you the option to clip in on one side or use a flat pedal on the other. Our panniers are waterproof bags made by Ortlieb. So far all of our equipment has treated us well and we are happy with our purchases.

Week 2

Hi everybody!

Molly here. We are into our second week. It has been lots of fun and lots of hard work. Here's the quick rundown of the last few days:

Day 7: After a nice day off, we hit the road again and bicycled a very hilly 61 miles. It was a cool but sunny day. We had a few run-ins with mean dogs, which at first was scary, but they just bark and chase us until we are away from their property. I guess they get us to pick up the pace a bit :). A nice old man offered to give us a ride over some of the big hills, but reluctantly we refused the kind offer and told him that we needed the training if we planned on making it over the Rockies. We had peanut butter sandwiches for lunch in the lawn of a church. One of my favorite things about bicycling through these rural back roads are the tiny towns. Some are charming and some are a little sad, but no two are the same. Here are a couple examples:

My favorite town so far, called Weston

One Room Library

No camping around this night, so we got another cheap motel. Dinner was microwave gas station food. Surprisingly delicious!

Day 8: Great day. Started hilly, but the last 10 miles followed railroad tracks and the wind was at our backs. We felt great. Camped at Lewis and Clark State Park. Got to camp early thanks to the tail wind and got to relax a bit, enjoy the wind in the trees, and made some beans and rice for din din.

Right before our rice and beans

Day 9: Today was really challenging. Started great. A little morning drizzle, but it cleared up within an hour. Finally got through Missouri (re-named Misery by us because of all the hills). Kansas took our heart as it appeared to be sunnier, less hilly, and the people (and dogs) seem more pleasant. But after lunch the sun was overtaken by some gnarly storm clouds.

The wind picked up and we had to really push hard to find shelter, which we did at a Gypsum warehouse. I was not a happy camper as the weather was putting an unexpected damper on our otherwise lovely day. After it blew over, we made another 15 or so miles until a hard wind forced us to walk our bikes for a mile or so uphill. I thought we would never make it to town after a long day of bad weather, but alas, we did. We ate fried chicken at a grocery store (classy) and camped at a park right outside of Falls City. I was happy this day was over!

Day 10: After a rough day yesterday, today was pretty darn good. The wind was at our backs again and it gently pushed us up and down the beautiful rolling hills of Nebraska (new state!). It was fun! After a downhill, we barely had to pedal at all to get up the uphill.

Easy riding!

The second half of the day we biked along Steamboat Trace Bike Path, which was pretty run down. A big tree had fallen over the path and we had to haul our loaded bikes over it.

The day ended on an uphill gravel road and we camped at an R.V. Park in Nebraska City. We got to camp pretty early (4:30ish) so we walked 2 miles to town and had some yummy BBQ food.

Day 11: Got an early start, but a nasty head wind really took it out of us. Even though it was flat, it felt like we were riding uphill all day. We stopped after 47 miles to have lunch (BBQ again! Lucky us!).

We decided that we would end the day here in Council Bluffs, Iowa and get some rest (achy knees, dehydration, and a case of the f-its). This hotel is much nicer than the last one. Business Center! Pool! Free breakfast with waffles!

Before I sign off, here are answers to a couple questions that were posted to us earlier:

1) What other training did we do besides the 150 mile overnight ride?

Not too much really. We did several rides over the past few months around 30-50 miles, and just tried to stay in good "gym" shape. We wish we would have done a bit more training, but I don't think anything could have prepared our bodies for biking all day, every day, for so many days in a row. But now almost 2 weeks in our bodies are feeling noticeably stronger.

2) How much weight are you carrying?

Nick is probably carrying about 55 pounds  and I am probably carrying about 40 pounds. That's a lot to haul up and down hills, and we have already started mailing things home that we don't REALLY need. :)

Make sure to check out the Week 1 entry again as we uploaded some photos to go along with the narrative.

That's all for now! We hope all is well with all of you! Signing off until next time...

Week 1

Week one is done and all is well. Here's the summary folks:

Day 1. My dad drove us to St. Louis to drop us off at the start of our route on the east side of the river in Hartford IL. After filling up on some awesome ribs (check out Pappy's) we intended to start as planned. Turns out the Mississippi River is pretty flooded and the ferry we were supposed to take was not running - so we turned to plan B and had Pops drive us 25 miles or so further ahead on our route to St. Charles MO and the start of the Katy bike trail. After a feast at good ole Crackerbarrel we were on our way. Day 1 was a rainy and "short" 30 mile ride. After all the planning and dreaming it felt great to finally be on the road.

Lewis and Clark Statue with our bikes at the start of the Katy Trail

Day 2: After a rainy day 1, day 2 presented us with a fierce 25 mph headwind. So I guess it's better to be humbled at the beginning and we trudged on. Hard day. We camped both of our first nights in vacant campgrounds.

Day 3: Finally a beautiful day. At the end we stumbled upon heaven: Coopers Landing. This place is a bar, restaurant, campground, and music venue hidden on back roads along the Missouri river known only to locals. Bob Runyan the locally famous folk singer played that night, and we had some beers as we watched an amazing sunset on the river (photos posted later when we find computers). I was also presented with the tough choice of their famous homemade burritos or the "best thai food made in a trailer on the entire Missouri river" - so I chose both.

Great end to a great day

Bob Runyan jammin out at Coopers Landing

Day 4: Now off the Katy trail and riding Missouri back roads. Did you know Missouri had big hills!? I didn't! ("the more you know.." I guess). It was hard! This was our first "oh crap" moment (censored for kiddies). We counted on getting some food near our campsite that night, but turns out towns with populations of 72 close up shops early. After our backup dinner of ramen accidentally spilled we each had a serving of instant oatmeal for dinner. It was a day made for reality tv - of surprises and "relationship building exercises".

Spilled Ramen :(

Day 5: We did better today. Kicked those hills' butts, put in 67 miles. Lots of really tiny towns. Highlight was stopping in the town of Blackburn to get out of the rain and eat some gas station sandwich lunches we picked up that morning. The town was completely deserted so we pulled our bikes under the awning of the closed local bank to eat and get shelter. Someone found us and invited us into the local town hall where they were having a May Day lunch of ham and mashed potatoes. They were real swell people and we even got our photo taken for the monthly newsletter.

The kind folks that invited us in at Town Hall

Ended the day in Lexington MO. No camping so stayed at a "charming" (tongue in cheek) motel and ordered Pizza Hut delivery, drank half a beer and passed out.

Dive Motel,,, no other options around

Day 6: We woke pretty darn sore and since the plan is take a day off once a week, it evolved into a day off day. And that's where we are now at hotel with bikes and gear in room, clothes and stuff everywhere drying after being washed. Explored the town, it's an old pre-civil war town very charming.

Also, not that this is any new news but molly's Verizon phone is kicking the crap out of my AT&T

More updates later...


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Location:St Charles MO - Lexington MO