Day 6 - Rest Day!

The first of 10 rest days is here!  Surprisingly, my mind and body weren’t really screaming for a day off but now that is has arrived, I’m really happy.  We've got a full schedule!  Sheesh, feels like I’m back at work and have "back to back" meetings on my Outlook Calendar.  Fortunately not one Zoom meeting or strategic objective to deliver!  It's going to be a great day.  We have a pleasant mixture of fun and "work" getting ready for the next 6 days on the road.

Though I thought I was pretty well stocked with extra biking supplies, I have quickly realized I was lighter than I should be.  Forgotten water bottles and a split tire on Day 2 didn't help, so our first errand today was a stop at Allegro Cyclery.  Riley was a big help in answering some questions and 15 minutes and $266 later we limped out of there.  Ouch!  (Oh well, remember wallet and phone).  I did validate we were still below our credit limit so we could afford to cross the street for a nice cup of coffee and a pastry.    

Next we visited Cheryl’s aunt Rose and her cousin Cindy.  Some of you may be familiar with the Walla Walla Balloon Stampede.  Rose and her late husband Bill (Cheryl’s uncle) started it 40 years ago as a friendly get together at their house and it has grown into a major event for the city of Walla Walla. Rose is a sweet person and we always enjoy our visits.  She remembered how much Cheryl and I enjoy Sweet Basil Pizza and had some waiting for us for lunch.  We had a wonderful time reminiscing and catching up with both of them.  

From there we went to the Beldsoe Family Winery (Go Cougs!) tasting room to meet our good friends John and Vickiy for a glass (or two) of wine.  They have been friends for years and seem to find a way to meet us on our different adventures.  They met us on the ride down to San Francisco (Day 12) and caught up with us in Amsterdam too (May in Amsterdam).  Third time was a charm today.  It is always great to see them.

Though there was still shopping to be done, a pile of laundry calling our name and some minor maintenance items to take care of, we heard the sound of a good IPA and a quesadilla (which was louder than the laundry) at the Big House Brew Pub.  The beer was tasty (Solidarity IPA) and food was good and service was outstanding.  Zuri even got ice in her water.  It was warm out but seriously?  Ice water for the dog?  I had to take a picture because I know you would never believe me.  It's there.  Just look closely.  

We figured it was time to head back and be responsible and get some things done.  After a trip to the store to resupply, we headed to the RV park to finish up the day.  I had completely worn out my cycling cleats and needed to replace them (part of the $266).  I was lucky I could keep my feet in the pedals.  While I did that, Cheryl started a load of laundry and before you knew it Rest Day 1 was complete.  I can tell right now, even though I thoroughly enjoy cycling on the open road, I'm going to really look forward to the rest days!

Weather is starting to heat up but since I went long on Wednesday to get to Walla Walla (great decision by the way), I will have a shorter ride to Dayton tomorrow.  A nice way to ease back into the riding routine.

Until then.....

Day 5 - Pushing through to Walla Walla

Today is the first solo riding day.  The weather is supposed to be spectacular and unlike other days, I actually believe this forecast.  As I mentioned yesterday, the ride from Maryhill to Crow Butte is completely isolated.  Not a store, a gas station or anything for over 80 miles.  With 4 of us in the RV we are low on supplies so we will have to make due until we visit a grocery store today.  So breakfast was a little different this morning.  Cheryl usually make these delicious egg sandwiches with bacon, cheese on an English muffin. We are out of eggs so Jimmy Dean had to step in.  We really need to get to a store! 

The plan was to get to Wallua since it is a town about 60 miles from Crow Butte.  But as is painfully obvious from the first 4 days, I'm not the best planner.  Yes, Wallua is a town, but with a population of 342 people and the fact that tomorrow is a rest day, we decided to press on an extra 25 miles to Walla Walla.  It makes for a long day but it made way more sense as we can relax when visiting Cheryl's aunt, taste a few wines before we go shopping. 

We had some big news yesterday that my brother in law, Jack, has decided to join the ride from Helena MT to Mt Rushmore.  Jack was the one who got me started in cycling.  About 15 years ago he said "I'm doing Seattle To Portland in a day, what to join me?"  My tactic is to involve alcohol when asking people to join me (ie Greg) but in this case I was completely sober and still said yes.  So I got a bike, started training and was hooked.  Jack and I have ridden a lot of miles together so I am very excited to have him join the party.  The schedule has been updated on the Route page.  South Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin are still wide open.  Just sayin'

The interesting part of the story is that Jack mentioned that another riding partner of ours, Craig, who is retired and from Montana, may head over, visit family and join us for a day.  So as I'm barreling down HWY 14 listening to Spodify's "80s Top Hits" playlist, I see a familiar face on the side of the road.  It's CRAIG!  I slam on the brakes....."What the hell are you doing out here?" I ask. "I'm heading to Montana to join you!" he replies.  Wow, so great to see Craig in such an unexpected place.  

I continued on the days ride to Walla Walla and regrettably I didn’t stumble upon any famous people or
other friends I knew but it sure was a nice ride. For the most part the roads were good and shoulders were wide. Traffic was pretty heavy but with a wide shoulder it was fine. The scenery was really beautiful. 

As a final, unexpected treat to the day, an “old” coworker (maybe I should say “previous” as he’s no older than me) came to Walla Walla. Cheryl and I had not seen Jim and his wife Josie for probably 20 years so it was really fun to catch up over a beer (wine is tomorrow). 

So that’s it for Day 5. Day 6 is a rest day and I am really looking forward to it and the wine. 

Until then…..

Day 4 - Last day for the Hansons

The team is fired up.  Great night last night with a fantastic dinner, skipping rocks on the river and falling asleep before 11:00 because missing the Moody Road turn costs us an extra 15 miles of riding and we are tired!  The goal today is to regain Cheryl’s confidence that yesterday was an aberration and we can, in fact, get to Portland ME.  On tap for today is a 58 mile ride that only includes TWO turns 1) to get onto HWY 14 and 2) into Crow Butte State Park.  Nothing can go wrong.  There is concern that the climb up to HWY 14 will be a killer but after what we have been through the first three days?  We will chew it up!

We had the delicious ceremonial breakfast sandwich, prepared the bikes and gathered all the gear.  Greg
was so confident in the weather forecast he opted out of the rain jacket and had to be talked into at least a long sleeve.  Aggressive move.  We have learned that I don’t have a waterproof jacket so I opted for the one I know fits.  I was confident enough in the sun to go with the dark glasses however. 

The hill up to HWY 14 was not what we had spent the first few days worrying about.  It was steep but not as long as I remember and before long we were heading East with clear skies ahead.  The ride itself was uneventful.  Not great riding as HWY 14 has rubble strips and though shoulder is wide, the pavement is terrible. 

Now the weather is another story.  The first 30 miles were perfect.  Partly cloudy, cool and dry.  We did notice a few ominous clouds up ahead but Google said no rain so we were still confident.  We took a break and felt a drizzle so we rested under a tree. Notice the self timer photo.  Creative use of some branches to set it up!

10 minutes later it was DUMPING rain.  Yesterday was pretty wet but it was warmer and we were off the main roads.  Today it was raining harder, it was colder and we had 18 wheeler zipping by us every few minutes hitting us with road grime infested spray.  It sucked big time.  The thing is, there is nothing to help yourself.  No trees, no mini-marts, no nothing.  Your only choice is to keep riding.  I kept thinking “I hope to see the C&K SAG wagon soon.”  After about 90 minutes with numb finger and toes and soaked to the bone it happened.  The C&K SAG wagon!  Never have I seen such a beautiful sight.  30 minutes to warm up, a change of clothes and a hot drink and we were good to go for the last 10 miles.

We rolled into Crow Butte SP and it occurred to us that we had past the 250 mile mark and we get to open the first milestone package the kids gave us!  We are at 304 which is 34 more than scheduled unfortunately (11% more).  At that rate, I’ll input 4061 miles.  I better improve my route planning!

The package included a delicious bottle of Pinot Noir and a T-shirt with “250 mi” printed on it.  What a creative and thoughtful gift!  Thank you!

We also realized that this ride was the last for Greg and he and Krissie will be heading back home this afternoon.  It is a sad thought, but we are so thankful that they joined us for the first 4 days.  We had so much fun!  The struggles on the ride, the ibuprofen, the laughs in the RV "buttering the biscuit" (inside joke).  It was a blast.  Greg, you are simply amazing to hang with me through all the sh**t we went through on the road.  Krissie, thanks for being Cheryl's partner.  We value and appreciate your friendship more than anything.

So now it is just the two of us as we continue east bound on HWY 14 to Wallua WA.  The weather is supposed to be amazing (but we’ve heard that before).

Until then……

Day 3 - Where is Moody Road?

 

Day 3 and the team is not as fired up as yesterday.  We were expecting rain but thought it was a one and done thing.  But today is supposed to be worse than yesterday and the thought of putting on wet shoes, knowing it will only go downhill from there.  Probably the wrong metaphor since we know there is plenty of climbing today.   

But as typical for this team, we rallied.  Cheryl made some terrific breakfast sandwiches and we cleaned and oiled the bikes, a little Chamois Butt’r and BOOM! we were ready for the world.  I decided to ditch the three sizes too small Tyvek and went back to my windbreaker.  I’m not sure if it is water proof but I am hopeful. 

The route should have been pretty straight forward, Old Columbia HWY from Cascade Locks to Biggs but it didn't quite turn out that way.  We started the day with a beautiful mixture of trails and light traffic highway.  If you have not taken Old Columbia Hwy 30, you need to.  It is extremely beautiful.  Some of that beauty gets lost on us as the mixture of sweat and rain gets in our eyes but it's amazing.  

The first glitch came about 5 miles outside of Hood River when we checked the route we have been using from the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA).  The trail we were on dead ended at Ainsworth State Park and only way East was on Interstate 84.  Um, that can't be right, can it?  Yes it can, and it was.  6 miles of terror in the pouring rain with "Oversized Load" tractor trailers zooming by at 65 mph.  Not to mention the rocks, shredded tires, rusty nuts, urine filled water bottles, you name it's on the shoulder.  Did I mention getting drenched from the wheel spray? (Look at the truck coming up behind Greg in the picture, not good)  We some how survived that and took a short break to let our heart rates slow and figure out how to get to The Dalles and meet Cheryl and Krissie for lunch. By this time, I had the answer to my question about if my jacket was waterproof.

We made it through Hood River and started up another hill out of town and by now the showers had

turned to heavy rain.  Pictures don't do it justice so I have a treat for you and took a video.  

After about an hour outside Hood River, the rain let up and the sun peaked out.  Just in time for us as we hit Rowena and the lookout.  Absolutely GORGEous  (see what I did there?).  By now our spirits were climbing, just like the trails we were on.  The clothes were drying out and after a couple minor setbacks (Riverfront trail was closed) we made it to Riverfront Park with lunch with Cheryl and Krissie.  

The final push for the day was to Maryhill State Park just across the river from Biggs junction.  The ACA route had us going back on 84 and this time for 10 miles.  With the PTSD from a few hours earlier, we wanted to avoid riding on 84 at all costs.  So we pulled up Google Maps and found another route that was 5 miles longer but looked great and avoided getting on 84.  That is where things started to unravel.  We headed out on beautiful hwy 182 (known by the locals as Fifteen Mile Road).  Absolutely perfect riding.  No traffic, nice pavement and beautiful scenery.  We were supposed to take a left at Moody Road but somehow we missed it.  We were just riding and talking having a wonderful time.  After about 5 miles we got to thinking that we missed Moody Road and should check out the map on our phone.  Ooops, no cell service. 
Ahhh that's OK we will find another road.  We feel good.  About another 5 miles passed and we started to get a little concerned.  We'll just ask at the next house.  Problem was, there wasn't a next house.  We were out in the middle of NOWHERE!  Cheryl and Krissie follow our progress on the Strava app and even without us having cell service they could still see us.  They wanted to do a little wine tasting at Maryhill winery and they knew what was happening and just like that bad horror moving where you know the teenage kids are walking into the old cabin where the

axe murder is, they were powerless to stop it.  Cheryl's texts were not received.  

Greg and I finally flagged down a pickup truck and the look on that farmers face, seeing these two guys in their cycling gear completely lost was priceless.  His name is Bill Hamel and he could not have been nicer.  He told us we were on our way to Bend not Biggs and offered to have his hired hand (Jake) get us a ride back to Moody Road.  That was great until we got to Moody Road and saw that it was all GRAVEL.  Jake, being just as nice as his boss Bill, continued being our Uber driver until we hit pavement.  From there is was about 8 miles to Biggs and after another 10 minutes of terror going over the bridge at Biggs junction (no shoulder and 18 wheelers!) we finally rolled into Maryhill State Park.  Sheesh.

Of course Cheryl and Krissie were not overly excited about the days events and wondered if Portland ME is possible considering The Dalles to Biggs was not.  I assured them that we are still working the kinks out.  That's my story and I sticking with it!  Portland ME here we come!!!

The weather is looking fantastic for the next few days and the spirts are high.  Tomorrows ride "should be" only 58 miles (at least that's what Google Maps says)

Until then......

Day 2 - Starting Up The Gorge

First things first.  I need to make a public apology to Greg for my poor route planning on this trip.  Anyone with an ounce of planning aptitude would have started the journey slow with low mileage, then increase over the succeeding days. But nooooooo, not me!  I front end loaded all the tough days.  As if yesterdays 75 mile 3300 ft day wasn't hard enough, we decided to go 84 miles and 3200 ft.....in the RAIN today.  No wonder I have open slots for partners to ride with me!   Anyway, thanks Greg, for being such a good sport.  

As mentioned, today was a rain day.  So I naturally grabbed my Tyvek coat.  Though I hadn't worn it since it was included in my Seattle to Portland participant packet, I was a little surprised how snug it felt.  I know age and gravity have not been kind to me but really?  I can't fit into my clothes from four years ago?  As it turns out, we had 5 STP Tyvek jackets in the closet.  4 for me and 1 from when Cheryl rode STP.  Not thinking (shocker) when I packed, I just grabbed one, I still had an 80% chance to grab one of mine, but which one did I grab?  Look at the picture and tell me yourself.  The fact I can't zip it might give you a clue. Get the credit card ready.  I do look pretty buff in it though. 

Funny that I live in the Portland area, but being on this cross country ride and starting at the coast, coming into Portland felt like I was entering a new town.  Greg and I stopped on the Broadway bridge and took pictures and pointed out all the sites "Hey look there's the Moda Center!"  I even called my daughter Jenna.  "Jenna, you'll never guess what?  I'm in town riding on my cross country trip.  Grab the family and we'll get together!" Most of family was out of town but Jenna, Haylie and Karl met us with coffee and pastries for a mid ride break.  It was our best break so far.  Thank you!

The ride through Portland was really nice.  We ended up north on the bike path along Marine Dr.  It is a fantastic bike path that extends all the way to Troutdale.  Everything was dandy, the rain had stopped and we were making good time then just as we were getting on the Old Columbia Hwy it happened. A flat tire!  Day 2 and a flat tire!  There are few things I dislike more than a flat tire. There are few things I am worse at than fixing a flat tire. Other cyclists come by and ask if I need help and of course I want to say "hell yes change this for me" but my ego will not allow that.  There was a chunk out of the tire so we called AAA (ie Cheryl and Krissie) and they swung by with a spare.  Between Greg and I, two YouTube videos and a few choice words, we struggled through it and we were back on the road in no time. (well, seemed like about an hour later).  

The ride through the Gorge on the Old Columbia Hwy up to the Vista House is beautiful.  I do mean "up."  It is a pretty good trek but well worth it.  Even though it was cloudy, the view is tremendous.  I took a minute to gather my thoughts and get an Instagram pic.  What do you think? 

We rolled into the Cascade Locks KOA into a slightly different situation than yesterday.  No BBQ, no chairs out, no cooler of beer (actually there's always a cooler of beer), but the rain required a change of plans.  No problem Skamania Lodge is just up the road so after a shower and a beer to relax we headed out for a nice meal.  

Weather forecast is for rain again tomorrow.  Too bad summer in Oregon doesn't start until July 4.  Oh well, at least I have a Tyvek jacket.

Until then....

Day 1 - Let's get this party started!

Well we officially started today.  Let's backup a minute to last night though.  Somehow we got everything with think we will need for 90 days loaded up in the Jamboree.  We were all stressed out about forgetting something, but the reality is, all I need is my wallet and phone and I'm good.  Anything else

we need along the way is what they make credit cards for.  We expected to leave for Fort Stevens by 3 pm and of course we didn't enter the on ramp to HWY 26 until 5:30 pm. We needed to get some food for dinner but thought hey, quick stop in Seaside and we'll still be at Fort Stevens way before sundown.  We can even check out the starting spot for tomorrow!  Of course we stumbled on a fantastic tap house/bottle shop (Hop & Vine Bottle Shop and Tap House) for a beer and then dinner to go at Finns Fish House and next thing you know we are arriving at Fort Stevens at 9:30 pm!

Greg and Krissie our great friends for over 35 years will join us for the first 4 days and and arrived at 10:30 pm so we stayed up until 12:30 am laughing and drinking wine.  70 mile ride tomorrow to start a 3700 mile trek?  Ahh hell with it, that's 6 hours away!  

7:00 am came early. Complete with dry mouth and headache but the adrenaline from thinking of what lies ahead got me "up and att'em."

Though we knew we would forget things (see credit card comment above) but the first day? and my water bottles?  Seriously, I forgot my water bottles!  No problem, I can use a used Core water container until we find a bike shop to buy some new ones (see credit card comment above). 

We hiked down to the beach for the ceremonial Instagram photo and it occurred to me what a fantastic adventure we were ready to embark on.  How fortunate am I to have a work situation that allows this, a partner to support me and friends and family to share in the experience.  My cup is full and I am so grateful!

Greg will join me me for the first 4 days and I am so happy that he and his wife Krissie are sharing in this experience from the very beginning.  We started the day in our alma mater jersey's.  For those of you who did not follow us on the trip to San Francisco you will need to check out the past history earlier on this blog (Deavs).  I will not try and replicate it here as you have to read the original.  That said, the Deavs were in full force as we began Day 1 of the journey.  

The big debate was do we take the bikes down and risk getting sand in the gears or do we stay in the parking lot and have Shannon and Skip give me shit on First Take when I finish.  "Is Winks for real?  Did he really go coast to coast?"  So we decided to carry the bikes down and put them in the wet sand.  Of course it was low tide and we had to walk an extra 100 yards to the water.  Ugh.  The things you do for that damn Instagram post!  We grabbed some sand and will carry it with us to Portland ME (still not used to saying that) and drop it on the east coast to build some east coast/west coast harmony.  Please don't tell the Bureau of Land Management as I'm sure there is some law against this.  

Once we got started, the ride itself was uneventful.  It was long, lots of elevation change and heavy

head winds but we got through it.  75 miles, 3300 feet of climb and 2 sore butts.  We forgot to apply Chamois Butt'r before the ride (if you know, you know) which we wish we would have.  Still trying to find the pre ride routine.  Rest assured, I laid it out on the counter for tomorrow.  

Cheryl and Krissie had the camp site all laid out for us when we arrived and a wonderful BBQ dinner and some wine and beer.  Nothing quite like a long ride, a couple beers and a good meal to put you down eh Greg?  I know how you feel buddy.  The good news is we get to do this all over again tomorrow.  The forecast is for RAIN!!  Damn!  Not looking forward to that.  Is it too early to take a rest day?

I'll let you know what we decide.....

 

Day 0 - Its Finally Here

 Day 0

After years of dreaming and months of planning the time has come to clip into the pedals and start the ride of a lifetime across the country.  The route we plan to take is the northern part of the US. There are a variety of reasons why I picked this route, the biggest is it is shorter than most.  At my age, length doesn't matter.  We will start at Fort Stevens State Park, through Portland, up the Gorge to Missoula, a stop at Mt Rushmore, over to Minneapolis, down to Chicago, along Lake Erie to Niagara Falls then over to Portland ME.  When I describe it like that is doesn't seem so bad, but when I consider 3659 miles and over 280 hours in that the little leather thing they call a saddle, I get nervous.  My butt is more nervous than anything.   

There was a lot of planning that went into this that I know will go out the window after the first day but that's OK, its all about the "experience" I keep telling myself.  There is a detailed day by day schedule listed here.  It shows the towns and distance per day.  I am very fortunate to have a few people who I caught in weak moments and convinced them to join me for portions of the ride.  As you can see, there are many open spots available so if you have the burning desire to catch a flight to Ortley South Dakota, I would love to have you join us!  We'll cover all expenses once you get there.  Think of it as an all inclusive resort on wheels.  

Where would you sleep you might ask?  Well that is a story onto itself.  As most of you know, Cheryl and I are avid RVs and when we returned from our European experience (see below in previous posts) we purchased a new RV.  It is our dream RV.  A diesel pusher with slides and the whole deal.  When we started planning this new adventure we decided to downsize.  One reason is maneuverability in cities and  the other, more important reason is that Cheryl has PTSD from a previous trip (Final SF Leg) and since I am too big of a wimp to do this ride I my own and I can't imagine being away from Cheryl for 90 days, I agreed to get a 24 foot class C with no slides (yes NO SLIDES).  It will be cozy.  So, if you want to join us, there is a comfy bed over the cab just waiting for you!

There is so much background to over and we can cover that in the coming days.  Heaven knows I'll have the time as I sit each night in an ice bath recovering from the days ride.  So let's get up to date....

Last night, we had the family over for the final send off with Ranch Pizza (our favorite) salad and of course beers and wine.  We needed to clear the fridge so we drank all the stuff in the back that nobody wanted but hey, I'm not one to waste beer!

The kids gave us 7 packages.  One to open after completing a certain stage of the route (250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000).  Those numbers look awfully big but it will be fun to have something to look forward to as we approach the milestones other than the ice bath.  

We had a wonderful night.  As much as we are looking forward to this trip and the memories we will create, I am going to miss the family terribly.  They are an amazing bunch and we love them tons.  Thank goodness for technology because seeing them is one zoom call I will actually look forward to. 
 

So much more to say and fill you in on, but I have not even finished packing yet and we leave in a few hours!  Of course that's no surprise but still I need to get moving.  As I mentioned, I'll have time along the way to catch you up.  So until then......