String of Friends

(Getting the Bike Ready for Transport) I wanted to write another blog entry for people who might want to know how my trip is wrapping up. One friend wasn't sure where I was. I'm in Denver and have a flight back Tuesday afternoon. I am staying two nights with a friend of my brother's, Christina. I am feeling lucky and blessed by the kindness and skills of people I meet. Christina is not only a friend but an avid cyclist. Her dad is too and helped me box my bike. I got a bike box from a local store. It proved to be too small. Christina's parents have friends who own a bike shop. Even though it wasn't open they were in the shop and opened up a big box for me. Christina's dad and I got it in the box yesterday afternoon. How improbable it is that I'd meet people with these skills and resources.   (Downtown Crawford, the end of my trip) The ride from Crawford to Denver was with the owner of the Frontier Room Cafe where I ate lunch. I paid h...

(I made it to Nebraska, my high water mark) Mileage: 58 Video: https://www.relive.cc/view/vYvrL52xXL6   Map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/93810260?privacy_code=xE2iDoEpUB2RqEEm   This is really my last entry. After thinking about it for the last couple of days, I am pulling out. I found someone willing to take me to Denver where I'll box my bike and fly home. Unlike a couple of days ago where I was feeling like a failure, I am feeling good about myself. I learned I have a limit on solo travel and have exceeded it.  This is good place to end. I made it to Nebraska. I overcame my fear of windy conditions (OK not howling wind). Today's ride was very nice objectively. I was able to beat the heat, but my heart just wasn't into it. I'm glad I tested my feeling over the last three days.  Boxing the bike will be a logistical hassle, but I'll scramble Sunday to get a box. I'll get the necessary foam, bubble wrap, tape, etc… Thanks You...

(Barbara and Son-in-law) Mileage: 52.7 Video: https://www.relive.cc/view/vKv21NW1xoq   Map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/93670576?privacy_code=0gtVCzkJfjhFyaF8 Tomorrow's Destination: Crawford, NE Tonight's Accommodations: Townhouse Motel One day at a time is the new motto. I learned that a good friend and mentor is getting surgery on a potentially cancerous tumor and there's some other non-bike trip stuff going on. Sorry, I can't go into the details. Being far from people I love is hard, especially after the ride is done for the day. The thought that I’m not even half way through is daunting.  (Leaving my mark) Biking-wise, today was a grind. The miles were low, but the effort was not. I had a mid to high teens headwind the whole way. The good news was that my spirits remained high. Heading out of town, I started a long gradual uphill. It began the theme of having to stay in my low gears. The road out of town had a surprising number of houses t...

(Goodbye Casper! You can keep your wind) Mileage: 58 Video: https://www.relive.cc/view/v1vj7rjreYO Map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/93550315?privacy_code=7ih84H772pzOQaXF Tomorrow's Destination: Lusk, WY Tonight's Accommodations: Super 8 Last night I tossed and turned thinking about my escape plan. It was to rent a car and drive it east to meet my brother and Kisho. The thing was that yesterday nobody had cars. I had I wait until today. I was forced to hang out in Casper. I finished my Murderbot Diaries book which kept me sane but it got old sitting around the coffee shop. Even I have limits.  During the night I thought about the plan to rent a car and drive 30 hours in 3 days to get to see my brother in New York before he leaves on vacation and a bunch of other complex logistics. My body was squirrelly after a day of not pedalling so soon after the last rest day. My body is now craving physical activity. As the sun came up, I noticed the wind was down. I had a su...

I have decided to end the trip early. I realize that's probably a surprise. I was having fun right up until I wasn't. Even today in the coffee shop I felt ready to go on, but then something flipped as a biked to my first sad, cheap motel in wind that threatened to blow me over. At 1:30 I was making plans to stay with a Warmshowers host in Nebraska and at 2:30 I decided to call it quits. It was just a gut feeling that continuing wasn't right for me. I called Kisho, Hisako, and my brother Jesse. I lost my stuff when I talked to Jesse. I realized I have a major phobia about wind. When I was in a typhoon in the Peace Corps on a small atoll, the roof blew off the house I was in sending jagged pieces of metal into the house. I thought I might die. So wind really, really scares me when I'm out in it. But I can't blame the wind entirely. I know it's transatory. So what else is it? I'm not sure because I have been enjoying myself. Jesse wisely advised to not analyze....

(Wild horses!) Mileage: 69 Video: Mileage: 69 Video: https://www.relive.cc/view/vE6J91w8ZxO Map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/93247118 Tomorrow's Destination: Casper Tonight's Accommodations: Okie Campground It was a beautiful morning and a long afternoon. I arrived at the Okie Campground on the Alcova Reservoir. Frankly, it was a tough afternoon. It's windy which has kept people in their RVs so it seems empty. There are tons of seagulls that try to raid my campsite if I leave. I worry about my tent too. It's being buffeted by the wind. Mainly, I miss you all. Having a long afternoon with no distractions reminds me of that. Writing this is good medicine. So was talking with Hisako and Kisho. (Bleak campsite with tent hugging a retaining wall that I was grateful for) I continue to meet nice people. Some guys two sites over suggested I move into their site when they left. It has a retaining wall that blocks some of the wind. They also gave me some...

(Chilling in my natural habitat after a windy lonely night) Mileage: 36.5 (I’m claiming that .5) Video: https://www.relive.cc/view/vPOpZ8E2ARq Map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/93307886?privacy_code=R5XfZgr3p58euY6u Tomorrow’s Destination: Douglas, WY Tonight’s Accommodations: The Sage and Sand Motel I’m not going to lie, last night was the lowest point of the trip for me emotionally. I am not a formal religious person. I think that whatever ultimate reality is out there is far beyond our puny minds. Still, I feel that the universe provides. Kim Lewis, who I met on day 5, emailed me to invite me to crash at her and her husband’s place in Philly. I am almost tempted to change up the route just to do that. My brother and his kiddo, Georgia, sent me a silly picture. Several friends texted out of the blue. Most importantly, I called Kisho (twice!) and Hisako once. Thank you to all of you. Your friendship means so much to me. (The moon hidden above the Reservoir) I ...

(Pickles and Aught) Mileage: 60 Video: https://www.relive.cc/view/vQvynL3BPKO   Map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/93146049?privacy_code=VQAUZ97qGhKAMiIE   Tomorrow's Destination: Alcova Tonight's Accommodations: Jeffery City Community Church Bike Hostel I'm sitting in the Split Rock Bar listening to three guys talk about dozing or rather dozing wrong: the times your dozer slid into the creek. I am content to just be a fly on the wall. Earlier I played indoor fetch with Pickles and Aught, the owner's dogs. It is so nice to meet nice dogs! They are father and son and never fight over the ball.  (Leaving hosts Mark and Judy) It's later. Another cyclist rolled in, John from Denver, doing the Transamerica route. His partner bailed in Missoula after two weeks of rain. My decision to go south is looking wiser. It would be cool to ride with him, but I'm turning off the Transamerica only about 20 miles further on.  After two of the dozer guys lef...

(Baked goods at the Crowheart Store) Mileage: 75 Video: https://www.relive.cc/view/vxOQoejw3Mq   Map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/92910056?privacy_code=h6DexPYohS7gPgJP   Tomorrow's Destination: Rest Day Tonight's Accommodations: Warmshowers host First, a correction to yesterday’s post: I didn’t have the correct video on yesterday’s ride. Thanks to Mike for pointing that out. It’s all good now. If you don’t want to go back, here it is: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/92910056?privacy_code=h6DexPYohS7gPgJP .   My eyes popped open around 5:00 in my rustic, log-cabiny, lodge room. I wished they’d popped open a little later. The bright side is that it will make waking up even earlier easier when I need to beat the heat and wind like I plan to do tomorrow.  I was checked out and on my way for a quick breakfast at Perch Coffee House by 7:00. It’s pretty fancy. The regulars were all chatting. They seemed to be folks who’d purchased second homes in the area....