Howdy All!
Yep! Kansas is rubbing off of me! I am becoming a country farm girl by the minute! NYC is just a distant memory!!! :)
My ride started off the beaten track. Me and a few other fellow bikers decided to go to the historic area of Garden City, KS. It turned out to be quite interesting. We looked at the oldest home in Garden City, which was originally the home of Buffalo Joe. I still have no idea who he is, but someone decided to build a cement looking type house outside of the the original house which stands inside. I found that quite interesting, but don't quite see the purpose of having done this. Hey, what can I say?
In the downtown area of Garden City there were red brick roads. (Now we know where they got the idea of brick roads in The Wizard of Oz -- they just tweaked the color).
We then took a picture of the old hotel in Garden City. It closed nearly 30 years ago, and was open back in the late 1800's. While looking at the outside of this hotel, we bumped into the vice-president in charge of the restoration of the hotel. Tours are not open to the public, but he offered to give us all a tour. It was quite interesting to see all the history within the building!
I also found it quite unique that in Garden City they have music playing in the park and throughout the town with a stereo speaker system. And, they have public radio/weather reports playing overhead a sound system at the reststop approx. 22 miles outside of the city.
The trip from Garden City to Dodge City involved more wheat and corn fields. Norb pointed out a few horses to me but I otherwise just kept my eyes on the road due to my phobia of fields! There was a point of interest marked one mile ahead...some who road thought it said a "scenic overpass".. the jury is still out what the sign said. The view, was of a FEED LOT!!!! Can you believe that? A feed lot where they will torture poor cows is suppose to be a point of interest for us???? There were nothing but fat cows waiting to be turned into hamburger!!!! :( So so sad!!!!
The ride got better as we entered Cimarron, KS. It is a cute little quaint town. I also remember having had a roommate from this town! Here we stopped at Clark Drug, ice-cream and soda parlor. It is on the corner of main street. I had the BEST chocolate milkshake there! If you all ever drive through Cimarron, KS, be sure to stop at Clark Drug. Apparently Oprah passed through this cute little town with her best friend Gail when she took a drive across the country. When here, she had some sort of sherbert mixed with a Sierra Mist. They now call this the Oprah special. People from Cimarron were not too impressed with Oprah. According to one source, she refused to use the restroom at this ice-cream parlor because there was not enough security!!! She also complained of how bad Kansas smelled. (Really, does she not remember where she came from? Does the south really smell that much better than Kansas????). Okay, I am done Oprah bashing! Personally, I thought Cimarron was cute and quaint!
As we were on our way entering Dodge City, we saw more of the Santa Fe trail, and supposedly could see the groves in the field from the covered wagons from way back. Well, they are suppose to be there. I found the ones from yesterday easier to see.
Dodge City, KS I have learned is where Doc Holliday and Wyatt Erp were from. Other bikers here could not really find a lot of historical marks or museums which surprised many of us.
Inside the hotel, Dodge House Convention Center, there is a saloon. I took a picture of the bar which has a real bullet hole in it! (Hey, I told you, I am turning into a real country girl!), and had a few drinks there in the saloon! Afterwards we went to a place called Montana Mikes Steakhouse for dinner....(I had the salmon)! There was a little concert in the park that we all went to afterwards. We also took a quick look at the old train station.
K, in a nutshell, that was my exciting day in Kansas! It is still nice and hot. Tomorrow is a longer ride, 86 miles. We are going to Great Bend!
Adios! Meiri.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Day 23 -- Lamar, Co to Garden City, KS - 103.53 miles!
Hello from Garden City, KS everyone!
Yep, I am in Kansas. I survived my first day through! I know it is such a weird fear I have of open wheat and corn fields. I took a few quick pictures. Today was another hot and dry day. The morning however, was a little cooler than yesterday. We went through a few very very small farm towns. I find it very interesting that people actually live here. It is so far removed from my reality in NYC. A farmtown with one restaurant, a gas station, a school, and a grocery store that is closed.
People here are very friendly. They wave at you, even if they don't know you. I was a little thrown off by this when it first happened at a gas station/convenient store in Syracuse (that would be KS, not NY!) It is funny to see some reactions from people when they ask where we are headed, and where we come from. It is also funny to see, that for the time where we were seated having our drinks and snacks, that there were four cars parked in front of the gas pumps. Everyone was inside socializing during their lunch break. I had asked one man, who moved to Syracuse from Las Vegas a few years back, what the population of this town was. The answer: 1200. It was a very interesting town.
Somewhere between mile 50 and 103, the day just was long. I think I was tired from yesterday's 120 mile ride. I was rained on for about 10 miles, which actually cooled us down, and there were some headwinds, but nothing really to complain about. I finally made it though! On the way we saw a few of the historic markers of the Santa Fe trail, one which we could still see the 4 different grooves still in the hills. It was pretty cool to see, and interesting to learn once again that this was at one time the Mexican/US border.
We crossed another time zone today as well, so I am now on central time. I am so happy that tomorrow I can sleep in! Breakfast is not until 7, and we don't load til 8 am! What is even better is that tomorrow is only a 51 mile day! Our destination is Dodge City, KS. Me and a few others are thinking of getting t-shirts made while staying there. We'll see.
More pics are on flickr. www.flickr.com/photos/meiri-bikeacrosscounty/
That's it for now! Adios! Meiri.
Yep, I am in Kansas. I survived my first day through! I know it is such a weird fear I have of open wheat and corn fields. I took a few quick pictures. Today was another hot and dry day. The morning however, was a little cooler than yesterday. We went through a few very very small farm towns. I find it very interesting that people actually live here. It is so far removed from my reality in NYC. A farmtown with one restaurant, a gas station, a school, and a grocery store that is closed.
People here are very friendly. They wave at you, even if they don't know you. I was a little thrown off by this when it first happened at a gas station/convenient store in Syracuse (that would be KS, not NY!) It is funny to see some reactions from people when they ask where we are headed, and where we come from. It is also funny to see, that for the time where we were seated having our drinks and snacks, that there were four cars parked in front of the gas pumps. Everyone was inside socializing during their lunch break. I had asked one man, who moved to Syracuse from Las Vegas a few years back, what the population of this town was. The answer: 1200. It was a very interesting town.
Somewhere between mile 50 and 103, the day just was long. I think I was tired from yesterday's 120 mile ride. I was rained on for about 10 miles, which actually cooled us down, and there were some headwinds, but nothing really to complain about. I finally made it though! On the way we saw a few of the historic markers of the Santa Fe trail, one which we could still see the 4 different grooves still in the hills. It was pretty cool to see, and interesting to learn once again that this was at one time the Mexican/US border.
We crossed another time zone today as well, so I am now on central time. I am so happy that tomorrow I can sleep in! Breakfast is not until 7, and we don't load til 8 am! What is even better is that tomorrow is only a 51 mile day! Our destination is Dodge City, KS. Me and a few others are thinking of getting t-shirts made while staying there. We'll see.
More pics are on flickr. www.flickr.com/photos/meiri-bikeacrosscounty/
That's it for now! Adios! Meiri.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Day 22- Pueblo, CO to Lamar, CO -- 121.21 miles!
Hi Everyone!
Yeah! I did another century plus today! It did take forever, but I did it! 121.21 miles! It took roughly 9 hours to complete. It actually was not as bad of a ride as I had anticipated all these months. Yes, this is the ride which stood out amongst all the others, just because of the total mileage. The weather was hot and dry, and 95 I think was the high. I love weather like this, so for me, this was in my favor. THe winds were acting up some, we had side winds, a few little tail winds, and some headwinds. The headwinds were nothing compared to the day I rode from Provo, UT to Price, UT though. One disadvantage and advantage to riding in this hot sun is that I have absolutely no appetite! Not really a good thing when you have to ride 120 miles. The advantage to this, is I drank soda and had ice cream at most of my stops today....yes, Meiri's dream diet! But, the disadvantage to that is that it is not so nutritionally sound. Michelle, one of the staff members here, said, I need to keep my calorie intake up so I don't bonk out. Hey, at least I had my vegetables at dinner!!!
Anyway, today, we stopped at a fruit stand and bought a pound of fresh cold cherries in Manzanola, CO. We headed to the far eastern part of Colorado today. So we passed through many ghost towns! Manzanola happened to be one of them, along with Rocky Ford, Swink, La Junta, Las Animas, and Hasty, CO prior to finally arriving at Lamar!
I saw many MANY snakes on the side of the road. Some of which we debated if they were alive or dead. I thought I had read or heard that snakes like to bake in the sun. I took a pic of one who had its eyes open...I will let you decide.
I have shared with a few riders of one of my greatest fears. Is it agoraphobia? Fear of being stuck in an open field? Yes, I am afraid-- and always have been, of being stuck alone in a field in the middle of Kansas! REALLY!!! I have had some serious nighmares about this in my past! Tomorrow, we enter Kansas! I tell ya, eastern Colorado today was looking mighty scary to me. No mountains, just lots of fields, trees, cows, goats, and horses!!! At least in Nevada, there were mountains, and rock formations to look at! But Kansas, its just field!!!! OYE! Wish me luck!!
Today, also there were a few intersting abandoned buildings in the middle of nowhere. One was an old home, the other was of an old one room school house built in 1899. The inside was interesting to look at, with the old chalk board, and the small space with the roof caving in.
Its kind of funny to see how all of the riders here, myself included are getting darker and darker as the days pass. My tan lines are hysterical!!!
I also can't believe I've got 3 weeks of this trip under my belt already, and that we are entering our 5th state tomorrow!! I JUST started this trip!!! It is going by way to fast!!! Loving having nothing to worry about but the road ahead, the weather, and what to eat! I gotta enjoy it while it lasts! This will be over before I know it!
Tonight we are staying at the Best Western Cow Palace!!! (Really makes you want to fly out here to check it out doesn't it??) The facility itself actually is fine, the name I think just, well, maybe needs a little help. We actually saw what appeared to be an old cowboy riding a horse earlier today too! Oh the sights of eastern Colorado!!! :)
Well, tomorrow is another century plus day! 104 miles! We are still going down in elevation -- 2,830 feet as compared to Monarch Pass which was over 11,000 feet! FIngers crossed that the wind will cooperate!!! Forcast shows it will be another beautiful hot and dry day!
Anyway, thanks to all of you for your support and words of encouragement! I am glad to hear you are all enjoying the blog!
Stay well! Will talk to you all later!
Meiri.
Yeah! I did another century plus today! It did take forever, but I did it! 121.21 miles! It took roughly 9 hours to complete. It actually was not as bad of a ride as I had anticipated all these months. Yes, this is the ride which stood out amongst all the others, just because of the total mileage. The weather was hot and dry, and 95 I think was the high. I love weather like this, so for me, this was in my favor. THe winds were acting up some, we had side winds, a few little tail winds, and some headwinds. The headwinds were nothing compared to the day I rode from Provo, UT to Price, UT though. One disadvantage and advantage to riding in this hot sun is that I have absolutely no appetite! Not really a good thing when you have to ride 120 miles. The advantage to this, is I drank soda and had ice cream at most of my stops today....yes, Meiri's dream diet! But, the disadvantage to that is that it is not so nutritionally sound. Michelle, one of the staff members here, said, I need to keep my calorie intake up so I don't bonk out. Hey, at least I had my vegetables at dinner!!!
Anyway, today, we stopped at a fruit stand and bought a pound of fresh cold cherries in Manzanola, CO. We headed to the far eastern part of Colorado today. So we passed through many ghost towns! Manzanola happened to be one of them, along with Rocky Ford, Swink, La Junta, Las Animas, and Hasty, CO prior to finally arriving at Lamar!
I saw many MANY snakes on the side of the road. Some of which we debated if they were alive or dead. I thought I had read or heard that snakes like to bake in the sun. I took a pic of one who had its eyes open...I will let you decide.
I have shared with a few riders of one of my greatest fears. Is it agoraphobia? Fear of being stuck in an open field? Yes, I am afraid-- and always have been, of being stuck alone in a field in the middle of Kansas! REALLY!!! I have had some serious nighmares about this in my past! Tomorrow, we enter Kansas! I tell ya, eastern Colorado today was looking mighty scary to me. No mountains, just lots of fields, trees, cows, goats, and horses!!! At least in Nevada, there were mountains, and rock formations to look at! But Kansas, its just field!!!! OYE! Wish me luck!!
Today, also there were a few intersting abandoned buildings in the middle of nowhere. One was an old home, the other was of an old one room school house built in 1899. The inside was interesting to look at, with the old chalk board, and the small space with the roof caving in.
Its kind of funny to see how all of the riders here, myself included are getting darker and darker as the days pass. My tan lines are hysterical!!!
I also can't believe I've got 3 weeks of this trip under my belt already, and that we are entering our 5th state tomorrow!! I JUST started this trip!!! It is going by way to fast!!! Loving having nothing to worry about but the road ahead, the weather, and what to eat! I gotta enjoy it while it lasts! This will be over before I know it!
Tonight we are staying at the Best Western Cow Palace!!! (Really makes you want to fly out here to check it out doesn't it??) The facility itself actually is fine, the name I think just, well, maybe needs a little help. We actually saw what appeared to be an old cowboy riding a horse earlier today too! Oh the sights of eastern Colorado!!! :)
Well, tomorrow is another century plus day! 104 miles! We are still going down in elevation -- 2,830 feet as compared to Monarch Pass which was over 11,000 feet! FIngers crossed that the wind will cooperate!!! Forcast shows it will be another beautiful hot and dry day!
Anyway, thanks to all of you for your support and words of encouragement! I am glad to hear you are all enjoying the blog!
Stay well! Will talk to you all later!
Meiri.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Day 19 - Gunnison, CO to Salida, CO -- 68.85 miles: Day 20 Salida, Co to Pueblo, CO --93.59 miles: Day 21- Pueblo, CO -- Day of Rest!
Hi Everyone!
Well, it has been a very busy 3 days for me. On Thursday, Day 19, we rode from Gunnison, CO to Salida, CO. The weather that day, started out magnificently, as did the ride! The first 32 miles was relatively flat. It was great compared to the day prior, as we had very little headwind, which made riding much easier. Mile 32.8 the BIG climb began. 9 miles, climbing up to 11,312 feet up to Monarch Pass. Comparing everything thus far to the climb to Mt. Rose on day 5, this mountain came pretty darn close in difficulty. However, Mt. Rose still wins in that department. It was challenging, but I embraced the challenge, and made it to the top...two hours later!!! But, I did it!!!
I got to the top of the mountain about 1 o'clock, with a few other fellow riders. We took the Gondola ride to the top, and took pics of the continental divide, and amazing view of the surrounding mountains. By the time we got back from the ride, we stopped at the gift shop, had lunch, and waited at the top for an hour and a half due to a lightening/thunder and rainstorm. I was willing to try to outrun the storm, but staff (thanks Michelle!) has taught me that I must respect the weather, and not take a chance of getting struck by lightning (really tho, what are the odds?) Regardless, after about an hour and a half, I made my way down the 20 mile plus downhill. The first half, I went an average of 20 or 25 mph, afraid of the wet road, slipping or falling. After about 10 miles the road was dry again, I started to warm up from the rain, and flew down the mountain into Salida, CO.
Salida is one of my favorite places in Colorado. I think the mountain range along this area is magnificent! This was only my second time visiting this area, the first was when I passed through for the night on Ride the Rockies tour in 1994!
Me and fellow biker, Norb and I made it into Salida around 5pm. Just in time for dinner at Pizza Hut. The two of us decided to blow that idea, and went and rode into the old downtown area of Salida.
There, there was a car show featuring old Chevy cars from the 30's maybe even before. It was amazing to me that these cars were still able run!!! Pics will be on flickr. After viewing these cars, Norb and I went to the Boathouse Cantina, which was a restaurant/bar on the side of the river. There we watched the kayakers in the water. I laughed, knowing that would be my ultimate demise if I ever dared try this! I know I wouldn't have the strength to roll myself back up from under the water in a capsized kayak, EVER! It was at this time too that we were informed of the death of Michael Jackson. What a day I tell you!!! This restaurant however, has THE BEST portobello mushroom sandwich I have ever had. If you ever are in Salida, Co, I highly recommend going to the Boathouse Cantina!
After dinner, I rode to the motel, checked in, and met up with my old high school friend.
Day 20- Salida, CO to Pueblo, CO.
This day started early as usual. We loaded up the van with luggage at 6 am, and we made our way to Patio Pancake Place. Really, it is another must try if you ever pass through Salida! Their pancakes are great, and I heard too that the breakfast burrito is not to be missed!!! This restaurant was only 1/4 of a mile from the motel,(Gateway Inn and Suites). Here, I actually met up with two other girls who were taking their own trip across the country. They too were from NY, they both had the exact same bike as mine, and they were headed toward California -- they were just going in the reverse direction as me!
Hopping on the bike, I started the long 93 mile trek to Pueblo, CO. It was another glorious day. The weather was hot and dry! The scenes down the canyon were amazing, and to top it all off..it was for all but 5 miles downhill! As we made our way out of the canyon, Carole, Bob, Norb and I stopped into Canon City, and had lunch at Big Daddy's Diner! The chicken sandwich gave me the energy I needed to go another 40 plus miles.
Once leaving Canon City, the mountain-ous range fell behind us, and we rode into rolling hills. My max speed down these hills was 39 mph. I continued to pedal as fast as I could, so my speed down the hill would also carry myself up the hill to conserve some energy. By the time we got to the second sag stop, the weather looked a bit threatening. After a little rest, I jumped back on the bike, and pedaled fast to beat the storm. Thanks to a wonderful tailwind, I kept my speed up to nearly 30 mph for the last 20 miles until I got to Pueblo! It was a wonderful ride! And, yes, I did miss the storm...just a few drops, but not drenched!
Day 21- So, here I've been, in Pueblo, Co for all of yesterday afternoon, and all day today. My dad came down from Ft. Collins to visit. I bought a cake and had a little get together with him and some other riders to celebrate his 72ond birthday which is tomorrow! He and I then went to one of his favorite restaurants for his birthday dinner. Afterwards, I've just been resting, went swimming in the pool, and went to the jacuzzi. And, I am now packed and ready for tomorrow!
TOMORROW!!!! The longest one day ride of this journey! 120 miles. Going from Pueblo to Lamar, CO. The route takes us mainly downhill, but if there are headwinds, and there may be, it may be a difficult day. Being the eternal optimist that I am, I know we will have tailwinds just as we did yesterday! However, it is raining outside right now...So, it is time for me to check the weather report, and turn in for the night!
Also, more pics are now posted at www.flickr.com/photos/meiri-bikeacrosscountry/
Hope all is well with everyone!!!
Meiri.
Well, it has been a very busy 3 days for me. On Thursday, Day 19, we rode from Gunnison, CO to Salida, CO. The weather that day, started out magnificently, as did the ride! The first 32 miles was relatively flat. It was great compared to the day prior, as we had very little headwind, which made riding much easier. Mile 32.8 the BIG climb began. 9 miles, climbing up to 11,312 feet up to Monarch Pass. Comparing everything thus far to the climb to Mt. Rose on day 5, this mountain came pretty darn close in difficulty. However, Mt. Rose still wins in that department. It was challenging, but I embraced the challenge, and made it to the top...two hours later!!! But, I did it!!!
I got to the top of the mountain about 1 o'clock, with a few other fellow riders. We took the Gondola ride to the top, and took pics of the continental divide, and amazing view of the surrounding mountains. By the time we got back from the ride, we stopped at the gift shop, had lunch, and waited at the top for an hour and a half due to a lightening/thunder and rainstorm. I was willing to try to outrun the storm, but staff (thanks Michelle!) has taught me that I must respect the weather, and not take a chance of getting struck by lightning (really tho, what are the odds?) Regardless, after about an hour and a half, I made my way down the 20 mile plus downhill. The first half, I went an average of 20 or 25 mph, afraid of the wet road, slipping or falling. After about 10 miles the road was dry again, I started to warm up from the rain, and flew down the mountain into Salida, CO.
Salida is one of my favorite places in Colorado. I think the mountain range along this area is magnificent! This was only my second time visiting this area, the first was when I passed through for the night on Ride the Rockies tour in 1994!
Me and fellow biker, Norb and I made it into Salida around 5pm. Just in time for dinner at Pizza Hut. The two of us decided to blow that idea, and went and rode into the old downtown area of Salida.
There, there was a car show featuring old Chevy cars from the 30's maybe even before. It was amazing to me that these cars were still able run!!! Pics will be on flickr. After viewing these cars, Norb and I went to the Boathouse Cantina, which was a restaurant/bar on the side of the river. There we watched the kayakers in the water. I laughed, knowing that would be my ultimate demise if I ever dared try this! I know I wouldn't have the strength to roll myself back up from under the water in a capsized kayak, EVER! It was at this time too that we were informed of the death of Michael Jackson. What a day I tell you!!! This restaurant however, has THE BEST portobello mushroom sandwich I have ever had. If you ever are in Salida, Co, I highly recommend going to the Boathouse Cantina!
After dinner, I rode to the motel, checked in, and met up with my old high school friend.
Day 20- Salida, CO to Pueblo, CO.
This day started early as usual. We loaded up the van with luggage at 6 am, and we made our way to Patio Pancake Place. Really, it is another must try if you ever pass through Salida! Their pancakes are great, and I heard too that the breakfast burrito is not to be missed!!! This restaurant was only 1/4 of a mile from the motel,(Gateway Inn and Suites). Here, I actually met up with two other girls who were taking their own trip across the country. They too were from NY, they both had the exact same bike as mine, and they were headed toward California -- they were just going in the reverse direction as me!
Hopping on the bike, I started the long 93 mile trek to Pueblo, CO. It was another glorious day. The weather was hot and dry! The scenes down the canyon were amazing, and to top it all off..it was for all but 5 miles downhill! As we made our way out of the canyon, Carole, Bob, Norb and I stopped into Canon City, and had lunch at Big Daddy's Diner! The chicken sandwich gave me the energy I needed to go another 40 plus miles.
Once leaving Canon City, the mountain-ous range fell behind us, and we rode into rolling hills. My max speed down these hills was 39 mph. I continued to pedal as fast as I could, so my speed down the hill would also carry myself up the hill to conserve some energy. By the time we got to the second sag stop, the weather looked a bit threatening. After a little rest, I jumped back on the bike, and pedaled fast to beat the storm. Thanks to a wonderful tailwind, I kept my speed up to nearly 30 mph for the last 20 miles until I got to Pueblo! It was a wonderful ride! And, yes, I did miss the storm...just a few drops, but not drenched!
Day 21- So, here I've been, in Pueblo, Co for all of yesterday afternoon, and all day today. My dad came down from Ft. Collins to visit. I bought a cake and had a little get together with him and some other riders to celebrate his 72ond birthday which is tomorrow! He and I then went to one of his favorite restaurants for his birthday dinner. Afterwards, I've just been resting, went swimming in the pool, and went to the jacuzzi. And, I am now packed and ready for tomorrow!
TOMORROW!!!! The longest one day ride of this journey! 120 miles. Going from Pueblo to Lamar, CO. The route takes us mainly downhill, but if there are headwinds, and there may be, it may be a difficult day. Being the eternal optimist that I am, I know we will have tailwinds just as we did yesterday! However, it is raining outside right now...So, it is time for me to check the weather report, and turn in for the night!
Also, more pics are now posted at www.flickr.com/photos/meiri-bikeacrosscountry/
Hope all is well with everyone!!!
Meiri.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Day 18 - Montrose, CO to Gunnison, CO - 63.53 miles
Hey Everyone,
Well today for me was a very challenging day, but I still really had a lot of fun. The first 15 miles we were all faced with strong headwinds and I embraced the challenge. Then came the 1500 foot climb with the strong headwinds. It took me almost 2 hours just to do less than 24 miles. The Tour of Colorado was still continuing on the same route as ABB, so we all climbed up the mountain on our bikes, looking like a long row of ants climbing up a mountain!
Once up the first summit, Cerro Summit, the downhill was unbelievable! I coasted downhill for 12 minutes at 30 mph! It rocked! It is such an invigorating feeling!
The headwinds stopped by this time, and made climbing the second 1000 feet a bit easier, but not by much. I still compare everything to Mt. Rose from Day 5, and today was still not as hard for me as Mt. Rose was.
I really had forgotten how beautiful the mountains in Colorado are! (Pics to be posted in a few days). And the weather today, was another hot, dry day. It was perfect (except for the winds!).
With the difficult climbs behind us, me and another biker, Norb continued along the path, stopping often for pics, and reading some of the interesting facts about western colorado along the way. (I learned the town of Sapinero is under water!)
We later stopped at Pappy's Restaurant and Pub for lunch that is by Elk Creek marina. It was well hidden, and I would have missed it had Norb not wanted to check it out. How relaxing it was to eat by the mountainside and lake!
We finally made it to Gunnison, and had a quick bite at and Italian reaturant for dinner.
Tomorrow we go over Monarch pass and into Salida. It will be nearly a 4000 foot climb in elevation, but I am so looking foward to the downhill that will come after!!! Some who've done this in the past, have said tomorrow won't be nearly as bad as today..... HA! Stay tuned, I will let you know!!!
Hope you are all well! TTYL! Meiri.
Well today for me was a very challenging day, but I still really had a lot of fun. The first 15 miles we were all faced with strong headwinds and I embraced the challenge. Then came the 1500 foot climb with the strong headwinds. It took me almost 2 hours just to do less than 24 miles. The Tour of Colorado was still continuing on the same route as ABB, so we all climbed up the mountain on our bikes, looking like a long row of ants climbing up a mountain!
Once up the first summit, Cerro Summit, the downhill was unbelievable! I coasted downhill for 12 minutes at 30 mph! It rocked! It is such an invigorating feeling!
The headwinds stopped by this time, and made climbing the second 1000 feet a bit easier, but not by much. I still compare everything to Mt. Rose from Day 5, and today was still not as hard for me as Mt. Rose was.
I really had forgotten how beautiful the mountains in Colorado are! (Pics to be posted in a few days). And the weather today, was another hot, dry day. It was perfect (except for the winds!).
With the difficult climbs behind us, me and another biker, Norb continued along the path, stopping often for pics, and reading some of the interesting facts about western colorado along the way. (I learned the town of Sapinero is under water!)
We later stopped at Pappy's Restaurant and Pub for lunch that is by Elk Creek marina. It was well hidden, and I would have missed it had Norb not wanted to check it out. How relaxing it was to eat by the mountainside and lake!
We finally made it to Gunnison, and had a quick bite at and Italian reaturant for dinner.
Tomorrow we go over Monarch pass and into Salida. It will be nearly a 4000 foot climb in elevation, but I am so looking foward to the downhill that will come after!!! Some who've done this in the past, have said tomorrow won't be nearly as bad as today..... HA! Stay tuned, I will let you know!!!
Hope you are all well! TTYL! Meiri.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Day 17 - Grand Junction, CO to Montrose, Co - 72 miles.
Hey Everyone,
Today was another great day and great ride. This southern part of Colorado I have never been through. We saw a few canyons and valleys, and the weather still is dry and hot! Perfect, except for the strong headwinds we all encountered about the last 13 miles or so into Montrose. The beginning of the route was mapped out by a former rider with ABB, so we ended up doing a good 12 miles on a beautiful bike path in Grand Junction.
We are quite close to the Black Canyon which I've seen before, so some took a trip over there after their ride this afternoon. I chose to relax in the jacuzzi instead!
It turns out the route over was not so bad with all the other riders from Tour of Colorado. I spoke with a lot of different people from that group, some who've done Ride the Rockies, and one who had done a few tours with ABB.
K, gotta go get directions for tomorrow and go eat dinner!
Hope you are all well! Meiri.
Today was another great day and great ride. This southern part of Colorado I have never been through. We saw a few canyons and valleys, and the weather still is dry and hot! Perfect, except for the strong headwinds we all encountered about the last 13 miles or so into Montrose. The beginning of the route was mapped out by a former rider with ABB, so we ended up doing a good 12 miles on a beautiful bike path in Grand Junction.
We are quite close to the Black Canyon which I've seen before, so some took a trip over there after their ride this afternoon. I chose to relax in the jacuzzi instead!
It turns out the route over was not so bad with all the other riders from Tour of Colorado. I spoke with a lot of different people from that group, some who've done Ride the Rockies, and one who had done a few tours with ABB.
K, gotta go get directions for tomorrow and go eat dinner!
Hope you are all well! Meiri.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Day 16 - Green River, UT to Grand Junction, CO -- 101.17 miles!
Hey All!
YEAH!!! I am back in Colorado!!! So nice to be back in my home state!!! I can't believe I've now been biking in 4 different states in just a little over 2 weeks!!!
Today was a good day. YUM YUM!!! It started out with powdered eggs and soggy bacon! :) We started out at about 7:30, and it was a clear hot day. Even before hitting 24 miles, I had already gone through 2 water bottles! Today, after 100 + miles in the hot sun, I went through over 7 bottles of water. (Hey, at least I am hydrated!).
I crossed the state line about 1:30 this afternoon. Prior to crossing the state line, Norb (a fellow biker) and I crossed over the wash, leaving our bikes on the side of the highway, to cross to the other side. We had missed the Welcome to Utah sign days prior, so we went to great lengths crossing over the other side of the highway to get pics of us with that sign! In the wash we saw a lizard, and many cactuses.
Norb pointed out to me that the scenery changed almost immediately after crossing the state line. Suddenly there were trees, mountains, and green rather than desert. That is something I had never noticed before. Norb had 2 flats today. We stopped to help another biker who also had a flat. Turns out many other bikers in the group had many flats today.
Once in Colorado, I had a blast flying down some of the downhills. I think today my max speed downhill was 34.4 mph! I LOVE IT! I also absolutely loved the weather, and am so glad we will be in Colorado for a few days to enjoy the hot, dry summer heat! I love riding in this kind of weather! No humidity!!!
Today was day 3 without a starbucks (oh heaven forbid!). When Norb and I got into Grand Junction today, we decided...what's another 2 more miles after having done 96? So yeah, we kept pedaling, and found the local mall. We walked our bikes through the mall to get to the starbucks that was on the other side. Yeah, it was worth the extra 4 miles to get the frappacino!
There is a week long bike tour called Tour of Colorado that is also here camping in Grand Junction tonight. Our measly group of 35+ people will be among 2000+ people all biking to Montrose tomorrow. It should be a rather interesting ride!
Overall, all is good here on my end!
Chantel, yes, thank-you, the glasses are working out perfectly! Thanks for your support and encouragement!
What a small world Dr. H that you too were just recently in Green River and eating at Tamarack!
Oh, and for those who have been asking: SAG stands for support and gear.
Tomorrow is about a 70 mile ride! Hope all is well with everyone!
Adios! Meiri
YEAH!!! I am back in Colorado!!! So nice to be back in my home state!!! I can't believe I've now been biking in 4 different states in just a little over 2 weeks!!!
Today was a good day. YUM YUM!!! It started out with powdered eggs and soggy bacon! :) We started out at about 7:30, and it was a clear hot day. Even before hitting 24 miles, I had already gone through 2 water bottles! Today, after 100 + miles in the hot sun, I went through over 7 bottles of water. (Hey, at least I am hydrated!).
I crossed the state line about 1:30 this afternoon. Prior to crossing the state line, Norb (a fellow biker) and I crossed over the wash, leaving our bikes on the side of the highway, to cross to the other side. We had missed the Welcome to Utah sign days prior, so we went to great lengths crossing over the other side of the highway to get pics of us with that sign! In the wash we saw a lizard, and many cactuses.
Norb pointed out to me that the scenery changed almost immediately after crossing the state line. Suddenly there were trees, mountains, and green rather than desert. That is something I had never noticed before. Norb had 2 flats today. We stopped to help another biker who also had a flat. Turns out many other bikers in the group had many flats today.
Once in Colorado, I had a blast flying down some of the downhills. I think today my max speed downhill was 34.4 mph! I LOVE IT! I also absolutely loved the weather, and am so glad we will be in Colorado for a few days to enjoy the hot, dry summer heat! I love riding in this kind of weather! No humidity!!!
Today was day 3 without a starbucks (oh heaven forbid!). When Norb and I got into Grand Junction today, we decided...what's another 2 more miles after having done 96? So yeah, we kept pedaling, and found the local mall. We walked our bikes through the mall to get to the starbucks that was on the other side. Yeah, it was worth the extra 4 miles to get the frappacino!
There is a week long bike tour called Tour of Colorado that is also here camping in Grand Junction tonight. Our measly group of 35+ people will be among 2000+ people all biking to Montrose tomorrow. It should be a rather interesting ride!
Overall, all is good here on my end!
Chantel, yes, thank-you, the glasses are working out perfectly! Thanks for your support and encouragement!
What a small world Dr. H that you too were just recently in Green River and eating at Tamarack!
Oh, and for those who have been asking: SAG stands for support and gear.
Tomorrow is about a 70 mile ride! Hope all is well with everyone!
Adios! Meiri
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Day 15 - Price, UT to Green River, UT - 67 miles
Hi Everyone,
Well, today was a really great ride compared to yesterday. It was either flat, or downhill. The sun was shining bright, and I got into the hotel fairly early. The views have been amazing today, it is like a miniature grand canyon with some of sites I've seen. I also just never realized how beautiful open land/country can be.
I am in Green River, UT today. Population is 900 people! This is primarily a morman community here, so the grocery store is closed, and according to the lady at the motel desk, only 3.2 beer is sold at the convenience store here. Apparently you can get stronger alcohol when you order a meal at one of the restaurants. She said that most people here work 2 or 3 jobs. Mainly at the hotels, convenience stores, gas stations, or sandwich shops. That pretty much describes the town. She stated it is 4 miles long. We rode in through town to get to our 2 story Holiday Inn Express, and it is true. I saw a subway, a blimpies, about 10 different motels, and 2 gas stations. Can any of you imagine me living here? I wonder if they are in need of any nurse practitioners! HA! NOT! I've heard though from Dad, that there is good fishing here. Moab is not too terribly far from here either. Some of the group went on a day trip there today. I chose to sign up to go river rafting, but it was cancelled due to the rain that washed out the road.
So, if I remember correctly, I believe tomorrow is another century + from here to Grand Junction! That's right! Today, maybe 8 miles into Green River, UT we merged onto I-70! I am on my way to Colorado!!!! Looking foward to seeing family and friends in Pueblo next week!!!
Dinner tonight is at a place called Tamarisk, I am on my way there now. When we passed it, it didn't look too terribly scary. I've learned tho, twice now, not to judge a restaurant by its name or the exterior. The two times I've been weary about the restaurants, I have been pleasently surprised!! (HAHA! Holly, so different from your hard core experience your doing!!! - yes, I am doing the yuppie tour!!! LOL!)
Anyway, one thing I have been meaning to mention, is how much roadkill I see on the road. I am very surprised of the many different kinds of animals I have seen while biking through these 3 states. So far I have seen many racoons, a few skunks, a few cats, I saw a pig with its younger pig in the middle of the road awhile back, and yesterday I saw a porcupine!!! Though I always have been successful at avoiding running over the roadkill, I was especially careful to avoid the porcupine so to avoid any flats! One game I play along the road when I get bored though is: name that animal!That is when you have to try to guess what kind of animal the unrecognizable roadkill is. I have to say, I've seen many of these, more so than the other animals I've mentioned. It is really sad, and do get a little sad everytime I see one, but I think at the same time, I have become desensitized to it.
So, I want to wish my dad a Happy Father's Day!!! I hope you had a good day, and enjoyed your treat at starbucks!!!! I miss you and love you Dad!!!
Hope everyone else is doing well! Will blog to you all again tomorrow!!!
Adios!!! Meiri.
Well, today was a really great ride compared to yesterday. It was either flat, or downhill. The sun was shining bright, and I got into the hotel fairly early. The views have been amazing today, it is like a miniature grand canyon with some of sites I've seen. I also just never realized how beautiful open land/country can be.
I am in Green River, UT today. Population is 900 people! This is primarily a morman community here, so the grocery store is closed, and according to the lady at the motel desk, only 3.2 beer is sold at the convenience store here. Apparently you can get stronger alcohol when you order a meal at one of the restaurants. She said that most people here work 2 or 3 jobs. Mainly at the hotels, convenience stores, gas stations, or sandwich shops. That pretty much describes the town. She stated it is 4 miles long. We rode in through town to get to our 2 story Holiday Inn Express, and it is true. I saw a subway, a blimpies, about 10 different motels, and 2 gas stations. Can any of you imagine me living here? I wonder if they are in need of any nurse practitioners! HA! NOT! I've heard though from Dad, that there is good fishing here. Moab is not too terribly far from here either. Some of the group went on a day trip there today. I chose to sign up to go river rafting, but it was cancelled due to the rain that washed out the road.
So, if I remember correctly, I believe tomorrow is another century + from here to Grand Junction! That's right! Today, maybe 8 miles into Green River, UT we merged onto I-70! I am on my way to Colorado!!!! Looking foward to seeing family and friends in Pueblo next week!!!
Dinner tonight is at a place called Tamarisk, I am on my way there now. When we passed it, it didn't look too terribly scary. I've learned tho, twice now, not to judge a restaurant by its name or the exterior. The two times I've been weary about the restaurants, I have been pleasently surprised!! (HAHA! Holly, so different from your hard core experience your doing!!! - yes, I am doing the yuppie tour!!! LOL!)
Anyway, one thing I have been meaning to mention, is how much roadkill I see on the road. I am very surprised of the many different kinds of animals I have seen while biking through these 3 states. So far I have seen many racoons, a few skunks, a few cats, I saw a pig with its younger pig in the middle of the road awhile back, and yesterday I saw a porcupine!!! Though I always have been successful at avoiding running over the roadkill, I was especially careful to avoid the porcupine so to avoid any flats! One game I play along the road when I get bored though is: name that animal!That is when you have to try to guess what kind of animal the unrecognizable roadkill is. I have to say, I've seen many of these, more so than the other animals I've mentioned. It is really sad, and do get a little sad everytime I see one, but I think at the same time, I have become desensitized to it.
So, I want to wish my dad a Happy Father's Day!!! I hope you had a good day, and enjoyed your treat at starbucks!!!! I miss you and love you Dad!!!
Hope everyone else is doing well! Will blog to you all again tomorrow!!!
Adios!!! Meiri.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Day 14 - Provo, UT to Price UT- 76.0 miles
Hi All,
Well, it was bound to happen. Today was a why day. I woke up kind-of cranky. Perhaps it had something to do with having to wake up at 4:30 in the morning, ...and I asked myself...why? Oh yeah, to eat breakfast at 5, and be out the door by 6.
We were out the door by six am... the weather was nice and cool, and it was obvious it was going to rain. There were a few detours we had to take due to construction, and by mile 12 we were on our way...then it happened again...mile 13...we hit strong STRONG headwinds! I am sure a group of snails could move faster than what we were traveling....what? maybe a measly 8 mph down the road against the wind....and I again asked- why?
We made our way through the the headwinds, and down the canyon, and after having to lift our bikes at least 3 or 4 times over cement blocks to protect us from the traffic (there were no shoulders for us to ride on) we made it to a sag stop for food. Re-energized with oranges and almonds, I made my way up a 5 mile climb, which was a piece of cake to ride up, just long. But, as the cold rain started to pour down on us about half-way up to Soldier Summit, I again had to ask myself....why?
We all made it to the summit, and we stopped off at this local convenience store at the top of the summit. The owner was kind enough to let us take off our wet clothes, and hang them in the closet where there was a heater. We all bought hot chocolate and stayed in the store for nearly 20 - 30 minutes to warm up, and we waited for some of our clothes to dry.
We all got our gear and headed out, knowing the rest was downhill. Still raining, but now warm, we made our way down the road, the road with rumble strips, a narrow shoulder to ride on, lots of traffic, and even more rain than before. Mile 48 now, and some of the people in my group felt at this time, they wanted to call for a ride. I still wanted to continue, but again, I had to ask myself--why?
Leaving the others behind as they waited for their ride, I continued to pedal along, in the rain, my shoes, socks, and feet completely soaked. Avoiding the rumble strips, and the traffic, and riding on the detours - which were dirt roads- wet and sloshy, I felt I was mountain biking.... and I still asked myself-- why?
Back on the road, all construction behind me, I continued to ride downhill for 16+ miles in the rain avoiding both the rumble strips and the traffic. The view reminded me of riding through Boulder canyon or the Poudre canyon, except in the rain (which I've never done before in either canyon btw).
12 miles from the hotel, Michelle, one of the staff members offered me a granola bar...starving I took it and kept on going! And, finally made it to the hotel just as the rain stopped.
The hot shower never felt better. And by 4 pm, I felt like myself again!
So, I really don't have an answer to my question- why? I have no idea what motivates me and pushes me to continue on on days like today, but inspite of the wind, the rain, my fatigue, my lack of sleep.....I absolutely LOVE the challenge and am still having such a great time fulfilling this dream of mine!!!
As for my question -- why? I think it is the same answer to the question: "how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop?" -- the world may never know!
Well, it was bound to happen. Today was a why day. I woke up kind-of cranky. Perhaps it had something to do with having to wake up at 4:30 in the morning, ...and I asked myself...why? Oh yeah, to eat breakfast at 5, and be out the door by 6.
We were out the door by six am... the weather was nice and cool, and it was obvious it was going to rain. There were a few detours we had to take due to construction, and by mile 12 we were on our way...then it happened again...mile 13...we hit strong STRONG headwinds! I am sure a group of snails could move faster than what we were traveling....what? maybe a measly 8 mph down the road against the wind....and I again asked- why?
We made our way through the the headwinds, and down the canyon, and after having to lift our bikes at least 3 or 4 times over cement blocks to protect us from the traffic (there were no shoulders for us to ride on) we made it to a sag stop for food. Re-energized with oranges and almonds, I made my way up a 5 mile climb, which was a piece of cake to ride up, just long. But, as the cold rain started to pour down on us about half-way up to Soldier Summit, I again had to ask myself....why?
We all made it to the summit, and we stopped off at this local convenience store at the top of the summit. The owner was kind enough to let us take off our wet clothes, and hang them in the closet where there was a heater. We all bought hot chocolate and stayed in the store for nearly 20 - 30 minutes to warm up, and we waited for some of our clothes to dry.
We all got our gear and headed out, knowing the rest was downhill. Still raining, but now warm, we made our way down the road, the road with rumble strips, a narrow shoulder to ride on, lots of traffic, and even more rain than before. Mile 48 now, and some of the people in my group felt at this time, they wanted to call for a ride. I still wanted to continue, but again, I had to ask myself--why?
Leaving the others behind as they waited for their ride, I continued to pedal along, in the rain, my shoes, socks, and feet completely soaked. Avoiding the rumble strips, and the traffic, and riding on the detours - which were dirt roads- wet and sloshy, I felt I was mountain biking.... and I still asked myself-- why?
Back on the road, all construction behind me, I continued to ride downhill for 16+ miles in the rain avoiding both the rumble strips and the traffic. The view reminded me of riding through Boulder canyon or the Poudre canyon, except in the rain (which I've never done before in either canyon btw).
12 miles from the hotel, Michelle, one of the staff members offered me a granola bar...starving I took it and kept on going! And, finally made it to the hotel just as the rain stopped.
The hot shower never felt better. And by 4 pm, I felt like myself again!
So, I really don't have an answer to my question- why? I have no idea what motivates me and pushes me to continue on on days like today, but inspite of the wind, the rain, my fatigue, my lack of sleep.....I absolutely LOVE the challenge and am still having such a great time fulfilling this dream of mine!!!
As for my question -- why? I think it is the same answer to the question: "how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll tootsie pop?" -- the world may never know!
Friday, June 19, 2009
Day 13 - Salt Lake City, UT to Provo, UT -- 64.02 miles
Hey All,
Today was a fairly easy day today. Only 64 miles! That is nothing after doing two back to back centuries! Okay, it also helped that the whole route today was entirely flat! We did have some headwinds that lasted for the first part of the day, but once that subsided, the weather was incredible. 75 degrees, sunshine, and blue skies.
There were a lot of detours today due to construction going on. A lot of the riders ended up getting lost, taking scenic routes, or taking a bit longer to get to the destination. The group I rode with today stopped at American Fork, Ut for lunch. Norb (a fellow starbucks addict) and I went and got our frappicinos. It was nice just hanging out, enjoying the view of the mountains, and the weather. I had forgotten how beautiful the mountains were.
We were close to our hotel, when it appeared that more than half the riders I was with had taken a detour not listed on our cue sheet (also called "the clue sheet" by one nameless rider!) By the time I had realized this, more than half the riders were up a hill. Unable to call them back, Carole and I followed the instruction sheet. Turns out that half the group went back looking for Carole and I, while the other half continued on the route. When we all finally met up, it turned out that I was the one who had taken the unmarked detour! Still, we all made it to our destination, and I had time to lounge in the jacuzzi and have a beer.
The evening was pretty uneventful, a typical dinner at the Sizzler, and instructions for tomorrow. Tomorrow is 75 miles, full of lots of detours with lots of danger zones. Wake up call for me is at 4:30am!
Hope everyone is doing well. Meiri
Today was a fairly easy day today. Only 64 miles! That is nothing after doing two back to back centuries! Okay, it also helped that the whole route today was entirely flat! We did have some headwinds that lasted for the first part of the day, but once that subsided, the weather was incredible. 75 degrees, sunshine, and blue skies.
There were a lot of detours today due to construction going on. A lot of the riders ended up getting lost, taking scenic routes, or taking a bit longer to get to the destination. The group I rode with today stopped at American Fork, Ut for lunch. Norb (a fellow starbucks addict) and I went and got our frappicinos. It was nice just hanging out, enjoying the view of the mountains, and the weather. I had forgotten how beautiful the mountains were.
We were close to our hotel, when it appeared that more than half the riders I was with had taken a detour not listed on our cue sheet (also called "the clue sheet" by one nameless rider!) By the time I had realized this, more than half the riders were up a hill. Unable to call them back, Carole and I followed the instruction sheet. Turns out that half the group went back looking for Carole and I, while the other half continued on the route. When we all finally met up, it turned out that I was the one who had taken the unmarked detour! Still, we all made it to our destination, and I had time to lounge in the jacuzzi and have a beer.
The evening was pretty uneventful, a typical dinner at the Sizzler, and instructions for tomorrow. Tomorrow is 75 miles, full of lots of detours with lots of danger zones. Wake up call for me is at 4:30am!
Hope everyone is doing well. Meiri
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Day 12-- Salt Lake City--- A day of rest!
Hey everyone!
My day of rest came and went, but I took full advantage of it! I first slept in until 5:30 am! That's right! After 12 days, my body is used to waking up early! So, I crawled out of bed and did laundry at 6:30, ate breakfast, and got stuff ready for tomorrow. Another biker Leigh, and I called a cab to go to the Kura Door Spa here in Salt Lake! What an amazing treat that was! I was pampered there for hours! Sitting in the sauna, the steam room, receiving a massage, and a pedicure! This was one of the BEST spas I've been to, the service and ambiance (does anyone know how to spell it??) was superb! I was like jello walking out of there! The two of us went around the corner to a cute little deli. One thing I found unique about the whole area was that the spa was in a residential neighborhood. It appeared that the spa was a home converted to a spa. The restaurant was in the middle of a residential street. In NYC we see this all the time, but it is highly unusual to see a restaurant right in the middle of a neighborhood.
After a late lunch, we went to visit temple square, and see one of the tabernacles....though we were not allowed in. We went to the family history library..I found out that my paternal grandmother, at the age of 18 lived with her brother-in-law, and her occupation was sampling candy at a store! Now that's the perfect job for me! Milk duds anyone?
I came to find out, that hailing a cab in Salt Lake City is much more difficult than in NYC. One actually has to call the cab company and then wait 15 minutes for one to appear!!! By the time we returned to the hotel, it was already 7 o'clock. I had dinner and of course, dessert, with some of the other bikers in the group. Service was slow, and though we have a somewhat late start tomorrow, it was frustrating to wait when I was tired and just wanted to rest.
So, there was my day in a nut shell. I think I may have finally got pics for you to see. Try to go to the following website, and let me know if you can see some of the events and sites I've been talking about for the past few weeks.
www.flickr.com/photos/meiri-bikeacrosscountry/?saved=1
On that note, my wake-up call is for 5:45 AM tomorrow! We will be going to Provo, UT. About 8 new riders have joined our group to go from here to Pueblo. Will be in touch~
Adios! M
My day of rest came and went, but I took full advantage of it! I first slept in until 5:30 am! That's right! After 12 days, my body is used to waking up early! So, I crawled out of bed and did laundry at 6:30, ate breakfast, and got stuff ready for tomorrow. Another biker Leigh, and I called a cab to go to the Kura Door Spa here in Salt Lake! What an amazing treat that was! I was pampered there for hours! Sitting in the sauna, the steam room, receiving a massage, and a pedicure! This was one of the BEST spas I've been to, the service and ambiance (does anyone know how to spell it??) was superb! I was like jello walking out of there! The two of us went around the corner to a cute little deli. One thing I found unique about the whole area was that the spa was in a residential neighborhood. It appeared that the spa was a home converted to a spa. The restaurant was in the middle of a residential street. In NYC we see this all the time, but it is highly unusual to see a restaurant right in the middle of a neighborhood.
After a late lunch, we went to visit temple square, and see one of the tabernacles....though we were not allowed in. We went to the family history library..I found out that my paternal grandmother, at the age of 18 lived with her brother-in-law, and her occupation was sampling candy at a store! Now that's the perfect job for me! Milk duds anyone?
I came to find out, that hailing a cab in Salt Lake City is much more difficult than in NYC. One actually has to call the cab company and then wait 15 minutes for one to appear!!! By the time we returned to the hotel, it was already 7 o'clock. I had dinner and of course, dessert, with some of the other bikers in the group. Service was slow, and though we have a somewhat late start tomorrow, it was frustrating to wait when I was tired and just wanted to rest.
So, there was my day in a nut shell. I think I may have finally got pics for you to see. Try to go to the following website, and let me know if you can see some of the events and sites I've been talking about for the past few weeks.
www.flickr.com/photos/meiri-bikeacrosscountry/?saved=1
On that note, my wake-up call is for 5:45 AM tomorrow! We will be going to Provo, UT. About 8 new riders have joined our group to go from here to Pueblo. Will be in touch~
Adios! M
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Day 11 Wendover, NV to SaltLake City Utah -- 116.15 miles
Hey All,
Well, I did my first back to back centuries! Today, clearly was a long day! Started out at 6:30 am, after a very early breakfast. I saw the salt lands and took some pictures which will be posted soon. We were riding in some fairly strong headwinds. Two other bikers, John and Jay were teaching me how to ride in a paceline, which made pedaling for the first 40 miles to the sag stop a bit easier. After a mean PB&J sandwich made by Jim, I had a burst of energy that got me through until a rainstorm hit at mile 65. At that point, I realized I can't control the weather, so decided to roll with it. I got cold, and wet, but did not melt. The rain actually invigorated me, making me ride all the faster. By the time the rain stopped, and the sun was out again, I was up at mile 80 with only 40 miles to go! Again, another strong headwind was against me. Dave, another biker came up, and we rode together, (stopped to fix his flat along the way) to the next sag stop. Today was Jay's last day (he just completed this cross country tour in segments over the past 5 years), so we waited and rode in with him. Along the way another fellow biker, (Marilyn)'s tire was also going flat, after pumping air into her tire, we eventually all made it to Salt Lake City!
I was talking to some of the other bikers that after about 80 miles, your body just gets used to what you are doing...so 91, 102, 117 miles, it just doesn't seem to make a difference after awhile...your body feels the same regardless.
We all just kicked back, and had some drinks after we made it to our destination today. We all have a full 24 hours off from biking tomorrow. Let me tell you, I have a deeper understanding and appreciation for the meaning "day of rest!"
This is my first time in SLC, and it kind of reminds me of Ft. Collins, or Boulder, a town surrounded by mountains.
Tomorrow, I have a well deserved massage and pedicure scheduled. I also plan to go tour the Morman Tabernacle, and of course clean my bike. Some of us found a starbucks tonight, so I am sure I will make my way back there tomorrow as well!
Overall, I am still having a great time! TTYL! M
Well, I did my first back to back centuries! Today, clearly was a long day! Started out at 6:30 am, after a very early breakfast. I saw the salt lands and took some pictures which will be posted soon. We were riding in some fairly strong headwinds. Two other bikers, John and Jay were teaching me how to ride in a paceline, which made pedaling for the first 40 miles to the sag stop a bit easier. After a mean PB&J sandwich made by Jim, I had a burst of energy that got me through until a rainstorm hit at mile 65. At that point, I realized I can't control the weather, so decided to roll with it. I got cold, and wet, but did not melt. The rain actually invigorated me, making me ride all the faster. By the time the rain stopped, and the sun was out again, I was up at mile 80 with only 40 miles to go! Again, another strong headwind was against me. Dave, another biker came up, and we rode together, (stopped to fix his flat along the way) to the next sag stop. Today was Jay's last day (he just completed this cross country tour in segments over the past 5 years), so we waited and rode in with him. Along the way another fellow biker, (Marilyn)'s tire was also going flat, after pumping air into her tire, we eventually all made it to Salt Lake City!
I was talking to some of the other bikers that after about 80 miles, your body just gets used to what you are doing...so 91, 102, 117 miles, it just doesn't seem to make a difference after awhile...your body feels the same regardless.
We all just kicked back, and had some drinks after we made it to our destination today. We all have a full 24 hours off from biking tomorrow. Let me tell you, I have a deeper understanding and appreciation for the meaning "day of rest!"
This is my first time in SLC, and it kind of reminds me of Ft. Collins, or Boulder, a town surrounded by mountains.
Tomorrow, I have a well deserved massage and pedicure scheduled. I also plan to go tour the Morman Tabernacle, and of course clean my bike. Some of us found a starbucks tonight, so I am sure I will make my way back there tomorrow as well!
Overall, I am still having a great time! TTYL! M
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Day 10 Elko, NV to Wendover, NV - 107.6 miles
Hi All!
YEAH!!! I did it! My first century ride!! It wasn't so bad. We took I-80 down most of it. There was a bit of a hill, which really was a nice challenge and change to the flat land, but still nothing to complain about compared to Mt. Rose! And I will again reiterate how fun it was to coast downhill at 30 mph, and that was against a pretty strong headwind! I also got rained on a touch, but nothing like the other day was. It stopped after about 15 minutes!
The scenery is just amazing out here in the desert. It reminds me of some of the open space that was pretty amazing in the movie Legends of the Fall, minus the huge mountains!
Today we are staying at The Rainbow Hotel and Casino here at Wendover, NV. I tell ya, if you wanna ever see the MOST gaudy and tacky hotel ever in your life, take a trip out here to Wendover! There are mirrors all over the hotel room, and it looks like something Donald Trump or Hugh Hefner would appreciate!!
I reapplied my sunscreen twice, and still ended up with a bit of a burn/dark tan!! I think it may be a bit of windburn given the winds.
I have a long day tomorrow, so gonna cut this short. We are going to Salt Lake City tomorrow, and we all gotta wake up at 5 am! Total mileage tomorrow is 117 miles!
Hope you are all doing well! Will talk to all later! Adios!!! M
YEAH!!! I did it! My first century ride!! It wasn't so bad. We took I-80 down most of it. There was a bit of a hill, which really was a nice challenge and change to the flat land, but still nothing to complain about compared to Mt. Rose! And I will again reiterate how fun it was to coast downhill at 30 mph, and that was against a pretty strong headwind! I also got rained on a touch, but nothing like the other day was. It stopped after about 15 minutes!
The scenery is just amazing out here in the desert. It reminds me of some of the open space that was pretty amazing in the movie Legends of the Fall, minus the huge mountains!
Today we are staying at The Rainbow Hotel and Casino here at Wendover, NV. I tell ya, if you wanna ever see the MOST gaudy and tacky hotel ever in your life, take a trip out here to Wendover! There are mirrors all over the hotel room, and it looks like something Donald Trump or Hugh Hefner would appreciate!!
I reapplied my sunscreen twice, and still ended up with a bit of a burn/dark tan!! I think it may be a bit of windburn given the winds.
I have a long day tomorrow, so gonna cut this short. We are going to Salt Lake City tomorrow, and we all gotta wake up at 5 am! Total mileage tomorrow is 117 miles!
Hope you are all doing well! Will talk to all later! Adios!!! M
Monday, June 15, 2009
Day 9 - Battle Mountain, NV to Elko, NV - 73.6 miles
Good evening all!
My day was good today. A pretty flat ride, with only one minor hill that was approx. 10 miles, but still nothing compared to Mt. Rose. Again, the sweet victory of getting to the top is riding 32 miles per hour downhill for 10 miles! The weather has still been fantastic. We've been pretty lucky going through the desert which is suppose to be so hot, and for most of the ride, I wear my windbreaker cuz the wind makes it just a touch chilly for me.
I am getting used to going to bed at 9pm to wake up at 5 or 6 for a pleasent morning ride. Usually, by the time I finally wake up, 24 miles have gone by! It is really peaceful to ride in the morning also, with little traffic, and with the cool morning air to wake up your senses. It is fun also, to just ride with others at a leisurely pace, like many of us did today. I tend to be one of the slower riders, so what is their leisurely pace is my normal pace! LOL. But, I do feel I am getting a touch stronger, and riding just a touch faster than I did maybe 9 days ago.
I've just been told by one of the fellow riders here, Norb, that when biking 6 hours, the average amount of calories burned is 3000. Another rider told me for every 20 miles riden = 1000 calories burned. Today I rode 73.5 miles, in 6.5 hours...so approx. 3000 cals were burned. Let me tell you, I had no guilt eating a cookie dough blizzard at Dairy Queen when we rode into town today!
Our way into town, we rode through Carlin Canyon, which was really gorgeous, with amazing rock formations, and it was so quiet, you only heard birds chirping!!! Such a change from my reality in NYC! We had to lift our bikes over a cement block, then cross the highway. I felt like the frog, in the old video game frogger. Good news! I didn't get hit, and I earned an extra frog!!!
For dinner, we had pasta and salad at the Red Lion Hotel next to the High Desert Inn that we are staying at. It was raining with some hail, so I found this computer to use at Starbucks. Tomorrow is day 10, and I will be doing my first century +. 107 miles is on our schedule tomorrow. Pretty much we just will be staying on I-80 til we get to Wendover, NV. It looks like we have a bit of a climb, but again, I have that downhill to look foward to which according to one of the riders is approx. 30 miles!
Its 6:44 pm right now. I think I am going to go get ready for bed! Tomorrow is going to be a long day!!! Wish me luck!!!
Adios! M
My day was good today. A pretty flat ride, with only one minor hill that was approx. 10 miles, but still nothing compared to Mt. Rose. Again, the sweet victory of getting to the top is riding 32 miles per hour downhill for 10 miles! The weather has still been fantastic. We've been pretty lucky going through the desert which is suppose to be so hot, and for most of the ride, I wear my windbreaker cuz the wind makes it just a touch chilly for me.
I am getting used to going to bed at 9pm to wake up at 5 or 6 for a pleasent morning ride. Usually, by the time I finally wake up, 24 miles have gone by! It is really peaceful to ride in the morning also, with little traffic, and with the cool morning air to wake up your senses. It is fun also, to just ride with others at a leisurely pace, like many of us did today. I tend to be one of the slower riders, so what is their leisurely pace is my normal pace! LOL. But, I do feel I am getting a touch stronger, and riding just a touch faster than I did maybe 9 days ago.
I've just been told by one of the fellow riders here, Norb, that when biking 6 hours, the average amount of calories burned is 3000. Another rider told me for every 20 miles riden = 1000 calories burned. Today I rode 73.5 miles, in 6.5 hours...so approx. 3000 cals were burned. Let me tell you, I had no guilt eating a cookie dough blizzard at Dairy Queen when we rode into town today!
Our way into town, we rode through Carlin Canyon, which was really gorgeous, with amazing rock formations, and it was so quiet, you only heard birds chirping!!! Such a change from my reality in NYC! We had to lift our bikes over a cement block, then cross the highway. I felt like the frog, in the old video game frogger. Good news! I didn't get hit, and I earned an extra frog!!!
For dinner, we had pasta and salad at the Red Lion Hotel next to the High Desert Inn that we are staying at. It was raining with some hail, so I found this computer to use at Starbucks. Tomorrow is day 10, and I will be doing my first century +. 107 miles is on our schedule tomorrow. Pretty much we just will be staying on I-80 til we get to Wendover, NV. It looks like we have a bit of a climb, but again, I have that downhill to look foward to which according to one of the riders is approx. 30 miles!
Its 6:44 pm right now. I think I am going to go get ready for bed! Tomorrow is going to be a long day!!! Wish me luck!!!
Adios! M
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Day 8 - Winnemucca, NV to Battle Mt, NV - 56.1 miles
Hi Everyone,
Well, I know I must be sounding like a broken record, but I just can't say it enough: I AM HAVING SO SO MUCH FUN!!!!!! Yes, all this is a lot of physical work, but I am so thoroughly enjoying myself! Today, for instance, I was thinking, how lucky I am that my only worry and concern for the next few months is if it is going to rain, or if we will have a headwind! Today there was no rain, and it was another gorgeous day, and was not too hot in the Nevada desert. I cannot get over how beautiful the desert really is, and how quiet and peaceful it is to ride through it. However, today we had a 5 mile stretch of road that was grated, so it made the ride very rough and loud, and far from peaceful. As one of the leaders of this group says.. you have to recover from the shaken baby syndrome effect once your off this stretch. It is like riding a rickety rackety roller coaster for five miles!!! It is all part of this adventure though!
Today I am in a very interesting town. Battle Mountain, NV. The population is approx. 5,000. I went down E. Front Steet, which is their main street. I passed a liquor store, a bank, a hardware store, a mexican restaurant, a gas station, and then further up the road saw the Comfort Inn motel where we are all staying tonight. The rest of this town, is literally open space that is surrounded by mountains, and a railroad track to the left side of the street. It is quite a change from NYC!!!! I have to wonder if they even have a sheriff or cop out in this town. I will inform you all in tomorrows blog (I know, the suspense will keep you awake at night tonight!)....
Tonight we ate at the mexican restaurant I passed by when coming into town. Again, I was a bit skeptical, fearing this time, food poisoning (I stayed away from the Hot Tamales Tom!) It was absoulutely amazing food! El Aguila Real restaurant serves you plates that are about half the size of the table! The food was excellent, and what is really unbelievable, is that with the plates being as big as they are, I finished the whole entire plate! I cannot believe my ravenous appetite!!!
Tomorrow is a 72 mile day. We are on our way to Elko, NV. Then the two days following will be 100+ mile days. I am so very much looking foward to my day off in Salt Lake City! But, I am also so enjoying the views! I am taking lots of landscaping pics, and have all my pics on a disk. When in Salt Lake, I plan to put a link on blogger so you can view all my pics.
I still have no phone access. I guess Sprint thinks that America stops somewhere in the midwest!
So, I am going to go to the jacuzzi, and see if they got a sheriff in this town!
Hope you are all doing well!
M
Well, I know I must be sounding like a broken record, but I just can't say it enough: I AM HAVING SO SO MUCH FUN!!!!!! Yes, all this is a lot of physical work, but I am so thoroughly enjoying myself! Today, for instance, I was thinking, how lucky I am that my only worry and concern for the next few months is if it is going to rain, or if we will have a headwind! Today there was no rain, and it was another gorgeous day, and was not too hot in the Nevada desert. I cannot get over how beautiful the desert really is, and how quiet and peaceful it is to ride through it. However, today we had a 5 mile stretch of road that was grated, so it made the ride very rough and loud, and far from peaceful. As one of the leaders of this group says.. you have to recover from the shaken baby syndrome effect once your off this stretch. It is like riding a rickety rackety roller coaster for five miles!!! It is all part of this adventure though!
Today I am in a very interesting town. Battle Mountain, NV. The population is approx. 5,000. I went down E. Front Steet, which is their main street. I passed a liquor store, a bank, a hardware store, a mexican restaurant, a gas station, and then further up the road saw the Comfort Inn motel where we are all staying tonight. The rest of this town, is literally open space that is surrounded by mountains, and a railroad track to the left side of the street. It is quite a change from NYC!!!! I have to wonder if they even have a sheriff or cop out in this town. I will inform you all in tomorrows blog (I know, the suspense will keep you awake at night tonight!)....
Tonight we ate at the mexican restaurant I passed by when coming into town. Again, I was a bit skeptical, fearing this time, food poisoning (I stayed away from the Hot Tamales Tom!) It was absoulutely amazing food! El Aguila Real restaurant serves you plates that are about half the size of the table! The food was excellent, and what is really unbelievable, is that with the plates being as big as they are, I finished the whole entire plate! I cannot believe my ravenous appetite!!!
Tomorrow is a 72 mile day. We are on our way to Elko, NV. Then the two days following will be 100+ mile days. I am so very much looking foward to my day off in Salt Lake City! But, I am also so enjoying the views! I am taking lots of landscaping pics, and have all my pics on a disk. When in Salt Lake, I plan to put a link on blogger so you can view all my pics.
I still have no phone access. I guess Sprint thinks that America stops somewhere in the midwest!
So, I am going to go to the jacuzzi, and see if they got a sheriff in this town!
Hope you are all doing well!
M
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Day 7 - Lovelock, NV to Winnemucca, NV - 73.18 miles
Hello everyone!
Well, I think I am now officially crazy or off my rocker! Because I can say, although I was FREEZING cold today, riding in the ICE COLD downpouring rain in the middle of the Nevada desert in the middle of June, I still had a lot of fun! It only rained and downpoured for about 55 miles of the 73.18 that I did....so those last 18 miles were not so bad. As one would expect, it is now sunny and warm outside, no one would know it was downpouring rain for a good part of the day!
The ride itself was not so bad...it was pretty flat, and we all had a pretty nice tailwind. I started using my clip pedals again. For the past week, I've just been using the regular pedals, but one of the staff members here loosened up the clips for me, so it is easier for me to get in and out of. This, along with my motivation for a hot bath may have been why I made such good time today. I've spoken with many here who actually take ice cold baths for 15 minutes after their rides. I just cannot bring myself to do that, not yet anyway!
I am very excited, cuz tomorrow I get to sleep in! We don't have to load our stuff til 7:45 and we will be eating breakfast at 8! That means I can sleep in until 7:15!!! I am going to be a ball full of energy tomorrow with all of that extra sleep!!! Tomorrow will be full of some hills, but nothing compared to what I've done earlier this week! I am actually starting to mentally prepare for the back to back century rides we will be riding in just a few days. Both days will be a bit over 100 miles, so I will be appreciating tomorrow's ride of only 55 miles.
I got a coupon for a dollar's worth of nickles to play the slot machines. That is where I am headed off to now, before turning in for the evening. That's pretty much all I have to report for today.
Adios! M
Well, I think I am now officially crazy or off my rocker! Because I can say, although I was FREEZING cold today, riding in the ICE COLD downpouring rain in the middle of the Nevada desert in the middle of June, I still had a lot of fun! It only rained and downpoured for about 55 miles of the 73.18 that I did....so those last 18 miles were not so bad. As one would expect, it is now sunny and warm outside, no one would know it was downpouring rain for a good part of the day!
The ride itself was not so bad...it was pretty flat, and we all had a pretty nice tailwind. I started using my clip pedals again. For the past week, I've just been using the regular pedals, but one of the staff members here loosened up the clips for me, so it is easier for me to get in and out of. This, along with my motivation for a hot bath may have been why I made such good time today. I've spoken with many here who actually take ice cold baths for 15 minutes after their rides. I just cannot bring myself to do that, not yet anyway!
I am very excited, cuz tomorrow I get to sleep in! We don't have to load our stuff til 7:45 and we will be eating breakfast at 8! That means I can sleep in until 7:15!!! I am going to be a ball full of energy tomorrow with all of that extra sleep!!! Tomorrow will be full of some hills, but nothing compared to what I've done earlier this week! I am actually starting to mentally prepare for the back to back century rides we will be riding in just a few days. Both days will be a bit over 100 miles, so I will be appreciating tomorrow's ride of only 55 miles.
I got a coupon for a dollar's worth of nickles to play the slot machines. That is where I am headed off to now, before turning in for the evening. That's pretty much all I have to report for today.
Adios! M
Friday, June 12, 2009
Day 6 - Sparks, NV to Lovelock, NV - 91.11 miles
Hello Everyone!
Here I am in Lovelock, NV!--91 miles, and still alive to talk about it! Actually, today was an easy day to ride! It was pretty much just rolling terrain with both headwinds which were not too terrible and tailwinds which helped guide me into this cute, small, quaint town. The ride was mainly riding through the desert, which is beautiful in its own unique way. We've been so lucky for the past 7 days having absolutely GORGEOUS weather! The sun is not too hot, and the wind is not too bad! I've spoken to others who've done this past week's route in the past, where due to blizzard conditions, they were not allowed to go over any of the passes I climbed over the past two days. I am so glad, in spite of how hard it was, that I had the opportunity to bike over these summits! Pics will be coming, I just have to wait til my day of rest in Salt Lake City, Utah to work it all out!
I cannot believe its been a full 6 days of riding already! Time has completely flown by! I am seriously having the time of my life doing this! I am seeing so much, and meeting so many different people from all over, its been great! It is fun to see the different lifestyles and cultures that exist in each of the little towns we pass through. Many of the places and towns we see are places I probably would never get a chance to see if I were not doing this. It has thus far, been an absolutely OUTSTANDING experience!
Lovelock, NV reminds me of Antiock, CA, but with casinos. For those of you who don't know Antiock, watch an episode of the Andy Griffith show. We went to eat dinner tonight at this place called CowPoke Cafe. Judging the restaurant by its name alone, I was a bit frightened to even go....but after 91 miles I was willing to give anything a try. It turns out the place makes all homemade food -- and it was really so amazingly good! We all ate outside, and then a rainstorm passed through after we were done eating.
I am finding EVERYONE in this group of roughly 35 of us are all very supportive and friendly. This just adds more to this great adventure. Plus, this organization is so well organized, and I am finding staff has been amazingly supportive in everyway as well!
I would like to personally thank Carole Smith for allowing me to blog on her computer as today I did not have access to one. Thanks Carole!!!
Here in Lovelock, I have no service on my sprint phone. So, if you were wondering, this is why I have not called nor texted any of you today.
Well, tomorrow will be another busy day, 72 miles...so must go get some rest now! Have a great night all!
Meiri.
Here I am in Lovelock, NV!--91 miles, and still alive to talk about it! Actually, today was an easy day to ride! It was pretty much just rolling terrain with both headwinds which were not too terrible and tailwinds which helped guide me into this cute, small, quaint town. The ride was mainly riding through the desert, which is beautiful in its own unique way. We've been so lucky for the past 7 days having absolutely GORGEOUS weather! The sun is not too hot, and the wind is not too bad! I've spoken to others who've done this past week's route in the past, where due to blizzard conditions, they were not allowed to go over any of the passes I climbed over the past two days. I am so glad, in spite of how hard it was, that I had the opportunity to bike over these summits! Pics will be coming, I just have to wait til my day of rest in Salt Lake City, Utah to work it all out!
I cannot believe its been a full 6 days of riding already! Time has completely flown by! I am seriously having the time of my life doing this! I am seeing so much, and meeting so many different people from all over, its been great! It is fun to see the different lifestyles and cultures that exist in each of the little towns we pass through. Many of the places and towns we see are places I probably would never get a chance to see if I were not doing this. It has thus far, been an absolutely OUTSTANDING experience!
Lovelock, NV reminds me of Antiock, CA, but with casinos. For those of you who don't know Antiock, watch an episode of the Andy Griffith show. We went to eat dinner tonight at this place called CowPoke Cafe. Judging the restaurant by its name alone, I was a bit frightened to even go....but after 91 miles I was willing to give anything a try. It turns out the place makes all homemade food -- and it was really so amazingly good! We all ate outside, and then a rainstorm passed through after we were done eating.
I am finding EVERYONE in this group of roughly 35 of us are all very supportive and friendly. This just adds more to this great adventure. Plus, this organization is so well organized, and I am finding staff has been amazingly supportive in everyway as well!
I would like to personally thank Carole Smith for allowing me to blog on her computer as today I did not have access to one. Thanks Carole!!!
Here in Lovelock, I have no service on my sprint phone. So, if you were wondering, this is why I have not called nor texted any of you today.
Well, tomorrow will be another busy day, 72 miles...so must go get some rest now! Have a great night all!
Meiri.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Day 5 - Trukee, Ca to Sparks, NV - 68 miles
Hello from Nevada!
Yes, we finally crossed the first state today! The total mileage was 68 done today, and we climbed roughly 4,400 feet! In all honesty, today was the hardest day for me thus far. The first part, riding in Tahoe City, and around beautiful lake Tahoe was very calm, fairly flat, and serene. Then, all hell broke loose when I had to climb 8.2 miles up a 6% grade mountain. Everyone I spoke with all thought it was pretty tough, and went at the same fast rate as I did which was 4 - 5 mph -- though at times, I was doing 3 mph! After I went up about a mile and a half, I started to stop every 1/2 mile just to get myself to the top. The top was Mt. Rose Summit - elevation 8,991! It was one mother of a mountain I tell you! My legs literally felt as heavy as bricks when I got to the top! As others have said, it probably wouldn't have been so bad, had I not done all the climbing I did yesterday. I've been told by a few that yesterday was our hardest day of the whole trip, however, for me, today was much, MUCH harder for me than yesterday! With the summit behind me (literally), it was a refreshing break to go 38.5 miles per hour down the other side of the mountain for 16 + miles! That alone, almost made todays climb worth it!
One of the ladies with whom I ride, had a bit of a mishap. She had her jacket tied around her waist, and the sleeve got caught on the derailer, and caught in her chain and spoke! She did not fall and was not hurt, and it was quite humerous, to be two miles from the hotel, and be on the side of the highway working to help remove her jacket. She finally resorted to cutting the jacket, which still didn't help, so we ended up calling for support. Staff took the pieces of her back wheel apart to remove the remains of her jacket, and we finally made it to our destination, right before dinner.
That was my day in a nutshell! I can't believe that I have 5 days under my belt already! Tomorrow is day 6, we are riding 91 miles, so I must now call it a night! Adios!
Yes, we finally crossed the first state today! The total mileage was 68 done today, and we climbed roughly 4,400 feet! In all honesty, today was the hardest day for me thus far. The first part, riding in Tahoe City, and around beautiful lake Tahoe was very calm, fairly flat, and serene. Then, all hell broke loose when I had to climb 8.2 miles up a 6% grade mountain. Everyone I spoke with all thought it was pretty tough, and went at the same fast rate as I did which was 4 - 5 mph -- though at times, I was doing 3 mph! After I went up about a mile and a half, I started to stop every 1/2 mile just to get myself to the top. The top was Mt. Rose Summit - elevation 8,991! It was one mother of a mountain I tell you! My legs literally felt as heavy as bricks when I got to the top! As others have said, it probably wouldn't have been so bad, had I not done all the climbing I did yesterday. I've been told by a few that yesterday was our hardest day of the whole trip, however, for me, today was much, MUCH harder for me than yesterday! With the summit behind me (literally), it was a refreshing break to go 38.5 miles per hour down the other side of the mountain for 16 + miles! That alone, almost made todays climb worth it!
One of the ladies with whom I ride, had a bit of a mishap. She had her jacket tied around her waist, and the sleeve got caught on the derailer, and caught in her chain and spoke! She did not fall and was not hurt, and it was quite humerous, to be two miles from the hotel, and be on the side of the highway working to help remove her jacket. She finally resorted to cutting the jacket, which still didn't help, so we ended up calling for support. Staff took the pieces of her back wheel apart to remove the remains of her jacket, and we finally made it to our destination, right before dinner.
That was my day in a nutshell! I can't believe that I have 5 days under my belt already! Tomorrow is day 6, we are riding 91 miles, so I must now call it a night! Adios!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Day 4: Auburn to Trucke, CA -- 72.6 miles
OMG! Today was incredible!!! I am sure most of you could tell I wasn't sounding super excited about today. I was really mentally preparing for a very long hard ride for today. I had heard horror stories that two years ago, on top of Donner's pass that it was whiteout blizzard conditions. I hate snow, and riding down a steep hill with no gaurd rails for 10 miles on wet pavement was really freaking me out. One of my goals is to ride this whole ride without getting on the sag wagon, and it was a long journey. Practically up hill the whole way. For those of you from Colorado, it literally was like riding uphill from Golden to Aspen...just a continuous mountain to climb that was never, never ending!
We started the day at 5:30 am, eating the grand slam special at "Denny's!" (Brings back memories doesn't it Maggie?)... Anyway, I was biking on the road by 6:15am, and the steep inclines, hills and mountains began almost immediately. I was pumped and ready to go. One good thing that I had forgotten was that for every hill you climb, regardless how steep, there is a magnificent downhill to coast down on the other side, so this, in my opinion, made the work worth it. I was also surrounded by scenery I am not used to, so I was enjoying all the great sites of California, mainly mountains...which I had forgotten were so amazingly beautiful...and yes, many parts of it reminded me of Colorado! As one fellow biker shared with me, "another beautiful day in paradise," and it really was!
So as I kept climbing up in elevation...we are up to 8.000 feet now...I found that as I pedal, going 5 mph, if i pump 13 times it = 1/100 of a mile. 130 times = 1/10 of a mile, and 1 mile - 1300 pedal pumps on my bike. If you go 10.9 mph, 1/100 of a mile = 6 pumps. I know you can all rest easy now, knowing this little piece of trivia!
There was construction going on on interstate 80, so the construction crew rerouted us for about a quarter of a mile until got to a safe place to start riding again. Safe on I-80? I know! I think this is where my brother and sister stopped to put chains on the car one winter if I am not mistaken. It really though wasn't super bad, I was just glad to get off the highway, and start up Donner's pass!
Oddly enough, Donner's pass was a piece of cake compared to all the climbing we had done up to that point...probably the last 6 miles was tough. Once we got to the top, it was soooooooo worth it. For those of you who've gone there, you know what I am talking about. It made me feel that all this work was so worth it, just to see Donner's lake from the top of Donner's pass! And, there was no snow, no rain, and we were all so very glad that we did not have to resort to eating one another! Once we got down the mountain and to our hotel, we had pasta, salad, and bread instead. Gearing up for another day!!!
Just a few random thoughts to share with you as I've been biking and seeing the sites the past four days. I did not know that Best Western Hotels still existed....I think I was in kindergarten that last time I had stayed at one, or I've been living in NYC too long! Also, did you know they still make JHIRMACK shampoo, conditioner, and soap? Again, I haven't seen those products in many years! I also was wondering, how many interstates are there in the continental U.S? Does anyone know? I know I-70 in Colorado, and I was on I-80 today...again, just random thoughts as I bike during the day!
I got slightly sunburned today. The first day riding, a fellow rider, John, came up to me to remind me to always reapply to my nose, as he had had 3 seperate skin cancer's to his. Today was a reminder of how the higher elevations make me so much more susceptible to burns!
Well, today is our last day in California, and tomorrow we are off to Nevada, and to Lake Tahoe!!! I have never been, and am very excited to see the sites! Still having a blast, even though I biked for 12 hours today (yes, I am slow)... and even tho I can feel every muscle fiber in my quads, I am still having an absolutely amazing time!
Hope you are all well! Will talk to you later! M
We started the day at 5:30 am, eating the grand slam special at "Denny's!" (Brings back memories doesn't it Maggie?)... Anyway, I was biking on the road by 6:15am, and the steep inclines, hills and mountains began almost immediately. I was pumped and ready to go. One good thing that I had forgotten was that for every hill you climb, regardless how steep, there is a magnificent downhill to coast down on the other side, so this, in my opinion, made the work worth it. I was also surrounded by scenery I am not used to, so I was enjoying all the great sites of California, mainly mountains...which I had forgotten were so amazingly beautiful...and yes, many parts of it reminded me of Colorado! As one fellow biker shared with me, "another beautiful day in paradise," and it really was!
So as I kept climbing up in elevation...we are up to 8.000 feet now...I found that as I pedal, going 5 mph, if i pump 13 times it = 1/100 of a mile. 130 times = 1/10 of a mile, and 1 mile - 1300 pedal pumps on my bike. If you go 10.9 mph, 1/100 of a mile = 6 pumps. I know you can all rest easy now, knowing this little piece of trivia!
There was construction going on on interstate 80, so the construction crew rerouted us for about a quarter of a mile until got to a safe place to start riding again. Safe on I-80? I know! I think this is where my brother and sister stopped to put chains on the car one winter if I am not mistaken. It really though wasn't super bad, I was just glad to get off the highway, and start up Donner's pass!
Oddly enough, Donner's pass was a piece of cake compared to all the climbing we had done up to that point...probably the last 6 miles was tough. Once we got to the top, it was soooooooo worth it. For those of you who've gone there, you know what I am talking about. It made me feel that all this work was so worth it, just to see Donner's lake from the top of Donner's pass! And, there was no snow, no rain, and we were all so very glad that we did not have to resort to eating one another! Once we got down the mountain and to our hotel, we had pasta, salad, and bread instead. Gearing up for another day!!!
Just a few random thoughts to share with you as I've been biking and seeing the sites the past four days. I did not know that Best Western Hotels still existed....I think I was in kindergarten that last time I had stayed at one, or I've been living in NYC too long! Also, did you know they still make JHIRMACK shampoo, conditioner, and soap? Again, I haven't seen those products in many years! I also was wondering, how many interstates are there in the continental U.S? Does anyone know? I know I-70 in Colorado, and I was on I-80 today...again, just random thoughts as I bike during the day!
I got slightly sunburned today. The first day riding, a fellow rider, John, came up to me to remind me to always reapply to my nose, as he had had 3 seperate skin cancer's to his. Today was a reminder of how the higher elevations make me so much more susceptible to burns!
Well, today is our last day in California, and tomorrow we are off to Nevada, and to Lake Tahoe!!! I have never been, and am very excited to see the sites! Still having a blast, even though I biked for 12 hours today (yes, I am slow)... and even tho I can feel every muscle fiber in my quads, I am still having an absolutely amazing time!
Hope you are all well! Will talk to you later! M
Day 1 San Francisco to Vallejo -
WOW! What an incredibly stimulating day today was!!! I woke up at 5, and we started on the road at about 6:30 am!!! HA! This may have been the only time I've ever had a smile on my face so early in the morning!!! After about 1.5 miles, we started a 600 foot climb that lasted one mile! That was the most challenging part of the day. It was fun riding to the ocean and carrying my bike across the beach, and dipping my wheel into the ocean! I was going at a slower pace because I've only been to San Francisco one time, which was a quick trip. So, I was stopping often to take pictures. One of the highlights (along with dipping our bikes in the ocean) was riding across the Golden Gate Bridge! One street we took to get there was Balboa street.... it was in the heart of San Fran, with those super steep hills going up and down, like we used to see on the Rice- A- Roni commercials. So, of course I had the ROCKY theme in my head going down this street! This organization (America By Bicycle) is very organized. It is the ultra yuppie trip. They provide us with food and water along the way...so this isn't as hard core as other bike trips can be where you are responsible for everything...I've met a lot of great people on this trip in just the first day! This one lady Carole goes at my own pace, so we buddied up quickly. Then we met up with 2 others later on who traveled along with us. The four of us ended up getting lost, taking the wrong highway, and having to backtrack. We had to call for support to find where we had to go...one of the vans came and met up with us, to point us in the right direction. It just happened to be the street the was directly ahead of us! LOL!!! As one other bicyclist told me: the more miles, the better the stories!!!We also rode through a cute town, Saulsilido... (I may have misspelled this), it was just very quaint with a lot of unique shops, and no chain restaurants or businesses.I was super grateful that the weather was so perfect. Not too hot, not too windy, and no fog, so I got great pics...which will eventually be posted!We go to a restaurant together every night, where we all swap stories of stuff that happened. Today was a bad day for many, but as was said by those involved, could have been much worse. In short, there were 3 accidents, 2 flat tires, and a warped bike rim. According to the staff, this is highly unusual that all this happens in one day, let alone the first day! Aside from some scrapes, cuts, bruises, and a dislocated clavical, everyone involved in accidents are okay, but really had made many of us realize how important it is to stay focus while riding these streets!We go through so many neighborhoods, and saw so many different parts of the San Francisco Bay area, which included passing by San Quentin... as I told one new friend, I feel like I had so many different flavors of America in just one day....that is, just seeing and experincing things we don't normally see or do! Overall, it's been a blast, and everyone here is in agreement: that if this is how invigorated and rejuvenated we feel after just one day, we just can't imagine how great the rest of this trip will be! We are all simple giddy!On that note, its time for me to turn in! Thanks again to all of you for your prayers and support!Going to Sacramento tomorrow!!!Adios!!!
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Day 3 - Sacramento to Auburn, CA - 52 miles
Hi Everyone!
Today was another glorious day! It was a bit cooler than the past two days, and we had a little head wind, which made it a bit tougher than the past two days. Also, with the miles accumulating, I was dragging a bit today. We had roughly a 1200 foot climb today, which also slowed me down. We had a nice long flat bike trail that we rode on for the first 33 miles, the rest was a gradual climb. It is a climb that is preparing us for tomorrow. We have a 5000 foot climb over Donner's pass! I have to wake up at 4:45 in the morning to get on the rode at 5:15!
We stopped by a beautiful lake, Folsom lake, and yes, Folsom prison is near by, and we passed by the prison. That makes three we passed so far! LOL.
Auburn is a great little town that we stopped and ate lunch at. The rest of the afternoon, has just amounted to a lot of napping and getting mentally prepared for tomorrow. Weather for tomorrow is unpredictable, so I packed my warm stuff while still keeping my pack light!
Even I can tell, my tone has changed just a bit since the past two days. The next two days is going to part of the "challenge" in this cross country challenge. Will write more tomorrow! Gotta get a long nights sleep! Ha ha... this is a first, that I am actually going to bed at 9:00 pm!!! :)
Today was another glorious day! It was a bit cooler than the past two days, and we had a little head wind, which made it a bit tougher than the past two days. Also, with the miles accumulating, I was dragging a bit today. We had roughly a 1200 foot climb today, which also slowed me down. We had a nice long flat bike trail that we rode on for the first 33 miles, the rest was a gradual climb. It is a climb that is preparing us for tomorrow. We have a 5000 foot climb over Donner's pass! I have to wake up at 4:45 in the morning to get on the rode at 5:15!
We stopped by a beautiful lake, Folsom lake, and yes, Folsom prison is near by, and we passed by the prison. That makes three we passed so far! LOL.
Auburn is a great little town that we stopped and ate lunch at. The rest of the afternoon, has just amounted to a lot of napping and getting mentally prepared for tomorrow. Weather for tomorrow is unpredictable, so I packed my warm stuff while still keeping my pack light!
Even I can tell, my tone has changed just a bit since the past two days. The next two days is going to part of the "challenge" in this cross country challenge. Will write more tomorrow! Gotta get a long nights sleep! Ha ha... this is a first, that I am actually going to bed at 9:00 pm!!! :)
Monday, June 8, 2009
Day 2 - Vallejo to Sacramento, CA - 69.5 miles
Hey all,
Today was another spectacular day. It was a little harder for me to wake up this morning knowing I had nearly 70 miles ahead of me. My muscles were a touch sore and stiff, but nothing to really complain about. We will see if that changes as the days continue! LOL. All the staff yesterday was saying today was going to be "an easy ride." I was a bit skeptical, what is easy for one, is not easy for another. Turns out staff does not lie here at America By Bicycle! We only had 2 really steep hills that lasted less than 0.5 miles each, and then about a gradual incline that lasted about 2 miles, which was a piece of cake compared to yesterdays 600 feet incline in one mile! The rest was flat road with a beautiful tailwind that literally just blew us into Sacramento. So, really we made great time today! Only about 6 hours of riding, compared to the 11 hours yesterday. Of course, there was less stopping today, though the scenery was beautiful, once you've seen a beautiful field, you've seen a beautiful field so there was no reason to stop for a whole lot of photos. We did have to crawl under a few fences, and lift our bikes over the fences to get to our destintations due to construction/road work going on....those pics will also be posted....eventually! LOL!
The weather was perfect again today! And staff says the route tomorrow is going to be better than today, which is great cuz I heard day 4 and day 5 are pretty tough inclines!
Seriously though, I can't think of a strong enough adjective that can describe the "fun" I am having thus far. If I find a word even stronger than spectacular on the thesaurus later, I will defintely blog it here!
There were a few falls today, one which resulted in broken handle bars which were quickly replaced at a local bike shop.
That's all I've got for now. Hope you all are well! Talk to you later! M
Today was another spectacular day. It was a little harder for me to wake up this morning knowing I had nearly 70 miles ahead of me. My muscles were a touch sore and stiff, but nothing to really complain about. We will see if that changes as the days continue! LOL. All the staff yesterday was saying today was going to be "an easy ride." I was a bit skeptical, what is easy for one, is not easy for another. Turns out staff does not lie here at America By Bicycle! We only had 2 really steep hills that lasted less than 0.5 miles each, and then about a gradual incline that lasted about 2 miles, which was a piece of cake compared to yesterdays 600 feet incline in one mile! The rest was flat road with a beautiful tailwind that literally just blew us into Sacramento. So, really we made great time today! Only about 6 hours of riding, compared to the 11 hours yesterday. Of course, there was less stopping today, though the scenery was beautiful, once you've seen a beautiful field, you've seen a beautiful field so there was no reason to stop for a whole lot of photos. We did have to crawl under a few fences, and lift our bikes over the fences to get to our destintations due to construction/road work going on....those pics will also be posted....eventually! LOL!
The weather was perfect again today! And staff says the route tomorrow is going to be better than today, which is great cuz I heard day 4 and day 5 are pretty tough inclines!
Seriously though, I can't think of a strong enough adjective that can describe the "fun" I am having thus far. If I find a word even stronger than spectacular on the thesaurus later, I will defintely blog it here!
There were a few falls today, one which resulted in broken handle bars which were quickly replaced at a local bike shop.
That's all I've got for now. Hope you all are well! Talk to you later! M
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Acknowledgments
I just want to thank all of you who supported me through the "yucky" experience of grad school! Thank-you to all my family and friends who told me to "go for it" when I was thinking of backing out of this adventure. I am sure there will be many days I will be cursing your names in the next 52 days, but for now... ha ha... thanks!!!!
36 hours and counting!
Less than 48 hours to go! I am excited and nervous!!! I am mostly afraid of rain (I hate getting wet, and I hate riding in it!), and afraid of getting lost....what if I miss a turn, and loose the group? I am also concerned...what if I didn’t train enough? Well, I guess time will tell on that one! Just FYI, I do plan on taking pics, but am not super savvy getting them on-line! So suggestions and/or assistance is welcome! :)
Don't forget to scroll to the bottom of the page to view my itinerary!
Today is check in day! I'll get to meet the group, and know more of what to expect...(uhhh, a lot of work?)
Will be in touch!
Don't forget to scroll to the bottom of the page to view my itinerary!
Today is check in day! I'll get to meet the group, and know more of what to expect...(uhhh, a lot of work?)
Will be in touch!
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