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 Chester Bridge over the Mississippi River Kazuki, the Japanese cyclist, and I left Farmington a bit late, but Chester, my destination and I guess his too although the night before he had talked about going all the way to Murphyboro. I thought going all the way was a bit much.
I led the way and for the most part Kazuki was pretty close behind but other times he’d be out of view. Halfway to Chester I decided to stop for lunch about a mile before Ozaru. I figure Ozaru being an interstate off-ramp it wouldn’t be too scenic. My spot had a nice patch of grass and views of rolling farmland. Kazuki had not brought any food so he said he was going on. I ate my lunch and then took a peaceful 45 minute nap lying on the grass. Continue reading Day 65: Farmington, MO to Chester, IL (November 2)
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 Missouri forests Chilly start.
It was another chilly start but the ride started out immediately with a nice hill. The grade was nice. I could put it in a low gear and slowly climb at about 5-6 mph and warm up. The grades today actually were often that way. Nice low gear steady climbs instead of the usual Missouri steep hills that you have to power up. The day was windy but with the trees it was not too bad. Unlike Kansas with no trees the wind could not just rip through. Continue reading Day 62: Ellington to Farmington, MO (October 30)
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 Picnic ground near Alley Spring Riding out of Houston was pretty cold. There was a freeze warning from the night before and frost was on the grass. I constantly was changing my clothes for the first hour or so trying to get the right amount on.
Going up hills was hot but going downhill was freezing especially hitting the cold air trapped in the little valleys and still in the shadows. After about 10:00 it was a constant temperature that I could ride without feeling like I had to change clothes with every variation of riding conditions.
Again the day had lots of up and down. The ups and downs were created by valleys with streams and rivers. Some were dry, but most had water. There were more signs with water depth of up to three feet above the road surface. Another day of no shoulder. Just a foot of shoulder would be somewhat welcome. Not only was there no shoulder but from the road it quickly dropped off down a bank into a ditch for much of the day. I started getting of the road and stopping sometimes to let vehicles pass. Continue reading Day 61: Houston to Ellington, MO (October 29)
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 SR-71 in the Cosmosphere lobby I started by heading to the grocery store and then the hardware store. I was happy to find pepper spray on clearance at the hardware store. I bought two which should get rid of a few dogs.
Then I headed over to the Cosmosphere. Being greeted by a real SR-71 Blackbird in the lobby was just the start. The space exhibits are amazing. Very comprehensive starting with a narrative that includes real V-2 and V-1 rockets, Operation Paper Clip, testing at White Sands, Mercury’s Liberty Bell 7 recovered from 16,000 feet below the ocean, Gemini, the Apollo 13 Command module, and the space shuttle. Continue reading Day 52: Rest day in Hutchinson, KS (October 20)
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 Kansas...wide open Cold start to the day so I retreated until it warmed up a bit…at least to freezing.
Somebody I met at my friend’s place in Colorado told me that anyone biking across the US after me would be stupid because it would be cold. The other day I was thinking about that and broke out laughing. I thought, “It must follow that I am a bit stupid for going so late, but the next guy is even stupider. But what if there is no next guy? That would make me the stupidest.” So I figure I could be the stupidest person cycling across the US this year. (Hoping to hear there are others out there so I don’t hold the title…) Continue reading Day 51: Larned to Hutchinson, KS (October 19)
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 I made it! The day started well with waffles at Andy’s apartment and then I futzed about a little and headed out. The rain from the day before created a thick fog in the valley. A few miles out of town the road started to gain elevation that would eventually going over the 9000+ foot Rabbit Ears Pass. The road in the valley was a bit foggy, but I felt OK on it. However when I started to climb the mountain the fog was thicker and the mountain blocked the sun leaving the road dark. Watching cars approach me in my rear view mirror I noticed they started to swerve drastically 200 feet behind me to avoid me. Normally cars would pass in a smooth arc starting far away, but the drastic swerve meant they couldn’t see me until the last minute despite my lights, reflective stripes, and obnoxious clothing.
I pulled off the road and waited. While waiting I contemplated the weather report I had seen in Steamboat. The weekend weather did not look good. I was in a bit of a race against the weather to cross the Rockies and reach the safehaven of my friend’s house in Littleton, CO as well as the lower elevations of the plains. They’d hopefully protect me somewhat from winter which could start at anytime in the mountains. After waiting for about 45 minutes, the sun rose up high enough that its rays went directly into the valleys and started to burn off the fog. In a span of about 10 minutes the road went from completely fogged in to clear, and I headed off again. Continue reading Day 37: Steamboat Springs to Granby, CO (October 5)
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As Steamboat seems like a nice place, I decided to stay for a rest day. Also because I had ridden for five days and have a big pass outside Steamboat.
There is a bike path all along the river through town. Really convenient for getting around plus it means you aren’t on the road. It is a beautiful ride with the river and cottonwoods. I spent an hour in the new, beautiful library copying files from my GoPro memory cards onto the hard disk. I wanted to go up to the Strawberry hot springs but the shuttle bus stopped running a couple days before. It is in between seasons. Ski season starts after thanksgiving.
Instead I visited the world headquarters of Honey Stringer. They make honey based energy food for sports. I got to try their new waffles that Lance Armstrong likes. (He owns part of the company.) I ended up buying some of their gels and chews. Continue reading Day 36: Rest Day in Steamboat Springs, CO (October 4)
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 Fall colors on the Yampa River Today was a great, relaxing ride. Knowing that it was not too far I took it somewhat easy and took a bunch of photos along the way.
It was a bit chilly to start out and I left my windbreaker on until almost 11:00. The clouds started forming a bit earlier than normal today too providing shade. Most days there is a chance of an afternoon thunderstorm. Today was no different. Continue reading Day 35: Craig to Steamboat Springs, CO (October 3)
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 Eric heading to Seattle Despite eating a huge dinner, I woke up hungry. It was somewhat windy too but from the west so that was ok. But it made me feel like staying in my sleeping bag until the sun came up. It seemed the new sleeping pad worked. I felt I slept most of the night. That is a welcome change. I ended up heading out at 09:30. Nobody else in the RV park was moving. I wore my arms and legs plus a wind breaker. About half an hour in I had to pull over to take them all off.
Shortly after that I saw another cyclist.
It was Eric from Beijing. He had started in New Jersey and was going to Seattle. What prompted him? The adventure and challenge. I asked him about the route ahead for me in Colorado. He said there are stretches with nothing but only about 50 miles at a time. He got stuck in a blizzard on Berthoud Pass at 11,000+ feet and had to be driven off. I hope my crossing goes better. (The weather from Vernal to Steamboat Springs now looks good.) Continue reading Day 32: Duchesne to Vernal, UT (September 30)
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