5005 miles

Looking back at 5005 miles....

2010-04-29T00:17:00.008-04:00

Brita Climate Ride - Day 5 - Reisterstown, MD to the US Capitol

2009-09-30T09:31:00.021-04:00

A six AM alarm not only signalled the start of the fifth and final day of Climate Ride - an exciting climax that would take us into DC and to the steps of the US Capitol - but also the final day of my 4 month journey across the US. I'll write more about the exciting/sad/weird emotions that accompany this reality, but for now it's on to the nation's capital....

The past four days have been incredible - full of inspiring stories, interesting people and beautiful landscapes. I've taken it easy on the bike and enjoyed the camaraderie and conversation of many of my fellow riders. Today, I just wanted to ride. To push the bike, and my legs, a bit harder than I have in a while. A test, of sorts, to see what my legs had left in them before I send them into a well deserved hibernation .

A group of us, accompanied by the Danish Ambassador to the US, rode off the front, pushed it up the hills and flew down the descents. It was one of those rides that just make you smile.

As we made it to DC a few hours before the appointed meet up time for the ride up Constitution Avenue, the Ambassador took us by the Embassy for a little tour of his digs. We then joined back up with the group on the Georgetown waterfront, hid from one final downpour (a mini theme of the past five days) and pedalled down a normally auto-congested street along the famous "Mall" and all of its recognizable stone monuments.

The energy of riding in a pack is something hard to explain, but in this group of riders that had come so far (much further than many of them had ever ridden) the excitement was palpable. Coming together for a cause, any cause, is a wonderful feeling. Doing it over the span of months and in particular the past five days is especially exhilarating. The wide smiles, high-fives and bikes being raised overhead all signalled a great feeling of accomplishment.

Alas, there was great resignation as well. Resignation that there is much work to be done. Resignation that the road to a more sustainable future is longer and steeper than the hills of Pennsylvania and Maryland that they had just conquered.

For me, the roundabout in the shadows of the Capitol was an intersection of many emotions. Moved by the strength of the 82 year old grandmother and the 14 year old daughter who had just pedaled from New York City. Excited by the commitment, of fellow citizens, to a cause they believe so strongly in. Thrilled and saddened that my 4 month ride was over. Overwhelmed by the increasingly weighty question of "what now?"

All of those feelings can start to be processed tomorrow. Right now it's time for a cold beer. Or two.

Congrats and thank you to the amazing Climate Ride staff & volunteers, all of my fellow Climate Riders and especially those that supported me and this wonderful ride.

(for an excellent visual wrap-up of the 5 days, check out official photographer Kip Pierson's 2 minute slide show here )

Brita Climate Ride - Day 4 - that place we were last night to Reisterstown, MD

2009-09-29T17:41:00.004-04:00

Pilar y Matteo

Today was a day filled with more hills and more wind. Fortunately, it was also filled with sunshine. It could have been miserable out there had we received more of the rain we've been experiencing, but instead it was another day of stunning scenery and fantastic cycling. Ending up at an extremely comfortable retreat just outside of Baltimore helped cap a wonderful day and left everyone excited for tomorrow's ride into DC.

Me (photo again courtesy of Kip Pierson)

Brita Climate Ride - Day 3 - Phoenixville, PA to wherever it is that we are right now

2009-09-28T01:12:00.004-04:00

Amish Traffic

Wow! What a morning. Autumnish weather and beautiful scenery (okay, and an awesome doughnut) got day three off to a spectacular start. Smiles flashed brighter than in a toothpaste commercial and people didn't seem to mind the rolling terrain one bit.

Curiosity (for both groups) piqued as we pedalled into the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country where two wheeled bicycles met four wheeled buggies and spandex clad cyclists met nattily dressed Amish. At one point, there was a bit of a traffic jam as horse and buggies seemed to pour from all directions (apparently everyone was headed for a funeral). My favorite scene, though, was of the young Amish girls - dressed beautifully in their long dresses - all sporting mitts and playing the outfield in school baseball game - priceless.

At the same time we started running into our fellow motor-less commuters, the winds started to pick up to more than noticeable levels. Eventually the rains joined in and soaked Climate Riders for a second straight day but, like the day before, the rains stopped in time to allow for a beautiful few miles before pulling into camp for the night.

Mutual Curiosity (photo courtesy of Kip Pierson)

Brita Climate Ride - Day 2 - Princteon, NJ to Phoenixville, PA

2009-09-27T00:17:00.000-04:00

I was totally taking this guy...

After a perfect spell of weather for day one of Climate Ride, night one saw the skies open up. And they didn't close until late the next afternoon. Despite the sogginess (i helped one girl EMPTY her tent of water - not shake off, but empty), all remained incredibly upbeat. I think the rain even added to the adventure of it all. Fortunately by the time the group I was riding with rolled to the top of a hill overlooking Valley Forge, the late day sun was shining and the view breathtaking. You could almost imagine brigades of Washington's men camped out in the field below.

More great stories out there include the mother/daughter duo participating in Climate Ride on a tandem bike as well as the three generation family of five - both showing that riding a bicycle from NYC to DC is an amazing event for all riders -young and old.

A cast of great speakers including a guy who biked 21,000 miles and a gal who hucks herself down mountains along with a night without rain in the forecast have everyone psyched for another great day tomorrow.

Brita Climate Ride - Day One - New York City to Princeton, NJ

2009-09-26T21:16:00.004-04:00

Wow, after four months of talking about an amazing ride from New York City to Washington, DC, that ride is finally here. And what a way to start. Check the luggage (I'm not carrying all my stuff for the first time in 16 weeks!), grab a Clif bar and head over to CBS to make our appearance on The Early Show before riding, 150 strong, down 5th Avenue -a good looking group if I do say so myself.

Everyone is so excited, so motivated, so happy that all the work (training, fundraising, planing, organizing - everybody has been doing something) they have put in is about to pay off. What a positive energy! It's going to be an incredible week.

After some wonderful food and a cold beer, we headed onto Princeton's amazing campus (looks even cooler at night if that's possible) to hear a couple excellent lectures - a scientist's view of climate change and an overview of what is happening up on Capitol Hill right now.

Unfortunately, the photos i enjoy taking so, won't be coming to this blog anytime soon. My little Canon point and shoot has finally given in - it made it all the way to NYC and then called it quits - kind of like Phiedipides (pardon the possible misspell) falling in Greece after making it to the end of his famous run. Fortunately there are lots of folks posting at www.climateride.org - check them out. (Thanks to Kip Pierson for this pic)

Day 49 - Pittsfield, MA to Plainville, CT - 69 miles

2009-09-16T10:47:00.003-04:00

Day 48 - Fort Plain, NY to Pittsfield, MA - 103 miles

2009-09-15T10:46:00.005-04:00

Day 46 - Rochester, NY to Syracuse, NY - 91 miles

2009-09-13T10:44:00.005-04:00

Day 44 - Niagara Falls, NY to Rochester, NY - 81 miles

2009-09-11T10:42:00.005-04:00

DOWN GOES FRASIER... Well, down goes Proulx, anyway.

On another day of riding straight into some tough winds, I had just commented to Marcus (who I had now been riding with for a few days) how nice it was to be riding with someone else. Headwinds can be demoralizing, but having someone there to share in the pain somehow makes it easier. Having someone there by your side to talk to also makes it easier to get tangled up. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but we were talking about something -soybeans, maybe - and BAM!!!! (mom you may want to stop reading now) Next thing I know, I'm on the ground - in the middle of the road. My first instinct has me turned around just in time to see an oncoming car swerve out of the way to avoid hitting me. It wasn't a matter of inches, but it was enough to make my heart skip a couple beats.

My wrist, which apparently took the brunt of the fall, was really sore, but thankfully there didn't seem to be anything else wrong with me or the bike. Marcus stayed upright, but went off the shoulder a bit and screwed up his wheel. Fortunately we were close enough to Rochester to hobble in to the city to meet our kind Warm Showers hosts where we had a great meal and the requisite 'warm shower'. Tonight it'll be plenty of ice and ibuprofen for me and a trip to the bike shop for Marcus. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Day 43 - Buffalo, NY to Niagara Falls, Canada

2009-09-10T21:26:00.012-04:00

Rainbows resulting from the mist coming from Niagara Falls

A quick ride over the Peace Bridge led us into Canada where the slightly puzzling signs were found ...

... I think they mean the same thing, but not sure why one has pictures and the other words. Hmmmm. Anyway, a leisurely ride up along the river and voila...an amazing view of the famous Niagara Falls surrounded by all the glitz and glamor of....Gatlinburg or Myrtle Beach. The misty view of the falls made it worth the ride up, but without lots of money to spend riding boats, shopping or in the casinos, there was not a lot to be done for a couple of touring cyclists. We checked out the long row of dingy motels just off the main strip, but decided camping in a field somewhere would be better than paying $40 for those dumps. Even the "Value Inn" which proudly advertised its "Clean Waterbed" couldn't sway me. So it was back across a different bridge, into the US and to a state park where we found a nice picnic shelter to sleep under. Unfortunately they came by and closed up the restrooms while we were eating dinner. DOH! A "shower" from the water fountain wasn't ideal, but, hey, it was probably a bit nicer than the shower at the Value Inn would have been.

Day 41 - Barcelona, NY to Buffalo, NY - 84 miles

2009-09-08T21:23:00.007-04:00

9/11 memorial in Buffalo

Though the winds continued to ignore convention and blow from the East (ie- into our face), the rains held off and allowed for a pleasant day around Lake Erie and up into Buffalo where a much needed day off from riding would be taken.

Surprisingly, it's not snow covered and freezing here in Buffalo during the summer - who knew?

Day 40 - Geneva on the Lake, OH to Barcelona, NY - 75 miles

2009-09-07T21:22:00.009-04:00

Woooohooooooo!

Like the stacks of pancakes I’ve been devouring on this trip, doughnuts have been consumed at unhealthy levels. So, of course we had to stop at the famous Madsen Donuts on our way out of town to grab a handful of tasty calorie bombs.

We quickly made our way over the Pennsylvania border and were cruising along until PSSSSSSSSSSSTT. Uh oh! It was the sound I had been dreading ever since I had started looking for an open bike shop where I might be able to find a new rear tire. My tire had blown and we were over 20 miles from Erie, PA and the nearest bike shop that MIGHT be open on this Labor Day. As luck would have it, we were in the middle of nowhere – which just so happened to be the location of the Elk Creek Sports Store/gas station and Dan, the benevolent owner, didn’t even wait for us to ask for help. Once he heard what happened, he made a couple of phone calls and found an open shop in Erie – “You can throw your bikes in the back of the truck and I’ll bring you down there.” Wow! Experiences like this should not surprise me by now, but they still do. The people of America have been so incredibly kind, generous, caring and helpful – it’s just awesome!

After getting a new tire and some grub, we continued on towards the New York border. Though, I knew it was coming, the sight of the “Welcome to New York” sign sent a chill up my spine. I had actually made it from Oregon to New York. Cool! I rode that high all the way to Barcelona, NY where we found a nice park with a picnic shelter that was sure to protect us from the rains that still looked imminent. To be sure the recently seen black bear didn’t interrupt our sleep, we were let into the enclosed picnic area by Chuck, the guy that came around to lock everything up. Nice guy, that Chuck.

Day 39 - Bay Village, OH to Geneva on the Lake, OH - 73 miles

2009-09-06T21:20:00.010-04:00

Love to see signs like these!

It has been wonderful to be off the beaten path for a while, but I’m also excited to be on a more well traveled route now as it can make it easier to find amenities and also easier to meet other cyclists. After a surprisingly pretty approach to Cleveland from the West (who knew?) luck and timing were on my side as I met a fellow tourer early in today’s ride – turns out we are headed the same way and at a similar pace. After this chance meeting in front of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we sat down to watch the air show that was going on and discussed all things ‘touring’. It was great to be able to share stories from the road with someone who could really relate.

Marcus and I rode to the town of Geneva on the Lake, Ohio which felt more like a mini Myrtle Beach than a relaxing lakeside retreat – it was a bit of a shock after so many days pedaling through the tranquility of corn and beans. After cruisin’ the strip for a while on our quiet, gas-free ‘hogs’, we grabbed some grub and a beer and prepared for the rains that were sure to hit us during the night and into tomorrow.

Day 38 - Genoa, OH to Bay Village, OH - 91 miles

2009-09-05T21:16:00.006-04:00

Just follow the signs.

Just a few more miles of improv and I made my way to an excellent path system beginning in Elmore, OH. I met a fellow Surly rider here who helped make a 10 mile stretch fly by and got me real close to the Lake Erie Coastal Trail which would be my route for a while.

After passing a cabbage farm and a house selling turtle meat (What the….), I found my lakeside path and even met a nice guy who arranged a yard to sleep in when I got to the Cleveland suburb of Bay Village. Knowing where I was going to sleep that night takes off lots of pressure and I was happy to join a family for an end of summer picnic. The only problem was that when I got to the pre-arranged ‘camp site’, the gentleman had changed his mind and decided he would rather I didn’t camp in his yard. He was very nice and felt bad, but that didn’t change the fact that it was now dark and I had to find a place to sleep. Fortunately, I ran into a nice couple as I was on my way to the police station in search of suggestions, and they were kind enough to let me stay the night. It was great talking with them about cycling, books, travel, etc.

Day 37 - Ann Arbor, MI to Genoa, OH - 81 miles

2009-09-04T21:15:00.003-04:00

Welcome (back) to Ohio!

I was on the road by 8:30AM today, but headed in the wrong direction. I visited the Polar Service Center, one of 4 authorized Polar (watch / HR monitors) service centers in the country. I told them I rode my bike from Oregon to have my watch/odometer battery changed and they were kind enough to make the change at no charge – thanks guys!! It’ll be good not having to calculate my distances with Google pedometer anymore.

Other than the worst roads I’ve ridden on in the past 5 weeks (what’s up with that Michigan??), the day was uneventful. Genoa’s men in blue helped find me a nice place to throw the tent up and now a heavy slumber is calling.

I’m really looking forward to getting up along Lake Erie soon – I’ll ride along the lake all the way to Buffalo.

Day 36 - Grand Rapids, OH to Ann Arbor, MI - 65 miles

2009-09-03T21:13:00.007-04:00

Morning at the campsite

The road up through Ohio and into Michigan was great – quiet, smooth, ideal. The same can’t be said for the roads in Michigan and the difficult route up into Ann Arbor. No wonder I had trouble finding advice for this route.

It’s “welcome week” here at the University of Michigan and the town was buzzing with returning students. I made my way to the Red House where some guys were letting me couchsurf (thanks Walter & the rest of the red house gang!) and was quickly reminded of one of my favorite times of the college year – everyone’s in town, but there’s no schoolwork. Ahh, if I were 22 again. Alas, I’m a couple years (cough) older than that now and I could barely keep my tired eyes open past dinner.

Day 35 - Decatur, IN to Grand Rapids, OH - 83 miles

2009-09-02T21:12:00.009-04:00

Barns are cool

After another home-cooked breakfast (I’m getting spoiled), I said goodbye to Sam and Mara and pedaled off into a crisp, almost autumn-like, day. Though I didn’t see any Chuck Taylor clad kids out shooting baskets, I did see a hoop within 20 yards of a cornfield about a hundred times. A couple of nights ago I had asked Brian where all the kids playing basketball were and his response was that “it wasn’t the right season.” I hope he’s right and those basket shooting kids aren’t just inside playing Nintendo – or whatever it is kids play these days.

It was another hard day of riding into the wind and before setting up camp for the night, I treated myself to a large pizza in the little riverside town of Grand Rapids, OH. Man, I eat a lot these days.

Day 34 - Roann, IN to Decatur, IN - 73 miles

2009-09-01T21:11:00.008-04:00

When the flag is blowing parallel to the road like this, you hope you're going the right way. I wasn't.

The Indiana love continues…

It was hard to say goodbye to such a nice family, but they made sure I wasn’t leaving with an empty stomach. Thanks again!

The in-my-face winds continued and I plodded through another tough day. What makes it even tougher, I think, is that I keep checking the forecast to see if things are changing at all - no S’s or a W’s anywhere in the foreseeable future. Winds will continue to blow steadily from the north and the east – the direction I am headed. Oh well, nothing to do but keep on ‘truckin’.

You know the feeling you get when you’re driving and you realize you missed your turn a while back. Well, it sucks a LOT worse when you’re on your bike and it’s getting late in the day. Ugggh, how did that happen? I was so tuned out and these roads twist and turn so much that I headed southeast for 7 miles when I actually should have been heading northeast. Once I got past my disappointment and got re-oriented, I started pedaling north through roads that I should not have been on if I hadn’t gotten lost. Turns out to be a good thing, too. I came upon a woman riding her bike through these country roads and next thing you know, I am sitting down to dinner at Sam and Mara’s house situated in the middle of the family farm. After a relaxing spin on the chi machine (www.askmara.com), a shower and a wonderful meal, they offered me the guestroom instead of having to camp – thanks for everything guys!

Are all people in Indiana as nice as the folks I’ve run into the past couple days??
The Indiana love continues…

It was hard to say goodbye to such a nice family, but they made sure I wasn’t leaving with an empty stomach. Thanks again!

The in-my-face winds continued and I plodded through another tough day. What makes it even tougher, I think, is that I keep checking the forecast to see if things are changing at all - no S’s or a W’s anywhere in the foreseeable future. Winds will continue to blow steadily from the north and the east – the direction I am headed. Oh well, nothing to do but keep on ‘truckin’.

You know the feeling you get when you’re driving and you realize you missed your turn a while back. Well, it sucks a LOT worse when you’re on your bike and it’s getting late in the day. Ugggh, how did that happen? I was so tuned out and these roads twist and turn so much that I headed southeast for 7 miles when I actually should have been heading northeast. Once I got past my disappointment and got re-oriented, I started pedaling north through roads that I should not have been on if I hadn’t gotten lost. Turns out to be a good thing, too. I came upon a woman riding her bike through these country roads and next thing you know, I am sitting down to dinner at Sam and Mara’s house situated in the middle of the family farm. After a relaxing spin on the chi machine (www.askmara.com), a shower and a wonderful meal, they offered me the guestroom instead of having to camp – thanks for everything guys!

Are all people in Indiana as nice as the folks I’ve run into the past couple days??

Day 33 - Rensselaer, IN to Roann, IN - 73 miles

2009-08-31T21:09:00.009-04:00

Time 5:45AM. Or is it 6:45 AM? I have no idea here in Indiana – this state of time keeping indecision. After years of abstaining, they just recently hopped on board the daylight savings train, but what time zone you’re in depends on what county you’re in. Whatever time it is, it’s cold and it’s a not a lot of fun getting out of your sleeping bag when temps are in the 40’s.

After dealing with a useless police department (didn’t know what time the library opened, here in this town of 6000, and wouldn’t bother to help me find out) I decided to warm up with some coffee and, you guessed it, pancakes. I met some kind people here that helped point me in the right direction out of town (I don’t have an Indiana map) and the day was looking up.

The ride began with a continuous stream of stinky tractor-trailers that were apparently hauling

garbage from Gary, IN (& I suspect Chicago) down to this small town just east of Rensselaer. I asked a woman if this was a Monday occurrence or what and she replied “nope, everyday – sure shows how wasteful we are, eh?” You took the words right out of my mouth lady.

Despite some meaty winds from the northeast, I made okay time heading east and, more importantly, my legs felt good. I ended up in Roann, IN in time for dinner, but I guess they don’t eat dinner here on Mondays. Well, not in a restaurant anyway – it was closed. Oh

well, won’t be the first (or last) time I eat gas station food. I found a quiet place in town where I was allowed to camp, but just as I was setting up the tent (next to the sewage station), a nice family rescued me to the comfort of their backyard – complete with a storybook-worthy oak tree, fire pit and an adorable dog named Baron. Many thanks to Brian, Krys, Emily, Eryn & Evan (& Baron) for being so cool! After a super-tasty meal, a warm shower and great conversation around the fire I’d have to say that this was a pretty awesome day.

Day 32 - Northbrook, IL to Rensselaer, IN - 117 miles

2009-08-30T21:08:00.007-04:00

Chicago has a pretty cool (& crowded), place to ride/run

After another wonderful night’s sleep, it was time to say goodbye to Charlie & Mary Jane – for good this time, I promise! Thanks for the wonderful hospitality!

Today’s plan was to raise the sails and go wherever the winds may take me. I knew I’d be passing through one of America’s coolest cities – Chicago – but from there I wasn’t really sure.

As it turned out, the Chicago Triathlon, as well as a professional beach volleyball tournament was going on in the city, and I hated to pass through without checking it all out. Alas, I had many miles to go before I slept and thanks to two very kind souls (Theodore & Jim) I made those miles without getting lost. Both of these kind souls really went out of their way to help me out – it’s these experiences which make doing something like this possible.

I pulled down the sails and called it a night in Rensselaer, IN where I was again fortunate to have the first person I talked to in town be a local pastor. Mark was kind enough to give me a few directions as well as to allow me to set up my tent in a quiet place behind the church’s hall. It’s good to be back camping again after a five nights in a row of having to deal with the inconveniences of running water and comfortable beds.

Day 31 - Milwaukee, WI to Northbrook, IL - 83 miles

2009-08-29T21:04:00.002-04:00

"All aboard!" Back to Milwaukee....for a little while anyway

After a wonderful, but short, visit with the Brendan and his parents, I boarded an early train back to Milwaukee to grab my bike and continue north along Lake Michigan. That was the plan anyway. After seeing the flags whipping due to strong winds from the North and looking at the forecast with my Milwaukee hosts, – more northerlies tomorrow – I decided to head south.

Marti and Dave were kind enough to guide me through the maze of downtown Milwaukee and sent me on my way. Can’t thank these wonderful people enough for all of their kindness and hospitality over the past couple days.

With a nice tailwind pushing me south over the Wisconsin / Illinois border, I made it 83 miles all the way back to the North Brook and the house I had woken up in just this morning. Poor Brendan’s parents – they thought they had gotten rid of me!

Days 29 & 30 - Sick day & Rest day - Milwaukee & Chicago

2009-08-28T19:00:00.003-04:00

Apart from the incredible hospitality I was receiving, the highlight of today was the 3+ hour "nap" I took not long after waking up from a 10 hour sleep. I guess I needed the rest.

After the recovery day, I had to make some choices about what to do today. My good friend Brendan was only 80 miles south in Northbrook, Il, but he was leaving the country tomorrow. Instead of trying to ride down there and catch up with him for just a couple hours, I took the hour ride on Amtrak to spend the day and evening with Brendan and his family. Many thanks to KP and her family for a wonderful dinner.

Day 28 - Madison, WI to Milwaukee, WI - 87 miles

2009-08-26T18:59:00.002-04:00

What every cyclist needs to start his day - thanks Nate!

An early start and an escort out of town thanks to a nice woman I met (one of hundreds of cyclists out riding/commuting at seven in the morning – love Madison!) had me well on my way to Milwaukee. Unfortunately the winds were brutal today and though I was on a (semi-protected) trail for 50 miles or so, I was exhausted.

As my energy drained and my body weakened, I some how thought a box of Little Debbie ‘Nutty Buddy's’ would magically make me strong again. Ha! Despite the sugar blast three packets of these things gave me, I was fading fast - if it were not for my kind Milwaukee couchsurfing hosts that met me for the last five or six mile ride to their house, I might still be sitting on a curb in one of Milwaukee’s tougher neighborhoods waiting for my energy to come back.

By the time we arrived at Marti and Dave’s house, I was done. D-O-N-E, done. My body did not agree with my plan to ride one more day before resting and so, tomorrow will be an unplanned ‘sick day’. My semi-retired - just back from the Peace Corps in Africa -hosts were unbelievably kind and made me feel so at home. Exactly what my body needed to help recover.

Day 27 - Reedsburg, WI to Madison, WI - 65 miles

2009-08-25T18:57:00.003-04:00

They use letters for county roads here in Wisconsin. Hmmm.

A short day becomes longer when it’s windy. Today’s ride should have been a snap, but for some reason, I was still beat by the time I rolled into Madison and over to Nate’s house. This kind CS host put me up on an evening where I surely would have been camping in the rain. After hanging out for a while talking bikes and grabbing a burrito, I tried my best to catch up on email, blogging, etc, but was too exhausted to concentrate. That stuff‘ll have to wait for another day.

It’s hard to tell in such a short time, but I think I love it here in Madison. Active, friendly people (one of them was kind enough to escort me into the city so I didn’t have to find my way by map) and bikes everywhere. It seems like the quality of life is pretty good here – just wonder what it’s like in the winter???

Day 26 - La Crosse, WI to Reedsburg, WI - 80 miles

2009-08-24T18:56:00.011-04:00

Most of the really cool "wow" moments come early in the AM

What a day! Normally a couple hour break after just a few miles of riding is not a good thing. Today, however, was different. After packing up my tent, I went to Drake and Carol's house for an amazing breakfast and even better conversation. I met this wonderful couple while traveling about a year and a half ago and somehow knew that I'd meet up with them again. It was awesome catching up, but it was tough getting back on the road after a nice relaxing morning - would've been been great to hang out with these two for another day or two. Alas, there are many miles to cover still, so I headed on. Thanks for everything guys!!!

The good news was that today's ride would be nearly all on an off-road trail. No cars to worry about or turn by turn directions to follow. Just some beautiful Wisconsin scenery, a few crazy old train tunnels and Sparta - the (self proclaimed?) bicycling capitol of America.

Day 25 - Hastings, MN to La Crosse, WI - 120 miles

2009-08-23T18:53:00.010-04:00

Not a bad view to start the day off with...

I woke up early so as to get out of the park I was camped in before too many people showed up and to make up for a short day of riding yesterday. I followed a bike route along the Mississippi River for most of the day which offered a break from constantly trying to find out where I was and which turns I needed to make. It’s amazing how nice this can be.

After a hard day in the sun (and wind), I was just about to call it a day when I checked an email and saw that some friends of mine were actually living not too far away. So, I kept plugging away in hopes of catching up with these friends tonight or tomorrow morning. I crossed over the border into La Crosse, Wisconsin just around dark and found myself a nice spot to camp in a city park. Or so I thought. Turns out there is a lot of activity around this park and my slumber was interrupted many times – once by a bunch of kids with golf clubs. Despite a poor night’s sleep, I was very excited to catch up with friends in the morning.

Day 24 - Minnetrista, MN to Hastings, MN - 60 miles

2009-08-22T18:30:00.005-04:00

Apparently Minnesota is about a lot more than just bass fishing

Wow, getting back in the saddle after taking a couple days off is hard. Especially when I’ve been staying in a big, comfy bed, eating a ton of food and hanging out with my niece and nephew for the past couple days – many thanks to Jeff, Brooke, Amelia & Michael! I’m excited to continue the journey, but I’m sure it’ll take me a day or two to get used to “roughing it” again.

I got a late start and didn’t exactly make good time today as my route took me along crowded bike paths for much of the way. The traffic didn’t bother me, but I kept stopping to talk to folks – I was just so excited to see so many people out biking – especially after the lack of cyclists I’ve seen up until now. And kudos to Minnesota for all of the bike paths – they’ve got an amazing network around the Twin Cities and the suburbs.

In addition to stopping to talk a lot, I also got lost several times as I really did not know where I was going. I think I’ve found my way now, though, and look forward to a big day tomorrow – as long as those Southerly winds they’re forecasting don’t slow me up too much.

Days 22 & 23 - Rest days with the family - Minnetrista, MN

2009-08-21T17:08:00.003-04:00

A haircut from my 7 year old niece & 3 year old nephew

Big day for me – I finally cut the lettuce on top of my head that has been growing for the past year and a half. Well actually, my seven year old niece and three year old nephew cut it. I'm sure to be a lot more aerodynamic on the bike now.

Days 20 & 21 - Ortonville, MN to Minnetrista, MN - 178 miles

2009-08-18T14:15:00.005-04:00

Off to a sunny start

(thoughts from my brother Jeffrey)

Hi, Michael. It was a great experience being able to join you for the Minnesota leg of your ride across the country. Here are a few of my impressions and favorite memories from the trip:

- Rolling into Ortonville, SD, it was a bit of a shock seeing you. I almost didn't recognize the shaggy-haired, sinewy mass of tendons and lean muscle that you've become. It was powerful seeing how many weeks spent biking all day, every day, has transformed your body.

- Your bike must weigh about a thousand pounds. I can't believe that you are able to ride that thing around the block, never mind for thousands of miles.

- We had perfect weather on our first day together. The roads were mostly smooth and lightly traveled. Seeing nothing but corn and soybeans for miles at a time removed any misconception I might have had regarding the agrarian nature of my adopted home state. Our biggest road hazard was dodging the cobs and husks that had fallen off the many passing trucks hauling freshly-harvested sweet corn.

- "Hunger is the best sauce," as grandma used to say. Now I know how you've been able to develop such a fondness for small-town diner food. I also enjoyed seeing you work the John Deere crowd over our lunch in Benson, MN.

- You were gracious in accepting my suggestion that we take the more scenic route into our evening destination of Willmar, MN. Though it did lead us to one of my favorite spots along the way (the swimming beach at the state park in Kandiyohi County, where I was able to cool my tired legs), the extra 15 miles or so about did me in. I was actually too tired to have a beer with our pizza that night.

- Day 2. What happened to our nice weather? We woke to a steady rain that didn't leave us all day. My "water resistant" windbreaker was useless after about the first 15 minutes. I was lucky that you happened to have an extra rain shell in your bag. We sloshed and plodded into the wind and through a number of charming small towns. Once again, it was fun to see you work your magic with the citizenry wherever we stopped.

- You put me in charge of finding the best route back to my house in Minnetrista. My fool-proof plan was that we would ride the flat and scenic Luce Line trail (a converted railroad line) from its start in Cosmos, MN, 55 miles or so west to a hopping off point just a mile from home. Turns out that the trail was little more than long grass and mud at its outer reaches, and we stuck to a busy road (highway 7) instead. That stretch taught me to appreciate wide shoulders and smooth pavement, things I don't think I ever thought about when driving a car.

- We hit Hutchinson, MN for a late lunch. We were both so dirty and wet that I was surprised they let us in the diner door. No choice but to keep on plowing through the rain. (Well, there was actually a choice--Brooke had called, offering to drive out and pick us up. I guess I couldn't take responsibility if you only made it 4970 miles.)

- You and I have been accused of sharing the same odd sense of humor, so I am still puzzled that you didn't think it was as funny as I did when just after lunch, a bee stung your lower lip and caused it to swell to the size of a walnut. You sure looked silly, and it made you talk funny, too. Thank God you didn't have anyone that you had to kiss that day....

- What a great feeling it was to roll into my driveway and to receive an excited welcome from Brooke and the kids! It also felt good to get off that bike after two days of trying to find a position that didn't hurt my butt so much. It didn't hurt, either, to have a nice warm meal waiting and a well-earned cold beer. Special thanks to the BEST WIFE EVER for making it all possible!

Day 19 - Groton, SD to Ortonville, MN - 93 miles

2009-08-17T23:36:00.007-04:00

Picturesque scenes abound on today's ride

Sun in the forecast, another tailwind and small town South Dakota awaited me as I rolled out of my tent in the Groton town park to begin a (relatively) short 90 mile day. Jeffrey would be meeting me at the border town of Ortonville, MN just across the lake from South Dakota.

With all day - and some of the next morning if I needed it - to cover the distance, I took plenty of time to check out some of the small towns along the way like Tom Brokaw’s very own Bristol, SD. Though the town sign reported a population of 377, I suspect that number is slowly dwindling like many of the rail towns I’ve encountered here in the American West. Sadly, less, or no, rail traffic combined with many factors like the economic downturn have dried up the proverbial wells in many of these “heartbeat” towns. It has been fascinating to read how these towns came to be during times of westward expansion., however. Must have been a wild time!

After cycling across my 15th or so border of the past few months, I felt like I had reached a pretty big benchmark. Not only did family await me in Minnesota, but I also felt like I was now in somewhat more familiar territory. Though many miles lay ahead, I now feel like pedaling into New York is much more of a certainty than it was back during those 105+ degree days in Oregon just a few weeks ago.

Fittingly, now in the land of 10,000 lakes, I set up camp next to a beautiful lake. I just couldn’t see the lake from my tent as I actually set up my tent under a band shelter that offered protection from the 25+ mph winds that were now gusting off the lake.

Day 18 - Mobridge, SD to Groton, SD - 122 miles

2009-08-16T23:35:00.003-04:00

Sunflowers

Not to be outdone by yesterday’s winds, today’s winds provided me a nice little push from behind and helped me go the second furthest distance I’ve ever gone. Fortunately, these winds have come at the right time and the day’s efforts put me less than 100 miles to the Minnesota border where the welcome sight of company would be waiting.

The ride was quite pleasant and featured more rolling farmlands as well as a magical ride through ‘far as the eyes can see’ sunflower fields. It was particularly cool at one point to be riding south through the middle of one field and to see every one of the yellow, Frisbee sized flowers to my right staring at me and every flower to the left ‘looking’ the other way.

Making great time and still having plenty of daylight left to cover the last twenty miles or so, I treated myself to the rare treat of actually sitting down for dinner. An all-you-can eat pizza buffet seemed a nice way to celebrate not eating while standing up in a gas station. All was great, but I am still trying to figure out how they had a 20 item salad bar with only one or two vegetables on it. Hmmm.

Day 17 - Scranton, ND to Mobridge, SD - 148 miles

2009-08-15T23:34:00.018-04:00

Beautiful weather, swift tailwinds and gorgeous scenery made it a great day.

It looked like the storms were coming back, but I was anxious to get going because the winds were blowing quite a bit. And they were blowing in the right direction. TAILWINDS!!! Finally. When you’re out riding a bicycle, the winds giveth and the winds taketh. Today they were giveth-ing in a big way, especially in the morning.

I made it about 92 miles and contemplated calling it a day (the winds were not really a factor anymore) when I received a text message from my brother (who was to meet me at the SD/MN border for a couple days of riding) saying we might get better weather if we started a day early. I still felt strong and had at least a few hours of daylight left, but if I kept going and tried to add some miles, I’d have to go another 50+ miles to get to a safe/comfortable place to camp for the night. Okay, I guess I’ll keep going.

The miles passed quickly until close to the town of Mobridge, SD. There were several big hills in the final 10 miles into town and my legs were shot! One….final…summit and alas the city was in my sights. After a bit of downhill, I set up camp for the night and slept the best I’ve slept all trip. Riding farther than you EVER have will do that to you, I guess.

(I even had time for lots of photos today…beautiful clouds, RR crossings, a sign in Lemmon, SD that describes what I’ve seen a lot lately “forever”, a nicer “Welcome to ND” sign here than where I entered ND, speed limit signs in SD that for some reason show kph as well as mph, and hay bales that made me imagine what it would have been like in the days when millions of buffalo roamed these parts)

Day 16 - Baker,MT to Scranton, ND - 70 miles

2009-08-14T23:32:00.007-04:00

Love MT, but it's lonnnng. Happy to see a new state!

Well, I’m really starting to know my way around this tiny little town after a day and a half, which probably means I need to stay forever or get going – nice folks, but I’ll choose the latter. Knowing the brown truck would not be around for deliveries until after noon, however, I enjoyed the rest time by catching up on the blog a little bit and enjoying a leisurely breakfast. Nice thing about small towns like this is that I was able to intercept the delivery on its way into town and got on the road about an hour sooner than I would have if I waited for him ideal to make his rounds.

A less than ideal start time worked out great, as it put me in the small little town of Scranton, ND around sunset. Upon entering this sleepy little town, I saw a woman I decided to ask about my camping options. She said that she thought the park in the center of town, would be fine, but figured she might as well ask the police. “Umm, okay, but it’s really not that big a deal”, I replied. I was then reminded again of how small a town this was, when the woman knocked on a door a few houses down and then walked right in. A few seconds later she emerged and said the park wouldn’t be great because the sprinklers would be coming on, but the lawn next to the senior center should be perfect. Turns out this nice woman was the Pastor of the Lutheran church and gave me the rundown on everything relevant – what the harvest was looking like this year, where the best food was, etc. I like small towns. And the really nice people you find in those small towns.

Day 15 - near Powder Gulch River to Baker, MT - 55 miles

2009-08-13T23:27:00.012-04:00

It's fair time here in Montana!

After last night's 'practice' ride, I was about 20-30 miles short of where I wanted to be on the barren road to Baker, so Chris took me out a little ways and dropped me in the middle of nowhere (Great riding with you Chris - thanks for the company!)

While the ride offered no stores or restaurants for 55 miles into Baker, it was very pretty and there were several farms to distract me for a little bit. I got to Baker and made a b-line to the cafe for the coffee and pancakes I had been dreaming about before heading over to the bank to pick up a package I was expecting from DC. Unfortunately it takes UPS a little while to get out into remote country like this and the package was not here. Oh well, I guess I'll actually stop and enjoy the town for a night before moving on tomorrow - assuming the package arrives.

This turned out to be somewhat of a blessing as I took some time to relax, use the internet and to check out the Fallon County Fair. County fairs are a big deal out in these parts and the whole town was geared up - including many people returning for their class reunions. It was fun to take time to really enjoy the experience - hopefully more of this to come shortly. There were some violent winds outside the tent throughout the night, but no tornadoes fortunately.

Day 14 - Forsyth, MT to Miles City, MT - 70 miles

2009-08-12T23:23:00.004-04:00

The moderate ride up to Miles City started off on a frontage road, but eventually ended up on I-94 East for the rest of the way into town. Though the traffic is moving quickly past, large shoulders and rumble strips 'protecting' those shoulders make the interstates fairly reasonable for riding out here.

I was thrilled to meet up with 14 year old Aaron early into the ride out of Forsyth and I think he was happy, too. He had just gotten a new bike, but he didn't have a lot of friends with bikes to ride with. It was only 5 miles or so, but still great to have company.

After riding alone for so long, I could hardly believe my luck that evening when I actually ran into another rider. I had decided to ride out in the evening and try to get in 20-30 miles towards Baker while it was a bit cooler (tomorrow is going to be hot). On my way out of town, I had just stuffed down a turkey sandwich from Albertson's when I saw this second cyclist of the day. Chris (not pictured here) also seemed to be thrilled to ride with another cyclist since there are really only a few of them in town. We chatted away for 10 miles or so before we both realized, that I had missed my turn. Like 9 miles ago. Oops - so much for getting a head start on tomorrow's ride. As we discussed where I had missed the turn, some crazy winds, signifying a storm, started blowing and we bolted for his house where I would camp the night. It was unfortunate to make this 25 mile loop to nowhere on the eve of a really tough ride, but still great to have a riding companion for an hour or two.

(14 yr old Aaron and some rando guy on a crazy bike in Miles City)

Day 13 - past Roundup, MT to Forsyth, MT - 92 miles

2009-08-11T23:22:00.003-04:00

Ninety-three miles and one photo. That pretty much sums up today's ride. There was not a whole lot to take pictures of except long straight roads. And it was hot. I had a pancake break 26 miles into the ride in Melstone, MT, but after that, there was nothing - no gas station, no store, no water, no nothing. Well there is the Jersey Lilly bar in Ingomar, MT, but no one is quite sure if it has opened back up again or not.

Turns out the Lilly has re-opened, but is not open today. I did, however, meet a super nice woman passing by that gave me a moderately cool can of diet Mountain Dew - it tasted AMAZING.

After another long, hot day, I eventually made it to Forsyth where I decided to stay for the evening at a campground by the river. And by the all-night train yard, apparently.

Day 12 - Harlowton, MT to past Roundup, MT - 84 miles

2009-08-10T23:19:00.005-04:00

Here's where I woke up - inside the old Harlowton train depot

For whatever reason (probably less of a tailwind and slightly tired legs), today’s miles did not pass as quickly as yesterday’s. I made it through Ryegate and onto Roundup where, though there were still a few hours of daylight left, I contemplated camping after only 70 miles ridden.

As I was checking out the camping area, four bikers pulled in. Having grown accustomed to seeing lots of these folks passing in either direction, I knew they were coming back from the big bike rally in Sturgis, SD. Like the camaraderie between cyclists, I think there is something similar between bikers and cyclists. They are working a lot harder than someone driving a car – we’re working a lot harder than someone driving a car. They really appreciate overpasses and gas stations when it’s hailing – we really appreciate overpasses and gas stations when it’s hailing. They wear tough leather outfits– we wear…uh…spandex and Lycra. But you get the point. Anyway, they told me about the long, open road (100+ miles to the next real town) and I decided to try and get a few more miles in before nightfall (see shadow photos indicating late evening riding). I pulled off the road into some river access area which also turned out to be the mosquitoiest spot this side of the boundary waters. Inside the tent now – hope that holds ‘em off until I have to pack up in the morning.

Day 11 - Townsend, MT to Harlowton, MT - 101 miles

2009-08-09T12:05:00.010-04:00

"I could see for miles and miles...."

Sleeping through the alarm – that never actually went off because my phone battery died, drying out a wet tent and some pancake and internet time had me starting today’s ride at 11am – ouch! It looked like I wouldn’t make it as far as yesterday, but the good news was that I probably wouldn’t have to worry about rain for a while.

The first leg was a very pretty ride through a canyon and I was enjoying the scenery until I saw the sign. Most times I know what’s coming - having looked at maps or been informed by someone I met along the way, but when I saw the sign letting truck drivers know where they could “chain up” I was caught a bit off guard. I thought today’s ride would be fairly flat, but apparently a mountain pass lay ahead. The ride was pretty, though, and I wasn’t racing the rain/hail storms today so I just enjoyed it. Amazingly – thanks to a little tailwind FINALLY, the miles started flying by after the initial 42 and I made it all the way to Harlowton for a 101 mile day. I had thoughts about continuing on, but some storms started passing through so I decided to find a place to put up the tent. Having found a spot that would be sufficient – a baseball dugout – I went to grab a bite to eat at the only place in town, besides the gas station, serving food on a Sunday night. This turned out to be a good call as a very nice couple (thanks guys!) I met at the bar offered me a dry place to stay the night – inside an old train depot that they’re the caretakers of. I am typing this entry from below the old ticket counter.

Day 10 - Jct 200 & 141 to Townsend, MT - 95 miles

2009-08-08T12:04:00.006-04:00

A brisk morning made for good sleeping and when Todd came by at around 7:30 with the food I had stored in his pickup truck (grizzly prevention), I was still in the tent. We chatted for a while before he went off to do whatever needed to be done – there’s no such thing as weekends for farmers – and I packed up for another day of riding into the inevitable rain. So far I’ve been stuck in an 'anomalous weather' vortex. I keep hearing “it’s never this hot here” or “it never rains this much in Montana”.

The first 33 miles were to be through a fairly treeless area with very little protection to hide under when the rains hit. I was hoping to make it through this stretch unscathed at which point I’d stop to get something to eat and to take shelter if necessary. The one hard part about ‘winging it’ as I am –in terms of the route I’m taking – is that you never really know what you’ll find when you get to a town. Well you can imagine my disappointment when I got to Avon after the initial 33 mile leg to see this sign hanging in the only shop in town – “Closed Saturday August 8th for Jo’s birthday – gone huckleberry picking!” Well the nerve of some people! Fortunately there was a small café on the road leaving town and I was able to get some pancakes and hot coffee.

The rains still hadn’t come when I reached the summit of McDonald Pass and I began an awesome descent that took me 17 miles (!!!) all the way into Helena. And to top it off, the warmth of the sun in town feltamazing after a blustery ride down the mountain. Felt so good, I went another 35 miles before camping along side the road in the town of Townsend.

Day 9 - Missoula,MT to Junction of Rtes 200 & 141, MT - 65 miles

2009-08-07T12:03:00.013-04:00

Crazy storm, but it sure was cool before it hit.

I got a bit of a late start today due partly to the morning rain and partly to the days forecast – there were more storms on the way and I wasn’t exactly excited to get out there and ride into them. Had I not just taken a rest day, I probably would’ve stayed cozy in my sleeping bag for another couple hours.

Finally organized, I made my way through the city, onto route 200 and into the Montana wilderness. My goals for the day were simple – ride until the inevitable rain came and then hunker down for the afternoon / evening. Preparing for the inevitable, I was in constant “shelter lookout mode” which basically means, the shit is going to hit the fan at any moment and I always want to know the best escape route when the skies open up. With ever darkening skies, I was elated to see a giant fiberglass cow signifying civilization - in the form of Stoney’s Kwik Mart. Not five minutes passed in this asylum of rolling hot dogs and fountain drinks, when reports of inches of hail falling a couple miles back started to get relayed by shaken drivers. Pheww! – that would have sucked.

While the storm was passing through (or at least I hoped it would be passing), I got to have a cup of coffee with Steve…. For all of you that think I’m a bit nuts, meet Steve Fugate – he’s WALKING across the US with a simple message “Love Life”. He lost two children to suicide and is now spreading his cherish life message one step at a time. Interesting guy.

After deciding to get back out and tempt the Gods, Steve and I parted ways and I rode on hoping to make it another 10 miles or so before another washout. Fortunately that never happened and I made it a good ways up the road before deciding to camp under a hay shelter of farmer Todd. While Todd’s family was down in the city for his son’s birthday, he kindly regaled me with stories of farming, living in MT and of course, the local grizzly bears. Nice stories to hear before heading outside to my fabric shelter for the evening!

Day 8 - Rest Day! - Missoula, MT - A visit to Adventure Cycling headquarters- 7 miles

2009-08-06T12:00:00.007-04:00

Notice the 13 lb box of 'stuff' on the bike I sent home to lighten the load.

Adventure Cycling basically began the bicycle touring boom with their cross country ride back in 1976 for the bicentennial. Today they develop routes, provide detailed maps and are a true advocate for the bicycle touring community. I also bought a new seat for the tank today – hopefully this will help with the bum pain.

Day 7 - CG past Lowell, ID to Missoula, MT - 91 miles

2009-08-05T11:58:00.005-04:00

A welcome sight at the top of Lolo Pass.

Not rain, nor hail, nor construction could keep me from Missoula on this day. I so wanted to make it to the comforts of Missoula so I could take a rest day tomorrow.

Fortunately the knee was holding up okay, but the weather started dodgy and some road construction helped make a narrow road even more precarious. At one of the construction stops, I asked a nice old couple with a pick-up and a camper if they’d help get me out of the mess. Kindly, they agreed and I rolled down the road with them for about 25 miles until the weather was better and the construction had passed.

Another 70 hard miles including a big pass (Lolo Pass to be exact) stood in the way of me and my rest day, but despite the threat of rain all day, I was able to roll into Missoula at about 8pm.

It’s been seven hot, arduous days of riding and I’ve got to be honest – I am looking forward to not riding tomorrow.

(A welcome spot in the woods to hide from the storm)

Day 6 - Parking lot near river to CG past Lowell, ID - 93 miles

2009-08-04T11:55:00.015-04:00

I would have loved to have had my fly rod today - beautiful spot to fish.

Despite being hot as I was falling asleep, I woke up really cold. Foolishly, I hadn’t brought the sleeping bag into the tent because I was certain it was too hot for it - another lesson learned, or reminded of anyway.

Temps eventually got up to a scorching level, but I was still making good time along a beautiful river all day. Until my knee started bothering me, that is. After a long break at a bar where I iced my knee and took some vitamin I (ibuprofen), I soft pedaled another 11 miles to camp where I continued the ice therapy.

Not going to lie…I’m a little worried about tomorrow’s big push over Lolo Pass to Missoula,MT.

Day 5 - L&C CG, WA to some parking lot next to the river past Lewiston, ID - 93 miles

2009-08-03T11:32:00.006-04:00

After several days of switching back and forth between Washington and Oregon, I have finally made to a new milestone – Idaho!

I got another early start and made good time today while passing several other folks coming from the East. Apparently I’m getting a late start on my trip and most of the people I’ll be running into here at the start will all be nearing the end of their journeys. There is great camaraderie between fellow tourers and its always great to see one - especially those coming from the opposite direction – for they can tell you what you are in for and if there is anything you need to be aware of (ie. No water for many miles, crazy dogs up ahead, etc).

After an internet break at a hotel in Lewiston where I was able to escape the 106 degree temperatures, I rode on to see if I could get in a few extra miles to help lessen the enormity of the following two days as I push to make it to Missoula for a rest day. I made it another 15 miles or so before finding a good spot by the river. After laundry and a bath in the freezing water, I chatted with some local RVers for a while before crashing hard.

("Feel free to hunt." - don't see that much back East)

Day 4 - Hat Rock CG, OR to Lewis & Clark State Park, WA - 78 miles

2009-08-02T20:15:00.001-04:00

The benefit of being up early...

I’m actually starting to get used to this 4:45 am alarm.

Another scenic day following a river led me back into WA and through one of the coolest sounding cities ever – Walla Walla. From there, I deviated from the route a little to get away from traffic and headed up through the wheatfields to Waitsburg where the nice manager of the White Stallion bought me lunch. Upon arrival to the campground I ran into a tourer that had started in MN and was headed to OR and then down the coast to CA. It was great to be able to hear what he has learned so far on his trip, though I must admit to disappointment upon hearing that he’s experienced no ass discomfort the entire trip – mine is killing me!

Though I’ve gotten used to seeing long (80+ car) trains out here, today I got to see a couple of jet liners (sans wings) pass me by on the rails – strange to see planes with out wings.

Did I mention it’s hot out here????

Day 3 - Mary Hill CG, WA to Hat Rock CG, OR - 91 miles

2009-08-01T10:31:00.000-04:00

No gas - no problem. No water - that could be a problem.

It is amazing how persuasive heat can be. As in “4:45 AM seems like a very reasonable time to wake up in an attempt to avoid riding for long stretches in the 105+ degree heat.”

Upon leaving Maryhill Campground, today’s route began with an immediate climb past Stonehenge (Washington’s version anyway) and then onto Route 14 for 80 miles of emptiness. Nothing but windmills (and trucks carrying windmill blades to be installed – ENORMOUS when you’re right next to them), passing trains and a few cars the whole way. Except for the oasis, otherwise known as the Roosevelt mini-mart, that is. 80 miles may not seem like a long way to go without services, but when you’re pedaling AND it’s this hot out there cold beverages, food and a little conversation are a Godsend. Sweet little Irma behind the counter pulls out her book signed by other grateful cyclists and seems to enjoy the company as much as I enjoy an icy Mountain Dew. Unfortunately I did not have time to sit down to read the book for a while – would have been fun.

By the time I made it to Umatilla, OR I was whooped. Thankfully the information center lady let me chill (literally) in her air conditioned building for a couple hours before riding another 9 miles to my campsite for the night. Here I hung out with a Seattle girl who was passing through on her way to starting a new life.

Day 2 - Hood River, OR - Mary Hill CG, WA - 50 miles

2009-07-31T12:13:00.007-04:00

Got to WA the night before, but made it to the welcome sign the next morning.

My friend, Pilar, actually lives just across the river from Hood River in a town called White Salmon, WA. Seeing as she was off to work before 5am and I was hoping to sleep in until at least 5:30, I hitched a ride with her friend back across the river (over an unbikable bridge) to HR to start the day's ride.

The scenic highway was amazing - perfect roads, incredible views and several other cyclists to talk to along the way. Eventually that bliss ended and I did some time riding through a small city and back onto the interstate. It eventually got steaming hot out there again and when I arrived in the town of Biggs, OR (okay its actually a giant truck stop) I didn’t have too many options. It was too hot to continue on to the deserted 80 mile stretch I was planning on, so I called it a day after only 50 miles of riding. While grabbing a bite to eat in Biggs, I ran into Fred from Winchester, VA who was celebrating his 70th birthday by riding his bike cross country - inspiring. I crossed the river into Mary Hill, WA, and hung out there by the water all afternoon. It’ll be an early start and long, hot day tomorrow.

Day 1 Official start of the x-country trip

2009-07-30T23:21:00.001-04:00

Day 1 - Portland, OR - Hood River, OR (74 miles)

After an exhausting trip and a tour around sweltering Portland, I wasn't exactly well rested for the beginning of my journey. It was apparent, too, as the 'dilly-dally' time really seems to add up quickly when you're not totally focused. This wasting of time might not mean much on a normal leisurely day of riding, but things ain't exactly normal around here these days. I wish I had a jelly doughnut for every time I heard "I can't remember the last time it was this hot around here." (well over 100 degrees again)

After getting through the bustle and concrete of the city, the ride was beautiful -full of waterfalls, scenic overlooks, etc. For most of the ride, you are able to follow a scenic roadway that parallels the major highway heading along the river. Of course, there are a few sections where that road isn't completed yet - on these occasions, you take the on-ramp to I-84 and join life in the fast-lane. Or the fast shoulder anyway. It actually was not too bad except for a little construction and the exacerbated afternoon heat coming from the pavement.

I finally made it to Hood River (famous for its kiteboarding) after what felt like much more than a 74 mile ride. Good things come to those who pedal, however, as, after a swim in the river, I was treated to a wonderful meal and conversation with Pilar, a friend I met while traveling down in Central America.

So much for picking a cooler northern route

2009-07-29T21:42:00.000-04:00

Wow, hard to believe it is already time for the cross country leg of the trip. The past couple months have absolutely flown by.

After much deliberation - okay more like a couple hours searching the Internet - I decided to go with a northern route across the US for several reasons. 1. Oregon is probably one of the most bike-friendly states in the country so starting here seemed like a natural. 2. I've never been to the Dakotas, so thought that would be fun. 3. I might be able to catch up with the brother and his family and Minnesota. 4. Most importantly, I assumed it would be cooler crossing the Northern part of the country. HA! We all know what happens when you assume...you end up landing in 107 degree temperatures in Portland Oregon.

WOW, it's HOT here. After collecting my luggage, I proceeded to re-assemble my bike next to carousel 7 and headed out into the furnace they call Portland. The heat was stifling, but it's a pretty neat feeling to pedal out the front door of an airport and ride off to your destination. I eventually met up with my kind CS host, Richard, and had a great bicycle tour of uber-bike friendly Portland. Awesome to see so many bikes all over the place!

The first night of camping after leaving Boston many weeks ago, I got hit with huge amounts of rain. "An ominous start?", I wondered. Not sure, but it continued to rain on me for much of my time in the North East. So, not totally sure, what 105+ degree temps means for the rest of the trip, but I'd at least have to guess that it can't get much hotter. For the record, temps are supposed to hover around 100 degrees for a while.

Earning my bicycle safety badge 25+ years later

2009-07-21T21:56:00.000-04:00

`Riding through Manhattan at rush hour is nothing compared to the pressure of an inspection by a cub scout leader. Fortunately for me, when I ran into Cub Scout pack 227 (Charlottesville, VA) I had front & rear lights, helmet, gloves, water, pump, rain pancho, etc. Turns out the pointing/waving scouts I passed while riding "home" one evening were learning all about bike safety. I don't remember earning that badge from my scout days way back when but come to think of it, I don't really remember much other than the pinewood derby and that yellow tie/napkin thing we had to wear. Oh well, maybe my preparedness today will earn me some points if I ever decide to get back into it.

Good to meet you guys! Keep riding!

8 states, 1 district and 1 foreign country

2009-07-19T17:47:00.005-04:00

(Outside the front doors of the Embassy - no need to lock the bike up here!)

Beginning weeks ago in Massachusetts, this journey has brought me through eight states, into the District of Columbia and now, with one call to our friends at the Embassy of Denmark, I have visited Europe. Well, technically, anyway - I was on Danish soil. Since they are a sponsor of this year's Brita Climate Ride (in anticipation of the COP15 climate change conference in Copenhagen), I thought it would be fun to say hello. Among other things, I learned that they don't call people "cyclists" in Denmark because everyone is a cyclist. It would be like us calling people "toothbrushers" just because they brush their teeth. On a hot, sweaty day in DC, I mean Denmark, it was tough not to take them up on their offer to take a dip in the embassy pool. Maybe next time!

We are so excited to have the support of the Embassy and appreciate all of their efforts!

This just in..."Smoothie King mascot loves Brita Climate Ride"

2009-07-15T21:31:00.005-04:00

(At Conte's Tuesday night hill ride /BBQ)

Unfortuntately, it looks like that 'lack of legs' thing will keep him from particiapting in the ride this year. "I've tried all kinds of things - rope, bungee cords, even duct tape - but I'm just too top heavy to stay balanced on the bike," reported the dejected mascot.

Back on the bus -& camping in NYC

2009-07-12T20:23:00.006-04:00

(My home for the night -cot/tent provided by EcoPioneer- on the East River)

Okay, so I guess I still had one more bus ride in me on this trip. I took a break from outreach in DC to head up to spread the word at the CitySol festival in New York for a couple of days. I learned that it is possible to take your bike on SOME of the buses covering the DC to NYC route. Bolt, yes. Megabus, no. Peter Pan, yes, BUT buying a ticket on Peter Pan does not necessarily mean you'll end up on Peter Pan - they could put you on Greyhound. That is bad, because Greyhound is a no. I almost got screwed on that one.

It was amazing how comfortable it felt arriving in NYC after recently spending a week and a half there on my bike (the "power of the bicycle" has been a recurring theme for me over the past couple months). It did not seem like such an overwhelming city anymore. I got to hang out with 2009 Climate Rider Scott (team Ecopioneer) as well as the good folks at Solar1. Pretty neat, too, to camp in Manhattan right next to the FDR Drive by the East River. A slightly bizarre incident with a gentleman that makes this area his home and some crazy rain helped make it one of my more memorable camping experiences.

A tourist in my own city

2009-07-03T18:10:00.001-04:00

After a month on the road where I did not know where I was, where I was going or even where I would be sleeping, it was nice to roll into the familiarity of Washington, DC - my home for the past 5 years. As I approached the mall on 4th of July eve, I saw thousands of folks milling about, taking the requisite “family smiling awkwardly in front of the Capitol” photos. Though I probably looked more like a tourist, with my loaded bike, than they did, I sure felt like I was home. But, just for good measure I took a couple “smiling awkwardly” photos of my own.

Mmmmmm...burgers

2009-07-02T18:07:00.001-04:00

The ever impressive "spatula bottle opener" trick. And it actually worked!!

There’s the pretty route between Philadlephia and Baltimore and then there’s the quick route. With little time to spend enjoying the scenery, I opted for the latter and made an early morning Philly exit (hoping to avoid the forecasted thunderstorms) and headed south for Route 40. The one issue with the quicker route is that there is a bridge crossing the Susquehena River that is impassable by bicycle. By “impassable” I mean illegal and sketchy. I had spoken with Walt at a Biller's Bikes across the river in Havre de Grace, MD about a possible ride across (his trailer that he uses to transport folks back and forth is actually an official section of the East Coast Greenway), but I found a nice couple with plenty of room in the back of their pick-up for me and the bike. A crane to lift my tank, er bike, would have been nice, but we managed.

From H de G, it was an uninspiring 30-40 miles to Baltimore where, like a pot of gold, there waited the best burger I’ve ever tasted. Said burger and cold cervezas (they were almost as good as the burger after a 95 mile ride in the sun) were provided by my good friends Robbie & Heather. It was great to catch up with them and to meet Heather’s parents again. Thanks for the lucky $2 bill Mr. S!

Bicycle art in Philly

2009-07-01T16:13:00.000-04:00

(photos taken at a cool bicycle exhibit at The Galleries at Moore)

Another medium-ish ride from Princeton to Philly felt a little long after working all morning and then riding through the afternoon heat. BUT, it wasn't raining. That's a nice thing these days. I met tons of great people here in town and lots of groups enthusiastic about cycling and the environment. In fact, Philadelphia has an organization dedicated to making Philly the "Next Great City". The folks at the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia and the Bicycle Coalition were also extremely helpful as I made my way through this city most famous for Rocky and cheese steaks. I took some time away from the computer one night to go to a movie in the park with my excellent CS host Monica, but, as happened in NYC, the rains came mid-way and washed the spiders (and movie-goers) out. Maybe I should stick to inside movies.

Brita Climate Ride - endorsed by Michelle Obama, Albert Einstein and some guy on a bench

2009-06-30T17:28:00.000-04:00

After working the Brooklyn Green Market until about 2:30, I rode over to Manhattan and boarded the PATH train across the river to Newark where I would begin pedaling to my next destination – Princeton. I didn’t get a chance to see much of the town before finding a place to set up camp (in the dark, again), but I could tell it was a neat place and would be a nice break after the craziness of NYC. I eventually caught up with a cool CS family and was treated to a homebrewed "Snoring Pug" in addition to some great hospitality - thanks guys! I spent the next couple days spreading the word about this cool September ride that would actually be stopping here in town on our first night between NYC and DC. In addition to having an absolutely incredible campus, the town of Princeton is extremely bike friendly and full of earth caring people / organizations so it was fun to be here. See everyone in September.

New York truly does have it all...

2009-06-29T10:44:00.004-04:00

The perfect store for that hard to shop for cyclist on your Christmas list.

NYC by Bicycle

2009-06-29T09:48:00.011-04:00

Truly the greatest way to see a New York city is by bicycle. All told, I spent about a week and a half riding around the city talking to folks about Climate Ride. I went on group bike rides, hung out with the very cool folks from Patagonia NYC, had a table at one of CENYC's Greenmarkets, woke up to try and make it on to the Today Show only to find out that they would be deviating away from their normal (showing lots of crowd shots) program because of the somber nature of the morning's show - the day after the King of Pop passed away. At least Matt Lauer posed for a photo with me. I took a few minutes to visit Wimbledon, hung out with the baketball playin' -soccer lovin' Steve Nash, got a photo in Times Square with the Naked Cowboy. Saw an incredible number of bikes - even some station wagon equivalents - and went to the Subway Series compliments of my new friend Jorge (the above sunset was taken from the stadium after a wicked downpour).

Night ride to Coney Island

2009-06-19T14:04:00.001-04:00

So the rains have not exactly been kind to a guy traveling around on a bike, but I've managed to stay fairly dry. Getting used to having my two wheels be my only transportation and it's a pretty awesome feeling.

I joined a "direct action environmental group" called Time's Up! for an awesome night ride from Manhattan out to Coney Island to try a Nathan's hot dog and catch the fireworks. My first organized night ride ever. Great people and a, surprisingly, rain-free evening! (for the record, I was 50+ hot dogs short of what Kobayashi normally eats on his visits to Coney Island)

Welcome to New York - Bronx style

2009-06-17T13:52:00.005-04:00

(from the Brooklyn Bridge looking back into Manhattan)

With the sun shining and more rain on the way starting tonight, I decided to try and make it from New Haven all the way into the city. It looked to be about 80-90 miles, but not knowing the route, or how hilly it was, I had no idea of how far I'd get. Especially as this would be the longest I've gone on my new tank.

The ride was going well and I am getting very good at picking bike shops, natural food stores, etc out of a strip mall while passing by at 15 mph. One of the shops I stopped in struck me for two reasons. First, there was a massive pile of fancy wicker bike baskets in one corner of the store and second, there was a woman walking around this high-end shop picking out a BIKE based on how it matched her HELMET. Wow! Welcome to Greenwich, CT.

Upon reaching the NY/CT border and consulting with my new friends at the Port Chester, NY fire department, I decided that getting into the city tonight would not be a problem. It would be a straight shot into the Bronx where I'd then cross over in Manhattan, down FDR drive and over the Brooklyn Bridge. Piece of cake, I thought. And actually it really was. Including the somewhat surreal conversation I had with a cute Polish-American girl in a sundress. Might not seem strange until you add the fact that she was riding a neon orange painted cruiser, I, having just come 85 miles, had my tank fully loaded down with all my bags, and we were having this discussion at full speed through mid-town Manhattan while surrounded by New York's famous yellow armada. Oh yeah, and we were discussing contamination of water supplies due to Natural gas drilling in upstate New York.

******************************** Over the past few days, I've gotten used to the staring, the double-takes and the strangers coming up to me and starting a conversation. It's been quite cool actually. I've also heard many random comments ranging from the encouraging to the befuddled. On my arrival in the Bronx, I heard something that let me know where I was and actually caused me to smile for at least a couple miles down the road. While passing a group waiting to cross the street, one gentleman's bewilderment was obvious, "Whaaat the fuhhhhk?" Ahh, welcome to New York.

It's good to be here.

New Haven bound

2009-06-16T22:57:00.000-04:00

(my next bike)

Apart from one trip to the Yale Golf Course and a single train ride to NYC, I've never actually been to New Haven. Because it seemed like a great place to find young, enthusiastic Climate Riders and the fact that it seemed like a logical place to break up the trip to NYC, I set out for New Haven on my third day of riding - a short 34 mile trip.

Shortly into the ride, I ran into a 53 year old school teacher who was out on a training ride in preparation for his own cross country trip, which was only ten days away. Needless to say, there was no shortage of conversation as we discussed bikes, routes, Climate Ride and the fact that lots of people think we're crazy. James would be credit card touring (riding all day and staying at a hotel at night) so he would have almost no baggage - me, I've got lots.

After pedaling around the Harvard campus a few days earlier, it was time to tour Yale, the second 0f the three most prestigious universities in America (with Furman being the third, of course). I don't know whether the Yale education is any better than others, but I do know that the gym there is frickin HUGE. And like most college campouses, especially those in a city - there is the beautiful sight of bikes everywhere. After a brief stay (and some famous pizza, thanks guys!) with a very interesting couchsurfing couple in New haven (the writer/producer and director of New Year Baby), I'll be off to NYC tomorrow.

for my Southern friends...NasTractor

2009-06-14T09:14:00.001-04:00

(somewhere in NE Connecticut)

"It was just a real good day out there for the number 82 tractor. Jimmy and Pete and Bobby and all the guys just worked so hard to get the 82 John Deere running fast. The whole team effort was just awesome. The 24 tractor was pushing us the whole way, but somehow we got 'er done. We couldn't have cut so well without the Titan blades and the Armstrong tires were just holdin' real nice. In the end, it was a real team effort. "

The journey begins...

2009-06-13T11:49:00.000-04:00

After one last taste of the incredible apple toast that my fabulous warmshowers host, Carol, provided, I packed up the bike and headed out to begin my journey down to DC. [WS is a site that connects touring cyclists to kind hosts -cyclists themselves- willing to offer a yard to set up a tent in, possibly a couch or use of the kitchen and yes, a warmshower] Well , I only made it 5 miles as I decided to take advantage of a beautiful weekend day in the city to do some outreach and hung out at the Charles River Festival in Cambridge where I handed out postcards and answered peoples questions about Climate Ride. Enjoying the wondrous day, meeting some great people and perhaps a touch of trepidation kept me from leaving Boston until about 4:00 in the afternoon.

I got lost about a dozen times leaving the city, but was encouraged by the thumbs up gestures and "nice jobs" being shouted out of car windows. Wow, this could be pretty cool. It was also interesting to see much of the Boston Marathon route (backwards) without a single screaming Wellsley girl or kid handing out orange slices.

Several hours later, as darkness threatened, I found out that there was a campground, errr, state forest a few miles ahead that would be a good place to throw up the tent for the night. Apparently it's a good place for mosquitoes to flourish as well, as I was immediatly 'welcomed' to the area with ferocity. After getting into pants and a long sleeve shirt, I erected my shelter to the glow of my flashlight and tried to prepare as best I could for the impending rains.

And come they did. All night and all of the next morning. For the record, the Weather Channel's idea of "light showers" is slightly different than mine. Mental note made.

So here I was at one of those "what the hellll am I doing?" moments as I crouched, soaked and shivering, underneath a sign trying to figure out what to do. Wait for the rains to let up or try and get to a legitimate shelter somewhere up the road. In the end, I found a brief break in the rain and made it to the greatest sight these eyes have ever seen - a "Friendlys" restaurant in Webster, MA. As if the "Sizzling Sunrise" breakfast and 4 0r 5 cups of coffee weren't enough, a couple that I had talked to for a bit, stopped by the table on their way out to wish me well and left me a coupon for $2 off breakfast and a "donation to the cause." I was stunned. And warmed. And lifted. The rains slowed, then stopped and though, the hills in NE Connecticut were brutal, it turned out to be a great day.

I once read in somebody's blog that if you want to hate the US, read the newspaper everyday. If you want to love the US, ride your bike across it. Here I am, on only the second day of this journey, and I think I get it. More to come on this topic another day.

I've got meself a tank.

2009-06-12T11:44:00.007-04:00

Nervous, anxious, scared.

Those initial few moments you start pedaling a fully loaded touring bike for the first time are weird to say the least. Imagine that first time you got behind the wheel of a bus. Or the first time you drove that RV off the lot...okay so maybe not, but trust me, it's an uneasy feeling. I could probably throw my road bike 20 feet if I used the whirling technique that olympic hammer throwers use, but I can barely lift this tank 2 inches off the ground. Time to start handing out a lot more of these postcards that are weighing down one of my panniers, I guess.

But, I'm so excited to finally have my ride... One day last week in Jamaica Plain (a few miles south of Boston) I was looking for a copy shop to make a few fliers for an event. Though the copy shop I had been searching for was closed, there happened to be a bike shop right next door. Hmm, seeing as it's what I do, I meandered in to to hang up a flier and let the staff know about this awesome ride from New York to Washington. As luck (or serendipity or whatever it's called when good stuff happens) would have it there was a 56" Surly Long Haul Trucker hanging from the ceiling. I'll spare you the statistics, but let's just say that for that bike and that size to be hanging there, I felt like this was meant to happen. Can't thank Jeffrey Ferris and the gang at Ferris Wheels enough for helping get me all geared up and ready to go. I've heard several good things about Jeffrey since arriving at the Bikes not Bombs festival last week and it looks like they are all true.

"Full service, baby - $250"

2009-06-12T11:19:00.008-04:00

Phooof.

Though I don't actually have my bike yet, things have been crazy. So much to do and only 24 hours in a day. Much of my time these days is spent in front of the laptop trying to find people or groups to speak to and places to stay. A couple lessons learned (or reminded of again): a phone call will get you a lot further than an email (and a face to face conversation will get you a lot further than a phone call) and you never know when that one 'click' will be the perfect outreach opportunity you've been seeking for the past three hours.

After a great few days in Boston, I made my way down to NYC for a Green Drinks event where I met lots of really interesting people. Surprisingly, in New York, one of the fashion capitals of the world, I was the only one wearing a bike jersey at this after work cocktail / networking event. At least the people had no problem figuring out who was there to speak about a bike ride.

Exhausted, yet invigorated by what lay ahead, I found myself on a Peter Pan bus to Boston where I would be picking up my new bike (woohoo!) and beginning my journey. Though barely able to keep my eyes open, I decided to take advantage of the free wireless and get some work done. The woman behind me was doing the same. Though instead of searching for bike events in Boston, she was constantly answering phone calls from prospective 'clients'. I didn't hear everything, but, "full service, baby - $250" and "I'll be at hotel next to the Holiday Inn" was enough to convince me she was not out raising awareness for a charity bike tour. The part I really loved, though, was that she kept telling everyone she was on the train. I guess that's a lot classier than a bus. For me, I can't wait to get on my bike.

Boston - Bikes not Bombs

2009-06-08T00:13:00.009-04:00

Well, the journey has begun. Kind of. Still nailing down some small details like what I'll actually be riding on for 5005 miles, but hopefully that's close to being finalized. And I guess I'll only be riding that new bike for 4957 miles (and decreasing) as I've spent some time here in Boston riding around "outreaching" on my Cannondale - including some with the really big, amazingly organized Charles River Wheelmen bike club. Without the heavy bike and all the luggage/gear, it doesn't quit feel like I've started, but at least I got one neat photo of the R2000 (on some metal sculpture near the Boston waterfront) before hanging 'er up for a few months.
I also spent a beautiful day in Jamaica Plain at the Bikes not Bombs bike-a-thon and Green Roots Festival. BnB is a 25 year old organization that "promotes bicycle technology as a concrete alternative to war and environmental destruction." They've done some amazing work recycling 6,000 bikes annually and using them for all kinds of different projects including the promotion of environmental stewardship in Boston and around the world. So, if you're in the Boston area and have an old bike you're not using, give 'em a call. Unless it's a 56cm touring bike, of course - in that case, call me! ~ Make it a great day!

26.2 down, 5005 to go!

2009-06-02T09:48:00.002-04:00

I'm still looking for that perfect bike, but at least I can cross twenty-milers and speed workouts off the 'To Do' list as, on Sunday, my brother and I finally ran our oft talked about 'brother's marathon'. We had a gorgeous day for running the innaugural Minneapolis Marathon and enjoyed the support of my sister-in-law and niece out on the course. My 3 year old Godson was also out there, but not so much in the way of supporting. When asked by his daddy, later in the day, if he had fun at the race, his answer was pretty straight forward, "Actually...not really." Oh well, we had fun. Now it's time to get back on the bike.

SWM iso TW

2009-05-28T11:30:00.000-04:00

(Single White Male in search of Two Wheels)

Wow. Sooooo much to do before heading out on the road. Fine tune the plan, buy a computer, write tons of emails to prospective contacts, run a marathon with my brother and...I know I'm forgetting something. Oh yeah, a BIKE! I guess if I'm going to ride 5005 miles around on a bicycle, I need to find said bicycle first. Well, assuming it all comes together soon AND I find a ride suitable to carry everything I'll need for the next 4 months (tent, sleeping bag, stove, clothes, computer, camera, etc.), I'll be off within a week. More about me, '5005 miles' and Climate Ride, shortly. But for now...wish me luck!

5005 miles...who, what, why, why, how, where and when.

2009-05-27T22:38:00.000-04:00

The "who" is the easy part, so I'll start there - me! A charming, good looking, intelligent, funny cyclist...wasn't available, so I said I would do it.

The "what" is a 5005 mile bike ride to promote Brita Climate Ride - a 5 day ride in September that will take 250 enthusiastic riders from the awe that is the Big Apple to the awe-inspiring steps of the U.S. Capitol. My 5005 pedalled miles will come in two parts. First, I'll be spending a couple of months riding through, in, around and between the major cities connecting Boston to Washington. Next, I'll take 8 weeks to ride from San Francisco to New York where I'll arrive in time to join the rest of the Climate Riders for the 300 mile rolling classroom to our nation's capital..

"Why?" Because I like cycling and I like the earth. Duh.

"Why part 2 - why 5005?" Well, best I can guess - never done this before - the total mileage should end up being somewhere around 5000 miles. And since I like bicycles better than tricycles, I decided to go with five thousand and somethin'. Feng Shui dictated that the final digit had to be a 5. It was all really quite obvious, actually.

The "how" has several answers. I'll be riding, camping, couchsurfing and warmshowering while I try to meet as many cyclists, environmentalists, concerned citizens and people with nothing better to do, as possible. I'll be visiting bike shops, attending festivals, speaking at meetings, going on rides, chillin' in parks and anything else I can think of that allows an opportunity to speak with those aforementioned folk. Oh yeah, and hours and hours and hours and hours of sitting in front of my 10" screen trying to find people to contact. Anyone know a good optometrist?

The "where" (or at least as far as I can predict) has been covered and the "when" is...right now - gotta go!