Bill's Excellent Adventure

THE BIGger RIDE COMPLETED

2007-08-18T06:35:00.001-07:00

From Bill:

The ride on Sunday, August 12th was the fulfillment of a challenge I posed for myself when I "signed on" with the ALAW Big Ride. As you may know, I started a few days before the official start of June 25th, at Cape Flattery, the most northwesterly point of the contiguous United States. That was a two-day (~65 mi. + 55 mi.) ride to Kingston, WA, from which I took a ferry ride (with bike atop car) to Edmonds. Then I started with the official ride with my fellow riders at Lake Washington on June 25th. The ride to the Delaware coast followed the end of the Big Ride.

There are a couple of things good to know about the ride from Washington, DC to the Atlantic Coast. The most important is that provision must be made for the crossing of Chesapeake Bay. Bicycles are expressly forbidden from the bridge (actually a bridge, an island, and a second bridge completing the crossing of the Bay).

The second is the length of the ride - 96.5 miles to Broadkill Beach on the Atlantic at the termination of Delaware Route 16.

This is a pretty easy ride, with mostly low elevations, rolling forested hills, and flat agricultural landscape. In general the route I took was replete with generous shoulders, and, on Sunday, the traffic was light in the easterly direction.

On August 11th, we rode on Independence Avenue going west from the Greek lunch to the finish line. My ride began on Independence Avenue going east. I stayed on this route through street name changes (to East Capital Avenue), weird intersections, but always going straight east and following signs to Route 214 East to Annapolis. I remained on 214 East with only one very unnerving lane change: two highway-speed lanes to the right need to be crossed to continue on 214 to the left. Once past this, a blissful ride to Annapolis follows. Look for a left on Riva Road at about mile 28 or stay on 214 until Route 2 North. Both intersect Route 450 for a right turn into Annapolis. Lunch in the harbor is a pleasant stop, after which you can put your bike on your sag vehicle and go over the bridge. Follow Route 50 to the bridge. The bicycle permission sign is approximately 3 to 4 miles after the second bridge. Proceed on Route 50 until you reach Route 404 (left turn off Route 50). Continue on 404 East until you reach 16 East (about 8 miles east of Denton) - a great route out to the coast with good shoulder.

I apologize for not offering a century - I had the disadvantage of a map - a cue sheet would probably give you a century! (To David Latner - a few loops around the parking lot at Broadkill Beach would get the 100 miles for you.)

Overall the ride is quite nice, with very familiar appearing countryside along the way - cornfields and forested rolling hills reminiscent of the ride from Gettysburg. The anomalous bonus I got (having missed seeing buffalo where "the buffalo roam") was seeing buffalo on Route 16 near Denton right at, humorously, Buffalo Road.

That does my ride, very close to 3,500 miles coast to coast, with very little coasting along the way.

End of the Big Ride

2007-08-18T06:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry these photos didn't rotate properly. I've tried twice. You get the idea!

The last two days of the ride were leisurely and hot. We went from Gettysburg to Clarksburg, MD and the Little Bennett Campground. The ride went through Frederick, MD, a nice historic downtown surrounded by ugly suburban malls and construction which then gave way to historic battlesites and beautiful countryside. We had a farewell dinner at Applebee's in Germantown, with shuttle service providing transportation from the campground. Michael Yee had spent more time in Gettysburg as a tourist and caught up with us right at the end of dinner. The post-dinner entertainment was a mock wedding ceremony incorporating elements of the ride (the dowry was expressed in camelbacks instead of camels). The service was humorous and oddly warm and intimate. Phil and Brian then shared some Big Thoughts on the Big Ride. Fitting last night.

The last day's ride in a lot of respects was one of the prettiest. Lots of huge estates, horses, historic countryside. Kathy's last water stop had to be reached by 9:30 or the riders would be sagged ahead. All were well within the time frame, although Bill had some gear problems that he solved on the fly with Jeff.

The Big Ride officially ended on August 11th, exactly as planned. The photo of the group was taken right after lunch at the Greek restaurant in the Old Post Office in DC - owned by a former Big Rider. Costas was a gracious host and donated a much-appreciated last meal for the crowd. The finish line gave family and friends the first opportunity many had had to see their rider in weeks. Very emotional. For us, it was an experience we shared, which we will always be able to refer to without long explanations. Glorious ending but not the finale to Bill's Excellent Adventure! After the finish of the ride, we went off to the hotel where many of the riders were staying and unloaded the gear truck for one final time. In our case, a lot of gear owned by ALAW was loaded back on. If I never see another 5 gallon container of Gatorade leaking on me and in my car again, I'll be happy! Messy stuff. The ham radio was taken out. Lots of time and effort for me to get my license and for the ALAW staff to install the radio. How often was it used for the ride? If you guess that it was ever used, you'd be wrong. We did get valuable weather information from the radio, but that's it.

Burton, OH to Gettysburg, PA

2007-08-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

Some frustration that I can't get the photos to load the way I want; will address that when I return to Vermont and do a wrap-up. We have been through the hilly country of southern Pennsylvania and are now close to the finish line. The ride went from Burton (charming) to Washington, PA (not). We were in a campground with quite minimal facilities in the rain. Such is the big ride. The following day was into Confluence, PA - very small with a disappointing campground (we had the goose dropping area). The little town had little to offer - laundromat closed at 8, leaving a lot of people with clothes still wet from Washington. The best part of the day (if I have the right day) was the water stop at the Temporary 9/11 Memorial in Shanksville. The ride from Confluence to Bedford was extremely frustrating for Bill - more tube and tire problems. Long day, starting to rain yet again. I took the initiative to get a room for the night at a close-by Hampton Inn, and Jeff bunked in with us. We were dry, cool, and well fed. I'm afraid that those who stayed at the campground weren't. There was a tour of the Cannondale Bicycle Plant by very gracious employees, and those who went (not including the Harms) really enjoyed it. Yesterday's ride from Bedford to Gettysburg is often called the final exam. It's one of the roughest days (long and hilly) and it was very hot and humid, but all the riders got in. Late, but in. We were met by a contingent from Bob Jones's office - pie, muffins, and most appreciated cold beverages. The accomodations provided for the rest day (and two nights) are on the grounds of and in a middle school in the middle of the village. Great location, but the heat and thunderstorms and rain today make it less than desirable. We had decided some time ago to get a hotel for the rest day and have been very happy we did. We've rested, done laundry, run errands, etc., with a cool dry room to return to. Lots of riders opted for commercial accomodations, fortunately. Two more riding days til the finish line. At this point, we're tired and looking forward to reclaiming our lives. Part of that will be more blogging - more rider profiles, so keep on coming back!

Valparaiso, IN to Burton, OH

2007-08-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

We were met outside Madison by a friend of Brack and Jean Ann Hattler's who provided us with cookies (always welcome) and two of Brack's riding jerseys from the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine in Pittsburgh with which Brack is associated. Check it out at http://www.mirm.pitt.edu/ We've had two riders wearing the jerseys every day, and this picture is of Trish and Greg Dimmit, the tandem team, in a corn field somewhere in Indiana.

As with the rest of the trip, this section of four days is already a blur. After leaving Valpo (which was a really nice town with great restaurants) we stayed in Kendallville, IN where I (Kathy) saw a friend of mine from grade school whom I hadn't seen in close to 50 years and a friend of hers who is a serious recreational biker. We missed the first night where we cooked dinner in camp but hear it was actually quite good. Long day due to 109 mile ride and turning our clocks ahead for Eastern Time. Next day to Napoleon was 70 miles with quite a bit of heat and humidity, but the Henry County Fairgrounds were welcoming, and a local bicyclist provided free soft-serve ice cream for all (delivered!) from his pizzeria, reputed to be the best in town. Thanks, Clark. The 87 miles into Sandusky were again hot and humid, with 40 of us camped in four tent sites. We are such a good group by now that this kind of proximity feels fine, and as of today (Burton) there are about fifteen tents in a space no larger than most living rooms.

The ride into Burton was fairly long (92 miles) with bigger hills at the end of the day. For the first time since we left Seattle, we were in a big city as we went through downtown Cleveland. I especially liked going along the lake for miles, seeing many large homes. Nice to be in an urban environment for a while. Too many corn, wheat, and soybean fields for my tastest - we've really gone through the breadbasket of the US. Many riders took the opportunity to go to an Indians game or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The weather turned very bad in the mid-afternoon, with thunder, lightning, hail, rain, and heavy winds depending on where you were. For a crew member, it's a bit disconcerting not to know where all the riders are and that they're safe. Some had gone officially off route to attend the game and we were very happy to get them all back in camp later in the evening. Yesterday was probably Bill's toughest day of the trip, with five flats (one new tire put on), and it may be his rim that is the real problem. This led to some delays and frustrations for him. It was terrific to see him pull up at the third water stop on the east side of Cleveland and know that he was all right. We had some lightning very close by - made him jump. Today's a rest day at the fairgrounds in Burton, a lovely little town with a beautiful library with wireless.

My Bad - But Two More Riders

2007-08-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

I knew that we had more hospitality than I could remember in MN, WI, IN - I missed a terrific night where the families of Bob Dumke (top photo) and Dan Scott (bottom) showed up outside Madison and provided dinner and drinks, topped off with soft ice cream - always a huge hit. Bob is from WI and works (I think) as a metal fabricator (forgive me if I get that wrong, Bob) and Dan is from Phoenix where he works as a consultant. Dan is known for having logged the most computer time on the trip!

Meet Three More Riders

2007-07-29T10:32:00.001-07:00

Justine Dobies is the only one of the riders to have done the Big Ride in the past, and she's done it twice in the past! She's known as the Eveready Bunny, as she's very focused and always seems to be riding. Note that she does not have high tech riding gear - wears shorts, sandals!

Helyn Anderson is from Brandon, Vermont, only about 20 miles from us. She's a real hoot. Her ride was threatened when her bike and some valuables were stolen from her home, but a number of caring friends made the trip possible, including a bike shop in Middlebury which provided a bicycle. Helyn is one of a kind!

Michael Yee rides in the front, the middle and the back of the pack as the spirit moves him. He's been known to take many naps along the road. His next career will be as a pharmacist, as he returns to school for his third year this fall.

Land of Hospitality

2007-07-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

We'll remember the stretch from New Ulm, MN to Valparaiso, IN as long (we had seven days without a rest, including two centuries), but as among the most hospitable. I may leave someone out, so please forgive me if I overlook a contribution made by family and friends of riders. In Owatunna, MN, we stayed at the fairgrounds and were greeted by Vern's wife and extended family with their trunk full of pies. Terrific! Then we had Liz and Ane's families with a glorious water stop (picture below) with rhubarb pie, rhubarb crisp, rhubarb cake, etc. Very festive under a striped tent. Then we had a family that has been touched by lung disease that has set up a wonderful water stop outside Dakota, MN. Finally, although we missed it (Bill because he was out in front of the stop and Kathy because she missed a turn), David Lambert's family did a stop. These have made the long stretch much more tolerable. The rest day today is most welcome.

Bill is riding as he wants to - front, middle and rear as his fancy strikes him. If he rides with anyone on a consistent basis (and those who know Bill will know that he's not that predictable), he rides with Jeff Rich, a medical supply salesperson from Michigan. Jeff is not only quite a card, he's terrific at directing the loading of the gear truck. His picture is below. Along with the other riders, he has looked forward to the rest day to sleep, eat what he wants, do laundry, just relax.

Sleepers

2007-07-29T09:52:00.000-07:00

Just for humor, a few pictures of people sleeping in different locations - the ground, a stage in a high school, and on a shelf in a booth at a beer garden at a fairgrounds. Shows the riders will sleep just about anywhere. There was a discarded couch on the ride Friday, and others got a picture of Greg asleep in it, but I missed that. Barry said he was tempted to lie down but wasn't sure he'd want to get back up!

Kelly's First Century into Coal City

2007-07-29T09:39:00.000-07:00

What a day Friday was. Kelly McCall, our Big Rider who uses a hand crank did her first century - 109 miles. The picture on the road is with Jodi Matakovich on an earlier day, and the yellow jersey is appropriate for her big century. For a while she was riding with "the kids" who formed a V and road like geese fly. Kelly is supported separately from the rest of the group by her mother Carol, and that makes the ride work for her. She arrived in Coal City in time for pizza (which lasted well into the next day, and I've even seen some two day old boxes of the stuff.) The Coal City camp site was notable for two attributes - showers that were at quite and distance and weren't in all that good shape and the noisiest bunch of revelers I've ever heard in an adjacent camping area. After listening to their loud and tasteless music, screams, and swearing until 11:38, I called the local police who did a wonderful job of getting them quiet. Several probably underage drinkers took off running and ran up against at least one of our tents. Quiet for the rest of the night, but I have to admit that the riders were not their usual quiet selves at 5 a.m.

Humor on the Road

2007-07-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

Several days after Pollie McCloskey hit a large bird (goose, turkey, duck, vulture) with the gear truck, the truck acquired a memento of the event.

This One's for You, Heather

2007-07-21T08:02:00.000-07:00

Heather and Chris, sister and brother-in-law of Bill's have asked for more photos of Bill, so here they are!!!

Half Way and You're Not in South Dakota Any More

2007-07-21T06:55:00.001-07:00

The group reached the halfway point in mileage and in time on the road on the 18th in Huron, South Dakota. Pictured here is Sean Bennett at the Riverside Park. It was while the first part of the group was celebrating this milestone that we bbblearned that a rider who had just observed his birthday the day before had taken a bad spill and was hospitalized. He fractured his pelvis and will not be able to complete the ride but is now at home and doing fine. We will miss him and his wife, who was also a rider but will think of them often. That same afternoon, we had thunder and lightning going into de Smet, SD, which fried the battery in Dan Scott's bike computer. The weather since has been much cooler, and everyone associates that with reaching Minnesota.

The first day into MN included our last check point in SD at a wonderful bike shop (Sioux River Bicycles and Fitness) in Brookings (thanks, Bob - hope you're still following the blogs) and a gorgeous, shady water stop at the SD/MN border. Barry Verbel declared he wanted to pitch his tent and spend the night there. The riders actually had rounded one curve and had their first tail wind in a long time - only lasted for two miles but did wonders for their spirits, as you can see from the photo of the four grown men on swings. That's Bill on the right. From the left are Sean, Bennett Tom Vancura, and Scott Hadley.

I can't seem to get the paragraph spacing to work; keep going for description of South Dakota.

SOUTH DAKOTA

I think that for many people, leaving South Dakota behind will be a fond memory. Their impressions of the state may not be fair, but I'm sure they're going to last a long time. As crew, I remember it for being wickedly hot, windy, lacking in shade, and full of biting flies. The headwinds particularly get into riders' heads and were unrelenting. Day after day. One rider got up and said, "But, Daddy, I don't want to play on my bicycle today." One of my worst water stops ever (no shade at all but one with water/gatorade most appreciated by the riders because the heat was taking so much out of them) was across the road from a major threshing operation. Somehow it seemed to make the wind even stronger.

Below are two photos from Scenic, SD. That's the place name and also is a fairly apt description. It's was also real hot and dry, with horrible headwinds. That morning we had just a bit of rain, but it didn't cool things off at all. Please note that the Longhorn Saloon (sawdust floor, lots of local character) includes on its sign "Indians Allowed". Above the sign are rows of longhorn skulls. Below that photo is a photo of a live longhorn, which at least has a tail to swat those awful flies. Wonder if his skull will wind up above the saloon sign.

This is for you, Page

2007-07-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

The daughter of a rider wrote and said that she was enjoying the blog and would love to see a picture of her dad. These pictures are for you, Page. I do have to tell you that your dad cleaned up today and is clean-shaven for the first time in several days. I'm not sure if it was because it scratched or because it was coming in sort of... well... you know... white. I've really enjoyed getting to know Greg and talk about life in Tennessee and his family. So, these photos are for you, Page. (Janice, too.)

Meet the Teachers

2007-07-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

Steve McCloskey teaches business law at Shoreline Community College. He's also the husband of Ride Director Pollie McCloskey. They've been married for two years, and what a two years it has been. Steve had tonsiillar cancer and couldn't do the ride as scheduled last year. This year he's healthy and is on the ride. Shortly after they finishes the ride, he and Pollie will be in Honduras for three weeks, where they work diligently on behalf of the Honduran people.

Kari Georgi is a music teacher in middle school in Washington State. She's a brass player and really seems to enjoy her students. Kari almost consented to continuing the ride from DC to the Atlantic with Bill, but she found something better to do...she'll be riding back to Washington on the back of her dad's motorcycle. Hopefully the wind will be at her back on the return!

Lisa Gizzarelli is a biology teacher in junior high. She designed the cool biking jerseys with the red sleeves that appear in many of the pictures. She's wearing a shirt here that was signed by all of her students from last year that she says gives her inspiration. Lisa is famous for trying out more seats on the ride than anyone. I think she has three at last count, but we think there may be another one somewhere. Luckily for Lisa, she's made friends with one of them!

She's one of the more serious photographers on the trip, and it shows on her blog - crosscountrybybike.blogspot.com.

Scott Hadley is a second grade teacher from the Sacramento area. I can't imagine how cool it would be to have him as a teacher. Scott is both fun and serious. He and another rider recently buzz- cut their heads! Scott is usually toward the front of the pack and is a strong rider.

Rider Demographics

2007-07-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

For those who are interested, we have some good demographics on the riders, courtesy of Greg Sterling who collected and analyzed the data. He worked from the list of cook teams, and I'll have to get into cook teams in a later blog. The demographics are a moving target, as we've had several birthdays since the data was collected. In any case... Range of ages - 19 to 76 (Tall Ben Thiesse to Bob Jones) Median age - 49 (For those who are challenged statistically, this measures the middle of the number of ages) Mean age - 46.7 (The average) Mode - 63 (Largest frequency) The concentration in decades - 15% Teens and 20s 11% 30s 22% 40s 15% 50s 30% 60s 5% 70s Since this was done, Dan Scott turned 60, so the concentration is even greater. No one has done a similar study of occupations, but it certainly seems that there are plenty of attorneys on the trip. I had expected more teachers, and there are a few, which I'll try to include together in a post on the next rest day.

Meet Riders Who Stay Together

2007-07-14T06:41:00.000-07:00

Greg and Trish Dimmit are from Washington State and stay together whether they want to or not. They're on a tandem! Tandems can really get speed up on downhills and flat stretches but are much tougher on hills. Given the requirement for teamwork, you really have to have two people who are in synch, and the Dimmits are delightful in that regard. Greg is a commercial refrigeration salesman, and Trish is a flight attendant for Alaska Airlines. I met their two daughters on the day we left Seattle.

Brian O'Sullivan (left) and Phil Williams have been friends for thirty years and ride together most days. They both have dry senses of humor and are a lot of fun. Phil and Bill Harm spent some time talking in Billings and found they have lots in common. Phil is an ecologist with NOAA working with endangered species. Brian used to work at Sound Transit with Marty Minkoff, and a quick survey of those of us sitting around indicates that he's now a consultant. Great life!!!

The two handsome fellows above are Jay Carlson (left) and Nick Fels (right). Their numbers are 5 and 10, and at most bbbbbevery water stop they come in together. They've known each other for decades and both work as attorneys in DC - Nick with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Jay with a firm doing mostly corporate work. (Over Nick's shoulder you'll see the box truck that the gear and food is hauled in. Pollie, the Ride Director has to drive it.)

South Dakota and a Rest Day

2007-07-14T05:42:00.000-07:00

From Kathy:

Our fifth state!! This is Jerome Mercer, an attorney from Wisconsin, at the border.

What do Big Riders do on rest day? They do their laundry, sightsee (Mount Rushmore, Custer State Park, and the Crazy Horse Memorial. They also watch the Tour de France. It's great to be with a group of people who share some of the difficulties of the Tour: sore butts (buy stock in the company that makes Assos Butt Cream - the best, we're told, after Bag Balm, a Vermont product), sore knees, stressed Achilles tendons, headaches, bad lower GI.

The Newcastle overnight was at a senior center where the hospitality was great. The only downside to tenting there was the hourly trains. Why they have to blow their whistle in the middle of the night is beyond me. The ride in from Newcastle started out very scenic and pretty, with a ride through Custer State Park. One stretch of road had no shoulders, lots of curves and significant decline and then climb. We arranged to have vehicles follow the riders with flashers on to keep cars and semis from pressing them. With the low level of traffic, it was relatively safe for the riders.

We had a truly delightful water stop in Custer, WY next to an old bank building housing a Starbucks where you can order small, medium, and large. When the stops are attractive and the ride is going well, the riders take time to socialize with each other and enjoy the local community. This was one of those stops. Makes being crew a treat; a water stop in the middle of nowhere with nothing of interest is the opposite. I had one set up at the side of the road on a bad stretch going into Newcastle. Barely got the car off the road and shoulder, and a state trooper stopped by to say he wasn't thrilled about the location. I said that the lone tree was important. He said, "oh, so they can sit in the shade when they have some water." I had to explain that it wasn't about the shade but about some privacy. We don't have a lot of modesty but a bit of cover is real nice.

After the ride through the park, there as a nasty stretch coming into Rapid City - four lane divided highway in higher temperatures and stronger headwinds with climbs that were more than expected. Scenery totally boring. The directions into the campus for the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology were not a model of clarity, and quite a few riders (and this crew member) wandered around the city a bit. The food in the cafeteria here wasn't stellar but filling. The ice cream was terrific, and with root beer made a great float.

Enough for this posting. Makes me a little crazy that the blog eliminates the spaces between paragraphs. Harder to read. I'll follow this with a posting on riders. Soon.

Meet the "Kids"

2007-07-12T16:19:00.001-07:00

We are fortunate to have along on the rider some really fine young people 21 and under. The youngest is Ben Thiesse, shown in the upper left. He and Sean Bennett (with the super-cool yellow glasses) are students at RPI in the aeronautical engineering program. Ben is not only the youngest on the ride - he's the tallest. To the right of Ben's photo is Liz Schulz. She's between Ben and Sean, and that's normally their riding order as well! Liz will be a senior b

English major and wants to take a couple of years after college, then go to med school. Liz's friend from 6th grade and the oldest of the youngest (turned 21 on the trip - thanks for the cupcakes, Mom) is Ane Klomps, in the bottom picture. Ane is studying to be a nurse. Ane's hand says "Thanks for the cookies, Dad". The cookies were much enjoyed at this water stop! (Food is a frequent theme and topic of conversation with Big Riders!) David Lambert (photo below Liz) is an Indiana native, Purdue student, and electrical engineering major. He's also a ham operator and has helped Jerry (assistant ride director) to get the radios in our cars up to speed for the trip.

Coals to Newcastle

2007-07-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

From Kathy:

This picture shows cars on a coal train going through Newcastle, WY. Open pit mining of coal and production of methane gas are huge in the Powder River Valley, and we've seen evidence of this energy production for miles and miles.

Yesterday, the ride was one of the hardest on the trip - 112 miles from Sheridan to Gillette. I've been to Gillette on business before and so recognized a bit of it. We left Sheridan very early; I think it was no later than 6 a.m. There was a significant stretch of construction on the highway we were scheduled to ride and no realistic detours. The construction crew was very good in sagging (carrying) a couple of bicycles and riders (and in the case of Trish and Greg Dimmit - one bicycle and two riders for their tandem.) The vast majority of the riders rode through the construction, which was long and uphill and gravelly. I don't think this would have been possible on the first day of the trip, but the riders really have toughened up. From the perspective of the driver of a car, it was unusual to be paced through the construction by about 30 bicycles. Everyone made it through, with a terrific view of the Big Horn Mountains at the top of the ridge to make it worthwhile. Unfortunately, there were 90 miles of climbs and rollers left to go. I was providing water at mile 20 (all smiles) and again at mile 72. The riders found things to smile about, particularly the location of the stop - the Spotted Horse Cafe in Spotted Horse. Spotted Horse has a population of 2, and we were charmed by both of them - Jerome and Colleen. Best (and only) food for miles around. This location is one that has been by-passed by I-90 and few tourists go into the bar. Quite a place. There was a shady area outside where I spent five hours - the first rider came through at 11:15 and the last at 4:15. The shady area also had a discarded toilet, and it was pretty popular as a seat!!

We spent last night in a community park in Gillette. The grounds were lovely, and there was a pool and community center. We had a terrific dinner at the Prime Rib and Wine Bar with Allison, Lisa, and Kari (Bill's harem). The food was wonderful, the conversation lively. Bill got back rather on the late side to participate in the cook crew for the next day's lunch but made up for it this morning by keeping the coffee going and going and going. The park was wonderful for tenting until we were awakened at 2:30 by shouts of "Fire, fire, everybody get out!" I checked outside, saw no fire so went back to sleep. We heard this morning that some young kids had, in fact, started a small fire in a more remote area of the park.

Today's ride from Gillette to Newcastle was much easier - tailwind, shorter, not as many hills. Much more fun and not as much work.

Next post introduces five more riders.

Billings to Hardin to Sheridan

2007-07-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

The picture on the left shows Bill and the Wyoming welcome sign. This is our fourth state! The picture on the right memorializes the completion of the first 1,000 miles. The guys sitting on the hot asphalt are Andy Lasseter (already introduced in previous blog) and Steve McCloskey. More on Steve later with a better picture.

The weather since Billings has been grand. The temps have moderated so that the mornings start out in the 60s and the afternoons get up to the low 80s. Much better riding weather. Yesterday, the ride was a relatively quick 50+ miles from Billings to Hardin. Hardin had a lot more going for it than we expected from the size of the community. There were several restaurants, including a great pizza place and a community center with pool right next to the high school at which we were camped. There was a very strong wind - probably gusting to 40 or 50 miles an hour. Several tents almost got airborn. The wind died down over night, and we had tail winds to day. The ride from Hardin to Sheridan was 80+ miles, but the riders seem to knock that off easily now. Tomorrow's ride is reputed to be one of the toughest days - 112 miles with no services (gas stations, restaurants, etc) along the way. This means that the day is tough on the riders and tough on the crew. Hopefully the temps will stay down and everyone will get an early start. Everyone will be relieved when all the riders are in. If we had had these circumstances with last week's heat, I think there could have been some very unhappy folks out here. Interesting - the reaction to doing 100+ miles the next day is very different now from what it was before the first. Then, everyone ate big and slept long the night before, and there were some nerves showing. Now, it's - oh, another century? No big deal.

The Crew

2007-07-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

From left to right, it's Pollie McCloskey (ride leader married to Steve, a Big Rider), David Hokanson (mechanic), Kathy Harm (Gunga Din - water girl,), Jerry Nash (second in command), and Ann Kosick (a para-medic and wife of a Big Rider who's driving an RV). We're obvously a very congenial group and have an overriding mission - to support the riders and do everything we can to make their ride safe, enjoyable, and meaningful. We have met so many wonderful people along the way. They've helped us with water, given us ice, let us set up water stops in their lanes. The biggest load falls on Pollie, of course, as all the riders look to her for everything from their cue sheets or DRGs (the daily route guides that detail the route) to the time for breakfast. There's one thing that's never a question. No one asks "What's for lunch?" because the answer's the same - PB&J. I wish there were more of us so that we could do more for the riders. They're working so hard to realize their dreams.

Three More Riders

2007-07-08T15:32:00.000-07:00

On the left above is Jodie Matakovich from Panama City, FL. Jodie introduced me to an essential camping/outdoor product I didn't know I needed - the fem funnel. (This message is obviously from Kathy.) Jodie is an artist and interestingly is probably the least predictable rider when it comes to order of finish. Depends on the day. Yesterday she beat almost everyone, trying primarily to beat the heat.

In the right is Bob Jones from Maryland. He's a 76 year-old CPA with his own firm of 10 CPAs, of which he is the only male. Bill and I enjoyed a walk with him to dinner one evening, and we talked about a huge variety of topics. Bob gets the ride done every day, and he's by no means ever the last one in.

Below is Adam Marengi, who will be starting Tufts Dental School (Bill's alma mater) shortly after he returns from the ride. He and Bill rode together the first day and had a great time. Almost since then, Adam has been nursing a tender Achilles tendon. Adam normally rides with Greg Sterling and Margo Harrison. They are alleged to have official team meetings!

Great looking folks, aren't they? I'm going to try to get a good picture of each rider on the blog.

Meet the Riders

2007-07-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

From Kathy -- I'll be posting pictures of riders from now on, and the first is of Andy Lasseter of Phoenix, AZ, an event/trade show planner. From the pose, you may well be asking what was he thinking? As he was rudely awakened at 4 a.m. with all the others sleeping in close proximity on the floor of the Harlowton, MT Youth Center, he may not be thinking at all. Note the tan line! Bill and I were grateful for our extra hour's sleep at the Countryside Inn across the street, a perk that crew were given. Harlowton was very welcoming after the 100 mile ride.

We left Harlowton early for the 90 mile ride to Billings. The wind was mostly at the riders' backs, so it was a much easier day. The riders just flew. All made it into "camp", which is a dorm here at Montana State University. Yesterday, Kelly McCall made the entire ride. Kelly rides a recumbent with a hand crank, as she had a spinal cord injury that left her legs too weak to cycle. Kelly has true grit. See her blog at http://360.yahoo.com/kdmclieb.

The last two nights (in Harlowton 90 miles out and here in Billings) we have been exceedingly fortunate in having the meals catered by Beyond Basil - a Billings business. The vegetarian entrees have been the best I've ever encountered in group meals. My mouth waters as I think about it. At the conclusion of last night's meal (about three minutes before we got back to the dorm), there was a huge thunderstorm. The record one hour rainfall before this time had been .19 inches. Last night, they got 1.06 inches in an hour. The really oppressive heat has dissipated to a degree.

Tomorrow's ride is rolling hills with few curves - so few the curves even have names. It's only 50 miles or so, and it follows a rest day. After this past week's heat, hills, and long distances, everyone is looking forward to the day. Not that we wouldn't welcome another rest day, particularly if it could mean another meal from Beyond Basil.

Right now, David Hoganson, the mechanic, is leading a bike maintenance clinic in the next room. Seems to be going well. Lots of interest.

For you ICMA-RC folks, I found there's yet another participant on the ride - Brian O'Sullivan - formerly with Sound Transit. With Bill and me, that makes about 8% of the riders.

Most of the riders have varying degrees of butt soreness. Bill has his share but no raw spots, so he's doing well. Up to about 60 or 70 miles a day he's fine, but put another 20 or 30 on and he's tender. One woman (she designed the ride shirt that Andy's wearing in the picture above) has had such a problem that she now has three seats along on the ride - her original and two bought in Helena, MT. She's riding on one and finding that it's pretty good. She has one as a back-up. If you aren't friends with your seat, it's a long day!

Missoula to Harlowton

2007-07-06T15:32:00.001-07:00

From Kathy - There are quite a few blogs being kept by riders young and older - see http://www.cleanairadventures.org/big_ride_across_america on the left side of the page - scroll down - for links. There are some gorgeous pictures and funny stories. Missoula to Avon was almost 100 miles and we spent the Fourth of July there. Slept through any fireworks there may have been. Then yesterday, we had only 61 miles, but it was in temps over 100. The first climb took the group up over the Great Divide at over 6300 feet. Last night we slept in the gym on the floor, and Bill slept on the actual floor rather than the air mattress. Up at 4:45, breakfast at 5:15, on the road at 5:45 to beat the heat...NOT!! TODAY - 101 miles in temps up to 105. Really difficult day for the riders today. They're not all into camp yet, but I'm taking this opportunity in the public library in Harlowton, Montana to send a quick note. Right now, the word is hot, hot, hot. We have met lots of wonderful people - a nice farm couple bailed me out today. I was at water stop number four, and Bill left his camelback there (intentionally) and his water bottle (not!) Debatable whether I distracted him. He had about 20 ounces of Gatorade, but that's not enough for the 20 miles he had left. He was given water and iced tea by a wonderful couple. We have been sleeping in the tent, college dorms, and in a high school gymnasium. The weather is too hot for camping outside right now. We expect to be in the youth center tonight. We'll have time to put up more photos, write more from Billings on Sunday, a well-deserved rest day.

Idaho/Montana

2007-07-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

We were in Idaho too short a time. We spent the night in Sandpoint Saturday, neat place with great huckleberry shakes. Sunday night we were in Montana, in Thompson Falls for Kathy's birthday. The ride to Thompson Falls seemed effortless, about 85 miles, the temperature not too high. Dinner at Minnie's was delicious, with pie a la mode for dessert. All the riders can put away incredible amounts of food, but the crew has to be careful - not enough exercise. Everyone was especially packing it in for the first century (one hundred miles in a day) of the trip. The first part of the century was beautiful, along the Clark Fork River, very scenic. We had nice rest stops in a couple of very small towns and then had a less pleasant ride with a lot of traffic (drivers not giving the bikes the amount of room they deserve on the road), and temperatures got pretty high. There was a long, gradual climb in this unpleasant portion, and then there was a terrific downhill into Missoula, a pretty college town. The downhill grade had riders going up to 47 miles an hour. Missoula is a great place for a rest day - REI and a couple of bike shops. We had dinner last night and breakfast this morning in the college cafeteria and are looking forward to eating at an Indian restaurant tonight. Tomorrow's breakfast and lunch (more PB&J sandwiches) are done from the gear truck in the parking lot in the morning. Bill's relaxing this afternoon, and Kathy's going to try to get a pedicure. We are enjoying the other riders and crew tremendously. For all you RC folks, we have a participant along on the ride - Marty Minkoff from Sound Transit. He's fun to get to know, as are the rest of the riders. There don't seem to be real divisions between individuals based on age or any other factor I can detect. Just really nice people united with a focus on going from one end of the country to another.

Sandpoint, ID

2007-06-30T16:43:00.000-07:00

No picture, but this was a glorious day for the riders. Wind at their backs, nice easy rolling hills, great scenery, beautiful weather - 76 miles. Temperature about 75. Everyone finished the ride in very good time, and there was time to relax in Sandpoint. Nice town of about 6,000, very touristy. We're staying at the High School on the lawn. Just had the word that the library is closing in 15 minutes. Time for Kathy to take a shower. Bill has had his and is downtown roaming around. The people on the ride are really terrific and are very good to each other. All alums of the Big Ride say that the people were the best part of the experience, and we're seeing why. Soon, probably Thursday, the weather is expected to get very hot - 101 to 105. Kathy will not fare well, but has a hat, an umbrella and wears sun screen. The water stops can take three to five hours for all the riders to pass, and by that time, Bill is in camp. First 100 miler is Monday.

Seattle to Spokane

2007-06-23T07:29:00.000-07:00

Picture of Bill at Hurricane Ridge. Spectacular day - thank you, Gordon Tiffany for sending us up there. It's been a while since we posted because of the lack of availability of an Internet connection. This comes from the library at Gonzaga University in Spokane on our first rest day. We got to Seattle, settled up on the repairs to the air conditioning at the Audi dealer, went around Lake Washington, and arrived at the home of our hosts, Steve and Pollie McCloskey. On Friday, Bill and Steve were off on their bikes while Pollie and Kathy went downton to the American Lung Association office to get crew orientation. On the way into the city, the Audi started acting up, and it was back to the dealership. They were terrific and diagnosed and fixed the ignition coil very quickly. The orientation included the answers to big and small questions, the installation of a ham radio, and acquiring a ton of gear for the car (water containers, table, first aid kit, gear kit. etc.) We spent most of Saturday with Eric Prager, son of Carol and Rich from Holden, MA. Great time. Sunday was rider orientation at the home of Ali Spain, a former Big Rider. First chance to meet the other riders, ranging in age from 20 to 76. Wonderful people, coming together as a group very quickly. There was a lot of anxiety on the part of the riders before the first day's ride through Seattle and then up to Snoqualmie Pass. Lots of climbing, traveling on Interstate 90 (only road over the pass), through some city traffic. 77 miles later, all were in the state park by 6:30, only three not totally under their own power. Bill? Into camp five hours before Kathy, who handled two water stops. This from Kathy: Bill is consistently one of the strongest riders (Tim - you'd be proud) - getting into camp way before me and most of the youngsters. His training has really paid off. The next three days were 71, 81, and 75 miles. The riding has been very good, with lots of hills that have been difficult primarily when there were severe headwinds the third day. The tailwinds yesterday had the riders feeling that they were floating up the hills! We have stayed in a state park, a commercial campground (very nice), on an athletic field, and now in the dorms. No rain, so tenting has been pleasant. Because the rhythm of the days is so different, Bill has set up the tent every day, for which Kathy is quite grateful. The food has been catered dinners so far, with breakfast and lunch mostly prepared by the riders. We're happy to be spending a couple of nights in the same spot and have the day planned to do laundry, get our camera attended to or buy an inexpensive digital camera, and get a pedicure (Kathy, not Bill). We'd love to hear from any of you and won't likely post again until July 3rd in Missoula.

To Puget Sound

2007-06-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

Bill rode Tuesday from Port Angeles to Puget Sound. The photo here is the Hood Canal, taken while Kathy waited for the drawbridge to come back down. Bill's ride was 62 miles in length over four hours. Kathy thought that Monday's ride was more challenging in terrain, but Bill maintained that the long, straight hills were much more daunting. At one point, there was a long, steady uphill of two miles, gaining 600 feet, where he maintained a speed of seven miles an hour. Fortunately, he then had a wonderful downhill of speeds over 30 miles an hour.

We're figuring out how to use the Garmin Edge 205, a GPS device that doesn't talk to you to let you know what the next turn is but is a bicycle computer, displaying and capturing (for downloading to the laptop) certain statistics for the ride. The version we have doesn't record the cadence or the heart beat (amazing what those little suckers can do); it measures speed, distance, grade, elevation, etc. So far, you'd think that Bill was a professional rider at the top of his form with speeds up to 70 miles an hour, since the Garmin has been in the car! His old fashioned bike computer measures distance, speed, etc, and the interesting things done by the Garmin are measuring the grade and elevation and keeping the history of daily rides. When the download is complete, you can view a map with numbered routes, bodies of water, settlements, etc. We'll be able to store the whole trip, and Bill will be able to relive it at leisure on the martini deck in Rutland.

Today, we're headed up Hurricane Ridge, which has tremendous vistas of the Olympic Peninsula. It's a beautiful day here, with none of the overcast and drizzle that the Northwest is famous for.

Cape Flattery

2007-06-19T06:45:00.000-07:00

This was to be a challenging day for both Bill and Kathy. We have been staying at the Port Angeles Inn, situated on a hill overlooking the harbor and ferry dock (beautiful view of both harbor and snow-capped mountains of the Olympic Peninsula behind to the South). It was an hour and three-quarter drive to reach Cape Flattery, which is the Northwest-most point of the contiguous United States, and the point from which the "Big Ride" begins (for Bill).

We got all set for this photo with the Pacific in the background, and Kathy discovered her battery-gobbling camera, even though turned "off", had drained the batteries. This is very remote country--we had not seen a vehicle for about a half-hour or so. At that moment, a pick up with two young men in it happened by. Kathy asked them if they would let her use, just for the photo, a couple of AA batteries. They searched their vehicle and came up with the batteries. Kathy took the photo, but couldn't return the batteries--the men had driven off.

The ride from Cape Flattery to Port Angeles was approximately 77 miles (5 hrs.+15 min.), much of which was along the southern mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and dense, well rain-supplied forest. The terrain was a nice regular mix of uphill, downhill, and flat. The only scary part was the lumber trucks. As usual when the ride was over, Bill and his bottom were feeling thoroughly done for the day.

Meanwhile, after dropping Bill off and returning to Port Angeles, Kathy had planned an afternoon of relaxation. Instead, the Audi dealer called and the parts for the air conditioning had arrived in Seattle. To get the repair under way, she drove to Seattle, dropped off the car, picked up a rental, and drove back to Port Angeles. Since this involved a ferry each way and hellish Seattle traffic, this was a six hour round trip.

Today's ride for Bill will be shorter and go to the edge of Puget Sound. We'll take a rest day tomorrow and pick up the car Thursday. Thursday evening we join Seattle Big Ride hosts Steve and Pollie McCloskey. Pollie is ride leader, and Steve is a rider. Friday morning starts crew orientation and installation of a ham radio in the (by-then) air conditioned car.

It was terrific seeing Eileen and Bob Beban in Eugene. They were very considerate of our timetable for getting to Port Angeles and took us to a terrific breakfast at the Eugene Country Club. We watched just enough of the U.S. Open to see Tiger in the lead.

California Dreamin'

2007-06-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

While Kathy was in Anaheim working, Bill had a nice trip out to Newport Beach, where he went for a 42 mile ride to Laguna Beach and saw good friends Sam and Inez for dinner. After leaving Anaheim, where we saw lots of colleagues from ICMA-RC and friends from GFOA, we had a delightful visit with Penny, Buzz, and Riley Abbott. Penny and Kathy worked together in '80s and have been friends ever since. She put together a bike ride in the San Gabriel Foothills for Bill that he found very challenging! Bill and seven-year old Riley really took to each other. When Bill went out to the car, Riley said, "Where's Will?" We had lunch on Wednesday with Bill's sister Heather and husband Chris. Beautiful setting - nice lunch. We arrived on Wednesday evening to stay three nights with Ken Hutton, one of Bill's oldest (in terms of tenure!) and best friends, in Palo Alto. Ken was Bill's professor when he was at San Jose State and involved him in outdoor activities that they still talk about - kayaking, backpacking, and bicycling down the northern California coast. The plan was to have Bill ride in the area, which he did. He went on a 20+ mile ride with a friend of Ken Gobalet's - see previous post - and went on a 67 mile ride from Palo Alto across Skyline, over the coast range to the coastal highway 1, and back. Very challenging terrain - for those of you who know it - Old La Honda Road, Tunitas Creek Road and King's Mountain Road. The plan to get the car fixed did not come off as well. The Audi dealership in Palo Alto had said they could take it on Thursday and get us out no later than Friday, assuming there weren't parts that they didn't have on hand. By Thursday noon, they let us know that, of course, the car required a new compressor, which they couldn't install until Monday at the earliest. Since that was the case, we contacted Seattle (our next stop) to see if they could do the work for us. They committed to having the part on Friday and doing the service on Monday. Great! When they called late Friday to confirm the service appointment, we checked on the part (expensive and already payed for), which of course was not in and won't be in until some time on Monday. This means we'll have to juggle the trip out to Cape Flattery for the start of Bill's true coast-to-coast trip. Right now the thinking is that we'll settle into a motel in Port Angeles on Sunday night, get Bill to Cape Flattery at the crack of dawn, and then Kathy will go back to P.A. to see if the part comes in. The arrival of the part will determine when we get the Audi back to Seattle - maybe pick up a rental at that point. Right now we're looking forward to seeing Kathy's close friend from Springfield, VT days, Eileen Beban, in Eugene, OR tomorrow We'll be in Seattle for crew orientation Friday for Kathy and rider orientation Sunday for Bill. Then we're off on the official ride Monday. We're still working to get the blog to accept comments. By the time we reach Minnesota, maybe we'll have it solved!

Back to Work (Temporarily!)

2007-06-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

After spending a day at the Grand Canyon, we drove through the desert (including what we would call a sand storm in Barstow) to Bakersfield. There we stayed two nights with Ken Gobalet, a friend of Bill's from graduate school (UC Davis) and a biology professor (fish guy) at Cal State Bakersfield . Over the years Ken has done 16 double centuries (two hundred miles in a day rides) and he's still riding seriously. Ken and Bill went out for two morning rides,. He was a gracious host and we had a terrific time. Now Kathy is back to business at the Government Finance Officers Association meeting in Anaheim. She'll be tied up through Monday and then we'll head up the coast to start the ride in another two weeks. Along the way, we'll be seeing friends and family (Bill's), and Bill will be riding in the Bay Area while Kathy gets the air conditioning fixed on the Audi (her highest priority right now). We have had some advice on how to allow for comments on this blog and have followed them. The settings for comments all appear to be correct, but comments are still not allowed. If anyone thinks they can fix this, let us know!!!! bkharm@netzero.net. We welcome your emails and have enjoyed hearing words of encouragement from Rich and Carol. Got a call this morning from neighbor Nancy Brown. (Even though she's still in Worcester, she'll always be a neighbor.) Stay in touch!

It IS Grand

2007-06-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

On Monday, Bill rode from Flagstaff, AZ about 77 miles to Grand Canyon, and Kathy practiced her water girl skills. This involved primarily finding a good parking spot with some shade, setting up a chair and waiting for Bill. The ride was a good one - rolling hills for most of the trip, although Bill says that hills on straight roads where you can see miles ahead are more discouraging than winding roads. The trip was hot (hitting 90) and at quite an altitude (up to 8,000 feet). He still had some left at the end of the trip, but we put the bike on the car at the park entrance to take advantage of Bill's Golden Age National Parks pass. Saved $25 for his (much) younger wife! We spent yesterday at the canyon, and there couldn't be a way to appreciate the grandeur without being there. It's so much bigger than I had comprehended or that a picture can portray. We're now off to somewhere in California tonight, planning to arrive in Anaheim on Friday for Kathy's conference. All goes on schedule, although there's been less opportunity for good rides than Bill had hoped.

Pedal to the Metal

2007-06-02T19:16:00.000-07:00

The picture of the loaded car in front of the house was taken around noon on Thursday. It's now Saturday evening, and we're in Tucumcari, NM. The drive has been very easy so far, if quite long (about 1950 miles). We had planned on having Bill do some afternoon rides on the way west, but the weather so far hasn't cooperated. The thundershowers have been pretty intense. We're now headed for Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. Bill hopes that he'll get a ride in tomorrow in the Petrified Forest. If anyone knows how to allow for comments on this blog, please let us know, and we'll tell everyone else. We'd love to be hearing from you - bkharm@netzero.net.

Ready, Set, Go

2007-05-31T05:18:00.001-07:00

We're about finished packing and have a trip scheduled to trash/recycling this morning after cleaning out the refrigerator, etc. Then it's off on the trip, with no particular destination for tonight. Bill did a 97.63 mile ride on Monday, just short of his first century. Yesterday he went out on his own for 30 or so miles and then joined a group of enthusiastic riders for another 30 miles, retracing some miles but also finding a major hill he hadn't been introduced to before.

Training and "Gearing Up" to Go

2007-05-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

Bill's training is going very well, with most weeks having over 200 miles of riding, with lots of hills. He'll be doing his first century (100 mile ride) in the next couple of days. Kathy is now a licensed ham operator (KB1PBR or Kilo Bravo 1 Papa Bravo Romeo), required for crew members. We're planning to leave Thursday of this week. We expect the cross-country drive west to include days of lots of miles in the car plus some training rides along the way. We leave behind only one house, with our closing on the Worcester house having taken place last Friday. When we come back, the third floor renovation will be done, and the addition to make the one-car garage a three-car garage (or two motorcycles, truck, and car plus other toys and too many bicycles to count) will be finished. We are fortunate to have wonderful neighbors and a caretaker who will be watching the house for us. Now comes the packing for Kathy's meeting (business and business casual) and for the two and a half months away from home (only casual!). A daunting task! The ride provides a packing list, and we have most of the items on it, even if they're packed here somewhere from the move and we have to open boxes to find them. We'd love to hear from you before we go or along the way. This really feels like what Bill said when we both retired: "this reminds me of summer vacation with my best friend."