two hundred thirty nine

FOUR YEARS IN PARADISE

 

Here is a more recent photo of me on my boat in Hawaii. 

My bicycle trip plans are not set yet, I am hoping to use my bullheadedness to make this happen. 

Who knows what the future holds. I make a plan and sometimes God laughs. 

I plan to embrace the future whatever it holds.

two hundred thirty eight

IT'S ALIVE!

 Well here I sit healing up after knee replacement surgery. I am in Bend Oregon by way of Captain Cook Hawaii and San Francisco. Walter, my trusted touring bicycle rig is sitting in the next room all shiny and renewed, every inch has been upgraded and tweaked. 

Walter survived two Hawaii cargo boat trips and 14,000 miles of touring. The frame and wheels are solid. The front chain derailed was broken but everything else was cosmetic. New GPS, battery recharger, satellite emergency hand held and an iPad mini to stay in touch. New cycling clothes, rain gear, sleeping bag and a few creature comforts. 

My tent was resealed and waterproofed and I added new daytime running lights. The weight is the same but I lack nothing for a long trip.

I’m now 69 years old and out of shape. My plan is to do a few more epic bicycle journeys. Getting in shape is my focus for the next year or so so stay tuned I’m not finished yet. 

two hundred thirty seven

Time to upgrade Walter with new bar tape, lights and a new GPS. 

Well it was time to leave the Big Island of Hawaii. The smoke and whatever poison is mixed in was too much. We moved to Central Oregon into the high desert. Walter is unpacked and getting ready to take some training runs. I'm now 67 but still 16 in my head. I'll keep you posted.

two hundred thirty six

THE ONE CONSTANT IN MY LIFE IS THIS BICYCLE

Walter is out of the storage unit and siting in the extra bedroom. Time has made a few plastic parts brittle but nothing I can't fix.

I just turned 65 and have a knee that is bone to bone and may need to be replaced. I have set a goal to ride from San Diego to Florida when I am 70. Walter is packed and ready.

I sold my carbon fiber road bike it was like a toy I never really liked the feel of it. Chrome-moly is what a real bike feels like. There is a special energy when I throw my leg over my bike Walter and head for the horizon.

Like it says on my blog header "You can always get more money but you can't get more time". I'm now in that make more money phase I never really thought I would live this long. I look at 65 as the second half I ain't dead yet! 

two hundred thirty five

R.I.P.

Well the pacific ocean finally got my Garmin GPS. I traveled across America twice with it mounted to my handlebars. My old one only lasted a short while it could not take the vibration. 

I bought this one for $500 a decade ago and loaded Blue water charts after I moved to Hawaii. It was great on the boat I could see the depth, hidden hazards, reefs and underwater anchor spots. 
On my bike adventures I have been in day long rain storms, dropped it from the bike at speed and finally learned how to use all of the features. 

Today we were about to take the boat out so I replaced the batteries and nothing happened. It made this little chirping sound when it turned on but not today. Ocean water had seeped in and corroded the inside. I was first angry because it had cost me so much, $500 for the GPS, $125 for the City Navigator software, $50 for Hawaii Terrain maps and $75 for the Blue Water Charts.

Then I thought of the years of use finding food and shelter, finding my way through every state, knowing where I was, when the sun would set, the altitude, where I was going and how long it would take to get there. I remembered more than once sitting on the ground tired cold hungry and wet in a dark heavy rain trying to find a room for the night with a phone and my trusted GPS. This happened a lot and my friend never let me down.

I now have a smart phone but I will miss my old Garmin GPS. I can't bring myself to throw it away quite yet.

two hundred thirty four

The next adventure Hawaii.....

two hundred thirty three

IT IS SIMPLE

Life gets simple on the road. There are a few bodily functions and hygiene issues plus staying in touch with the people who worry, but eat, sleep, and ride is about it. I know I can't live out there but it sure is a beautiful place to visit.

two hundred thirty two

ROUTE 88 APACHE TRAIL ROAD IN ARIZONA

Mid summer in 2003 I attempted to ride to the high desert of Showlow Arizona. I was using this as a shake down trip to learn what works and what doesn't work. 

The first day I started at three AM to get some miles in before it got too hot. I made big miles that first day but by the second day the temperature reached 115F by noon. The famous words of Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood) "A man must know his limitations" ran through my mind. 

With this in mind I decided to abort my original plan and divert to Roosevelt lake. I spent the remainder of the day napping, hydrating, and attempting to stay cool.  After sundown I headed toward my home in Gilbert Arizona under a clear sky and full moon. 

It was impossible to ride the steep washboard gravel road which was a third of the 63 miles. I pushed my loaded bicycle at least half of the way. It took 9.5 hours to reach the city and my home.

 I hydrated and rested my swollen legs the next day while I thought about what there was to learn from this nightmare misadventure. I learned I was finally mature enough to realize my limits. 

As a younger man my pride would have gotten in the way. This was a vital lesson well worth the nightmare. I reconfigured my bike and set more realistic goals.

two hundred thirty one

These are the places I have seen from the seat of my trusty bicycle "Walter".

San Diego California to Gilbert Arizona was my first long trip, this was in the early spring of 2004. I was in the middle of no where with only my bicycle and it was perfect. I watched a private Blue Angel air show in El Centro California as they practiced for their upcoming season.

The second trip was in the summer of 2004. This trip began in San Francisco California and ended in San Diego California following the narrow but scenic Pacific Highway.

In late summer of the same year, I took my third trip starting in St Augustine Florida and ending  in Bar Harbor Maine. This included the outer banks of North Carolina, Washington DC, and the autumn leaves of New England.

The fourth trip was in the summer of 2006; it began in Cedar City Utah. This trip included the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, and the Navajo Nation; it ended in hot Gilbert Arizona.

Trip five was in 2007 beginning in San Francisco up the Pacific coastline, the Redwood Highway, and the Washington islands. This trip ended in Bellingham Washington.

I then took trip six in the spring of 2008, starting in San Francisco crossing Nevada on highway 50, three 9000 foot passes, and Niagara Falls. This trip ended on a rainy Hampton Beach New Hampshire beach.

In 2009 I headed to Vancouver Canada, parked my car at a friend’s house in Tsawwassen British Columbia Canada and headed for Key West Florida. I saw a forest fire, a Mississippi River flood, tornadoes in the plain states, and a hurricane in Alabama and Key West.

These trips totaled over 14000 miles or 22500 km according to my GPS.

Obviously it has been way too long since my last adventure. I have a few more states left to explore. I'm in the process of planning my next Really Big Circle.

two hundred thirty

BEST SMILE EVER

This picture was taken with a telephoto lens as I finally found the correct house. I had been given the name of some friend in southern Florida by a friend in Canada. All I had was a name, a phone number and a general location. After a very awkward conversation, they checked with each other and granted me access. I think my story was so far fetched it must have been true.

I had borrowed a land line in a gas station because my cell phone was out of power. The clerk behind the bullet proof glass was dressed head to toe in a black burga with only her eyes showing. I assume the glass office was air conditioned, but as she handed me the phone it was almost too hot to touch. This was one tough lady. 

I discovered I had passed their house by about twelve miles so I had to back track. It was extremely hot and humid on this Florida mid August afternoon. My body was bullet proof after almost two months on the road so it was no big deal.

The generosity of people always amazes me and this was no exception. I was a total stranger with only a phone number and a familiar name. If it was me, I would have been much more suspicious of a guy on the road. 

My back tire was going flat in this picture, it finally had to be replaced from wear. I did get a ride in his Porsche to a local bike shop the next morning and hit the road by noon. Another amazing day on the road.

I think I can do this one more time. That smile is worth all of the suffering.

two hundred twenty nine

FAT 'N HAPPY

This is a recent picture taken in 2012. I'm spending a lot of time working in front of a computer key board and haven't thrown my leg over a bicycle in a year. However I have a few miles left in my legs and will take another trip soon. I have not lost my sense of curiosity. I still wonder what's over the next hill and around the next corner. I'm still seeing what's in front of me and being where I am.

I'll keep you posted.....

 There are more than 200 posts, be sure to continue after the first page by clicking on "older posts", use the blog archive, or count down by number. The posts are random, but I tried to express complete thoughts in each post. The nature of this blog is about thoughts and feelings, not a travel report or guide. I journeyed through many beautiful places, what I want to express are my observations and the things I learned.  

two hundred twenty eight

FLORIDA COAST NEAR ST. AUGUSTINE

The Atlantic Ocean after a long ride from Vancouver BC. St Augustine Florida was hot and humid. I was nearing the end of this epic journey because I was only eight hundred or so miles from Key West. It is strange how my perspectives had changed. I was lean and mean, this is a really good side effect of all of the effort.

two hundred twenty seven

COLDER THAN IT LOOKS

The waters looked cold but I had no idea how cold. The winter snow pack must have been heavy in the Cascades. There were large building size ice chucks above the highway. They were only a few miles away so the water was coming directly from the ice pack...brrrr! 

It was hot on this June day so I was overheating after a long climb. The water looked really refreshing so I found a secluded cove and took a swim all natural. When I jumped in I thought my heart would stop! I quickly got out, got dressed and had to continue the climb to get warm again.

two hundred twenty six

GREEN GREEN AND MORE GREEN

Green, green, green I will always love green. I lived many years in Arizona and fell in love with the desert. However I still love green.

two hundred twenty five

The inland lakes and rivers of Washington are cold and run quickly, the water is clear and clean.

two hundred twenty four

My strange method of travel is simply the way I want to travel. A motor home is an adventure, but the physical stress of my bicycle, dealing with the elements, finding safe harbor each night, and the amount of time involved is what I love. Yes, my butt gets sore, my body gets tired and dirty, I get hot, cold, and wet. The days are long and lonely. Why do I love it so much? .........................Good question.

two hundred twenty three

Wide berms, sunshine, fresh air, 4000 miles ahead of me and I'm wearing sunglasses.

two hundred twenty two

A part of America I missed so much. The back roads are the reason I do this. Every place has a flavor, but the smells and sounds of the country are my favorite. The trees are more evergreen, the barns are a little different, but it's all familiar to this country boy at heart.

two hundred twenty one

My first night off of the road was behind a small church in Washington state. There was a good chance that there would be a heavy dew so under an awning is always good.

The back roads of Washington were quiet. I did what I tried not to do and put in way too many miles for the first day. It was an 80 plus day with a few hills, it was probably adrenaline. I ate pasta and talked to the preacher for a couple of hours. He was a very large fellow with a great sense of humor. He had a lot of questions about my gear and previous adventures. I was back in the real America, not the one on TV.

two hundred twenty

BUTTERFLIES

Doing one last gear check to get ready for the endless journey. Key West is just the name of a city at this point, it is so far away I know not to waste time trying to wrap my mind around it. 

I feel so out of shape in this picture, but I know I will do OK if I take it easy and keep my hip from acting up. I trained in San Francisco only a little with a full load, but did frequent light road bike training rides. I think the hills gave my hip joints more flexibility, but I must be careful. A goodnight of sleep and at first light I will head out.

two hundred nineteen

DID I FORGET SOMETHING?

Well, it has been a very long strange trip since I last posted. Life has some twists and turns and a few bumps. I hit a very large bump, oh those affairs of the heart. 

Well, I'm back to update you on my adventures. Walter is striking a pose in Vancouver BC at the start of my latest trip. It was summer in Canada and the idea was to leave my car with a friend and ride to Key West Florida. 

I'll try to post daily to get this trip down in digital before I forget everything. Thanks to all who have followed my misadventures and have taken the time to write.

two hundred eighteen

WALTER'S SEXY SISTER

This is a picture I had posted before. I haven't given this bike a name, but it's the one I ride almost daily. I got a great deal in Mesa on this light full carbon fiber frame bike. the components fairly high end quality. It only weighs 18.5 pounds vs the 90 pounds my touring bike weighs loaded. 

Now that I live in San Francisco Walter is stored away waiting for our next adventure. I can't ride without hearing the call of the road. For now I'll explore the hills and coastlines in and around San Francisco. 

This touring thing has marked me for life.

two hundred seventeen

TWIN PEAKS

This is overlooking San Francisco from Twin Peaks facing east, I live down in that clutter of houses. San Francisco is very congested, but it is very alive with every type of food, language and ethnic group. I don't do many long rides like I did in Phoenix, but they are a lot more aerobic. I'm becoming a very good hill climber.

two hundred sixteen

TWIN PEAKS

My morning ride usually takes me to Twin Peaks Road overlooking San Francisco. This was a clear early November day. Several car commercials and movies have been filed here. That is the famous curve.  

two hundred fifteen

NOE VALLEY 24th STREET

This is the street in front of my home in San Francisco. The hill beyond is where the previous pictures were taken. The Pacific Ocean is about six miles beyond the peak. I ride up through the steep neighborhood streets and I do mean steep.

two hundred fourteen

I THINK WHEN HE LEFT THE HOUSE WEIRD WAS THE POINT

The free spirited people of San Francisco are everywhere. Best of all, they make me feel very normal. I'm crazy enough to ride a bicycle 4000 miles, but an a fashion adventure truly frightens me. This guy has never said no to a new fad, or a bong hit.

two hundred thirteen

THE OFFICE

This is where I have been for the past few months. My new job in San Francisco is much different than any I knew existed. The almost forty years I worked in the meat and grocery biz was more than enough. I work on web sites and do odd jobs and live with a house full of great people. 

I get a place to stay and a few bucks and the use of a very nice computer. I'm not a computer guy, but this is a great chance to learn. I spend endless hours hunting and pecking at this desk and am always glad I'm not punching a clock and sporting a necktie. I'll try to post more so stay tuned.

two hundred twelve

TAKING A BREAK WAITING OUT THE STORM

Eureka Nevada on the loneliest highway route 50. I started my journey a bit too early, but it is hard to plan any trip that will take two months. 

Spring is a season of weather turmoil, so the occasional late snowfall can be expected. This one was coupled with high winds and a very low wind chill. 

Water would freeze in a water bottle in minutes, and the roads were slippery. The building I stayed in was a closed restaurant, part of a campground. The day was spent trying to stay warm, and listening to short way radio. 

I heard a BBC broadcast and some Spanish baseball. Later the owner of the camp ground stopped and told some great local stories. They were about Mormon crickets, local whore houses, military night maneuvers, and the local who killed who history. 

This old mining town sat 78 miles from Ely, and 68 miles from Austin, this was what I found later to be "the big city".

two hundred eleven

A DISTANT STORM HEADING MY WAY

On a small bicycle weighing ninety pounds with less then one horse power you are at the mercy of every whim of mother nature. At times I felt like a row boat in the middle of the ocean. 

The obsession of most touring cyclists is to know the weather in advance. I have had many campsite conversations of hope or dread of upcoming headwinds, tail winds, floods, fires, avalanches, hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, meteor showers, plagues or rain, most of the time they are wrong. 

I however choose to live in ignorant bliss because I can't change it plus I like surprises. If it rains, I have rain gear, if there is a headwind it just takes longer and if it is too bad I hole up in my tent, pavilion, coffee shop, baseball dugout or a cheap motel. 

Through Kansas and Nebraska, tornado warnings were excepted so I camped in low protected spots. I love extremes and this trip was filled with sub freezing snow covered high altitude climbs, ninety degrees with high humidity, long hot dry desert stretches, flood and fire detours and the occasional afternoon thunderstorms. 

Touring is a true adventure and weather is a big part of that adventure.

two hundred ten

STARTING A NEW ADVENTURE ACROSS THE CONTINENT

Leaving San Francisco on the ferry north to Vallejo. Everything felt wrong and awkward just because that's the way tours start. The look from this end was much different then the look back from the other end. Only 4044 miles to go, piece of cake.

Two hundred nine

THIS IS THE SECOND THOUGHTS STAGE

This is the second day, everything is wrong, nothing feels quite right and I'm wondering if my body will make it. I have felt this way each trip so I know it will pass soon.

I'm on a very nice bike through the center of Sacramento California. In Davis I had a long talk with a local cyclist about touring. He had many many questions. This convinced me to take more time to talk. I believe he was a visitor to my blog for most of my trip.

two hundred eight

COMMANDO CAMPING

The bike path through Sacramento was a great place to camp, after I got through the center of town there were less sketchy people living in the bushes. 

The deer and wild turkeys were so tame they grazed within ten feet of my tent. The morning was the first of many rainy days. I found a quiet restaurant to hang out until the rain stopped.

two hundred seven

NOT JUST THE LAST BUT THE ONLY STOP

Nevada was a state that needed some planning and strategy to survive. This was the only stop between two small desert towns. I had ridden almost forty challenging miles to this point. The food was good and the people were friendly. 

They were familiar with cycling tourists because there was no where else to stop. It was another forty miles to the next town, this was a long long way from Starbucks, McDonald's or Walmart. 

That trailer is the motel. There were eight rooms $45 per room. We were in Nevada perhaps they were used for more then sleeping. I camped just before the next town.

two hundred six

FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH GENEROUS STRANGERS

This is Junior, a dog who became my best friend while camping north of San Francisco. This was a truck farm and chicken farm owned by a very hospitable couple. After I set up my tent they invited me in for a wonderful meal with candles and linen napkins. This was a great start to my trip. Junior spent much of the night sleeping by my tent.

THIS IS JUNIOR

two hundred five

NEVADA STATE HIGHWAY 50 KNOWN AS THE LONELIEST HIGHWAY

This was it for 400 plus miles through Nevada. The traffic was very light, about one car or truck every half hour to as much as an hour and a half. Once or twice it was even longer. Talk about feeling isolated. 

The treeless landscape allowed a strong wind to blow with an eerie silence. My ears lost that background tone we all have from the noise of the daily rat race. After a few days of quiet I begin to truly hear. I could hear trucks and cars from five or more miles away. 

They would first give a hint they were real as small moving speck on the horizon, then they grew large enough to be real. Soon I could determine if it was a car or truck. As the noise grew clearer then louder, then in a brief moment it became larger and louder then life. 

Only a few feet away multiple tons of speeding mass rushed by me at seventy miles per hour or more, the deafening noise and the blast of air was mixed with a momentary look into another set of human eyes. 

In a moment the brief encounter goes quiet and fades into the distance. I return to the sounds of my breathing, the ticking of my clip in peddle  and my thoughts.

two hundred four

A BIG TYPE OF BEAUTY

Nevada has a big type if beauty. If you look at what is directly around you, it seems dry, gray, and lifeless. However, at a distance or looking at the bigger picture it is breathtaking. US route fifty known as “the loneliest road" is a full week of surreal silence and beauty. The snow level was 6000 feet in elevation; I knew I would soon be there.

two hundred three

THE SHOE TREE

This strange tree had no explanation or name it was simply standing alone on a long stretch in Nevada. Several people had stopped to take pictures but they were also puzzled. There was every type of shoe imaginable is hanging there. This includes a bra and a pair if panties nailed to the tree trunk. I have a feeling this is what rural Nevada calls tradition.

It got my attention but I'm sure everyone who passes wonders when and how this strange ritual had begun. I'll make a guess, a large amount of alcohol was involved.

two hundred two

FEELING SMALL, A VERY GOOD THING

The open roads of Nevada were a distant memory until I scanned through my pictures. The days were spent in silent solitude and surreal beauty. If you ever want to feel small, cycle these endless landscapes. After less then a week in my own bed the road is again calling me.

two hundred one

MEMORIES

You cannot know what stirs in me as I see this picture. It fills up my senses like nothing else. The pictures, sounds, silence, and smells of the road. I hope one day you can feel it.

two hundred

THE MORNING MYSTERY

My daily journey took me sometimes 100 miles from where I had slept the previous night. Each morning as open my eyes the inside of my tent is familiar. Everything beyond that was a new mystery. 

My mind would search for my location through my pre caffeine brain fog. Pictures flashed through my mind of previous mornings but I knew what was outside of my tent would all be new. I zip open the rain fly to reveal the surprise. 

The roar of morning traffic, the sounds of rushing water, the songs of wild birds, or the crowing of chickens would greet me. I didn't know what direction I was looking especially if it was over cast. The discovery that there was no dew, heavy dew or rain. This morning mystery was something I grew to enjoy. 

I soon will be back in my own bed with my own bath room which will be nice, but the nomad in me will be a driving force for life.