Thursday, May 29, 2008

Never trust unsolicited advice

Or any advice, for that matter. It's all wrong.

I spent most of Wednesday morning riding around the edge of the peninsula I camped on last night. The local woman who I talked to yesterday suggested that it would be a nicer, more scenic way to get back to 200, since hardly anyone drives on it. It is beautiful-- sometime I am going to spend about a week kayak camping on the islands in Lake Pend Oreille-- and there are hardly any cars. This could be due to the fact that it is a FREAKING DIRT ROAD! Thanks for the heads up, lady. It is moderately well maintained, and would be really fun to ride if I had mountain bike tires and no gear. Sadly, this is not my situation. I manage to ride most of it, and only have to get off and walk at a couple of the hairier spots. I also take a mile-long detour uphill on a more gravelly road-- walking almost the whole way-- because my GPS device says there is a park up there, and I gamble that maybe they have facilities, and I can refill my water, but there is no park.

I finally reach 200 and it sucks. There is little or no shoulder for the majority of it. I knew I should have been suspicious of that guy's route info when I couldn't find the campground he told me about in Sandpoint. The only way I can keep myself from going back there and kicking his ass like rock death is to keep telling myself "wow, 2 must be REALLY bad if *this* is the good route." But really, I don't think it is possible that 2 has even less shoulder than this. I continue on to Clark Fork, where the senile or sadistic cyclist told me I could camp. Google has also told me there are several RV parks in the area, so I should be good. I pass a campground about 8 miles before town, but continue, as I am not ready to call it a day yet, and because I really want some food in town. I have plenty, but I am craving a sandwich. I pass the Ace Hardware store without replacing that bolt on my front rack because there is (according to Google) a bike shop in town, and I can replace it there, and ask about camping while I'm in the shop.

There is no bike shop, and nowhere to camp in town. I ask about half the people in town about camping. They hem and haw in a friendly way, but come up empty. It seems that tonight's criteria of a toilet (sometimes a lady wants a bathroom!) and drinking water are a little too demanding. The RV Park, whose sign advertises "RV Hookups, Campsites, Showers," does not have campsites. The guy there suggests that perhaps the hotel will let me put up a tent on their lawn. Nope. The man at the hotel tells me of a place outside of town where I can camp for free. I ask hopefully about bathrooms. Nope. "But there won't be anyone out there," he says. I grit my teeth and tell myself he has no way of knowing that shyness is not why I want a bathroom. Too frustrated and irritated to even consider staying at the hotel, I give up on my fantasy of staying near a toilet for the night. I refill my water and use the bathroom at the hotel, then head out. I find the spot, which turns out to be a fishing hole of some sort, and of course, the crowning glory is the lack of cell phone service. I can't even call someone to whine about my day. Oh, that's right, part of the reason I wanted to stay on 2 was because AT&T's coverage map made it look like the service was fairly good along that highway! Ack, why did I come this way? It will be another two or three days before I am back on 2. I bawl like a baby the whole time I put up my tent. I thought I was done, but then three mosquitoes bit me while I was writing this, and the tears started again. I hide in my tent because I'm already gross and sweaty and sunblocky, and I don't want to add bug gunk to the mix just yet. At least I'm not spending any money. And the weather was really nice with hardly any wind.

This will make me extremely wary about changing my plans at the suggestion of a seemingly kindly and informed stranger in the future.

Riding was fine today. It's cloudy, but not too windy. After about five miles on the hated 200 I reach Montana. Yay! The road doesn't improve, but it feels like an accomplishment. I've reached another time zone! I'm still feeling tired and not-so-super, so I don't make it that far today before stopping at an RV Park for the night. It's a really nice place, near water and surrounded by trees, and when I tell the woman running the place that I am not feeling well and plan to stay for two days, she gives me a sickie discount. I show my gratitude by paying in cash. Maybe I'll even pay to do some laundry while I'm here. They have those sweet side-loading washers that save water.

I am completely shocked that I have service here. I checked at a store that is probably about half a mile away, on 200, and I had nothing, but here I have four bars. Maybe because it is close to a reservoir that has a couple of towns on the other side of it.

I've instituted a mandatory policy of one day off after three days of riding, so I'm taking tomorrow off. I may not post, and I don't know how my service will be while heading up 56, so it may be a couple of days before you hear from me again. (Just a warning, so no one frets!)

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

On the Road Again

So I managed to drag myself away this morning, and continue on highway 2. I soft pedalled all day and took frequent breaks. The views are spectacular and the weather is lovely (excepting the wind, of course.)

Near Sandpoint, ID, a local cyclist rode up beside me and gave me a bunch of tips, and suggested amending my route, taking 200 east and then 56 north in Montana to meet up with 2 again. He has ridden that way himself, and it is lovely and there are a lot of good places to camp. Alright, sold. The distances look to be about equal. He also suggests an RV park in Sandpoint to camp at for the night. I can't find it. I ask another cyclist, this one younger and more granola, about camping, and he suggests a possibly legal spot out in the woods a few miles out of town, that is free and without amenities. It's not too far off the main road. It is a bit farther than I was going to let myself travel today, but it is still early, my knee doesn't hurt, it is mostly downhill, and my sense of adventure is piqued. I go for it. For a guy who seems so... "mellow" and "groovy," he gives stunningly specific directions, and I find the spot easily. A woman who lives nearby tells me that it is a wildlife preserve, and camping is allowed here, but it's just not advertised because they don't want too many campers.

In the process of pushing my bike along an extremely narrow footpath, trying my best not to cause damage, I somehow lose one of the bolts holding my front rack in place. Once I find a place to camp, I rig it up with a shoelace, and hope it holds until the next hardware store. I thought I had some spare bolts, but I guess not. It is beautiful here, right on the edge of a lake, no one around, and enough wildlife that I finally have to tie up my food. (Don't worry, Mom, help is not too far, if I need it. My phone works and I can hear a dog barking. And I have my bear mace.)

The ad, as promised: The Priest River Recreation Area, AKA "The Mudhole," is the place to be for bicycle campers. It is located just east of the town of Priest River, ID. (The town's grocery store, Mitchell's Harvest Foods, has a really good selection for a town this size.) Apparently, they used to get a lot of bicycle campers here, riding across the country, and would put them in a regular car camping site and charge the regular fee of $15, but neither the campers nor the park staff were satisfied with this arrangement. They came up with the idea of building some smaller campsites for cyclists, and the Boy Scouts took it on as a volunteer project. What they built were five small sites-- each with its own tent site, picnic table, grill, and post to lock your bike to-- nestled in amongst some trees and bushes, and clustered around a central fire pit, water tap, and the best part: a bicycle work station. Yup, it's a rack thingy that you can hang your bike from while you do whatever needs doing. They thought of everything! And the price: a scant $3 per night! The park attendants are a sweet couple, and I was able to pick up my complimentary maps of Idaho and Montana in the office. The bathrooms are clean and well-maintained, with showers that give FIVE full minutes of hot water for a quarter. What luxury! And after the five minutes are up, cold water will continue to trickle until you shut it off, so if you just need to rinse off that last sud, you are covered. Can you tell I love this place? There is a sign by the money hole that says you may insert up to fifteen quarters. You know, in case you need a SEVENTY-FIVE MINUTE shower. It is a typical family campground, however, so there is a fair amount of noise on the weekend-- children, dogs, cars-- but it dies down shortly after dark. Once the holiday weekend ended, this place cleared out. If you ever plan to camp here, be sure to bring bug spray! It isn't called the mudhole for nothing.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Equation for Stagnation

(knee pain)(strong headwind + holiday traffic + ridiculously cheap campground + advice from bike-trippin' friend) = staying put for another day.

Another beautiful day. I'd like to be riding, but don't want to injure myself and end the trip early. Besides, there are benefits to lazing around on a sunny day. I got to recharge all of my technology, and I got to watch a small bird chase a squirrel from one tree to another, then all the way up it. The squirrel must have been nosing around her eggs. Now there is a fly on my hand, licking it or sniffing it or whatever they do with their proboscis. Yesterday I watched a fly lick the cover of my book for a good twenty minutes. He was unshakeable. I wonder what made the book so tasty.

If any of you pass by Odessa, WA, for the love of food bring this woman (http://dustdevilwoman.livejournal.com/) some curry paste. She and her husband, who I met in Odessa on my previous day off, are living my other, pastoral, dream. The goat farming one. Her dream started out similar to mine, what with the dairy goats and cheesemaking, but she explains how that changed to meat goats.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

A question

Today was beautiful. There were scattered thunderstorms predicted, but I didn't see them. I feel almost ready to move on, but I really like it here... I think I could stay for the whole two week maximum, but I kinda have places I want to be.

Does anyone know if I will be allowed to bring my collapsible ASP baton and bear mace into Canada? I was looking around on the internets and couldn't find anything specific about the baton since it is not a firearm or tobacco. It looked like bear mace might be allowed if I was planning to spend a lot of time in the woods. I checked on the legality of owning both in Canada, and I got the impression that they are in a gray area of being legal to own but not use... Maybe someone savvier or with a faster internet connection or more Canadian could respond? Thanks!

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Idaho, wooo!

But Highway 2 is really bumpy in this state, booo!

When I began pedaling this morning, I realized my leg muscles were all out of juice. They weren't even muscles, they were rubber bands. It seems I only have about three days of pedaling in me before I need a day off. But since I had already packed up all of my gear, I decided to make some progress anyway. I barely dragged myself over the state line, mostly fueled by willpower.

The weather started out beautiful today, with the only detractor being my nemesis, the wind. I had great views of the mountains I was sure to be climbing soon, and was surrounded by trees. I had truly left the desert behind. Thankfully, it seemed like I had more downhill than up today, but with the wind, there were times when it still *felt* like up.

When I entered the town of Newport, WA, right on the border, I saw a sign for Margaret's Market that promised organic produce. I needed an apple! I went in and found that it was one of those stores that sells all kinds of hippie products, and the only produce was in a little refrigerator case in the corner. I picked a Fuji apple ($2.99/lb!), the only kind of apple available, and the friendly hippie working there (not Margeret) only charged me fifty cents for it. Then she washed it for me! I chatted with her about places to camp while I ate the apple, and she suggested some places where I could just pull off the road and camp for free, and also mentioned a campground where I would have to pay. My google guru Jackie had already informed me of this place, so I got to feel all smart and prepared when I said "Oh, that's the place in ---?" We chatted some more about my trip, then she gave me two more apples on the house. She was so into the idea of the trip that she wanted to load me up on supplies, but I have all I can carry already (I passed a Fred Meyer on the way out of Spokane) so I thanked her and said I'd better get on the road, because the storm clouds were brewing. They had been getting bigger and darker all day. I found the pay campground, because I'm taking tomorrow off, and I don't want to run out of water while I'm lounging. They seem pretty full in the car camping area, but the bike camping area is all mine! I set up my tent just in time, before the rain started. So far, this seems like a pretty cool place to take a day off. Expect to see a full on advertisement after I leave...

Friday, May 23, 2008

Is anyone missing a...

..little plastic baby-doll arm? It's out on highway 2, just before milepost 303.

I'm a bit wiggy today from lack of sleep. I haven't slept this poorly since that night I thought my tent might collapse from the wind. If you ever stay at the Rodeway Inn in Spokane, bring three things: earplugs, noseplugs, and a sleeping bag. The walls are so thin that not only was I subjected to the raucous afterparty at 2AM in the room next door, I pretty much heard everything that was happening within a five block radius. I'm not sure why so many women scream in that area. They didn't sound like they were under attack. Perhaps I was just too close to the bar scene. And if that wasn't enough, when I snuggled down under the covers to go to sleep, I was hit with an awful smell. The bedding smelled like urine. I think the sheets were actually clean, but the bedspread was not, and the smell permeated everything else. I pushed it all aside and used my sleeping bag. And to top it all off, the room was not as cheap as kayak.com said it would be. I ate the crap out of their lame free breakfast and hit the road.

The helpful signs directed me out of the city on a quiet suburban route, to meet up with 2 at the northern edge of the city. Well, almost. The signs disappeared toward the end, but Garmin and I found the highway and I was on my way.

The weather was cool, cloudy, a smidgen sprinkly and super windy. There also seemed to be a lot of traffic in the afternoon. I'm assuming people were heading out for the long weekend. The wind coupled with my lack of sleep sucked out my will to ride, so I didn't quite make my intended destination, but I did some respectable miles and found a nice place to camp. I had to pay to camp here (boo!), but I am camped under a shelter, which feels a bit like cheating but is really nice since it's supposed to be kinda rainy tonight and tomorrow. This way I can pack up a dry tent tomorrow and have no excuse to lay around. Barring some sort of intestinal parasite, I should cross over into Idaho tomorrow, because I am not too far from the border now.

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Finally riding on 2

There is more traffic on 2 than the last road I was on, but the road makes up for it by having an enormous, silky smooth shoulder. I'm ready to make that trade-off. My bum is happy, but my lungs and ears are sad.

Weather conditions were great all day, with the exception of an occasionally fiesty headwind. I make good time, and roll into Spokane, ready to complete my tour of REIs of eastern Washington. Spokane seems fine on paper. There is a well marked bike map as I enter the city limits, and the routes are fairly well marked for cyclists, although one stretch of road on the "bike route" had no shoulder and was so pitted the safety cap shook off the top of my bear mace! Thank goodness it didn't deploy. I crossed the river via a nice park with great views of the roiling water (no cars here!) and found REI. All of the customer service people in this city are friendly and helpful, but, with few exceptions, I got nothing but grumpy hostility from people on the street. It made me really dislike the city. You know, this description of the city and its inhabitants could be of Seattle. Is it possible that my short exposure to small town life has already made me jaded?

There are a couple of places to camp around the edges of the city, but I decide I'll like this place better from behind a deadbolt, so I get a hotel room, and have a shower. Ahhh. I run some errands and get a book, finally, so I can ditch that book of lame crossword puzzles that are easier than the ones in TV Guide. The more time I spend walking around the city the nicer people seem and the more I like it, so maybe it was just culture shock after all. Or maybe pedestrians like other pedestrians more than they like bikers.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Random Observations

Conditions today started out pretty much optimal for biking. Partly cloudy, with enough sun to charge my phone, temperature in the sixties, no rain and a gentle breeze. There were wide shoulders on a fairly level and hardly travelled road. Nice. Suddenly, wham! I got hit with a fierce headwind combined with alternating drizzle, rain and freakin' HAIL! Yeouch! I basically crawled the last five tortuous miles to my destination. The instant I rolled into town-- I'm not kidding-- the wind calmed down, the sun came out and the birds started chirping. Ha ha, very funny. I console myself with hot chocolate and fish'n'chips at a local restaurant, then set out in search of a place to camp. There seems to be some disagreement on whether camping is allowed in the park. I search fruitlessly for an alternative, then come across a friendly police officer. He also does not know whether it is allowed, and can't reach anyone to find out. Implying that he is the only city employee on duty for the rest of the night, he tells me it is fine with him if I stay for one night. Whew! I head over and set up. Just as I finish setting up the tent, it begins to rain again. Well that's fine with me. This time I am ready.

For the first time ever on this trip, someone pulled off the road while I was on one of my roadside snack breaks and asked if I was alright. Actually, not just one, but THREE people! All within a few minutes of each other. There must have been something about the location or the position of my bike that looked more accidental than usual. That was so nice of them! I have been a little surprised that no one ever asked if I needed help when I was changing tires, but I guess I wasn't looking up at passing cars like I needed help. Not that I was this time.

For those of you who are keeping track, I have not had a flat tire since I bought those new tubes in Kennewick. I have also not had a shower since then. (I do manage a sponge bath most nights, and no one has commented on the smell. Although most people are pretty polite.)

I was thinking today about how clean the shoulder of the road has been, for the majority of my trip, and I just want to say thank you to all of those people who "adopt a highway." You are doing a great job. Although it's likely none of you are reading this...

Pretty much my entire route so far has been alongside train tracks. I obsessively count cars. The longest so far (including engine) has been 129 cars. That was the first week. Today I counted a second- place train at 115 cars. Usually they are in the sixty to ninety range.

Some semis cause a lot more air turbulence than others. I'm assuming this has to do with shape (though speed is definitely a factor). I'm also assuming someone is studying or has studied this with an eye toward improving aerodynamics and gas mileage.

Several dogs have chased me, but so far a forceful "No!" has been sufficient. Most of them kinda seemed like it was a territorial thing, and I got out of their area quickly enough.

Well, I should tuck in early and try to get a few hours of sleep before the inevitable sprinklers come on...

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Product Reviews

It's raining, and my legs hurt.

Over breakfast this morning I think of a million other excuses for why I should enjoy the rain from inside my tent today. I go back to bed for a while, and the Canadians sally forth.

A couple of days ago I finished the book I was reading, "Three Cups of Tea." (http://www.ikat.org/three-cups-of-tea/) It was inspiring and heartwarming and what-not. Please give them money. But now I am bookless, and so I venture forth from my tent in search of reading material. It's slim pickings in this town, but I pick up a book of crossword puzzles. There is a covered picnic table area in this park, so it's easy to cook and spend some time outside the tent. The lack of sun makes me want to limit the time I spend using my phone and iPod, since I cannot charge them with my solar charger.

Speaking of solar chargers, the Brunton Solarport 4.4 is pretty sweet, what with having a 12 volt outlet, a USB outlet, and coming with a battery charger. The only thing that makes me second guess this purchase is that it doesn't have an internal battery, like some other portable solar chargers, that would allow it to collect sun all day and charge things at night. I have to hook it to my backpack or bike rack as well as to the thing I would like to charge while I am riding, which can occasionally get unwieldly. But hey, free power!

On the subject of sun, Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer sunblock doesn't seem to be clogging my pores, and mostly stays put while I'm sweating. Sometimes my eyes sting a bit, but I'm not sure if that is the sunblock's fault, or the sun/wind combo. And now that the Aveeno stuff has been demoted from face to body, I'm quite happy with it, but it's kinda pricey, so I doubt I'll buy it again.

No good segue here: I also just finished the audiobook of Phillip K. Dick's "A Scanner Darkly," which is one seriously trippy book. I had seen the movie, so I kind of knew what I was in for, but dang! I really wished I was actually reading it, instead of listening to it, so I could have attempted to follow it better.

For anyone wishing to reach me by telephone: the best time is probably between 7 and 9 PM (local time wherever I am.) By then I'm almost guaranteed to be done riding and have my tent up for the night. That being said, I'm often done sooner, and I take plenty of food breaks throughout the day, so you can call me whenever. Don't worry about bothering me-- since I'm in the Saturday club I'm probably the least busy person you know. I won't hear the phone while riding, but most other times I will be happy to hear a familiar voice.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Grass, shrub, rocky hill. Grass, shrub, rocky hill.

It's beginning to feel like a Hanna-Barbera cartoon all up in here. I guess I should get used to it before I hit North Dakota.

Today was pretty easy and uneventful. I am kinda worn out from pushing hard for the last couple of days, so today I took it easy. I found another city park to camp in for free. I guess I should go out and patronize a restaurant in town, to say thanks. I really like sleeping on lush, grassy lawns every night, but I can't help thinking about how much water that takes to maintain. And how much of it ends up on the pavement... Yikes.

Cows and horses that completely ignore cars stop eating to stare when I ride by. I wonder what they make of this strange sight. One cow today didn't notice me until the last minute, and got all spooked and jumped back a few steps before realizing everything was okay. I got the distinct feeling that the cow standing next to it was amused by that.

Fun, I was just joined by a couple of Brits who live in Canada and are riding their motorcycles to California. They're planning to camp here as well. It sounds like they may have done this before.

Blurg, the wind

Went through a bit of a service black hole there...

Sunday was ridiculously windy. I knew it would be a tough day when it was hard to reach 6 mph on level road. I would have lost my mind if I kept heading north, and I was hoping to make some progress that might keep me ahead of the impending rain. I revised my path on the fly, heading east on 28 instead of continuing to 2. This way, the relentless wind was at my back, hopefully for at least a day and a half, and I would still meet up with 2 before Spokane. I missed out on some scenic stuff, but kept my sanity. I couldn't stop thinking that if I hadn't taken that day off, I might have missed the super strong wind. Shoulda coulda woulda... I think I'm happier with this route anyway, because it's emptier. I made great time after I turned east, and eventually stopped at a lonely house to inquire about camping. I thought I would have to set up my tent beside the road and have a handy wipe bath before bed, but the helpful homeowner directed me to a town, Wilson Creek, only about five miles further that has a city park that allows camping, along with working toilets and running water. Luxury! There's a tavern down the street, so I set up, cleaned up, and headed over for some beer and blogging. Mmm Fat Tire. Got to hang out with some local bikers (the smart ones with the motors, not the morons with the pedals...) and one toofless drunk, who were all quite nice. Slept ok except when the sprinklers came on. Those city parks do it to me every time. Ok, both times.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Jick gets a gold star.

The bird expert of the Seattle group (who would like to make it clear that she and her husband are from Sultan, not Seattle!) confirmed that the weird-noise-making birds are indeed Brewer's blackbirds. That noise is the "Hey ladies, check me out" noise that they make while displaying all of their feathers.

Riding along 17 is pretty nice, not too hilly, and traffic isn't too bad mid-day. The wind, however, is a serious handicap today, as is the sun. It doesn't help that I am pedaling in long sleeves. Stupidly, yesterday I decided that I also wanted a day off from sunblock, and I should be fine if I spent the entire day in the shade, wearing a hat. Wrong. I burned in the shade. I am the whitest person you know. So now I am wearing long sleeves until my arms stop hurting, and I can again attempt to introduce them to the sun.

After being misled by Google and asking for directions three times, I finally stagger into the campground. Today was long, and I don't have much more to say about that.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Every day is Saturday...

..when you belong to the Saturday club.

I woke up this morning with no motivation, feeling fatigued. I'd better take a day off. And what better place to do it? It's beautiful here, there is water, and I'm sufficiently stocked up on food. I'm guessing food is one reason I'm so fatigued today: I lose my appetite when it's hot. Yesterday I managed to demolish a half gallon of Power-ade, but I didn't eat a whole lot of solid food. Today I'm resting, eating, and bird-watching. Or more accurately, bird-listening. There's one bird, tiny and black, that makes a noise that sounds almost like a quick splash of water. It seems to do this only when it puffs up its feathers. The rest of the time it makes a normal chip-chip kind of noise. Anyone know what that one is?

I chatted some more with the Seattlites, who took me for a boat ride and invited me over for a salmon dinner. Yum yum! Maybe they will know what that bird is...

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Pant. Sizzle. Gasp. Burn.

I decided to endure the freeway for one more day, since it seemed like the easiest way to get to my chosen route. I'm going to head north on 17 to 2, so although at times it may look as though I am going slightly westward, I *am* going east, I swear. The map says 17 is "scenic," which I suspect may mean "hilly," but I need to get in shape to go over the rockies anyway, right?

After navigating the tangled morass of highways and freeways that all converge in the tri-cities, I make it out unscathed and head north. It's pretty smooth sailing on the freeway, giant shoulder, the hills aren't steep and the wind is less of a factor than yesterday, so despite the heat I make pretty good time. On a snack break I meet a really nice woman who is travelling with her husband in their RV out to visit their daughter near Glacier for the summer. She gives me her number and tells me to stop by and camp on her daughter's property when I'm out that way. Yay!

I turn off onto 17, and it is busier than I had hoped for, but it has a good shoulder and a ton of birds. I wish Stefany was here to identify them for me! I see a couple of baby foxes, at least I'm pretty sure that's what they are. They have that big-eared puppy-kitten look to them. I thought the plural of fox was "foxen" but Miriam-Webster seems to disagree. They wander out onto the road and look as though they are about to step out into the other lane, in front of an oncoming car. I say "what are you doing? Get out of the road!" They look up at me and then hop back onto the shoulder. Whew!

On a tip from a helpful woman at the Mesa grocery store, I find a beautiful, bird-filled place to camp. I meet some nice people from Seattle who are out touring in their RV. Seattlites: we're everywhere you want to be!

I just noticed I am getting a hopelessly dorky short fingered biking glove tan.

Plug of the day: the people at Scott's bicycle shop in Kennewick are super nice and helpful, and the prices there seem good, although I didn't really look at anything besides the tubes, patches, and goo. One of the guys fixed a minor thing on my bike and didn't charge me for it. I would like to believe I got the cute girl discount, but if I'm going to be honest with myself, I have to admit that it is more likely that I got the cute *bike* discount! Everyone in the shop was checking out my "well-built Surly." Yup. That is one foxy little piece of equipment.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The smell of exhaust is in the air...

After a tasty breakfast (including a delicious homemade sticky bun- light and fluffy with just the right amount of sticky) I bade farewell to the kind people at Paterson Restaurant and Store in Paterson, WA. Telling them that my mom said thanks got a chuckle. It's funny, because I was going to plug them anyway, and then you all practically begged for it in the comments.

The first leg of today's ride went great. The road was smoother than yesterday, it was cool and cloudy but not raining, and the wind was at my back. Then I turned north-ish to go to the tri-cities. Ah, what could be better than riding uphill on a busy freeway with a strong crosswind? Yup, you guessed it-- getting a flat tire after only four miles of this torture. It was caused by a thorn-- you'll pay for this, desert! Shortly after my pitstop I exited onto a road that ran alongside the freeway for a ways. It was bumpy, twisty, hilly, gravelly, and shoulderless. At least there was no one else driving on it. It took forever to go about two or three miles, and all the while the day got sunnier and warmer. I stopped often to gaze forlornly at the freeway below me. I was finally rewarded for my toil with a couple of downhill miles- I got up to 36.5 mph. During my coast I forgave the road for throwing me down the beating of the week, but I wasn't dumb enough to ask for more, so at the first opportunity I returned to the freeway. I got to coast most of the next five or six miles into the tri-cities. Ah, I needed that. I splurged on a hotel, ditched my gear, and headed over to the bike shop to see about some better tires. They didn't have anything better than what I have, but they hooked me up with some fat thorn-resistant tubes filled with some sort of hole-sealing goo. The guys in the shop seemed to be experts when it came to thorn-punctures... I'll let you know how that works out. I headed back to the hotel for some bike maintenance on my front stoop, then some serious scrubbing in the shower.

A quick complaint: Aveeno should not market their sunblock as non- comedogenic when it so clearly isn't. I have not had this many zits all at once in years. I wash it off every night, but I guess that is not enough. Blurg. Trying something new tomorrow... (although apparently that label doesn't apply to everyone, just *most* people. But we all know I'm not normal.)

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

That weird it's-raining-in-the-desert smell is in the air

Okay, so I jumped the gun on that perpetual summer thing. Today was cloudy and varied between sprinkly, drizzly, and a bit rainy. It was neither too cold nor too hot, and I had a decent tailwind much of the time. I considered rigging my tent up like a sail, but I don't think I have the right kind of rope. All in all, it was not such a bad day to be riding. So why am I ready to poop out so much earlier than yesterday? Maybe because the sprinklers in the park kept me awake for awhile last night? Maybe because this is the bumpiest shoulder I have encountered yet? I try to ride on the ever-so-slightly smoother road as much as possible, but this doesn't help enough. It also involves constantly checking my rear view mirror so I can move when someone comes up behind me, which is just not a fun way to ride. I make myself stick with it until my next destination.

I arrive in the next town and see a diner. Sign me up for some hot cocoa and a sandwich, please! When I inquire about camping, the sweet woman who owns the restaurant and her mother-in-law who used to own the restaurant say I can pitch my tent in their yard, which is right next door. They even offer me a shower, which I may be too tired and lazy to go for tonight. How nice are they?! I get myself set up, then come back for a beer and blogging. I'll have breakfast here tomorrow, too. I'm more than happy to throw extra business their way.

Monday, May 12, 2008

The smell of sage is in the air...

..and I'm going through sunblock like it's Fat Tire at beer hour. Perpetual summer has begun!

My ride today began with a grueling hill up to the Stonehenge Memorial. Apparently it is built to the scale of the original, and memorializes soldiers from the area who died in WWI. I'll admit it. I walked up most of the hill. It was steep. The rest of the day was uneventful. The road isn't very busy there, and the shoulder is wide and clean. The best part was that the smoothest stretch of road was on a looong downhill slope, and I got up to 32 mph with no shimmies. Weee! I couldn't go any faster, because my highest gear only goes about 27 or 28 mph before spinning uselessly.

I made it to the store, and was so happy to be there, I went buck-wild. Choco Taco? Yes, please! Oreos? Don't mind if I do! An apple? Why not? I inquire about camping and the friendly woman points me toward a nearby park right on the water. Camping is free. I'm so excited to be finally living the dream, I buy a couple of other heavy things for immediate consumption, overload my panniers, and head down the hill to the park. My bike will be lighter heading back up this hill tomorrow...

At the park I'm pleasantly surprised to find a free hot shower in the bathroom. Apparently, I owe my eternal gratitude to local kiters and wind surfers who have cleaned up the park and the bathrooms. Thanks guys! Your hard work did not go unnoticed!

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Seeking corporate sponsorship

The wind was so strong last night, I didn't really sleep at all. I just watched the tent shake and wondered when it would collapse. I kept thinking of that book "Into Thin Air," when the wind collapses a bunch of tents during the storm. If I had slept, I would have had nightmares. But my REI Quarterdome tent is still standing, and I was snuggly warm in my REI Kilo Plus sleeping bag.

Since the wind is blowing about 20 to 30 mph, and will continue to do that through tonight, I decided my best course of action would be to stay put, nap when I can, and begin riding again tomorrow when the wind is supposed to abate. Just the thought of taking my tent down in this wind made me burrow deeper in my sleeping bag, and I'd rather not fight it all day, constantly worried that I will be blown off the road or in front of a car. I figured if I stayed in bed all day, I wouldn't need to eat much, but the dear camp host gave me big ole half a round of brie. Yum! I think it was left over from a party last night, and she would rather not have that delicious hunk of fat in the house. So now I am not just eating, but eating in style. Life is good.

And no, it hasn't rained on me yet.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Whaddya mean, there's no food in this town?!

I woke up exhausted from sleeping practically on the train tracks last night. I was struck by how many birds and frogs I could hear living right next to them. Those guys are better at adapting than I, I think.

It was a mostly uneventful day of riding. Pretty windy at times, adequate shoulder most of the time, kinda cloudy but sunny enough to charge my phone and my iPod. I had what seemed to me to be a pretty productive day, and reached the next park where I intended to camp. I rode around it and got spooked. There were plenty of tents and trailers, all pretty seedy looking, but I didn't see a single human. I also couldn't find the alleged self-service pay station. I decided to ride a little further into the adjacent town, grab some food, ask around about the park, and maybe check out the ever-present RV park. The further I rode, the more spooked I got. I didn't see any people (although it was kinda dinner time) and there was no where to buy food. I was really starting to worry, because, although I have enough food with me to last through tomorrow, at least, I had seen a sign out on 14 that said "no gas next 82 miles." That made me wonder if there was anything. There were several towns on my map, but I was starting to rethink my planned route. I found the trailer park, which also had a bit of a ghost town feel, at first, but there were a few people around, and it was hugely better than the park. No food, though. Did I mention that through this entire experience, the wind was blowing super hard, only adding to the ghost town effect? Anywho, as I was dithering around the pay station, trying to decide if I really needed to pay full price for the campsite even though I was just a lone biker, the camp host and her friend appeared. Both were quite sweet, and when they heard I was camping alone, the camp host insisted that she would feel better if I set up next to her trailer, even though she swore the park was safe. She also knocked $5 off the price. I gladly accepted, then asked about food. She said there was a store in the next town on my proposed route, but she wasn't sure if they were open on Sunday. However, she had lots of food, and would be able to fix me up with something. What a dear!

I set up my tent in the freakishly strong wind, then called my Google map-guru, Jackie, to discuss my route. She wasn't able to find a store in the next town, but gave me the number for a bar and grill just outside town, and she was also able to find a store in the next town after that. Sounds promising... I called the bar and asked about the store, which both exists and is open Sundays, so it looks like my route is still good.

Relieved, I went to take a-- what's this? FREE hot shower? What kind of Shangri-La have I stumbled upon?! I take my time and enjoy it, because I suspect it's the last one I'll see for a while.

There are a couple of reasons I'm not giving my mileage on the trip. The first is vanity. I didn't take the time to get in shape before the trip, so part of me wishes I was going further. Also, the distance is so terrain- and weather-dependant, I have huge ranges in how far I go, even though I spend about the same amount of time and energy riding each day. The biggest reason, though, is that for safety's sake I am trying to be somewhat vague about my location, even though you could probably figure it out if you tried hard enough. The map location lags behind my actual location. Rest assured that I am tracking everything in a big dorky Excel file, which I will be able to show to those I visit, and will probably post on this blog at trip's end.

And one last thing, even though this is already a long post. I like that Dad mentioned community in his comment on the previous post. I was just talking to Mom today about how I had finally been feeling like I was part of a community where I lived and worked, but had left it. I told her that this blog made me feel as though I was still connected to a community. So thanks for that, all!

And good night!

Friday, May 9, 2008

I *am* riding east!

I swear! But my progress is so slow you can't see it on the map... After I follow the Columbia for a while longer I will head north to meet up with Highway 2, and then it's off to Glacier National Park. Where I expect it will still be a bit chilly. Perhaps the bears will keep me warm.

Today was beautiful, sunny and warm, but not hot, with a nice breeze coming up from the Columbia. I hooked my solar charger to my backpack and charged my cell phone while I rode. There were a lot of level areas, and the uphills weren't too long, and were often followed by downhills. Sounds ideal, right? It was, for the first couple hours. Then I started to feel a now-familiar bumpiness. This time, the back tire was flat. At least there was plenty of shoulder where it happened! I'm considering getting sturdier tires, but nothing would have stopped the industrial-sized staple that had pierced my tire this time. I unloaded all the gear from the back and changed the tire, getting completely covered by chain lube in the process. Thank goodness for handy wipes. I had a snack, reloaded, and hopped back on my bike. I rode for-- oh, about 200 feet when I saw a sign that said "Tunnels next two miles. Lights on for safety." I stopped and dug out all of my lights, which were now looking really tiny in the broad daylight. I attached them strategically and rode on with increasing panic. When I approached the first tunnel, I saw something I had never noticed before as a passenger on car trips: a crosswalk button for bikers! It activated a flashing light above a sign that said "Bike in tunnel when light is flashing. 30 MPH." That helped. I made it past the tunnels safely, only to be greeted by a long stretch of road with no shoulder. Sigh. When I came upon an RV park, a few miles later, I decided I had had enough for the day, and called it quits. Now I am camped on a big lawn that is shared by all the car campers who happen to be staying at the RV park. It feels way less secure than the other place I camped, but I keep telling myself that these luxury car campers have no interest in stealing my hardcore backpacking gear.

Who are these people who camp here on purpose? Don't get me wrong, I totally get luxury car camping, but *here*? Who is driving down the highway and says: "Oh look honey! An RV Park right between the highway and the train tracks, and right next to the convenience store! That looks like a great place to stay!" Why not drive a little further, to somewhere better? Like the state park? Maybe there's something more about this location I don't know. Some of them have fishing boats...

Anywho, if I've learned one thing while changing my bike tires, it's this: when you are digging your bike multi-tool out of your pannier to change your tire, you might as well get your pliers out, too. You will need them for something.

And in case any of you were wondering what it is like to bike past a train that is going the opposite direction as you on tracks that are about eight feet away: nerve-wracking. Now you know.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Bike trip is over...

I'm settling here. The river, the trees, plenty of trails, a general store less than two miles away and a three minute hot shower for fifty cents? What more could a girl ask for?

After eleven hours of sleep, I finally managed to drag myself out of my sleeping bag, and decided a day of rest was in order. I puttered, ate, went to the store and took a short hike up to a beautiful viewpoint of the surrounding area. I rode to the store without all of my gear, which was really nice, but I was surprised to notice how squirrelly my bike felt without the seventy pounds of stuff strapped to it. I've heard that about touring bikes. It's all true.

Leaving my stuff unattended at the campsite was tough, but I wasn't in too much of a panic to return to it. Of course, I always have the best stuff with me, except my bike, when I was hiking. I finally feel like I'm starting to leave the robbery behind.

Early in the evening some highskool boys showed up to drink beer out on the dock, but the friendly ranger dropped by a little while later and the kids took off. Then some fishing buddies showed up to camp for the night, so it looks like my solitude is gone. Maybe I'll move on after all.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Addendum

I just wanted to add a few blog-specific notes. I am unable to respond to your comments with this phone. I think it's a browser issue. Please know that I read all of them, and really enjoy them. And Chuck, I will be calling for bail money in about five days.

Also, for those of you who are new to the blog scene, you can set this up as an RSS feed, and you will get an email each time I post, so if you are on the edge of your seat, waiting for the next update, you need only check your email. If someone has better instructions to add to the comments, that would be super, since I am also somewhat new to the scene, and of course, can't quite get that to work on my phone...

And finally, there is apparently a map now added to this blog courtesy of Jackie which will track my progress. I can't see that either, but Anna said it was there...

Chilly, but not raining.

The day began and ended well, but the stuff in between was arduous. Everyone in the small town of Camas was really friendly, even if they thought I had gone crazy-ape-bonkers. The hardware store guys were super helpful, and didn't charge me for the 13 cents worth of electrical wire I used to rig up my cheapo rear view mirror that broke the first day. I took off on highway 14, and soon discovered that it went uphill for about 8000 miles before mercifully heading back down. I took much of it at a pace barely faster than a walk. I stopped a lot, because of the burning. The scenery was spectacular- this highway follows the Columbia River along the Lewis and Clark trail. There is a decent shoulder for much of the way, but some parts are kinda gravelly. I was so relieved when I finally got to go downhill, But my relief didn't last long. My beloved bike began to shudder and rattle. You guessed it: my first flat tire on day three of my trip. Fortunately it was the front tire, which is much easier to remove, so I got the thing fixed up quickly enough. Thanks REI bike maintenance 101! Many more hills and pauses later, I came upon a store and inquired about camping nearby. The wonderfully helpful woman at the store told me about a place just about 1.5 miles further, and dialed the ranger on the store's phone for me, so I could ask a few questions. I was told I could camp at one of the two spots down by the water, where the trains would be a bit louder, or ride up a giant hill and camp at one of the 25 spots there. The answer seemed obvious to me... So here I am, the only camper at a lovely spot by the water, next to the super clean bathrooms. Nice! The friendly ranger stopped by and chatted, and I got all sorts of useful info and free maps, and he pointed out some birds that were hanging around, either osprey or peregrine falcons. Also nice! The locals didn't think I would get cell reception here, but I have three bars. Thanks, AT&T! I'm getting used to the trains, and if I'm as sore as I think I will be tomorrow, I may just stick around for a day of rest, park exploration, and bike maintenance. (a word with which I lost a spelling bee in fourth grade, and still can't spell!)

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Blurg, Portland.

Portland was pretty tough to navigate, but I got some help from a bike map and some kindly strangers who directed me around the closed parts of the perfect-on-the-map bike trail. I went a bit out of my way to take the bike trails, rather than the regular streets, which were lovely and peaceful, but in retrospect I'm not sure they were worth the extra miles. Portland took so long that by the time I crossed the Columbia and got a few miles from Vancouver, I was pretty much done for the day. Some great people at a gas station in a small town outside of Vancouver racked their brains to think of a place I could camp, and they came up with a random semi-secluded road that they thought I could find a spot to put up tent on, but as I was heading through town to go check it out, I consulted my map and decided I was too too tired of riding. I went to the only hotel in town, which seems a bit seedy, but there is a deadbolt on the door, it seems clean, and it only cost half as much as last night's hotel. Tomorrow I will camp for reals, I swear...

Monday, May 5, 2008

A beautiful day to begin riding

After spending a relaxing weekend with Mom, Jeremy, Steven, and Steven's awesome family (you guys are the best!), I finally began the actual bike riding. Jeremy and Steven kindly saw me through a pre-trip freak-out then drove me across the river from Longview to Oregon, so I could ride in their fabulous bike lanes. My sweet sweet bike rides so smoothly fully loaded, and I was having such a good ride in the perfect weather that I got a little over-ambitious and got too close to Portland, passing by any opportunities to camp. I ended up in a hotel at the edge of Portland, paying more than I want to for a smoking room that is only a little stinky. But it's okay, I took a long bath, and can ease myself slowly into this whole roughing it and living cheaply thing. Well, I'm off to bed early, so I can get up in time to fully abuse the free breakfast. More to come...