Saturday, Sunday and Monday July 18, 19, and 20, 2009
Dear Friends, Family and Loyal Readers,

Sorry for being AWOL for so long. If you will read below I hope you will appreciate the hiatus and understand the delay in the update.

We took the Saturday off in Missoula. We had been encouraged to go to the weekly Saturday Missoula farmers’ market. We did. It was very popular with many vendors selling everything from fresh vegetables and fruit to hand made jewelry and copper covered bird houses and everything in between. We also stopped in to visit the home of Adventure Cycling (headquartered in Missoula) the largest bicycling organization dedicated to long distance touring cycling. Adventure Cycling maintains and sells the maps that we and thousands of other cyclists use for touring. We got the obligatory tour, had our pictures taken as do all touring cyclists that "drop in" and enjoyed meeting some of the people we have spoken with over the years about maps and equipment and routes. Finally we also pampered Betsy a bit and had her oil changed and other routine maintenance matters attended to. She received a clean bill of health.

Both Cono and Bill have been getting pretty homesick and are missing their respective spouses. While both spouses were out for a visit a few weeks ago, Cono and Bill have been six weeks out on the road already. So after much discussion and deliberation we have decided to put off the last section of the ride from Missoula Montana to Florence Oregon for a later time. The plan had been to be back on the east coast by July 31 and it was going to be tight to get in the last two sections of the ride and then make that very long drive back from Oregon to the east coast. However, as a consolation prize, we decided to drive north to Glacier National Park to ride “The Going To The Sun Road” up to Logan Pass at 6664 feet and a Continental Divide crossing. In the small but important world of touring cyclists “The Going To The Sun Road” is THE CLIMB/RIDE/PASS to do.

On Sunday we drove north to Whitefish Montana about thirty miles from the entrance to Glacier National Park. After getting settled in a local motel we decided to take a warm up ride for tomorrow’s special spin up to Logan Pass. Bill picked out a section of the Northern Tier cross country route that is in the Glacier area. We were on a small back road that was a little up and down and a few more cars than we expected, but still quite pleasant. We were out and back in about two and a half hours. It was early to bed since we had a thirty minute drive to get to Glacier National Park and we wanted to start reasonably early. In fact because of the length of the climb, the number of autos and the narrowness of the road, the National Park Service prohibits cyclists from starting up The Going To The Sun Road to Logan Pass after 11am.

On Monday we awoke to a cool morning, beautifully clear skies and butterflies in our stomachs (at least Cono’s stomach). We drove to the Park without incident and found a good place for Cono to begin. The plan was for Cono to start on the west side of the Pass and for Bill to drive over the Pass and make the approach from the east side with their both meeting at the Summit. The road itself is a two lane fairly narrow road with no shoulder. Vehicles longer than 21 feet are prohibited so there are no trucks other than maintenance vehicles. We were informed that there was construction about 6 miles before the summit. They were repairing road damage caused by a slide over a year ago. Due to the short construction season (it starts snowing in October and can snow in July) and the narrow road, progress is slow.

Logan Pass has huge lakes at the base of either side of the Pass. On the west side is Lake Mc Donald and on the east side is Lake Saint Mary. The road on both sides follows the lake’s edge with periodic glimpses through the trees across the lakes with gigantic mountains in the background. The road around the lakes begins a slight grade almost immediately. Riding along the lake side under the canopy of the big trees on this cool morning was delicious.

The climb up the west side is 23 miles and is longer than the 10 mile climb up the east side (Lake McDonald is bigger and somewhat longer than Lake Saint Mary).After reaching the end of the lake you follow a river for a bit and dart in and out of these great views of rushing water and small rapids. It is impossible to describe how beautiful the scenery and views are along this ride (road). The Pass itself is deep in the mountains and you can see the line of the knife edge of the road way up on the distant mountain sides. You can’t see the road or the vehicles but you know it is the road. It looks very far away and very high. The grade of the road increases somewhat but does not become hard until the last two miles or so. As you ride you are constantly stopping to get a look or to take another photo. As the road begins to ascend you find yourself at the edge of an escarpment-high vertical rock walls on your left and sharply dropping precipices on your right-often with only a low guard rail. Across the valleys below are other snow capped mountains jutting up to the sky. It is hard to keep your eye on the road but to do other wise could be deadly-hence many stops for photo ops. There are also several very large waterfalls that can be seen from miles away with water cascading down hundreds of feet. In time you learn that you will pass below or close to those far away falls.   

About half way up on the west side approach you ride through a short tunnel. In the middle of the tunnel there are two “windows” that were created to give a view of the mountains across the valley-very cool.

We encountered the promised construction but other than having to ride about a mile on watered down gravel this was not a problem.

After about three and a half hours Cono reached the Summit. There is a very big visitor’s center here and there were quite a few cars and visitors. There was also a big bike touring group at the summit. They were an Adventure Cycling Tour Group doing the “Whitefish To Whitefish Loop” ride which goes up into Canada and returns through Glacier. Bill and Cono met up and took the obligatory pictures to memorialize the event. Cono was overwhelmed with joy when he reached the Summit. He had been dreaming about riding The Going To The Sun Road for 25 years. Dreams do come true and memories are better than dreams. Bill and Cono then rode (rolled) down the east side approach to get to Betsy feeling elated at a great day’s ride and a fitting conclusion to this year’s effort. 

This year we had successfully completed riding through the state of Missouri, completed Kansas, completed Colorado, completed Wyoming, completed Montana, ridden through Teton National Park, ridden through Yellowstone National Park, ridden over the Continental Divide 7 times, climbed well over a dozen mountain passes including Craig Pass, Currant Pass, Hoosier Pass, Muddy Pass Togwotee Pass, Badger Pass, Willow Creek Pass, Logan Pass and several unnamed passes in both the Teton and Yellowstone National Parks and ridden a total of over 2000 miles. While not easy to calculate we have climbed over 100,000 feet of elevation, with an approximate amount of descent we might add.  We are fit, well trained and proud of what we have accomplished. To date we have had no injuries, no flats and no mechanical problems…… and we are still talking to each other. It is time to go home.

 As for the last two sections of the Dreams 2 Memories Coast To Coast Bike Ride………to be continued. Stay tuned!

P.S. When we decided to return we really did not want to rush back nor did we want to suffer the slings and arrows of interstate stress driving. We instead opted to drive back on state and county roads –most but not all of which were well signed. We continued to enjoy rural and wild America up close and personal if at a somewhat faster speed than we had been pedaling. We made it all the way to the Ohio Pennsylvania border before we were forced to get on to the PA Turnpike.

While the scenery was beautiful on the return ride,THE highlight of our return trip was a visit to the Kendal Family Farm of one of Eileen’s dearest friends, Cheryl Kendal. Cheryl’s family has had the farm in the family for decades and her mom who is over 80 has lived on the farm for over 60 years. We were treated like royalty and feted as if we had ridden and won the Tour de France. Cheryl’s brothers and sister came out to the farm along with a few of her nephews to visit with us. We were given a tour of the barns, tractors, various farm equipment, lessons in grain and corn growing, tractor driving lessons, etc etc etc. Finally we all sat down to a fabulous home cooked meal –including three desserts. All of the desserts were great but Cono refused to leave without the recipe for “Dirty Cake”. If you visit the country house you’ll be sure to get some.   

Monday July 13, 2009

Dear Friends, Family and Loyal Readers,

We awoke to very gray skies, thunder and eventually rain. We were going to get a late start since we never start the day in the rain. After an hour and a half the sky was clear and we set out. The forecast was for clear skies and moderate temperatures but very windy with headwinds coming at us when the route jogged south for about twenty seven miles. The forecast was very accurate but “understated”. The winds were brutal and unrelenting-they never let up. It was a very hard ride in. Bill who had ridden with Cono before the turn south had gone ahead to get the motel organized. When he saw and felt the winds he rode out to get a little extra punishment for the day. We were not able to make any time due to the winds and we had to work very hard to cover the miles for the same reason. We were glad to get in and call it a day in Dillon. Tomorrow is looking like a rest day. Total mileage today was 63 hard miles.  

Sunday July 12, 2009

Dear Friends, Family and Loyal Readers,

Today Gerry is flying back to PA L. Bill had to drive Gerry back about 100 miles to Jackson where she had booked her return flight. We drove out to where Cono and stopped yesterday just passed Hebgen Lake. Just beyond Hebgen Lake is Earthquake Lake (Quake Lake) which was created when an earthquake struck in 1959 that resulted in the side of a mountain sliding down and damming up the Madison River. The Army Core of Engineers had to quickly create a spill way to relieve the growing pressure on the new natural dam lest it give way. The old 1914 dam at Hebgen Lake held after the earthquake but repairs and re-enforcements were made shortly thereafter.  It was all very interesting.
The ride toward Ennis, our destination for the evening, was very nice. We were riding in an old seabed (similar to the Parks Areas of Colorado) with mountains on both sides. There was a tailwind and we were losing elevation. We set a blistering pace (tailwinds and slight downhills help a lot with blistering paces).  

Cono arrived in Ennis before noon and Bill was not due back from Jackson until early evening. After a late second breakfast, Cono decided to tackle the sharp elevation that was the beginning of tomorrow’s ride. There is a long ten mile climb to get over a mountain to get to Virginia City and beyond. After a long pull Cono reached what he thought was the crest (he was actually one mile shy of the crest). He then turned around and coasted back to Ennis for a look through an old western town. Late in the afternoon after checking into the motel the skies opened up with a torrential downpour including pea sized hail for about thirty minutes. Shortly thereafter we had blue skies and nary a cloud. Total mileage today was 68 miles.

Thursday July 9, 2009

Dear Friends, Family and Loyal Readers,

We wanted to get out early today to try to beat the construction crews that were working at the summit of Togwotee Pass. Expecting cooler temps at the summit and on the long and quick descent we donned some gear including gloves. Yesterday when Bill rode to the summit he was stopped about a mile short due to construction. Cono tried to entice Pokey out of his bag but Pokey refused and mumbled something about “…Fool me once …” (see prior day’s entry for background).

While we did not have far to go to reach the top (about 11 miles) we expected it to be steep (doable but steep). It was. However when we approached the summit the construction crews were in full swing. Traffic was held up and bikers were not permitted to crest the summit under their own steam, which also marked the Continental Divide -9,658 feet. The road was hard pack dirt and gravel with only one lane of traffic plus lots of very big road construction trucks, earthmovers etc. The project that was ongoing was in fact the largest road construction project in Wyoming at $65 million. We were shuttled about two miles in the back of a pickup truck. Cono tried to use all his persuasive skills on the DOT official and flagman. All to no avail.

Once out of the pickup we looked forward to a long seventeen mile downhill run. We were only a mile or two down when we cleared a turn and were greeted with the breathtaking view of the Teton Mountains. The long row of their snow covered jagged peaks jutted skyward with great majesty. It was absolutely beautiful. We stopped to take some pictures. Much to Cono’s surprise Pokey, who always keeps his head sticking out of the front bag, jumped out of the bag. He ran over to the van and coaxed Gumby from the top of Eileen’s front bag. Then they scampered up Betsy’s front grill, leapt up onto her roof and then scampered again onto the top of the cargo carrier. They both looked in awe at the Tetons and in unison let out a long and loud “Whoopee!”

The roll down from the summit was pleasant but cold. Once down the temperature increased but it never got hot. We had a nice ride to Colter Bay which sits on Jackson Lake at the base of the Tetons. We had entered the Grand Tetons National Park. Rooms in motels were not to be had so we ended up in a “tent cabin”-no heat, no windows, common bathrooms and showers near by, no door (only a screen door)-you should be getting the picture by now. It was a new experience for Cono to say the least. We weren’t in Kansas any more and we weren’t in the Four Seasons either.

After we finished riding and getting cleaned up we did take a drive to the town of Jackson which was about thirty miles “off route”. It is a nice town with several nice art galleries, lots of restaurants and lots of souvenir outlets. It is however quite touristy and accordingly not as charming as I had been led to believe. We did however see a half dozen or so private Lear/Gulfstream Jets at the nearby airport, so it can’t be all bad. Mileage today was 62 miles.

PS. A belated answer to Tina Lee’s (a loyal friend, reader and commenter) questions about the cliff dwellings and prairie dogs in CO:  Although we passed the Manitou cliff dwellings, we ran out of time and did not visit them.  We had visited similar (we think) dwellings outside of Sedona and were fascinated by them-the earliest “apartment” living.  Unfortunately in western KS and Eastern CO, we did see a lot of prairie dogs on the side of the road, as well as their smaller counterparts, “picas”.  As we rode further into CO., the “road kill” turned more to rattle snakes, but we did not stop to double check, because there were definitely still some with life left in them

Friday July 10, 2009

We were a little late in getting out due to the special arrangements regarding showers etc. We did however sleep well-partially due to the low night temperatures and the lack of heat. The ride today was through Grand Teton National Park into the adjoining Yellowstone National Park along the famous “loop road”. The loop road parallels the shore of Jackson Lake and Lewis Lake –two fairly big and beautiful lakes. There was a fair amount of traffic-RVs, trailers, huge buses that were really rolling homes etc. There was also more road construction so we were slowed down somewhat early in the day. The ride was pleasant but had lots of moderate climbs. We in fact crossed the Continental Divide not once, not twice but three times today at elevations of 7988 feet, 8262 feet and 8391 feet. Each of these crossings was several miles apart with big descents after each crossing and big ascents to the next crossing. None of the crossings had “exotic” names. As we rode we noted the millions of new pine trees growing that are flourishing following the fires that destroyed so many millions of acres of trees almost two decades ago.
Bill and Gerry had driven Betsy to “Old Faithful” and were riding back to meet Cono. We all rendezvoused at the second crossing of the Continental Divide as Gerry had predicted. We finished up at “Old Faithful”. The parking lot was packed and the crowds were large. The “recession” seems to have caused everyone to stay stateside and take a driving vacation. We are overnighting two nights at a Super 8 outside of West Yellowstone. Bill will have to drive Cono and Gerry back to Old Faithful tomorrow to pick up where we stopped. Mileage today was 60 miles.  

Wednesday July 8, 2009

Hi Everyone,

I am Pokey-a small rubber horse that rides in the front bag on Cono’s bike. My buddy Gumby is a small rubber aqua guy that rides on Eileen’s bike. Today I am doing the blog entry. Since I am just a small rubber horse you will have to lower your standards for blog entries.

The ride for today started fifteen miles before Dubois where we had spent the night. It was a little chilly but the sky was clear. Cono had on his leggings and also put on his rain jacket for warmth. Gerry and Cono started together and Bill drove forward to about fifteen miles below the summit of Togwotee Pass. Bill was going to ride up to the Pass after leaving Betsy and then ride back (coast) down to Dubois where we staying a second night.

 Not long after we had started Cono suggested that I might want to get out of the front bag today. While pleasantly surprised I was a little suspicious since he rarely suggests that I come out of the bag. I soon realized the real reason for his “generosity”. We were starting the serious pull from about 6000 feet toward the summit at 9,658 feet. To make matters worse the wind was already kicking up and it wasn’t yet 8 o’clock. Well it wasn’t long before Cono had me cinched up in front of the bike PULLING him! The winds were brutal, cruel, punishing and unrelenting. We “enjoyed” sustained winds of twenty miles per hour with gusts to forty miles per hour! In some ways it was a good thing that I was cinched to the bike with Cono on it. I am a very little horse and could have easily blown away but with the weight of Cono and the bike I was secure-struggling mightily but secure.

As we piled up the day’s miles and the increased elevation the grade got steeper and steeper. Fortunately the temperatures stayed moderate mid seventies and the skies were a beautiful blue with a few high billowy clouds. It was hard to really appreciate the sky however because my head was down bucking that wind all day. Finally we came to our agreed upon stopping point about ten miles below the summit. Tomorrow will be the final ascent.

I thanked Cono for giving me the “experience” of today and for getting out of the bag. I mentioned to him that I was confident that tomorrow’s ascent was “in the bag” which was where I was going to be. I also learned a few new things. For example I learned a new acronym-I.S.B. ISB stands for I See Betsy-that is what Cono said with great relief as we neared the end of the ride. I also learned that Wyoming is the only state with three seasons. Those seasons are: Winter, Windy and Mosquito. The seasons can also overlap as they did today with a very healthy dose of wind and swarms of mosquitoes about the size of 747s. Well that is it for today. I hope you enjoyed my blog entry. Total miles today 43.

Tuesday July 7, 2009

Dear Friends, Family and Loyal Readers,

We were out by 7:30 and the weather forecast was for moderate temperatures and some cross/tail winds although not very strong. The forecast was accurate and the ride was pleasant. We were beginning the gradual ascent from Lander, the lowest elevation for about five hundred miles on our route. Lander was at about 5,400 feet above sea level. We were headed into the Wind River Range and eventually would have to climb the Togwotee Pass at 9,658 feet. The Pass was about 100 miles down the road and we had planned to hit the Pass early on the third day. When we arrived at our predetermined destination of Crowheart the conditions were so good that Cono decided to ride on. He eventually called it a day where our route came very close to the shores of the rushing Wind River which we had been following. We were overnighting in Dubois about another fifteen miles down the road. We loaded everything into Betsy and called it a day. Our plan was to spend two nights in Dubois.  Today was a good ride with special thanks to the wind gods. Total mileage 60 miles.

Monday July 6, 2009

Bill drove Gerry and Cono back to Jeffery City for the ride to Lander. Weather was to be clear but hot today-high 80s. The section of Wyoming we were in is “range country- verrrrrrrry widdddde, verrrry vasssssssst, and verrrrrrry barrrrrren hilly open ranges with low mountains to the east and west. There are no trees-only brush shrubs and some range grass. There are also very few buildings or dwellings that we can see other than in the “towns” where we stop.

While the weather was expected to be good the winds were a problem even before we got on the bikes. We were riding west and a strong headwind was coming at us. It would be with us all the way into Lander making the ride “challenging”. Headwinds sap your strength and your spirit.

We eventually came to the top of “Beaver Rim” where we were greeted with a stunning view of the distant snow capped peaks of the “Wind River Range” section of the Rockies. We would eventually get there in a few days but for now they looked majestic. The ride off the “Beaver Rim” is a six mile six percent downhill run. The road is good, the turns are very gradual and the traffic was very light. We had a nice ride down but not quite as fast or exhilarating as it would have been if we hadn't had that headwind. Bill met up with Cono and Gerry and we all rode in without incident. Total mileage was 58 miles.

P.S. For all of you animal lovers out there, we belatedly report that Gerry had a turtle save on July 4^th. We also want to report that we callously made no attempt to rescue the TWO LIVE RATTLESNAKES that were in the road today.

Sunday July 5, 2009

Dear Friends, Family and Loyal Readers,

Sunday mornings in Rawlins are not much different than Saturday afternoons-there were no cars and fewer people. The weather forecast was for a clear day and moderate temps until late afternoon-then thunder storms. We were out around 7:30 and Bill and Gerry were driving forward to a convenient place to ride back to meet Cono. There were no “real services” between Rawlins and Lander, 126 miles down the road. The plan was to ride to Jeffery City (misnamed since it is not and never was a city at all, in fact it is a cluster of old abandoned buildings in the middle of nowhere. At one time there was an active uranium mine in the area and when it closed, so did Jeffery City.)

A dozen miles out of Rawlins Cono caught up with another west bound rider. Will was a DC resident that worked for a clean water environmental group. He was a 2006 Brown grad but is originally from Maine. In fact he is from the Blue Hill Peninsula a section of Maine that is a favorite of Eileen and Cono. There was no wind to speak of and when there was any it was a tail wind. There was however a surprising amount of traffic which we attributed to the end of the long holiday weekend,

Soon enough Bill and Gerry appeared and the foursome rode toward “Muddy Gap” where Betsy awaited. The terrain was big long uphills and some big long downhills. We crossed the Continental Divide not once but twice. They were at the top of two long uphills but lacked those blood curdling names like “Death Pass” or “Cardiac Arrest Pass” or “Heartbreak Pass”.

After we reached Betsy at the 46 mile point Bill and Gerry packed up their bikes and Will and Cono rode on. However the route changed direction and over the past hour the wind had picked up and was now a direct headwind. The next twenty two mile to Jeffery City were way more difficult than the first forty six to Muddy Gap. Eventually however we arrived. We loaded up Cono’s bike and drove forward the fifty eight miles to Lander. Tomorrow we would double back to ride those fifty eight. After reaching Lander, cleaning up, doing some laundry, walking through a very nice and prosperous “downtown, having dinner and slowly wandering back to the motel we were greeted at the motel by the tired visage of Will who had biked the fifty eight to Lander. That made a total mileage for him (fully loaded) of one hundred twenty six-that is a lot of miles unloaded and a bigger deal loaded. Isn’t youth wonderful! Total mileage was 68 miles

Saturday July 4, 2009

Dear Friends, Family and Loyal Readers,

Today was to be a relatively short day’s ride to Rawlins. The weather forecast was for moderate temperatures and clear skies until late afternoon. We “slept in” and were on the road by 8:30. The ride was very pleasant. Wyoming is not “highly populated”. In fact there are probably more people living in Cono and Eileen’s NYC zip code than live in all of Wyoming. (This is not an exaggeration here.). About ten miles outside of Saratoga we came upon 2 horses and 2 mules that were in the road. While there was very very little traffic, we pulled up just as a pick up truck came along to “herd” the horses and mules back inside the open gate to the 4 N Ranch. It was quite a scene.

When we say there was very little traffic we do not exaggerate. Today we saw almost as many antelope as vehicles. We could ride for ten minutes without seeing a vehicle from either direction. We did observe that they get quite a bit of snow in these parts. One really good indication of exactly how much is the TEN FEET high snow markers along the road to guide the plow trucks!

The ride today was somewhat unusual since our route directed us onto Interstate 80. Normally bicycles are not permitted on Interstates and normally we do not ride on major highways. However Wyoming does not have an excess of paved roads and there were no alternate paved roads that took us to Rawlins. So it was onto I80 for about 13 miles. Bill met up with Gerry and Cono along I80 thanks to cell phones and good planning. While traffic was relatively light on I80 and the trucks gave us a wide berth and there was no debris on the wide shoulder on which we rode, we were glad to get off I80. We actually exited in the town of Sinclair, home of Sinclair Oil. We met up with the tandem couple again and rode with them for the remaining few miles to Rawlins. Rawlins is not a big city but the streets were totally deserted perhaps because of the holiday. Mileage today was 42 miles.

Friday July 3, 2009

Dear Friends, Family and Loyal Readers,

We awoke to cool/cold temperatures and very low very gray clouds. It did not look good. It was a “four layer morning”-base layer, light short sleeve top, light long sleeve top and rain jacket for warmth as well as rain protection (actually as you ride the heat you generate is captured inside the rain jacket, your sweat does not evaporate and your various shirts get soaked from the inside) . We all wanted to sleep in but there were miles to do, so we drove forward to where Cono stopped yesterday-Chowdrey, and set off.

It was a slow start because of the cold temperatures. But things warmed up but the skies did not clear up. In fact we got rained on several times. Never really hard but certainly wet.

The terrain was the big rolling undulations that mark the “Parks Sections”. We were leaving Colorado today and were about twenty miles from the Wyoming border. Colorado had two more “bumps” for us before we left the state. The first was only a few hundred feet of elevation. The second was another story. The hill was a seven percent grade and went on for 300 miles (all right only three miles, but it felt like 300!) We thought it fitting for our last miles in Colorado.
We crossed into Wyoming. We were in ranch country and had been for the past couple of hundred miles. Wyoming is RANCH COUNTRY. There are real cowboys here-big cowboy hats pulled down around the ears, tight jeans, cowboy belts and big belt buckles, cowboy boots, and yes, spurs. They all seemed to walk with that cowboy swagger. I guess that comes from riding horses. The mountains were somewhat lower than Colorado and the expanse that we were riding through was wider than in Colorado-perhaps fifty miles wide. The vistas were enormous-we could see for many miles.

We rode on and stopped for lunch in Riverside/Encampment. We meet up with the tandem couple we meet a couple of hundred miles ago-see earlier entry. They were overnighting in Riverside but we were headed for Saratoga.

After a light lunch we pushed on to Saratoga but not before Cono stripped off his four layers and put on fresh dry tops. The wind picked up quite a bit but the temperatures had risen. We were in Saratoga in short order.

Our first indication that this was no ordinary “small town” was when we passed the local airport, noted the long runways and eyed the several private jets lined up. We then saw several very large homes off in the distance-one that looked more like a hotel than a home. We learned that there was a small community of very wealthy families that had homes in the Saratoga area. Many live in the “Old Baldy Club and Golf Course” which is a private gated “community” including a very famous golf course that golfers fly in to Saratoga just to play the course. The town looked prosperous with lots of nice shops including a few art galleries. There was also a “western outfitter” where Cono almost succumbed to a very big cowboy hat and fancy boots. Luckily he escaped unharmed, unshod and sans chapeau!

After dinner we went to the “Hobo Hot Springs and Pool”. Saratoga which sits on the North Platte River is also blessed with a natural hot springs. Hot mineral rich water bubbles up through fissures in ground rock. The water is heated from the hot magma inside the earth’s core. The town built a hot springs pool area with changing rooms, showers, etc. Right next door is a traditional community swimming pool with the usual amenities. Both “pools” are fifty feet from the edge of the rapidly flowing North Platte River. Oh by the way-admission is free. We donned our swim suits and waded into the hot springs pool. It was about waist deep and quite hot. Temperatures in the pool, depending on where you stand (proximity to the bubbling up water) ranged from 108 degrees to 115 degrees. We wisely opted for the 108 degree section. It was very relaxing and very hot! We chatted with some locals including an older guy who taught school in NYC in the 1960s. He also happened to be a big time touring cyclist so we had a lot to chat about. After a relaxing “dip” we called it a night. We were somewhat disappointed since we would be riding on the 4^th and would miss the big “doins” in Saratoga including the “big shoot out reenactment”-oh the thrill of it all!!!

Mileage today was 60 miles.

Tuesday June 30, 2009

Dear Friends, Family and Loyal Readers,

Today is Eileen’s last day of riding :-(. We planned a relatively easy day and set out a little late-@8:30. Bill and Gerry drove forward to our planned stopping point, Kremmling, to leave Betsy for Eileen and Cono. They would ride back toward Dillon and Eileen and Cono would ride to Kremmling. We were staying a second night in Dillon to make it easier to get Eileen to the Denver airport tomorrow. 

We had another beautiful weather and scenery day. It was a little cool (40s) when we left but we were warm fast enough. The ride to Kremmling is a steady loss of elevation most of the way. We zipped right along through another of the long wide valleys with mountains on either side, following and crossing the beautiful Blue River a number of times. We also crossed the Colorado River as we approached Kremmling.  As we left the Dillon area the mountains were no longer snow capped but still quite high and beautiful. Our route took us around a huge reservoir, The Green Mountain Reservoir, and this road was free of any traffic. It meandered around the reservoir for ten miles. There were beautiful homes situated around the water, but not very many. There was a small marina and we saw several people out in kayaks. Eventually we came to a big dam that created the reservoir. On one side was this big several mile long reservoir and on the other a six hundred foot drop to a river/stream below that is fed by the overflow from the reservoir. The dam is patrolled and lingering on the dam is prohibited. We took a few pictures but were ushered along by the local authorities. We met up with Bill and Gerry and found out where they had left Betsy.

As we cycled towards our destination, we passed two separate “parades” of old cars: one of 1959 Chevrolets (pastel colors with great fins) and 1955 Buicks. There was much waving and thumbs up from us and them-great fun!   We spun into Kremmling, had a nice lunch, and explored “town” before driving back to Dillon. An excellent last spin for Eileen!  Total mileage was 40 miles.

Monday June 29, 2009

Dear Friends, Family and Loyal Readers,

This is a big day. Eileen, Cono, Bill and Gerry are joining Gumby and Pokey for the ride up to and over Hoosier Pass-the highest pass and point on the Trans-America Bike Ride.

The weather forecast the night before was for temperatures to range from 39 degrees at day break and warming up to the mid sixties by mid afternoon. We also expected it to be at least five to ten degrees cooler at the summit than down below and had watched fresh snow fall on the summit the night before. Finally we knew that whatever the ambient temperature was, it would be colder still on the long, rapid, and oh by the way, treacherous descent into Breckenridge. 

We pulled out the leggings, thermal long sleeve tops, wind breaker jackets, skull caps and full finger warm riding gloves. The last thing we wanted was to be not only exhausted but cold as well. (If we had actually donned all of the gear we assembled we probably would be unable to move at all.) Gumby and Pokey however were somewhat oblivious to the climatic conditions and decided to ride “au natural”. From their vantage point cool temperatures only meant that they wouldn’t “stretch” quite as easily. They had been in training for many months and were excited and curious to see if the two couples could “keep up” with them.

We caught our first break when we left the motel. The temperature was an unpredicted 51 degrees and warming quickly. The sky was bright blue and there was a light breeze. We couldn’t have asked for a better day. If we had, we would have been “piggish”. We loaded everything into Betsy to drive the six miles to Alma down the road-we had ridden to Alma yesterday. That cut six miles and six hundred feet of elevation off the ascent. The plan was for the six of us-Gumby, Pokey, Eileen, Cono, Gerry and Bill to all ride up to the summit. Then Bill would double back down to Alma to fetch Betsy while the “fab five” rolled down to Breckenridge and beyond. We were over-nighting in Dillon about twelve miles past Breckenridge. Bill would drop Betsy off and ride back to meet us and we would all ride in together.

The ride to the summit was long and steep but not sheer agony, but not far from it. The grade was challenging but do-able (not as steep as the Appalachians we tackled last year), albeit at a very slow pace. We stopped a few times to view the awesome scenery and to catch our breath. Between the altitude, the ascent and the grade, our lungs, hearts, and legs all got a good work-out! The last mile to the summit was somewhat steeper but we were all so excited we pushed on looking for the Hoosier Pass Monument-right on the continental divide. This is a famous spot in the annals and folk lore of touring cyclists. We finally got there and Bill was already ready with the camera clicking away as we all arrived. We took lots of photos to memorialize the moment. We all felt satisfied with our accomplishment. Gumby and Pokey, both of whom lead us up all the way, were very impressed that we made it. They, on the other hand, were hardly breathing heavy.

As tough as the ride up is the ride down was a “white- knuckle” experience. The descent is very long, steep and twisty. There were a few switch backs at a very steep grade.  It is hard to imagine ascending the summit from the west fully loaded, but Bill and Gerry have done it so we know it is do-able.

We eventually rolled into Breckenridge which is a very pretty town, surrounded by high snow capped mountains. There are lots of shops, restaurants and real estate offices-plenty of places to separate you from your lucre. Everything looks new and very well maintained. The town must have some strict ordinances regarding building codes, architectural approvals, etc. This is a very family friendly place. There were local families with small children every where. We asked about all the children. The response-this is a great place to bring up children. Everyone appears to be “health and exercise” conscious. There are bikers of all ages every where. Skate boarders and roller-bladers are also in abundance.  There are ski lifts just outside the center of town.

We rested up in Breckenridge and wandered around some before rolling on to Dillon. There are bike paths every where. In fact bikes are not permitted on the roads from Breckenridge to Silverthorne/Dillon. You must use the many well maintained and well used bike paths. The bike paths travel around the edge of a large Dillon Dam Reservoir-a big body of water surrounded by mountains. (There are some small islands in the reservoir and there are picnic tables on the islands encouraging folks to boat out and enjoy.)  After getting lost a little on the bike path network we eventually met up with Bill and all six of us arrived safely in Dillon with some puffed chests at our accomplishment.

This is a separate and feeble comment to try to convey the absolute incredible beauty in this part of Colorado. There are mountains in every direction. Millions and millions of acres are open meadows and mountain sides. Most of the land is owned by the state or federal government. There are big lush valleys several miles wide that are surrounded by mountains. It truly is breathtaking. We noted that there is much destruction to the trees in the area due to an infestation of “pine bark beetles”. You can see entire mountain sides were all of the trees are dead or dying. While it is nature and the cycle of life at work, it is distressing to see.

There are a fair number of homes dotting the lower mountainsides as we ride. Many are “log home design” but are not “log cabins”. We passed some pretty big “cribs” here. We have not commented on the winter conditions here but were told that two years ago there was fifteen feet of snow in Fairplay –see prior entry. When it snows here it really snows. The town has to bring food provisions to some families and people often get stranded and are unable to get home at night. If you are not a skier this might be a tough place to live in the winter. On the other hand if you like “the great outdoors” and awe inspiring beauty this is a great place to visit from May to October. Total mileage was 33(steep) miles

Since we had driven ahead to the motel we decided that Eileen and Cono would drive Betsy out to just beyond Guffey, our stopping point yesterday. Bill and Gerry on the other hand would ride back from Fairplay to Betsy and then after loading their bikes would drive toward Fairplay and meet us.

The morning was cool so we put on a second layer. We meet up with a couple from Milwaukee that we had seen yesterday, who are also riding the Trans Am. They are riding a custom three wheel tandem recumbent that they purchased from an Australian manufacturer and had assembled in Milwaukee. They are travelling fully loaded but stay in motels whenever they can. The carry all their gear on a trailer that they pull behind their bike. It is quite a rig. The bike weighs 69 pounds, the trailer another 19 and they haul about 50 pounds of stuff in the trailer plus the two of them at about 280 pounds. That is a big heavy rig!

We started on the continuation of a grade to our first “pass” –Currant Creek Pass at 9400 feet. When we crested the pass we were greeted with a breathtaking view. Before us was a wide rolling valley that seemed to go on forever that was surrounded by snow capped mountains on all sides. It was very beautiful.

We were now in the Park City Section of Colorado made up of South Park, Central Park and North Park. The cable cartoon show “South Park” gets its name from the area since its creators live in Fairplay, South Park. The Parks Section is basically a pre historic ocean bed surrounded by mountains. We started to ride in toward Fairplay and eventually meet up with Bill and Gerry who were riding out toward Betsy. The ride was very pleasant but it was hard to keep your eyes on the road- the scenery is spectacular. And you do need to watch the road for rattlesnakes; mostly dead, but an occasional live one!

We had talked about possibly riding beyond Fairplay even though we were sleeping there for a second night. The thought was to take a few miles off tomorrow’s ride, which is over Hoosier Pass on the Continental Divide and the highest pass on the Trans America Bike Route. When we reached Fairplay (10,000 feet) we learned that Bill and Gerry had driven Betsy ahead to Alma just six miles down the road, left her there and had ridden back. Eileen and Cono had to ride ahead to get in the extra miles and fetch Betsy. A surprise thunder storm with driving rain and some hail held things up for almost two hours. Even though the skies still threatened Cono and Eileen bravely rolled out toward Alma to fetch Betsy. The first mile or so is more climbing, and a cold strong headwind did not help. However we reached Betsy in no time-dry and pleased with a good day’s ride. Thankfully the motel has a needed hot tub!

Total mileage was 40 miles.  

We got an early start because we knew from our prior day’s drive to Royal Gorge that the first seven miles were-you guessed it- more climbing. After the first seven miles it flattened out for seven miles and then we got into some more serious climbing. It was intermittently hot since we had some cloud cover. The climbs were longer than yesterday (like 3 miles long) and steep. Because of the terrain Bill stayed close all day and did not ride although Gerry, who is a great climber, was out there with us. We had sent a low mileage target for the day due to the rough terrain. Guffey was our agreed stopping place although it has no services. We had planned to drive ahead to the next town of any size, Fairplay, and overnight there. We actually rode a little beyond Guffey and called it a day. When we arrived in Fairplay we learned that they were having a “music festival” over the weekend. We cleaned up and “hit the town”. Fairplay is a nice community but we are talking about a small community. We listened to the not one, not two but three different bands (we are being expansive in our definition of bands and music here) that were performing at various corners in town. It took us a solid six minutes to walk from one end of town to the other, including window shopping time. While the music was not The Philharmonic it actually was a very nice community event - lots of kids, greasy food, T shirts and such and of course beer and alcohol. We are starting to get a feel for the meaning of “rocky mountain high”.

Dinner is at the South Park bowling alley where the food is good and the entertainment better! There is a lively conversation with the owner, Peter Gross, originally of Chicago, but now in CO for decades, and the patrons, including the four of us. In a wide ranging exchange during dinner, we learn about the stockpiling of ammunition and “primers” (something to do with guns (“Wal-Mart sells out the minute their shelves are stocked”), the foolhardiness of the “cap and trade” bill just passed by the House, President Obama’s plans to zone the Gulf of Mexico as well as the Democrats plan to make preaching religion on street corners a hate crime, etc. The crowd is clearly a tad conservative, but very friendly and entertaining. Despite a discount for bowling after dinner, we retire to our humble abode at the Mountain Inn. 

Mileage today was 39 miles.

After our respite in Colorado Springs and Pueblo we were anxious to “hit the road”. We left Pueblo later than we like and passed a regional “street rod” car show that was being held over the weekend at a nearby K Mart parking lot-oh the excitement and thrill of it all! The ride out of Pueblo was through the footHILLS of the Rockies. (The emphasis on HILLS is intentional!) The sun was strong and temperatures soared early in the day. The first thirty miles to Wetmore were nasty. It was climb, climb, climb. Wetmore is not much of a town and there had been no services along the way. We were out of water and needed a rest. The only retail establishment “in town” was closed until 5pm. Fortunately the proprietor happened to drive up to drop off some fresh food for the restaurant and Eileen talked us into getting water and use of the rest rooms. Gerry and Bill rolled up not long after.

After a brief rest and replenishing our water we set off toward our destination, Canon City (pronounce Canyon City) another twenty miles down the road. The next twenty miles were not as bad as the first thirty but it was a day of heat and climbing (a common theme in this part of the world). We were glad to get to the motel to cool off. After cleaning up we drove another seven miles to “Royal Gorge” and the Royal Gorge Bridge - the highest suspension bridge in the world. (Who actually keeps track of these vital bits of information anyway??? Answer-Wikipedia, but we did not check.)  We went back to Canon City via “The Skyline Drive” a one way narrow road that rides a high ridge line back to Canon City built in the Depression era by part of the WPA. It was very pretty and had some great views of distant mountains. It also had huge dinosaur fossils which showed that the path was used long before humans and autos.

Today we passed not one but two prisons. One was a US Department of Justice “Super Max” facility in Florence, on the way to Canon City (actually had a vacancy sign for Bernie). It looked quite new and not very prison like-easy for us to say looking at it from “the outside”. We also passed a Colorado State Prison which was smack in the middle of Canon City. This was an old prison and looked like a prison. These two additions brought our Colorado prison count to four! Apparently Colorado likes prisons or they have more criminals than their charming reputation would have you believe-or some combination of the above. Total mileage was 50 miles.

P.S. A comment from a Loyal Reader but frustrated “poster”. “Thought of you both on my dinky ride around Central Park today. We had a beautiful couple of days - warm with sun here. So glad you two are back on the road together but I miss Eileen's company in NYC.  Ever the industrious one, Cono, and I CAN see you ranching and farming next year! You and Pokey riding together at the round-up!  XO E”

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday   June 22, 23, 24 and 25 2009

Dear Friends, Family, and Loyal Readers,

We planned to be off the bikes after arriving in Pueblo. On Monday Bill picked up his wife Gerry at the Colorado Springs Airport in the early afternoon. Eileen and Cono on the other hand were dropped off by Bill in the “historic” downtown section of Pueblo. The local municipal leaders have done a very good job of preserving the old buildings in the area. The old train station is a spectacular red stone building built in late 1800’s and there is a fifteen or twenty square block area that is populated with small shops, restaurants, a small museum and other retail outlets for visitors. There are a fair number of shops that are vacant but we are hopeful for future development. There is also a very nice “River Walk” with accompanying park running right through this area. The “River Walk” is fairly new and well maintained although not quite as nice as a River Walk area in downtown Greenville that Cono and Eileen visited a month or two ago. The two best building were the Old Union Depot railroad station and the old Vail Hotel. The station is a tourist attraction and some business offices on the first and second floors, including a U.S. Congressman’s. It is well preserved. The Vail Hotel has been converted into residences for low income individuals but is very well maintained with many of the original detail intact.

Following lunch at “Magpies” Cono and Eileen walked back to the Super 8. They walked out of downtown into an area that was not yet gentrified and then into a fairly nice residential neighborhood. It was hot as blazes and the walk was about four miles. The day ended with a nice dinner with Bill and Gerry.

Cono and Eileen and Bill and Gerry decided that Colorado Springs would have more to do during our respite. So off we went on Tuesday morning. We stayed in Manitou Springs which is just outside of Colorado Springs. Manitou Springs is at the base of Pike Peak the second highest mountain in the Rockies-over 14,000 feet high. Cono and Eileen spent one afternoon walking around nearby Colorado Springs, about 5 miles east. A visit to the former Colorado Springs court house, now a museum, was a special treat. Beautiful old building, well preserved and with some interesting exhibits on gold mining and early frontier life. We did the obligatory cog train (circa 1891) ride up to the top of Pike’s Peak-a very beautiful ride with snow still on the summit. It was however quite cold at the top and the last 200 feet of the ride the mountain was enshrouded in fog and mist. We also did some hiking in a spectacular Colorado Springs public park called Garden of the Gods-beautiful red rock stone outcroppings wherever you looked. Finally, before heading back to Pueblo on Thursday afternoon (we resume riding into the Rockies on Friday) we drove to northern Colorado Springs for a quick visit to The Air Force Academy. The Academy has a fabulous setting at the base of the Rockies with sharply contrasting modern architecture. We had a very restful four days and are ready to ride!

Dear Friends, Family, and Loyal Readers,

In case you have missed us we are not lost. We were, however, having some nice rides. This will be a three day entry. We aspire to be more diligent in staying current with our entries. Note that Eileen is now here and Cono understandably has less time for blogs!

Friday June 19, 2009 We left on Friday a little late. Weather was cool but clear. There was a mild breeze which would pick up dramatically as the day continued. We had just crossed into Colorado and it was still very flat like KS. It’s like that old grade school math problem: if a truck passes you going at 70 mph and you can still see it 5 minutes later, how far/flat is it? We have been told that the flatness ends and turns to slightly hilly and almost desert like conditions before you reach the base of the Rockies. The vast expanses on either side of the highway seemed to go on forever. The ride was a good one with almost no traffic. We have been meeting east-bound riders almost all of whom are fully loaded and a fraction of our age. Bill rode out to meet us and he joined a small east bound group for a several miles. The total group was two young women and three young men. We reached Eads, Colorado which is not much of a town. Bill had been through Eads on two prior rides. We wandered over to the park around the municipal buildings where they permit cyclists to camp. We met two more groups. One of the riders had a support vehicle like us but they were camping most nights, with an occasional motel for “luxury”, i.e., a (usually) hot shower. When we stopped riding we eat at a local “eatery”. During that meal, we started chatting with a rancher/farmer and his wife from Kansas, returning from a cattle ranchers’ convention in CO. After some discussion Cono seems to have talked himself into a possible “job” next summer working on the ranch/farm especially when they are harvesting the winter wheat. He has always wanted to work on a farm or ranch or on a “combine crew”. Why he has wanted this remains a mystery. Needless to say, this will be a solo (sans Eileen) venture! Total mileage 49 miles

Saturday June 20, 2009   Saturday morning was slightly cloudy and a slight breeze. Both the clouds and the breeze had deteriorating plans for us this day. We rode out for about two hours when the weather started to change. The breeze picked up and was coming at us directly with some cross winds. That was bad enough, but then it started to drizzle. After a while it was time to don our rain gear. The drizzle never let up, turned to rain once or twice …..but never really stopped.

We saw a few interesting things this day: we were riding parallel with a train track that appeared to be unused except for the over 1000 cattle cars that sat idle along the track. They had been there for some time and were unused we presume because of decreased demand. The cars went on for miles! We also saw some new wild life: prairie dogs and antelope. Upon seeing the antelope we promptly rattled off a few choruses of “Home On The Range”. We also saw many snakes that had been killed by traffic. Several appeared to be rattle snakes. We did see one very live one but we were in too much of a hurry to stop and “chat”. 

Bill wisely opted to stay dry this day and did not ride out to meet us although he did offer to drive out to pick us up if we wanted. We decided to ride in under our own steam. We stopped at Sugar City which in bygone years had seen better times. Sugar City was aptly named for its former sugar beet factory. At one time the factory town on the Missouri Pacific Railroad housed saloons, a newspaper, a hotel, and other business and boasted a population of 1500. The National Sugar Beet Company closed its factory in 1967 and the town population is now 267. The town is practically a ghost town and there is not much “sweet” evident today in Sugar City. We ended up staying three miles down the road in Ordway at the Ordway Hotel-one of the original stopover facilities for the original Trans America Bike Ride in 1976 (a very nice plaque so indicated). The hotel was actually quite nice and we slept well after a long windy, soggy day. Total mileage 48.

Sunday June 21, 2009   First thing, we turn onto Route 96, and get our first view of the majestic, snow-capped Rockies in the distance! When we rode into Ordway the day before, it was raining and they were not visible. We tried to get out early on Sunday since we were promised a hot day by the weatherman. There were no services to speak of between Ordway and Pueblo, that night’s destination. The weather when we started was clear but not yet warm. That would change. The terrain has changed from “flat” to more rolling and the desert like conditions are appearing. Several small desert plants including cactus are around-some with very beautiful flowers. We saw more abandoned train cars met and several more small groups of east bound riders. Bill, who had gone on to Pueblo, rode back to meet us. We had a slight head wind going toward Pueblo and Bill had a slight tail wind coming out to meet us. He rode hard and met us at about the half way point.

We rode in without any traffic until we got within ten miles of Pueblo. Pueblo is a real city of over 100,000 people with two interstates (N/S and E/W) intersecting. We rode into town on some pretty busy roads-not much fun and a little dangerous. It had really warmed up into the mid 90s. Pueblo was much different than we had imagined. We had conjured up a small quaint historic Mexican/Spanish influenced town. Instead we were met with big shopping malls and lots of cars and highways. When we drove around later in the day compliments of Betsy we discovered the historic quaint “downtown” part of town. We had ridden in on a perimeter road and were more on the edge of town (shopping mall heaven) than in town. We were staying at a “Super 8” with pool and Jacuzzi on the north side of town and did not ride through the historic district when we came in. After a long hot ride we made good use of the pool and Jacuzzi.

We are off the bike for a few days here doing some touring of Pueblo and Colorado Springs. Bill will be picking up his wife Gerry tomorrow at Colorado Springs Airport. Total mileage 54 miles

P.S. For all you turtle lovers-we have stopped seeing turtles. Not sure why but none seen. As previously mentioned snakes have taken their place as most common on the roads, but we do not feel compelled to rescue them.

PPS. We wish a Happy Father’s Day to all our loyal fathers, and especially Cono, Brad (a first year dad), Bill and Tommy.