Pueblo, CO to Hutchinson, KS (415 Miles)

My dad got a lot of miles in this past week thanks to strong tailwinds. On Tuesday, August17th, he made his way to Ordway, Colorado, 52 miles from Pueblo, Colorado. It was an easy day and he could have gone farther, but the next campground was 40 miles away, and he didn't want to push it. On the Adventure Cycling map, it says to ask for Gillian when you get to Ordway. So, my dad went to the bank and asked for Gillian. He was sort of surprised, when the teller knew exactly where she lived and gave directions to her place. She had a free hostel for cyclist, which consists of a trailer that Gillian called the bunk house and mattresses for the cyclists to use. Laundry was free and there were a bunch of animals on her lot too. This section of the trail is called Prairie Horizons Trail. It's 140 miles long and the towns along it have decided to make it cyclist-friendly. People wave going by, there are logos on storefront windows showing their support of cyclists, and the towns have tried to make resources easily available.

Bill's neighbor for the night.

Notice the sign welcoming cyclists.

My dad faced the same situation he did on his way to Ordway, where the next place to stay was far away (58 miles this time), so he decided to stop in Eads, Colorado, on Wednesday, August 18th. The temperature passed 95 degrees. He could have stayed the night at the city park, but it was hot and the restrooms were across a railroad track and through some weeds, so he stayed in a motel instead.

These empty car carriers went on for more than 12 miles.

It was 80 miles to Leoti, Kansas, on the 19th. Bill went 22 miles farther than he planned because he had such a nice tailwind that allowed him to go 25 miles/hour easily (even 30 miles/hour a couple times), and it was cloudy and cool. After lunch, he spent the afternoon running away from thunderstorms, but he got rained on anyway. He didn't bother to put on any of his raingear though because he enjoyed the cool rain after dealing with the heat for the past few days. That night he stayed in a motel as severe thunderstorms were forecasted and delivered as predicted.

Is this the south of France?  No, it's Southwest Colorado.

Entering Kansas.

Bill continued to have supporting winds along the 93 miles to Bazine, Kansas. On his way, my dad met a guy from Quebec who sold all his possessions and was in the first 3 months of an 8-year round-the-world cycling trek with his dog who came along in a Bob trailer. The dog had to get out and walk when the guy went up hills though. That night, my dad slept in a screened-in porch at Elaine's Bicycle Oasis Bed & Breakfast, which was a neat, old house built in the 1800s. He spent his evening at a Bible study there with mostly local motorcycle riders and the message was avoiding worldly distractions. Dinner was a meal called "The Haystack," which consisted of Fritos and brown beans covered with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.

Saturday was hot. It was 104 degrees when he pulled into Larned, Kansas. My dad checked out Fort Larned, which was 6 miles outside of town. It is an authentic fort built to protect U.S. interests on the Santa Fe Trail and run by the National Park Services. The Santa Fe Trail is a historic trail that connected Missouri to present-day Santa Fe, New Mexico. My dad ended his 54-mile day at a crummy Best Western to avoid the heat. It had a hot shower and nice coffee maker, but they were in the process of refurbishing the hotel, and he must have gotten one of the rooms that still needed work.

On Sunday, August 22, my dad completed 72 miles to Hutchinson, Kansas. The morning ride was nice, but he didn't have any services along its 58 miles. It was hot, so he took 3 full water bottles when he started the day and had what he needed to manage the rural area. The afternoon ride was tough because it included crosswinds and headwinds. He saw many turkeys along the way, which made him think of Thanksgiving. He also rode by an exotic animal farm and saw a camel, ostrich, and a herd of zebras. He is now off the Transamerica Trail route and was staying on a stage in a basement of the Zion Lutheran Evangelical Church, which was recommended by Elaine's husband, Don, when I talked to him. There were 2 double beds on the stage that was separated by a curtain.

A good place for lunch.  Temperature is in the 90s.

He had to take a picture of a cornfield.

My dad said he was going to take the next day to rest. In addition to doing the laundry and weekly bike maintenance, my dad was going to study the maps to determine the best way to ride the Katy Trail, which is part of the Rails-To-Trails program, where unused railroad lines are converted into hiking/biking trails. It's common for cyclists to divert from the Transamerica Trail and use some portion of the 225 miles of trails that connect Clinton, Missouri to St. Charles, where my dad plans to get back on the Transamerica Trail. Bill was also going to stop by a bike shop to find out why both his feet were hurting again. He was fine in the mountains, but now that he is in the plains, he is having difficulty again.

Rawlins, WY to Pueblo, CO

I am getting caught up with writing these blogs.  I think I finally have a system down that will allow me to post more punctually.  Of course, I have a 2-year old daughter, so that adds an interesting mix to when I think I will get something done to when I actually get it done.

Anyway, my dad met some interesting cyclist on his way to Riverside, Colorado (63 mile day).  One meeting was during his morning pastry break.  He talked to this guy who rides 100 to 130 miles per day for 3 days and then rests on the 4th day.  Even with that 4th day being a rest day, he completes a lot of miles.  He met two guys after lunch.  They were touring for a year and they had rode across China and Russia.  Quite impressive!  My dad's observation for the day: he can sleep about 10 hours in a tent, and only about 7 hours in a hotel.  If he wants to sleep, he should camp.

The next day, my dad rode 50 miles to Walden, Colorado.  He had lunch on the side of the road.  Afterwards, as he was in North Park, Colorado, he saw an SUV up ahead with its lights flashing and a motorcycle stopped behind it.  As he approached the vehicles, a lady from the SUV asked him for a map and directions.  Apparently, their On-Star system and the GPS on their cell phones weren't working.  My dad pulled out his old-school, paper map and assisted them with directions.  My dad was tickled that he, someone on a self-powered bike, was able to help these people with their big, powerful motor vehicles, with his paper map since their modern mapping technology systems weren't working.

Just finished lunch at the Wyoming/Colorado border.

On the 11th, Bill stopped at Hot Sulfur Springs, 62 miles from where he started that morning.  He had lunch at the Continental Divide, and was in a hurry to get to the springs to soak in some of their 22 hot, natural pools.  He soaked for a couple hours and enjoyed some tourist-time before heading to his motel. 

A perfect place for lunch.

August 12th is my parents' anniversary.  My dad cycled 60 miles to Silverthorne.  Before he left the motel, he heard thunder, so he took his time and had some coffee to avoid the storm.  He was told it was going to rain all day, but he only got caught in one, big thunderstorm in the afternoon.  He did put on his jacket several times, but luckily didn't really need it except that one time.  Bill ended his day by taking some time to speak to my mom.

On Friday, my dad arrived at Breckenridge, a famous ski resort, which is at the base of a dam.  On the other side of the dam, there were steep switchbacks to the top, the steepest climbs he experienced so far.  He enjoyed a beautiful 20 mile ride which included going around Lake Dylan.  He noticed there were hundreds of cyclists of all types and many bike trails.  Bill got lost at one of the train intersections because he didn't know which way to go.  He was on his way to a bike store to ask for help when he met a guy who rode 4 or 5 miles with him and pointed him in the right direction.  He stayed a delightful and cozy place called Riverside Inn.  It was the first place where he actually got to chat with his roommates.  He met two hikers and one runner who was there doing high elevation training.  When he checked in, the lady gave my dad a set of loaner clothes and did all his laundry.  He thought that was so cool.  His back tire was showing some wear, so he also took some time to rotate his tires there.

Downtown River Walk in Breckenridge, Colorado

Skiing Anyone?  Breckenridge, Colorado

Breckenridge Friday Night Street Entertainment

The next stop was Current Creek Backpackers Hostel, a place from the 70s with a retro vibe. On his way there, my dad climbed Hoosier Pass, the highest point on the trip at 11,542 feet. It was a big climb where he had to stand in some sections while in his lowest gear. He couldn't swing out because there was traffic, so he just kept pedaling. 63 miles later, my dad found the hostel, which had a Route 76 (the original Transamerica Trail) sign on a post stuck on the side of the road leading to the hostel. The hostel consisted of one 14 x 12 cabin and campsites. It was heated with a wood burning stove, the water came from a pump 50 yards away from the cabin, and it had an outhouse and outdoor shower. The shower was neat because it consisted of 20-gallon and 5-gallon plastic buckets. A hole was drilled in the bottom of the 20-gallon bucket and a spicket with a long shower head was attached. He had to fill up the 20-gallon bucket, put it on a shelf above his head, and turn on the water to shower. The water was sitting in the sun, so it wasn't freezing cold, and that is how he got cleaned up. At night, there were solar-powered lights leading the way to the outhouse. This place was an interested combination of high- and low-tech features.

"I must be high; or I am at the high point of the tour: Hoosier Pass."

Notice the Bicycle Route 76 road sign to the right of the State and US road signs.  This the first day Bill had seen this sign.

Bill finished his week by completing 86 miles to Pueblo, Colorado. He woke up at 9,000 feet, and 34 miles later was at 5,500 feet. There were step climbs, but glorious descents.  After lunch, he climbed 1,000 feet and thought he would go the next 27 miles downhill, but there was a lot of up and down action and strong headwinds, so he decided to stop worrying about his speed and just keep cycling.  He was rewarded in Pueblo with smooth roads, trees blocking the wind, and nice residential sites.

Steep

The tour has left the high mountains.

Hamilton, MT to Rawlins, WY (Part 2)

On July 31st, Bill rode 44 miles to Grant Village Campground, where he had to finish his dinner in his tent due to the rain. He stayed there because the hotel at Old Faithful was booked. On this day, he went over the Continental divide twice and completed a lot of high-altitude climbing including an 8,261-foot pass and an 8,391-foot pass. As he was leaving Old Faithful, he got caught in a thunderstorm and prepared to ride in the rain and hail by putting on his raingear. About a mile later, the storm stopped, but it managed to short out his hearing aids temporarily.

The next day, Bill made it to the Lizard Creek Campground in the Grand Teton National Park. He enjoyed an afternoon soak in Jackson Lake after getting over the rocky surface and waddling out to the water. He finished his 35-mile day by listening to a ranger presentation on bison, which, by the way, are not buffalo.

Grand Teton Sign

It was 18 miles to Colter Bay in Grand Teton National Park, where my dad took a 2-hour, free boat tour provided by the National Park Services and watched movies in the visitor center about the park. It was a casual day.

Grand Teton

Jackson Lake with the Grand Teton in the background.

There was a lot of climbing on the 3rd of August, to Togwotee Mountain Lodge. It rained, but he was happy because he was indoors. It was a good place to stop because it was just before a big climb.

Last of the Grand Teton

The top of the big climb was at 9,658 feet high. On the way down, there was 5 miles of road construction, so the road crew ferried people through the construction site by having a lead pick-up truck carry the cyclist while the cars followed closely behind in one direction. Once everyone was safely across, the pickup truck would lead others in the opposite direction. Bill road 38 miles, but covered 42 miles since 5 miles were in the truck. He ended his day in Dubois, Wyoming, in his tent while there was a storm outside. Also, Bill's observation for the day: if it is raining and the sun is shining, you must be under a rainbow.

Togwotee Pass, the second highest point on the Transamerica Trail.

Dubois Campground

Bill cruised 73 miles to Lander. He took advantage of a strong tailwind that he noticed when he got up. He packed quickly even though his clothes and tent were still wet from the storm and got on the road before 8 a.m. He had a pb&j sandwich and banana for lunch at a rest stop because there wasn't any places to eat. He met an interesting couple and their Chihuahua on recumbent tricycles that had two wheels in front, a seat in-between the two wheels, and one wheel in back. The purpose of their ride was to raise awareness for an organ donor program and they visited someone who received a heart along the way. They advised my dad to stay at a camp the following day in Sweetwater, which he did.
It was 42 miles to Mormon Handcart Historic Site - Sixth Crossing at Sweetwater Station. It was a neat place run by Mormons at the location where a group of Mormons got caught in a blizzard in the 1850s (most were rescued) when they were moving west and after Salt Lake City was established. Teens were dressed up in 1850s attire and were pushing hand carts (they are kind of like rickshaws or wheel barrels, but with the load in back) as part of a camp where they got to experience life like their ancestors did. My dad received dessert and Gatorade, which he greatly appreciated. It was a hot day, and he had used his 3rd water bottle during a 25-mile, 1,400-foot climb.

On the road.

On August 7th, my dad completed 90 miles to Rawlins, Wyoming, where he stayed in a motel.  He originally planned to go to Muddy Gap, but arrived there at lunch time, which was too early to stop.  The next camp was Lamont Camp, which was in someone's backyard.  When he got there, he found a poorly maintained restaurant and no one was there.  He got an orange juice out of the fridge, left a few bucks on the counter, and studied the map.  It was 33 miles to Rawlins, which he assumed would be an easy ride with tailwinds and a good road.  Unfortunately, he had neither.  It was the worst road conditions he had so far on the trip.  There were ferocious crosswinds, which continued to get stronger as the day passed, and it was cold.  It was hard to control the bike, so he just geared down, crunched low to the handlebar, and kept pedaling.  He was happy to finally make it to Rawlins and decided he deserved to stay in a motel.

This is the ceiling at Muddy Gap Service Station, where Bill had lunch. These writings were everywhere - on the ceiling, walls, cabinets, and posts.

Hamilton, MT to Rawlins, WY (Part 1)

My dad was in and out of cell zones, so we didn't get a chance to talk for a while.  I caught up with him on his rest day in Rawlins, Wyoming, as he was staying in a motel and taking a rest day. 

After the last update, Bill headed to Hamilton, Montana, where he pitched a tent in Carl's yard, after a 52 mile day.  Carl's son rode from Virginia to Hamilton and learned that it is hard to find affordable places to stay along the trail.  Adventure Cycling added Carl to their map and now he offers cyclists a free night's stay.  He also made a yummy breakfast that my dad really appreciated.

This is Carl.

Another interesting person my dad met on his way to Hamilton was a doctor who was celebrating his 77th birthday with his son by completing a 2-day, 30-mile hiking trip with a 3,000-foot elevation gain and 30-pound pack.  Inspiring!

On July 23rd, my dad rode 39 miles to the small town of Sula, Montana (pop. 10), where he experienced his worst night of camping so far.  The restaurant where he was planning to eat dinner was only open for breakfast and lunch, so he broke open his emergency rations; the ground was hard, and there were a lot of mosquitoes.  But, the facilities were decent, and it was at the base of a long climb, so it was a good place to end the day.

High Moutain Beacons

On his way to Jackson Hot Springs Resort, Montana, Bill climbed 3,000 feet over Chief Joseph Pass and Lost Trail Pass.  He stopped at Big Hole Battlefield Information Center, where he watched movies about the battle and rested.  He took a late lunch at 2 p.m. in Wisdom, Montana and enjoyed a good soak in the hot spring at the end of his 58-miles day, where he stayed in a cabin.

At breakfast, my dad met two cyclists and road with them the rest of the day to Dillon.  They climbed Big Hole Pass (Elev. 7,350 feet) and Badger Pass (Elev. 6,730 feet).  That night, they met a weird guy who was carrying everything he owned in a plastic crate on the back of his bike.  The two cyclists who my dad met, talked to him and were a little worried about his presence.  Fortunately, they left Dillon with no incident, but they all were creeped out about camping there.

Fred and Tony at Badger Pass.

On July 26th, Bill enjoyed riding 59 miles to Virginia City, a neat, old gold rush town.  Along the way, he stopped at an old gold rush ghost town called Nevada City, where he took a tour.  The historic structures there were authentic, but were brought in from other parts of the state to recreate the town.  He met one cyclist who completed the Northern Tier in 1990 (the one my dad completed 10 years ago).  My dad ended his day by sleeping at a cute apartment after not being able to get into the B&B he wanted to stay at, but was happy as the landlady volunteered to do my his laundry.

A cyclist-only camp site in Twin Bridges, before Nevada City.  Note the blue sign on the left.

Nevada City

Inside a dance hall in Nevada City.

On the 27th, my dad rode 65 miles to Beaver Creek Campground.  There was a tough 1000-foot climb over just 3 or 4 miles.  It was cool all morning, so he wore his windbreaker, but took it off just after a mile because he was generating so much heat.  His glasses even kept steaming up and then a breeze would come and blow it off.  When he got to the top, Bill was expecting a long, glorious downhill ride, but got strong crosswinds instead, so it was harder to get down than he expected.  He is now also starting to experience daily afternoon thunder showers.  Another factor to deal with when going cross-country.

This is a view from the downhill ride.

     

Quake Lake: Created after a massive earthquake in 1959.

Bever Creek Camp

It was another 25 miles to West Yellowstone National Park, a busy, touristy town.  Bill stayed on the second floor of Madison Hotel, which is on the National Registry of Historic Places.  It was charming; the floors creeked, there was a big tub in his small room, but not enough running water, and no to.v.

On the 29th, my dad took the day off from riding and toured the Northern Loop of Yellowstone Park.  He saw a swan, an eagle, bison, 2 cranes, pronghorm deer, elk, a black bear, and grizzly bear with two cubs.

Tower Falls in Yellowstone NP

Firehole Falls in Yellowstone NP

Elk grazing at a fort in Yellowstone.  My parents had a meal there together 30 years ago.

On the 30th, my dad got back on his bike and rode 15 miles to Madison River Campground, where he spent another day lounging around and floating in the refreshing river.

My daughter just woke up.  To be continued...

Picture

I haven't had a chance to chat with my dad for a bit, but he looks like he is having a good time.  I am sure I will get an update in the next few days.

July 29th: Yellowstone National Park