Month: July 2005 (Page 2 of 4)

Bloomington, WI to Warren, IL 75 miles

A nice day. Started off with breakfast at Ma's Bakery in Bloomington, WI as I noted in my earlier post. Headed to Lancaster, Platteville & Shullberg. In Platteville, I took a short break at a convenience store, & while looking over my maps, a man asked me if I needed help with bike routes. "Sure," I said, "any help I can get." He then said he was planning to go out for a ride & offered to ride along if I wanted himto. "Double sure."

While Tony went to change & get his bike, I had a quick lunch. When he returned, I was treated to an excellent guided tour thru the backroads that only local cyclists know. Tony teaches math @ the local college & it was great riding & talking with him. We covered about 3/4 of the distance to Shullsburg & parted ways after exchanging cards. We snapped a pic & in answer to Tony's question about flats, I told him, "Only 2 -1 on Jake & 1 on BOB.

Cyclist's rule #14: NEVER TALK ABOUT LUCK WITH FLATS!

Less than a mile after we parted I heard that familiar hisssssssss from Jake's rear. I was going up a slight hill & decided to walk to the crest – only to find another, albeit smaller hill looming & not a tree in sight. Now this was about noon, & the sun was blazing high in the cloudless sky & my temp gauge read 98. Jake's rear tire had a blowout in the sidewall. I could've patched that, but the rest of the tire was so cut up from all the abuse of 2500 miles of touring that I put it out of its misery & put on the spare. I also patched the tube & pumped it up & got everything back together. I was literally dripping with sweat.

And just over that next rise? A nice big farmhouse with a nice, shady front yard, not more than 300 yds from where I worked in the burningheat.

Cyclist's rule #37: ALWAYS look over the next hill.

OK, so on to Shullsburg. Well, that proved not so easy, either. The road I turned on to Shullsburg was closed ahead for construction. The closest alternate was 5 miles away, backtracking over the hills I had justlabored over.

Often, road closures are for relatively short work areas such as bridges or culverts & there's usually a way to walk around them.

Not today.

When I hit the construction area about a mile later, the whole road was torn up for (I was to learn later) realignment of two curves. I couldn't see how far the work went on, but I did notice that all the dozers & graders were parked & there wasn't a pickup or worker in sight. But there were tire tracks thru the dirt & faced with the prospect of a 10+ mile detour, I sallied forth, knowing that at worst I'd have to walk in the grass berm. It was bumpy, but I made it through the 1/2 mile noworse for the wear.

I stayed in Shullsburg for 3 hrs to stay out of the sun. Ate at a little greasy spoon, refilled my water, wrote postcards, updated my blog & gotsome route maps printed at the local library.

Unlike yesterday, I knew I had some overnight options coming up. I crossed into Illinois & shortly came upon the little town of Warren. I went straight for the only motel, only to find it open, but with no cars & no one answering the bell. I resigned myself to heading about 10
miles further to a state park campground.

Less than 2 blocks past the motel I passed a nice old house with a woman sitting on the front porch & a sign out front: Noni's Bed & Breakfast. I quickly turned around & asked if she had rooms & how much? She did & it was reasonable & the deal was struck. What a find. After a shower & short trip to town for dinner, I sat on said porch & chatted with Noni, before settling into a soft four poster bed with the freshest sheets.Awwwwwww-mmmmm.

After a great & restful sleep, I woke to overcast skies & the weather radio warning of 30% chance of storms before 7am. I left anyway not wanting to lose a minute of cool, sun-free riding. Within 3 miles it started raining & by the time I made it here to the cafe in Lena, IL where I'm writing this while sitting in my rain poncho trying to stay warm. It's still raining & thundering @ 10:30 though the forecast is forsun & temps nearing 100.

Off to the next coffee shop…

After my last post, I bypassed all the hotels, stopped in Wally-World and stocked up on Naproxen (Aleve) and a couple of cold packs and headed east. The 35 miles was eating at me, and the meatloaf I had in Marquette kicked in, so I decided to keep going.

I set out with the intention of hitting a state park or private campground, and there were two in the area. However, 5 miles out of Prairie du Chien (pardon my french, but I misspelled and mispronounced it earlier it's Prayer-ee due Shayn), I got off of the main highway which appeared to have a big climb and went on a county road which *HAD* a big climb. Zoomin' up at 4 mph & being eaten by flies to boot. (I did do this voluntarily, right? 😉 At the top, the routes to the campgrounds obviously went downhill back to the Mississippi, so I kept the high ground and headed for Patch Grove. At this point, I've got about an hour of daylight left. Patch Grove turned out to have nothing but two bars and I asked at one of them about lodging further down the road, and was told there was a park in the next town — about 4 miles. That, I could make, so I headed off to Bloomington.

And there was a park. However, it was local softball league night, and the place was swarming with people — in the pavillions, the volleyball courts, the playground, not to mention the ballfield. The concession stand was selling beer and at 9 PM, there was a game going on and two other teams warming up. It was already dusk and the next town with a motel was 14 miles away and this was the best I could do — so I bought a Sprite and sat down to watch the game and wait until the festivities ended. As the first game ended, the crowd did thin a little bit and I started chatting with a man who had been sitting there. Charlie, it turns out, was the father or grandfather of about a 1/4 of the next team (slight exaggeration, but not much). We talked for quite a while about his kids and grandkids, my kid and grandkid, his job, sports and army exploits, his retierment, and me and my trip. About 11 PM, the park had cleared enough that I could walk about 100 yds to the next pavillion and set up, and that's what I did. I said my good-bye-nice-to-meet-you to Charlie (after getting a pic, of course) and he recommended "Ma's Bakery" as a good breakfast spot. I made my way to the pavillion, parked Jake & BOB against a table, put my pad & bag on the concrete and put in my earplugs.

Did I mention that I thought the beer selling was going to mean a long night? It did. Even though the games were over by 11, the hangers-on hung on to midnight. After that, I did have a quite peaceful and restful night. I got up in the morning, packed up, and while filling my tires, found that my front tube had a big hole by the valve base that only leaked if it were turned a certain way. I changed the tube and got to "Ma's" by 6:40. And Charlie was there. It's really cool to walk into a place where you don't know anyone, but yet you do, and I almost bellowed, "Hi, Charlie!" He sat and talked with me while I ate my breakfast ("Ma's" was very good & cheap, BTW), we said our goodbyes again and off I went.

That's why I didn't stay in that hotel last night watching the weather or re-runs of I Love Lucy! Just little slices of Americana like that make the extra miles worth it (I finished with 60 for the day).

Today, on Day 33, I'm sitting in a library in Shullsburg, WI, just cooling down a bit. I'll get to today's report later though, gotta get back out on the road soon.

Lansing, IA to Prairie du Chen, WI 35 miles

Whew. I'm tired. Today's ride was delayed by thunderstorms until after noon. I was staying in a campground about 2 miles west of Lansing. When I woke up just before 6 to get ready to leave, a quick check of weather radar indicated a big storm coming in about an hour. I was able to pack up the tent and got everything into the BOB and got into town just before the storm hit. I parked Jake & BOB under an awning at the local hardware store and hit the quik stop, restaurants, coffee shops, variety stores, hardware stores, and just about every place I could take shelter. I had my fill of coffee today, let me tell you. 😉 Rain, lightning, & thunder lasted until 11:30. I finally got on the road shortly after noon.

And it was a slogging day. The road from Lansing to Harper's Ferry, IA leaves the river and climbs over a number of the bluffs. Three good size climbs to be exact. I did get a chance to stop at (and get a welcome break) at the Effigy Mounds National Monument. I DID NOT do the 7 mile hikes — the visitor center sufficed.

I finally made Marquette, IA at 4:30 and stopped in a cafe and had the meatloaf special. I then crossed the mighty Mississippi into Prairie du Chen, WI, in whose library I update this tome.

Will stay here for the evening and hopefully get a good an early start tomorrow. My knee is still tender and my rear is still swollen & blue, but being on the bike actually feels much better than walking or lying down. Must be all those muscles I've been building up the last few weeks giving some back.

Plainview, MN to Lansing, IA 83 Miles

Today's ride was mercifully easy, thank goodness, & I still made over 80 miles, bum knee & all.

I rode along the Mississipi, past the many bluffs that dot this region. And I hit a new state – Iowa.

On to Wisconsin & Illinois!

A final pic with my saviors and hosts for the last 4 days, the Hanlons.

As I've already said, I'm lucky to have been where I was when I crashed. Though I lost a few days and a few actual bike miles, I'm feeling much better thanks to Eric's & Wanda's help, wonderful meals and libations (including Hanlon's Fisher Hill Red), quiet sleep, theraputic pool, and tremondous energy from Zach, Hannah, & Sam. Thanks so much to all the Hanlons.

I went for a ride with Jake & Bob and Eric last evening and it was successful enough to plan to continue on tomorrow morning. I'm going to stick with my original route through Iowa (touching on Wisconsin for a bit), Illinois, & Indiana. In about 7 or 8 days and 620 miles, I'll be in Maumee, OH visiting with my sister Jean and her husband Mark, hopefully in time to catch some Toledo Mudhen games. It will be a little slow at first — my knee did do some complaining, and my rear is still bright blue and swollen — but the bike felt pretty comfortable and I'm feeling confident about continuing.

… but slowly getting better. I'm going to try a fully-loaded ride this evening and decide whether to get on the road tomorrow or not. Today will be a good day to go over the bike, change brake pads, rotate tires, lube it, etc. In the meantime…

Road Kill Ruminations
Warning: Graphic content. Material may be unsuitable for small children, family pets, or anyone who gets queasy at the sight of a stray drop of ketchup on their sleeve.

One of the things new cyclists are faced with when they start out on longer rides is roadkill. You quickly learn that you can't keep your head down looking at the white line too long, or you may face an extremely unpleasant meeting. You need to know what's coming and whether or not and how long you may need to refrain from breathing to get past roadkill lying in wait — a sometimes trying task, especially if you are sucking wind up a long hard climb. Too often, the only way you find out about a kill lying in the grass to the side of the roadway is to pass through the stench of it's rotting flesh. Other times, you have to manuever your mount through various body parts & fluids strewn over the highway and shoulder, all the while trying to avoid becoming roadkill yourself. Splayed intestines are the most offensive, imho.

As I crossed this great nation, the roadkills varied with the landscape and climate. In the Cascades of Washington, weasels seemed to be the most prominent formerly live objects on the roadways. As I descended into the high desserts, snakes became pretty prominent (some rather large ones, too).

Idaho and Montana kept the snakes, but the weasels were replaced by squirrels.

In Wyoming, jack rabbits were the most common, but the snakes were still there, too (I only saw one very small and one medium size still alive snake waiting to eventually be smushed on the side of the roadway).

In South Dakota, things became much more varied. As I left Rapid City and the Black Hills diminished into the badlands, turtles started appearing, and rabbits were still pretty frequent. Out of the badlands and into the great plains, pheasants started appearing quite often.

In Minnesota, raccoons and foxes joined the pheasants in the mix.

Overall, I was surprised an the paucity of deer, because they were sure prominent in the western forests. However, I only saw 4 or so deer in the 1st 2000 miles. Contrast that with often seeing 4 deer on a single ride in Central PA. I'm sure that has to do with the population of both people and deer and also the traffic density in PA, but I was surprised a bit.

While nothing looks especially attractive after meeting an untimely and violent demise under the weight of a motorcar, birds appear particularly ungainly in death. Perhaps that's because in life they represent such grace and spirit in flight, that the sight of them sprawled on their backs, their scrawny feet sticking up into the air, heads flattened like pancakes, their wings tucked or splayed, makes their passing that much more tragic.

This is what happens when you have so much time to think. 😉

<- Real tough recuperation I'm having, huh?

If I had to have an accident, I couldn't have picked a better place to have it. Eric & Wanda have been wonderful hosts, attending to whatever I need, and today, Eric took me into Rochester to visit the nearby Mayo Clinic's Emergency Room.

I got an OK to continue on. The knee is sprained, but structurally sound. The doctor had me push, pull, twist, turn and walk against force and and I was able to perform every task with the same strength in the right knee as the left. They didn't even bother with X-rays. I do have a rather large hematoma on my right buttocks, but its basically a big bruise, and not a show stopper.

After the doctor's explanations about hematomas et al, I asked "Are there *any* restrictions or problems with continuing my ride?" I asked. "No," he answered. "Except for expecting pain?" I replied. "Oh, yeah," he said, "It's gonna hurt."

So, I'm going to lay low for another day, maybe two, and then continue on, albeit more slowly at first. I think I'm going to abandon the cooking idea, send all that extra weight back home, and eat out for the rest of the trip. That will both lighten my load, and give me more time during the daylight hours for riding. Just one less thing to worry about, too.

After flying down passes in the rockies at 45+ mph and dodging Montana's truck drivers, RVs in Wyoming, South Dakota's tourists, and farm machinery in Minnesota, it's a bit ironic to me that I was brought down in a slow speed solo manuever. I was going about 11 or 12 mph when Jake & Bob conspired with whatever pavement defect it was that caught their attention and tire to ungraciously throw me like a rider from a bronco bull. At least those guys are expecting it.

So stay tuned. I'll probably try to leave here Wednesday morning, only a day off schedule. In the meantime I'll try to post some other observations from the road that I haven't had time to write up.

I am a bit sore this morning. All the little bruises that weren't noticed yesterday made themselves known. Injuries to date: Strained right knee, deep contusion on right gluteus maximus, contusions on my left and right quadriceps, and a little twinge in my back. Hmmmm. The bike and the trailer appear for all intents and purposes to be unscathed. Curse them! 😉

At this point, I'm waiting and seeing and keeping ice on the knee, and tomorrow I'll see if it seems alright to continue.

Anyway, I'm still officially travelling. I got a few questions from some of you about what happened to Chris and who Eric is (BTW, you can drop me a line at –

):

Chris left on Friday to return to the Denver airport & fly home. I would not be this far without his great help getting through South Dakota.

Eric is Eric Hanlon. We worked together in the mid-90s at a company called Roadware in Kylertown, PA. After Roadware pulled their operations back to Canada, I went independent, and Eric moved to Minnesota to work at the Mayo Clinic. His wife Wanda is originally from MN, and they live here with their three adorable children, Zach, Hannah, & Sam.

So, after Eric's dramatic rescuing of me from the McDonald's in Owatonna (well, not dramatic, but I'm just trying to spice things up), we went back to their place, I cleaned up a bit and we went to their neighbors for a gourmet dinner, replete with fireworks. What a treat! It was hard to feel sorry for myself with such great company and wonderful food. And a little libation helped to ease the pain, too. Eric & Wanda are so nice, I feel blessed that if I was to have an accident, that I was close enough to end up here. They are taking good care of me.

Slept very well last night – a good sign that the injuries are not too serious. Like I said, I'll see what tomorrow brings and maybe head to the local clinic just to get checked out. At the least, it's going to be uncomfortable for a few days. At worst I might have to postpone finishing. And all possibilities in between. We shall see. 😉

Not to worry, it was relatively minor – details below.

Darfur to Owatonna, MN 92 miles.

First, unfinished story: I forgot to tell you that I pitched my tent in the Darfur American Legion Park, two blocks from the lounge. Just me & 6,000 mosquitos & a cool little owl using the pavilion as a base.

Had a restless night since it stayed hot & my body still hadn't stopped peddling, & I only got to rinse off using the park fountain.

My mapping/timing mistakes yesterday really cost me today, & fatigue & the heat didn't help. By 2 pm, it was clear I wasn't going to make the Hanlons' without motor vehicle assistance (i.e. a ride).

I called Eric – I would ride for two more hours & he'd pick me up. Then, just as I crossed the city limits, I was going to make a pit stop at McD's. When I turned to cross the highway, my wheel caught on the lip of the shoulder & I was sent sprawling into the traffic lane. There were no cars coming (I looked 1st), & a nice lady who saw me fall pulled up behind me & put her flashers on & stayed until I got off the highway & got myself together.

Jake & BOB are fine. I bruised my right butt cheek & its very hard. My right knee also took a beating. I was OK enough to ride over to McD's & then, minus BOB, to walmart for instant ice packs & an ace wrap.

I'm sitting at McD's with half my bottom on one ice pack & another on my knee & Eric just pulled in.

Updates later. I'm OK, just sore & not quite so charmed.

Well, the adventure begins. I got a late start today – purposefully – as Chris was leaving & I was feeling tired after doing 410 miles in 4 days through the SD heat & wind.

I felt charmed. For the first time all week, I had a tailwind, & without Chris, & with the BOB in tow, that made for a much easier day. The terrain of western MN is much gentler, too.

I did, however, make two misjudgements: the distance I needed to cover, & the "ruralness" of this part of MN.

I had planned on going to Madelia, & after a nice, but too long lunch stop in Slayton (a real roast beef sandwich – no lunch meat & $2.50), I realized I'd really have to move to make Madelia. And I did – with the tailwind & flat roads I was doing 18 mph.

But by 8pm with the sun sinking, almost out of water & no food but trail bars, I knew I wasn't going to make it. & after Slayton, services had dried up.

From my maps & pocket database, I knew I could go south about 10 miles & find food. No, I had to be stubborn & kept plodding on. At a little crossroads called Darfur, I saw a sign for the Darfur Lounge – Open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, on the ground, leaning against a building. I followed the directions, & sure enough, there it was.

I went in with the idea of getting my water bottles filled & using the john & getting on my way. I sat down at the bar beside an older man & couldn't resist the call of the cold beer. I asked Pat, the farmer I sat beside, lots of questions about directions & he filled my ear with observations about farming 300 acres of corn & soybeans at 77 because the meds he & his wife needed cost $1000 a month & that was just about all they got from Social Security.

The bartender & various other patrons would come over occasionally to ask about my trip. Pat's wife Shirley came over to take him home & we got to talking about my trip & she gave me $5 for The 2nd Mile & she's gonna pray for me, too!

B0NUS! It was friday happy hours & there were free sloppy joes, so for 6 bucks I had 3 beers, 4 joes, 4 full water bottles & a priceless experience.

G'nite. Long day tomorrow & I'm very tired.

But I still feel charmed.