Dick Willy

Dick Willy

Friday, July 29, 2011

Jul 29, continued.

I probably won't get many pictures published until after the ride.  Keeping up with blogging using free wi-fi has been difficult, especially with as little time as we have.  Our experience is a continuing cycle of eat-ride-eat-sleep, and all else is secondary.

Weather last week was "varied": heavy rain, wind, sun & heat.  Fortunately the terrain has been very flat.  Northern Indiana & NW Ohio is former Lake Erie seabed -- there are no hills worth the mention.  That will change next week as we move into eastern Ohio & Pennsylvania.  The day into Gettyburg is reported to be very difficult climbing.  Hopefully, I'll get back my "Cascades" legs by then.

That's all for now.

Update Jul 29

Yes, I'm alive.  ;o}  Last week was very long one -- 7 days in a row on the bike, 645 miles total.  Started the week in Madison WI, ended yesterday in Burton (Cleveland) OH.

I missed one complete day (Coal City, IL - Valparaiso, IN) due to lack of sleep the night before.  The night in Coal City (camping) was hot, humid, with no air movement. I managed to get only 1 hour of sleep and was in no condition to ride, so drove with Cindy Gilbrough.  I took a sag halfway through the next day, still catching up on sleep.  The rest of the week went well.

Yesterday I stopped my ride at daughter Kate's house in Lakewood, west side of Cleveland.  It's been great to have a rest day with family.  They'll take me to the Burton campsite tonight, and we'll hit the road again tomorrow AM.

Last week I was able to spend time with old friends:  John & Vivien Diserio in Belvidere, IL (college friends) and at Coal City with high school classmates Stan Gaul & Ron Dodd and the spouses, along with sister-in-law Norma.  Coal City is only 40 miles from Ottawa, where I grew up.

Next week (starting tomorrow) we ride five days into Gettysburg, PA where we'll take our last rest day.  Then, i't two easy days into Washington, DC.  More in next post....

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Rapid City, SD - New Ulm, MN Jul 10 - 18

It was a tough week -- 6 days biking, 513 miles, strong headwinds, rain, heat.  I was really struggling on day 5 and decided to take an extra rest day, skipping the Tyler - New Ulm leg.  I rode with Cindy Gilbrough in their Toyota pickup pulling their Burro trailer.  It was difficult to sit out a day but it's exactly what my body needed.

After two days rest, I rode comfortably today -- 72 miles from New Ulm to Owatonna, MN.  It was hot (low 90s) and humid, but a 10 mph wind at our right side tempered the effects of the heat.

The countryside is pretty flat, with rolling terrain and few significant hills.  Crops are predominately corn & soy beans, generally very healthy.  Some fields show crop damage from the rains & flooding.

Pierre, So. Dakota's capital, is still suffering the effects of a flooding Missouri River.

That's all for now -- falling asleep..

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Jul 9 - Rapid City, SD

It hardly seems possible that we've come 1,350 miles  -- 40% of Big Ride 2011 is over!  We've crossed Washington, the Idaho panhandle, Montana, the Rocky Mountains, the NE corner of Wyoming, and entered the Great Plains in south Dakota.  We've also climbed an incredible 41,000' and become acclimated to cruising at mile-high altitudes.

The change this week will be dramatic -- flatter terrain, heat routinely in 90's, and increasing humidity as we head east.

Last week was a tough one for me.  First day,, Jul 4, Billings MT - Hardin WY was fairly easy at 56 miles, but most found it more difficult than the distance would suggest -- me, too.  Seemed like our bodies didn't want to work after a day off.  Hardin - Sheridan (85mi), Sheridan - Gillette (112 mi) and Gillette - Newcastle (76 mi) we're physically painful.  I finally realized I hadn't been stretching as I usually do, and my back & arm pain we're the result.  That night I stretched really well. That and a couple of other changes made and huge difference the next day.  See next post for Newcastle - Rapid City via the Black Hills.

KOA, Hardin, WY

Noel & Cindy Gilbrough's Burro trailer , "Baby".  Cindy drives the route, they sleep in the Burro, except rest days where we have indoor accommodations, like university dorms.  Cindy visits all of the quilt shops en route.

Cindy & Noel



Monday, July 4, 2011

Jul 4, Hardin, MT KOA

Lazy day....  Only 56 miles, and most were in camp by 11 AM.  Noel, Brian, Kenny, Gabe & I stopped in town at Taco John for some "real" food -- other than PB&J.  We were in by noon..  some riders haqve gone to the fairgrounds for the rodeo -- others, like me -- are chillin', blogging, etc.  There will be fireworks tonight at the fairgrounds & by a FW dealer's business.. Too late for most,though. We have an early departure planned for tomorrow - maybe more days, too - to beat the heat & possible headwinds.

Dinner tonight by "Beyond Basil" caterers fro Billings.  Yum!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Jul 3, Billings, MT

Last week was one of highs & lows: four days of riding in a row, including two centuries & one 90+ miler.  We crossed over the continental divide at 6,300 feet - the highest altitude on the Big Ride - on a beautiful century through country reminiscent of Bonanza and High Plains Drifter with most of the day spent at mile-high altitudes.

We had fabulous dinner in Harlowton at the home the owners of a soon-to-open restaurant in town -- I had the buffalo burger.

Yesterday the ride started fast and strong, as riders rode to beat forecast PM head winds & high temps.  The road in the AM was slightly downhill, and Noel I m made the lunch stop at mile 47 averaging 18.6 mph!    But, the next 45 miles was composed of many long uphills, temps rising to 90 deg and a slight headwind.  And, I bonked badly about 20 miles out of Billings, only able to pedal at 10 - 12 mph.  Our average fell to 15 - still our fastest day yet.

Our dinner was catered by "Beyond Basil" and was the BEST food yet: three great salads, yellow tomato gaspacho, the tenderest steak I've ever had (Montana organic raised beef), cupcakes, and homemade ice cream.  They will also be catering our dinner in Hardin!


MacDonald Pass - 6,325' - the 
Continental Divide 


The descent to Helena


Crossing the Missouri above 
Townsend & Three Forks, where the Galatin, Jefferson& Madison merge to form the Missouri


A "Big Sky" scene

We've crossed the Rockies, done three centuries in four days, rested today in Billings, and will ride to Hardin on the Crow Indian Reservation tomorrow.

Sandpoint - Thompson Falls 6/26

 Glacial Lake Missoula near head of current Lake Pend Orielle.














Noel explaining the great flood when the glacier holding lake Missoula collapsed thousands of
years ago creating the landscape of central Washington.
Lake Pend Orielle moose habitat.

Pretty ride past Lake Pend Orielle and the source of the great floods from Glacial Lake Missoula, tens of thousands of years ago.  84 miles, uneventful.