bicycling – Page 3 – Dennis' Cross-Country Bike Trip

Day 5,6 – Part 2, Medford, Wisconsin

At the rate I’m going, I think those in the buggy might make better time. By now I should be averaging about fifty miles (eighty km) a day. My goal is around sixty miles (100 km) a day once I get back in shape. Of course, the real problem has been the weather. It just has not been cooperative. I refuse to ride in lightning and it has been a constant on this ride thus-far.

Day 1: 54.50 Miles (87.7 km)
Day 2: 34.17 Miles (55.0 km)
Day 3: 57.27 Miles (92.2 km)
Day 4: 27.43 Miles (44.1 km)
Day 5: 49.17 Miles (79.1 km)

As I write this, I am in Medford, WI. I stayed at the Medford Inn last night. The hotel was alright, but it had zilch for WiFi. It had three “hotspots” for WiFi and they weren’t even tepid. I finally found that if I sat in the office, in a particular chair, I could get enough of a connection to make it work. As has been the case in my travels around this country, T-Mobile is non-existent here. They’re fine in metropolitan areas, but come up really short in rural America. If you plan on travel, do look into AT&T or Verizon, it is worth the extra cost.

I stopped in Gilman, WI on my way. It is a charming little town. I had some lunch at the Kountry Kettle and really enjoyed the “down home” cooking. I felt right at home and everyone made me feel welcome. These are the moments that make a trip such as this such a joy.

I stopped by the Gilman Veterans Memorial on the way out of town. I began to wonder that if we gathered up all the military hardware from around the country, we could outfit a pretty good army. I think that is an M60A1 tank, we have one something like it at home in Sarasota, Florida, too. Even though I am a veteran, I would rather see us spend more on schools and health care and less on hardware that ends up sitting.

At one time, many years ago, I was asked by a certain someone to go pick out some wallpaper for out bathroom. I found what I thought was perfect. It had little toilets on it. That ended my interior decorating days forever. In a bathroom along the way, I saw the perfect match to my choice (see above). What do you think?

I’ve decided to take an early “Zero day.” Hikers refer to a day off as a Zero-day because they are walking zero miles. The weather alert this morning was forecasting doom and gloom, so here I sit is a Boarders Hotel in Medford. At least the WiFi is great here. With all the rumbling and flashing going on outside I think I made a good decision.

I had a light lunch and a two-hour nap…life is good.

Day 4 – Part 2, Cornell, Wisconsin

The ride out from Bloomer, WI, started out gloomy and foreboding. There was a bit of sunshine for a bit, but it vanished early on. I kept an eye off to my right, watching the forming clouds.

My intention for the day was to ride to Medford, WI, about 65 miles (105 km) away. Terrain looked promising, no big hills to climb, with one exception. At the top of the hill, there was a route sign that cried out for a sign below it that says, “Top.” Eighties music fans would get it.

As I entered Cornell, WI, I stopped to check the weather. There was an alert on my phone, something about “Quickly finish loading all animals onto the Ark, it is about to get real!” Maybe that wasn’t exactly right, but you get the idea.

Coming into Cornell the first thing one sees is the Stacker. It was used to stack logs for the pulp mills. At 175 feet, (53.3 M) it is an imposing sight. I hangs right over the park tennis courts

I looked around on the Google Map tool and found I had a choice between a state campground 2.5 miles away (4 km), or a motel 4 miles away (7 km). I called ahead and was assured of a room, so I had some lunch and pedaled my wimpy butt to the motel. The forecast was for severe lightning, I’ll take a building over a tent anytime. It turned out to be a wise decision.

A meager 27 miles (43.5 km) for the day. Coward, or wimp?

Just as I rolled the bike into the room, all hell broke loose outside. This was a prime time for a nap, what else was there?

You know you’re in hunting country when the hotel has a sportsman warning sign that says no cleaning of animals will take place in the hotel room. That they had to post a sign tells you something.

After a few hours nap and washing things, it was time for an early evening meal. I rode down the street a few hundred feet and found a nice restaurant.

The staff was friendly and the service, great. I guess it would have to be, I was the only customer there. They had a BBQ Rib special for the evening, all you can eat. I haven’t been eating much meat on this ride so I gave into the temptation and ordered the special for $15.99.

They brought me a nice plate of food, enough so I didn’t even order more. I had a very pleasant chat with the bar keeper and explained what I was doing. A younger member of the waitstaff did most of the serving.

When finished, the “check” was delivered to my table. Why do they call it a “check?” It is a bill. If I took that “check” to the bank, I don’t believe anyone would deposit it. It doesn’t look like a check, it looks like an itemized bill… drink, main dish, taxes and total.

Speaking of the total, the meal, as mentioned earlier, was $15.99 and there was a soft drink, the total should have been around $19.00 (I don’t recall the exact amount). It was a whopping $27.00! The tax was $9.77. I brought the “check” up to the bar to have them look at it. The young person that waited on me explained that the food tax in Wisconsin is 5.5%. Taking the calculator and entering my food costs, the amount was multiplied by 0.55 and ta-dah, the taxes came out to $9.77.

If you’ve been following along on this journey, you’ll recall my tirade about the pennies in Glendive, MT, the incident involving Sister Mary Hang-em-High. It was happening again. At this point, a couple had walked in and sat at the bar–locals. They confirmed the food tax was 5.5% and were astonished that my taxes were so high. It was being calculated at 55% and the person doing the calculating didn’t see the error, even after I pointed it out. “But, but the calculator says…” Is this a result of a failed education system, failed parents, or too many cash registers that total everything up automatically. This restaurant didn’t have the automatic cash registers, they were using a sixties-vintage calculator. Maybe they should consider an abacus. I don’t know the answer, but we’re in trouble.

The weather had cleared for my trip to the restaurant, but predictions were for a very active lightning storm evening. I did go out and set up my ham radio on a swing by the Chippewa River for a while and then it was off to bed.

During the night the river rose another eight inches or so, it certainly has been raining and there is more in store.

Day 3 – Part 2: Bloomer, Wisconsin

Dorothy might have been from Kansas, but I think the Tin Man was from Wisconsin.

Who says farmers don’t have a sense of humor? This guy made me chuckle. The ride today was a vast improvement over yesterday. Easy rolling hills, good weather, and food-finds along the way—riding as it should be.

I started out from North Richmond heading east on WI 64. It has a good shoulder and light traffic. I didn’t even need the GPS and put it away for the day.

After 57 miles (92 km) I stopped in Bloomer for the night. I was planning on camping, so I could set up my radio, but an inexpensive motel called out to me. Hard to believe they had vacancies on a weekend, but they did. A picnic table out front was perfect for using the radio.

After a short nap, I went into town, about a mile, and ordered General Tso’s Chicken. I brought it back to the room. On the way back I stopped by the local Veteran’s Memorial. It seems every town has one and I always feel a connection with those being honored. No matter how small the town, they never seem to forget. The population in Bloomer is 3539. Back in WW I I’ll bet it was only a few hundred, but there they were on the monuments. They even had names from the War of 1812.

After dinner, I went out and threw a wire up into a tree and fired up the radio. Unfortunately, there was so much electrical noise from neon signs and the like that I didn’t have too much success. I talked with one fellow in Pensacola, Florida and then retired for the evening.

One of the unfortunate things about having a successful business in these towns is life suffers in other ways. They have some sort of unique sand in the area that is useful for fracking for petroleum. Digging the stuff up has polluted the local water table and there is a warning in the motel that urges one to not drink the water:

The Chinese food had a fortune cookie: “You will have good luck and overcome many hardships.” I hope so.

Day 2 – Part 2 in New Richmond, Wisconsin

There is a saying that goes, “Some days it just doesn’t pay to get out of bed.” This was one of those days!

The forecast this morning was for “scattered thunderstorms.” I live in Florida, I know what thunderstorms are. The detail that was left out of the forecast was that the storms were all going to be “scattered” right over me.

After leaving the warm, dry comfortable hotel, I rode out into a light mist/rain. Heading north I rode about five miles when the rain turned into a torrential downpour. Then the lightning started and didn’t let up for the rest of the day. I would ride a mile or two, then the lighting would get dangerously close and I would take shelter. The first shelter was in North Hudson township. They had a ball field with covered picnic tables. I managed to stay somewhat dry and spent an hour and a half…waiting. I had been riding on McCutcheon Rd for about four miles. It is unpaved and has lots of loose gravel.

The hills were difficult to climb, my rear wheel would start to spin in the mud and I had to dismount and walk the rest of the hill. Rinse and repeat.

At the shelter (see first photo) I decided to avoid continuing on McCutcheon, it was just too difficult. I headed north when there was a lag in the storm. When the lightning would get too close I would pull into a farmyard and ask if I could sit on the porch. In one case, I was sitting outside a home trying to decide if I should ask. Zap! Bang! Rumble!. A strike hit about 100 feet from where I was stopped. I rushed down the driveway and onto the porch. A terrified group of kids were staring out the window and the woman inside granted me a visit on the porch…no questions asked. This storm was intense, as were the accompanying rains.

After maybe, three-quarters of an hour, I ventured out again. I traveled about a mile and then repeated stopping on porches. Nobody was home, so I just sat there and waited.

One malady of GPS that I discovered, at least on my Android phone, was that raindrops act as finger-touches on the screen. It was nearly impossible to use the GPS, every raindrop would “click” the screen and take me off to some other destination. I finally gave up and just went into “dead reckoning” mode. After a few more hours of misery, I spotted a double rainbow and knew I was near some good luck.

I started out around 10 AM and it was now getting near five in the afternoon. I had gone, maybe, twenty miles east on my trip to the Atlantic and eventually turned north for about ten miles, I needed to find indoor accommodations, no camping tonight. Eventually, I ended up in North Richmond at an Amerivu Inn. The staff was warm, welcoming and treated me like family. Keep in mind, I’m dripping wet, cold and I’m certain quite a sight. No matter, they gave me a room that I could roll my bicycle to (right through the main lobby) and encouraged me to make myself at home. I was meeting Wisconsin hospitality. If you’re on a bicycle ride in North Richmond, I highly recommend this hotel.

When I arrived in the hotel room, I connected the computer and the first thing I saw on the screen was:

I’m in St. Croix County, and I can vouch for the warning.

In all, I spent about eight hours riding in cold rain, wind, and huge lightning. After a hot shower, I am ready for bed. Good night to all. Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be much better, it couldn’t be worse!

Day 1-Part 2, from Hudson, Wisconsin

Can you tell I’m in Minnesota? Does the snow ever actually melt here?

As Willie Nelson sang, “I’m on the road again…” After driving 1600 miles, from Sarasota, Florida, to Minneapolis, Minnesota, it was nice to drop off the rental van and be back on the bicycle.

As planned, I set out yesterday morning, 23 August. The weather was clear and sunny, as was my disposition. The fully packed bike weighed in around 85 pounds (38.5 kg), which is what it weighed on part one of this trip. At home I had weighed all of the ham radio and computer stuff and, to my surprise, it all came in at 16 pounds (7.2 kg). I could jettison some of it, but it is the one luxury I’m going to carry. It isn’t so much the equipment that is that heavy, it is the batteries and chargers that weigh things down.

The first problem I encountered on the ride was the GPS. The new holder I mounted on the bike for the cell phone was useless. It has a clear plastic cover that reflects so much sunlight the phone face is impossible to see. Hearing the GPS voice commands can be a challenge if large, noisy, trucks are passing. I’ll have to come up with a better mount.

About a mile from the airport I hit a spot where the GPS became very confused. First, it insisted that I go north on a road that I just knew wasn’t correct. Then, it insisted I go south. It pointed to an access ramp to a highway and wanted me to go up the ramp about fifty feet, then ride in a ten-foot circle for, get this, two and one-half hours! After riding in a circle I would arrive at my destination. Yeah, sure. I gave up on it and went with my instincts. After about a mile the GPS recovered and started functioning again. Weird. Russian hackers?

Most of the day’s ride was nice and at least two-thirds were on bike paths and trails. At one point I encountered a sign that said “Trail closed” with no indication of an alternate route. I rode on and did finally see a detour sign. The GPS didn’t know about it, so I figured I might be on my own again.

Eventually, I came to Stillwater, MN. This was another of these towns that had a much different past, as evidenced by the old brick mill building and a port area along the river. Whatever commerce it had engaged in in days gone by was now history. The town was smart enough to survive by doing what other towns have done and gone “artsy.” It now has numerous cafes, museums, various tourist shops, riverboats, and tours. It was a charming transition.

When I arrived in town I tied my bike to a bike rack. I struck up a conversation with a couple with their bikes. I asked about the restaurant across the way and I could tell by their body language that they were not too enthused. The place looked nice and had American and Irish flags hanging about. It looked expensive, with a nice outdoor table area. A hefty wind was blowing, so outdoors dining was questionable anyway.

The couple suggested that I check out LoLo, a dining establishment just up the street. LoLo translates to “Locally Owned, Locally Operated.” It sounded like my kind of place. Upon their advice, I went down there and was pleased. It was a very friendly and bustling place. They had all sorts of unusual things on the menu. I opted for a Cuban Taco and enjoyed it. Thank you, my bicycle friends.

Leaving Stillwater, I headed south along the St. Croix River, on the Minnesota bank. There is a brand new bridge across the river to Wisconsin. It is a massive affair, at least a mile long, but they did consider bicycle/pedestrian traffic and I was able to travel across in complete safety. The bike path continues for quite a distance on the Wisconsin side, and the GPS didn’t appear to be fully updated. When I arrived at the first intersection I was looking to go south on Rt. 35, but couldn’t find it, so I went right on Rt. E. Yes, “E,” there are many roads here that are just designated with a single letter. I should have gone left.

After traveling for a few miles a fellow bicyclist, by the name of Pat, stopped to chat with me. He advised that I backtrack and pick up Rt. V and it would take me to Rt. 35. He suggested that I could continue on E, but it would be about 15 more miles and I didn’t want to chance riding in the dark on strange roads.

I found my way to Hudson, WI and happily got a room at a Comfort Suite, where I am currently writing this. I had hoped to set up my amateur radio station tonight and see whom I could contact, but this 71-year-old body decided sleep would be more welcome. Maybe tonight? (I’m writing this on day two of the ride.)

This morning it is overcast, raining and not very inviting. The temperature is 71 degrees F, and it says it feels like 64. I’m hoping the rain will die down and I will get underway by around 11 AM. It is supposed to clear late in the day and tomorrow is supposed to be nice. We’ll see.

For all my single lady friends, you’d be surprised at what you can buy in Wisconsin. It is a little hard to read, but the sign reads: “Man Sale.” I’ve seen lots of topless bars along the way, but this was new. Must be low budget judging by the sign quality. Then my nose told me this might be a manure sale. Oh well.

Looking forward to being back in the saddle again!

A vehicle is has been rented and the bike tires are replaced—this trip is going to happen. Jane returns home from being up north on Sunday and we need some time together, so I’ve delayed leaving by another day. I should be riding on Thursday, 23 August, 2018.

I’ve checked out the tent, the cold weather gear, new riding shoes, the new rear panniers and the ham radio station and everything is as ready as it can be. I’ll start out a bit slowly because I am about five pounds (two kg+) over what I like to be.

The good news is the terrain, at least until I reach Vermont, should be reasonably flat. Vermont, NH, and MA are at the right side of the map:

https://goo.gl/maps/CaAqKuDQsLP2

To see the entire route map, click here.

The bike weighs about the same as before, around 85 pounds (39 kg), fully loaded. By the time I hit Vermont, I should be back in shape for those climbs. My daughter, Áine, warned me that the biggest climbs of the entire trip, from Oregon to Massachusetts are in Vermont. Who knew? One would think the Rockies would be the issue. She accomplished this ride just after graduating from high school. She makes me feel like a wimp.

As usual, I will operate the ham radio station in the evenings, when camped. I also get on the air when staying at hotels by going out to nearby parks and setting up at picnic tables or the like. Sometimes hotels have a convenient place to do so. If I have WiFi, I will send out a Tweet from @K1YPP to let the ham radio world know where to find me.

I recall one time in Vermont, I was out in the back of the hostel on a deck. I had the radio on, talking with a fellow in Pennsylvania. I was wearing headphones and it was very dark. It was then I realized that I was sitting right next to the gas grill that had been used to cook salmon and steaks just a few hours earlier. I was deep in bear country. Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.

Follow along and let’s see where this next adventure leads.

Dennis “K1” Blanchard

17 August 2018

Delayed again, until 22 August or so.

Due to family emergencies, I’m postponing slightly. I should be leaving Sarasota, FL around the 20th of August and should be back on the ride around the 22nd in Minnesota. I guess I had better bring along some warm clothing for riding in Canada in early September.

I’d like to arrive at Newburyport, Massachusetts around the 20th of September, which means about sixty miles (95 km) a day. This means about seven hours of riding each day, with some time off here and there. We’ll see.

This also means that I may stay in hotels more than I usually do, since setting up and tearing down a campsite can take considerable time. When I can, I will seek out a Warmshowers.org host, but that too can take time.

By the way, today, is the 50th anniversary of my brother Tom being killed in action in Vietnam. Fifty years! Hard to believe he has been gone that long. If only he could be along for this ride.

On the road again?

It looks like, if things go well, I could be on the road again around the 8th of August, 2018. The bike is almost ready, I just need to change the tires, the replacements have arrived. The following photo is a page from AAA magazine, they came and rescued me when I crashed in Minnesota.

The Florida weather has been terribly hot this summer so most of my riding has been around midnight. In the summer there is practically zero traffic at that hour and I don’t have to suffer the sun’s intense rays. In a twenty-mile ride I may see only two cars and one a police car.

My ham radio friends will be interested to know that I will have my radio station with me. I’ve been exercising it lately and everything seems to be in good working order. Radio conditions are not great, but I have to take what nature throws at me.

Anyway, just wanted to bring things up to date. I will be starting around Stacy, MN, then over to WI, then the ferry across Lake Michigan, MI, up into Canada, dropping down to Buffalo, NY, then across NY, into VT, NH and at long last MA and onto Newburyport, MA. Stay tuned.

Dennis, K1YPP

The light at the end of the tunnel is not a freight train.

Hi All: Just a quick update. I’m still alive and celebrated my 71st birthday on Saturday, St. Patrick’s Day. The really good news is, unless something prevents me from doing so, I am planning on getting back on the road this summer.

The current plan is to load up the bicycle in a rental car around 6 August, 2018, get up to around Stacy, Minnesota and start riding. With luck, and good weather my route should take me through the last few miles of MN, then into Wisconsin. From there I’ll hop the ferry from Manitowoc Port, to Ludington, Michigan. I’ll wander across Michigan to the Detroit/Windsor crossing into Canada and then ride east to the Rainbow Bridge crossing from Canada into NY. I’ll certainly visit my cousin in the Buffalo, NY area and then move on to cross NY into Vermont, New Hampshire and finally Massachusetts.

I’m told by my daughter, Áine, that I face the toughest hill climb of the entire journey going into NH. One would think the Cascades or Rocky Mountains would garner that honor. Who knew?

That is the quick update. Hopefully, more to follow soon.

Postponed again.

Life has a way of getting in the way. Originally, it was my plan to return to the ride later this summer (2017). In the interim, there have been a few life changes that will, once again, postpone things.

Jane and I have decided to sell our home and move to something requiring less maintenance. All this traveling and keeping up a home does not go well together. At our age, the traveling takes precedence over mowing lawns and fixing plumbing.

In addition, we have a rental property that we’re selling, for the same reasons. We’re closing on a home to move into, a manufactured home at a local mobile home park. It needs work, but, once done, we can get on with our lives. Of course, a home of that nature isn’t as solid as what we have now and we could end up like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz in a tornado, or hurricane. It is a chance we’ll have to take.

The closings for the properties we are selling will happen in August and September. That, and moving, precludes any bike adventures for the time being. Currently, I go out for midnight rides and will continue until the weather cools. It is just too hot here in Sarasota in the summer to ride during the day. Additionally, there is absolutely no traffic late at night. With a powerful headlamp, tree frogs singing and no traffic, what’s not to like?

This puts finishing the bicycle ride out to next summer. I’m hoping that July will be the right time. I could go earlier, but May or June can be chilly and rainy up north, so why push it? Any suggestions on places that I should stop and see along the way? The tentative route is flexible:

Map.