Ham radio – Dennis' Cross-Country Bike Trip

Day 33 – Nashua, NH

Shortly after starting this morning, I was in NH.

The day started out cool and sunny in Brattleboro, VT. It was a quick ride down a very steep hill to the bridge crossing the Connecticut River into New Hampshire. I decided that, for the most part, I would just follow NH119 east. It was a good choice, the road surface was excellent, with plenty of shoulder room. Unfortunately, until I reached Fitzwilliam, NH it was very much like the road out of Bennington, VT, lots of climbing and running out of breath.

Jack, W1PFZ, welcoming me to the east coast. We had never met in person, only via ham radio.

About 13 miles along, I spotted a fellow on the other side of the road standing next to his vehicle and waving his arms at me. For whatever reason, I somehow suspected it was a ham radio friend that I had never met in person, Jack, W1PFZ. Sure enough, he had been following my postings here and calculated where he thought I might be. He drove up with Ann (sp?) from Ashburnham, MA just to be my personal welcoming party to the east coast. How cool is that? Hams are like that, I wonder if there is a medication for it?

After Fitzwilliam, I continued east on NH119 and the road became more level. Of course, by then, my energy was sapped. A typical ride on level ground with just the weight of the bike is around 3400 calories for a 70-mile ride. I would venture that the first twenty miles of today’s ride burned that much. Judging by my serious weight loss, I suspect I’m not too far off the mark. By the end of the day, my legs are rubber. These New England hills are the toughest part of the coast-to-coast ride. My daughter, Aine, said the same thing when she did this ride.

I’ve been seeing groups of 10-20 turkeys everywhere I go. They usually scatter before I can get a good photo. I hope they get the memo about Thanksgiving.

When I was a kid in Connecticut, I rarely saw any wild turkeys. They were practically extinct in the region. Through care and concern, they have been brought back, and they have certainly recovered. In NY and New England, I am seeing them everywhere, in huge numbers. I would venture that on today’s ride I’ve seen at least 2000 birds. I laughed when, a few weeks back, I saw a bear chasing a turkey, to no avail. The wild turkey, unlike its domestic relative, is very cagey and smart, the bear never had a chance.

NH119 turned into MA119 in Massachusetts. It became a pothole hell. It was actually dangerous on a bicycle, motorcycle, or in a small car with narrow tires. Some of the holes were a foot deep and I really had to watch for them. Going 40 MPH (65 km/h) downhill, with tearing eyes, it became a dangerous game. At one point, as a car was passing, I had to revert to my old mountain bike talents and force the bicycle to “jump” over a very deep hole at top speed. I just cleared the pothole. Had I gone into it there would have been serious rim damage, or worse. I should have taken a photo. The pothole, one of the thousands, was at least a 3-4 feet (1 m) across and a foot (.33 m) deep.

Later, in a restaurant, I saw a politician in a campaign ad claiming to have cut taxes in Massachusetts (I think it was the current governor, Charlie Baker). I’d love to invite him to ride MA119 with me across the state. If he survived it, he’d be less inclined to brag about cutting taxes and subsequently, cutting road maintenance. Sorry if I vent on this, but this is outright dangerous and when they cut taxes, they should explain what else gets cut…there is no free lunch. I’ll bet automobile front-end business is thriving.

I really wanted to make it to the Nashua, NH area for the evening. This would put me in a good spot to finish the next day in Newburyport, MA. I pushed on as the sun got lower and lower. It finally started getting dark enough that I had to turn on my headlamp and three rear lights. At around 19:15 I rolled into a Motel 6 on Spit Brook Rd, Nashua, NH and found that they did in fact, “Leave the light on,” for me. I don’t know what the temperature was, but several folks asked me if I was cold, the locals thought it was cold. When working that hard, I must admit, I didn’t even notice.

It was a 72 mile (120 km) day. I was spent, but happy. I put the bike in the room, walked out for an evening meal and was asleep by 22:00. In all, it was a good day. Tomorrow, it is on to Newburyport.

Day 26, 27, 28 – Syracuse to Utica, NY

Sometimes the canal towpath is well marked, such as with this sign. Other times there is no sign at all, or it is so faded as to be unreadable.

An easy 23 mile (39 km) day. I rode from Weedsport to Syracuse in good weather. My GPS was actually working and allowed me to find the car rental place without difficulty. The original rental (on line) showed some sort of small SUV, I ended up with an Altima sedan, it was supposedly an upgrade, but putting a bicycle in it looked daunting.

Fortunately, the rear seats folded down. We couldn’t figure out how to bring down the driver’s side rear-seat and the rep had to run off. I finally looked in the manual and found there is a strap hanging down when one opens the trunk, pulling on it released the seat.

The opening wasn’t quite wide enough to load the bike into the car. Once I removed the bicycle’s seat, I was able to get it in…barely. After about an hour, I was good to go.

I’ll skip the next few days, except for a few important things. I went to my daughter’s in Newburyport, MA. As planned, Jane (my spouse) was to arrive there and I did meet her as planned. On Saturday night, we attended a friend’s wedding. While dancing, Jane managed to injure her knee with a meniscus tear. While dancing she claimed she heard something “pop.” Additionally, she was wearing awful shoes for walking and dancing. All the stressed added up.

She walked out to the car without much pain, but by the time we returned to our daughter’s place, she had difficulty getting out of the car and winced at every little move. I felt she should get it looked at, but she was concerned about catching her plane back to Florida the next morning. We went to bed and at around 1 am, we got up and headed to the Anna Jaques hospital emergency room. As luck would have it, our son-in-law had a walker and it allowed Jane to make it to the car. Without it, I think it would have been an ambulance ride, what with stairways and all. At this point she was in extreme pain.

The staff at the hospital were excellent and, following an X-ray, determined it was the meniscus tear. They gave her crutches and lessons and a leg support and sent us home. She did manage to make her flight to Florida, although Homeland gave her the going over because she had to be a terrorist wearing a leg brace. Go figure. She brought along the hospital paperwork, just in case, but I guess that wasn’t good enough.

The bike fully loaded. I’ve abandoned the yellow tent on the back, and the sleeping pad under it and the contents of the left pannier (the radio gear). The bag on the front is now in the left pannier.

After sending Jane off I faced a decision. I had tried to convince her that I should postpone the ride again and go back to Florida to help her. She INSISTED that I continue. I agreed but felt that I should make haste to finish. With that in mind, I have jettisoned my tent, sleeping mat and, this is painful: my ham radio station. This lightened the load by twenty-two pounds (10 kg). My thinking is I will be able to travel quicker in the mountains ahead and I won’t really have time to stop for leisurely radio operation. I know this will be disappointing for my ham radio friends, but such is life. I will promise, when I get to Newburyport, MA to fire up the radio (letting everyone know in advance) and contact those of you that have missed me thus-far. After that I will ride the bike down to the Atlantic Ocean and do the traditional “wheel dip.” Oddly, it won’t be with the same bike I started with, I totaled it in Minnesota.

I returned to Syracuse, NY on Monday. After dropping of the rental car, I again headed east. The GPS guided me through all the Syracuse back streets and in no time, I was back on the Eire Canal towpath. The day was sunny and very windy, but the towpath has so many trees around it that the first forty miles (65 km) were relatively easy. I decided I would go to a Best Western motel that I had stayed in the night before, in Utica, NY. It was 65 miles (103 km) and would be a good destination. Little did I know the last 25 miles (40 km) would, you guessed it, have severe headwinds. I had started around noon and figured I would make it well before nightfall, but my speed cut to half, the wind was getting worse and worse.

At one point, there was a big gust and I heard a sharp crack and the top of a tree snapped off and landed right in front of me! I stopped with about 20 feet to spare (6 m).

This tree top crashed, right in front of me. I had already removed a bunch of it when it occurred to me that I should take a photo. I laid the bike on its side because it doesn’t have a kickstand.

The sun kept getting lower and lower and I was racing to beat the darkness. The GPS indicated I was getting close. It was getting colder and darker. I finally came upon Harbor Lock, and knew that I had less than a mile to go. I couldn’t find my way across the lock. There was a sign that told me to walk my bike across the lock, but I could see where. I looked downstream and saw the other lock wall, so I rode down there and it was chained off. I pushed the bike up to the original spot and spied a walkway across the lock that wasn’t visible from the approach. I pushed the bike across, put on a heavier jacket and turned on all my lights. It was now totally dark.

Finally, with much relief, I arrived at my destination. I got a room and went in and turned on the heat. I’m not one for much heat, but in this case it felt fabulous.

After calling Jane to check up on her, I was off to bed. All night long I could hear the wind howling and rain pounding on the roof, I was thrilled to be indoors.

Tony, the hotel receptionist, told me I would be in “C” section. I wondered if that is where they keep all the pregnant guests?

The next morning the rain was still pounding, the wind was still blowing and I decided that it would be best to just hunker down for the day. I slept most of the day. As I write this, it is the second evening and I feel like I caught up on some much-needed rest. I’ve had the sniffles all day, I probably caught something at the wedding. Hopefully, tomorrow my head will clear and the weather will clear. Predictions are for thunderstorms. Hopefully, I can ride between them and take shelter when needed. At least they may change the wind direction. Once, just once, a tailwind would be very welcome. We’ll see.

Day 13 – Part 2, Vassar Michigan

There are all sorts of fascinating farm machines here. My grandkids would love to play with this.

41.36 Miles for the day. Tonight would be my first night to camp in my tent. I arose early enough, but before I knew it, the morning was wasting away. Such is the pleasure of having an air-conditioned room and relaxing seating and beds. At long last, I dragged myself from the creature comforts of the modern world and went out into the sunlight.

It actually was sunny. Lately, at least most mornings, it has been overcast, dreary and chilly. As usual, with poor Internet service, thanks to T-Mobile, my GPS was hopeless. At some point, as someone suggested in the comments, I need to look at changing that.

After making several wrong turns, I finally was underway. Usually, I avoid a large, “Lumberjack,” breakfast. Three eggs, bacon, ham, home fries, four slices of toast, tea, orange juice, etc. make one too full to actually go out and do work, and riding is work.

Approaching noontime I was getting anxious to find a place to stop for lunch. I was also curious about my surroundings. As I was riding the Harger Line Trail (bike/pedestrian trail), I stopped to chat with a rider going the other way. Gordie was a wealth of information. My first question was about a root plant that I saw them harvesting a few miles back. See photo below:

Next, I asked him why so much corn had not been harvested, the cobs were drying up on the stalks. I love corn, I would never let it get to that state! Gordie told me that the corn was “industrial corn.” I thought about that and concluded that it could be used for ethanol product, or perhaps for clothing fiber. Curious about my travels, he then asked me a few questions about my ride. It was a nice encounter, but I was hungry and wanted to move on. Sorry, Gordie.

I’ve learned that a bowl of raisin bran or Cheerios, some fruit and an orange juice and a cup of tea is plenty. However, this means that by noon, I’m getting hungry. At about 25 miles (42 km) I came into Frankenmuth, Michigan. I had never heard of the place but it is very European themed, especially Germany and Austria. The first establishment I encountered was The Old Christmas Station Restaurant (Currently, as of 2021, The Station 100 Restaurant). The menu was pricey, but I didn’t want to eat too much anyway, so I ordered a house salad and a curry chicken sandwich from the appetizer menu.

The salad was ample and excellent. It had all sorts of vegetables in it and a nice dressing. The sandwich was actually about as long as a sub sandwich, but open-faced and covered in chicken and curry sauce. It too was excellent and a very sufficient lunch, and not too pricey. The place was really ritzy and I thought perhaps they would throw me out on my ear, but they were very gracious and welcoming and I went away a very happy diner.

I learned later that the town was having a special event weekend, starting the next day, and it draws on the order of 80,000 people and has all sorts of parades and celebrations. It would be worth checking on if you’re in the region in early September. I don’t know where they would put all the people, the village isn’t that large.

Satisfied with lunch, I headed east. As the afternoon dragged on I had to decide on where to stay for the evening. The GPS (while I was in the restaurant and had WiFi) showed there was one motel in Vassar, MI. After Vassar, there wasn’t much for at least 30-40 miles. It would be a gamble to try and make it to 70 miles (110 km) for the day and beat sunset, so I opted for Vassar. I found the Vassar Inn Motel, which was about a mile from the bicycle route.

I was tempted to call ahead for a room, but I didn’t have any T-Mobile phone service, so I just had to chance it. When I arrived the woman that manages the place told me they were full. She offered that I could camp behind the motel and I jumped at the offer, there wasn’t much else I could do.

When I rode around back she came out the door with a nice big glass of ice water…I must have looked the part. Sue was a wonderful host and warned me that I couldn’t pay for camping there, it was her gift.

I set up the tent and threw in the sleeping bag and rode off to find something to eat. It was a choice between a Subway shop and a McDonalds. I’m not a big fan of McDonalds, but they have fantastic WiFi and, if it is only once in a while, it won’t kill me. The manager of this McDonalds talked to me after I had my meal and I was complimenting him on having installed electrical outlets at a bunch of the customer seats so one could charge a phone. He proudly said it was his idea and it worked great for me. I do carry backup charging gear, but McDonalds made it so convenient that I was beholding to them. It really did make my life easier. Not only that, I had an excellent connection to call home.

A number of years ago NPR did a series on McDonalds and how they were trying to improve their image with the public in respect to animal care. They hired Temple Grandin, a Ph.D. in animal behavior and worked with her to improve the lot of the animals involved in their products, such as chickens, pigs, and cattle. The series changed my view of McDonalds to where I will stop in once in a while. It had been at least 25 years since I had been in one of their stores. There was a movie about Temple Grandin and it is worth a watch if you haven’t seen it.

My campsite at Vassar, MI. I put a wire into the tree at the far right for my antenna.

I returned to the motel and finished unpacking the bike. I took a short nap and shortly after sunset I threw a wire into a tree and set up my ham radio station on two folding chairs. Just as I was ready to settle down for some radio fun, the skies opened up and it started to pour. The stars were out only a few minutes earlier.

I hurriedly dragged everything into the tent and set everything up again. I managed to operate for a while and then my legs were getting cramps, so I shut down for the night.

It poured all night long, intensely at times. I awoke about 7 am and it was still pouring, so I turned on the radio and, using Morse code, connected with Henry, K1PUG, in Harwinton, Connecticut. He lives near the high school that I graduated from back in 1965, Lewis S. Mills. People are often surprised to hear that I actually talk with Morse code these days. In the world of amateur radio, it is still a very popular way to communicate. It is my favorite, even with all the newer digital modes that have come along over the years. It is always a good skill to have.

Anyway, we’re into the next day here and I’ll close this out for now. The rain has finally stopped and I will be on the road again by 10 am or so.

Day 7 – Part 2; Antigo, Wisconsin

I managed 65 miles (105 km) today. I love distance in kilometers, it sounds like you’ve accomplished more. It feels better to see the odometer actually clicking up more often too.

So far, for the week, the hotels have been really nice about me bringing the bicycle into the room. They even go out of their way to arrange things so I can either be on the first floor or very near an elevator. I’ve been a real wimp this week, no camping at all.

The route from Antigo, WI to Manitowoc, WI. Source: Google Maps

I’m currently in Antigo, Wisconsin. That puts me about 125 miles (201 km) from Manitowoc, WI where the S. S. Badger sails to Michigan. The Badger is a ferry that costs $6.00 for the bicycle and $52 for me. I will get across to Michigan without pedaling 90 miles (145 km). I must be getting old, I’m looking forward to it.

I won’t be on my ham radio for the next few nights, I’ll be too tired and working too hard to make the ferry. Look for me from MI.

Today I was riding through some deep woods. Since it was the perfect country to site bears, I kept an eye out for them as I rode along. At one point, a young bear, maybe a two-year-old, ran across the road in front of me, about a quarter-mile ahead. It was slightly downhill so I didn’t linger to investigate. I was carrying a fresh banana, that may have been too much of a temptation.

Wild turkeys. All females, the males don’t seem to form large bunches at this time of year.

Throughout the ride, I have been seeing hordes of wild turkeys everywhere. After the first bear sighting, I saw another bear trying to chase after a turkey, but the bird was sly and quick and easily got away. I didn’t think a bear would chase a turkey but they are opportunists and I suppose just about anything is fair game. At least the bear was distracted by the bird and ignored me.

My front derailleur (the front shifter on a multi-speed bicycle) is giving me trouble. On the really steep hill climbs it is resisting shifting into the lowest gear (known as the “small ring”). At home, it would be a simple replacement, but out here on the road, I’ll just find a bike shop to do the work. I’ve temporarily fixed it with a small elastic Bunji cord.

In all, the bike has been performing very well. It should, it is built for this sort of riding. I purchased it used from a fellow hiker and he had already used it to ride coast-to-coast before me.

Tomorrow is supposed to be nice. In the morning it will be in the mid-40’s °F (4.5 °C) and is supposed to warm up to 70°F. It was supposed to be that warm today but never made it. I rode most of the day with a jacket and long-fingered gloves.

Well, it is off to bed, I need to let the motor rest.

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 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

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

Day 51, Alexandria, Minnesota to Bowlus, Minnesota.

Today I rode 67.09 miles (108 km) for a grand total of 2309 miles (3716 km). I can almost smell the Atlantic Ocean from here. Hmmm, maybe that’s just Lake Michigan?

20160901_094408 — When the work crew spotted me, they started waving me away. At least they have a sense of humor.

As I proceeded north from the expensive Super 8 motel, I encountered the same work crew I had seen the night before. There were working on a different side of the highway from where I ruined their work. When they spotted me, after I took the photo, they started waving me away and laughing.

Today was more rail trail riding, all the way to Bowlus. It was mostly level and there was a bit of wind, but nothing I couldn’t live with. I’ve been wondering if Conor and Aidan have finally outpaced me and left me behind. I didn’t see any sign of them when I arrived in Bowlus. The town has a very nice park and we can camp there, but they charge $10 and there is no shower. There is a washroom and restroom. Why do they call it a “restroom?” I don’t know of anyone that actually goes there to rest.

20160901_192115 — Jordie’s Cafe, Bowlus, Minnesota

The Adventure Cycle Map says to contact Jordie for camping information. Jordie has a cafe directly across the street so I went to find the details. The staff there was very warm and friendly and I immediately felt at home. Jordie was meeting with a vendor but a server explained that I could camp in the park for $10, or if I wished, camp at Jordie’s Cafe for free. Neither had showers and both had nice green grass. This was a no-brainer, even for me.

Another couple of riders showed up, Kate and Graylon. We started chatting and I found out Graylon is also a radio amateur, AA7GV, from Seattle, Washington. Of course, this meant that Kate wouldn’t have anyone to talk with for the rest of the evening. Graylon’s doing a ride from Newfoundland to Seattle. I’m wondering how much “winter” he will hit in the Cascades?

20160902_072544 — We set up camp right in the outside dining platform.

Everything in Jordie’s place has a bicycle theme to it. They are very supportive of the long distance riders and knew our needs. Jordie invited us to put our bikes up on their outdoor covered dining area once the day ended and even invited us to put our tents up there so they wouldn’t get dew on them during the night. We all did. “Cowboy” camping (sleeping without a tent) wasn’t an option, the mosquitoes were hungry.

Jordie’s was having a special on burgers tonight, half-off the price. I couldn’t resist and gave in and had a burger. The previous night, at the Depot Express Cafe they were giving veterans half-off on any meal. Two nights in a row with a price break, life is good.

20160901_120518 — The lake made famous by Garrison Keller on his radio show, “The Prairie Home Companion.” The Lake Wobegon Trail.

I set up the radio and made a bunch of ham radio contacts, the furthest being a guy in Pinellas county, in Florida. He didn’t mention the hurricane, and I didn’t ask.

It was a nice cool night and I looked forward to a restful sleep.