Perambulations with Partners on the Way to Pittsburgh

Miles Ridden Today - 122.2   Average Miles Per Hour - 13.17

So I have to admit the title of this post is a little misleading since strictly speaking "perambulate" would indicate walking instead of riding a bicycle as we see here.  This is also not to confuse what I was doing today with my walking about pushing one of these;

which, while cool and uber retro, is ultimately not terribly aerodynamic due to the fact that the wicker allows way too much air to get through and there is no steering mechanism, no brakes and no place to attach my water bottles and handlebar bag.

Of course, someone apparently has forseen my problem and has created one of these;

in which I could, as Miley Cyrus so eloquently put it, have the "best of both worlds"!  I could attach water bottles, handlebar bags and I could push along my riding partners when they get tired.

What's that you say?  Riding partners?  I thought you, in your mental instability brought on by too much desert heat, were doing this solo!  Well, if you thought that was the entire case you would only be partially right because today I had company - lots of it.

It has always been Sarah's plan to ride with me and to try to put in 400 miles of the journey.  Yesterday she struggled terribly becuase we tried to have her join me at 10:00 and to put in twenty miles.  It was far too hot for her and she struggled to make ten.  So, Amy and I rethought the strategy and decided that she should ride with me early in the morning when it is coolest.  By 10:00 in the morning the temperature is already hovering in the 90's right now but at 6:00 its a manageable 70 degrees.

Today that is exactly what we did.  Sarah got up at 5:00 and we were on the road by 6:00 and we managed to put in 20 miles by 8:00 in the morning.  This makes the total miles that Sarah has logged a whopping 120.  We're hoping to add on a bit every day to that total and to help her reach her goal by the end of the journey.  I love riding with Sarah becasue I love being able to share this love I have of cycling with my children. 

However, when I do ride with Sarah it does take on the quality of a perambulation (see definition link above) instead of a ride.   Left to my own devices I often ride at 17 - 22 miles an hour depending on terrain.  When I ride with Sarah my average speed dips down to 11 mph mainly because Sarah gets so caught up in sight seeing and enjoying the terrain that she forgets to pedal.  I find myself constantly reminding her that she needs to keep moving - and often to stay on the road.

Today though I couldn't be the least bit annoyed with her when I watched her watch the sunrise from behind.  I have seen a few sunrises in my time but only recently was able to do so from the back of a moving bicycle.  This morning I got to see the joy in another person experiencing this bliss when I rode behind Sarah and saw her reaction to the sunrise.  She couldn't stop talking about how beautiful and "awesome" it was.  I rode behind her with tears in my eyes just grateful to be able to experience the child like joy she was exhibiting.  It wasn't until later when I compared notes with Amy and then asked Sarah straight out that I had the realization that I had the joy of being able to be there when Sarah saw her first sunrise EVER!  To be able to share something like that with my daughter will forever be one of my favorite memories - and I can totally forgive her the perambulatory pace we kept.

Eventually Amy caught up with us and we loaded up the van with Sarah's bike, refilled me with water and were passed up by the cyclist we met in the restaurant the night before.  He was loaded down with full panniers so I thought I might be able to catch up with him and maybe ride with him for a while.  Unfortunately, due to various complications (couldn't find a bathroom, cough, cough) I was probably 45 minutes behind him and I would have a lot of catching up to do.

Amy's parents are avid sailors who used to occasionally race.  Now they often go out on cruises with their fellow yacht club members and they have a phrase my mother-in-law likes to call out after they tell people they'll meet them at their next destination - "not racing!" which really is code for, we're going to sail as fast as we safely can and try to get there before you.  Its not for a prize, its just to know that you did it - you were first.  I have to admit that I have a bit of that same mentality.  So needless to say, I was on a quest to try to catch up with him before Chanute since I knew from our conversation last night that he probably wouldn't be going much further.  Well, I never found him.  Ten miles outside of Chanute I pulled into a gas station to get water and I saw two loaded bikes already parked there - and neither of them looked like his.  How did I miss him?

When I left Newton the other day I had been told by the clerk at a gas station that there were two girls heading to Virginia that were on the road ahead of me.  I thought, well, maybe I'll catch up to them in Missouri since they were already almost a day ahead of me.  This morning when Sarah and I were getting ready to leave I noticed to riders pulling out on the road but they were heading out a half hour before us and with the perambulatory pace Sarah and I were setting I didn't stand a chance of catching them until I saw their bikes at the gas station.  Again, not racing!  But after being left in the dust by that peloton on the way to Ash Fork, it was gratifying to know that I could catch someone who had lefta half an hour before us, even with my lavoratory problems.  It turns out that these were the same two ladies we had heard about and their names are Whitney and Promise.  They're really fascinating people and Whitney is in the process of riding cross country to win a bet with her brother James.  We exchanged stories and observations of experiences on the road but since I still had a long way to go before Pittsburg I left them in the coolness of the air conditioned gas station office and headed back on my way.

Amy and the kids soon caught up with me about ten miles outside of Chanute and while they were refueling me Whitney and Promise rolled up again.  I introduced them to the kids and my beautiful wife and we all took some photos together.  Here are the intrepid duo posing next to Vannikan;

A little while later I caught back up with them on the way to Chanute.  Turns out they were staying there for the night whereas I was still going to be going further along to Pittsburgh.  We parted ways and exchanded information.  We parted at an intersection that seemed to have a likely gas/convenience store for me to refuel before heading out.  While there I saw Amy and the kids (who had left me thirty minutes earlier) heading back as if to find me so I called them.  Turns out the road was closed on the TransAmerica route a little ahead of me so I was going to have to find an alternate route.  No problem, since we've started to get pretty good about going off the beaten path.  Ever since taking route 160 from Cameron to Pueblo I've gotten a little more comfortable with the idea of going "off the grid".

But I thave to be grateful for having a support vehicle becuase not only have they been instrumental in me not dying in the desert, littel benefits like this keep me from needing to go miles out of my way because of detours.  It would add fifteen miles to the route but at the time I thought nothing of it.

Little did I know what was in store for me.  The problem with maps is that it always looks easy in a two dimensional format.  Even with shading and elevation charts the topography doesn't give the true picture of rolling hills and heat.  Add to that the new perambulations that I would encounter today, what looked like a fairly easy and straightforward 110 mile ride became a rambling 122 mile one that lasted nine hours.

To top it off, Amy and the kids were supposed to double back and resupply me at some point but because they missed a turn we didn't reconnect as we were supposed to.  As a result, I missed the bison farm;

(I don't know if he'll charge, but he's dangerous!)

Along the way I began to see something I hadn't seen all summer - armadilloes!  Having grown up in Texas I was used to seeing these little guys in the Southwest but I had yet to see one along our journey.  Unfortunately, the only ones I was seeing were dead ones.  Yet now I know they're here I'm keeping my eyes peeled and I hope I can show the kids what these armored possums look like in the flesh.

Eventually I made my way to St. Paul, the first real stop along my way as the TransAm route had me meandering along the backroads of Kansas.  Not wanting to diverge too much from the map to find fuel I just kept plodding on in the hopes I would eventually get to a place where I could refill my water and get a salty snack.  Unfortunately, it wasn't for about 40 miles.  Finally I reached St. Paul and took my rest.  After refueling I was finally able to steel myself for the last 35 miles of the day. 

By this time it was 2:30 and I knew I was going to have to really book it if I was going to get to Pittsburgh before dark.  Apparently, I was going so briskly I missed one of the coolest things along the route today;

(It ain't the Alamo but still remember it!)

Apparently they had gotten back on the route after they had missed the turn but they were ahead of me so never came across me on the route.  They ended up stopping at the same gas station I did in St. Paul and came across two other female cyclists who were stopping in Girard for the night.  While leaving town they found this church took the picture.  I completely missed it.

I finally made it to Pittsburgh just as the light was starting to fade and I now had the onerous task of finding the bed and breakfast that was so graciously donated to us for our stay in Pittsburgh by Jeff and Sherri Stephens.  The name of their place is Himmel House Bed and Breakfast and they donated two nights in the Decuyper and Blair rooms to our traveling circus.  Amy had contacted them about the posibility of staying here when she was booking accomodations and Sherri felt so moved by our story and what we are trying to do for the kids of Sunrise that she donated the nights during our stay in Pittsburgh.  Her husband Jeff, as it turns out, is a cancer survivor and her daughter does a lot of work in the cancer community.  We have been so blessed already on our journey by meeting folks like Jeff and Sherri who have been so generous with places to stay and even donations that we are feeling more and more optimistic that we might be able to really make a difference on this journey.

Then it was time to head off for a great dinner and some rest in a big comfy bed!!!!!  Tomorrow we head off to Joplin so Sarah can give them her check for $800 to help replace the trees lost in the tornadoes last year.

FFL - 8 armadilloes, 6 Possums, 1 Rabbit, 1 Racoon, 1 Deer, 2 Squirrels, 1 Dog, 6 UFO's

RRL - 6 coolers, Lazy Boy arm chair, laundry asket with clothes in it.
Stay well and I'll update more from the road!


For another perspective on our journey check out Amy's blog at http://www.crosscountrymama.blogspot.com//
To help us get the kids to Sunrise go to https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056
Check out our website at http://www.connorsarmy.org/

Potpourri in the Desert

(It's Desert Sage Y'All)

Miles Ridden Today - 54.32    Average Miles Per Hour - 13.86

So today saw us experience a variety of sights, emotions, musing and thoughts as I headed away from our night’s sojourn in Salome, AZ.

The day began most beatifically with the sun coming up over the courtyard that opened up to our rooms. I don’t know if I really properly described how cool the Westward Motel really is. It’s a small establishment with only a few rooms but its so cool and funky. When you drive up there is an old rusted open top roadster parked in front. The initial thought might be, “I’m staying in a junkyard?” but then you look about and you see the car’s presence in purely intentional. Everywhere you turn there are metal sculptures and other works of art that have been curated by the owner Rande and his lady friend. It really is a funky and eclectic mix and when I walked into the room I shared with the boys the cowskin on the floor only served to enhance the funky cowboy hipster feel.

As I was stirring at 5:00 this morning getting all of my preparations in order I was particularly struck by the fact that the sun was unusually beautiful this morning as my door faced east and I could see the sun rising above the rooftops across the street and the Saguaro in the front yard. (Side note: we went out of town last night looking for the blooming Saguaros only to realize that we had gone out too late and although we could sort of see them blooming, we couldn’t take any pictures because the flash feature wasn’t working well on the camera. Also, James was a bit freaked out about being in the middle of nowhere with the car having 43 miles to empty. After a valiant try we gave up and decided to do it again at an earlier hour when we get further north.)

As I started to go into the kitchen (yes, you get a full kitchen for your use at the Westward Motel which we availed ourselves of last night as Amy made meat loaf and black bean burgers) Rande handed my a cup of the strongest jet fuel I have ever had the pleasure to consume. He promised me that this crank would get me to Wickenburg in no time. After breakfast I had the greatest conversation with Rande finding out about his interesting life as a roadie for rock bands, how he and his partner ended up in Salome (of all places), and what the future of the valley holds for those who live (and winter) there. It almost made me think people like Rande have it right, just drop off the grid and live a simpler existence - but then I thought about the 115 degree temperatures and realized that was just stupid.

But finally it was 5:45 and time to push off for the last ride before a rest day and the shortest ride so far. I was pumped. Again, I had the experience of being the only moving thing on the road and enjoying the freedom of being “king of the road” at least until the first semi came along.

I also had a more important purpose for my ride today. Although our Ride Across America is raising money for Sunrise Day Camp, today I was riding for someone else entirely. One of my students contacted me last night to let me know that her mother was having surgery on Friday. Her mother had contracted a non-invasive form of breast cancer when my student was seven and she had beaten it back then. Now ten years later she was facing the fight again and this time she will be having surgery on Friday to remove the cancer and to have a double mastectomy. It really sucks because after five years you figure you’ve beaten it! I love this kid and her family have always been so supportive of what we’ve tried to do with Connor’s Army so I promised her that this ride would be for her mother. So today, as I rode I constantly thought of the energy I put into the pedal strokes going into the universe to be directed towards this woman. As I’ve often said before, don’t have the money that I wish I had to give to the cancer community, but I do have my strength and my energy and today it all went to somebody who is going to need as much as I can give tomorrow morning. Her surgery is scheduled for early in the day and she’ll be in most of the day so if any of you can remember, please send her your energy too - we’re all in this fight together.

In between my thoughts of this valiant woman, I found myself engaging in other musings. The thought that kept coming to me over and over was of that Keep America Beautiful commercial from the 1970’s with the Native American who looked out upon the landscape of garbage that our nation was accumulating and the final shot was of him with a single tear rolling down his face;



As I rode this stretch of Arizonian back highway it seemed that I couldn’t ride fifty feet with seeing another piece of trash on the road - mostly quart sized beer bottles. Considering I’m now in the land of Jan Brewer one of my other thoughts was this is how she views her state - one large garbage dump! And in more extrapolative musings I thought this is how so much of our culture has come to view our country - just a place to throw our stuff and refuse. It’s truly saddening to see what could otherwise be such a beautiful, pristine desert marred by so much detritus.

I am usually thinking of the kids of Sunrise when I ride and today I ruminatined long on how today they are enjoying camp for the first time. How I’ve only been teaching there for two years but how they seem like my own kids. How I miss being there and playing the introductory theatre games with them that I would be playing with them right now.   How I will be missing some of thosse familiar faces that I have grown to look forward to seeing each summer. 

And after much ruminating and profound brain things inside my head (and after a much needed rest stop with the family 18 miles outside of Wickenburg) I finally rolled into Wickenburg.  I knew we were supposed to meet at the Super 8 where we'll be lodging on Friday night so I went there and gave Amy a call - only to be met with the message that I had no network coverage!  This is not good!  If I can't readch her in a town as large as this, I could be up a creek ( a very dry on mind you) without a paddle.   - I could end up on the  side of the road to Kayenta looking like this;

(New Jenny Craig Weight Loss System?)

Turns out there were enjoying the Desert Cabelleros museum and lost track of time but we went to a lovely restaurant and had an amazing lunch and headed back to the museum so they could show me their favorites.  They also had on display a Penny Farthing (otherwise known as a "bone shaker") and the way my rear feels from the last few days I might as well have been riding one of those!  Its amazing to think that people actually did what I'm doing on one of those back in the day.

Since I had finally had enough and knew I needed at least one new tire we decided to head off to the Peoria Performance Bike shop to get me some saddle relief and some heavy duty tires.  We ended up with two Continental Gatorskin tires and a Selle Italia SMP saddle but I have to say I wasn't too impressed with the service here.  The shop mechanic was friendlier and more helpful than the salespeople and seemed so much more knowledgable.  In the San Diego shop the young man there was great and helped us get exactly what we needed - here, not so much.

And then we finally headed off to Phoenix to visit one of Amy's oldest (not in age mind you since I know he reads this) and dearest friends.  He and his family (wife Marian, twin daughters Jordan and Claire) opened their arms (and home) to us, made us welcome, fed us (Matthew made us an unbelievable stir fry meal!) and let the boys take over the Wii for the evening.  Sarah and the girls bonded (she rendered them in her unique manga style drawing).  I did my much needed bike maintenance and we got the kids to bed.   After talking to Matthew for a while I finally had to hit the sack while Amy stayed up until almost 2:00 catching up.

Oh, and during the evening we discovered that the two new tires we bought in Clinton, OK are already worn out.  WE ARE NOT HAPPY!  But that will be a blog for tomorrow as we go in quest of fixing said tires.

And the reports for today (we may be trying something after this post - showing pictures of some of the detritus I find on the road!);

FFR - 1 Possum, 1 Squirrel, 1 Horny Toad (I didn’t know it was dead until it didn’t move when I rolled three inches from it), 1 UFO
RRL - 1 Toilet Bowl (mostly intact), 1 mattress, 1 cooler (they seem to be everywhere out here), and although I usually don’t include clothing - 1 enormous (I swear it was the largest I think I've ever seen) bra.

And here are some links you should check out!

Amy's blog is http://www.crosscountrymama.blogspot.com/
Securely donate and help us get the kids to Sunrise at https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056
Check out our website at http://www.connorsarmy.org/