This post covers my first bicycle ride across the United States, in
the summer of 2007, when I was 58.
By spring of that year, I had enough time in teaching (plus a stint in the Marine Corps) to retire if I wished. My principal and I had been clashing, and she would have been happy to seem me retire that June. I still loved teaching and working with teens and decided to return in 2007-2008, for one more year.
By spring of that year, I had enough time in teaching (plus a stint in the Marine Corps) to retire if I wished. My principal and I had been clashing, and she would have been happy to seem me retire that June. I still loved teaching and working with teens and decided to return in 2007-2008, for one more year.
I also decided to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and tie donations to my ride. My students got excited and helped me raise thousands of dollars for a great cause.
*
IN THE END, MOST OF MY BATTLES with Erica [my principal] had little to do with the
heart and soul of education. So they really didn’t matter. If you want to know
what matters, kids matter.
This
is as good an example as any. My classroom cleared one day, as fourth bell
exited for lunch. Tired after a long week at Children’s Hospital, I slumped in
my chair, elbows on my desk, forehead cradled in both hands. When I thought
about Emily, our youngest, just diagnosed with type-1 diabetes, I felt
like crying.
Some
slight movement alerted me to the fact I was not alone. Under the rim of my
hands I noticed two sneakered feet. I looked up to see who was there.
Adam hesitated, then with great kindness said, “If you have any questions about diabetes I’d be happy to talk.”
Adam hesitated, then with great kindness said, “If you have any questions about diabetes I’d be happy to talk.”
This
was in the spring of 2005, and Emily had just been released to home the
previous morning. Adam was type-1 himself, only thirteen, yet wise enough to
offer solace to someone four times his age.
 |
Adam developed type-1 diabetes at age three. |
That’s
one of the great lessons of teaching. Give kids a chance and they almost always
come through. Two years had passed since that day. Now it was spring again and
Erica was motioning towards the exit.
I knew
I had a deep reservoir of good will in the Loveland community [where I taught my entire career]. If I was going to return, perhaps kids might help raise money
for a worthy cause. I made a promise to my students one day, in honor of Adam
and Emily and all other type-1 diabetics, including Kyle and Nicole, who passed through my classes the year before. “If you help me raise $5,000 for the
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, I’ll bicycle 5,000 miles across the
United States.”
[I take the long way; and I always go through Yellowstone National Park.]
The
kids laughed and predicted I’d be flattened by a tractor trailer loaded with
steel beams. One young man promised to visit my grave and leave a lovely bouquet of
plastic flowers. But I was overwhelmed by kind support. Fred Barnes,
our school resource officer, and a man deeply committed to helping kids, was
first in line to donate. Jillian, one of those students who make teaching a
joy, handed me a check in her name and another from her parents. Anthony gave
$5, explaining he wanted to honor a friend at his former school, a boy who was
type-1.
Anthony
was poor and his gift touched me deeply.
Good
people came through with donations, including Erica Kramer, our principal, and
Chris Burke, our assistant. Steve Ball, a great math teacher, gave $110—a
dollar per mile for what he figured would be a good day’s ride. Jillian
returned to pour out fifteen dollars in change. My two brothers, staff and
students at our high school and strangers who read about my plan in the papers
helped. Diane Sullivan, an eighth grade art teacher, and a good one, collected
a quarter from anyone caught chewing gum and netted $17.50. We passed $5,000,
then $10,000, and kept going.
*
That spring, I rode myself into shape, if we define “into shape” generously. Then, on June 18, my younger brother dropped me off in Avalon, N. J. and I began my solo journey, coast to coast.
Traditionally, a rider dips a back tire in the ocean where he starts, a front tire in the ocean where he ends. I carried my heavily-laden bike across the sand and did honors in the Atlantic.
A pretty lifeguard was watching and inquired: “Where are you headed?”
“Oregon,” I replied confidently. She wished me luck. After sizing me up, I imagine she was thinking: Fat chance!
And I mean fat.
I started my ride twenty-five pounds overweight and twenty-five years past my prime. Yet, to my way of thinking, it was a simple matter to ride across the continent, a habit of mind in which one does not allow excuses like “age” or “fat” to stand in the way. It was a way of looking at the world which I had been trying to pass on to students for decades.
 |
Ready to ride: June 2007. |
I was too cheap to buy maps from reputable bicycling associations. So I charted my own course, down the coast of New Jersey, across Delaware and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Riding in Northern Virginia, I found myself on a busy road and spent an afternoon cycling in fear. At one point, two men in a white pickup pulled alongside and slowed to speak. The passenger leaned out and observed, sage-like, “You’re going to get yourself killed.”
I decided not to mention this incident when I called my wife that evening.
An hour later, with dusk descending, I rolled into Fredericksburg, Virginia. Unable to locate a campground, and too rattled to keep pedaling, I settled for lodgings at the Twi-Lite Motel. It was not the kind of establishment one chooses for a romantic honeymoon getaway. The room had three lights. Two lacked on/off switches and the third had no bulb. The dresser was Goodwill-quality but some guest had checked out, taking the drawers with him. The bathroom ceiling sagged and the towel must have arrived with the Jamestown settlers.
 |
Fine linens! |
Dogs were another hazard. I was chased six times on one back road, but learned that growling loudly kept most of man’s best friends at bay. Late that afternoon, however, a German shepherd came barreling across a front yard. I was riding head down, up a hill, and had a split second to see what direction the monster was coming from. I realized he was penned in by a fence. A moment later, I saw I was headed for a roadside ditch. I stood my bike on its nose and somersaulted across the pavement.
Ah! The smell of blood on hot American asphalt! No need to mention this to my wife during nightly conversations, either.
Soon after, I struck the Appalachians. The first challenging climb of the journey came ten miles west of Charlottesville, Virginia, at Rockfish Gap, offering entry into the Shenandoah Valley. By the time I reached the top my thighs were on fire and I had to keep wiping stinging sweat from my face. I considered renting a car, driving home, and retiring in ignominious fashion. But I had stuck my bicycle shoe in my mouth and had no recourse except to pedal.
Passing
through Pulaski, Virginia, two days later, I stopped at the library to update
my blog and listened to a weather report that pegged the temperature at 96°. An
hour later, after dawdling in air-conditioned comfort, I decided to push on and
pedaled out of town. An African American woman was watering her garden beside
the road and flagged me down to talk. I asked if I might fill my water bottles
from her hose. She disappeared into her house and came back with a large chunk
of ice in a zip lock bag.
“May the blood of Jesus protect you through your journey,” she said and sent me on my way.
I was still working myself into shape at that point. So fiddling over breakfast was always appealing. The locals were usually interested in what I was doing and talking about my trip was easier than pedaling.
In Justice, West Virginia one morning, I eavesdropped on four older women at a nearby table. Conversation centered on modern teens and their piercings. One member of the quartet brought up the days when they were young and first had their ears pierced. “I fainted dead away when my sister pierced my ear,” her friend admitted. “But when I woke up the other one was done, too!”
The five of us, me behind my newspaper, shared a laugh.
At the cash register the owner informed me breakfast was on the house. I tried to pay; but she had heard me tell the waitress I was riding for JDRF and this was her contribution. I put the money saved aside and included it when I turned in my next batch of donations.
Asking advice at almost every stop, I bypassed some of the worst mountains in West Virginia. I made a mistake, though, when I ignored warnings and decided to ride along Highway 10. The road was narrow and twisting, with coal trucks thundering past in both directions and I made excellent time cycling in terror. Finally, a couple in a red pickup stopped and offered a lift. I gladly accepted and watched the next ten miles fly past.
Another hot afternoon, I was sitting drinking Gatorade outside a country store. An elderly couple in a beat-up blue Chevrolet pulled into a parking space a few feet away. They asked about my trip and I explained my cause and they bought a few items before wishing me well and heading home. Ten minutes later, just as I was finishing my cold drink, they pulled back into the same spot. The old man climbed out of his car and placed a $10 bill in my hand.
“Me and the missus’ got to thinkin’ about what you’re tryin’ to do and we decided we had to help,” he explained.
By the end of June I had crossed into Ohio. On July 1, I pedaled 105 miles and reached home just before dark. It was a pleasure to see my wife Anne and youngest daughter for four days. Emily was quiet the morning I left on the second leg of my voyage. Obviously, she was worried. Her mother and I were far more worried about her and her diabetes and I gave her the best hug I knew how.
On the first leg, I had ridden myself into condition and it wasn’t hard getting restarted. I logged 80 miles July 6th, 83 the 7th, and 82 the 8th. One crisp morning I pedaled past a field filled with cows and noticed they were watching me as I was watching them. Cows don’t get out much and I imagine they were bored. I was something to study, to keep their brains working, like Seinfeld reruns for humans. I had plenty of time to think as I chugged along at 13 mph. So, what were they thinking? How sophisticated is the bovine brain?
Possibly:
Cow #1: Creature with shell on head passing. Not threat. Need to poo.
Cow #2: Human moving fast. Hope crash.
Cow #3: I envy that cyclist his freedom. These other cows are morons. Oh well, might as well chew the cud.
I waved goodbye and kept pedaling.The first night out I slept behind an Indiana cornfield, where no one could see my tent. The next night I found accommodations in a graveyard. A bobcat roaming in nearby woods serenaded me through the night. The following evening I paid for a motel. I noticed there was an exercise room with an elliptical machine. I passed and headed for bed.
A few days later I rode into Columbia, Missouri, where I picked up a bike trail running along the Missouri River. It was growing dark. So I paid for a campsite and pitched my tent close to the river. I was at peace. Fish leaped and fell back in the water with silvery splashes. Frogs croaked under the bank. V-formations of geese honked overhead.
A couple at the next campsite offered beer. They explained that their children and friends were boating. They’d soon be coming ashore. Sure enough, the vessel promptly hove into view and a dozen young men and women, the latter in skimpy bikinis, disembarked. They were towing a floating trampoline and I imagined later asking to try it out.
Bouncing babes in bikinis? I could only hope.
The entire crew turned out to be friendly and I was offered more beer and a steak from their grill. Night soon fell and I had hard riding to do the next day. I headed for my tent.
Alas, the sounds of Nature were soon subsumed by boisterous, drunken shouting. And these drunks knew but a single adjective. “F---ing beer!” screamed one.
“F---ing frogs!” responded a second.
“F---ing geese!” whooped a third.
As tired as I was, it proved impossible to sleep. I tossed and turned and hoped the beer would soon run out.
Shortly after midnight, a storm rumbled in, bringing enough rain (I hoped) to send the alcoholics running. “F---ing rain!’ shouted a drunk.
“F---ing thunder,” shouted another.
“F---ing lightning,” bellowed a plastered weatherman.
 |
Camping beside the Missouri River. The drunks slept in late. |
Only the wimps packed it in and the serious drunks kept guzzling. Finally, around 3 a.m., the beer ran out, enthusiasm waned, and everyone stumbled off to their f---ing tents.
Badly fatigued, I pedaled west the next day, on into Kansas. Now I faced a five-day battle against heat, humidity and headwinds. Trust me when I say that on the Great Plains the wind has a life of its own. On a bicycle it's like fighting a fire-breathing dragon. First, the heat cooks your brain under your helmet. Second, the humidity soaks you with sweat and you think you’re melting. (Yes, Dorothy, melting!) Third, the wind retards your forward progress and it feels like you’re dragging an anchor all day.
Nevertheless, I enjoyed the stark beauty and small towns and small-town people I met. Many of these towns were dying. I passed weed-grown elementary schools and even a weed-grown church. McDonalds had shuttered its doors in Hillsboro. Twenty miles west, in Lyons, Kansas, the same was true; but Lyons was at least experiencing an ethanol boom.
At breakfast in Hillsboro an old truck driver provided a rundown of local sights. It used to be you could see the embalmed remains of Civil War veteran Sam Dingle. “When I first saw him he had a full beard and all,” the driver continued. “Then I went back a few years later and the hair had all fallen out. The parasites or somethin’ got him.”
I could feel my enthusiasm for sight-seeing drain away and decided to keep on going, leaving Dingle to his inexorable fates.
 |
Two young cross-country riders, heading east. Most riders go west to east; but I like to save the best scenery for last. I lost their names during the trip, but they were fun to talk to for part of one day. |
I
continued to meet kindness at every stop, even in motion. A motorcycle rider
cruised up beside while I was pedaling one afternoon and slowed for
conversation. When he heard I was raising money for JDRF he reached into his
vest, pulled out a thick wad of bills, stuck out an arm and told me to peel off
two tens. Then he wished me luck and roared away.
People saw my load of gear and wondered where I was going and why. A couple at a camp-ground listened to my story, gave $50, and packed me lunch for the next day. A Kansas bakery donated coffee and two of the best cinnamon rolls I ever tasted. A bar owner paid for lunch and explained her daughter was diabetic. Then she wrote a check for $100.
East of Eads, Colorado, and again west of town, I traversed barren stretches of fifty miles with no place to find food or drink. I made it through and confidence soared. I was following the Trans-America Bicycle Trail at the time and started running into cyclists heading east. Most were young, fresh out of college, riding for adventure before settling into the workday grind.
Young legs help; but any two legs suffice.
On July 23 I picked up a tail wind and sailed along like a clipper ship. One hundred and fourteen miles later, I found lodgings at a motel in Pueblo, Colorado, across the street from a Payday Loan office. Most of the guests spoke Spanish and I doubt they could have proved legal immigration status. They had the weather-worn look of men who spent their lives in toil, “salt-of-the-earth fellows,” as my father used to call them, and so had my respect.
I was sleeping quietly next morning when the desk delivered a 5:00 a.m. wake-up call.
“Juan?” inquired the voice on the other end.
“Wrong room,” I mumbled.
Moments later—the phone again. “Juan?” the voice asked once more.
“WRONG ROOM!” I replied.
The line went dead.
I hope Juan made it to work on time and imagine the day ahead was filled with harder labor for him than for me.
The next afternoon I climbed into the Rockies and made camp a few miles from Royal Gorge Bridge. After a good night’s rest, I piled out of my tent around 6:30 a.m., polished off another 2,000-calorie breakfast at a nearby restaurant, and pedaled off to see the sites. Royal Gorge is advertised as the highest suspension bridge in the world, a beautiful but useless one-lane span 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River. Near the middle a sign shows where the longest free rappelling climb in history was completed. Another sign marks the spot of the world-record for a bungee jump. In a flash of weakness I wondered if this might not be the time to try for a record “bicycle drop.”
The feeling passed and I kept going. You can’t talk effort to students unless you give effort. I gave effort. People seemed amazed by what I was doing. I thought it was simple truth. I gave effort. It was the basic concept I had been preaching for thirty-two years.
Two legs always suffice.
I pedaled north, up the Arkansas River Valley, the scenery spectacular in every direction. Eventually, I climbed to almost two miles above sea level and found a beautiful camping spot beside a mountain stream outside Leadville, Colorado. By the time I crossed Fremont Pass, the highest point on my trip at 11,320 feet, I was seeing eastbound riders daily. They warned that conditions in southern Wyoming were harsh.
People saw my load of gear and wondered where I was going and why. A couple at a camp-ground listened to my story, gave $50, and packed me lunch for the next day. A Kansas bakery donated coffee and two of the best cinnamon rolls I ever tasted. A bar owner paid for lunch and explained her daughter was diabetic. Then she wrote a check for $100.
East of Eads, Colorado, and again west of town, I traversed barren stretches of fifty miles with no place to find food or drink. I made it through and confidence soared. I was following the Trans-America Bicycle Trail at the time and started running into cyclists heading east. Most were young, fresh out of college, riding for adventure before settling into the workday grind.
Young legs help; but any two legs suffice.
On July 23 I picked up a tail wind and sailed along like a clipper ship. One hundred and fourteen miles later, I found lodgings at a motel in Pueblo, Colorado, across the street from a Payday Loan office. Most of the guests spoke Spanish and I doubt they could have proved legal immigration status. They had the weather-worn look of men who spent their lives in toil, “salt-of-the-earth fellows,” as my father used to call them, and so had my respect.
I was sleeping quietly next morning when the desk delivered a 5:00 a.m. wake-up call.
“Juan?” inquired the voice on the other end.
“Wrong room,” I mumbled.
Moments later—the phone again. “Juan?” the voice asked once more.
“WRONG ROOM!” I replied.
The line went dead.
I hope Juan made it to work on time and imagine the day ahead was filled with harder labor for him than for me.
The next afternoon I climbed into the Rockies and made camp a few miles from Royal Gorge Bridge. After a good night’s rest, I piled out of my tent around 6:30 a.m., polished off another 2,000-calorie breakfast at a nearby restaurant, and pedaled off to see the sites. Royal Gorge is advertised as the highest suspension bridge in the world, a beautiful but useless one-lane span 1,053 feet above the Arkansas River. Near the middle a sign shows where the longest free rappelling climb in history was completed. Another sign marks the spot of the world-record for a bungee jump. In a flash of weakness I wondered if this might not be the time to try for a record “bicycle drop.”
The feeling passed and I kept going. You can’t talk effort to students unless you give effort. I gave effort. People seemed amazed by what I was doing. I thought it was simple truth. I gave effort. It was the basic concept I had been preaching for thirty-two years.
Two legs always suffice.
I pedaled north, up the Arkansas River Valley, the scenery spectacular in every direction. Eventually, I climbed to almost two miles above sea level and found a beautiful camping spot beside a mountain stream outside Leadville, Colorado. By the time I crossed Fremont Pass, the highest point on my trip at 11,320 feet, I was seeing eastbound riders daily. They warned that conditions in southern Wyoming were harsh.
 |
Where I camped (for free) near Leadville, Colorado. |
One
stretch, between Rawlins and Lander, was little more than 130 miles of
sagebrush and sand, a treeless wasteland that had to be negotiated with care.
If you were hungry or thirsty you had three choices: Grandma’s Kitchen (32 miles
from Rawlins), a store at Muddy Gap (46 miles) and a café at Jeff City (88
miles). That was it; and the place at Jeff City (population: 50) closed early.
When I took my break for lunch that day, eating food I carried in my bags, I
had to prop my bike against a reflector by the side of the road to create a
spot of shade.
Half an hour later, in the middle of the middle of nowhere, I suffered the first flat of my trip. I unloaded my bike, flipped it over, and set to work, fumbling tools and getting grease on my shorts. (I improved dramatically after suffering four flats in one day and a dozen more in coming weeks.)
Just as I was finishing, I looked up and spotted a rider in the distance. Something was wrong. I looked again. My eyes must be playing tricks in the bright sunlight. From the waist up, the silhouette appeared female. Only something was wrong. Moments later I had my explanation when a young woman pedaled up and braked to a stop. Her name was Sarah Brigham, a free-spirited 22-year-old from Columbus, Ohio. She was outfitted in a spaghetti-strap black top and black biker shorts, topped by a red and black tutu. She told me she made it herself, said she sold a handyman business back in Columbus and headed west for adventure. Now she was pedaling south to Durango, Colorado to meet friends. We shared hard-won lessons, each complimenting the other on an adventurous spirit, and off we went.
In this case: two attractive legs sufficed.
Half an hour later, in the middle of the middle of nowhere, I suffered the first flat of my trip. I unloaded my bike, flipped it over, and set to work, fumbling tools and getting grease on my shorts. (I improved dramatically after suffering four flats in one day and a dozen more in coming weeks.)
Just as I was finishing, I looked up and spotted a rider in the distance. Something was wrong. I looked again. My eyes must be playing tricks in the bright sunlight. From the waist up, the silhouette appeared female. Only something was wrong. Moments later I had my explanation when a young woman pedaled up and braked to a stop. Her name was Sarah Brigham, a free-spirited 22-year-old from Columbus, Ohio. She was outfitted in a spaghetti-strap black top and black biker shorts, topped by a red and black tutu. She told me she made it herself, said she sold a handyman business back in Columbus and headed west for adventure. Now she was pedaling south to Durango, Colorado to meet friends. We shared hard-won lessons, each complimenting the other on an adventurous spirit, and off we went.
In this case: two attractive legs sufficed.
 |
I don't recommend a tutu; I do recommend this kind of trip. |
I
continued up Route 287, pointing for Yellowstone National Park. At a Pizza Hut
in Lander, where I piled three buffet plates high and cleaned them again, I met
Judy and Ron Hartwigsen and their grandchildren Ryan and Beth Mitchell. Beth,
12, had been diabetic for three years. Judy called her a “little warrior” who
worked hard to control the disease. Ron promised a lift into Dubois later that
day. After they finished shopping they picked me up twenty miles down the road,
carried me into town, bought me dinner, and added a present of Huckleberry
chocolate candy for good measure.
The next day I pedaled up and over Togwotee Pass (elevation 9,649 feet). Then it was down to Grand Teton National Park. A sign warned truckers they faced a 6% grade for seventeen miles. To me that meant a sweet, swift descent, at speeds as high as fifty mph.
You can easily hit 70 mph. on such stretches; but around 40-45, I tend to start gripping the handle-bars tightly, like a Congressman accepting a fat bribe. Even at that speed you feel like you’re flying.
Camping in Grand Teton that evening, I had the good fortune to share a bear box (for food safety) with the Garcia family next door. Bob Garcia invited me for dinner and the meal turned into an evening of lively conversation and laughter. Bob and his wife Teresa had three children, Katie, 12, Jessica, 9, and Phillip, 6. The party included Teresa’s sister, Dr. Lydia Rose, and her daughter Sabrina, 10. The children were well-mannered and funny. Sabrina told me she hated being shorter than Jessica, her cousin. “I’m the second shortest fifth grader in my entire school,” she lamented. “And the shortest kid has a genetic defect!”
The next morning, when I pedaled out of camp, I could hear the family teasing Sabrina for rising late. She mumbled from deep beneath her covers, “I’m not sleeping. I’m cleaning up the tent.”
The next day I pedaled up and over Togwotee Pass (elevation 9,649 feet). Then it was down to Grand Teton National Park. A sign warned truckers they faced a 6% grade for seventeen miles. To me that meant a sweet, swift descent, at speeds as high as fifty mph.
You can easily hit 70 mph. on such stretches; but around 40-45, I tend to start gripping the handle-bars tightly, like a Congressman accepting a fat bribe. Even at that speed you feel like you’re flying.
Camping in Grand Teton that evening, I had the good fortune to share a bear box (for food safety) with the Garcia family next door. Bob Garcia invited me for dinner and the meal turned into an evening of lively conversation and laughter. Bob and his wife Teresa had three children, Katie, 12, Jessica, 9, and Phillip, 6. The party included Teresa’s sister, Dr. Lydia Rose, and her daughter Sabrina, 10. The children were well-mannered and funny. Sabrina told me she hated being shorter than Jessica, her cousin. “I’m the second shortest fifth grader in my entire school,” she lamented. “And the shortest kid has a genetic defect!”
The next morning, when I pedaled out of camp, I could hear the family teasing Sabrina for rising late. She mumbled from deep beneath her covers, “I’m not sleeping. I’m cleaning up the tent.”
 |
The view of the Grand Tetons. |
With
high mountains on every side and buffalo, elk and an occasional moose in the
bushes to watch, I headed for Yellowstone. I had driven into the park from the
south several times. Looking at a road map it didn’t seem that far from Grand
Teton to Yellowstone. Now, on a bicycle, I discovered I would have to cross the
Continental Divide in three places. By the time I entered the park I was beat.
The weather turned cold and drizzly.
Then the drizzle became a steady rain.
I managed to take in a couple of sights but afternoon was fading and all campgrounds and hotels were booked. Ignoring rules and the dictates of good sense, I pitched my tent in a grove of pines off to the side of one of the roads and out of view. I was in bear country. So I bagged my food and toiletries and hung everything in a tree before turning in for the night. Around 10 p. m. some small woodland creature skittered over a corner of my tent and startled me from my dreams.
Sleep soon held me softly in its grip. Then, about midnight, a large woodland creature approached and I heard snuffling outside my front door. Seizing a can of pepper spray I carried for safety, I clicked the red button to “fire.” Then I waved my flashlight about to indicate I was on the alert and kept an eye out for the first claws to come ripping through the thin nylon walls of my house.
I considered opening a window flap to see what my foe might be. But frankly I was afraid I’d be staring at a bear. Whatever the creature was it soon wandered off and I drifted back into restless sleep. The next morning I discovered fresh “scat” two feet from my tent. I have since described this poop to experts and consulted books about the bowel movements of forest creatures. I can now say, as something of an expert, that elk and deer normally leave pellets when answering Nature’s call (of the wild). This pie wasn’t pellets.
Then again, the books say elk don’t always leave pellets in summer. My visitor might have been an elk.
It might have been a bear. If it was a bear I’m glad I didn’t get a look. Remember that rhetorical question: “Do bears shit in the woods?” If I had unzipped my tent and looked into the eyes of a bear I assure you I know who would have been defecating in the forest.
Then the drizzle became a steady rain.
I managed to take in a couple of sights but afternoon was fading and all campgrounds and hotels were booked. Ignoring rules and the dictates of good sense, I pitched my tent in a grove of pines off to the side of one of the roads and out of view. I was in bear country. So I bagged my food and toiletries and hung everything in a tree before turning in for the night. Around 10 p. m. some small woodland creature skittered over a corner of my tent and startled me from my dreams.
Sleep soon held me softly in its grip. Then, about midnight, a large woodland creature approached and I heard snuffling outside my front door. Seizing a can of pepper spray I carried for safety, I clicked the red button to “fire.” Then I waved my flashlight about to indicate I was on the alert and kept an eye out for the first claws to come ripping through the thin nylon walls of my house.
I considered opening a window flap to see what my foe might be. But frankly I was afraid I’d be staring at a bear. Whatever the creature was it soon wandered off and I drifted back into restless sleep. The next morning I discovered fresh “scat” two feet from my tent. I have since described this poop to experts and consulted books about the bowel movements of forest creatures. I can now say, as something of an expert, that elk and deer normally leave pellets when answering Nature’s call (of the wild). This pie wasn’t pellets.
Then again, the books say elk don’t always leave pellets in summer. My visitor might have been an elk.
It might have been a bear. If it was a bear I’m glad I didn’t get a look. Remember that rhetorical question: “Do bears shit in the woods?” If I had unzipped my tent and looked into the eyes of a bear I assure you I know who would have been defecating in the forest.
 |
Buffalo in Yellowstone. |
After
spending two more days pedaling in the park, I rolled out the west entrance and
into West Yellowstone just as dusk was coming on. Motels were filled and I was
too traumatized to repeat my recent camping experience if I could avoid it. I
began asking around and ran into another rider, Doug T--------, who found
himself in a similar predicament. He was talking to Bill, a local fellow, whose
last name I never managed to catch. Bill owned land north of town and said we
could camp there if we liked. Then he thought a moment, and added, “My boys are
with their mother this weekend. You can have their beds if you want. “I’m
not much of a housekeeper,” he added, “so the place is one step above a frat
house.”
Still: that was three steps above a tent in the woods, and 100 steps above being gnawed by a grizzly.
It turned out Bill wasn’t lying about his cleaning abilities. If you got past the laundry on the floor and the empty pizza boxes and missing doorknobs you could see he was philosophical and funny and a fount of information on local wildlife and environs.
Doug was equally interesting, probably 25, a young man who would have fit nicely in the 70s. He admitted mixing marijuana with pedaling. At one point he informed Bill and me, “There’s nothing like coming down a mountain when you’re half baked.”
I decided to take his word for it.
Back home, Doug trimmed trees for a living and loved climbing. On one bicep he had a chainsaw blade tattoo. As a teen he spent two years hitching round the country. Then he got picked up by a paroled convict headed north for a stint in rehab and a meeting with an ex-girlfriend. Sadly, the ex-con had the brilliant idea of stealing the car to complete his journey to rehabilitation. A police chase ensued. The car spun out and rolled.
Doug rolled, too, suffered minor injuries, and decided to end his thumbing career.
The three of us parted ways the next morning and I continued north into Montana and Idaho. A few days later I crossed Lolo Pass, where history says, in 1805, Lewis and Clark nearly came to grief in deep snow. The pass wasn’t difficult in summer, what with modern roads, and on the far side I ran into one of the only riders I saw heading west my entire trip. Gene Myers turned out to be a soft-spoken 47-year-old computer programmer from Pittsburgh.
We hit it off and decided to kill the afternoon and evening at a nearby camp and set off together next morning. Part of the time we devoted to playing checkers at the lodge. Neither of us could remember the rules and I said I thought you could jump your own men. Using this novel strategy I crushed my new companion three games in a row.
Still: that was three steps above a tent in the woods, and 100 steps above being gnawed by a grizzly.
It turned out Bill wasn’t lying about his cleaning abilities. If you got past the laundry on the floor and the empty pizza boxes and missing doorknobs you could see he was philosophical and funny and a fount of information on local wildlife and environs.
Doug was equally interesting, probably 25, a young man who would have fit nicely in the 70s. He admitted mixing marijuana with pedaling. At one point he informed Bill and me, “There’s nothing like coming down a mountain when you’re half baked.”
I decided to take his word for it.
Back home, Doug trimmed trees for a living and loved climbing. On one bicep he had a chainsaw blade tattoo. As a teen he spent two years hitching round the country. Then he got picked up by a paroled convict headed north for a stint in rehab and a meeting with an ex-girlfriend. Sadly, the ex-con had the brilliant idea of stealing the car to complete his journey to rehabilitation. A police chase ensued. The car spun out and rolled.
Doug rolled, too, suffered minor injuries, and decided to end his thumbing career.
The three of us parted ways the next morning and I continued north into Montana and Idaho. A few days later I crossed Lolo Pass, where history says, in 1805, Lewis and Clark nearly came to grief in deep snow. The pass wasn’t difficult in summer, what with modern roads, and on the far side I ran into one of the only riders I saw heading west my entire trip. Gene Myers turned out to be a soft-spoken 47-year-old computer programmer from Pittsburgh.
We hit it off and decided to kill the afternoon and evening at a nearby camp and set off together next morning. Part of the time we devoted to playing checkers at the lodge. Neither of us could remember the rules and I said I thought you could jump your own men. Using this novel strategy I crushed my new companion three games in a row.
 |
Gene Myers. |
For
the next few days we pedaled together through spectacular country. High
mountains rose on b
both sides of the highway and loomed ahead, promising hard
climbs to come. We spent August 8 in the Lochsa River Valley, a “wild and
scenic” region, and enjoyed swimming in cold, crystal-green waters. I had been
riding solo and enjoyed having someone with whom to share stories. Gene had
kept company with a woman who recorded how many margaritas she downed during
her journey. One night, when the count ran to eight, Gene decided it was time
to part ways.
On August 9 we found a camping spot at the city park in Kooskia, Idaho. The grass was soft and lush. The Clearwater River bubbled past our tents and we were soon dreaming under the stars.
Then…what the hell….
Is it raining!
Half awake, with water battering my tent, I heard Gene swearing softly and fumbling with gear. What the hell!! Skies were clear when we went to bed. What… the…a blast of water hit my tent…HELL!!!!
I unzipped and peeked outside, to see park sprinklers blazing. Gene and I did some quick singing in the rain and moved our tents and equipment and ourselves to drier pastures.
Gene had dreamed of making a cross-country trip for twenty years. Finally, he took a leave of absence from work and began his ride in Washington, D. C. on June 4. Like me, he had trouble believing how close we were to the finish. At one point he asked, “Will you be sorry when the ride is over?”
I realized in some ways the answer would be yes. It was when we crossed the Snake River and saw the sign at the Washington State line that it hit us. We had said we were going to pedal across the USA.
Now we were going to do it.
On August 9 we found a camping spot at the city park in Kooskia, Idaho. The grass was soft and lush. The Clearwater River bubbled past our tents and we were soon dreaming under the stars.
Then…what the hell….
Is it raining!
Half awake, with water battering my tent, I heard Gene swearing softly and fumbling with gear. What the hell!! Skies were clear when we went to bed. What… the…a blast of water hit my tent…HELL!!!!
I unzipped and peeked outside, to see park sprinklers blazing. Gene and I did some quick singing in the rain and moved our tents and equipment and ourselves to drier pastures.
Gene had dreamed of making a cross-country trip for twenty years. Finally, he took a leave of absence from work and began his ride in Washington, D. C. on June 4. Like me, he had trouble believing how close we were to the finish. At one point he asked, “Will you be sorry when the ride is over?”
I realized in some ways the answer would be yes. It was when we crossed the Snake River and saw the sign at the Washington State line that it hit us. We had said we were going to pedal across the USA.
Now we were going to do it.
 |
At this point, Gene and I realized we were going to do it. |
On
August 11—after Gene suffered an unfortunate incident involving too many
prunes—we parted ways—not because of prunes, but because he was heading for Seattle
and I was aiming south. I pointed my bicycle down the Columbia River Gorge,
despite warnings from locals that winds came “howling up the river.” It was the
shortest route to the Pacific and after fifty-one days in the saddle I was
ready to get home. The scenery I most wanted to see was my wife.
The first day in the Gorge the wind hit me like punches from a prize fighter and I could only average nine miles per hour. Then the winds died and I enjoyed swift sailing. At times, I used Interstate 84, legal in that area. Part of the way, I followed Historic Route 30. Built in 1916, 30 offered interesting tunnels, challenging climbs, sharp turns and gorgeous vistas. At one point I got off the road entirely and onto a bike trail which cut through old-growth forest. Five miles later the trail sputtered to an end. I hated to backtrack; and through the trees, happened to catch a glimpse of I-84. I clawed through briars, slashing red marks across my arms and legs, stumbled up a steep embankment, cursing lustily, threw my gear over a fence, lifted my bike, and continued west.
The first day in the Gorge the wind hit me like punches from a prize fighter and I could only average nine miles per hour. Then the winds died and I enjoyed swift sailing. At times, I used Interstate 84, legal in that area. Part of the way, I followed Historic Route 30. Built in 1916, 30 offered interesting tunnels, challenging climbs, sharp turns and gorgeous vistas. At one point I got off the road entirely and onto a bike trail which cut through old-growth forest. Five miles later the trail sputtered to an end. I hated to backtrack; and through the trees, happened to catch a glimpse of I-84. I clawed through briars, slashing red marks across my arms and legs, stumbled up a steep embankment, cursing lustily, threw my gear over a fence, lifted my bike, and continued west.
 |
View from Historic Route 30; I-84 below is also open to bicyclers. |
My
older brother drove up from Stockton, California and trailed me the final 150
miles, offering any assistance he could. The last night we stayed at a motel in
Forest Hills, Oregon. Then we rose early and I rode over the Coastal Range and
rolled down into Tillamook. I could smell the Pacific at last—or at least the
cow manure near the Pacific. Tillamook is the heart of Oregon
cheese country. So there are lots of cows and lots of pungent cow smells.
After lunch and a beer to celebrate, I discovered Tillamook sat a mile from the coast. I wobbled north, considered the ironic possibilities of getting a “PUI,” found a spot at Bay City, Oregon, and dipped my front wheel in the Pacific.
Just like that: after fifty-five days and 4,088 miles, the ride was ended. I told my students I would pedal across America and did. I was twenty-five pounds lighter and thrilled to have raised $13,500 for JDRF.
After lunch and a beer to celebrate, I discovered Tillamook sat a mile from the coast. I wobbled north, considered the ironic possibilities of getting a “PUI,” found a spot at Bay City, Oregon, and dipped my front wheel in the Pacific.
Just like that: after fifty-five days and 4,088 miles, the ride was ended. I told my students I would pedal across America and did. I was twenty-five pounds lighter and thrilled to have raised $13,500 for JDRF.
