The ride today is the one that has taken precedence in all my thoughts about this trip. Physically intimidated by the thought of climbing Lolo Pass, I had planned for the worst. The morning started that way. I was so stiff and lacked energy that I was certain that I would be covering the territory on foot and that is a reason we decided to cover just over 20 miles. I could take all day walking over Lolo.

Well, the climb was a bit more challenging than Alpowa. The road gradually climbed for a few miles, then took a steep turn. I was happy to be on this side of the road and climbing. Descending Lolo toward Powell would looked like quite the treacherous ride. For some reason, I have lost the thrill I once had of fast descents that I had enjoyed so much. I never understood those who used their brakes going downhill. I am now one of those people and totally understand as I now often feel that I will catapult over the handlebars.

Certainly, I didn’t need to worry about great speed on this climb. We both steadily climbed taking rests every now and then. At times, I wished for a lower gear, but it really wouldn’t have made the climb all that much easier. This climb was done a mile at a time and although the miles clicked off very slowly, we were making progress. We stopped at an overlook and Robert had forgotten that he was clipped in. Even after all this time, it is easy enough to forget that our feet are rather permanently affixed to the pedals. It seems the easiest time to forget is when we our distracted by something or in a situation of impending doom.

Some road workers checked to see if Robert were OK and told us that there was hot coffee at the visitor center at the top. Even though we aren’t big coffee drinkers, a warm drink became the next goal. The grade of the climb seemed to be less intense or maybe we were just feeling stronger, spurred on by the promise of a drink at the top. Snow suddenly appeared along the road, followed shortly after by a building – the visitor center.

We chatted with the friendly volunteers and some motorcyclists who informed us how much drivers hate cyclists. Just what we needed to hear. In general, most of the traffic has been courteous. My last brush with death was on the first day of the trip when that logging truck came within millimeters of my arm.

The visitor center is quite pleasant with hot chocolate, which I opted for, and coffee. Since we had a fast downhill ride to Lolo Hot Springs, we were in no great rush. The thrill of conquering Lolo made the stiffness disappear. This must have been one of those endorphin highs. The sign welcoming us to Montana was just on the other side of the parking light and its message was calling to us. It was time
to head down into the next state.

The downhill was a nice one and we realized that climbing up from the other side would have been a long steady incline, unlike the steep and sharp way we arrived. However, this made our descent far more comfortable as we didn’t need to maneuver steep hairpins. We quickly reached Lolo Hot Springs where we enjoyed the water and relaxed for the rest of the day. After all, we didn’t cover that much territory today. It was certainly a good plan on our part and a nice reward for our efforts.

We set out early again to give ourselves ample time to reach Powell. We followed a brushing truck for some time. Traffic thinned out in this stretch and riding was quite pleasant, even though the possibility of falling into the creek was a very real one.
We passed several campgrounds, which we had expected to be closed, but we had plans to stay in cabins in Powell.
We really enjoyed this spot and had an excellent dinner here. We weren’t expecting a chef to be preparing meals out here in the wilderness. This is another place that we would like to return to – via automobile.

I could ride down Lolo from the direction that we climbed, but there were some steep and sharp curves that would take away the pleasure.

I remember this day as a bit cooler and having a hard time getting into a rhythm. Don’t know why I was suddenly so fatigued, but fortunately, there was a nice bench in a park for a quick nap. That seemed to help somewhat and we were making decent progress since we headed out at the crack of dawn. I like to allow extra time for hills and headwinds – and even naps.

We found more services along the road than we had expected, which made the day go by a little faster. Even though it was over 60 miles, it somehow seems shorter with some diversions along the way. We were most surprised by a very nice restaurant in Syringa, which wasn’t far from Lowell. That stop re-energized me.

We met a couple on loaded bikes just outside our motel for the night. The were heading from Missoula and had covered 66 miles so far that day. They said that they had a nice tailwind, which surprised them and since they were heading downward, they would attempt to cover another 30 or 40 miles this day. What happened to our tailwinds? We really had hoped for a push that would make higher mileage days a real possibility. Well, we eventually did up our average daily distance, but no thanks to tailwinds.

Even though I had seen so many photos of the area, the reality seemed so different than the snapshots. The scenery was definitely stunning and the thought of making a false move and going into the creek was even more mindnumbing. Lolo Pass gets more real every single day. Once we conquered that, we could relax a bit a find something else to occupy our thoughts. For me getting over Lolo would be a major accomplishment.

Day 11/May 12

We hadn’t done any extremely long days just because of how accommodations fell. We would rather do a shorter day than do over 70 miles, especially considering our luck with the wind. We were thrilled on this morning when we stopped for breakfast in Pomeroy to see a loaded cyclist pull-up. We invited him to sit with us and he told us that he was doing the Lewis and Clark Route in segments.
We forewarned him about the road ahead, which for us was mostly downhill. A storm was forecast, so he headed to where we had just come and we continued on to Pataha, a tiny outpost in the wilderness. And what an interesting place this was. A singing local bought an old mill that he had dreamed of owning for a very long time. Not only has he restored the mill, but he has also used the property as part of his ministry. What was very interesting about the restaurant at this mill is that all meals are offered on a donation basis, something that we hadn’t seen before.

We met some nice people who were helping with the onsite computers and networking. The were staying at the complex in a house next to ours. There are a few houses at the Pataha Mill, which basically function as hostels. It was a very convenient place for us to stay and spared us from having to cycle 70+ miles. We hope that we can return here again and spend some time.

Day 12/May 13

This was Mother’s Day last year. It started with the perfect gift for any mother, the climb up Alpowa Pass. Fortunately for us, there was little traffic to contend with. At the top of the pass, there was a nice flat and level rest stop. We seemed to be on top of a plain, but would go down for 5 miles after we left. This was a decent descent, which ended up hurting my hands as I seem to like using the death grip on steep downhills.

We should have made really good time into Clarkston, but our good friend, the headwind came up and held us back. Since we were only biking a short distance, it was more of an annoyance than a serious hindrance to our day. We arrived early enough for lunch and had time to wash some clothes and re-organize, something we seem to have to do on a daily basis.

Day 13/ May 14

Everyday we got closer and closer to what for me the most intimidating obstacle on this trip: Lolo Pass. We were getting into more desolate areas, with poor quality roads. We had heard much about the Swift trucks and that they were forbidden from traveling on Route 12 because they had caused so many accidents. We would be on Route 12 for a few more days and hoped that we could safely traverse these sections.

Orofino was a pleasant little town with a grocery store at the opposite end of town from where we were staying. We lucked out with accommodations because when we originally called, we were told that a golf team had taken up the entire motel. When we arrived we were pleased to hear that there had been a cancellation, so we did not have to worry about plan B. We have been lucky and have always arrived at our destination just after lunch time, so we never feel rushed like we did those first few days.

Tomorrow, we have to get an early start to get to Lowell. I had read so many journals about this stretch and imagined what the road ahead looks like. The scenery was always stunning although the riding may be a challenge as it is a long gradual climb just until Lolo Pass, where the climbing becomes more strenuous.

Day 10/May 11
We heard that there were some great wineries in the Kennewick area, so went that way instead of to Walla Walla, which is also known for its wineries. Our directions into Kennewick were for drivers, not cyclists, so we endured a lot of horn honking and line hugging into town. We later realized that we should have planned our own route into town.

We stayed at the excellent Clover Island Hotel, which really helped us put some things in perspective. We were disappointed that the wineries were 20 minutes away – by car. Do you know how far that is by bike? Some other time.

Of course, we found some other diversions and headed to the local museum that gave us plenty of information about Kennewick Man, who was discovered near here by a boy who was trying to get away with not paying admission to the boat race, which would pass by on the river just outside our hotel room. We were intrigued by the museum and the story of this find.

That alone was not enough to satisfy us, so we headed out to the Sacajawea State Park, which had an extraordinary exhibit on this female legacy. We learned about the proper pronunciation of her name and a lot about the Lewis and Clark expedition. This detour was definitely a worthwhile one in spite of our disappointment of not visiting any wineries.

We bicycled a lot in town and headed to a good local restaurant back in town. We really wished that we could have spent another day here as we enjoyed this town very much. But duty called and we would have to push on.

Day 11/ May 12

We had a very pleasant ride today and good see the mountains looming large far ahead. How long would it be before we started cranking up the passes and had to challenge our untrained legs. We can’t use the untrained excuse anymore because we have already many miles on our legs. So far we have survived any challenge presented us. There has to be something that will hit us hard very soon.

We pedaled in the heat again with little relief from the sun. We noticed some huge vineyards, but passed by too early to sample any of the product. We eventually reached the town of Dayton and stayed in our first converted-trailer motel. This is a new concept to us. Basically a trailer gets divided into several sections. For some reason, I always assume that I am in an Easy Bake Oven and have heightened awareness of my surroundings in these structures. I think far too much about becoming a chocolate chip cookie as I bake in my metal surroundings.

At least, there is a nice brewery in town. Check out my visit with the brewmaster at the bottom of the original post.
http://www.portlandtoportland.com/invisible-snakes/
I can’t believe that I forgot to take a look at the hops plants.

Day 9/May 10
We spent some of the day on the Interstate again, but were very happy that there were some road options today. We got off and took the back way in to Umatilla. The landscape is still rather scrubby and we miss the trees. There’s no finding shade around here.

It took some time finding a place to stay because there were several construction projects going on in the area. We finally found a spot that was reasonably close to the bridge that we would cross to get back into Washington.We knew that there was a pedestrian bridge, but didn’t see directions to it, so we headed to the visitor center to get directions from them. If you are neither a cyclist nor a pedestrian, these details are meaningless, so not on your radar. This was the case with the tourist office. Although very helpful with anything that we asked, they had no clue where to access the pedestrian/cycling way across the bridge.

We left to see if we could find it ourselves and came across it just 1/4 mile from the tourist office. Just so that they could help future cyclists, we went back to the tourist office and told them where the access spot for cyclists was. It wasn’t well-marked at all.

After we left the office, we walked back along the trail and on to the grocery store. We found a restaurant that served freedom fries, something that we didn’t realize still existed. Oddly enough, this restaurant had many photos of French landmarks. Go figure.

This was our last day of riding in Oregon. One state down and a lot to go.

After finishing our trip across the continent last year, I swore that I would never do such a thing again. So why am I wishing that I were doing such a thing again? I really can’t do the trip again and certainly can’t be away for 75 days, but thought it would be nice to reminisce the trip. Of course, I have already missed a few days as we started cycling on the May 2. Because I was so tired the first few days and also didn’t have internet, I got the first parts of the trip a little bit out of order, but I will try to relive all the days of the trip. Looks like since today is the 6th, I need to at least get up to that date in pretty quick order.

Arrival Day/May 1 – no cycling

We arrived in Portland early in the day and a fellow WSL member had responded to my query about transportation options that went to Astoria before the late afternoon. Cindi, a most generous fellow cyclist volunteered to drive us out to Astoria, which is not just a few blocks from her home. We feel that this set the tone for the trip; the kindness of strangers added many high notes to our trip. We still keep in touch with Cindi and hope that someday we can offer her similar hospitality. We have always been impressed by the generosity, support and advice of fellow touring cyclists.

We enjoyed lunch together and as we left the restaurant some guy got fairly close into my personal space. I didn’t recognize my own brother who was waiting outside the Cannery Restaurant, which is neither near nor affiliated with the Cannery Pier Hotel. It was just a coincidence that he was there. We bid farewell to Cindi and her friend and hopped into my brother’s car for an extensive tour of the area. Forts, bunkers and columns. We did it all and then had dinner, which got us back to our very comfortable hotel, The Cannery Pier rather too late to enjoy it. This was a planning mistake on my part. I figured that we had most of the afternoon to see the sights and hang out with my brother. We really needed another day, even though we didn’t really plan on heading out of Astoria until later in the afternoon the next day. We really should have known better. Being on EST, we were rather tired when we arrived back at the hotel. The bikes still sat in their boxes, which we had shipped there via FedEx.

Day 1/May 2 to Cathlamet Island

We definitely had to dip our wheels in the Pacific on this cold and windy day. Being pressed for time, we put the bikes on a city bus and headed out to Warrenton. We found a convenient spot in the state park to access the Pacific, where we encountered another touring cyclist. Little did we know that he would be one of just a handful that we would meet along the next 3377 miles to the Atlantic.

We dipped the wheels without being washed out into the rough and cold sea and headed back to Astoria. Being only my second day using clipless, I forgot that I was clipped in and took a spill on one of the trails in the park. I ripped my tights making it simple for the blood to gush out from my knee. I really wasn’t planning on crashing and using the first aid kit within the first 5 miles of the trip. Not an auspicious start.
We returned to the hotel, realizing that we hadn’t really had time to enjoy it as we should have. We reluctantly checked out and headed to downtown.

We had an excellent lunch at Clemente’s (click here to hear a podcast with the owner)and then visiting the wonderful Columbia River Maritime Museum. Too bad that we didn’t plan another entire day here. Astoria is definitely a place that we would visit again since it offers so much considering its size.

The afternoon was quickly slipping by so we thought it wise to get on the road. We would never, ever ride this route again. Although this is part of Adventure Cycling’s Lewis and Clark route, it sure isn’t an ideal route for cycling. If you are comfortable with narrow roads with occasional shoulders, broken pavement on the road’s edge and large and fast logging trucks, you might not mind the ride. We don’t find any of the above conditions ideal, so felt endangered. In fact, a lumber truck nearly brushed my bicycle as I was going downhill on the wet pavement due to the rain that started shortly after we hit the road. I thought for sure that I had ridden my final mile, but somehow had the strength to keep the bike in a straight line and on the pavement.

I rested a few times along the way, often just to clean the debris and raindrops that spotted my glasses. This road was bad enough and seeing might be helpful. My stress level was high and the ride was not one bit enjoyable.

We finally approached the turnoff where we would take the ferry, noticing some stuggling cyclists climbing up toward Astoria as we coasted down. We waited just a short time for the ferry to Cathlamet Island where we easily found our WSL hosts for the night.

They were such pleasant people and offered such wonderful hospitality that I thought again that we should have spent another day in Astoria, so that we could have a more restful time here. But, duty called.

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Used on recent transcontinental tour for 2.5 months. All original components, with new front and rear tires. Some minor scratches from normal wear and larger scratch on downtube.
Equipped as new. Jannd front rack added and included.

Please note that the Novara sizing is different. This bike fit a 5′8″ rider comfortably.
It is a 52 cm frame.

This is a great touring bicycle, but overkill for our current needs. Our old clunkers serve us fine for the type of riding that we are doing. Wish that we had another long tour on the calendar. Since we don’t we hate to see this bicycle sitting instead of touring.

$700 – local pickup or you pay shipping.

We haven’t done any touring since the big one, and barely any bicycling at all. But, that is all to change soon. Our next very short tour will be one along the Gulf Coast of Florida.
We had considered doing the Keys, but decided that a car would be better for touring in that area.

In searching for bike routes, I came across the Bike Florida site and saw that they had a ride in basically the area that we would be in. Their route uses several rail trails, which sound intriguing. We would be there earlier than this ride, so wouldn’t consider riding with them. We don’t particular like riding with hordes of other people whose riding styles we aren’t familiar with.

Cost is another issue for us. It would cost us $720 to camp and get fed for the week. This option is good for those who want somebody else to do the planning, a sag and luggage assistance. For those of use who have planned many a trip and are on a budget, we can resort to our own resources. We are pretty certain that we can eat and camp for five nights for less than $144 per night. In fact, we think that we can stay in motels for less than that amount.

While the Bike Florida route piqued our interest, it grew with the help of Gina who answered a request on phred.org board for assistance with route planning. It’s so nice that all of us who tour are so willing to offer our expertise to other touring cyclists. Gina may even ride with us for a day if our schedules work out.

I thanked Gina profusely for her help. Recently, I have put together detailed cycling routes with hotel suggestions for several people. I am happy to help anybody with route planning, but do wish that they might thank me for taking the time to help them. I also enjoy hearing how their trips went.

You might get the idea that I had abandoned the blog. Don’t worry. I was thinking the same thing, but have not abandoned the blog. Obviously the theme will change a bit as it will focus more on general bicycle touring rather than that so distant transcontinental adventure.

Shortly after that trip, we both vowed that we would never do anything that long again. We generalized and didn’t even bicycle for some time. But now, we are thinking of taking our bicycles down to Florida and doing a short tour. We will be there earlier than the Bicycle Florida organized trip, but since we will be in that general vicinity, we are thinking of replicating that ride.
The amount of rail trails appeals to us, but we know little about road conditions and traffic off the trails. Initial research doesn’t show too many map resources and certainly not a bike map of Florida.

It’s time to post to a touring board and get some input from members who have toured the area. Florida is a looooong drive from Upstate New York, but it’s easier to take our bikes with us in a car rather than packing them for a plane ride and paying the fees that almost amount to another passenger fare.

I am going to the Cruise3Sixty conference in Fort Lauderdale and then going on a cruise aboard MSC. After this, we will visit a friend who lives near Tampa and then go bicycling in that part of Florida.

Check out my newest blog and travel planning venture:
http://www.cruisebugchatter.com
http://www.cruisebugvacations.com