tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30724408879161618992024-02-22T09:03:08.990-08:00FireturtlesFireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-18044412742740810402012-09-05T18:11:00.001-07:002012-09-07T00:00:03.388-07:00Running to stand stillWe just checked into a hotel room, 55 miles from New Orleans. Tomorrow will be our last day riding. I thought I would be excited and feel accomplished when this day came, but that's not what I'm feeling now. When I first saw New Orleans on the highway mile marker sign, (73 miles) my stomach turned. Not in a good way. I feel like a dog in the car who just realized he's on the way to the vet. Every mile is a countdown now.<br />
People keep saying they are proud of us, but I don't feel that is the appropriate response. That's like being proud of someone who flew to Hawaii on vacation. I have not had to work for 65 days. I have not had to interact with anyone but Beth. I have not had to endure a daily routine that has grown tedious and meaningless. <br />
I think that my natural state is one of transition. During these times, I feel most at home, like I belong where I am, and like I'm living each moment. <br />
I know that once I get to New Orleans I will feel differently. There are friends I haven't seen in so long. <br />
Beth's on the phone with Peyton right now, and she just said she's on her way to get a queen size mattress so we can all sleep together in her apartment until we get jobs and find homes. Maybe I shouldn't be this nervous. Maybe I will feel differently once we reach the French Quarter. I just don't know what's next... but I will find out soon.<br />
<br />
-MaryFireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-60637989859859443612012-08-24T17:19:00.001-07:002012-08-25T11:55:16.869-07:00ArkansasMary and I are in Arkansas, somewhere. We are about 200 miles from the Natchez trace, a route that will take us to New Orleans. The Ozarks were beautiful, with a lot of rolling hills and some kind of plant that smells like bad tequila. We are going into Memphis, Tennessee tomorrow. We've mostly abandoned the Trans-American bike route, and are planning our itinerary one day at a time.<br />
From lake to lake.<br />
It's gotten pretty quiet with the heat, and I think we're both ready to be done riding bikes. I don't regret the trip at all, but sitting my ass on that little guy and pedaling through beautiful shit, it has started to feel like endless hours that just blur into each other. I hardly remember where I woke up at, or if something happened today or this week. <br />
It will feel strange to live inside again, to have a place to go that is the same place I went yesterday with a refrigerator and air conditioning. I feel like I could spend a week watching tv and drinking things with ice in them. I guess it's good to feel worn out towards the end of the trip, but it's hard to believe we've already gone probably three thousand miles and the last five hundred feel so far away.<br />
The hardest part has been the questions. I've had the same conversation twenty times a day about where we're going, where were from and if we're twins. It would be engaging once or twice a day, but when I am trying to put my chain back on or fix a flat or ride along a narrow shoulder without a frito-lay truck ripping my arm off, I don't want to pull over and talk to a construction worker about my life choices while he looks everywhere but my face. <br />
It still feels like I'm about try to ride across the country on a 300-dollar bike with my sister; not like I am doing it or can do it. I still feels like I'm just leaving. But less emotional and more mechanical. I miss the emotional part. I just feel sort of numb.<br />
And speaking of numb, both of us are loosing feeling in our hands. I dropped a glass bottle of juice that broke all over the floor in a gas station and Mary looks like she has Parkinson's when she tries to smoke a cigarette. Hopefully that goes away. <br />
I can't wait to get to New Orleans, but I think it will be hard to adjust to a routine besides waking up, packing up, finding a gas station to sit outside of and drink coffee before it gets too hot to want coffee, googling a new destination and riding. Again and again.<br />
This was a pretty negative entry, but we haven't updated in a while so, there's why.<br />
Less than two weeks left!<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh294KUuvm9VY1iZgia3DEm7agb6gkEndRCBIw8mBUEAxo_aJq3Zx7k_ejwWaVc2oxVOPIKtp_gSWpl3FkVrANwEY1W92G_aE1UBS-Bhy-euf9aNLK8BBhB_Zoq5owQOovfUBaKbVwO7tFA/s640/blogger-image--1988503274.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh294KUuvm9VY1iZgia3DEm7agb6gkEndRCBIw8mBUEAxo_aJq3Zx7k_ejwWaVc2oxVOPIKtp_gSWpl3FkVrANwEY1W92G_aE1UBS-Bhy-euf9aNLK8BBhB_Zoq5owQOovfUBaKbVwO7tFA/s640/blogger-image--1988503274.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYkp5Mwj3lEj-DlEs-yOXZytThW4oQtU_5xHAHkHbXERU6FtSikSn1S0NK8dDI7HABonTXla0moXDC3bO9FySRkPbXBcNZPEDh_TW_slh0yIgy6Wj5jpMIRNiYf5Ob5l-fUZ0kskhuxGZ/s640/blogger-image-90402609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYkp5Mwj3lEj-DlEs-yOXZytThW4oQtU_5xHAHkHbXERU6FtSikSn1S0NK8dDI7HABonTXla0moXDC3bO9FySRkPbXBcNZPEDh_TW_slh0yIgy6Wj5jpMIRNiYf5Ob5l-fUZ0kskhuxGZ/s640/blogger-image-90402609.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnlQUcQdN5cun6Gbiouq8Y4D5wDfraSsd-EAq2GvD8J1Gp9DvX5qzu-PBdZNIrqVBnNm4dli2hyoCrV98nW6iGpVn6L6DypqRc2RDs0Msphs3X_VCrmhBv_8wumujBc81n9YJRCGEzuaJ/s640/blogger-image--1682618554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsnlQUcQdN5cun6Gbiouq8Y4D5wDfraSsd-EAq2GvD8J1Gp9DvX5qzu-PBdZNIrqVBnNm4dli2hyoCrV98nW6iGpVn6L6DypqRc2RDs0Msphs3X_VCrmhBv_8wumujBc81n9YJRCGEzuaJ/s640/blogger-image--1682618554.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHTYD0CCfn_xTVgCHC3Mej7xYFIQa5x9j8ftTFHA1P4VuiigvDOzjL_2xzvUKXdf-W-gFYTDkmPJrse8WfCCmaSe9id4MCJMkdpC9VNOIjLXUtw_DQPB3ftn8WC-RHyHWnfsIDOu0SeEW/s640/blogger-image-744138969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBHTYD0CCfn_xTVgCHC3Mej7xYFIQa5x9j8ftTFHA1P4VuiigvDOzjL_2xzvUKXdf-W-gFYTDkmPJrse8WfCCmaSe9id4MCJMkdpC9VNOIjLXUtw_DQPB3ftn8WC-RHyHWnfsIDOu0SeEW/s640/blogger-image-744138969.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mMOH4XdmTulViH7U_hri71RVZvaKQs5hyphenhyphen7-RdJGf_6VvI5WCYNDal8B6shd9eoPRiKbM-yahiFUzztJI8L7u9zdL2-TD8XXQTBl_fCDUuolZXhajFnA_nfvlzo2n1ES1J4u2PWEtcsYI/s640/blogger-image-771900554.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mMOH4XdmTulViH7U_hri71RVZvaKQs5hyphenhyphen7-RdJGf_6VvI5WCYNDal8B6shd9eoPRiKbM-yahiFUzztJI8L7u9zdL2-TD8XXQTBl_fCDUuolZXhajFnA_nfvlzo2n1ES1J4u2PWEtcsYI/s640/blogger-image-771900554.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpoggyM4KAOWCh524VxdEkmy95_Jn76P-eMBvOiEWDP90RRhQyXRqvqZK8wjknhYJLE3JjdKSyeiHD1RIKAbhGkJv_ez1khlfdpsyzVPi04lz5Ld4YlZCk0J10vKi4iZXj5U0GdtOdJwn/s640/blogger-image-989397186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpoggyM4KAOWCh524VxdEkmy95_Jn76P-eMBvOiEWDP90RRhQyXRqvqZK8wjknhYJLE3JjdKSyeiHD1RIKAbhGkJv_ez1khlfdpsyzVPi04lz5Ld4YlZCk0J10vKi4iZXj5U0GdtOdJwn/s640/blogger-image-989397186.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-80535151155365312492012-08-16T15:25:00.001-07:002012-08-31T12:46:21.575-07:00I guess Missouri.I forgot what state we were in today, but Illinois and Missouri border each other and they have a lot of similar letters, and similar letter structures like repeating consonants, so I don't feel that stupid. <br />
We left Kansas today without Tatum. It was sad, I really wanted to say "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, tatum" on a bike. But there were no tornados and Tatum is gone, so I just watched videos of her on my iPhone instead. <br />
<br />
Mary and I were thinking about taking a shorter route through Arkansas. We had no maps for it, so we prepared by researching hick towns in Arkansas with a plan to visit the creepiest. We planned a route through the kkk's current most active county. Then we went and saw "The Dark Knight" in Wichita, spent one night in a shady trailer park, and decided to get back on the Trans-America bike route through Missouri instead. <br />
The route is well known and there are several other cyclists. It feels a lot safer, and all the small towns we pass through on-route are accustomed to bikers coming through. Off-route we have to explain ourselves thirty times a day. The people are great, but having the same conversation about who we are and what we are doing gets hard.<br />
<br />
Speaking of how great the people are, a few days ago we met a man at a gas station who pulled us over five miles later because he'd bought a ten dollar sunscreen for us since our backs looked red. He didn't know that the night before someone had stolen Mary's purse with our sunscreen inside, and he wasn't flirting or anything. Just buying us sunscreen and going home (he had to do a u-turn to go home, so he drove out of his way). <br />
Another man stopped on the highway to give us six bottled waters. <br />
Another knocked on our tent with a Tupperware container of Tri-tip steak when we were camping.<br />
Another knocked on our tent with tortillas, pork chops and sausage.<br />
There have been so many kind people we've ran into, and so many kind people warning us about dangerous people. We haven't had any shady encounters, and it makes me feel differently about Society. It's sort of humbling.<br />
We've only been on the road a month and a half, but whenever people stop to offer something I start to think about how I can't wait to have a structured life again, to work and live somewhere with an air conditioner, and to have something to offer someone. I hope I will be more generous when I am through the bike trip than I've been before. <br />
We are in the Ozarks now. When I was in third grade I remember getting obsessed with the Ozarks and picturing living here with a pet armadillo. We haven't seen any live ones yet, but a lot of dead ones. And dead turtles, and ferret-things. I am glad we visited the Ozarks.<br />
We're camping in an rv sight tonight that we snuck into. There's a public pool that's closed so we plan on hopping the fence a few (more) times. I wish it were open, instead. I would pay two dollars. Every time someone does something kind I swear I'll stop breaking minor laws. But then it gets hot.<br />
-Beth<br />
<br />
<br />
If we take a direct route, we are only 700 miles from new Orleans now. I am excited to arrive, but fear adjusting back to society. Spending this time on the fringe of american society, it will be hard to go back to wearing real clothes, sleeping in a bed, and working each day. We usually take days off once a week in major cities, but cities have begun to feel foreign. It is a funny balance; all the unpopulated ghost towns we pass are depressing, but all the major cities are disorienting with so many stores and entertainment options. .<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPnoYCa_CpqURxQjcbngOpit4YzEOJe8OHD_uJQBmhg_ilBqnzm_LZf6GzPFcPI_L3QVQZGWhAWo8k3vAsDv4KErlSjfKxKxB3O3arTE_TPLZOqpkjMhIe_tfd_3K5QRNJK9OBFf1XbQX/s640/blogger-image-619877817.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcPnoYCa_CpqURxQjcbngOpit4YzEOJe8OHD_uJQBmhg_ilBqnzm_LZf6GzPFcPI_L3QVQZGWhAWo8k3vAsDv4KErlSjfKxKxB3O3arTE_TPLZOqpkjMhIe_tfd_3K5QRNJK9OBFf1XbQX/s640/blogger-image-619877817.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6McYJPdeNS664EYAgsZ3yCktkswfSdvV5I9OasODxtJWyIQJdYF9wTPkgeIQ-y88qhsYyCA2MLHXtyHWHRA09cbHZnPbLsUKIcUwNYIIzacbrsG0YQ_9Xc0TuJAyiVx9Wuk7QZvimvan/s640/blogger-image-1045771830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr6McYJPdeNS664EYAgsZ3yCktkswfSdvV5I9OasODxtJWyIQJdYF9wTPkgeIQ-y88qhsYyCA2MLHXtyHWHRA09cbHZnPbLsUKIcUwNYIIzacbrsG0YQ_9Xc0TuJAyiVx9Wuk7QZvimvan/s640/blogger-image-1045771830.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvlrxViSVkTJcjICyN-AZFDnl_b5xc2EQBsuNkWCqxzrWJgPOE1VVuDvwLzYNJc3o8kvtVlTnUDqPLszlRPG-2cUHexbv-wKYHM6pr20FuczhgDBfRwOqcilcc8yJ-BU3yQrW3zHoqmN0/s640/blogger-image--68837232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrvlrxViSVkTJcjICyN-AZFDnl_b5xc2EQBsuNkWCqxzrWJgPOE1VVuDvwLzYNJc3o8kvtVlTnUDqPLszlRPG-2cUHexbv-wKYHM6pr20FuczhgDBfRwOqcilcc8yJ-BU3yQrW3zHoqmN0/s640/blogger-image--68837232.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPfc8rhjRC00idHvEux9SK5kSZeB7xFEBfPCnKlseW1lJX9rjJG7FD76KJB-QLa0SK-nNXPIlggGgesyfcUTBRmXmj0KVKiYe8WHjmI-zi123DENGwC6cHaoW4nYRQc20EdKeAAMVRxhm/s640/blogger-image-729196101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPfc8rhjRC00idHvEux9SK5kSZeB7xFEBfPCnKlseW1lJX9rjJG7FD76KJB-QLa0SK-nNXPIlggGgesyfcUTBRmXmj0KVKiYe8WHjmI-zi123DENGwC6cHaoW4nYRQc20EdKeAAMVRxhm/s640/blogger-image-729196101.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV97kn77JyiA72LneKpBovHadDBRgmVZ93l6DcxhCl0hfqPvBEFeefk4L4EelB6aU9Zf4tgKbDeP-BbyCx2DDLlRGAhaI6CSoEYIHxTBNAb7iUaaeq7PyL_Apf4O3bAqD-xvg50ch03mp6/s640/blogger-image-1114249430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV97kn77JyiA72LneKpBovHadDBRgmVZ93l6DcxhCl0hfqPvBEFeefk4L4EelB6aU9Zf4tgKbDeP-BbyCx2DDLlRGAhaI6CSoEYIHxTBNAb7iUaaeq7PyL_Apf4O3bAqD-xvg50ch03mp6/s640/blogger-image-1114249430.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXgM7CrAbCJ7mGLV3xkur-ItKPXJAcFol4D4DbTnit_hF6Be6L5FKaJT3uTQVNHjXlZt2A6ggpD-RzJtG-SC-hxAjS4PzcL-1LxUTH8f0aVS07CQSM_fugRukEXxTUoHe2G0-4o1vaE8V/s640/blogger-image-79749784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdXgM7CrAbCJ7mGLV3xkur-ItKPXJAcFol4D4DbTnit_hF6Be6L5FKaJT3uTQVNHjXlZt2A6ggpD-RzJtG-SC-hxAjS4PzcL-1LxUTH8f0aVS07CQSM_fugRukEXxTUoHe2G0-4o1vaE8V/s640/blogger-image-79749784.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4juYiFUYS6EdKbeU1pg8YJ2oKjVaQKxOLkRa-zVkqjE4FIC__qVPcUqlARCUS7BGt55U3MY5REmrDL51yxBiQhkiuG3T3Kh5SWW0AB0Tx8R48u_TXRwqkcfxRDUbXLsmLuwkqhRUdZ-TL/s640/blogger-image--198480877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4juYiFUYS6EdKbeU1pg8YJ2oKjVaQKxOLkRa-zVkqjE4FIC__qVPcUqlARCUS7BGt55U3MY5REmrDL51yxBiQhkiuG3T3Kh5SWW0AB0Tx8R48u_TXRwqkcfxRDUbXLsmLuwkqhRUdZ-TL/s640/blogger-image--198480877.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYn9SAYtDQ4ZE1_Tesc4imM9OcRsmfqqd_ETALe4viKkDfgXQnQOqHqX5X7hFieQJb088cjYRP8hIie9JkQKxLWQJbkrR49nzRNGwBtv_QiUvUYnJegkJHbU2YYV77l0n-nB37_uREa4j/s640/blogger-image--1326167922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYn9SAYtDQ4ZE1_Tesc4imM9OcRsmfqqd_ETALe4viKkDfgXQnQOqHqX5X7hFieQJb088cjYRP8hIie9JkQKxLWQJbkrR49nzRNGwBtv_QiUvUYnJegkJHbU2YYV77l0n-nB37_uREa4j/s640/blogger-image--1326167922.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-80536855399955016152012-08-11T16:28:00.001-07:002012-08-31T18:13:16.218-07:00Headed into creepyWe decided to go off route to Wichita, mostly because we've been listening to Gillian Welch and she sings about Wichita. It took us a few days to get here, and we decided we like some time off the Tran-American bike route. The popular route our maps provide through America is awesome, but it is predominantly small town with poorly paved bike lanes (and less traffic.)<br />
Through Kansas, the main highways are rural enough and I greatly appreciate drafting off of semis in the wind. <br />
<br />
- Beth<br />
<br />
Once in Wichita, we decided that instead of heading back towards the planned bike route in Missouri we'd go into Arkansas and down from there. It is more direct than the transamerica route, so we'd make NOLA sooner. And, arkansas is creepy. We like creepy, and we hope to find us some creepy. Only during daylight hours though, especially since my tazer got stolen and we met a cyclist headed west who said a young girl he camped with (also a cyclist) had been molested in Kentucky. Bad things happen, there are bad people out there. We have been fortunate not to have run into any. But remember, bad things happen in your own home or town just as often as for travellers.<br />
That is something I get upset about, that many people fear traveling and being vulnerable. But the only way to know if bad or good is winning is to go out, and find out. We have gone out, and found only good. People generous to the point of guilt, people curious and excited for us, even when we refuse to meet their eyes or answer another where-you-from?-going?-you'se-still-got-a-ways-to-go-AReYOuTWINS????!!<br />
People who will buy our food, behind us in line at the gas station. A quiet old man with a cane who said "I seen you girls on the road earlier. I'm proud a' you'se". Hotel housekeepers who wash our weeks-old laundry, for free.<br />
<br />
-Mary<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPtOmY3flnQpDlQkKxteZnU2wjHXMtMofXsLjTkaLy0wjApdpmvlOu5qsrjqUUhXLE6DGRlMe-eQkgwzXe0N1WG9oyoOb2g34UMTnoqFr5uNd1ykNg0SCrJHLpNn6rK2j18MCe6lxlFgn/s640/blogger-image--945614507.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkPtOmY3flnQpDlQkKxteZnU2wjHXMtMofXsLjTkaLy0wjApdpmvlOu5qsrjqUUhXLE6DGRlMe-eQkgwzXe0N1WG9oyoOb2g34UMTnoqFr5uNd1ykNg0SCrJHLpNn6rK2j18MCe6lxlFgn/s640/blogger-image--945614507.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOj0UayK8UC4oZ5N2U8le2mK2P10FgcQqlarVJDVtXLzsr6ratFCm7DbyuRmbfv-pq5SBut7I4rBosaai5Bwef1yRM2EzXl98nB_xZsh5uM1BYaYDruT4iYiat40JJb2svo4BlFAyNZJkV/s640/blogger-image--1133449467.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOj0UayK8UC4oZ5N2U8le2mK2P10FgcQqlarVJDVtXLzsr6ratFCm7DbyuRmbfv-pq5SBut7I4rBosaai5Bwef1yRM2EzXl98nB_xZsh5uM1BYaYDruT4iYiat40JJb2svo4BlFAyNZJkV/s640/blogger-image--1133449467.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tdwlxjjmUiUBRdhwTsaoJOcaWsobzfuJCH-URT6HHBmI_OB2Tr7yIPlEBrSWTwGM1qeRcyoLZ55OWwZL17y7rE_805tbMb1zJB5VqUTgofaQDL9EVUMLyS463-uJA4nRkWVY1vyBrOb9/s640/blogger-image-1755222630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tdwlxjjmUiUBRdhwTsaoJOcaWsobzfuJCH-URT6HHBmI_OB2Tr7yIPlEBrSWTwGM1qeRcyoLZ55OWwZL17y7rE_805tbMb1zJB5VqUTgofaQDL9EVUMLyS463-uJA4nRkWVY1vyBrOb9/s640/blogger-image-1755222630.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyGtV-EFQ0lMPIKOvXpusLATlAdcnqgt66Jiu4HRGtkWEGdjV9HeUftV9xZ1LmfEb9eERWuFOCG3c1604EhF1Lk47ECliIka4rQCXUDUFkY6kKGlJUIzgn4CLN0stBcMOYEekpo_ZUlqC/s640/blogger-image--1105484064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivyGtV-EFQ0lMPIKOvXpusLATlAdcnqgt66Jiu4HRGtkWEGdjV9HeUftV9xZ1LmfEb9eERWuFOCG3c1604EhF1Lk47ECliIka4rQCXUDUFkY6kKGlJUIzgn4CLN0stBcMOYEekpo_ZUlqC/s640/blogger-image--1105484064.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QBRnWlfWub22msdpDRGD5ohZHNzuxl2mAbQWNiRyYon9ASrNxfHu-z2SSdGO4gplE6muDrQfW55L8ZCVa0TLVs8iUSWUd4YGtO6yttzBTvGeysHp1apzB1q01a6mQ2PUvFyEYw9En6rB/s640/blogger-image-1722781861.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2QBRnWlfWub22msdpDRGD5ohZHNzuxl2mAbQWNiRyYon9ASrNxfHu-z2SSdGO4gplE6muDrQfW55L8ZCVa0TLVs8iUSWUd4YGtO6yttzBTvGeysHp1apzB1q01a6mQ2PUvFyEYw9En6rB/s640/blogger-image-1722781861.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-14335494298752607362012-08-09T19:31:00.001-07:002012-08-09T19:39:32.137-07:00Tay tay is not scary at all like LarryWell the Internet somehow deleted the post I wrote on tatum, so that sucks. She was so perfect. When I grew up we had a shitzu named naomie that I loved more than anything, and had never met a dog as personable and communicative as her... Until tatum. When I laid down, That baby would run at me full speed with her hot pointy little nose until it smashed into my face. If I put her down, or took her out of my shirt (where I carried her on the bike looking for a crate) she would whine. When it was time to put the tent away in the morning she would jump inside and lay down belly up with her mouth open like a little Venus fly trap waiting to close on whatever finger might attempt to move her. The only time I left her alone (in the bathroom one morning, because she wouldn't get up to follow me) when I got back she was crying so loud and when I opened the door and lay down to apologize, she jumped on my chest and licked and bit my face in a frenzy. I knew it wasn't practical to take her on this trip, and as we continue through Kansas I'm glad I gave her away since its now above 100 every day. But I have wanted my own dog for awhile now, and none will be more perfect than she was. I think the woman who took her knew how perfect she was though. She was very excited. And Tay tay will have a yard and someone to love her all day, every day. <br />
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Something weird happened a week or so ago that we forgot to write about. We stopped in a tiny town (Boone, CO) to camp at a park. An old man named larry taylor came over and talked to us for a long time about a bike trail he founded and all the local businesses he owns, and invited us over to use the Internet and/or his electric guitar and/or stay the night. When he finally left us alone a family came to tell us he has been a huge problem in the town and has a long criminal record, including years in a mental institution. A few years back apparently he kept an 11 year old girl in his house for three days before she managed to escape. He was put in jail for it but the city mayor (who was also weird, brought us a Tupperware full of steak the same night... Steak was good) bailed him out. He has been warned by police to leave bicyclists alone, and the adventure cycling association that has organized this trans-America route we are on may soon have to re-route the Colorado section so it no longer goes through Boone because of him. This is sad for the town since 2000 cyclists do this route per year and the one tiny store there relies heavily on us for business.<br />
Fortunately scary Larry (that is what they call him) did nothing to us. He did come back to show us maps of the bicycle route he founded (a lie) and again to point out all the buildings he owned (another lie) and again to tell us that night's sunset was the best he's ever seen (a lie, hopefully).<br />
-Mary <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQLhvWVA_dBAr3IljfQYeLDkQFcPLhcwc0d4uaozRR_rxmJTPKjO_4zx0OPOrL5UvDx4LZQB4RbanPWM1qKO0S_kPukJd1SYZzkwJSa5TygSLm9YgtdQ4zEWaxgfZLbKfuQi1xqvGFk4k/s640/blogger-image-96102766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrQLhvWVA_dBAr3IljfQYeLDkQFcPLhcwc0d4uaozRR_rxmJTPKjO_4zx0OPOrL5UvDx4LZQB4RbanPWM1qKO0S_kPukJd1SYZzkwJSa5TygSLm9YgtdQ4zEWaxgfZLbKfuQi1xqvGFk4k/s640/blogger-image-96102766.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbDv0mxVMs_aQ_MIZ6ZWkeZPN-pCOb7M0j32Sul7kn8VdjNOpTrY9_BQUYKKvhSOtFJY1EVW3vW9eaAUBssjJSscFyIpx1f2zkvVD-Djp-vSyYVVDRXFwIDnkoPueSdrRTUFIbRThQmKU/s640/blogger-image-2098071677.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxbDv0mxVMs_aQ_MIZ6ZWkeZPN-pCOb7M0j32Sul7kn8VdjNOpTrY9_BQUYKKvhSOtFJY1EVW3vW9eaAUBssjJSscFyIpx1f2zkvVD-Djp-vSyYVVDRXFwIDnkoPueSdrRTUFIbRThQmKU/s640/blogger-image-2098071677.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; 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We made it through the rest of Colorado a few days ago and camped in Holly, Colorado, four miles from Kansas. On our way from the gas station to the campsite we passed a small friendly dog, and stopped to pet him. His owner came outside and we talked for a long time. He was from Holly and had moved to wine country in California, and moved back to Holly with his wife a few months ago to retire. His son owned a multi million dollar company, and it was interesting that he chose to come back to Holly and retire after living in big cities. He was getting ready to go eat dinner with his wife at the Subway in the local gas station- the only exciting option in Holly. That's where we ate dinner, too. He told us that his dog had just had puppies, and was selling them for 50 dollars. After looking up "bike touring with dogs" online Mary decided to buy one ( it was a shi-tzu puppy, which usually go for 500 to 1000 dollars.) apparently a lot of people travel with dogs on bikes, some for years at a time. And the puppy was trained, beautiful and happy. <br />
We bought her, named her Tatum, got her some puppy food and camped with her that night. The next day we planned on riding into Garden City to buy a venitaled cage to attach to the bike, but the more we thought about it we realized it was not fair to bring her on the bike trip in case something happened to her. She was very happy riding that day, but you can't control hailstorms or getting hit by cars or anything else that could possibly hurt her. After another night, a few fights, and almost splitting ways, we decided on either bringing her to the local shelter or putting her on Craigslist. We stopped in a small store to buy some sodas this morning, and the owner of the store loved Tatum. We told her what was going on, and she said that her elderly single mother needed a puppy. We talked for awhile and then crossed the street to look for puppy supplies. On our way back to our bikes, she came out of the store and waved us over. Her mother had come down to see Tatum. The two of them were very kind, the mother had a large yard and Tatum liked her, so we gave her up. It was a horrible decision to buy her, an amazing few nights with her, and a hard time parting. We didn't feel like riding after all that, so we did a large circle around town running errands and came back to the same campsite tonight. I feel stupid, and a little defeated, but I don't regret meeting that little angelpuff for a second. Tomorrow, we will get back on track. Together. Without any animals. <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0rlyWAGOaM5WDJwrkfwU8D1PIdjjk2dwnCFuyRYxQXuRkeFwKe9SyL9UBI-4hiwD6Hnz94WkpYsdMelJvsWlS3Lh8fQ8pNNtnjufcLACf-0YsA9yM6aGFL7r3iRWNtxn1ItHkneV5UuV/s640/blogger-image-1603410780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio0rlyWAGOaM5WDJwrkfwU8D1PIdjjk2dwnCFuyRYxQXuRkeFwKe9SyL9UBI-4hiwD6Hnz94WkpYsdMelJvsWlS3Lh8fQ8pNNtnjufcLACf-0YsA9yM6aGFL7r3iRWNtxn1ItHkneV5UuV/s640/blogger-image-1603410780.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMUwlcsU3wFYgagTyEBOBmRad2hLXOwIUoYuvSBjIVOvfxa1PICUmHhRNyJPi_OL2zmsItlgXBEWVldG3qjzv_PXjPrW8byKMscNspqQCM0c5iTOI2NWUCy7rkuGBX9W6X2qjp13TROX7/s640/blogger-image-1748546772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEMUwlcsU3wFYgagTyEBOBmRad2hLXOwIUoYuvSBjIVOvfxa1PICUmHhRNyJPi_OL2zmsItlgXBEWVldG3qjzv_PXjPrW8byKMscNspqQCM0c5iTOI2NWUCy7rkuGBX9W6X2qjp13TROX7/s640/blogger-image-1748546772.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauujtZLG1aDWBAok4-SqVQu3xPUzEfH_6YGIRLF4q7QPXmPbuQEB0JVkj5UPNXj-zfhNi2gr6ta8W5NDo9BtAVAMKC1OFaVA7p6GfyDfyW9tCGLghmqiGLrybttJSdIjhe67wQD8hyqxB/s640/blogger-image-162047491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauujtZLG1aDWBAok4-SqVQu3xPUzEfH_6YGIRLF4q7QPXmPbuQEB0JVkj5UPNXj-zfhNi2gr6ta8W5NDo9BtAVAMKC1OFaVA7p6GfyDfyW9tCGLghmqiGLrybttJSdIjhe67wQD8hyqxB/s640/blogger-image-162047491.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRSr73syTSfMBuX2KDDvQqOIOkJHQ8pSyPrK7SPo_U3lkdJ2mbKSAmEbZ4mi5WbU5v9gGcacwm23vN3e7Gi0S0Db3DjTqLYcKBlZaKtaa_lA36Dnkpgbbm3btdxG3cmO3b5fCqlre7esH/s640/blogger-image-1355576437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMRSr73syTSfMBuX2KDDvQqOIOkJHQ8pSyPrK7SPo_U3lkdJ2mbKSAmEbZ4mi5WbU5v9gGcacwm23vN3e7Gi0S0Db3DjTqLYcKBlZaKtaa_lA36Dnkpgbbm3btdxG3cmO3b5fCqlre7esH/s640/blogger-image-1355576437.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIitniS2Ygkv6Ph85AVcJTb3_8jI885nCR-n-an_uj9I6p5tj-REklrO8qQcIpvPCUCzsdQPkdcURIp5vCkTioCp-8sPeBPQgj26aX8oZko4rLUP7Lw1Cqsijng1rFFg7vwV-E9blX8VNK/s640/blogger-image-507543588.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIitniS2Ygkv6Ph85AVcJTb3_8jI885nCR-n-an_uj9I6p5tj-REklrO8qQcIpvPCUCzsdQPkdcURIp5vCkTioCp-8sPeBPQgj26aX8oZko4rLUP7Lw1Cqsijng1rFFg7vwV-E9blX8VNK/s640/blogger-image-507543588.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-55145423075784259782012-08-02T17:21:00.001-07:002012-08-02T18:05:28.642-07:00Over the mountains and through the woodsRiverside, WY was the city we were to spend our last night in before entering Colorado. It has a population of 64, so we were expecting a quiet night. But the night we arrived happened to be the kickoff of Whatfest, a local bluegrass festival. It was held in and behind the two bars in town (we can't figure out how those bars support themselves in a town of 64 every other day of the year.) We decided to stay a day to see some more of the local music. The next morning we were hanging out in a river near the festival, and a party van showed up. A band unloaded and came down to the river- and brought us great beer from a brewery in Fort Collins where one of them worked. They were all so kind, and we saw them play later that night- They were awesome, the Lindsey O'brien band.<br />
After our break we weren't really looking forward to getting back on the road because as soon as we got into Colorado, the Rockies (and our highest summit on the entire route) were looming. <br />
<br />
-Beth<br />
<br />
Wyoming was very interesting with all it's tiny ghost towns leftover from mining booms, but also lonely and disorienting because of so much open space and so few people. So the WHAT festival was a perfect last day.<br />
<br />
Colorado so far is filled with much bigger and more outdoorsy towns (REI version of outdoorsy versus living off the land outdoorsy of WY). They are more eco-conscious (the coffee shops provide uncooked fettuchini noodles to stir your coffee instead of stir sticks). They also follow the rules, cyclists here have clip on shoes and spandex. And there are roads you must stay off, which we found out the wrong way.<br />
<br />
The day before our largest pass (Hoosier) we were headed to its base in Breckinridge. We turned onto what we thought was the bike path, and proceeded to climb the steepest 5 miles ever. When we got to the top, there was a real fun surprise little loop-de-loo back down the hill to where we started. After google mapping ourselves, we realized we were going the opposite direction of Breckinridge. So we headed back down and decided instead of trying again to find the bike path, we'd just take the direct route. So we climbed through a wee bit of barbed wire and headed east on the interstate to our destination. Soon we heard sirens and a kind officer pulled us over to give us a warning (he could have fined us 22 dollars each, but didn't). He told us to just be careful and get off the next exit, which we gladly agreed was best (since it was the Breckinridge exit anyway).<br />
<br />
The next morning, after stopping for champagne and OJ to celebrate with mimosas at the top, we headed up hoosier. The climb wasn't actually much worse than any other, it was more symbolic of all the climbing we'd done up to that point than anything. But reaching the top felt amazing because when I planned to do this trip, that pass was the one obstacle that made me nervous. And now I've done it. From here on, all rivers flow to the Atlantic.<br />
<br />
-Mary <br />
<br />
After the climb, we spent 80 miles today coasting downhill into Canon City. Apparently it's all downhill to Kansas, and then we have to start planning for triple digit heat in the plains.<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO29SGu5rMMIZOhLr1qLQ7eO4-cp4IMUzjDoXuCm9bN_cu1Goa2hHWsjI3M61nO9tsVYo2lM_pSrAIcDG6umzQlNy0B2d2AIC54TLxvv2FuGHYZFgtt8Dvx1TWkjeUGMZIp80AJ5eIP_Mc/s640/blogger-image-83784496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO29SGu5rMMIZOhLr1qLQ7eO4-cp4IMUzjDoXuCm9bN_cu1Goa2hHWsjI3M61nO9tsVYo2lM_pSrAIcDG6umzQlNy0B2d2AIC54TLxvv2FuGHYZFgtt8Dvx1TWkjeUGMZIp80AJ5eIP_Mc/s640/blogger-image-83784496.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcgzRpMUi1-ciwc3MKrp2q2VV6O-U826pFIndIY3QCR4XCq0MV0SXWNpozxi0qLhou23V00VdFHw-IST2VSqJjptdZ01yeBJKPx81KyR_F69BECNt47HO-2Z54RBFLr94LJ6FuQgtf48O/s640/blogger-image--1967523870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAcgzRpMUi1-ciwc3MKrp2q2VV6O-U826pFIndIY3QCR4XCq0MV0SXWNpozxi0qLhou23V00VdFHw-IST2VSqJjptdZ01yeBJKPx81KyR_F69BECNt47HO-2Z54RBFLr94LJ6FuQgtf48O/s640/blogger-image--1967523870.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrd2MxxAluznOAoyVWRt7TMNM3iIU4OrQM3W5XvOjB9Q5jLLFsd61GJ17jwT3z4Bie624HFk88D-GbX-ku_AcunqoxLhKni6njMevKD0CLTRFplfWl8gL1i2HTMnR-JPHG1kNjOP0oWHbm/s640/blogger-image--1625365558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrd2MxxAluznOAoyVWRt7TMNM3iIU4OrQM3W5XvOjB9Q5jLLFsd61GJ17jwT3z4Bie624HFk88D-GbX-ku_AcunqoxLhKni6njMevKD0CLTRFplfWl8gL1i2HTMnR-JPHG1kNjOP0oWHbm/s640/blogger-image--1625365558.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-62379813356599191592012-07-30T18:33:00.001-07:002012-08-02T17:51:03.375-07:00DriftingDays are starting to blend together now and it's hard to know what I'd like most to write about, to remember. Wyoming was full of tiny towns and mostly empty land. Riding 70 miles with no buildings or people around started to feel like drifting in the middle of the ocean. We are so far from home, now but not near new Orleans yet, and I wonder sometimes what I am doing this for. I know that there must be something I need to learn from this, and that I will probably only realize what that is when I finish and look back on it all.<br />
My favorite part of traveling across the country is seeing how differently people live from town to town. Some people seem so happy living in the same small town their entire lives. The locals are so connected to each other that they dont have menus in the restaurants because everyone just knows what their options are. The gas station in town is also a hotel, a coffee shop, the place to buy feed for your livestock, and a pair of overalls. The tiny towns have no choices, and sometimes it's better that way. I've come to like the styrofoam cups of stale coffee with powdered creamer more than the big city's organic fair trade soy cafe misto's. Because the people around that stale pot of coffee will give you yours for free, along with a slice of cake leftover from their sons bake sale. They will tell you all you can hear about the weather, how big the rattlesnakes are, how steep the hills are, and where you can sleep.<br />
I feel that I grow restless too quickly when I stay in one place, and that the beauty and excitement of a new city fades too quickly. Only after leaving do I realize how much I loved the people I was with, and how lucky I was to live in that place. So I suppose this is one thing I have learned, that it's possible to love the same people, the same house and sidewalk and bar and grocery store, for your entire life. That things do not have to change to be special. And I admire these people I have met who know that already.<br />
<br />
-Mary<br />
<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnFRFEExOnD6RIW7FbJH5Khyphenhyphen1N3inw8SLpg-iV_tIHiWkvW3rHiL_3e7EZCfNMsAKNvS3DgA4ASuS79bq6hXvfiRJ8ebsV7G8cjEp71r2RTILslERxTXjJMk7qB6RewZDOpDuempKqD_6/s640/blogger-image--1819496926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEnFRFEExOnD6RIW7FbJH5Khyphenhyphen1N3inw8SLpg-iV_tIHiWkvW3rHiL_3e7EZCfNMsAKNvS3DgA4ASuS79bq6hXvfiRJ8ebsV7G8cjEp71r2RTILslERxTXjJMk7qB6RewZDOpDuempKqD_6/s640/blogger-image--1819496926.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4xMlBVWGKI9evC7Br3J8TH-wN16s_eGpezst9qlc65I83-z1a6o_w5E4Owxp85rjIYTK92j-Y4LoJDLpiBHtgpWB-cw9oHvah1DfwJvHqMFqAiRXEJxhdF_kI9dZPU7tYF_KEZVsCKyS/s640/blogger-image-1836061671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4xMlBVWGKI9evC7Br3J8TH-wN16s_eGpezst9qlc65I83-z1a6o_w5E4Owxp85rjIYTK92j-Y4LoJDLpiBHtgpWB-cw9oHvah1DfwJvHqMFqAiRXEJxhdF_kI9dZPU7tYF_KEZVsCKyS/s640/blogger-image-1836061671.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8EjHxvbiQAQfN9oMt4iidArC5umDZkFziB3cM0T2Hu15XV5FT-SmiUzcTdL9Ag8TnXVVWP45_RjeGbvwyLPPKBpOMyrfnPyAgs3lOhdabLYfOx4UKX20KaHsKtcwUrEuJvYGeOPtnmVF/s640/blogger-image-401327334.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8EjHxvbiQAQfN9oMt4iidArC5umDZkFziB3cM0T2Hu15XV5FT-SmiUzcTdL9Ag8TnXVVWP45_RjeGbvwyLPPKBpOMyrfnPyAgs3lOhdabLYfOx4UKX20KaHsKtcwUrEuJvYGeOPtnmVF/s640/blogger-image-401327334.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2EHfWeIU_nCkNvL2p_kznH0V5Vd1pEjSi8H7VqHP4GuslHaMgFRC_gx4Xrfpwgcrdv7S1IRHOVgMXuLINmWd_Oh8LG6ble5Nv8l-VAXp5Jp_BNY7xQpnv7wVIB7DvGfBeqj3zIsAr3zB/s640/blogger-image-397978329.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg2EHfWeIU_nCkNvL2p_kznH0V5Vd1pEjSi8H7VqHP4GuslHaMgFRC_gx4Xrfpwgcrdv7S1IRHOVgMXuLINmWd_Oh8LG6ble5Nv8l-VAXp5Jp_BNY7xQpnv7wVIB7DvGfBeqj3zIsAr3zB/s640/blogger-image-397978329.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpE4Zh5Y5wCnp-ot04XXFwbwbSk2_BGcKGdtNW91PBIhzPjfSiVNn2WinhU10YrqJs4DHYoC91OKnsLIHVRpKApFN_DB8P-07QBFQn7p8cdwhjfc9OUtS7E77QcSAXl2HkGq7jYyn_cuvQ/s640/blogger-image-701898678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpE4Zh5Y5wCnp-ot04XXFwbwbSk2_BGcKGdtNW91PBIhzPjfSiVNn2WinhU10YrqJs4DHYoC91OKnsLIHVRpKApFN_DB8P-07QBFQn7p8cdwhjfc9OUtS7E77QcSAXl2HkGq7jYyn_cuvQ/s640/blogger-image-701898678.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2NfHelKPqx-mu-UOPEmI9p5aUbS0mrAUFygjPfHjqFYURl6Cd9IkEn0LgbhYPtL3knncXMGTuXCP1kisBu_W_Ms9BkxiURX0qkiNZ6i0TUcST8cShV-dE5aFF1U2EscEkJnDKi3xCHDu/s640/blogger-image--971923487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2NfHelKPqx-mu-UOPEmI9p5aUbS0mrAUFygjPfHjqFYURl6Cd9IkEn0LgbhYPtL3knncXMGTuXCP1kisBu_W_Ms9BkxiURX0qkiNZ6i0TUcST8cShV-dE5aFF1U2EscEkJnDKi3xCHDu/s640/blogger-image--971923487.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-64492389063265084762012-07-26T16:25:00.001-07:002012-07-27T00:03:54.651-07:00The end of WyomingWe are almost through Wyoming. I am sort of glad, since about 200 miles of this stretch have had deserts with no towns or service stations. The last 2 days we rode over 80 miles a day, so we decided to take a half day today and rode just 40 miles to Rawlins, WY. There's not much to do here, so we are spending the afternoon drinking rum before finding the cheapest hotel we can. It's only 4pm, but I feel like I am about to pass out because we camped along the highway last night and a pack of coyotes kept me awake; there must have been like twenty of them howling off and on. <br />
Speaking of animal things, we slept at a campsite outside of Yellowstone two nights ago and the bartender told us that we didn't have to worry about bears, so we put our food out right next to our tent ( in Yellowstone we had to lock up even toothpaste before going to bed). The next morning one of the staff staying there told us he'd heard a bear outside his cabin 2 nights ago, and that two grizzlys with cubs had been seen in the area. Mary also read a sign that warned against grey wolves that have been preying on livestock, biting them until they are too bloody to run and then eating only their hearts or fetuses (inside pregnant cows). We also overheard someone talking about catching a four foot rattlesnake in the area we camped last night.<br />
The next few days we will be going into Colorado. We are only a week away from finishing the Rocky mountains. We've heard that the elevation gain is so severe that some cyclists get asthma symptoms and insomnia, so we plan on taking it slow. I'm a little nervous, the hills haven't been fun at all. We went over the Togwetee pass a few days ago ( the second highest point on the transamerica route) and it was almost thirty miles uphill. Six miles into the climb, a construction crew made us load our bikes in their truck and gave us a ride for three miles, because cyclists were not allowed to ride that section due to roadwork. It was a nice surprise, but I feel less secure going into the Rockies without completing that ride. <br />
Other than that, I am so sunburned that my skin feels and looks like shrink wrap after sweating, I learned how to stand on my bike with no hands going down 50 miles of hills, Mary has ass blisters that she's worried about, and we are having what I would consider the best time of my life.<br />
-Beth<br />
<br />
Beth only knows how to ride standing up with no hands because I demonstrated. She didn't even know that shit was possible. <br />
Also, the mountains are fun to me. Kind of. They suck until you break a sweat, then it's fine. Sort of like getting in a river that seems too cold at first. And the altitude thing has already got to me, I had bad asthma the first day we got really high. So I'm not too worried. Other than my ass, it's smooth sailing for me. <br />
<br />
-mary<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFBu_phNkD9dVcQcciukcoJlbB2tJiivrFftj0fTNEbMTFBQyA85zzp-ZDkaQnnVkd2vaSGNwGj8lsoZqcPHZtADOlTt_IgqjpihwWRdqyb4JZkN4-Aos7Gdqt1xGE2ehyphenhyphenlNqRrerUnZ3/s640/blogger-image--249384230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFBu_phNkD9dVcQcciukcoJlbB2tJiivrFftj0fTNEbMTFBQyA85zzp-ZDkaQnnVkd2vaSGNwGj8lsoZqcPHZtADOlTt_IgqjpihwWRdqyb4JZkN4-Aos7Gdqt1xGE2ehyphenhyphenlNqRrerUnZ3/s640/blogger-image--249384230.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUNSoF3QM3LdK6jYFUEZM8yb34WfLBkOuzDGTgZjLQqVMSG0WzZW3-YmoI2R8Rh4nULZij-iHQUacD6AXAIl4C4EmoROKJA-LTU1sqUJnobVNWDMGAKf8Yr7KDp5FF7vXF6Wr0cLznmxO/s640/blogger-image-282675244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUNSoF3QM3LdK6jYFUEZM8yb34WfLBkOuzDGTgZjLQqVMSG0WzZW3-YmoI2R8Rh4nULZij-iHQUacD6AXAIl4C4EmoROKJA-LTU1sqUJnobVNWDMGAKf8Yr7KDp5FF7vXF6Wr0cLznmxO/s640/blogger-image-282675244.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXPbCgCqHhHf_-tXB62TG3VM8Kyl3tC_ShDdaOxC52dunb6i3OSoaSeciRJaJX5k_d4Y_I99khJtHm4Lzb7UXVaKe-G-FtHIFmLRkaPqQsdbgB_9-xK_8dN0CTIaArZUN6CTF3_LYeyzR/s640/blogger-image-2088309200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXPbCgCqHhHf_-tXB62TG3VM8Kyl3tC_ShDdaOxC52dunb6i3OSoaSeciRJaJX5k_d4Y_I99khJtHm4Lzb7UXVaKe-G-FtHIFmLRkaPqQsdbgB_9-xK_8dN0CTIaArZUN6CTF3_LYeyzR/s640/blogger-image-2088309200.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_o0ZAhOmFmtDp5ZBtnNlHnPj5O2OAz-dCfXNATSbsVwCjaUDaKymCjxCvhmNpfJew_qK7UGNDIWps1ayU0E4Bxkk4il-JdQPWz9cKGRgxvW6W5zObY48yrexJIl6h0_f2xbhkgDSdITk/s640/blogger-image-841729748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_o0ZAhOmFmtDp5ZBtnNlHnPj5O2OAz-dCfXNATSbsVwCjaUDaKymCjxCvhmNpfJew_qK7UGNDIWps1ayU0E4Bxkk4il-JdQPWz9cKGRgxvW6W5zObY48yrexJIl6h0_f2xbhkgDSdITk/s640/blogger-image-841729748.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPi1VaBUnIcazDJqabx9hlnKh7vpWvsjqxndfG1sE7coNROlp4i3HNkAx4r6bw0kDRBsB4JkItZTZnKED-I8Su51U8MdBVlysCrqKlHHqyzwSVhagP8SH8hMAqLilxooRhwR9kBWu4BEG/s640/blogger-image-992210747.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPi1VaBUnIcazDJqabx9hlnKh7vpWvsjqxndfG1sE7coNROlp4i3HNkAx4r6bw0kDRBsB4JkItZTZnKED-I8Su51U8MdBVlysCrqKlHHqyzwSVhagP8SH8hMAqLilxooRhwR9kBWu4BEG/s640/blogger-image-992210747.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEb6AqB9GfQc4RvTQ1wMrvUSxvdAAKAwzJMASIxCOoqUsqaZ4OgN-fAZMgc9aFoXGnTjVoj8z8wPbUuK74e92CQ2YSim5jGWZ9BztY83jW2Epnro31D4UvNDi8XGu_k5VRwByUSs_apa7P/s640/blogger-image-42446107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEb6AqB9GfQc4RvTQ1wMrvUSxvdAAKAwzJMASIxCOoqUsqaZ4OgN-fAZMgc9aFoXGnTjVoj8z8wPbUuK74e92CQ2YSim5jGWZ9BztY83jW2Epnro31D4UvNDi8XGu_k5VRwByUSs_apa7P/s640/blogger-image-42446107.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-86859461995241831282012-07-23T17:42:00.001-07:002012-07-26T19:14:08.373-07:00DonaldMary and I finally got a rim for her bike (and a new iPhone that was broken while running from hail) and found a way from Butte, Montana, back to our route. We spent our first night back in Twin Bridges, Montana, at a free bikers camp that we heard about. It had a screened in shack that was beautiful, and free books and miscellaneous gear like tubes. It was funny that it happened to be the night of our 26th birthday, and we were in Twin Bridges. To celebrate, we ate canned beans and corn out of cups from a gas station and passed out before nine. It was pretty wild. <br />
We also met a man named Donald we had ran into earlier. He was camping next to an old jailhouse in Twin Bridges. He is about 50, with longer curly hair. He is pretty quiet and freaking beautiful. In the morning he helped Mary fix her flat while I took pictures of him from my iPhone, like a creep. We accidentally stalked him for the next few nights.<br />
The night after twin bridges (the second night) we found a campground and he was there, again. The third night we stopped at a roadside lodge for a beer before going on, but ended our night early when we found Donald there. <br />
On the second night he walked over to our campsite with a half magnum of wine he couldn't finish. He poured it into our empty water bottle and left us alone. Mary videotaped him walking away. On the third night he came over to play Mary's guitar for a while. We offered him some of our whiskey, and he had his own in a Tupperware container that was a lot better. And he played real good, mostly mellencamp. He introduced us to some fishermen he'd just met, who gave us drinks, potato salad and leftover porkchops and then made us coffee in the morning. <br />
Our mutual infatuation with Donald is complicated. It's impossible to explain his mannerism, tone and inflection over blog so I'll be done with that. Just know that we were sad to say goodbye outside a convenience store eating pickles, where our routes parted ways.<br />
<br />
Yellowstone was fun, there were a lot of buffalo and stuff. A lot of people. We passed old faithful, but can neither confirm nor deny wether or not we waited for that bitch to blow. <br />
<br />
We climbed a huge mountain today, the second highest on the whole route. We've learned that when climbing mountains, the best stress relief is to cuss out cows that stare at you. That shit is funny, and fun. And they can take it. And its better than cussing out each other, which we've tried. Its hard to pedal and breathe when you're crying. Along with that, here are a few other things we've learned:<br />
-Joni Mitchell must've never gone on a bike trip when she wrote 'they paved paradise and put up a parking lot' because that shit IS paradise.<br />
-To deep condition your hair after harsh uv exposure, cover it in travel size Aveda before riding up a pass, then find a gas station sink and rinse it off. You don't even have to make eye contact with the attendant on the way out.<br />
- self-serve camping pay stations are ALWAYS just REALLY HARD ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to find.<br />
- Instead of buying expensive electrolytes, just eat a family sized jar of pickles. a day.<br />
- sometimes you finish a soda. and a donut. before you find the cashier. Especially at the end of the month, before your Food stamps are renewed. It just HAPPENS.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4TS6AQwVTH4yPSfWEMkcvV9cnh6vBIWxmFTJpEN1isLm2AiNVtEmyjWHFhcFJOZll03FtzMINUaiDI8LnxAzTJsv718Euh_0RgDPCaB8TuVAZZanCnf297aW-lDT5Zv7OIk0Ie_C90B4/s640/blogger-image--65927593.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4TS6AQwVTH4yPSfWEMkcvV9cnh6vBIWxmFTJpEN1isLm2AiNVtEmyjWHFhcFJOZll03FtzMINUaiDI8LnxAzTJsv718Euh_0RgDPCaB8TuVAZZanCnf297aW-lDT5Zv7OIk0Ie_C90B4/s640/blogger-image--65927593.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIteLLnl88ZOOc6dlsDZEi1GA3hEWr-8PoPmrSitPloL5QJ-3es0EZgRT81T_ajgA9-Pt5skol-SIjKTW6TXied8eG-Rc9ihm2yjw-c5ySl_oZlpV73WsCQz2t31t7rQcoGRUfY_J0Jx4E/s640/blogger-image-103507785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIteLLnl88ZOOc6dlsDZEi1GA3hEWr-8PoPmrSitPloL5QJ-3es0EZgRT81T_ajgA9-Pt5skol-SIjKTW6TXied8eG-Rc9ihm2yjw-c5ySl_oZlpV73WsCQz2t31t7rQcoGRUfY_J0Jx4E/s640/blogger-image-103507785.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQFR0jJmOmmGWwtQNK5C1OEycHvhV51ISnaahU6NDPFZFeLVG2xsbcvqm25HK3TPciY3ztSXSlW69A5FvkQG3PojRQ5lk8F1_BP1suaasL89-SASgK4oefRA_sHvKjgsrRPtfYn5S7dpO/s640/blogger-image--1269790715.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtQFR0jJmOmmGWwtQNK5C1OEycHvhV51ISnaahU6NDPFZFeLVG2xsbcvqm25HK3TPciY3ztSXSlW69A5FvkQG3PojRQ5lk8F1_BP1suaasL89-SASgK4oefRA_sHvKjgsrRPtfYn5S7dpO/s640/blogger-image--1269790715.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbuls9MIBkfJmAMG_6eUZOZ-toxT4u8LEn6he1hGEuis-5v5VXwiLth3C3KNaW8AGNojKXeRQXts8vmgn05NhRLIaMM-EvRe-jiIeFP3qIwgMuTpB8XxM-EkvXyJSC1AtG-M5uZBiT8QC/s640/blogger-image--1413323931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbuls9MIBkfJmAMG_6eUZOZ-toxT4u8LEn6he1hGEuis-5v5VXwiLth3C3KNaW8AGNojKXeRQXts8vmgn05NhRLIaMM-EvRe-jiIeFP3qIwgMuTpB8XxM-EkvXyJSC1AtG-M5uZBiT8QC/s640/blogger-image--1413323931.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-77299324950833726182012-07-16T17:50:00.001-07:002012-07-17T16:20:38.970-07:00When it rains, it pours.After Mary got hit by a car we figured the worst was over, but nope. The guy who hit Mary gave us a ride back to Jackson, where he was camping. The population is 30 people, with no bike shops, but at least there were cabins for rent. We spent the night in one, where the same guy who hit Mary woke us up at midnight to see if we wanted to have some beers. It would have been nice if he were to offer us a ride to a bike shop, since we were planning on hitch hiking and he had a car. Instead, after we declined his invitation he said " don't worry, you should be fine hitch hiking here. I know in Oregon people carry knives, but we take care of each other here even if we accidentally hit you with our trucks."<br />
For his sake, I'm hoping he was a little drunk. <br />
We did end up meeting some great people headed to Butte, MT after three hours on the side of the road. They were a large family coming home from a camping trip. They loaded our bikes into their trailer, and we rode in a car into Butte with a man named Tom. He was very friendly, and we talked about Montana fishing and baby cows (his favorite). We ended up at his mothers house, where we waited for the others to meet us. An hour later someone came to the house to tell him the truck and trailer had rolled on the highway and were totaled. The driver had a broken leg, hip, and 4 ribs, and was being taken to the hospital. While the family met up outside, Mary and I sat on a couch inside wondering what we should do. Soon Tom's brother showed up with our stuff that he'd reloaded into his truck. <br />
Tom gave us a ride to a sports store on his way to the hospital, where we unloaded our gear and learned that the store carried no bike parts. Then a hailstorm hit, and stores started closing because of flash flood warnings.<br />
Our mom happens to have relatives in Butte, so she called her brother in law to see if he might be able to help. He told her that he fell down and broke his leg today and can't drive. <br />
At this point we decided to drink some beer on the curb for a minute, then got a hotel. Apparently another bike store opens tomorrow, and we are hoping they have rims there. Well find out in the morning. It sounds like Tom's family is ok tonight. If all goes well we are planning on getting back on the road tomorrow. Tonight I'm planning on eating a bag of pretzels, taking some Benadryl and going to bed early in a queen sized bed. <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8t6m4so6EoUxEfH5BeID_L6OvsHIJMR1YtBbpm7-YEdyClUfgZ6gqy5a2GSEsVVrperojbm_OZEurHdpqSQgDCMya_eriN9bvFIeJW9cdyRgAAhyS1uEJoyYc6a1fN8gSt-0mQm1-qNm7/s640/blogger-image--1697055479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8t6m4so6EoUxEfH5BeID_L6OvsHIJMR1YtBbpm7-YEdyClUfgZ6gqy5a2GSEsVVrperojbm_OZEurHdpqSQgDCMya_eriN9bvFIeJW9cdyRgAAhyS1uEJoyYc6a1fN8gSt-0mQm1-qNm7/s640/blogger-image--1697055479.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8h_a49KM1J0hAW858NgbDfsB_jWp4nb6ALrlgRSDZYDCnom_HJHDQ6U6hLJixiBWWS-kPZoBSmt4CFLQIsXiE3_xzVytXQvb3NgVSSJumP859KdUt8XN8A8Rit3_O9W8b4eDgXbrtaxX/s640/blogger-image--1099905883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8h_a49KM1J0hAW858NgbDfsB_jWp4nb6ALrlgRSDZYDCnom_HJHDQ6U6hLJixiBWWS-kPZoBSmt4CFLQIsXiE3_xzVytXQvb3NgVSSJumP859KdUt8XN8A8Rit3_O9W8b4eDgXbrtaxX/s640/blogger-image--1099905883.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsEuW_Q3HWW4illdvs2NDaN7hjC5I73aalf-8b56fazDpyiiZlYylIRDJXDTd_EMM_h93bQMF22USVGnvkcS8RdoHr1cB5qSax2ojisp9wk4p0jC7Nplt_e00QF3rGc-K6HZQJfnAOJ74/s640/blogger-image-940721800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvsEuW_Q3HWW4illdvs2NDaN7hjC5I73aalf-8b56fazDpyiiZlYylIRDJXDTd_EMM_h93bQMF22USVGnvkcS8RdoHr1cB5qSax2ojisp9wk4p0jC7Nplt_e00QF3rGc-K6HZQJfnAOJ74/s640/blogger-image-940721800.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64-0y9CI3O2wSOrCzacwlLBfK1Ary-YIcC823BpN_Xl9EXIypfa3wmq38ODCfzlSdONXWSU8AfYwpzhfd_9DEdHeQmaG3u3OqQinLmfnC41d2Zz_OB2Kjnb2vlAucV4VLBcPm6o3hsLcN/s640/blogger-image--573323386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64-0y9CI3O2wSOrCzacwlLBfK1Ary-YIcC823BpN_Xl9EXIypfa3wmq38ODCfzlSdONXWSU8AfYwpzhfd_9DEdHeQmaG3u3OqQinLmfnC41d2Zz_OB2Kjnb2vlAucV4VLBcPm6o3hsLcN/s640/blogger-image--573323386.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXCSGj-K4mlkfJgX9bwTKZSeev5gNpCWq-To-SRVq6ZEvptHDFNaDbgNoR3W_8eayK4oUebvelH0vP0EC_ROhaI0LTOFaLje77YIu8Q9Wp5F8wJjURg9g6PWiBqCVuASap8-hs_Q2FQgQ/s640/blogger-image--465382922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXCSGj-K4mlkfJgX9bwTKZSeev5gNpCWq-To-SRVq6ZEvptHDFNaDbgNoR3W_8eayK4oUebvelH0vP0EC_ROhaI0LTOFaLje77YIu8Q9Wp5F8wJjURg9g6PWiBqCVuASap8-hs_Q2FQgQ/s640/blogger-image--465382922.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jS_3PWprXXubG0Gfhd1hAS2XWwtcjnRRCs1xpEDDPNtQ9X7xhx03gZPvONfGHnufcs3B7JF1-GQsAP8vZ6LqWR_Xa7W-j0K2HqXEtbondxnQ3iMgtWnC1F2DxBhPWJLOpZveslEN4OaI/s640/blogger-image-2092020406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jS_3PWprXXubG0Gfhd1hAS2XWwtcjnRRCs1xpEDDPNtQ9X7xhx03gZPvONfGHnufcs3B7JF1-GQsAP8vZ6LqWR_Xa7W-j0K2HqXEtbondxnQ3iMgtWnC1F2DxBhPWJLOpZveslEN4OaI/s640/blogger-image-2092020406.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-91632365711082468812012-07-15T19:00:00.001-07:002012-07-15T19:00:39.719-07:00Bad timesWe are staying at Jackson hot springs tonight and hitchhiking a ride to dillon, the next city with a bike shop, in the morning. I got hit by a truck today and it broke my back tire rim and my guitar. I don't even have a scratch and don't know how that's possible. I have no idea how I got off my bike, but I was standing on the side of the road and it was wrecked in the middle of the road. The man who hit me gave me a ride back to pick up Beth, and then to Jackson where we are now. Beth told our mom and she is scared shitless. I don't blame her, and continuing on this trip feels very selfish but I've wanted to do this for so long now. From here on out I hope the trip gets smoother.<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6e1i4Pu3jDZnzSpY_ZTR-T3Z9l6reNJztV9sUJqxiJl5rScwg7CDXFiOeurmNdFp_G8HNTJ8mtrluprRYboBtwtjqthxyzNlO-_2tjKBNssWaulFb38TdbO3f3gKT8tF8cYF3k-0TKSgn/s640/blogger-image--2119556109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6e1i4Pu3jDZnzSpY_ZTR-T3Z9l6reNJztV9sUJqxiJl5rScwg7CDXFiOeurmNdFp_G8HNTJ8mtrluprRYboBtwtjqthxyzNlO-_2tjKBNssWaulFb38TdbO3f3gKT8tF8cYF3k-0TKSgn/s640/blogger-image--2119556109.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-13599485057426164792012-07-15T09:36:00.001-07:002012-07-15T19:56:18.846-07:00Friday the 13thWe made it to missoula Thursday morning after camping at lolo hot springs the night before. Missoula is an awesome town, like an unpretentious Seattle. With cowboys. We spent the afternoon in Missoula getting our bikes and my guitar fixed, and found a laundromat. Then I found a brewery with live folk music so we spent the rest of the night there. We were not sure where to camp, but needed showers so went to the riverfront. While we were in the river some couple came out of their apartment and glared at our bikes with their little schnauzer dog for a good ten minutes. So we packed up and rode a few miles upriver where there was a huge, beautiful park that we pitched our tent in. It was the perfect day. Until shit hit the fan at 4:00 am. <br />
First there was a distant rattling sound, which I thought was a bum pushing a shopping cart. It made me nervous because that was the one thing people in Missoula told us to be careful of if we slept in the parks. (bums, not shopping carts). As the night went on it got louder and louder and I got more and more paranoid, breathing quietly and hoping Beth wouldn't fidget in her sleep. Finally she sat up and said 'hey, you hear that sound?'. I said 'yes, be quiet! It's the bums with their shopping carts!'<br />
She looked at me like I was crazy and opened the tent to show me what it was. Sprinklers. We lie there half asleep trying to pretend they were not going to reach us until one blasted a foot from our tent. I grabbed the tent and rolled us upside down because I thought the floor of the tent might work as a waterproof shield, but no. So we spent the next 20 minutes frolicking through ice water in our faces as we bungeed everything on our bikes, then rode to a lit up pedestrian tunnel where we tried to sleep for another two minutes before deciding to get an early start.<br />
We found a 24 hour laundromat online but when we got there it was closed, so we went to a 24 hour walmart to get food and change into dry clothes. Then Beth led us 15 miles down the wrong highway. That pissed me off, so I took over navigating and led us another 15 miles off route. After a few roadside fights we figured it out, and eventually got to hermiston, mt, where we finally found a laundromat to dry our tent and sleeping bags. We stayed the night in an older couples garage (they host cyclists and were very sweet) but when we went to pitch our tent found it had melted together. So now we are at a cafe waiting for big 5 to open so we can buy another tent. Then we are headed up another huge hill and into wisdom, Montana. We need to make good miles today.<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRa3v2HfN4Xs8ii7WSNgHXcLgoxQ3-5uI4e4w569twP-dOtWH2CNEqoKOFi8LEzdN8iiJbs2uyWDwBUOv09AyNnNShg3ml0ZlrCzj0bhCaQLRMyikUv81bGg47I0wV5vztC2KAK2CN1Qr/s640/blogger-image-2025976718.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBRa3v2HfN4Xs8ii7WSNgHXcLgoxQ3-5uI4e4w569twP-dOtWH2CNEqoKOFi8LEzdN8iiJbs2uyWDwBUOv09AyNnNShg3ml0ZlrCzj0bhCaQLRMyikUv81bGg47I0wV5vztC2KAK2CN1Qr/s640/blogger-image-2025976718.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-57426179632490037112012-07-09T16:48:00.001-07:002012-07-11T18:32:37.976-07:00Snakes and stuffWe woke up at a campground in Hells Canyon this morning. I found a praying mantis in my hair. The high around here is 106 degrees, so we got up at 5:30 because we had a 14 mile summit up to 4100 feet. It took four hours to pedal 14 miles with all our gear, and then it was rolling hills until Council Idaho, where we showered in the sprinklers at the high school and then came to Ace Saloon. You can drink and smoke inside here, and get drinks to go. It might not be good for the Bike trip, but it reminds me of the South and that's wonderful. I tried to bathe in a river on the way here, but people had cautioned us against it because it's rattlesnake territory. I got my clothes and body covered in soap, and got in up to my ankles. Mary was on her way in and saw a snake. (mary here: i tolded beth not to go in that river and was looking for a snake to prove her choice WRONG. I rode with no suds.) <br />
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I tried to wash the soap off but saw another snake in the water. I ended up pedaling the last 23 miles covered in soap. I feel pretty clean now, and would almost feel like a functioning member of society if I wasn't currently wearing a silk nighty under a large tee shirt, since my other clothes are all dirty. (Mary here again: I'm wearing a windbreaker with no shirt. Or bra.)<br />
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All jokes aside, it's been 7 days since we left and I am so grateful for this trip. To have a close sister and friend willing and excited to do it with me and to be able to see bighorn sheep, running cows, changes in terrain and kind people. The Ranger at our sight last night told me that a family came through on their bikes last year. There were six children, aged 2 to 12. Everything they owned was on their bikes, and they went the same route as us. The mother pulled the 2 year old up the 14 mile hill in a trailer on her bike, and the other children rode. They went hundreds of miles and were eventually taken in by a small town in Idaho and now live there. While I was pedaling for 5 hours in 100 degrees I started thinking about that. I think living in a big city has caused me to become a little cynical, or depressed. It's just wonderful to see that people are still generous, unconventional circumstances work out and most hearteningly, America is still beautiful. There have been days when we've ran out of water and came upon remote stores closing in five minutes, or like tonight, when the Bartender told us we could pitch our tent and camp in the Beer Garden. (mary here again: and turned up the jutebox when he saw me looking at it. Then loaded 10 free credits. Now 5 biker men are listening to full blast faith hill and Melissa ethridge.)<br />
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We've ran into people who educated us on our immediate routes just by chance, and told us about wildlife and other precautions. Each day has felt like forever, and the best kind of forever. <br />
Right now, I just feel grateful. And alive. And it's nice to know, if you're willing to walk around half naked, shower in sprinklers, trust people and carry everything you own on you, that shit might still be free.<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtpQGjFaoD6kotsV5MJnIf3N-OSUFgaybUgjMQi9_Sjt0oUSWpFUn9sLBS7P4Q25YDPP8fOxSNzHUM7f_N_JM4OshbIUZ8LWlH0SbV1o-TPIT6uDnh0UG5iHxijX_BmYVFDdNN8eEXJQj/s640/blogger-image--13826661.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUtpQGjFaoD6kotsV5MJnIf3N-OSUFgaybUgjMQi9_Sjt0oUSWpFUn9sLBS7P4Q25YDPP8fOxSNzHUM7f_N_JM4OshbIUZ8LWlH0SbV1o-TPIT6uDnh0UG5iHxijX_BmYVFDdNN8eEXJQj/s640/blogger-image--13826661.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEor9pEqOsOP6ZWYFV9gu7oO8ZIdJ2GW41DRmUup4QTgsp8O7F0HKGAgRLcCcTNX9Cek4cSBOjPw6pPZ53gHichh5k_Fg-FVmw_6VlQ6GWwabgUjRkyGkjySucdUqYs3W9WOk8ppYxzLj_/s640/blogger-image-1284491295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEor9pEqOsOP6ZWYFV9gu7oO8ZIdJ2GW41DRmUup4QTgsp8O7F0HKGAgRLcCcTNX9Cek4cSBOjPw6pPZ53gHichh5k_Fg-FVmw_6VlQ6GWwabgUjRkyGkjySucdUqYs3W9WOk8ppYxzLj_/s640/blogger-image-1284491295.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HoCubkdyFWdOmbeHKSIRp8Iemfywhp28r4cN3muWkTUj1nz1UShbvt_NMiscuWtvByDPgrNKTjrwN-qQMsbO0qIpyJ2OBQt17fD7eZ_GDvrSNZoH0synMRPAzpSvCT-LMNSQQ6lHbCQE/s640/blogger-image--1364632965.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_HoCubkdyFWdOmbeHKSIRp8Iemfywhp28r4cN3muWkTUj1nz1UShbvt_NMiscuWtvByDPgrNKTjrwN-qQMsbO0qIpyJ2OBQt17fD7eZ_GDvrSNZoH0synMRPAzpSvCT-LMNSQQ6lHbCQE/s640/blogger-image--1364632965.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDIFN2oUB_r-CagBykGQHrVj96YdmJjaaQmdhsKzWdZRrKJ3aQbm9D3a_M1Ba0Lrmp51Zb9U1rYygpoJlxm47GdHVe70b8eSvtmn45VPLKTfVKHhW-ySqMnvSw9QodFSamBlE_qUkYgEL/s640/blogger-image-389470827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSDIFN2oUB_r-CagBykGQHrVj96YdmJjaaQmdhsKzWdZRrKJ3aQbm9D3a_M1Ba0Lrmp51Zb9U1rYygpoJlxm47GdHVe70b8eSvtmn45VPLKTfVKHhW-ySqMnvSw9QodFSamBlE_qUkYgEL/s640/blogger-image-389470827.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDmaEG3p3lQCdp9E3vqZWbQQmH07yETdHVrGRF6KPXuRzP7zqjsjP5Fg5YlOUhhqnetYrYD050v3-ybFyRm9sCzZH7D89YetAc6b1S-H1lCPp4yHeNUzUBByyR6WKdbCqJpJnrPQ2NDgH/s640/blogger-image--62681824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpDmaEG3p3lQCdp9E3vqZWbQQmH07yETdHVrGRF6KPXuRzP7zqjsjP5Fg5YlOUhhqnetYrYD050v3-ybFyRm9sCzZH7D89YetAc6b1S-H1lCPp4yHeNUzUBByyR6WKdbCqJpJnrPQ2NDgH/s640/blogger-image--62681824.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0Missoula (null)46.724838 -114.533897tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-73711403372112660672012-07-07T12:35:00.001-07:002012-07-07T12:35:57.484-07:00Hills and valleysIt's been a week now. Tonight we are sleeping at a beautiful park on the snake river in Idaho. <br />
These few days have been all hills and valleys, so riding is either 4 miles per hour or 30 miles per hour. This morning had a 2,000 ft climb and I wanted to die. Those 6 miles took 90 minutes. But as soon as we reach the summit, I forget how it felt. Then there is a 5 mile downhill and a cold river, and by the end of the day I feel great. Tomorrow morning is 4,000 ft. (i lied when I said the Rockies were 4,000, they are 11,500).<br />
People are so different in these small towns. So many nice old men in overalls who talk forever. Stores that look like garages and diners that look like livingrooms. <br />
Having left home is starting to sink in and that is sad. Owning nothing feels good, but the people I might not see again go through my mind and it doesn't seem fair. There are so many of us people, everywhere, most of us good. So why can't we all know each other always? I think next I will build a longhouse like the Indians did, with room for 40. And then fill it.<br />
Beth swore she saw a hyena yesterday, and heard rattlesnakes all day. It was a cayote and grasshoppers. I think she secretly wants to die from wildlife.<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIa48VkIlq1AuA3yOI7fjXLTHZXxKeslfzVqqbu5D50xBATjtEqSqChF-gBl8ip03hOrcMS4Qzfp7XLCAOeofxNZIJ2k4bzwC3MSKovLHdxTKf_Wtapguym9DtB9t-sHmrz9gCCYnBNen/s640/blogger-image-1735193592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisIa48VkIlq1AuA3yOI7fjXLTHZXxKeslfzVqqbu5D50xBATjtEqSqChF-gBl8ip03hOrcMS4Qzfp7XLCAOeofxNZIJ2k4bzwC3MSKovLHdxTKf_Wtapguym9DtB9t-sHmrz9gCCYnBNen/s640/blogger-image-1735193592.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhzz9cO1tWEdVMSu1665aP5HDYQ1bdUmaO_HbcnijVqWJDcOrxFqLm07Y0p9ysoLlt2hx45IpOPtdw_ICJ7SBMS42cA3a3JFyQv5MsUucuIj7W3zkcRz9v0QsSmsXZUq-69wOJZy5sycV/s640/blogger-image--1247700451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjhzz9cO1tWEdVMSu1665aP5HDYQ1bdUmaO_HbcnijVqWJDcOrxFqLm07Y0p9ysoLlt2hx45IpOPtdw_ICJ7SBMS42cA3a3JFyQv5MsUucuIj7W3zkcRz9v0QsSmsXZUq-69wOJZy5sycV/s640/blogger-image--1247700451.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVgiGZ9trdUPMQiiiHLqf0QxYlTE-_-GtAkg5GxeTvAnljt0pTKGpZRh6HMjiPefo2n99SpKpN38Or-8prhUcf4zgOg_JwPr6XuYCdWS_RdBFOiTzV8zOfDKLSB1HrIjZ6nIPrrrV_Xy6/s640/blogger-image-1388345678.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVgiGZ9trdUPMQiiiHLqf0QxYlTE-_-GtAkg5GxeTvAnljt0pTKGpZRh6HMjiPefo2n99SpKpN38Or-8prhUcf4zgOg_JwPr6XuYCdWS_RdBFOiTzV8zOfDKLSB1HrIjZ6nIPrrrV_Xy6/s640/blogger-image-1388345678.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIkTI3vvtexMnr-_nQDajNUetNw3UQ7UgMWS_MnV3pXuIfBAuVnaLvm5XvO-VferjQMWPJvFfST1sqM00kJjWly7uKk0HoETeXdDJmSCmr7KMkcfClOvjmh4lb8-2K3HokOLNM7sIhOpT/s640/blogger-image-677942097.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIkTI3vvtexMnr-_nQDajNUetNw3UQ7UgMWS_MnV3pXuIfBAuVnaLvm5XvO-VferjQMWPJvFfST1sqM00kJjWly7uKk0HoETeXdDJmSCmr7KMkcfClOvjmh4lb8-2K3HokOLNM7sIhOpT/s640/blogger-image-677942097.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_AbLP9qttwVNLudNn3HSAY1uv_JIN-NBhFt5qJh95i3LJWcxiFC_9YkPdPGiMi6PG2sCRl9HCtvs6yKQFWvEQjfRytv6u2gNwrzYSJPnPPYX0_pT1wIaD-8n_7CRhIhT6S4NuVqhINdW/s640/blogger-image--1194662150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX_AbLP9qttwVNLudNn3HSAY1uv_JIN-NBhFt5qJh95i3LJWcxiFC_9YkPdPGiMi6PG2sCRl9HCtvs6yKQFWvEQjfRytv6u2gNwrzYSJPnPPYX0_pT1wIaD-8n_7CRhIhT6S4NuVqhINdW/s640/blogger-image--1194662150.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-79772971889793687972012-07-05T08:18:00.001-07:002012-07-05T08:18:32.301-07:00Cabbage hillWe had a few days of easy riding because of the tailwinds, and made up for it yesterday. The first ten miles we rode up Cabbage Hill, and got to a final elevation of 4100 ft. before descending into la grande. Mary bent her rim and I fell on some gravel, and we found one store along the way. It was closing, and accepting cash only. We had run out of water and were resorting to our last beers we found in our panniers. I found five dollars on me, and we were able to get some water and peanuts to last the second half of the ride. I was afraid of wildlife leaving for the trip, and so far we haven't gotten eaten by bears even a little bit. We did bike alongside some cattle in the road, and maybe I am a wimp, but it made me nervous. Especially the Bulls. We ended up sleeping behind an apartment complex. I am surprised that this stealth camping has worked so well so far. I keep expecting to get kicked out in the middle of the night. Today is another hot and beautiful day. The views along the route are amazing. It is wonderful to watch the terrain slowly changing. Today we are riding from la grande into baker city. We met a biker that said we should watch out for Rattlesnakes throughout Idaho. He said not to sleep next to the skin of the tent, and we should be fine. We're hoping he was a little crazy. I am excited to bike into another time zone.<br />
- Beth<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlhNxw-SmBo-0pn81ZeTR-W78yf8ssrMyMUFrlx1vTTOXzZcNV8CngS-_6kkF4-wIADsimyiQsN76u_UHJrpLEfXHSg-aXUFSxpiPau74u6hoyvWHJ4bfPGenqFw_XyxcAn7uNo-t5H3h/s640/blogger-image-2100875019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxlhNxw-SmBo-0pn81ZeTR-W78yf8ssrMyMUFrlx1vTTOXzZcNV8CngS-_6kkF4-wIADsimyiQsN76u_UHJrpLEfXHSg-aXUFSxpiPau74u6hoyvWHJ4bfPGenqFw_XyxcAn7uNo-t5H3h/s640/blogger-image-2100875019.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1oZdg4SSoJiwehTs1JLFWnGNec_fF1EWuJ45qvV1PKOttG-pviEB38m6HwFKc7lB97THjUZBlQ9IvpbBM5HldqesIy0eIgFBIeHgaOgnJX3hmTejRJiEPcTP7ZRqvOlcGZltTjj1FVnp/s640/blogger-image-1204253544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1oZdg4SSoJiwehTs1JLFWnGNec_fF1EWuJ45qvV1PKOttG-pviEB38m6HwFKc7lB97THjUZBlQ9IvpbBM5HldqesIy0eIgFBIeHgaOgnJX3hmTejRJiEPcTP7ZRqvOlcGZltTjj1FVnp/s640/blogger-image-1204253544.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpi1-MyxCGuznJmf7FqRHkwDXC8K3sb6nH0d4Tg0HaXRsEUDiTfOPnUIvtpgwjACwr6AQUcxdDQjMMqQ6359krKh5uzJVP-n10oU8S0glHsZT0YwUT74G8ss_i2fHoegCFyr7CGEloEQFb/s640/blogger-image--925902155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpi1-MyxCGuznJmf7FqRHkwDXC8K3sb6nH0d4Tg0HaXRsEUDiTfOPnUIvtpgwjACwr6AQUcxdDQjMMqQ6359krKh5uzJVP-n10oU8S0glHsZT0YwUT74G8ss_i2fHoegCFyr7CGEloEQFb/s640/blogger-image--925902155.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0Gqkhrp831LPfNNDltU0mYKp1g-EfdUfj7gKHEeZhvPDjSl1CgnTA8Co0v_Yrx39btamXizA-ZyZByoO4GDMIaGN6KOT7Ky7msYlFgYUgtDjzo623JofR9el6eKDR8p5GSV6Wb6kIHKX/s640/blogger-image-103604290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0Gqkhrp831LPfNNDltU0mYKp1g-EfdUfj7gKHEeZhvPDjSl1CgnTA8Co0v_Yrx39btamXizA-ZyZByoO4GDMIaGN6KOT7Ky7msYlFgYUgtDjzo623JofR9el6eKDR8p5GSV6Wb6kIHKX/s640/blogger-image-103604290.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcobg1AOMqTFmL5wnY6NcojcI_Zx_LvAzqqCeWMaO-ksVVnAAbDnrZnKmG_gRoPXyen2tiglDPvyJZimo9ZoCTkefwRsXWNfZOg1tMNuI2Szkon1h-iANkf4Sbr68B-qoCg6VTs0j6FaI/s640/blogger-image--1812425633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcobg1AOMqTFmL5wnY6NcojcI_Zx_LvAzqqCeWMaO-ksVVnAAbDnrZnKmG_gRoPXyen2tiglDPvyJZimo9ZoCTkefwRsXWNfZOg1tMNuI2Szkon1h-iANkf4Sbr68B-qoCg6VTs0j6FaI/s640/blogger-image--1812425633.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskfr-92X27qRBfCbYteU3CoxhI3bIOBIho740-0ez9rxIJsfdk6XdJf-baga4iE729n7d-rn2Ftyun2w-d9Ss2FtMXyh3UgYoqXNH_0Mc7CpUnonWd_la688sqZ_T0ajpI6AzfuR7VAgK/s640/blogger-image-94619524.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgskfr-92X27qRBfCbYteU3CoxhI3bIOBIho740-0ez9rxIJsfdk6XdJf-baga4iE729n7d-rn2Ftyun2w-d9Ss2FtMXyh3UgYoqXNH_0Mc7CpUnonWd_la688sqZ_T0ajpI6AzfuR7VAgK/s640/blogger-image-94619524.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-49054269536693916182012-07-01T19:38:00.001-07:002012-07-03T18:02:07.574-07:00Ohh snapMade it to pendleton at 4:45 today. We went 83 miles yesterday, and 75 today. That would be enough to make me feel more confident if it were not for the tailwind. There's been miles at a time where I did not have to pedal. I suppose Oregon is as ready to get rid of us as I am of it. Washington was home, Oregon is Oregon, but past that is an adventure.<br />
<br />
A friend we just met at the brewery I'm writing from has just let me know that the only way out of here in the morning is a 7 mile summit of cabbage hill. The top of cabbage hill is 2,000 ft and we are at about 450ft right now. The highest point on the transamerica trail is in the rockies at 4,000 ft. That means we do half the Rockies in the morning. We were planning on an easy day into la grande to watch the fireworks. Now I can hear our new friend talking to his cyclist buddy in the next room about us, and his buddy's advice was to shoot our veins full of something before we attempt cabbage hill. Lord help me. I think it's time for another round.<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-B9zzOAJnFrO_H4762G-RcEgmXLSPmzs_bhZzxvPVBATDV7Or0eYonAIt7S6ixniUjlpmaasMgYyoe4Q9TE4WsUO7OJcJwuU7F-9xpYWS6rzVIb54nBN_TH7YVVcgiyismmWoad1K8im/s640/blogger-image-2100639341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-B9zzOAJnFrO_H4762G-RcEgmXLSPmzs_bhZzxvPVBATDV7Or0eYonAIt7S6ixniUjlpmaasMgYyoe4Q9TE4WsUO7OJcJwuU7F-9xpYWS6rzVIb54nBN_TH7YVVcgiyismmWoad1K8im/s640/blogger-image-2100639341.jpg" /></a></div>Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072440887916161899.post-79319873225324864672012-06-30T15:09:00.001-07:002012-07-09T16:46:19.267-07:00The beginning of... Something.Dropped a futon behind a bush. Went to 3 value villages, 2 eye doctors. Fought with stupid rei employees, drove an hour in the wrong direction on I-5. But now we are as ready as we can get. <br />
<br />
It is the beginning of our first day now. my mom has already convinced beth in the next room that she should give us a ride to the Dalles because it's sprinkling here. Thats over 100 miles of a head start. But I say... You have rain... I have poncho. But first I have coffee. With my grandma. Fireturtleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17871884009699571023noreply@blogger.com0