I had the incredible good fortune to spend over 2 months on the road pedaling my bike over 2,000 miles, visiting my sister and her wonderful family for 10 days, bike packing in the San Juan Islands for a week with my wonderful spouse Nancy, and finally visiting our daughters and their partners in the Pacific Northwest for 10 days. I so appreciate, beyond words, the grace and love shown to me by my family, friends, and strangers across these 2 plus months.
Thank you so very much.
We’ve been cycling around the San Juan Islands for the past week starting in Friday Harbor on San Juan. Nancy and I took the Anacortes ferry with our bikes. Beautiful weather, nice biking and hospitable people. After 2 nights we went to Lopez Island with awesome beaches and views of Mt Baker and the Cascades. Spent 3 days and nights there biking much of the island. Yesterday and today on Orcas Island, home of Mt. Constitution, the second highest peak on a US island along the contiguous 48 states. Tomorrow it is back to Seattle to see our daughters. Lucky man I am.
The area around Denver is a grid of wonderful bike paths. I pedaled to Chatfield Lake State Park, did a beautiful loop around the lake (super low because of drought conditions) and back to my sister’s home. 30 miles. Then pedaled to the bike shop for packing. Felt good to be back on the bike.
After an overnight train ride free m Omaha, I arrived in Denver’s Union Station and was greeted by my sister Maryann. Put the bike in the car and headed off to see my niece and her husband and their 2 little daughters for breakfast. So grateful. Thanks for following my trip. I’ll resume in Seattle. ❤️✌️
Crossed the Missouri River into Nebraska as I biked to the train. Had some time to kill in a big way since the train left at 11:30PM and the station didn’t open until 10:00PM. Had a good pasta supper a couple miles from the station but still had lots of time. True to the generous nature of this trip, a guy saw my bike and asked me abou my trip. He is a biker as well and invited me to his and his wife’s apartment right down the block to wait for the station to open. Kevin and Jennifer, thank you.
Today I will cross the Missouri River into Nebraska. 5 weeks, more than 2,100 miles. Halfway. Or more accurately, Part 1 complete.
Part 2 will have to wait.
I wouldn’t change one thing about this journey so far. It’s everything I imagined and hoped it would be. Rewarding. Challenging. Satisfying. Frustrating. I’ve ridden through beautiful countryside and seen stunning places. But mostly, I’ve met amazing people along the way….. So many stories to tell.
But looking back, I had NO idea what to expect. I had never done anything remotely like this. As it turns out, I got started late, thinking I could make up time by pedaling long days. Several 100+ mile days, more than several 70+ mile days and relatively few days off is a difficult physical and mental experience. The first 2,100 miles took me 5 weeks to complete. I feel pretty strongly, now that I have some experience, that the next 2,000 miles over the Rockies will take me more than 6 weeks, maybe 7.
My younger self/ego might just push through, and get to the west coast.
But after 5 weeks on the road, I am now seasoned enough to know when to celebrate a cycling accomplishment, and when to listen to and respect my intuition about next steps. Going into the mountains in late September or October doesn’t seem like a good idea.
And I’ve been thinking that a more relaxed pace – 50 miles a day – would allow me to take in more of the country and people. It would be a different experience, and I’d like to test that theory. And I would rather do that part with a partner or 2.
So Part 2 will wait.
BUT, the Pacific Northwest has always been the final destination, and so after a visit with my sister and her family in Denver, I’m flying to Seattle with my bike and Nancy and I are going to go bikepacking in the San Juan Islands – something we’ve always wanted to do. And then we’ll spend a stretch of time with our daughters.
I can’t wait.
PS. Thank you for supporting me through this. I really, really appreciate it.
I was very skeptical of the Warm Showers concept before I set out on this trip. Oh contare, as they say but may spell differently. It has been really wonderful. And the night before last was no exception. Penny and her daughter Hannah were gracious hosts, sharing food and accommodations with this stranger. Dan, Penny’s husband who was working on the road, provided routing insight over the phone for my 74 mile ride yesterday. My last full day’s ride in Iowa. Iowa, beautiful agricultural state with enormous windmills and curious cows. And, of course, helpful and generous people. And, home of endlessly rolling hills.
Spent most of the 68 miles today on a brand new trail that connects to the High Trestle Trail which is spectacular. Part of the Heart of ziowa Trail was slong a grassy nature trail. I eas suddenly in the middt of dozens and dozens of Monarch butterflies. I am speculating that they are migrating to Mexico. Is that where they go? Then ran into 2 bikers who do about 400 miles of Rails to Trails annually over the Labor Day week. Indianans Brian and Jason travel with a third rider. They take turns friving a support vehicle that ports the gear. All 3 camp over the week.
Lots and lots of gravel roads. But with sophisticated road signs!
Suddenly I seem to be the only long distance bicyclist on the road. Not sure why this that is, but my guess is that there are more well developed paths across the country than where I am biking. Most who are remaining on the road at this longitude are in Missouri or Minnesota. I am in Iowa following the Great American Rail Trail. I do miss running into other cyclists.
Today I raced the weather to get to my destination, Marshalltown And I made it! It is pretty intimidating to be out in the middle of hundreds of acres and the sky is darkening. And the middle of nowhere is often unpaved. Great gravel riding but unnerving with so much weight on the bike. A balance like everything else. Tomorrow I’m off for Perry. The name of the town makes me smile. A few days from Nebraska!
One last thought. Turns out that soy beans plants turn a golden brown before dropping all the leaves leaving a single stem with the beans exposed. Easy peasy harvesting. My words.
The other version looks much like this but is all gravel. Today, the gravel version went on for over 15 miles. Lots of dust when a vehicle approaches from the opposite direction. But the rail trail was nice when I had the opportunity to ride it. And that’t where I met my newest friends Barb and Ann Rae, at a coffee shop in Reinbeck, IA. Picked up the trail here. Ann Rae said she so loved to ride the trails in Wisconsin and Minnesota with her husband and their friends.
And the farming coops are alive and well, and indispensable in the state.
I will be in Marshaltown tomorrow, a few days away from Nebraska, the halfway point of the route.
Dave goes West 