Trees!!

We have reached bonafide timber!! and along with it some rather large and intimidating mountains called the Tetons. We haven't seen forest since the beginning of Oregon, and as mentioned earlier I like trees.

Today we find ourselves in a little town called Victor just West of the Wyoming border. The town is nestled in the Teton valley and promises to host us comfortably. We have a concert in the park tonight and a good dinner of hamburgers and fries to look forward to. Tomorrow will require some climbing in the first 20 miles to get to Jackson. We've heard some bad things about this pass, regarding its steepness, lack of a shoulder, and just general undesirable nature, but we met an older gentleman coming off of the pass who didn't blink an eye when telling us what he had climbed. So the thinking is if he can do it, surely two young guys like us can do it, besides the fact that Andrew isn't going to let me wimp out and take the bus.

Well, alright, the last couple days have been busy. Alot of miles have been put on and we've met many people. I'll give some of the highlights. The first is an officer of the law in the small town of Kimberly. If I had been thinking I would've gotten his name, but as circumstances were less than ideal it slipped my mind. Andrew and I had spent the afternoon in the town's park talking with the local hoodlums, conversing with a young family, and in general enjoying the levity of a timeless corner of the world. We had asked around about staying in the park and everyone was totally fine with it. Well we looked around the park and saw the place we wanted to stay. It was a fortress in the sky, a refuge against all the enemies of a touring bicyclist (namely bugs and watersprinklers). This stronghold was none other than the playground (see picture below). So we put our bikes underneath and brought our sleeping bags upstairs and settled in for a much needed night's rest. Around 11 PM the man in blue shines his terribly brilliant flashlight and interupts all manner of attempted slumber. He informed us that a neighbor had called us in, so stumbling bleary eyed down the oversized purple ladder and fumbling for our IDs our protector of the peace checked to make sure we weren't felons. After telling him what we were about and trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation he graciously let us stay in our makeshift Hilton for the remainder of the night. So it goes.

The next morning we were riding into a town called Burley to get Andrew's bike new wheels. As we're riding into the heart of this town an elderly man pulls alongside me in a Cadillac DeVille. He asks me where we're going, I tell him New Jersey. His next question was if we planned on stopping by the newspaper office. I told him no but if he led the way I'd be happy to follow. This led to the meeting of one of Idaho's most generous citizens. His name is Dale Wipple. After taking us into the newspaper office and introducing us to the owner he asked him to do a story on us. It then came out that I really wanted business cards, to which Dale simply asked to have them made at his expense. He then took us to the bike shop and paid for Andrew's repairs. I could add a lot more detail to the story, but suffice to say we are very happy to know Col. Dale Wipple. He has graciously sponsored us through his organization, National Pioneer Hall of Fame, www.nationalpioneerhalloffame.com/news . We look forward to a mutually beneficial partnership.

One other highlight was the by chance staying in a little town just outside of Idaho Falls called Iona. I've never felt so at peace in a town as I have in this little community. We pulled up to the town hall after riding around 84 miles and after the police incident we wanted permission to sleep in the park. We talked to a couple of very helpful individuals who ended up calling the mayor to ask for permission, to which he generously acquiesced. They then contacted the park maintenance supervisor to check on the sprinkler schedule for us. After that we enjoyed a very pleasant afternoon in the park watching a softball game where the Ninja Turtles triumphed. All in all it was very nice to spend time in such a warm community.

Okay, so I have one more thought, then I'll put up some pictures then I'll get off this thing and get some dinner =) Having grown up on the East Coast, specifically in New Jersey, I have often felt that life is a dog eat dog affair, that people are primarily only concerned with themselves. This trip has proven otherwise. It has been such a joy to bike through small town Western America and experience the hospitality and generosity of those we pass. I think the key is to break down all walls of self sufficiency. I don't know how to articulate the openness that people feel when you ride up on a bike but it's real. People that would normally pass by behind their tinted sunglasses stop and talk to you. People who mom and dad would normally tell you not to talk to come up to you and start asking about what you're doing. Some are just curious, some want to give advice or local information, and some just want someone to talk to. I don't know how to capture the openness that comes with bicycling without a bicycle but if I can figure it out I'll definitely write a book about it. To bridge the communication gap between the elderly couple on vacation, the local trouble makers in the park, and the middle age parents out with their kids, that is something worth knowing. People, I believe, are for the most part intrinsically good and generous it's just a matter of bringing that out of them. With some people it's closer to the surface than others =) but I really think that there's vast potential for cross generational and demographic communication that is not being taken advantage of for the simple reason that we don't know how to go about getting the best out of people. I do hope that makes some sense, it's a first go at writing my thoughts and it is in need of revision, but I think the heart of the matter in its rawest form is there.

Below are some pictures from the last couple of days. This first one is of one of homes away from home. Kimberly's playground =)

This is a picture of one of the many wind farms we've passed. I've talked to some of the locals about it and they haven't seen a drop in their utility bill...but they are really cool looking.

This was at one of our campsites. Looks really picturesque right? Well over the horizon is a windmill, over our heads are high voltage lines, a hundred meters behind us is the local sewage plant, 300 meters up stream is a hydroelectric plant, and over the river is a bridge over which trains frequented at all hours of the night, but honestly we slept like rocks that night and couldn't have cared if we were sleeping a subway.

These mountains are in the way of progress. We got over them. We are currently facing larger mountains. Hopefully we get over them tomorrow =)

That's all for now, thank you for all your comments and support. If you're new to the blog we are raising money for Living Water International. 80% of all donations go directly to them. You can either donate through the donate button or mail a check to 11 Daylily Dr., Mt. Laurel, NJ 08054. Please make the check out to Kevin Dolan (my first name) with Living Water in the memo line.

Till next time,

Nate

Responses to Previous Post (for some reason I couldn't post this as a comment)

Bruce and Dan: Thanks for the posts!! It was a joy for us to run into you guys!

Christian: Thanks for the advice, we plan to take a picture up at one of the passes that he took a picture =)

Mr. James: We've only seen road kill rattlers, though we did see one snake that we almost ran over =)
Depending on where we are the stars are beautiful, but most of the time I'm asleep by the time they really come out. We've pedaled almost 1200 miles, and traveled a little over 1400. When not riding we eat, read, and sometimes play cards =) Love you James

Mr. Wallin: Thanks for the encouragement! If you have any ideas for how to make the blog better don't hesitate to suggest!

Liz: Glad you're enjoying the ride with us! Haha nope we didn't know them previously, they were a great group to meet though. I didn't realize you were back in the states. You can have fun at Wendy's =) Though admittedly Andrew and I have made McDonalds our fast food joint of choice.

Youtube link

I forgot to thank Unlce Bill for posting some videos of the start of our trip!!

Here's the link to one of the videos, the others will be shown on the right side of the screen. To be honest the best part of the clip is Ryan's commentary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hEVSZrv8Uc&sns=em

We are in Idaho!

We crossed into Idaho this Saturday and rode from Ontario OR to Mountain Home Idaho on a 130 mile bike ride through desert and farmland.  We had planned to head out of Mountain Home on Rt. 20 but Andrew's bike was in need of a surgeon so we decided against the 250 mile ride through high desert where the population of rattlesnakes outnumbered those of the human habitants. We ended up taking a ride down the interstate =) and when a contruction zone made it inadvisable to continue we jumped a fence got on some back roads, asked directions, were confidently told how to get to where we needed to go, ran into a river without a bridge and promptly hopped the fence again onto the interstate for a twilight sprint to the next town praying that a truck didn't feel the need to ride the shoulder. So we made it safely, we are now in a small town off of Rt. 30 called Kimberly. We have it on good authority that the parts Andrew needs are in the town 30 miles down the road so we're waiting for a storm to blow over than we'll ride over and if all goes well we'll be riding out of Burley Idaho ready for whatever the mountains of Wyoming have for us =)

I need to give a shout out to the youthful group of riders we met on Saturday, their energy and exuberance for life was truly an inspiration! If you're reading this keep it up! Also a big thank you to the Father of the Parish in Ontario for letting us pitch our tent on an emaculate lawn! Last but certainly not least Andrew and I would like to thank Ed and Rose from Mountain Home for their warm hospitality and generosity in serving 2 hungry bike riders!

As we've gone on in this trip I've begun to learn some things about myself. One is that I do not like sleeping in random spots along the road. Andrew's much more flexible than I am. I don't need a lot, but I really like city parks with green grass, trees and picnic benches. This difference in temperments hasn't caused any major derission other than Andrew making some remarks about my overly sensitive sensibilities, but I can deal with that as long as I have my grass. Another thing I've learned is that I truly enjoy people. We've been biking through some large empty spaces and will continue to do so. This lack of constant human interaction has allowed me to stop and consider why in almost every town we come across I have to talk to someone. I just compulsively have a conversation with whoever happens to be around. I've gotten to talk with some very interesting people, everyone from the Hungarian who is now retired to California, but still can't really speak English, to the middle aged landscaper regretting past events but still looking to the future with a smile. It's interesting to me because in New Jersey or at school I have been constantly with people and I think I've forgotten how valuable people are. How each person has dreams, aspirations, and thoughts, and how those things must be taken seriously. If they are not valued all our talk about human value is just window dressing and we are no better than the worst of hypocrites. So all that to say my time on the saddle riding through small town America has reminded me that no matter the life circumstances that someone is living in they have value because they are after all human.

Now here are some pictures =) everyone loves pictures,

This first one is our bikes all geared out, this was in front of a small library in Vale OR, beautiful little town with a fantastic bakery!! (Andrew really likes the bakeries)

This next picture represents some of the new words that Andrew and I have been learning. In this instance "Congestion" means that there is a 50/50 chance you'll see two cars passing eachother in front of the RV park around the corner.

This is a scene that Andrew and I have been riding throug the last couple days. Lot's of irrigation, contrasted with lots of desert.

Yeah, we slept in a teepee. We rock.

As always it has been a pleasure writing to you all, your comments are a great encouragement to Andrew and myself.

Riding on,

Nate

"The wise consider the possibility of failure, but only a fool dwells on it." (A well known philosopher)

* 80% of all donations go to Living Water International. To date we have raised over $1200!!!



I think I like this...

Today I'm sitting in a brightly lit, airy library in the small town of Burns Oregon. The previous 140 odd miles were pretty much void of all human life. It was really impressive how much open space there was. We spent the better part of yesterday in Lakeview and then road out in the afternoon for a solid 50 miles. We came sprinting out of a mountain pass into a huge valley surrounded by bare mountains, nothing but road and high desert for miles and miles, the sun was setting quickly behind the mountains, but thankfully some wise Oregon Transportation official saw fit to put a rest area right where we needed camp so we spent the night in the valley behind some small trees. The stars are majestic out here. Again we were worried about running out of water so we asked the good people of Oregon traveling through the rest area for water, they gladly complied and supplied us with the next days water (the rest areas water fountains were not working).

Today we road 86 miles to Burns, it's a good sized town with a nice little park that we hope to make home for the night. Unfortunately there is no bike shop, and Andrew's wheel still could use replacing so we hope to find something in Ontario, OR. Physically we are both doing great, a lot of miles on a bike will get you in shape pretty fast =)

The traffic along 395 between Lakeview and Riley is very sparse, but it has been interesting to note that with only one exception the only people to wave hello are people on motorcycles or guys in trucks, the one exception is a very flamboyant lady in an antique car. I've come up with all sorts of social theories as to why this is, but Andrew thinks they are pretty much ridiculous. Basically my theory revolves around the fact that guys in pickup trucks are more prone to expressing themselves and thus freer with their emotions. I could expand but I'll leave it at that.

Highlight for the day for me was riding alongside stampeding cattle, I felt like a cowboy for about a minute, and then the road turned away and my herd was no longer with me. Andrew's highlight was getting to the Riley gas station after 90 plus miles of pretty disolate desert.

This first picture of one of the areas we went through. The second picture is off a big honkin lake with no people = lots of real estate potential!!! and the third and final picture is my favorite for the day. We rode through this town called Wagonwheel, the gas station was all boarded up, and I'm pretty sure population was approaching zero, but they did have shade and a skull at the entrance of the motel which just made me laugh.

Hope you're enjoying reading these posts, we're enjoying the ride. We are steadily getting the hang of this touring thing, the key is to talk to the locals, and not to look at your watch =)

From out west,
Nate

* 80% of all donations go to Living Water International, for more information see earlier post.

1 down 11 more to go (states that is)

Thankfully California is the biggest state we'll be going through =) The picture below is us at the Golden Gate! The other picture is of Andrew at McKerrick state park right outside of Fort Bragg CA (not the military base, the town), it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been.

I've had a lot of time to think on this trip, a lot of it is wasted on trying to figure out what mountains the road is going to be going around and then cringing when I realize that the road doesn't go around but instead goes over the mountian, but some of the time has been salvaged for some productive realizations. One of these revolves around the kind of God I believe in. I have read the Sermon on the Mount several times, and every time when Jesus starts talking about how He cares for the birds and the flowers, and how this should comfort us in how He will most assuredly provide for our food, clothing and shelter, I start thinking about what a lame insurance policy that is. I'm in middle class America which more or less guarantees that I get food, clothing, and shelter without having to depend on any act of God. This is not to say that He's not involved in the orchestration of these blessings, but rather to say that it's not a pressing need that weighs on my mind. This dynamic changes when you get on a bike with a limited budget and want to cross the country. We've been soo blessed with places to stay when we most needed it, good clothing when we didn't even know we needed it, and good food and water at the most unexpected times. We've also been blessed with chance meetings of bike mechanics along the way who have been a great source of help and information. My point is that it has all been a healthy reminder that God cares about the little mundane things in our lives, He shows love to us through the little stupid things that we aren't even cognant of. It makes me stand back a little in shock that He's paying attention.

So if you got through all of that =) Andrew and I are in Lakeview Oregon. After a 118 mile ride yesterday from our campsite at a "full service" rest area (word to AAA: to the average traveler "full service" means running water, not an out house, thankfully Andrew was able to score some water off of a well prepared minivan mom) to Lakeview where we got to see the local firework show and enjoyed hot showers at the fairgrounds! In the future fairgrounds will be the first place we look for a hot shower =) Today we hope to get in 70 plus miles to get within striking distance of Burns OR. We will follow 395 until it hooks up with Rt. 20 and then follow that into Idaho. The terrain will be most flat valleys with occassional large hills to get to the next valley. It's very beautiful country with very few people around to enjoy it.

Andrew's bike is hopefully under permanent renewal right now, the spokes were really giving him problems. It's rideable, but the general rule is that if Andrew thinks that it's a problem, it must be a real problem.

Well that's all for now folks, if you have any suggestions for what to post or have any questions feel free to let me know, blogging can become a self focused endeavor and I'd really prefer it to be more collaborative.

Later,
Nate

PS Random Fact: Did you know we had Antelope running around in California!?! I did not, but they are!

* 80% of all donations go to help fund living water international, 20% goes to trip expenses (ie food) For more information see previous posts.

1 week in, a lot of miles later and...

We are in Susanville California. It's off of Rt. 36 close to the Nevada border. We are planning on going up Rt 395 into Orgeon within the next couple days. I won't be able to upload photos right now because our internet connection is tenuous at best.

Rt 1 (the road going up along the coast of CA) was beautiful. From Rt 101 we got a ride over to Redding with some very interesting people, suffice to say we learned alot about the local industry.

I had a lot of things that I've thought about saying in this first post, everything from how humbling biking into the wind up a mountain is and having to depend on random passerbys for help (point in case I am now in a "closed" bike shop of a guy we met in church having Andrew's bike checked out), another thought was to go on about how bike touring is the best conversation starter in the world (no joke I've talked with more strangers about more random stuff in the last week than I can ever remember), but I have to beg forgiveness and not go into any of those subjects. Instead I'd just like to say it has been a great week of getting to know CA and it's amazing people. I hope to be able to post something more thought provoking and definite soon (how soon? I have no idea), but just know that we are out somewhere in Western America biking along and enjoying the time =)

With warmest regards,
Nate

PS If you are ever in Susanville California stop by Bicycle Bananas store and say hi.

PPS The reason we have to get the bike checked out is because we took an old railroad track converted into a bike path and the road was sometimes less than forgiving. The path was awesome though! Train tunnels and bridges with peacefull meadows and perhaps best of all free camping =)