Day 45

Day 45 was good for me.  95 miles from Henrietta to Liverpool which is the north end of Syracuse.  After getting out of city limits we road along the Erie Canal for about 25 miles.  Though the trail was crushed gravel which made it more difficult, the canal is very impressive and the little towns that are by the canal were interesting.  The first three pictures are from the canal area.  The canal was started in 1817 to develop a water route from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.  By 1822, 220 miles of the canal were open.  It was very controversial at the time and many opposed the government investment in the future.  All those who opposed are forgotten by history but those that supported are part of history. 

The forecast was for rain today; however, I got an early start and though I was in sprinkles most of the day, never really got wet.  Many of those behind me got caught in a steady downpour.  I felt good and actually biked faster the last 60 miles today into a slight headwind and sprinkles than yesterday when I had a slight tailwind.  Kim brought treats to the second sag station which was most appreciated by the riders tired of the same snacks every day.

Syracuse was the original site of the Iroquois Confederation which was originally five Indian nations before expanding to six.  There has been much written how the Confederation was one basis for the colonial government for a representative form of government.  The Iroquois Confederation is an amazing story which I have read much about.  The Seneca were the west end of the Confederation and it is their lands which we are not biking through.

The next pictures are of a park and Lake Onondaga which we biked by on the way to the hotel.  The whole terrain today were green hills and farms in the valleys.  The last picture is of supper, one of my three favorite meals of the day.

Tomorrow we bike about 80 miles to Little Falls. 

Day 44

Day 44 was 84 miles under sunny skies and a slight tailwind.  After getting out of Niagara Falls, we were on rural roads, but still lots of houses and a fair amount of traffic.  Most roads had a paved shoulder.  I took my time, and it was great to know that when I got done, Kim would be there.

Only took one picture, and that was of rap.  Rap is the meeting we have each night to discuss the next day’s route.  In Wyoming and SD it was not a long meeting as often we were on the same road all day, but since MN, we might have 30-50 turns in one day, so it is important to pay attention.  I have a tendency to let my mind wander so I really have to stay focused.  We get a trip sheet that lists all the turns and roads and distance between each turn and total mileage as one makes the turn.  The trip sheet also list towns, food and where the rest stops will be.  Many riders have missed turns including me and it is a real bummer to have to ride extra miles. 

Tomorrow could be a fun day as we ride on the trail for a few miles next to the Erie canal; however, the forecast is for rain and t-storms all day.    

Day 43

Day 43 is a rest day in Niagara Falls.  Kim got here yesterday afternoon and we went out for a great supper last night at a local restaurant.  It is great to have her here and today we are going to do some sightseeing.  Kim tells other riders the reasons I wanted to have her here was first I do not have to eat at another buffet, second not wait in line to do laundry and third to see her.  Though one and two are nice, three is actually number one and got all the first place votes with me.  The initial pictures are of Kim and me on the Canadian side of the Falls.  We spent some time looking at the Falls from a variety of points.  Folloiwng are a few thoughts and comments. 

Weather:  We continued to be very fortunate with the weather going across the Ontario.  Every day there was rain and t-storms around us, but we never got wet except for few sprinkles.  Especially the day we went across the toll bridge when we had t-storms all night the night before ending just before we left.  If the severe weather south of us had been 30 miles to the north, it would have been ugly.  Also we had at least a partial tailwind every day which makes biking a whole lot easier.

Fun:  People often ask me if I am having fun.  The reality is the tour is very challenging, at least for me, rewarding, especially completing each day, incredibly scenic everywhere we have been, and spiritual, but rarely fun.  There have been parts of some days which have been a lot of fun, for example the first day going across Michigan, but for the most part, I would not describe it as fun.  At the same time, life should be fun at times, but also needs to be other things, most of which we have experienced on the tour. 

Self Contained Riders:  Since the first day in Oregon, we have seen self contained riders most every day.  Self contained riders have touring bikes, which are much heavier than road bikes, and carry their own gear as they ride across the US.  Adventure Cycling, a non-profit organization which promotes all types of bicycling, sells detailed maps of routes going across the US of which one parallels our route in many places.  I have a new respect for self-contained riders.  A few years ago I biked the coast of Oregon by myself and carried my own gear, but stayed in hotels.  Many self-contained riders camp, some stay in hotels and some do both.  Self contained riders are often carrying 50-70 lbs of gear including extra water and food as they never know if they will be at a place they can find more.  Though I have always respected self-contained riders, my respect has increased 100-fold.  Kim and I met a self-contained rider in Casper who was an ex-attorney, moved to Oregon and built a new type of touring bike and then was biking back to New York City.  Though it is hard to tell in the last picture, the total weight including the bike, gear and himself approached 300 lbs.  On the ferry across Lake Michigan there was a rider who had started in Oregon two days after us, carrying a total weight including himself of about 300 lbs, and was on the ferry with us.  This means that he had two days of less riding, carrying his own gear and camping at night, ended up the same place we did with none of the support we have had.  We all felt like weanies compared to him. 

In the moment:  For most of my adult life, I have lived my profession by thinking and planning for the future for myself and our clients.  However, on this tour I have been the most in the moment that I have been for many years.  I think about today and tomorrow and that’s about it.  Very few riders on the tour think or plan beyond tomorrow. 

Speaking of tomorrow, we got to Henrietta, NY.  

Day 42

Day 42 was a relatively easy day from Brantford to Niagara Falls.  I was excited to get done, partly because tomorrow is a rest day, mostly because Kim is meeting me in Niagara Falls. Again, we were in the middle of two rain systems, but we biked in cool cloudy weather and made good time. The first picture is of a brick mansion next to the road.  What was unusual is that the house was not unusual, but common.  Today and yesterday we saw huge brick mansions alongside the road, one after another.  About 15 miles from Niagara Falls the terrain changed and was very wooded with houses interspaced.  It felt like riding in a vail.  The second picture reflects that part of the ride. 

Riding into the Canadian side of Niagara Falls at noon on Sunday was congested to say the least.  I found some other riders on the walkway and took some pictures of the falls, myself and other riders.  The whole walkway was full of people and we heard many different languages.  Niagara Falls is the result of glaciers retreating about 50,000 years ago creating a lake which gradually uplifted creating the Falls about 12,000 years ago.  The original Falls were about 7 miles north, but over thousands of years have moved due to erosion.   I knew they were beautiful, but they were more majestic than I anticipated.  Though Native Americans have lived here for thousands of years, I am sure the early white explorers were amazed at the first sight and hearing the Falls.

Five of us went over in a group.  We had to be in the car lane as bicyclists are not allowed on the sidewalks.  We were all wearing our ABBike jerseys and it was slow going across the bridge into the US.  For that reason lots of passengers in cars asked us about our tour and wished us the best.  Most could not believe we were biking across America, so do we.  The next picture is Jeff and Julie behind me in line.  When we finally got to customs, we all resisted the urge to be funny. 

The last pictures are Gary, Jeff and me under the New York sign.  About the same time we got to the hotel, Kim arrived and it was great to see her.  We plan to hang out tomorrow and then hit the road again on Tuesday. 

Day 41

As biking days go, on a scale from one to ten, today from  London to Brantford, Ontario was a twelve.  Sunny, not a cloud in the sky, warm but not hot, not humid and a slight tailwind most of the way. It was a great day to be on a bike.  It was “only” 68 miles so by tour standards was a short day.  We did not leave until 8:30.  I needed the late start as was tired after yesterday and was able to sleep in a little.

We were on local roads going through farm land and farmsteads.  Like the states we just went through it was very green all over, especially after the recent rains.  One thing at which I have been surprised is the number of farmsteads.  Unlike the western US where ranches were far and few between, here there are lots of rural homes.  Some were obviously big farming options while with many it was difficult to know if active farming or just lived in a rural setting.  Since entering Canada there have been lots of small towns through we have biked. Close to Branford there were huge brick mansions alongside the road. The first picture is a rest stop in a small town and the second a corn field in the distance surrounded by trees. 

Many riders stopped at small fruit and vegetable stands alongside the road at the 50 mile mark.  They were selling fruit and vegetables grown locally plus pies and other baked goods.  Some riders bought a pie to be taken to the hotel in the sag wagon.  I thought about it, but was pretty sure I would eat the whole thing so opted to buy a basket of blueberries on which I have been snacking all afternoon. 

Brantford is the birthplace of Wayne Gretzky and one of main highways is named after it.  It also is the birthplace of Jay Silverheels who people my age and trivia experts would remember as Tonto on the series “The Lone Ranger.”  The longest living Canadian died here, Andrew Lucas, who lived 125 years.  He was born a slave and was owned by Stonewall Jackson of Civil War fame and died a free man in Brantford.  Though the information I read did not state if Lucas was one of the slaves smuggled out of the South before and during the Civil War via the Underground Railroad ending up as free men and women in Canada.  Canada is a great country and this part of their history is one of the reasons why.  Finally, Brantford was the home of the parents of Alexander Graham Bell and along with New York City where Bell lived, claims to be the birthplace of the telephone as he worked on it here. 

Tomorrow we bike back to the US crossing the border at Niagara Falls.  Kim is flying in to Buffalo and then after renting a car will drive to Niagara Falls.  Weather looks good so far. 

Day 40

We caught another break with the weather.  Today we went from Port Huron, MI, over the Port Huron bridge into Canada ultimately ending at London, Ontario, about 82 miles.  Because of the bridge crossing and going through customs, we had a very structured start which was a little stressful.  We had to load by 6:45 and at 6:55 (keep in mind Mike, the tour leader is a retired officer in the Air Force  so times are precise), we left for the road to go across the bridge as a group. The bridge is a suspension bridge and we had to be very careful going over the joined parts as a  tire can be very easily caught in one of them.  Part of the tension was the structure and going through customs and part was the forecast was t-storms last night and today.  We did have t-storms all last night and it rained hard, but it stopped raining shortly before we left.  30 miles south of Port Huron there was severe weather as well as in London.  We just had a wet road.  One of the riders hit a slippery spot on the bridge and went down but was all right.  If the t-storm had been on top of us, we still would have to leave as customs closed the bridge while we crossed the bridge stopping all traffic making our passage very safe. 

The first picture is loading the van, the second going through customs and the last, the sign for Ontario, Canada. 

The stormy weather produced a nice wind from the west so we made very good time.  Was cloudy and very humid, but no rain.  We were on local roads with not a lot of traffic and farmsteads every  few miles.  After 40+ miles a guy in a car slowed down as I approached and yelled at me there was “a big Rottweiler about 5 clicks ahead.”  Terrific.  With the wind I was in high teens for average mph but with inspiration I kicked it up.  Taking no chances on how far 5 clicks really is, for the next 5 miles I was in the 26-28 mph range.  Adrenalin is an amazing thing.  After four miles a big dog came charging out of a farmstead, but I was by in a blur (for someone with poor vision).  Other riders were chased by the dog.  Dogs can be very dangerous for cyclists and there have been a couple of encounters.  The main risk is not getting bit by the dog, as that is very rare, but the dog getting in front of the bike and running over the dog which can be serious for the both  the dog and cyclist.  I don’t blame the dog, but the owners.  Owners who let their dogs run free should be required to pick up dog poo for one year in a major city. 

We road by a lot of farmsteads, almost all well kept.  I am far from an expert, but the corn here and in Michigan did not look to be anywhere near the quality as what we saw in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.  I cannot describe how, but the terrain was different. 

It looks like the weather will move out for awhile.  Hopefully so. 

Day 39

We caught a break on the weather today.  It rained with t-storms all night and the forecast was 80% rain and t-storms today.  When we got up, there was severe weather south and of us with 2-3 inches of rain and flooding including some road closures.  The first picture is the rain ending and the parking lot of the hotel.  We held off departing until 7:30 and by that time the rain had stopped.  It was cloudy and humid, but did not rain and there was a light tailwind so I averaged over 16 mph which is good for me.  It turned out to be very good day as we road 87 miles. 

I was one of the very last to leave as I could not decide on which rain gear to wear and bring.  I have very good rain gear which I bought years ago when I biked the coast of Oregon by myself.  I also have a very light jacket which is water resistant, but not waterproof.  I hate being wet and cold so originally had on my rain gear, but given that it was already above 70 degrees and very humid when I was getting ready to go, I carried my rain jacket in a backpack, left my rain pants and wore my rain booties.  Everyone gave me a lot of grief for being over dressed at the start.  I am not used to riding in warm rain. In ND when a rain system comes through, unless it is a passing t-storm it can cool off and stay cool even in the summer.  Anyway I changed on the sidewalk before loading my gear on the truck which was an occasion for more grief.

Though I road with Jeff and Karina for a while, for the most part I road by myself which I enjoy.  One of the reasons is the fast riders who leave before me I will never catch and those that leave behind me normally catch me in 20 minutes to an hour plus depending on when they leave.  The strongest riders, those who are on the route the longest during the day, I will normally catch within an hour or two depending on when they actually leave.  The middle riders like me often do not see each other except at rest stops or if someone takes a lot of pictures as we are going close to the same speed.  For that reason, after an hour or two it is not unusual to be pretty much by myself the rest of the day.

Morgan would say I like riding by myself because that is how I train and am not used to riding with other people.  Courtney would say I like my personal space.  Kim would say it is my personality or more accurately, lack of.  They are probably all three correct.

The next picture is of Nancy and Adrianne at the second rest stop.  The park is named after Adrianne’s father’s family who are from this area.  Unfortunately, Adrianne’s father left Nancy and children when they were very small and Nancy raised the children on her own  as a single parent.  She became a very successful realtor.  She probably kicked the sign after we were done taking the picture. 

The last picture is riding into Port Huron and one of the homes alongside the lake.  Many of the homes were spectacular mansions.  Tomorrow we ride over the bridge to London, Ontario.  The forecast is more rain.  Like every other place we have ridden through, there is so much history here.  Lake Huron is named after the Huron Indian tribe that inhabited part of the Great Lakes area. They fought with the French against the English and the Iroquois nation made famous in the book “Last of the Mohicans” and later the movie.  We think of the frontier as the American West, but for well over a 100 years the frontier was throughout the eastern part of waht is now the US.  There were many different tribes, all were eventually defeated and either moved or put on small reservations.  Often all that remains are the names of towns and rivers.