Bike Day Six -- Cold Springs Station (Sand Mtn) to Bob Scott Campground in Humbolt-Toiyabe National Forest

Since we underestimated the distance from Fallon to Cold Springs I ended my actual biking at Sand Mtn yesterday and then started again at Sand Mtn early today. There aren't a whole lot of tourist attractions around here, so we made sure we checked out the "shoe tree" -- we thought of NYC!

After dropping me at my starting point, Cami spent the morning at our campground at Cold Springs where we had internet. This was a long day of climbing...who ever would have thought there'd be so many climbs once I was beyond the Sierra Nevadas...but we are still climbing peaks of about 7,000 ft. Cami joined me for some biking today.

This construction area created quite the dust storm! I was about a half hour back from Cami, but I caught up to her and a string of cars waiting their turn to be allowed through. The woman directing traffic let me through telling me "I radioed all the trucks and they know you are there and will watch for you." Props.

The climb into Austin, NV

A shady lady in Austin

The climb out of Austin, NV

Bike Day Five -- Carson City, NV to Sand Mountain Rec Area (Cold Springs Station)

We planned the stay in Carson City with the intention of doing some errands together in the morning before getting on the road again. Not only did we have a night of internet, but we got propane, gas, groceries, and went to the post office together.

After all that I got on my bike at about 2:30pm and rode through Fallon to Sand Mountain Rec Area...about 64 miles.  It was cool to see jets from the naval air base doing maneuvers overhead. This was a stretch of the classic infinity road that seemed like it ribboned on forever. I went past sand flats, the sand dune at the rec area (with all the off road vehicles). 

Cami ate leftovers, read and watched the off road vehicles at the dune for a while as she waited for me to arrive, then we drove to our campground for the night, in Cold Springs Station, where we had electricity, running water and showers! 

Downtown Carson City...casinos at nearly every hotel and restaurant

The unpictured corner was the historic building

Time for reflection

Ready to start on the road again at about 2:30pm in the heat. This calls for Da Brim and a sun protective shirt!

There he goes...

Oops...forgot I wanted to take one more package of honey stinger fruit chews for this section

We connected at the Fallon Visitor Center, where Cami had some air conditioning and internet. They filled our water bottles and told us it was only about 40 miles to Cold Springs (no...actually 60! that's a big mistake to tell a biker!)...but we carried on east...

A chair in the shade, mexican leftovers, a good book (thanks, Louise!) -- not too bad of a wait for Cami to make today...

Bike Day Four -- Cook's Station, CA to Carson City, NV

From Cook's Station I climbed to an elevation of 8,000 ft three times before catching the tailwind I had been hoping for to drop 3500 feet to the desert floor. In the middle of the ride I did meet up with Cami in Kirkwood -- a ski village, really -- where we shared a wonderful everything bagel with egg, avocado, bacon, cream cheese and arugula. That was good enough fuel to keep me going!

In Kirkwood Cami was able to go on a run and have some computer time with their free internet.

It was amazing to see the change from the Sierra Nevadas and the forested areas there...and almost as soon as we entered Nevada it looked more desert-like.

Because of the tailwind, not only did I get to Carson City, but I biked 28 miles beyond. Cami drove out to pick me up and brought me back to Carson City where we indulged in a hotel night...at the Gold Dust Hotel. Despite thinking it sounded kind of cheesy, the hotel was clean and quiet, had a pool and hot tub - which we enjoyed...and gave us a free breakfast in the morning. 

Run in Kirkwood - fairly flat in the ski resort area, but at elevation was still a challenge

One of many climbs through the Sierra Nevadas

Roadside rest break

Bike Day Three -- Folsom to Cook Station

My goal today was to make it to Kirkwood, CA. The Sierra Nevadas stood in my way...and after 57 miles I was spent. What looked good on a map was not so good in reality in terms of mileage and elevation -- which was 6,435ft. I had to stop every 1000 ft to catch my breath and take a drink, then it dropped to every 500 ft then 250 ft once I was over 6,000 ft in elevation. I didn't have any more punch in my legs.

I had to take the long term view rather than just the day and do what was right for my body. We adjusted the plan and found a campground nearby. Pipi campground at 4,100 feet was 8 miles away but what find! It was breath-takingly beautiful with tall redwoods and a lovely cold mountain creek.

Bike Day Two -- Napa to Folsom: Go Directly to Jail, Do Not Pass Go

My legs felt heavy after the triathlon yesterday and my ride started with a wake up call. In the first 8 miles I climbed 1300 feet, some with a 9% grade.  While Cami started the day with a latte and a little computer time at Starbucks in downtown Napa, I began biking, looking up at hot air balloons above me. I dont know what was going on in Napa that day but by the end of the day I was looking DOWN on those balloons!

The cool thing about my route today was that 10 miles outside Davis I took the dedicated, paved bikeway that runs parallel to the road. It was great to see so many people out enjoying the path or commuting to work or school. There were even bike roundabouts!

A yellow bridge noted the Gateway to Sacramento. Turning left off the bridge I continued on to the Jedidiah Bike trail toward Folsom next to a river bed. 

Cami felt pretty sure that on a dedicated route it would be safe to try to track me down, so she drove to our campground, got the rig settled and started to bike to me. It was more tricky to connect than we expected because as I neared Folsom and we tried to figure out where one another was we realized that the Jedidiah trail ran on both sides of the river bed! 

When we finally connected Cami shared some bad news. "I literally coasted to you for the first 30-40 minutes of my hour ride." Uh oh; this didn't bode well for the remainder of my 100 miles for the day. It was work to get to the top of the climb but once there we turned and in 20 feet was our campground (Folsom Lake, Beal's Point) -- right off the trail!

We cooled our heels at the reservoir there with a sandy beach, then went out to dinner in downtown Folsom at Hop Sing Palace for yummy chinese food!

Sacramento, here I come...

After meeting up with Cami on the Jedidiah Bike trail...before the climb into the campground

My lovely wife in downtown Folsom after our chinese meal

Let's Toss in a Little Triathlon While We're at It...

Saturday, June 9 was a rest day, but we drove to Monte Rio to pick up our race packets and have a little time there before our triathlon on Sunday. Cami had connected with the principal at the elementary school months back to see if it was ok for us to park in the parking lot there overnight prior to the triathlon. When -- we pulled in "Rob," the neighbor to the parking lot stopped by. He made sure we weren't pulling in with a whole group because "tonight is the biggest party I host all year and I have a lot of folks who will be parking here tonight, including a souped up bus turned into a camper. In fact, stop by later for a beer. I'm going to be showing two movies in my backyard, too, so it might be a late night!" Great. Sounds like a good night for sleep. (But it actually was surprisingly quiet and didn't bother our slumber.)

Now...the reason we even planned this triathlon into our schedule is that months back Chris told us the he and his daughter Charis were going to do this race and it wasn't far from where and when we were going to start the bike across America. Thus, Chris rode out to CA with me...and Friday night Chris joined Charis and wife Julie in Monte Rio. After the tri Cami and I would be on our own!

We had let Cami's cousin Linda from Alameda/San Fran know that we were going to be in the general area. It worked out beautifully well that they had a grandson's graduation near there so not only did we get to have dinner with Dan and LInda on Friday night, but they stayed in the rental two doors over from Chris, Julie and Charis!

Sunday was the Monte Rio Sprint Triathlon. A fun race that started in the Russian River, where we swam up current half way then downstream back for 750m. The bike was through rolling hills and then the race was along the shaded river. Chris took first in his age group, Charis took 2nd in her age group; Cami and I were in 6th and 7th in our age groups. A fine day was had by all, then Cami and I drove to Napa, where I finished the ride on Friday and stayed overnight at a "warmshowers" host. You can google search that if you want. Tomorrow/Monday June 11 begins the nearly daily riding on my own.

Camping spot at Monte Rio Union Elementary...with "Rob's" guests in their camper bus nearby
 
 

Bike Day 1 -- Bodega Bay to Napa, CA

On Friday, June 8 the plan was for Chris and I to bike from Bodega Bay to Petaluma, then to meet Cami in Petaluma where she and Chris would switch spots and Cami would ride with me from Petaluma to Napa.  This was to be 64 miles -- a ride to get me started on the route (but with a day off and triathlon before the daily bikes began)

As I said, the plan was to go 64 miles, but it was my first day really depending on my GPS navigation system. That nice little arrow was pointing us in the right direction, I was sure! Several miles and hill climbs after leaving the coast of Bodega Bay, Chris and I biked around a bend and voila! It was the coast...again!  There lay the Pacific in front of us. We had made a large loop and were back at our campground. Chris had planned a 30 mile ride with me, but ended up doing 45 instead. The plan for me to do 64 on this, my first day...ended up being 79.4 with an elevation change of 3,987 feet.

We met up with Cami as planned (but later!) in Petaluma and Cami biked with me through wine country on to Napa.

This was when we knew we were coming back to the Pacific and had made a big loop!

A fine end to the day of biking...avocado/bacon/turkey sandwich from a local shop and wine from a vineyard we biked past...

Put my bike tires in the Pacific before I left!

Got my wife now! Santa Rosa to Bodega Bay, CA

Santa Rosa to Bodega Bay

Cami told me she was flying into STS airport in Santa Rosa so that's where Chris and I headed on Thursday June 7 to pick her up. In downtown Santa Rosa it began to dawn on us that we really needed to find Snoopy...and go to the Charles Schultz Sonoma County Airport. We still made it right as she was walking off her flight. 

Who would have thought that the best sushi in Sonoma was at the airport?! And it was! 

Off we drove to our westernmost destination -- Bodega Bay, CA -- yes, home of the filming of the Alfred Hitchcock movie. the Birds.  We set up camp and had seafood for dinner. Tomorrow (Friday June 8) would be the first ride from the coast to Napa, CA!

Wyoming and Donner Lake

On day two we crossed the continental divide 5 times as we wound through Wyoming. We drove past Independence Rock, a historic site that claims to still show wagon wheel ruts in the ground. 

We encountered the beautiful Donner Lake area and stopped to check it out. It was a moving experience for me because I have been told I had ancestors there, and I thought of them huddled together that terrible winter. I took a photo of the rock chimney for the kitchen of the house where they all were.

I set out on a journey of endurance, but it is nothing compared to what many of our ancestors endured.

Chris and I decided we couldn't complain any more about sun, wind, heat or hills...

On the Way -- The Trip Out West

Badlands of South Dakota

With Cami heading to Pittsburgh to help with training new CCO campus ministry staff I took off on the road with our van, camper and friend/training partner for the last 12 years, Chris Schubert. The ride was through amazing country and it provided a wonderful start to my renewal leave. 

Our first day of driving was slow. There was a 20-25 mph headwind -- and added to the van and camper it made for a whopping 8 miles per gallon. Good thing we weren't yet on the "loneliest road."

Our first overnight was in the badlands. Originally we were going to stay in Interior, SD -- population 52. Cami and I had stayed overnight there once on another trip out west with our kids, and there was a little campground there. On that trip we worshiped at First Presbyterian Church of Interior -- doubling their congregation with our family of five plus niece Haley. This time we were not there on a Sunday, but worship happened anyway. Cami's research informed us that if we preferred, we could "boondock" (park/camp for free) on Bureau of Land Management property on an overlook. We found the spot and were glad that we chose to stay overnight there. We were on the rim of God's creation. The sunset and the sunrise over the badlands were both spectacular and unforgettable. God's handiwork is so apparent there.

We took a bike ride through the badlands the next day. Besides the beauty of the topography, there were some interesting goats on the hillsides. I was pretty sure a "butting" was going to happen, but thankfully not.