---- REDWOODS TO THE NORTHWEST ----
Trip Four --- WI, IA, NE, CO, UT, ID, CA, OR, WA, MT, SD, & MN
Redding, Boise, Corvallis, Salem, Walla Walla, (Bellingham & Kootnay)
6.22 - 7.4.15
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BIKE MILES: 5382 GPS MILES: 5218 TOTAL YEAR: 20910
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First Week : 2801 miles
Day : 1 Date : 6.22.15 Monday
Str Cty : Home Str Mls. : 6600
End Cty : Norfolk, NE End Mls : 7112
Dly Mls : 469 Tot Mls : 469
Time. : 7:21 hrs Notes : x Iowa on 20
Left at 7:30 and rode till I discovered I forgot my riding belt, so backtracked home to start again. By Dodgeville it started sprinkling and the last 20 miles into Dubuque it was a torrential downpour. Luckily I had gotten my rain gear on so when cars stopped along side the road I kept going. The rain continued for 4 hours with only sporadic downpours. I took Hwy 151 to catch 20 in Dubuque for the ride across Iowa to Sioux City as the temperatures rose from the mid 60s to the mid 80s. There I caught Hwy 35 and rode into Norfolk, home to 25k people and the hometown of Johnny Carson. The new seat gave me fits; when the rear was up I slid forward and bound my pants with my knees on the tank and ache in my lumbar area, and when I lowered the back area my hips were not supported so I had to reach forward for the bars an developed an ache in my upper back and in my rib cage. I called Russell and made and appointment for next Monday. HIx was 10k pas +$70. The wind and sun aggregated my nose to itching and touchy. Tried using my MP3 to listen to music, but the wind noise drowned out the major part of the sound..
Day : 2 Date : 6.23.15 Tuesday
Str Cty : Norfolk Str Mls : 7112
End Cty : Fort Collins, CO End Mls : 7633
Dly Mls : 516 Tot Mls : 985
Time : 8:30 hrs Notes : cold to hot 1 to 5 K'
Awake at 4... Left at 7:30 south down 81 from Norfolk in mid 60 temp and bright sun lite at 1k'. Ran 40 miles Hwy 81 to I-80 and then cross country on Hwy 6 to McCook and onto Sterling for Hwy 14. The corn is calf high (I actually saw a farmer cultivating the corn rows, something not seen for years) potatoes in bloom, wheat is brown and about ready to harvest, and hay is cut and drying everywhere. This ride on back state roads and wandering around was the best crossing of Iowa and Nebraska I have had. Ended in Fort Collins at 5k' and high 80s heat. Kelzie left for Tanzania today. Same seat and back problems as yesterday. Bike is running well tho I have had low milage..Monday with head winds I got 39 mpg and today with heat and elevation I got 45 mpg. Tried to ride the speed limit all day and did an admirable job. Paid $83
Day : 3 Date : 6.24.15 Wednesday
Str Cty : Fort Collins, CO Str Mls : 7633
End Cty : Heber City, UT End Mls : 8085
Dly Mls : 453 Tot Mls : 1438 miles
Time : 7:45 Notes : temperatures over 100...
Awake at 2:00 with fitful sleep thereafter worrying about Kelzie, having lack of good sleep and trying to decide if I should return home. Left at 7:30 in mid 60s but as I rose in Poudre Canyon and 10300 feet the temp dropped to the low 50s. As I moved on I came to the Continental Divide at 9426', third for the year. Very comfortable riding as I approached Walden at 6k'. By noon and beyond Steamboat Springs the temp went progressively up to 100.5 west of Craig. The temperature only came down to the mid 80s at 8k' in UT and the AC in HIx - Heber City. Saw two moose grazing, several mule deer (some sleeping on the road) and a herd of antelope. Almost all the land today was used for grazing cattle and commercial hay. A shower but I barely got the sweat and road grime off me without soap. Ate a salad at a local bbq joint... $83
Day : 4 Date : 6.25.15 Thursday
Str Cty : Heber City, UT Str Mls : 8085
End Cty : Boise, ID End Mls : 8476
Dly Mls : 387 Tot Mls : 1825 miles
Time : 5:20 Notes : interstate ..heat to 101.5
Rode the speed limit all day...very proud of myself ---of course, the limit was 80 mph.
Rode thru the Wasatch Mountains til 10am in 70-80 degrees - these mtns are austere but neat with prosperous farms and communities in the valley. Stopped at rest area and a truck driver who just bought a GSA came over to talk (for a 1/2 hour) and get info on touring. Above Ogden the terrain started flatter desert terrain and along the Great Salt Lake and the heat started to rise. I started to make more stops as the time and heat interfered with my feeling settled and comfortable. The temps since noon were averaging 96 degrees and peaked at 101.5. I stopped frequently to drink diet coke and Gatorade to stay alert and hydrated. Patience with stops worked out very well. At a Candlewood Suites for two nites for 5000 points/nite (usually HIx is 15-20000) and included breakfast with full kitchen, may stay a week.. Haven't heard from Kelzie in the last 36 hours. Checked temps and Redding where I'm going is 107 at 3pm. Some left side phantom pain the last two days. I misplaced my electronic bike key and had the retrace my activities since I got here and tear my room apart.. Sweaty I found it in my pants where it is not suppose to be! I took duct tape and to neck lanyard and made a way to carry on my neck or hooked into the pocket of my jacket.
Day : 5 Date : 6.26.15 Friday
Str Cty : Boise, ID Str Mls : 8476
End Cty : Boise End Mls : 8530
Dly Mls : 40 Tot Mls :
Time : 2 hrs Notes : 90 degrees by 11am
On being alone... I think of this abnormal state, that I've come to like, often as I ride. I have yet to find a definition or condition to assign it. Thinking alone and liking it makes me feel competent, but errors in life make my doubtful and obsessed, especially early in the morning hours as errors, omissions and fears come to lite. When I get on and get going I reverse the morning worry trend and conquer. Any intrusion takes effort.. Breaking thot and struggling to translate experience into words. I've learned to like the condition most people would think of as loneliness. No music like at home! Content to be silent and with only thots. I don't mind being alone tho I always miss Marn when I leave.
Up at 6:30 and at BMW at 9 to have my bike washed and checked. Then rode to Boise State and the Capitol of Idaho. After riding some neighborhoods and the temp 90 at 11 I returned to my AC. Boise is 215K with a major university and the state Capitol. The housing is typical of a working class, teaching, and state workers with upscale mercantile areas. If I knew the place better I think it would not be significantly different from Madison, except for Madison's medical services and tech industry. Ate salad at Applebee's at 4:30 preparing for the World Cup soccer game and leaving at mid nite to beat the heat.
Day : 6 Date : 6.27.15 Saturday
Str Cty : Boise Str Mls : 8530
End Cty : Redding, CA End Mls : 9024
Dly Mls : 546 Tot Mls : 2371
Time : 10 hrs riding time Notes : Lv @ midnite... arr. 11am...
To bed at 9, up at 11:30, and on the road at 12:00 to get to Redding without being in 107 degree heat. At start the temp was 80 and as I proceeded it randomly went down as low as 55 and as hi as 80, sometimes within a mile. I did not exceed 80 degrees until 40 miles out and below 3500'. 10 miles out it went to 90 and more in town. I had terrible breakfast in Burns about 150 miles in. At 5 I was so tired I stopped and laid on a brown bench 18" wide..slept about 20 minutes, I think, and awaking when my neck cramped 2ndary to my hand as a pillow. I was wide awake then for the next 5 hours, amazing recoup in such a short sleep and short bed sleep. Most of my ride was above 4k' and went as high as 5k'. The first 150 miles was on poor road and very dark so I was very slow. When I turned south on 395 and the sun rose I made better time, passing Paisley about 9am. Saw hundreds of jackrabbits on the road. The Goose Lake which is 25x10 miles was dry as far as I could tell. Then on ca299, Mt Shasta came into view... Continually dropping altitude in the Cascade Mountains and increasing temps I got to Redding HI at 11:00 and in 11 hours with just over 1 hour of non-riding time. Ready for a rest and took a swim. Applebee's wedge salad and tea-lemonade.
Day : 7 Date : 6.28.15 Sunday
Str Cty : Redding Str Mls : 9024
End Cty : Redding End Mls : 9060
Dly Mls : 25 miles around town Tot Mls : 2400
Time : Notes : rest and laundry day
Laundry done and gassed up by 8am. After nap I had parfait breakfast and I took a ride to Shasta Lake to see how low it was, forgetting my camera. It is low and they have already lost 20 feet this year to make power and it shows more than 60 feet down. Back to read and shave- my razor broke so I must use poor handout from desk. These cheap razors are hazardous to my scalp and I have several skin problems in addition to no hair. Took a swim, it is very hot outside - 100 today. I recommend the book Plain Truth by Picoult - re Amish and a murder trial. Ate wedge salad and shrimp at Applebee's again.. Been reading all late afternoon.
Day : 8 Date : 6.29.15 Monday
Str Cty : Redding Str Mls : 9060
End Cty : Mckinleyville, CA End Mls : 9344
Dly Mls : 284 Tot Mls : 2655
Time : 7:30 Notes : difficult drive, seat worked on..
To the coast and relief from heat.... After a review of my seat problems at Russell Day Long... I hoped they would rectify the problem ... Awake much after 2 and up at 5:30 cuz of too much thinking and trying not to worry. I pray they rectify the problem with my seat today, but I feel at their mercy. I arrived after McD parfaits at 8:00. Immediately my seat maker started working with me cuz his appointment was late. By 9:30 we had what felt like a change in the back part of the seat which felt good. I was off on a back highway (Plantina Road) of twists and turns, ups and downs at 30 miles per hour on the western slopes of the Coastal Range. The vegetation on this side of the range was fried and every plant, bush and tree had some dried damage, I met Hwy 36 at Plantina in the Trinity Mountains and then had a much improved road where one could ride 30-50 mph at about 88 degrees. Once over the top at over 4200 feet (which I exceeded twice) the vegetation looks okay. At 101 near Fortuna (150 miles) (at mid 70 degrees) I turned south to get on the Avenue of the Giants, the Humboldt Redwood State Park, and the Rockefeller Grove. After a tour of the redwoods I went out the back of the Rockefeller Forest on a very damaged, pot holed Mattole Road (in the Mattolie valley by the Mattole River) for 50 miles and over 2400 feet several times in heavy coniferous forests to Petrolia in the hinterland of CA over the Salmon Mountains and the Coast Range. I stopped at a store and snacked as I kibitzed. The community of 300-500 persons, with a total school of 30 students in all grades, is very isolated and I am sure was established as a homesteading, hippie location (with attendant pot plantations). Leaving Petrolia (with temps in the low 60s and hi 50s) I went over the mountain along the ocean to 45 feet then rose straight up the mountain to 945 and back down to 45. It then rose thru the first to 1800' before coming down to the beautiful community of Ferndale and Hwy 101. After 60 miles from Petrolia I got to my HIx for the nite... Hard ride with millions of turns, bad roads and overheating to freezing temperatures coming up the coast. Ate at Mexican place..salad and tortilla-cheese.
Week Two :1072 miles.
Day : 9 Date : 6.30.15 Tuesday
Str Cty : Mckinleyville, CA Str Mls : 9344
End Cty : Corvallis, OR End Mls : 9678
Dly Mls : 334 Tot Mls : 3000 miles Time : 6:15, arrive at 4:00
Notes : 45 minutes on FaceTime with Nook...HIx with a view onto the Willemette River... Great time talking to and seeing Kelzie this morning in breakfast area...allayed alot of anxiety. Left in overcast cold about 9 after our FaceTime. The first 250 miles up Hwy 101 was slow and cold, averaging about 65 degrees, but it was great undulating alone the ocean and passing thru the port towns and cities. At Florence I turned inland toward Eugene and went thru the hinterland with temperatures averaging 95 degrees for the last 100 miles. Having taken sleep meds during the nite screwed me up until late afternoon. Passed thru a lot of timberland coming over the Coast Ranges until I got to the inner valley which supports wheat, grass fescue, oats, berries (raspberries and boysenberries), and fields of mint. Stopped to talk to a farm hand and saw four combines working in one huge field where they lay the grasses down in windrows to dry before combining..they combine wheat standing up. The seat for my bike is still screwed up.. Sliding forward on low and producing an excruciating ache. Corvallis has 56000 citizens and Oregon State University. Rode around town, to the HP facility here, and ate at the Spagetti Factory next door...what a waste, poorly done calamari and terrible fat chicken Caesar salad. Biggest food bill I've had as I wanted to eat well tonite and I wasted the $$ and opportunity. Corvallis reminds me of Burlington VT or Bloomington -- university towns with a lot of older well maintained small homes, nice eating places and commercial districts, well organized, and clean! Do not see anything special tho.
Day : 10 Date : 7.1.15 Wednesday
Str Cty : Corvallis, Or Str Mls : 9678
End Cty : Walla Walla, WA End Mls : 10037
Dly Mls : 346 Tot Mls : 3335 miles
Time : 6:30 Notes : to Salem and Walla Walla ...
Left Corvallis in mid 60s and very comfortable... Rode the 35 miles to Salem and toured the Capitol area and to the visitors center with long sleeves on. Very nice downtown and residential area thereby, upscale compared to Corvallis. This country is very agricultural with grasses, grain crops, berries, and truck farming. So far I would choose Salem as a place to abide. Gassed and opted for country and state roads rather then interstate, thus wondering from town and turn to town and turn. I then headed toward the mountains and into the coniferous forests. Finally, Mount Hood came into view and I drove up to and around it. I found a forest service road which was hard in mid 80 temps and took it across the base area and above 3-4000 feet. As I came down and onto Hwy 197 the temp began to rise in the 90s. Here the area was ranching and huge wheat fields, with no crop rotation and fallowing the land between crops. When I got across to Hwy 14 and along the Columbia River to the north side the temperature went into the 100s, averaging over a 100 for the last 150 miles and peaking at 106 just outside Walla Walla. This area is hot, dry plains of rocky, burned terrain. It would be beautiful if it were not so hot. I got a fantastic room in the HIx, but it is too hot now to explore the city...later and in am. I spend a break at every stop to rehydrate with a coke and Gatorade and am now blotted. My 52 day old bike turned 10000 miles today in 106 degree heat. A day to change into clean riding clothes. WW has 31k folks and three colleges - one is Seven Day Adventist, Walla Walla univ ..Whitman liberal arts college ...Then & Now - City of Walla Walla.... www.wallawallawa.gov/visitors/history... Walla Walla is an Indian name meaning "many waters." In 1805, when Lewis and Clark traveled by the mouth of a small river flowing into the Columbia River, ... The Indians were there..so named by L&C... Explored the city..spread out, all services here, 3 colleges, penitentiary, VA facility, hospital, and nice downtown.
The basic route home... Not from Great Falls, but Walla Walla to Helena MT and on...
Day : 11 Date : 7.2.15. Thursday
Str Cty : Walla Walla, WA Str Mls : 10037
End Cty : Helena, MT End Mls : 10632
Dly Mls : 586 Tot Mls : 3921 miles
Time : 9:30 Notes : extra 140 miles. And hot..
Up at 4:30am and decided to head home and made reservation in Helena and cancelled Bellingham since tires look bad and the heat...rode 30 miles to Waitsburg and decided I should go to Bellingham...when I got to Pasco, I cancelled Helena and reinstated Bellingham. After 70 miles at 7am the temperature exceed 90, so I turned around and rode back to the spot where I changed reservations and changed them back. Now I felt terrible for wasting 2 hours and 140 added miles of 60-70 temperatures. Gased at Lewiston and the temperature rose to hi 90 and peaked at 102.5 in the valley alongside the Clearwater River and going over 4800' at Lolo Pass. Drank a coke and Gatorade three times going to and over Lolo pass. Came out of Missoula on interstate for 80 miles before getting on Hwy12 and crossing the Continental Divide (4th time) at 6300'. Remembered the back way to the HIx. Cancelled the over-the-top, Twisp, Glacier, and Kootenany portions of the planned ride...too hot and exhaustingly dangerous.
Day : 12 Date : 7.3.15 Friday
Str Cty : Helena Str Mls : 10632
End Cty : Watertown, SD End Mls : 11468
Dly Mls : 840 Tot Mls : 4761 miles
Time : 12:15 Notes : never above 85 degrees
Up and away by 7:00 on a lovely day in the mid 60s with haze. Figured I'd ride on Hwy12 to Miles City where I had a reservation..got there at noon and thot I'd rather not sit around all afternoon, particularly since the temperature was in the low 80s and very comfortable.. Thus, I set out for Mobridge crossing Mt, ND and into SD. Got to Mobridge by 4:45 so I made a reservation for 200 miles hence. I rode to Ipswich on 12 and then dropped down to Hwy 20 where Paul and I rode several weeks ago on our trip to the Missouri River. I lucked out with the haze and temp not rising above 85 degrees - so comfortable I could keep riding with just a few diet cokes. Arrived with little gas and twilight at 8:45pm at the Watertown HIx. Ordered pizza. A one day-ride record..840 miles. Saw a badger crossing the road...why was the badger crossing the road??
Day : 13 Date : 7.4.15 Saturday
Str Cty : Watertown, SD Str Mls : 11468
End Cty : Home End Mls : 11982
Dly Mls : 457 Tot Mls : 5218 miles
Time : 7 hours Notes : Home......
Left Watertown and headed cross country to Mankato where I caught Hwy 14 and stuck to it until home. I did not stop for 250 miles until Byron, MN to test the limits of the comfort of the seat and I was amazed how comfortable it was. Then I rode 190 more miles in great discomfort, having clothing binding like I was sliding forward. Had 100 home in LaCrosse and I finally stopped in Richland Center to unbind. Temperatures were in the mid 60sto start and mid 80s to finish. I still have cuts on my head where I shaved with HIx cheap razors after mine broke in transit.
---Not ridden due to heat---
Week Three: 1834 miles
Jay... Seat problems: I rode 840 one day and 250 without a stop the next day with little discomfort..
---Left feeling good about the seat and it felt right
By the end of the day to Eureka... I started to slide forward clothes rolled in the crotch...painful and bottom irritated. I experimented with raising the front and lowering it..when lowered it was painful, when up in front it was more comfortable...
I finally left the front in the up position and the back in the down position... And finished the next 3000 miles in the up position.
---Now the repair needed... I think the front collapsed or we built the back too high (tho it did not feel like then we finished), or I just plain screwed up...
---So cut the back and sits area down some and raise the front
- I shall measured and take these pictures. The difference is 1 3/8 inches....
front 1/4 should gradually come up 1 3/8 inch with very stiff material -- rear 1/2 should be dropped 1/2- 1 inch
- hopefully this adjustment will lead to a leveling seat that does not make me slide forward or lean back from the handle bars ...
these seats were from my 12 1200 GS..
---the left 2 pictures are the high front position..see the upper mark...
---right 2 pics is lower front position and lines up just under the stitching on the black piece ..
---The difference is 1 3/8 inches in front. I want to ride with seat in lowered position for ground reach.. Thus the front 1/4 needs to gradually come up 1 3/8 inches with stiff material... the back 1/2 of the seat possibly needs to drop 1/2 to 1 3/8 inches (what do you think) ...hollow out the sitz area some
