Where to begin this time! I'll explain the title in a just a minute, so hold onto your seats...
So with a little more than two weeks under my belt, I just topped over 1,000 miles today as I reached Escalante Utah! That was indeed a call for celebration, meaning a legitimate dinner and a good beer. I have been in Utah the past few days, so its a lovely change of scene from the dusty deserts of Nevada. If any of you have not been to Utah, please go. It must be one of the most diverse and beautiful landscapes of the US. Definitely wondeful to cycle through the towering red rock canyons and flowing rivers.
I think I last left you all in Eureka Nevada, and it has certainly been a long, slow, and very hot ride since. Let me just break it down for you in simple terms here, and give you a few scenarios to marinate over, because it might just be the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard.
#1: I have had two incidents with sprinklers. Let me explain. While biking through the desolate terrain of Nevada, the towns are few and far between, which is great and terrible at the same time. I was able to camp out for free most of the way in local parks, church parking lots, the whole works. However, the downside to that is the unexpected sprinkler systems that just so happen to blast off in the middle of the night.
My second night in Eureka as I was cozied up in my warm sleeping bag, I was abruptly woken at 5 am by a sprinkler; literally in my face, in my tent, in my sleeping bag. In the middle of a dream about Sex and the City (yes the TV show) and completely delirious, I first tried to drag my tent to safety, but no such luck. I've been sleeping with ALL my stuff with me in the tent, so naturally it was quite weighted down, and dragging the whole tent was not an option.
All I could think to do was shove everything back in its place in my panniers, and run it to the bathroom across the lawn. However, this required running through seven more sprinklers along the way. Lets just say, it would have been quite the comedy if anyone had actually witnessed this little debacle of mine. I had to run back and forth between the bathroom and my tent a few times, finally making it to safety in the park bathroom with my bike and everything next to me. Good thing there was a hand dryer to dry my hair and some of my clothes. Since I had to wait out the sprinklers for a bit, I literally had to cook oatmeal- five star style- with my camping stove, on the floor, in the bathroom. Realllly?
Believe it or not, I had another run in with a sprinkler a few days later in another park, but in Utah this time. You would think I might have learned my lesson and put on a rain fly for my tent, not the case. I was even camping next to two other cyclist who both took the extra five second for a rain fly. There I was thinking, "amateurs, I don't need to bother." I woke up at 3am to blasting water again, not a pretty sight. So my restful night of sleep was cut short, and I spent the remainder of the night shivering in a wet sleeping bag, on top of a picnic table. You guys must be getting jealous now, right?
#2: As I was about to arrive in Utah I stayed in a tiny town across the border called Baker. I was given a recommendation for a great place to camp from some other fellow cyclists. The owner lets cyclists camp in the back for free, as long as you eat a meal at his joint. Sounded pretty good to me.
So after a very long 84 miles of riding, I was exhausted and ready for some grub. I got my campsite ready and without changing from my bike gear, made my way to the restaurant for some dinner and beer. So obviously still wearing my spandex, biking jersey, and biking hat, I took over a booth and started scouring the menu. A few minutes later, Mr manager comes over to me and literally says, "So what can I get for you tonight, sir?" Yes, you read correctly, SIR. He called me sir.
So for starters, I obviously feel really great about myself already. Its great to feel so feminine after biking 80 miles and not showering, and then doing the same thing over and over again. So he pretty much hit it point on. I clearly went immediately to the bathroom, put my hair up in an obviously girly bun, and tried to clean myself up a bit. I still don't think it worked.
I'm gonna go with this scenario though: He was so shocked to see a single woman traveling alone, and on a bicycle, that he just couldn't see past it and made himself believe that I was a boy! The nerve. This is also quite discouraging, because at least for me, it seems totally natural to bike across the country as a lone female....am I right?
#3: On a lighter note, I've had some wonderful encounters with friendly people along the way, more specifically, one of the cutest old men in the world approached me the other day and said, " Well that's a pretty huge load for a single gal. I'm just wondering with such a thin lady like yourself...well where does all the energy come from??" His genuine interest and enthusiasm for what I'm doing was definitely the kicker in getting me over the next mountain, which by the way was a 26 mile climb at an 8% grade...brutal. I also met some really hardcore tough women cyclists finishing a long days ride. They loaded my bike with Gatorade, energy bars, and good thoughts. One of them even said she felt like a pansy compared to me, and that is pretty huge coming from a professional looking cyclist decked out in snazzy spandex. I took it as a compliment.
#4: As I mentioned before, a very kind man was nice enough to hook me up with an actual hotel in Ely, Nevada. This was definitely a highlight of the trip so far, and probably overall. It was amazing to stay in a warm room with a bed and television for the night. I felt a little haggard walking into the casino where the hotel was, with my massive bike and glorious spandex on, but I felt like a celebrity when I was greeted by the staff. What a wonderful gift that was!
So I am generally feeling better as the days go on, but not looking forward to the next few days of Utah terrain. Supposedly I am up against some of the most difficult riding conditions of the whole country, so it should be great fun.
Thank you wonderful friends for all the encouragement and support, it means the world...and in this case, it means hauling myself up a mountain! Keep the good thoughts coming!
much LOVE.
S.
19.8.09
13.8.09
Eureeeeka.
So on my second day of rest, I find myself in Eureka, NV. A quaint little Western town with a population of about 300. So obviously I'm having a wild time and things have gotten a little crazy...Mostly though, I have spent some quality hours lazing around in my tent under the trees, catching up on some trashy magazine reading, and icing my knee, as the locals drive around my "camp site" in their pickup trucks and cowboy hats.
Somehow I have lucked out the last few days with very friendly people, great hot weather, good mileage, and no flat tires. I met my first group of other cyclists, and then a very friendly Jersey business man who bought me lunch and a hotel room for tomorrow night! yeehaw...After that chance encounter I was feeling so inspired (probably mostly from the 1/4 cheeseburger I ate for lunch, my first one so far!) that I actually biked 115 miles in a day, from Fallon to Austin, NV. Trust me, by the end of the day as I was racing the setting sun and climbing a thousand feet to hit Austin, I was hauling my bike up the hill on wobbly legs, and cursing the speeding cars for being able to move so fast. But I made it nonetheless.
I made it into Austin just as the sun was dipping, but by the time I could catch my breath and try to find a spot to sleep it was pitch black, and I was left with a dark and deserted town. A friendly gas station clerk told me I could sleep at the local Baptist church for the night and use the shower for free. (I keep getting this, and I'm gonna try to take it as a nice gesture and not a hint at my personal hygiene...although we all know the truth here.) So naturally I start to haul my bike back up the hill, and this point I can't even imagine trying to ride him (and yes FOX has been the decided name for my bike) so at this point its a struggle not to let him topple over. After searching for an eternity of ten minutes, I gave up after finding about ten churches in a three block radius. I decided to pack it in at the most accessible, and pitched my tent in the parking lot of one of the churches. Of course it was the wrong church, and I didn't find out until the morning that the 'right' one was literally five feet across the street. The one with the shower, yea that would have been nice. A sleepless night of concrete and highway 50, only a gallon of coffee was just enough to get me back in the saddle the next morning
So after 70 mile day yesterday, now I'm camped out in Eureka; where I have shacked up in my tent in the local park behind the grocery store, showered at the local pool for free, and consumed a GIANT 32 oz milkshake in about five minutes. All thanks to the sweet lady who works at the one local grocery store. I'm pretty sure everyone in town knows me by now, if not for the beautiful image of a girl covered in grease on a bike, then for the girl who keeps asking about ice cream and showers.
Aside from a few grueling long days of biking down highway 50 where the only progress I seem to be making is eating my weight in calories, I am feeling great and very thankful for all the wonderful people who consistently go out of their way for me. I have a hunch it might be because I'm starting to resemble a skinny 12 year old boy who has not had a shower in days, and that when they realize I'm actually a single female traveling on a bike packed with at least 90 pounds of gear....they must feel sorry for such a sight, and feel compelled to do their part.
Enjoying my day of rest and hoping to get to Ely NV tomorrow. Lots of miles left in Nevada, no services along the way, and only three trees of shade will hopefully send me spinning quickly to Utah.
more updates to come...
ciao
s
Somehow I have lucked out the last few days with very friendly people, great hot weather, good mileage, and no flat tires. I met my first group of other cyclists, and then a very friendly Jersey business man who bought me lunch and a hotel room for tomorrow night! yeehaw...After that chance encounter I was feeling so inspired (probably mostly from the 1/4 cheeseburger I ate for lunch, my first one so far!) that I actually biked 115 miles in a day, from Fallon to Austin, NV. Trust me, by the end of the day as I was racing the setting sun and climbing a thousand feet to hit Austin, I was hauling my bike up the hill on wobbly legs, and cursing the speeding cars for being able to move so fast. But I made it nonetheless.
I made it into Austin just as the sun was dipping, but by the time I could catch my breath and try to find a spot to sleep it was pitch black, and I was left with a dark and deserted town. A friendly gas station clerk told me I could sleep at the local Baptist church for the night and use the shower for free. (I keep getting this, and I'm gonna try to take it as a nice gesture and not a hint at my personal hygiene...although we all know the truth here.) So naturally I start to haul my bike back up the hill, and this point I can't even imagine trying to ride him (and yes FOX has been the decided name for my bike) so at this point its a struggle not to let him topple over. After searching for an eternity of ten minutes, I gave up after finding about ten churches in a three block radius. I decided to pack it in at the most accessible, and pitched my tent in the parking lot of one of the churches. Of course it was the wrong church, and I didn't find out until the morning that the 'right' one was literally five feet across the street. The one with the shower, yea that would have been nice. A sleepless night of concrete and highway 50, only a gallon of coffee was just enough to get me back in the saddle the next morning
So after 70 mile day yesterday, now I'm camped out in Eureka; where I have shacked up in my tent in the local park behind the grocery store, showered at the local pool for free, and consumed a GIANT 32 oz milkshake in about five minutes. All thanks to the sweet lady who works at the one local grocery store. I'm pretty sure everyone in town knows me by now, if not for the beautiful image of a girl covered in grease on a bike, then for the girl who keeps asking about ice cream and showers.
Aside from a few grueling long days of biking down highway 50 where the only progress I seem to be making is eating my weight in calories, I am feeling great and very thankful for all the wonderful people who consistently go out of their way for me. I have a hunch it might be because I'm starting to resemble a skinny 12 year old boy who has not had a shower in days, and that when they realize I'm actually a single female traveling on a bike packed with at least 90 pounds of gear....they must feel sorry for such a sight, and feel compelled to do their part.
Enjoying my day of rest and hoping to get to Ely NV tomorrow. Lots of miles left in Nevada, no services along the way, and only three trees of shade will hopefully send me spinning quickly to Utah.
more updates to come...
ciao
s
10.8.09
FALLON, NV
holy cow.
so where to even begin with this one. Thought I should send a little update your way. Im writing from Fallon Nevada, yes I made it across my first border, AND climbed my first real mountain -Carson's Pass at 8500 ft!!
It might be a little difficult to write much these days, first of all because my hands are turning into the claw, literally, from gripping my handle bars too tightly, and secondly because the last thing on my mind after a day of cycling; is spinning in circles around the small towns of america looking for libraries to hijack the internet....which im doing as we speak.
The first night on the road we slept in a baseball dugout. keepin it classy as always. i've already biked more miles in a row than i ever have in my life, so my advice to any of you kids out there who are considering a big bike tour (i know you all secretly are) : TRAIN. At least a little bit. Even like ten miles a day. My training did not exist and now i might be paying a bit.
The last few days have breezed past, my traveling companion for the first week departed ways in Hope Valley, so now i'm flying solo again, but feeling great. I was able to take a nice rest day yesterday to mend a wounded knee- nothing serious, just probably overuse from NOT training enough.
I have already been blown away by the amount of interest and encouragement thrown my way from complete strangers along the road. Its wonderful to see such hospitality and kindness on my home turf, especially after always raving about the wonderful people that live in every other part of the world. These people do exist right here too, on our own soil.
Two people gave me rides when I was maybe about to fall over on the side of the highway, one woman told me I was her hero, a lady smoking a marlboro next to her RV on the side of the road yelled, "You Rock!" and a friendly ranger in Dayton NV let me take a shower at the ranger station, AND brought me cycling maps....just to name a few.
It's a little hard to put into words how I feel right now, and I may be a little delirious/dehydrated from riding in the desert, so bear with me folks.
I am now riding on, and I quote "THE loneliest road in America," also known as Highway 50. No joke, take a look on google if you're interested. For the next week or so it will be just me and the open road, trying to make it over the next border.
My plans for NYC are still underway, and I'm slowly slowly making progress. One mile at a time. So far I'm at around 350 miles, and just finished my first cycling map! Only about 7 more states to go...
Its hard to check the internet, so if you want to reach me I have my cell phone! Service has been good to me so far, so if you need anything holler....a hello is always nice!
Send me some good thoughts, I'll be thinking of you as I spin my way across Nevada!
PEACE.
S.
so where to even begin with this one. Thought I should send a little update your way. Im writing from Fallon Nevada, yes I made it across my first border, AND climbed my first real mountain -Carson's Pass at 8500 ft!!
It might be a little difficult to write much these days, first of all because my hands are turning into the claw, literally, from gripping my handle bars too tightly, and secondly because the last thing on my mind after a day of cycling; is spinning in circles around the small towns of america looking for libraries to hijack the internet....which im doing as we speak.
The first night on the road we slept in a baseball dugout. keepin it classy as always. i've already biked more miles in a row than i ever have in my life, so my advice to any of you kids out there who are considering a big bike tour (i know you all secretly are) : TRAIN. At least a little bit. Even like ten miles a day. My training did not exist and now i might be paying a bit.
The last few days have breezed past, my traveling companion for the first week departed ways in Hope Valley, so now i'm flying solo again, but feeling great. I was able to take a nice rest day yesterday to mend a wounded knee- nothing serious, just probably overuse from NOT training enough.
I have already been blown away by the amount of interest and encouragement thrown my way from complete strangers along the road. Its wonderful to see such hospitality and kindness on my home turf, especially after always raving about the wonderful people that live in every other part of the world. These people do exist right here too, on our own soil.
Two people gave me rides when I was maybe about to fall over on the side of the highway, one woman told me I was her hero, a lady smoking a marlboro next to her RV on the side of the road yelled, "You Rock!" and a friendly ranger in Dayton NV let me take a shower at the ranger station, AND brought me cycling maps....just to name a few.
It's a little hard to put into words how I feel right now, and I may be a little delirious/dehydrated from riding in the desert, so bear with me folks.
I am now riding on, and I quote "THE loneliest road in America," also known as Highway 50. No joke, take a look on google if you're interested. For the next week or so it will be just me and the open road, trying to make it over the next border.
My plans for NYC are still underway, and I'm slowly slowly making progress. One mile at a time. So far I'm at around 350 miles, and just finished my first cycling map! Only about 7 more states to go...
Its hard to check the internet, so if you want to reach me I have my cell phone! Service has been good to me so far, so if you need anything holler....a hello is always nice!
Send me some good thoughts, I'll be thinking of you as I spin my way across Nevada!
PEACE.
S.
29.7.09
Back in my City by the Bay.
So I'm back in this beautiful city, smothered in fog, and anticipating the next few days before I set out on my bike.
What a wonderful place to return to after being abroad for a year, and to jump back in as if I did not miss a beat. Great to see familiar faces again, and to explore the San Francisco hills; rediscovering all the hidden alleys, streets, and corner markets that are all too familiar to me.
I feel a little overwhelmed for many reasons, sad to say goodbye to the beautiful people and beautiful Seattle days of summer, and sad to do the same for those in this foggy city I love. However, I am also very quickly transitioning into nervous excitement for all the things to come in the next few days, weeks, and months of time where the road will be all mine, and all I can do is just keep pedaling.
The next few days will be spent catching up and saying goodbye all in one swoop, and just preparing my new best friend (my bike who I have not thought of a suitable name for yet) and myself for this big adventure. So many things to do!
I'm so glad I spent all those weeks in Seattle working really hard and training. Really eating right and putting in miles on my bike. Translation for that means, what I was actually up to the last few months consisted of mostly laying in the sun, drinking lots of beer, and riding my bike around the block. In other words, FUN.EMPLOYED. I feel very prepared!
Thats all I got for now.
What a wonderful place to return to after being abroad for a year, and to jump back in as if I did not miss a beat. Great to see familiar faces again, and to explore the San Francisco hills; rediscovering all the hidden alleys, streets, and corner markets that are all too familiar to me.
I feel a little overwhelmed for many reasons, sad to say goodbye to the beautiful people and beautiful Seattle days of summer, and sad to do the same for those in this foggy city I love. However, I am also very quickly transitioning into nervous excitement for all the things to come in the next few days, weeks, and months of time where the road will be all mine, and all I can do is just keep pedaling.
The next few days will be spent catching up and saying goodbye all in one swoop, and just preparing my new best friend (my bike who I have not thought of a suitable name for yet) and myself for this big adventure. So many things to do!
I'm so glad I spent all those weeks in Seattle working really hard and training. Really eating right and putting in miles on my bike. Translation for that means, what I was actually up to the last few months consisted of mostly laying in the sun, drinking lots of beer, and riding my bike around the block. In other words, FUN.EMPLOYED. I feel very prepared!
Thats all I got for now.
13.7.09
Here we go again.
Here is my new blog. An extension of my nomad adventures, but I thought it only be appropriate to start a new one, in lieu of new life changes and the direction of the next few months.
For those of you who have not already heard, I am about to set out on ANOTHER adventure. Yes, thats right, for some reason I thought it would be a great idea to continue living out of a bag and keep up this life style for a while. I guess its not enough to just call it a day and stay in Seattle for a while longer. Like going to Asia for nearly a year is not drastic enough. Here I go again.
The plan so far. Cycling. solo. Starting in the second love of my life, San Francisco, and finishing in New York City. The city that will soon be in my life. (my first love, obviously Seattle.)
This blog is a spot for me to let y'all know where I am in the country, how the trip is going, and for all the New Yorkers out there- when I will actually be arriving in the Big Apple.
I will be biking around 5,000 miles. Starting as soon as I can peel myself away from the absolutely beautiful and amazing Pacific Northwest summer, great people, and funemployed daily life.haha.
By the way, I might not have ever biked more than 50 miles in one day, so those of you who give me the "you're effing crazy" look when I tell you my plan, just might have some truth in those discouraging eyes. I'm pretty sure moving to New York City, being an East Coast virgin all my life, and trying to re adjust to being a normal American again since you know, I been outta the country for some time now...well lets just say thats a big enough undertaking in itself.
BUT, supposedly not, because I thought it would be a great idea to make it really easy on myself, pack everything I own into boxes again, and then bike across the country -starting with the Rockies- and roll into the New York City skyline, looking super glam I'm sure. By that point, I'm pretty sure I'll be at a dead crawl, and you will most likely find me passed out at Battery Park.
We'll just have to see what happens.
SO...for those of you who are interested. I'll try to keep you updated with photos and other fun stuff from the road.
My route will be soon to come.
Stay tuned...
For those of you who have not already heard, I am about to set out on ANOTHER adventure. Yes, thats right, for some reason I thought it would be a great idea to continue living out of a bag and keep up this life style for a while. I guess its not enough to just call it a day and stay in Seattle for a while longer. Like going to Asia for nearly a year is not drastic enough. Here I go again.
The plan so far. Cycling. solo. Starting in the second love of my life, San Francisco, and finishing in New York City. The city that will soon be in my life. (my first love, obviously Seattle.)
This blog is a spot for me to let y'all know where I am in the country, how the trip is going, and for all the New Yorkers out there- when I will actually be arriving in the Big Apple.
I will be biking around 5,000 miles. Starting as soon as I can peel myself away from the absolutely beautiful and amazing Pacific Northwest summer, great people, and funemployed daily life.haha.
By the way, I might not have ever biked more than 50 miles in one day, so those of you who give me the "you're effing crazy" look when I tell you my plan, just might have some truth in those discouraging eyes. I'm pretty sure moving to New York City, being an East Coast virgin all my life, and trying to re adjust to being a normal American again since you know, I been outta the country for some time now...well lets just say thats a big enough undertaking in itself.
BUT, supposedly not, because I thought it would be a great idea to make it really easy on myself, pack everything I own into boxes again, and then bike across the country -starting with the Rockies- and roll into the New York City skyline, looking super glam I'm sure. By that point, I'm pretty sure I'll be at a dead crawl, and you will most likely find me passed out at Battery Park.
We'll just have to see what happens.
SO...for those of you who are interested. I'll try to keep you updated with photos and other fun stuff from the road.
My route will be soon to come.
Stay tuned...
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