I will get to the idiotic moment later but first a significant update. I am done with the Palouse to Cascade trail. No I did not make 150 miles today. Yesterday’s fantastic ride on back roads sealed the deal. It will be roads that get me out of Washington State.
I am bummed. The thought of a full end to end ride of this cross state trail was on my merit badge list. Sadly the heat but more importantly the lack of development along the trail means I just can’t, scratch that, I just don’t want to continue any more. The surface of the trail continues to degrade. I have checked in and it has gone from sand to 3” ballast rock. Also there are few towns with amenities or shade. Maybe if it were 70 degrees every day, I was in better shape, and I brought full fat 4” tire bike I could complete this. Sadly, I have none of this. To the road it is. This trail will someday be fantastic. That day is not today. Donate generously to Rails to Trails Conservancy. They are doing great work.
This seems as good as any point to discuss goals and reasons. Let’s tackle the later. I have had 2 weeks to think about how I have found myself here. Quite frankly I don’t have a quaint or succinct reason for taking on this trip. It is hard to explain but I have just always wanted to ride across our beautiful country. I have done a couple week long bike trips on rails to trails and have found bike travel quite rewarding. You can’t be in a hurry. You experience the terrain physically, quite literally. It requires logistics, planning, and gear. You feel a sense of accomplishment that can only come from peddling all day long. Lastly it is inviting to people. Strangers constantly come over to chat and or help. On this trip alone I have had 6 cars stop, back up, and ask if I needed help while changing tires. Everyone remembers the freedom that came with their first bike and you can see it on their face as they stride up to check out Alister. So why take three months off work and hit the road on arguably the most fantastic bike I have ever owned? Simply put it sounded like a good idea.
Goals:
Have a good time really is the only goal here. When I hiked the Appalachian Trail I kept track of what traits made people successful in completing the whole thing. It seemed not to matter if you were fit, fat, rich, poor, male, female, had hiked your whole life or started out as a lark. The only deciding factor was those that finished had fun everyday no matter what happened. Much like your keys are always found in the last place you look when it comes to a long challenge if it stops being fun you quit.
The problem with “have fun” as the only goal is it has no structure. Quite frankly I have fun almost every day. I love my job, I live in a fantastic place full of available adventure, and have great friends and family to enjoy. So I could have just strung together a series of adventures over three months. But you want to do something you can’t do with a week or two holiday. So here are a few more goals.
Ideally I would like to complete riding from the Pacific to the Atlantic (sort of, DC is close enough). At the end of the day this is more of a guiding beacon to pull me forward. After these past two weeks this seems daunting. That feels like a future Erich problem. Today Erich is just holding on trying not to hurt himself, golfing, and accomplishing goal number one.
I want to try out lots of rail to trails and community paths. As a civil engineer I love to see how other communities are designing and implementing these types of facilities. Like a bike path round about, way finding, surface design, and routing. I have already learned tons I will bring back to Larimer County.
I want to do a considerable section of the Great Divide trail. One of America’s best bike packing routes.
Oh yeah, I want to golf. That is explained in earlier post.
I wanted to make some gear, check. This weeks gear post will show some of that.
So there you have it. No reason and really just a collection of non goals.
Back to the results of today. I made 40 miles to the town of Washtucna. Plan was achieved as I rolled into town right before 12:00. The road was fantastic mostly paved but with some great gravel as well. Nearly no cars yet again. I promptly got a smoothie and two sodas and sat under a tree in 100 degree heat feeling quite good.
Towards dinner I made it to the only place in town Sonny’s. $15 got me a half of fried chicken and a potato quartered and fried at the same time. It was delicious and I washed it down with a tall boy of Rainier Beer. This was the first time a beer has sounded good. The orange twist soda after was actually better.
I had been told I could camp in the local park. I asked around and everyone confirmed it except someone with any believable authority until the sheriff deputy came in for chicken. The story checked out and so as the temp cooled slightly (I still broke a considerable sweat pitching my tent) I found my place and put my head down. Then the kids. Then the Owls, like 6 massive owls. Then headlights from people driving by. Not my best night sleep but free and in a great town full of great people (I think I met them all at the pub since it was Saturday night and the only place in town).
Back to I am an idiot. I set off this morning without checking my tire pressure. They seemed a little soft for the pavement so I stopped to top them off. Pumping and pumping it seemed to be taking forever. In this weeks gear post I rave about the pump. What is going on? Hot and bothered I continue to pump but getting 45 psi is taking for ever. Then this happened.
I admit I was cursing the guys at the shop that mounted it just days ago. No sense in stewing I cleaned up the sealant, grabbed a tube, and started pumping up again. The pressure gauge was reading 18 but tire was firm. Let me get my glasses. That is when I realized somehow the gauge was now reading bar not psi and it was at 1.8 bar or 25 psi. I am an idiot. I had pumped the tire to 4.1 bar (way over maximum) and that is why it blew off. Note to self understand your units and your gear. Also wear your glasses!!! So it wasn’t the guys who mounted it. It was the idiot owner that doesn’t know his own equipment. I have to be more careful. This trip is hard enough without making dumb mistakes like this one.