It has been a perfect Mothers' Day, weather-wise, at least. Tayler and I started out the morning at Chilkoot Cafe & Bicyclery in downtown Stillwater, a charming community on the Mississippi. Tayler had scoped out the possibility of my getting a cart for Remy at the Cyclery when she was looking around yesterday, so I went today to see what was what. Breakfast at the cafe was excellent -- healthy food, creatively prepared and presented, and delicious coffee drinks, as well. When the bike shop opened (a little later than the cafe), I looked at available carts with the proprietor. One option I was considering was getting a lightweight flatbed and attaching Remy's kennel to it with bungee cords, but alas, the flatbed was not available. (I should explain that the bike shop is not big enough to stock a variety of carts, but the supplier is only a few blocks away.) What I ordered, and which should be in mid-morning tomorrow, is a small, single-child, Burley cart. Since it is not specifically designed for a dog, I have concerns about the fabric of the base (to withstand toenails), and the method of restraint; but we can probably figure out a way to make it work.
Tayler went off to meet a friend, and I did the same, driving with Remy into Minneapolis to meet Nic Lincoln for lunch. Nic and I have worked several summers together at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp, and I like him. He is a creative man of artistic and personal integrity. We ate at a place near his apartment called Tugg's. I had a burger. And fries.
Then I sought out Target, purchasing an air mattress, some laundry detergent, and some cotton socks. I love my wool socks, but after a few hours of riding the thickness starts to make my feet feel tight. I don't know how well the cotton ones will work. I believe I'll start out with them tomorrow, keeping some wool ones in reserve in my pack. After Target, I returned to the hotel, put a load of laundry in, and dragged everything out of the car that is mine. I repacked a number of things, reducing weight in my bike pack and panniers. In fact, the panniers are now folded up. If I do get the cart tomorrow, there is plenty of storage in a pocket in the back of the cart, which means that I may be able to put the bike pack in the car and pull only the weight in the cart.
I met up with Tayler again for supper, and we split a salad at a Mexican restaurant called Acapulco, near the hotel. After a quick but adequate walk with Remy, I grabbed my Adventure Cycling maps and brought them to the room. Here I found that the AC route from Stillwater to Fargo is about 390 miles, while there are other roads that could get me there at about 265 miles. If I were touring with someone else, where much of the trip was about seeing things together, I would be more inclined to meander. After this past week, though, and the reality of the challenges of wind and weather, and after figuring out Wisconsin without AC, I am more inclined to follow a different route to Fargo, which appears to include a fairly lengthy chunk of bike-designated trail that I would miss going the other way.
But I find myself feeling a bit ... gloomy. Tomorrow's weather calls for ESE winds at 15-25 mph. It would be great if I could make some significant headway toward Fargo tomorrow, because then rain rolls in until midday on Tuesday. Wednesday looks like a completely rainy day, and then Thursday the winds pick up out of the NW again. I know I just need to take each day as it comes. Guess I'm just having a little trouble doing that right now. Maybe a good night's sleep ...
Perhaps I'll tell you a little about what I'm riding, carrying, and packing for the trip. I'm riding a Fuji A2SL, a men's model, black with orange accents. On the handlebars, interfered with regularly by Remy's basket (a Snoozer), is a pouch-type holder and a trip computer, which I still haven't figured out. The handlebars have been outfitted with extensions to give me more places to put my hands. The Pearl Izumi padded gloves help with hand fatigue immeasurably. On the back of the bike is a Topeak rack and pack. The pack has a center unit with rigid walls, topped with a map pocket. It has a pannier on either side which can be folded up and zipped into the center unit. I am carrying a small, lightweight tool kit, an air pump and gauge, an extra inner tube, a roll of toilet paper, Remy's food and treats (all freeze-dried, so not heavy), a couple of Rx Bars and some dried fruit and nuts.
I am wearing standard padded riding shorts and, except on the warmest days, lightweight wool riding pants over them, wool socks, and my Giro riding shoes that clip into my Shimano pedals (sometimes a little too well). I bought a new helmet a couple of months ago in my favorite shade of bright blue. It's a Giro, also, and it's the first one I've had that adjusts with the little dial in the back. This I find very handy when I first don my Banger goggles and then have to fit the helmet over the strap. It's nice to be able to cinch the helmet on just right over the goggles.
It's only 8:42, but I have a sense that the only thing that's going to make sense of tomorrow is to get some sleep and encounter it when I wake up. I love knowing you're all out there hanging with me on my journey.
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