Making the best of an "off" day

I'm having trouble starting this post, I guess because I just don't feel very good today. We had a lovely breakfast at the Rock Roof Inn B & B this morning. Margie Swift got up and got the coffee ready before we came down, and then she made us a delicious Denver scramble, supplemented with fresh fruit and all manner of yummy-looking (we didn't indulge) pastries.

After breakfast, we did the usual routine of packing the stuff and then packing the car. I put the cart together. Remy and I mounted up. And Tayler snapped a couple of photos before we set off. The temperature was about 40 degrees at the outset, so I was pretty bundled up.

Something upset my system this morning -- might have been coffee, or maybe it's a virus. I've been feeling a little dragged out for a couple of days, but trying not to let it take hold. Anyway, after breakfast I spent a little time in the bathroom, trying to get a handle on what was going on. I decided to embark anyway. The first part of the trip, Glen Ullin to Hebron, about 12.7 miles, was very difficult. I couple of times I thought I might throw up. My hands were falling asleep quickly, and my butt was bothering me. The wind was quite strong across the prairie.

I don't know if any of you has the experience of arguing with yourself about, say, whether to call in sick. That's a little bit what was going on with me at this point. "Am I sick? How sick am I? Can I ride? How far am I going to be able to get?" I stopped at the Dark Side of the Brew (Pink Floyd logo imitation; nice place) The proprietor, Aaron Anderson, got me a green tea and engaged with me in conversation for quite a while. The voice said, "Okay, you've had a break. Are you ready to go?" I got up. As soon as I stood up, I went to the bathroom again. I came back to my seat and had another cup of tea. I was there for about 2 1/2 hours, conversing with myself (not out loud) and with several people who came in.

One gentleman, I think he might have been Aaron's father, knew a lot about the the area as far as historical sites and things of geographical interest. Another man who came in asked if I was the one riding with the dog in the cart. Everyone extolled the virtues of bicycling around that area.

I read more of my current Harry Dresden story, Proven Guilty. I texted Tayler. She had found a lovely hike in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. I argued with myself about having her come all the way back to Hebron. I was feeling better, so we went on. The ride to Richardton was much more pleasant, physically and wind-wise, than the first part of today's ride.

Richardton rises out of the empty, sweeping prairie, like a metallic bump on a wild bird. Entering from the east, the first sight is of massive grain elevators and train cars. Along the way, I have seen many tankers (truck and train) carrying something called anhydrous ammonia. Apparently, it is used as a fertilizer. Apparently, it can be quite dangerous. There were many of these tank cars in and around Richardton. Aaron Andersen had recommended a grocery store in Richardton with a deli as a place to stop, eat, drink, and rest. I decided that was to be the spot where Tayler would pick me up.

My phone was running out of power, so I let her know where we were, got a chicken thigh and some mashed potatoes from the deli, which came with my choice of prepared veggies (I got broccoli, cucumber, some tomatoes that turned out to be yucky, and some carrots). I also bought (I hardly ever do this) a bottle of water. Remy and I sat comfortably. I ate and read some more of my book.

When Tayler turned up, we dismantled the cart and loaded up. As I was lifting my bike to the bike rack, the rear tire fell off. This was quite a shock, as I'd ridden about 29 miles on it. I thought about taking it to a shop to see what was going on, but I just flipped the bike over and put the tire back on. I guess there's a good bike shop in a community up ahead, so perhaps I'll stop in for a quick look-over.

We're at a Microtel Inn this evening. I've learned a couple of important things about motel reservations: look up the cheap rate on line, but don't reserve through an on-line booking site. If you change your mind, you can't cancel. Call the hotel, and when they quote a price, if it's higher than what you found on line say, "Oh, I found a room for less than that (quote the price) on line." Most of the time, the hotel would rather give you the cheaper rate and keep the fee that would have been paid to the booking site.

I'm beat. My tummy still isn't quite right, but I'm hoping by morning all will be well. It's hard to bike when that end of things isn't working at its best.

Tayler was so enthusiastic about the view she saw today on her hike in the park that I may take a side trip to see it myself. Now that I'm out here in the prairie and approaching the Badlands, I feel more like just riding and seeing the sights, not so bent on making time or mileage. This is a nice feeling. And since we've covered a lot of ground this past week, I think we can now afford to take more time crossing beautiful Montana, maybe staying an extra night here and there when the parks and sights warrant it. Tomorrow's scheduled stop is Wibaux, MT.

Oh, I may have mentioned this before, but now it's imperative to follow through. I realized that I can get a map from Dickinson to Great Falls. I left a message at Adventure Cycling this evening, because once again I didn't get around to calling there till they were closed. I hope they will have a PDF of the route map that I can purchase and download. If not, I'll have to find a place a few days out for them to mail it to me. Either way, I can find my way a few stops further without it.

Hope you're all doing well!

Today was a good day to ride

Some of you may have already seen photos posted on Facebook of the view south on the Missouri River from the bridge out of Bismarck, and the panorama from the side of the road as Remy and I had a break. The weather was absolutely gorgeous -- sunny, only a slight breeze as we left the hotel, but a bit windier as we crossed the grasslands, still nothing too daunting. It seems that western North Dakota gets quite a bit hillier than the eastern and middle parts. I went up and down, and up and down quite a lot, but the inclines were gradual, and my legs held out.

Here are some captioned photos for the day:

Gazing south over the Missouri River on the west side of Bismarck.

Purple roofs along Hwy 139.

I was trying to get myself in the foreground and one of the beautiful views in the background. Oh well.

Panorama from a break at the side of the road on 139.

Hwy 139.

The Rock Roof Inn (B & B) where we are staying tonight. Do you see the rocks on the roof?

The view from the deck of the Rock Roof Inn. 

We called ahead to make sure there was a place for us at the Rock Roof, and were happy to find that there was. We were greeted by Margaret (Margie) Swift, one of the owners/proprietors. She showed us around, asked about what time we'd like our coffee in the morning and what she could make us for breakfast (!). I sat out on the deck for a while, soaking up some sun, took a shower, and then on Margie's advice Tayler and I went to the nearby town of Hebron to the Wagon Wheel Cafe for some supper. It was acceptable. I had a cheeseburger w/o the bun and a baked potato. And water. Lots of water.

Even though the temperature is not supposed to be extremely high tomorrow, I suspect that the wide open spaces will provide a sun exposure challenge tomorrow. It was breezy enough today that I wore long sleeves and long pants the entire ride, so that helped keep me from getting sunburned. As the days get warmer, I'm going to have to remember my #45 sunscreen.

Remy is adapting to riding in the cart. It kind of reminds me of trying to get a baby to go down alone in a crib. At first he fusses and fusses, and then kind of gives up and relaxes until I stop. Even if I just stop for a second to check a map or adjust myself, the squealing/whining starts up again; but if I don't respond to it, it gradually dies away. I hope it will continue to improve, but even if it stays as it was today, I can live with it. He's got a pretty nice set-up. I have some of my necessities in there (tool kit, air pump, extra water bottles, etc.), but he has a pillow and a sheet to curl up in, and a rawhide bone. He loves to jump into the cart because he knows he'll get a treat. I just haven't quite figured out how to continue to reward him while we're traveling. Don't want to reward whining and squealing.

It's only 8:00, but I'm feeling like bed is in my near future. Be sure to message me questions if you have any. Sometimes I feel like I'm forgetting stuff.

Bismarck

Our goal for today was to be Steele, ND. The wind prediction for today was WNW 25 mph, but it didn't feel like that this morning. It was cold when I walked Remy -- about 30 degrees -- but it started warming up pretty quickly. I didn't want to have Tayler drive me way back to Gackle (which was where we would have stayed last night if there had been a hotel, and if I had been able to ride out from Enderlin yesterday), so I looked on my phone map tool for "walking" routes to Steele. It looked as though there was something fairly direct, so Remy and I got prepared and started out from downtown Jamestown.

There were a couple of fairly good-sized hills just as we left the downtown area (Jamestown is named after the James River, so it lies in a valley), but it leveled out quickly. There was no shoulder. The pavement dropped off by about 8-10 inches to a gravel shoulder, but there was very little traffic, and what there was seemed respectful. We rode out about 3.25 miles until our route turned to a gravel road. I had no idea how long the gravel would go. I knew there were at least 15 more miles on that particular road, and I didn't think it would be particularly safe riding all of that on gravel. I started forward just to test it, and after about a tenth of a mile I had determined that this wouldn't work.

Tayler was comfortably ensconced at Babb's Coffee House in Jamestown, so we rode back to her, had a cup of coffee and (a mistake) a gluten free monster cookie (the mistake part was the peanuts). She finished Slaughterhouse 5, and I started the next Harry Dresden. After a bit, we packed ourselves into the car and headed for Bismarck.

Temperatures and wind speeds and directions look like they'll be steadily improving over the next few days. I plan/hope to ride to Glen Ullin tomorrow and Dickinson on Monday. As the temperatures improve, we are keeping our eyes out for camping places, rather than hotels. The hotels we've stayed at have been fine, quite good for the most part, but one starts to feel a little plastic after a while. Same ol', same ol'.

I think, if I really wanted to get to know North Dakota and see its beauty, I'd need to plan a trip just for that purpose, and it probably wouldn't cut right through the center of the state. Montana, on the other hand, has many parks of all kinds along our route and throughout. We are excited by some hot springs that fall on a southern loop between Great Falls and Missoula, as well as the beautiful photos available on the Internet. Since we've cut out a lot of time with driving, we plan to take the approximately 8-day loop, rather than a more direct, 3-day, route.

So here we are at Americinn again. They've been fairly reasonable and have lots of things we like including, today in particular, laundry facilities. When we arrived in Bismarck a couple of hours ago, we ate at Space Aliens Grill and Bar, run by the same people as the one we saw in Fargo. It was an alien-themed Chuck-E-Cheese, basically, with a slightly separated area for people over 21. The food was reasonably good.

I look forward to being able to take some pictures of a bicycle route and tell you more about riding in the next couple of days. In the meantime, everyone including Remy is having kind of a grouchy day. Hoping to wake up to sunshine and reasonable winds tomorrow.

Still driving; still North Dakota

Today, I got all ready to ride. I knew the winds would be in my face or driving at me from the side, but I was ready to see how far I could get -- mostly because I haven't ridden in a couple of days and I miss it! So, I packed the car, attached the cart to the bike, got Remy inside (which wasn't difficult with treats), and started out. Tayler took off by car toward Jamestown, which was off from my map but the best place to find lodging. I figured I probably wouldn't make 50 miles in the wind, anyway, so she could pick us up and drive us to the hotel, and then take us back to a satisfactory spot on the route again in the morning.

No such luck. We started out from the hotel, and after about .1 mile, Remy was scratching at the inside of the cart. I talked to him. I soothed him. I finally stopped and, when he stopped scratching and whining, gave him a treat. The wind was brutal, absolutely howling through and around the cart. That, combined with the minimal paved shoulder and (fortunately not too many) semis, explained to me what he was complaining about. At .2 miles, I stopped again. I talked to Remy, etc. And I started up again. This time, I noticed some pull back from the cart, as though it wasn't as firmly connected as it needed to be.

At .3 miles, I stopped again. I noticed that the plate on the cart that was attached to the bike wasn't very firmly connected. I guess I hadn't gotten it screwed into place well enough. I screwed it in. I got on the bike. It wouldn't go. It was as though the brake was on. I got off and looked at it. Seemed okay when I wasn't on it. I got back on. It still wouldn't go. I got off again. (Fortunately, I didn't fall over any of the times when the bike wouldn't go, but the first time was a bit of a close call.) I disengaged the cart and flipped the bike over. Seems the rear wheel hadn't gotten very well seated when I loosened the axle pin to adjust the cart plate. I messed with it for a while and finally got it back where it belonged.

By this time, I had decided that the wind was prohibitive to Remy's comfort and to me, so I messaged Tayler to come and get us, crossed the highway, and without peddling much returned to the hotel parking lot .3 miles away. As we were going, though, I noticed that the front tire appeared to be out of true. Yes, that certainly seemed to be the case. When we got back to a safe spot, I got off the bike and spun the wheel. Definitely a wobble. Sigh. I was pretty well bundled up, So Remy and I stayed at the picnic table outside the hotel for a while, but finally it was too cold and we went inside. Tayler showed up shortly after that.

The cart folded up easily, and I stowed it in the backseat of the car. Tayler suggested just driving on to Bismarck and finding a bike shop there, but that would cut out at least two more potential days of riding. Also, I had already made a reservation in Jamestown for tonight that I was unable to cancel, and I knew that there was an outstanding bike shop in Fargo. So we drove back to Fargo for the bike repairs, a really nice lunch (Hodo's on Broadway - Tayler had a veggie burger with some of the best fries I've ever tasted; and I had a cup of vegetable beef soup and a side order of "field mushrooms & bacon." Yeah. Interesting, and delicious.), a little shopping (I got two more Harry Dresden books, and Tayler got a bathing suit. The power went out at Barnes & Noble, and they checked me out using the old-fashioned "imprint-style" credit card thingy.), and headed to Jamestown.

Turns out this hotel was a great choice. It's not a chain, but it appears to be the center of community activity -- a place for weddings and receptions, with it's own decent restaurant and a central pool/spa/gaming area. So now we're off to supper.

Tomorrow, 22 mph west winds AGAIN, so probably more driving, but I'll wait till morning to decide for sure. After that, it looks as though the winds will die down and the sun will come out. I feel as though I haven't even really started the meat of the riding yet.

And I want to meet more people. Here's hoping. But I'll take what I get and make something of it. Missing you all.

Back in business

We woke today in the beautiful upper Midwest city of Fargo, ND. Much of Fargo looks pretty industrial, but we found our way to the "college" part of town again (after a breakfast of hotel hard-boiled eggs and the remains of strawberries we had purchased at Trader Joe's and not refrigerated much, so they needed to be eaten).

As we headed for the downtown shopping area, I saw a Pennzoil oil change place and turned around to go in and see how long we would have to wait. They got us in immediately, and within 15 or 20 minutes we were back on our way. Our first stop was Swanson's Health Food Store on Broadway, where each of us had some specific things we needed to stock up on. Tayler has been trying to find the perfect solution for allergies and bloating, and I needed more Rx Bars and some toothpaste. Remy tagged along.

While Tayler continued to look around the store, I asked a clerk for a coffee shop recommendation. She directed me to 20 Below, which served organic and fair trade coffee. They also had a large assortment of gluten free baked goods. I usually don't indulge in these because I feel better when I don't eat grains at all, but this time I had a monster cookie. It was delicious, as was my decaf Cafe Miel. Tayler joined me after a bit, and we read our books for an hour or so.

Around 1 p.m., we revisited the Great Northern Bicycle Shop where Remy's new cart had been delivered. The box was heavy. I bought some bicycle gloves with full fingers, since the high temperature tomorrow is supposed to be in the 40s. We crammed the cart (in its unassembled state) into the car and headed to the Smiling Moose Deli for lunch. Breakfast was served all day, and I had a lovely scramble (which would have been in a tortilla wrap if I ate tortilla wraps). Tayler had soup and half a sandwich. Prices were very reasonable.

Having finished our business in Fargo, we drove south and west to the (very) small community of Enderlin, ND. Enderlin has one motel. Fortunately, it is quite comfortable. I spent the first 45 minutes or so after our arrival putting the cart together and trying to attach it to the bike. I was easily able to assemble it, and I gave Remy some rides around in the parking lot, pulling it by hand. He likes anything that includes treats, which this process did. When it came time to attach the cart to the bike, however, I was not as successful. The clerk from the motel has recommended a place in the village where I may be able to get some help tomorrow. Or it may just take Tayler lending a hand. It was difficult, especially in the cold, blustery wind, to keep everything upright and stable as I tried to attach the trailer, which required removing the rear wheel and screwing a plate from the end of the cart handle into the axle (if that makes sense). I ended up bringing the completed trailer and the bike into the motel room to finish reassembling the rear wheel of the bike.

 Tayler still wasn't feeling well and fell asleep, so I went in to the TraxSide Cafe for supper alone (well, with Remy). After looking over the menu, I said to the waitress, "I'm gluten free. The sirloin tips with French fries look like they'll work if they're not treated with anything." She said that should be fine. At my first bite of meat, I knew there was something in or on it that I shouldn't eat, but I ate it. Trying to be polite, I guess. By the time I had left the restaurant and gotten in the car, I was beginning to feel that urgency that the Crohn's-challenged know. I was repeating my control mantra, and then I got back to the hotel and found I didn't have my key. I made it, but I realize I have been spoiled to this point, for the most part, by the places we have eaten. I have a feeling this part of the country will not be so easy on the digestion. I plan to do a lot more grocery store shopping.

Tomorrow, after I get some help attaching the cart, I will ride as far as the wind and my determination will allow. Our planned stop for tomorrow evening is Gackle, ND. The prediction for the next 2 days includes westerly winds around 20 mph, the third day at 11 mph, and after that some easterly winds for a couple of days. The only rain in the forecast is for overnight tonight, but the next couple of days look pretty cloudy and relatively cold for this time of year. I guess we're all getting that.

I find that my spirit has adjusted. Where I am is where I am. Enderlin. Gackle. Driving. Biking. Walking with Remy. All is well.

Taking it easy in Fargo

We drove to Fargo today from Fergus Falls. The weather was extremely rainy this morning, and even though it cleared as we neared Fargo, we decided to simply drive into town. We visited Barnes & Noble, and I got the next installment of the Harry Dresden series, Dead Beat. For those of you who are not familiar, Harry is a present day wizard who lives in Chicago and battles all sorts of dark, magical forces. The books are formulaic but entertaining, with likable characters. I stopped in at a nearby Petco to look for a portable water dish for Remy (like Vicki has for Mars!), but I didn't find anything satisfactory. The dog cart should arrive at the Great Northern Bike Shop by about 1 p.m. tomorrow, and then perhaps I'll purchase a water dish that will fasten to the inside of the cart. Once we have the cart, we will drive to Enderlin, MT, and I'll spend the rest of the day teaching Remy to like going into it. I'm sure mass quantities of treats will be involved.

I hope that, by Friday, weather conditions will have moderated to make it possible for us (me and Remy) to continue the journey by bike. As I have learned, we will begin with a relaxed attitude about enjoying the travel, let the wind blow through us, and get as far as we can.

One thing I was able to do this evening was to click back and forth between Adventure Cycling map detail and mileage queries to determine approximately what our upcoming overnight stops will be. This will also enable us to make motel reservations further in advance which will be of especial benefit on weekends, I think. We're trying to schedule rest days near points of interest or larger communities. I also discovered that the Lewis & Clark Route meets up with the Northern Tier Route in Dickinson, ND. I don't have the map that goes from Dickinson to Great Falls, but I will call Adventure Cycling tomorrow and see whether I can get a download. It's more direct than what I had planned, and it will mean that I don't have to go by car from Havre, MT, to Great Falls because of the busy road between them.

These are the tentative, upcoming stops, for those who wish to track them on a map: in ND -- Enderlin, Gackle, Steele, Bismarck, Glen Ullin, and Dickinson; MT -- Wibaux and Circle for sure. After that, I still need to calculate because I had it all figured out going to Havre and then to Great Falls. There's a big loop from Great Falls to Missoula that looks like it will have gorgeous scenery, but it takes 8 days, rather than 3 without the loop. We'll figure that out when we get there. Possibly, I'll ride the 3-day part, and we'll take car trips out to see some of the other areas. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes. That's a long way out.

We found an amazing organic restaurant for supper this evening, and both of us are feeling happier in our tummies than we have been most of the time -- nothing awful, just not like home, you know? We did order beverages and split a dessert, something we usually don't do, so the bill was pretty high, but man was it good!

Fargo is a college town, at least in part, so it has its share of cozy coffee houses, high-quality restaurants, etc. Tomorrow, when we head in to the bike shop we will also visit a health food store so I can stock up on Rx Bars and Tayler can get a couple more things to help with her allergies.

I guess I'm coming to grips with not riding as much as I'd expected. When it's right, it's right, and I will ride -- hopefully day after tomorrow.

It's all about the wind: a day of metaphors (and maybe some similes)

1. Anyone who has had classical voice training as I have knows the word "spiro," It's Italian for breath. And of course we have many words from it in English. "In-spire," to breathe in; "Ex-spire," to breathe out (for the last time); "Con-spire," to breathe with -- I love that one, because I can just picture the conspirators breathing the same air together as they whisper their plans. I couldn't stop thinking about air, wind, and breath today.

Just as riding from Waukesha to Madison, and from Madison to Baraboo were challenging because of the headwind, riding from Alexandria to Fergus Falls today was a piece of cake because of the tailwind. In the first situation, I rode between 4 and 7 mph. Today I rode between 11 and 17 mph. The only time I got below that was when I made a wrong turn and rode into the wind for a while till I figured it out. Then I flew back to the place where I'd gotten off, once more with the wind at my back.

As I continue on my journey, more often than not the wind will be in my face or from the side.

I used to go into the backyard to let the dogs out in the winter, dressed in a T-shirt or tank top, back when I was doing Tai Chi regularly, and I would not be cold. When the wind blew, I imagined it blowing through me, not at me or around me. I imagined myself a part of the wind. Of course, at this time, my chi was very strong, so I was warmed by that, as well. But picturing myself as not solid, as part of the wind, changed my experience of it.

So, tomorrow, or whenever I get back on the trail -- might be Thursday -- it's a new thing to try in these circumstances. Breathe with the wind -- conspire with the wind as I travel. Be "inspired" by the wind as it blows through me.

2. I saw a young tree uprooted and lying with it's top partly on the trail today. My first reaction was the one culturally programmed into us: a feeling of mild sadness and regret. But as I rode on, I pictured the other trees around it, varying in size, type, and age, still standing. I did not ask, "Why this tree? Why now?" Instead, I saw it as a part of the marvelous creation and destruction that we experience as humans in this world. Instead of judging its goodness or badness, I let it be. Just be.

3. The beautiful lakeland of central Minnesota could be developed into something like the Wisconsin Dells, an area of peace and relief and rest, and also of vacation activity and food and lodging. Or not. I'm not recommending one or another. But the thought reminded me of the film industry trying to make its way in Michigan. There is great potential, but no infrastructure. The location is far from the centers of population accustomed to these things. The weather would mean boom times and fallow times. It is difficult to begin a change or attract the necessary population because there is no infrastructure to support it. But it's difficult to build the infrastructure if you don't know that people are going to come to support it.

4. I rode for about 5 1/2 hours today, including stops. I think everyone has had flying dreams at some point, and if not, try to imagine: you stop pedaling, and the bike doesn't even slow down; you see a hill coming, and you don't have to downshift because the wind is a gentle hand giving you a push up the incline; when it mosies around to the side, it is a shock to realize that it's even windy because the gentle hand from the rear feels like nothing except effortless speed.

PS: Remy's butt seems to be bothering him more than mine is me. Every time we went over even a subtle bump today, I could see him adjusting himself. The cart awaits in Fargo. We may drive there tomorrow, just to spare him another day of sitting in the same position in the carrier. We'll see. But I'm beginning to understand why, every time I approach him to go back in the basket, he flips over on his back, uncooperative about being picked up and buckled in. Remy is the loose cannon of this journey. He can't be reasoned with or explained to. Like a small child, he trusts that I will consider his needs, and I can't let him down. This is another puzzle to work out. I'll keep you posted.