What's Next?

Dear All
First I would like to say - I'M HERE - I DID IT!!!!!! Whoever said a journey of a thousand miles is begun with but a single footstep was right.

When I was leaving Independence the first day, I only got 20 miles and my hip and knees were bleeding from falls. I was very discouraged and I called Colleen to tell her that perhaps this was too much for me. She said to see how I felt in the morning - and in the morning I decided to go ahead for that day anyway. Every day after that I just coped with the challenges that day brought.

First I lacked much biking knowledge, then my physical condition was inadequate (that issue never conpletely resolved), then I wanted to recreate in a modern sense the life of the settlers as they travelled across the country by camping and cooking as much as possible (which added nuances of difficulty).

Knowing I was meeting Neil in Casper helped get me through some hard times in Nebraska, and when he arrived the company was most welcome. Troubles shared are troubles halved (and he carried some of my stuff too).

I got discouraged or maybe bored in Nevada by myself but Colleen called every night without fail and cheered me on. Sometimes she must have had difficulty imagining my situation - but always she called.

The last bit was great. Coming down 8600 feet through beautiful lush California. Even today when I left Hangtown (Placerville) I took Green Valley to Folsom but there discovered a bike path which ran along the American River 31 winding lovely miles right into downtown Sacramento (5 blocks from the Hostel where I am staying). How nice was that.

I would like to thank all of you for your support. You can't imagine how I looked forward to reading your comments and writing with you in mind.

I would also like to thank those people I met on the road who helped in a myriad of ways from putting us up to lending me a shower to just a friendly wave or honk in passing (I think the honks were friendly).

Lastly I would like to thank the thousands of people who made an effort to swing wide when passing me, really it is amazing how generous of heart people are (except for the evil RVers with their truck envy - and why do they have to cart all that stuff around anyway?).

I'll be in Vancouver day after tomorrow and then home next week - ah home - I started with Dorothy in a Kansas of tornados and now I finish with Dorothy in Oz - saying - there's no place like home.

Love
Laurence
Sacramento, California
September 30, 2009

ps ACDC thanks for the schedule and the route (which I pretty much took) Thanks for all the support - you were great and we look forward to seeing you before too long.
ps Lee tell the girls Poppa will see them next Friday
ps John, that's terrific
ps Grignons - all of you - thanks
l

Never wish for adventure

Today's view on the Mormon Emigrant Trail

The 40 mile desert - which actually has a lot of water - but alkaline and will kill you like a bullet

The mighty Humboldt River (they called it the Humbug)

Neil doing housekeeping

Neil and I entering Idaho

Hi All

So I was getting pretty tired of the monotony of the endless roads of Nevada. Then in the 40 mile desert my crank started to make a grinding noise and that caught my attention. Luckily it lasted until I got to Carson City where yesterday morning I left possibly the scummiest motel room it has ever been my privilege to occupy, and went to the bike shop where the fellow changed the bearing. It was shot - possibly from me dropping the bike with me on top numerous times.

Then I turned south parallel to the hills on the way to Genoa (pronounced Wannabee - Dayton is the oldest town in Nevada - Dayton has a big sign that says so), to visit the Mormon Station. Essential stop on the Trail. Well I had a mean head wind the whole way but I thought as soon as I turned west into the climb it would improve - hahaha - it changed to west. There I was, coming on dark and nowhere near anywhere - I had only gone 30 miles - far short of the plan to camp at the height of Carson's Pass under the stars. Instead I was huddled in a dry camp up a fire road off the highway. And then it deteriorated. The wind really came up and the tent cracked like a whip, I heard my bike blow over and since I was beside BEAR CREEK - guess what I thought. The night was interminable, but eventually the stars faded into the dawn.

The wind was formidable and gusting from several directions. As I started up the canyon the gusts pushed me twice into oncoming traffic (or would have if there was any and the point is that there could have been) so I resorted to plan B - stick out your thumb. The third truck stopped and John the Carpenter (and avid biker) told me he only had to take me to the top of the canyon and the wind would abate. Its been so long since I was in a car I felt like we were going about 300 kph. He let me off just after Carson's Pass at Kirkwood which as a town is nothing but a restaurant (perfect) where I had the most delicious breakfast to celebrate being alive. Then up and down the hills, but with manageable wind, until the turn onto Mormon Emigrant Trail (Hwy 5), which was 31 miles of the prettiest scenery imaginable. Almost no cars, a new road, and huge old trees through which you glimpse scenery dropping thousands of feet. The road swooped and soared and with little pedalling I arrived in Pollock Pines to discover that California does not allow bikes of the freeways (what would Ayn Rand say). So back roads through a paradise of flowers and grapes and apples and trees and just a visual feast after the arid prairies. You could imagine the immigrants seeing this land after months of the prairies and saying "this is the promised land".

And then for the night a real treat - a Best Western - that's right - a regular motel you don't hurry to leave. My little treat to myself.

I have 39 miles left to Sutter's Fort in Sacramento and then a bus to Vancouver and then home to bore you all senseless with rambling anecdotes and fuzzy pictures.

Love
Laurence
ps John, I'll call you to see your availability.
ps Lee - what are kms? I am converted.
ps Glenn - some who wander are lost - just ask me.
ps Neil I expect to get to your place Friday or Saturday - leave a crowbar
ps Binks, never trust anyone in an RV - today realizing he couldn't safely pass me because of oncoming traffic, this RVer resorted to blowing his horn and coming on. Good practice in projecting my voice from the diaphragm as I picked myself up from the ditch.
L

Through the desert on a bike with no name

Hi All
I'm in Fallon as today I crossed the 40 mile desert. I feared telling you last night, Colleen, because I thought you would worry but except for a headwind, it was a piece of cake. Hardly any cars, no buildings anywhere and a brand new road. I stopped in the middle, way off the road, at a memorial for the almost 1000 people who died on this stretch, and in the distance could hear the cars blow by with air conditioning and stereos running - 150 years of progress.

But I need to take you back to Elko to tell you the story of the Bicycle Guru.
(apologies to Mike Myers)

I mentioned that the Red Lion Casino sent a van around the the RV Parks to bring potential gamblers to them. I went because right across the road was a Pizza Hut for dinner.

When I got in the van there were already a couple in the back seat and the driver was (honest to god) saying "The @#$%^ elk are at 10,000 feet this year cause of all the @#$% rain and you got to carry the @#$% meat all the @#$% way down." Then he asked me if I hunted and I said that bicycling was my thing which put him in a temporary state of shock.

The lady behind said they had seen me coming into town and asked me all the usual questions. I noticed she asked about good stuff and he about danger and cost but when I asked them about themselves the floodgates opened. They were just retired, living in Reding, California and having a hard time reestablishing intimacy after many years of jobs and family. They bought the RV to travel and do things together and right there she started talking about how he had no soul for adventure and he about how she was totally impractical.

The driver was squirming.

Since we had arrived at the Casino I suggested we go inside and continue the conversation over a coffee, much to the driver's relief. While we were getting our coffee I innocently remarked how much better coffee was with milk. These people must have thought there was a lot more to my trip than just bicycling because she immediately said "Honey, do you see what he means?"

"Yes" he replied, "it's a parable - you are the coffee, I am the milk"

"My God, together we make a perfect pair, that's what he's saying".

The billing and cooing was getting pretty thick so I made my escape - The Bicycle Guru was born.

But wait - there's more. The next day I stopped for lunch at a rest area and a mother and son came over and asked where I was going etc. I asked where they were from and they said "Minnesota".

"Oh, by any chance near Hibbing" I asked him as she lit a cigarette.

"My God! How did you know? No one has ever heard of Hibbing", she choked.

The Bicycle Guru looked inscrutable (and failed to mention that Hibbing is the only town he knows in Minnesota and that's because Bob Dylan was born there) and said "I heard it on the wind".

And, not content to quit, said "Lady, I don't want to interfere but you should consider quiting smoking as I see black clouds gathering over you".

They sat in their car talking for quite a while as I ate and then they pulled out but stopping at the trash can the power window went down and a hand reached out and deposited a pack of cigarettes inside (empty or full I'll never know?).

The Bicycle Guru rides on.

After Elko was Battle Mountain (motel), then Winnemucca (RV Park), then Lovelock (RV Park) then here. That's almost all on I80 which is horrible to bike but whenever I tried to take any of the old roads they decayed into gravel washboard leaving meto hump my stuff over the barbed wire to get back on the Intersate (which I only did once - that was enough).

I did meet an archaelogist who introduced me to the lovely fall yellow bloom of Raggit Bush and it's unique aroma as well assome of the history of the area.

Today I bid my friend the Humboldt River goodbye at the Humboldt Sink and tomorrow will meet the Carson River. Tomorrow will be my last night in Nevada and then it's time to see how good my conditioning is when I have to climb some really big hills into California. People tell me Hwys 88 and 89 are very scenic and so is the descent along the American River.
Well, that's all, so love
Laurence

ps Andrew, I learned my ute lesson watching
"My Cousin Vinnie"
ps Glenn - a motorcycle with a sidecar - what say you?
ps Lee - Istudy the mapsforhours tryingto extract all possible information
ps Laura - did you utter a "dinkyism"?
ps Binks - the other day the RV beside me was pulling out at the crack of dawn and I found myself checking the top for figurines.
ps John - you are evil, evil with tasty foam on your upper lip.
ps Richard, I could have got over that barbed wire fence a lot easier if I thought there were golfballs onthe other side.
L

A History Lesson

Hi All
As you probably know, one of the distinguishing features of my route is that it was used by so many different people. Just in the 1800's alone, you can count the Mormons who trekked to Salt Lake (fleeing or seeking), the Pony Express to and from California (looking for government subsidy), the Oregon settlers on their way to homestead (cheap/free land), and of course, the so-called 49'ers intent on the instant wealth of finding gold (something for nothing). This means that without getting off my bike I am able to see an incredible number of historical points. Which is good since a side trip on a bike is not like a side trip in a car.
But roads diverge, and so near Kemmerer the Pony Express and the Mormons headed south for Salt Lake City (to be) and points west. We (the 49'ers and I) split with the Oregon people at Raft River when we headed south-west to City of Rocks and the Humboldt River and they chose north-west. Now those trail markers that have marked my journey from Independence no longer have the four logos but only show the California Trail.

Today was kind of flat. I spent an hour in the broken-down historical section of Wells taking photos and then came almost to Elko before finding a gas station with cold drinks. The route was just hilly enough to be challenging but I was forced onto I80 most of the way which is fine for cars but bad for people. I think because most of the unknown part of the journey is over and much of my day is now routine, I am getting homesick. I have been on the road for over a month which is a long time away. This part of the journey can be measured in 50 mile days of biking which I can use to cut up the map into the stages to come. Thank goodness I have the really big mountains ahead to anticipate. Maybe I should change routes? I think too that I am eager to get to Vancouver and see John and family as well as meet Rachel.

Today after lunch I crossed the Humboldt for the first time. It was a pretty small stream to me but to 49ers after some days without water since leaving the 1000 Springs Creek, I guess it was a welcome sight.

Tonight I am in Elko which seems pretty big on gambling - there are a lot of casinos, which is ironic in such a depressed area. The RV park I'm in runs a shuttle to The Red Lion Casino down the street, and lucky for me, there is a Pizza Hut across the street. That's my evening.

Tomorrow I need to make Battle Mountain which is about 80 miles west. I also need to climb Immigrant Pass early in the afternoon which locals smirk when they tell me - yagayawerkcututferyabey (or something like that - we were in a bar). By the way, people here all think I have an accent - when it's them who do.

Be Excellent
Laurence

ps Marivic thanks for the note - I hope they get all the good of my genes and none of the bad, and Happy Birthday Jacinta
ps Lee thank you so much for your work on the map
ps Barack and Michy - stay calm but they don't like your outlawing full automatics here, you actually go into places here and people are passing firearms around - still freaks me out. But then Neil had an empty can in his hand and asked one person if they recycled and he responded "You from California"?
ps Lara it was so cold this morning the water was frozen in my camel mouthpiece - brrrrrr
ps Irene and Patrick - how can you have a 40 yr. old son? I can't have friends that old.
ps Andie what a sweet note - I detect you are missing travelling yourself? Soon enough.
ps Neil, I've still got all that soup. I'll bring it to your house.
ps Colleen - sorry for the reception last night - I was in a Casino restaurant and all the electronics seem to play havoc with my phone. Please try tonight - you are my highlight.
ps Kim, how are things on Botsford?
L

So Many Revolutions

Hi All
I'm in Wells, Nevada. Four Hundred and some miles left to go until Sacramento.
Neil and I went out for a spectacular Italian dinner on Wednesday as well as shopping for a plate for me to replace the one I broke. Thursday he came 11 miles west with me before heading south. We parted at a gas station with hugs and jokes and two miles later I started to miss him (although I could go a lot slower without him) like crazy cakes.

Up till now our Idaho had been along rivers and lush and fertile but as I headed south along the Raft Valley it became more and more to resemble arid Wyoming. That night I stayed in a highway rest area (but knew enough to put garbage cans over the appropriate sprinklers for the inevitable 5 AM watering). Colleen phoned and that helped a lot with missing Neil.

The next day (Fri.) I headed for City of Rocks (so named by the 49'ers since many of these phantasmagorical shapes could be imagined to be buildings or people). It is magical. I stayed in the state park and my neighbour who was there rock climbing brought me over a frosty lager while I was cooking dinner - how absolutely splendid.

Saturday I said farewell to City of Rocks, but the only way out necessitated gravel so although I have been avoiding gravel (clumsy me and road rash), this time there was no option. 28 miles later I kissed the pavement of Hwy n81. From there it is 2 miles to the Utah border and Pacific Time (yes I have crossed 2 time changes, and by bike). There was nothing between City of Rocks and Park Valley, so I had to plan to go all day with the water I had. I ran out just before Park Valley but knocked on doors of houses until I got water (and a suggestion to stay beside the deserted Rodeo Grounds where there was water and inadvertently, I suppose, an unlocked washroom - Heaven).

The next day was the same lack of towns, except this time it was 69 miles and I would cross the top of the Great Salt Desert - how cool is that. Luckily a guy passing on a dirt bike gave me a cold coke - ah! I got to Montello in Nevada around supper, set up in the park next to the Cowboy Bar and Cafe, ate, and then went to the Cafe to do crosswords and watch the local nightlife (of which there was little).

This morning I had breakfast at the Cafe with Candice who is a gold prospector. But instead of a burro she had a Broncho, instead of "gosh darn" she spoke of anticlines and overburden, instead of whisky for breakfast she had coffee. Where is the romance in that. Then onward but only 50 miles today because I had to climb a range (I figured the big hill was a 5% incline for 4 miles which will never get me the spotted jersey but is still a mighty big pile of dirt to pedal up.

Now I am in Wells at an RV Park where I will try out my new sleeping bag. I was freezing as it got colder because my "Space Blanket" (mylar film with a reflective coat) was condensing onto the bag and I was getting damp - yuck so I went to the local hardware store and purchased $29.95 worth of comfort although the load of my poor bike gets higher and higher - soon I'll need rear view mirrors. BUT - Now I have mattress and bag - comfy.

From a biker's point of view, the scenery the last few days has been little changing. Scenes like the one of miles of fence covered on one side by tumbleweeds, or of dust devils playing in the sage stay with me. The weather has been awesome with some unfortunate turns of wind by which I mean right in my face. I suspect I would be enjoying it more if I was fitter and less sore, but all in all my ability to move forward has surpassed my expectations.

Got to go - Library closing
Laurence
ps Laura - I scored Celestial Seasonings mixed box - yummy
ps Rachel - Isn't it funny we have the identical model bikes (and yet Neil didn't invite you along)?
ps Colleen, can you give me Maria's phone number in case she wants to meet for coffee?
ps Alain - on the way to Park Valley an enormous storm began gathering over the Grouse Mountains north of me as I went west. I could see in the masses of black cloud sheets of rain and vivid slashes of lightening but couldn't get a handle on it's direction - so I just pedalled as hard as I could and hoped. One more time the storm nipped my heels and then passed behind me until that night on the eastern horizon the entire skyline would light up although the thunder could not be heard. Some lucky.
ps Neil - on Sunday at lunch I looked up and saw a contrail. I wondered if it was you cozy at 30,000 ft. looking down on me and remembering all the adequate times (haha) we had.
ps Irene and Patrick where are you?
ps Ray, much of the scenery is like southern Chile.
ps sorry no pics, I'm out of time
L

A Good Day

You are looking north up the Bear River Valley at what looks like a tornado forming - but then the clouds blew away
Cut off his own leg eh? - there's America's answer to Medicare
Hi All
Neil set the alarm for 7 (voluntarily) today and so we were up and out early. We left the Hideout Motel in Cokeville by 8:30 to 52 chilly degrees and overcast skies with a light 3 to 5 mph wind from the north. Cokeville is famous, by the way, for having the first female mayor and councilwomen in America. Apparently many suffragettes quoted this fact in their speeches as proof of female capabilities.

The 10 miles to the Idaho border was a straight shot up the west side of the Wyoming Range in the Bear River Valley and was easy biking between ranges (except twice). The land here is well irrigated and much more cultivated than western Wyoming. We saw a lot of wheat and oats (that's what we think they were).

In Montpelier at the local sporting goods store, I tried a new glue for the sleeping mat but it failed to adhere, so I bought a cheap air mattress to put on top of mine. I will have comfort if I have to stack them 2 ft. high. Then Neil's coffee radar cut in and like a pointer, he headed for maybe the only espresso bar in Idaho. Amid posters of Jimi and Bob and Peace and Love, we had real coffee. Next door is an abandoned bank that Butch Cassidy once robbed. The deputy chased Cassidy's gang on a bike but couldn't catch them (so he said).

We picked up a tailwind in the afternoon and blew into Soda Springs at 5. An easy peasey 63 miles. The first place we stopped to inquiry about camping had a sign "rooms -$39.95" so again I'm living the fat life (with a TV you could wear on your wrist it's so small).

Tomorrow is Neil's last day so we'll stay in Pocatello and celebrate a great week together before he heads south on Thursday and I head over the next few days through Raft River and Almo to City of Rocks State Park. Then Ta Ta Idaho and hello state number six - Utah.

Colleen, I have new phone numbers and through modern technology one is
613-686-2063 (Ottawa) and the other is
778-785-0847 (Vancouver)
7-7:30 PM Mountain Time

Love Laurence
ps Scott - I loved your note - very lyrical - Nietzsche meets Snoopy
ps Mich and Bar - I'm not losing a biking partner, I'm gaining the remote
ps Alain - you know the bike is a real leveller. Whomever I meet, the bike opens the door - it's really astonishing how it makes friends. I feel like I'm tagging along with a more popular friend.
ps Rachel Hi, glad you like the photos - he is some cute eh?
ps Lee you are doing a great job with the map. It adds a lot, thanks.

L