Chuck's Big Ride

Ride Day Twenty-Eight: Saratoga Springs, NY to Manchester Center, VT — 43.9 Miles

We spent last night at a camp ground on Lake Saratoga at the edge of Saratoga Springs so that we could see our friends Chris Morrow and his mother Barbara at their bookstore.  We've known Barb and her husband Ed for nearly as long as we were in the book business., and met Chris years ago as well — he now runs the bookstores.  We're staying with Ed tonight in Manchester Center — Chris and Barb are in Saratoga Springs for a reception, working late at their store there, and staying over at their apartment above the store. The Morrows have run Northshire Bookstore in Vermont for 42 years, and opened the store in Saratoga Springs, at the behest of folks in that town, just over four years ago.  Here's a photo outside the Saratoga Springs store.

I think their stores, hands down, are among the best anywhere.  A funny coincidence...when Dee and I were traveling in 1979 and early 1980, deciding if we wanted to open a bookstore, we read a book called Second Chance.  The book was filled with stories of folks who had moved from one career to another — something less common in the late 70's than today.  One store was about a guy who worked on Wall Street.  He had left "the street" and he and his wife had moved to Vermont and opened a bookstore.  We found the story quite inspiring and it certainly contributed to our final decision about a store. After starting our store and knowing Ed and Barb for several years it finally dawned on us that they were the couple.  We dug out the book and confirmed it.  I just told Ed tonight that it was all his fault.  He laughed and said he was happy to take the credit.

Because we were going to be in Saratoga Springs until afternoon today I took advantage of being close to a bike shop with time to have some work done on the bike.  Some time back I learned that the rear wheel needed to be trued, but the timing and location hadn't coincided to let that happen.  So today I took the bike to Blue Sky Bicycles to have that done.  Fortunately, they discovered that I needed a new rear tire and a new chain —nearly 2000 miles has taken its toll.  In addition they gave me some good advice about my route to Manchester Center.  So I was all set.

As you might know, Saratoga Springs is a huge horse racing center, and much of the surrounding area is surrounded by horse farms.  All over the downtown there are statues like this, each painted in its own unique design.

This one is actually in the nearby town of Schuylerville, and there was another very near it.

The ride today was a bit more challenging than the past few days along the canal.  I climbed nearly the same number of feet in 44 miles today as I did yesterday in 80 miles, meaning the hills had a steeper incline.  And, yesterday was quite a bit more elevation gain than several days along the canal.  I think I'll have a similar experience for the next few days here in the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire.  I chose this to be a no-tunes day.  So I spent the time just absorbing the scenery and the atmosphere. If I had any great thoughts they must have passed through quickly.

I want to thank Steve Martini for his generous donation to Binc this week.  I'm hoping the other two authors in the legal thriller trio — John Grisham and Scott Turow — will match his generosity.  Steve, as you likely know, is the Bellingham-based author of a number of legal thrillers featuring Paul Madriani, as well as some stand-alone novels.  Here's more info on his books.

The countryside through which I rode today was beautiful.  I saw several harvested corn fields, like this one with the rolling hills behind.

I also came across this iconic covered bridge.

And later these stone walls that seem another symbol of New England.

According to our friends here, Columbus Day weekend is the busiest weekend in the state of Vermont, and likely in New Hampshire as well.  That's true because it's usually the height of fall color.  This year, however, some color came early, then summer came back and the major color has not materialized as it usually does.  There's not been a hard frost yet.  That said, this photo did look pretty "fallish" to me in spite of the still green hills behind.

When we got to Manchester Center we were able to visit the original store.  This was Dee's third visit to the store and my fifth.  I never tire of it. Here's a photo outside the store.  I thought it appropriate to show the Binc jersey as Northshire has been such an avid supporter of the foundation.

There are two great sculptures in a small park-like setting near this entrance.  The first is a Thomas Jefferson piece, though not just a statue.

The second is either newer, or I just hadn't spotted it before.  It's a reading robot figure.

It's the one on your left.

I did have an "almost" dog encounter today.  Within the last 10 miles of the ride I spotted a very large dog on the side of the road, head down and sniffing.  It appeared to be at least part Great Dane.  The dog looked up at me...and went back to sniffing the side of the road. Maybe it was part bloodhound. It couldn't have been less interested in me.

After a welcome shower we went with Ed to a great Thai restaurant that he and Barb frequent often.  The food was amazing.  It was a great time to catch up with Ed, with whom I served on the board of the American Booksellers Association.  He was ABA's president about three spots before me. It's always great seeing long-time friends.

Ride Day Twenty-Eight by the numbers;

43.9 — miles ridden

2828.1 — feet in elevation gained

4401,67 — calories burned

1 — days without a fall (this new way of reporting was inspired by a factory safety sign I saw today)

1/2 — dogs (see above)

Ride Day Twenty-Seven: Ilion to Saratoga Springs, NY — 80.9 Miles

The morning was, once again, cool and there was "steam fog" rising from the river.  If you've never heard of "steam fog" check this out.

I decided today was a music day and that I'd listen again to some music I haven't heard for a while.  I began with Frank Zappa.  Zappa, who may be best known for his satire of American culture, created more than 60 albums spanning rock, jazz, jazz fusion, pop, and orchestral music.  Rolling Stone magazine not only named him one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, but also placed him at number 22 of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.  Next came Jimmy Buffet and some feel-good, island-escapism tunes, with a little social comment thrown in for good measure.  I couldn't help thinking of our good friend Ray Dunn, who is an avid Buffet fan.  K.D. Lang was next up with the soundtrack of the movie "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues." The movie, in spite of a stellar cast — Uma Thurman, Keanau Reeves, Angie Dickinson, Buck Henry, John Hurt, etc., etc. was a flop, but the soundtrack was not.  And, the book is still a favorite and available here.  I moved on to K.D. Lang's album "Shadowland." After all, "too much K.D. Lang" is an oxymoron. Her classic rendition of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" at the opening ceremony of the 2010 Olympics bears re-watching here. Next came an old Billy Joel album I haven't listened to for ages.  I wrapped up the morning listening to one of my favorite local bands, the Prozac Mountain Boys, who have been guests on the Chuckanut Radio Hour several times.

Speaking of the Chuckanut Radio Hour, this Thursday evening's CRH will be a special Whatcom Community College 50th Anniversary celebration.  The show will feature Nathalia Holt, author of The Rise of the Rocket Girls.  Go here for information about the show.  Whatcom Community College is one of the organizations for which I'm raising money.  This would be a great time for you to donate here.

I've often mentioned the wildlife I've seen along the way.  Over the course of the ride I've only seen a few rabbits, but today attempted to make up for that.  I actually lost count, but I saw three within just a few minutes and others during the day.  Here's one that sat still long enough for a portrait.

Before I hit the trail I had one encounter with a dog.  It was standing in a driveway as I rode up and began moving toward me, looking more playful than vicious.  I yelled NO! NO! and the dog stopped in its tracks. 

The ride today was a mix of roads and trail, with an assortment of trail surfaces as before. There were some interesting features on the trail today.  At one point I was riding in a fairly narrow "canyon" and spotted this tunnel ahead.

Looking back from a ways down the trail the "canyon" looked like this.

The canal trail was along the Mohawk River much of the time.  I spotted this mile marker, but the trail was far enough from the river at that point that I suspect it was a road or railroad marker.

Shortly before lunch in Amsterdam (no not THAT Amsterdam, or the ones in California, New Jersey, Ohio, Missouri, Montana, Pennsylvania, Texas, or Virginia. The one in New York) I had nearly seven miles of paved trail that was fairly smooth, except for the usual root bumps at times.  But, just over a quarter mile of the trail was the most unusual I've ridden.  Take a look.

That's right, two lanes and my own bridge.  I was hoping this ran all the way to Amsterdam, but no, the trail resumed just the other side of the bridge.

After riding the first fifty miles I ate a big meal at Shorty's Tavern — hot beef open-faced sandwich, with fries soaked in gravy.  I should have taken a picture.  I couldn't finish the fries.  It was just too much.

I needed some strong beat music for the after-lunch, hill-climbing, road-riding, segment of the day so I put on "Rock Anthems, Vol II", Lazlo Bane's "Guilty Pleasures" (covers of rock classics),

The last thirty miles to Saratoga Springs was on roads, the first few miles of which were in the city of Amsterdam.  Boy could these folks learn a bit about bike lanes from their namesake — they have none.  I was riding on busy highway 67 with a very narrow lane...in some places, and none in others. Once I got out of town, bless the state of New York, the shoulder was wide and smooth and the rest of the ride was good.

About four miles from tonight's campground I came to a road where I thought I should be turning, but the voice on my GPS didn't tell me to turn.  So I came to a stop, but I once again experienced the "failure to unclip" syndrome and fell over, skinning my right knee and calf. And I'd gone so long without a fall.

Yesterday I mentioned finishing Sunil Yapa's Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist.  Here's a link to a great interview with Yapa, conducted by Christine Perkins, Director of Whatcom County Library System.

Ride Day Twenty-Seven by the numbers:

80.9 — miles ridden

2923.1 — feet in elevation gained

8106.1 — calories burned

1 — fall (see above)

1 - dog (see above)

 

Thanks to Beth Golay, who does the blog "Books and Whatnot," you can also follow the journey on Story Map.

 

Ride Day Twenty-Six: Green Lakes State Park to Ilion, NY — 65 Miles

It was a little warmer this morning when I began the ride — 47 vs. 40 yesterday.  It still felt a little crisp, but it was a beautiful fall day here with lots of sunshine.  Trails today varied from several miles of smooth asphalt, to asphalt with many root bumps, to packed limestone, to loose limestone, to single-track packed earth, and a few miles of 0n-road.  One was regularly surprised by sudden changes in the surface. The canal also changed quite regularly from very clear and apparently navigable to this, and worse.

Apples and walnuts and pine cones, oh my.  Often in the past few days, today included, I would come upon a cluster of apples, walnuts, or large pine cones littered across the trail, making forward navigation difficult at best.  Trying to bob and weave and not hit the little trail-blockers was a challenge, but it did keep one alert.

I've seen hundreds — perhaps thousands — of Canada Geese in the past couple of weeks.  This morning was no exception.  I heard them first, then saw them circling, then saw them landing on the water.

At one point I spotted what I assumed to be grain elevators.  At least they looked like those of my youth in the Midwest.  Then I remembered being told that coal towers looked like this as well.  So, I'm not sure what these are, but they were right along the canal.

Because much of the ride was along isolated trails with little distraction — other than the aforementioned "trail-blockers," I decided to continue listening to Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist by Sunil Yapa. I mentioned the other day that the book is the 2017 - 2018 WhatcomREADS selection and that Yapa will be in Bellingham March 8 - 10.  The audio version of the book is available here, and the print edition is available here.

As I mentioned before, the story is set at the time of the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle.  It focuses on seven characters and their interactions, bringing many perspectives forward. I was stunned by the book, and nearly sobbed as it ended, overcome with a deep sadness.

I spent the next couple of hours in silence, thinking in part about the book I'd just listened to and in part letting my mind wander.  Later in the day I put on some more tunes — Paul McCartney, Patsy Cline, and Billy Joel.  There's a mix for you.

Earlier in the trip I took a photo of a 1956 Ford.  Here's another that I came across today.

There were lots of historic markers and story boards along this section of the canal.  One of the first talked about the "long level," the section of the canal that was built first because it had little rise and required no locks.  Here's the marker describing that section.

This storyboard was about Dewitt Clinton, Governor of NY during the building of the canal, and the man considered most responsible for its construction.

Rome (no, not that Rome, or Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Iowa, or Maine — the one in New York) was where construction began on the canal, and this plaque marked that place.

Tomorrow will be my last day on the canal.  I've modified my route a couple of times now.  First, enjoying the canal, I decided to ride its entire length.  Now, I've decided to ride to Amsterdam along the canal, then head off to Saratoga Springs, where our friend Chris Morrow has a bookstore.

Ride Day Twenty-Six by the numbers:

65 — miles ridden

813.6 — feet in elevation gained

6510.2 — calories burned

0 — falls

0 — dogs

 

 

 

Ride Day Twenty-Three: Lockport to Brockport, NY — 41.4 Miles

Yesterday was a great day at Niagara Falls.  It's a place a lot of newlyweds go.  Since we didn't get here in December of 1967, we thought we'd do our visit now, just a few months before our 50th.  Here's a photo that some folks kindly took of the two of us with the falls and Niagara, Canada, behind us.

This is a photo of the Rainbow Bridge from the U.S. to Canada, close to the falls.

We also had the opportunity to visit Fort Niagara and learn a bit about its history.  Here's the oldest building of the fort, built by the French and completed in 1727.  It's called the French Castle.  The French had convinced the Iroquois Confederacy that they wanted to build a trading post and call it a "House of Peace."  They built it to look like a chateau, but it has all of the fortifications of a typical fort.

Since we were only a few miles north of Buffalo, we took advantage of the proximity to visit Talking Leaves Books.  Serendipitously, our friend Jonathon Welch, owner of the store, walked in while we were there and we had a chance to have a nice conversation.

We stayed the last two nights at a motel about a mile from the Erie Canal, so this morning I had only a short ride on city streets before I arrived at this spot at the locks in downtown Lockport.

The weather has made a big switch.  This morning it was only about 47 degrees when I began the ride.  Because of rain predictions I wore a rain jacket, which also helped keep me warm.  I did get rained on a bit, but it was fine.

As for the Erie Canal Trail one could say it was the best of trails, it was the worst of trails.  Short sections — in towns and under bridges — were paved with asphalt like this.

One section was paved with deep grooves and bad potholes.

Most typical, however, was this crushed, packed limestone trail, which was usually pretty smooth.

Vineyards have now yielded to apple orchards, of which I've seen several.

And, if you think they don't grow big apples here, take a look at this.

It's actually an art piece, as this sign explains.

This was something I just couldn't pass without taking a photo.

The juxtaposition of the pirate ship and the canal was just great, and I couldn't help thinking how much I would have loved this as a kid.

I was treated to the sight of four canal boats traveling together under a lift bridge, something a local bike shop owner told me was a bit unusual.  He said they often travel in twos, but not so often in fours.

Here's a lift bridge when it's lowered, which I was able to see happen after these boats passed.

Though this was no where near the size of Niagara Falls, this falls along the canal was beautiful.

It was a rather short ride today as heavier rain was expected this afternoon, and is falling now as I write this.  I'm so happy to have missed this.  Riding in sprinkles is one thing, but this is far beyond sprinkles and a thunderstorm is still predicted.  I arrived in Brockport shortly after noon and we had lunch in Stoneyard Brewery.  We then had a chance to visit Lift Bridge Book Shop and talk with the owners John and Cody.  We're having dinner and staying with the former owners, Archie and Patty tonight, but I'll fill you in on that tomorrow.

Without the distractions of roadside traffic I was finally able to listen to a book while I rode.  I began a book that I've been saving for this trip — Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist by Sunil Yapa. The book is set during the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle.  It's the Whatcom READS book for this coming year and Yapa will be in Bellingham March 8th — 10th for presentations about the book.  The audio edition is available here.  The print edition is available here. 10% of all sales of the book through Village Books will be donated to Whatcom READS.

Ride Day Twenty-Three by the numbers.

41.4 — miles ridden

374 — feet in elevation gained (a pretty flat ride)

4147.07 — calories burned

0 — falls

0 — dogs

 

Ride Day Twenty-One: Ripley to Evangola State Park, NY — 45.7 Miles

It was a pretty short, easy day today.  I'd downed my first glass of my favorite post-ride recovery drink — chocolate milk — before 1:45pm and was heading for the showers by shortly after 2:00pm.  A word about chocolate milk. This article from "Fitness" magazine makes the case for it being an ideal recovery drink, based on research by physiologist Joel Stager, director of the Human Performance laboratory at Indiana University. Read it, just in case you want another reason to drink chocolate milk.

The entire ride today was on the New York extension of Pennsylvania's Bike Highway Z.  In this case it's 517, and while the shoulder is a little bit rougher at times, it is wide and well-marked. Once again, I rode past vast fields of grapes.  While I often think of the Concord grape in this region, the Cornell Grapevine Breeding and Genetics program has identified more than 50 varieties of grape that grow well in this region along Lake Erie, Lake Champlain, and in the Finger Lakes. While there wasn't a lot of elevation gain today — less than 1050 feet — there was quite a bit of up and down over short hills, which I suspect were formerly sand dunes, as I was usually in view of Lake Erie, and often only a few yards from its shore.

I rode today without listening to music or a book.  I just wanted to think a bit.  I found myself asking the question "why this ride?"  Not in the negative sense of "why am I doing this BLEEPING ride?"  In the more introspective sense of what motivated this and what do I expect from it?  I came up with several reasons for the ride.

1) I've mentioned this before.  Lots of bike riders, once we figure out we can ride 50 or 75 or 100 miles, begin to think about a cross-country ride.  It's a bucket list thing.  Several of the folks I ride with in Bellingham have done it at least once, and our friend Dave Lippiatt has crossed the continent three times on his bike.

2) The book Younger Next Year by Chris Cowley and Dr. Henry Lodge helped me make big changes in my life.  This is not a magic potion, or fountain of youth book. Instead it encourages one to exercise six days a week and eat reasonably.  A few years ago I began the five to six day a week exercise regimen, and with some exceptions, have been doing it ever since.  The authors talk about using a "kedge" to motivate oneself.  I'd never heard of a "kedge" and expect many others have not either.  Here's what the authors say about it: “A Kedge is our term for Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things.  It’s setting a desperate goal and working like crazy to get there. To save yourself. It doesn’t have to be a self-inflicted torture. It doesn’t even have to be long-term (how about doing something next week?)   It does have to be reasonably demanding. It has to be motivating. It might well be ‘social’. And it’d better be fun!”  I've had other biking "kedges" — STP, RSVP, Grand Fondo Whistler; Mount Ventoux, etc.  This is my latest.

3) I wanted to slow down and smell the roses — or in this case, yesterday's opportunity to smell the grape vineyards.  It's a great way to see the country from a close to the ground (but not too close, I hope) perspective.

4) I wanted to draw attention to three fabulous foundations that I care a lot about, and to raise some money for their worthy causes.  This page will tell you more about the foundations and give you an opportunity to join me in supporting one or more of them.

5) Dee and I have always loved road trips and this one has been a chance for us to combine several things we love to do — visit friends, see museums and other sights, I get to ride my bike, Dee gets to read a lot.

Who would have thought that this trip would have taken me to such exotic places.  A while back I was in Paris and today I arrived in Barcelona. 

Alas, no Sagrada Familia or Park Güell, but there was this very nice lighthouse.

And, if that wasn't enough, it wasn't long until I saw this sign.

Which reminds me, we haven't yet seen the film.  It's received great ratings (93% on Rotten Tomatoes) and reviews.  Here's a trailer (not for the weak of heart).

Here's something I saw today that made me wonder why these signs weren't around when we were young and dating.

I expect young lovers might be disappointed when they arrive at the top of the next hill to see a pretty typical rest area.  Though I do remember once parking behind a zoo.  In deference to Dee I'll not tell the story here — not because it wasn't Dee I was with, it was.  It's just that I've embarrassed her more than once with this in the past 50+ years.

I came upon one of the most beautiful floral displays I've seen on the trip.  Mother nature really outdoes FTD.

At one point I saw a display of a quite different nature.

It's a candy/souvenir shop with lots of "statues" and large pots out front.  The one of the girl was gigantic.  Shortly thereafter I came across a store with quite a claim "The Largest Western Store in the East."  Take a gander at those boots on the roof to the left.

Ironically, it came shortly before this sign.

Cowboys and Indians, Eastern style.

We're in a beautiful state park this evening —Evangola State Park.  One of the greatest things about it is that it has perhaps one of the largest "Little Libraries" I've seen.  In this case it's a book case beside the restroom building.

But, more remarkable than the size was the selection.  Here are just five of the books from the case, all great literary reads and among our favorite books.  And, there were a lot more good books there.

 House of Sand and Fog, The Reader, Suite Francaise, Night, The Tender Bar

Ride Day Twenty-one by the numbers:

45.7 — miles ridden

1046.6 — feet in elevation gained

4582.68 — calories burned

0 — falls

0 — dogs

 

Ride Day Fourteen: Reed City to Grand Rapids, MI — 64.6 Miles

Giving Here Matters!  Donate Now!

I had first thought that I would listen to music or a book today, but then decided to have a playlist-free day and enjoy the solitude. I thought almost immediately of the book Quiet by Susan Cain.  It's about introverts, which I'm not, but Dee is.  If you haven't read the book, you really should, and it should be required of every teacher in the country. We have long known, as our friend Janet Ott teaches, introversion and extroversion are not about whether you like being around people or not, they're about how you get your energy and recharge.  Dee recharges by being alone reading.  She loves socializing, not necessarily at big functions, but certainly loves being around people.  But, that doesn't give her energy.  I love being around people, small crowds or large, and I get energized. So, as you might imagine, I don't spend a lot of time in solitude.  The time I've spent on this trip has caused me to think I should spend more time in quiet contemplation.  Maybe it will recharge parts of me I haven't been recharging.

I rode the entire day on the White Pine Trail, except for a short detour, which you'll read about below.  It was a pleasant fall morning and the first 14+ miles of the trail were paved.  So it was a good start.

Here's the sign that one sees at each trail entrance point.

There was little human activity along the trail this morning, but the wildlife were pretty active. There were lots of birds chirping and swooping, including a beautiful Blue Jay.  I saw numerous ground squirrels or chipmunks (I wasn't close enough to see if they had head stripes — chipmunks do, ground squirrels don't). I also had a black tree squirrel play chicken with me, dashing back and forth right in front of the bike.  If it had made one more false move I might have run over it.  Maybe I would have found out if it tasted like chicken.  I never hunted squirrels growing up.  I did hunt rabbits, cleaned them, and Mom or Dad fried them.  I love rabbit to this day, though I no longer hunt. I did see a rabbit that ran beside me along the trail for a few yards.  I think my brother Bruce has hunted squirrels — he's hunted most everything.  The only color squirrel I knew growing up were the reddish brown ones.  I don't believe I ever saw a black squirrel when I was young.  Now we have black squirrels where we live in Lynden.  I have very rarely seen white squirrels, but I've seen two on this trip, neither close enough to photograph.

Just before I arrived in Paris (no, not that Paris, nor the ones in Arkansas, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, or Maine — the one in Michigan), I spotted this clever sign painted on the trail.

It says "Paris Swamp."  Indeed, if one looked to either side of the trail, there was a swamp.

After a rendezvous with Dee at Big Rapids to pick up more water and rest a few minutes, I headed south again.  Here's the sign a the south edge of Big Rapids (I missed the one at the north).

It was also at this point that I snapped this photo of the trail change.

As you can see, it rapidly changes from a smooth asphalt surface to two crushed rock tracks.  The trail conditions varied widely from smooth packed gravel and dirt to very loose rock and sand.  The trail was advertised as a crushed rock and grass trail and I had assumed it meant mostly like what's pictured here, until I came along patches like this.

For short distances one was literally riding across a grass lawn, but these stretches didn't last long.

I mentioned yesterday that our friend Lori Tucker-Sullivan was riding with me.  In addition to chairing the Book Industry Charitable Foundation board, and working as the Executive Director of the Independent Booksellers Consortium, Lori is also a freelance journalist and college professor.  On Wednesday her essay, "I'm a widow.  Why do people assume I can't handle going to a wedding," was published in the Washington Post.  If you have a widow in your family you just might want to read this.

If Minnesota is known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes (it actually has nearly 12,000 of at least 4 acres in size), perhaps Wisconsin and Michigan can vie for the title of Land of Many Rivers.  I rode today along the Muskegon, where I took this photo from a bridge on the trail.

Later in the day I rode along the Rogue River — I know, all of you West Coasters think the Rogue is in Oregon.  This one is not. Here's a sign identifying a park along the river.

There was one section of the trail that was closed, but clear directions on the sign identified a detour and where to rejoin the trail.  Shortly into the detour I thought that I wished I had taken a photo of the closed sign for the blog.  A short time later I wished I'd taken a photo of the sign so I could remember how to get back to the trail.  I did remember that I was supposed to turn on 185th, which I did.  I rode some distance, and up three pretty steep hills, but didn't see a place to join the trail.  So, I turned around and rode back to where I came onto 185th.  There I spotted a Sheriff's car parked at the side of the road.  I asked the extremely pleasant deputy where the trail resumed and he pointed me back on 185th the direction I had first ridden.  Seems I turned around about a quarter of a mile short of Johnson Road, where it was evident that the trail resumed.  So, back up the three hills and back on the trail. 

Shortly after getting back on the trail a car stopped at a crossing and it was evident that someone was going to ride the mountain bike on the bike carrier.  Trying to do my good deed for the day, I rolled over to the car and said to the woman emerging from the passenger seat "if you're going north, the trail is washed out and there's a detour.  She said her husband was riding south.  Good deed done, I went on my way.

When I stopped a ways down the trail to drink some water, the guy from the car —George Davis — caught up with me.  We struck up a conversation.  He's a "local" who lives in Rockford and works for Xerox in Grand Rapids.  He rides the trail often. So, we rode together, conversing as we rode, from near Stanwood, where his wife let him off, to Cedar Springs, about 25 miles.

Before getting to Cedar Springs I came upon this.

As you might guess, this is pretty deep sand.  George tells me that the Amish often ride their horse buggies along these trails —there was some organic evidence of that all along — and that when they're first turning on the sideways motion of the cart and the hoofs of the horses churn up this sand and keep it loose.  This is right after a road crossing.  When my bike hit the sand, it stopped.  I didn't.  the water bottle in the sand marks the spot where the bike went down. Now I have scratches on my right calf that match those on my left, acquired in the day-one fall.  Aside from a few scratches and deeply wounded pride there was nothing hurt, including the bike.  Luckily, as George pointed out, the sand made for a pretty soft landing, which rocks would not have.

When we arrived in Cedar Springs we stopped for beer and food at the Cedar Springs Brewing Company. It's a great place that serves German-style beer and food, and George and his wife Coleen come here regularly.  Coleen joined us.  She is the Executive Director of Alternatives in Motion, a nonprofit that rehabs electric wheelchairs and distributes them to folks who can't afford to buy one.  We had a great time talking about nonprofits.

Here's a photo of George outside the Brewing Company.  It was great to have an unexpected companion on part of the trip today.

Day Fourteen by the numbers:

64.6 - miles ridden

1364.8  - feet in elevation gained

6470.91 - calories burned

1 - fall (see story above)

0 - dogs

Ride Day Twelve: Near De Pere to Manitowoc, WI - 35 Miles

It's been fifty years since Whatcom Community College began with the intention to provide access to higher education for all students. The school began as a "college without walls" because, as coordinator Everett Sanders said, “since capital funds are not available, it seems that District 21 will operate without a campus … We can serve people, not buildings.”  Things have changed greatly in the past five decades.  The college now sprawls across a 72-acre campus and serves more than 11,000 students annually.  What has not changed is the school's mission to provide access to higher education for all students.  Part of providing that access is making sure that all students have the funds to attend the school.  That's where we all come in.  You can donate here to help provide scholarships to deserving students.

We experienced another "small world" coincidence last night.  Though I posted that we were near Appleton, which we were, we were close to the small town of De Pere.  When I emailed my friend, Steve Swan, recently retired WWU VP and chair of the Whatcom Community Foundation, to find out where he grew up he responded — "De Pere."  In a later email Steve said that he had "created many divots" at the Mid-Valley Golf Course, right next to our campground.

I had slightly overestimated the distance of today's ride.  Last night I'd said the ride today would be a short one — 40 miles.  After posting that I had to laugh at myself and ask, "since when is 40 miles a short ride?"  I guess all things are relative.  After riding 82.6 miles the day before, 40 seemed like a breeze.  It turns out it was only 35 miles to where we loaded up the bike to prepare for our ride across Lake Michigan on the Badger...but, I'm getting ahead of myself.

The day began very pleasantly.  At 8am, just about 4 miles into the ride, it was 59 degrees.  A short distance later I crossed the Fox River and this slightly foggy sight greeted me.

A ways farther along the fog became much more dense.

After a short time of riding on the shoulder of busy roads I was off on quiet county roads that were fairly smooth.  There was a bit of breeze coming from the south.  I was riding southeast.

Inspired once again by the audiobook Bored and Brilliant, I decided that today would be a silent contemplation day, with no playlist.  Ironically, the first thought that came into my mind was a song lyric from yesterday's Beatle bash —"I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in and stops my mind from wandering where it will go."  I was much more aware of the sound of insects and birds, and my mind did wander.  I haven't been meditating on this trip, which I usually do every day.  This was the closest I've come to meditating, except I didn't close my eyes.

On one of the quiet back roads I spotted this sign and was fascinated.  It obviously serves a good purpose, but you sure don't see this often.

Wildlife spotting began slowing — lots more grasshoppers, some birds, and a couple of butterflies.  Then another White-Tailed Deer leapt across the road, much closer to me than the one yesterday.  Once again I didn't have time to get to the camera, but for those who've never seen one, here's a photo.

I came upon this collection of flowers and weeds (who knows the difference?) that looked like a fall bouquet.

A while later I came across this nice bit of landscaping.  My eye first caught sight of the buggy.  Dee saw one of these on the road the other day.

I wanted to mention an accessory that I've come to love, especially on narrow shoulders in traffic.  It's a mirror that my friend Janet Ott recommended.  She's used hers for six years.  Fairhaven Bicycle carries it.  I bought mine at the Bike Spot in Anacortes from friends Carolyn and Nick (Carolyn used to be Village Books' children's book buyer.) Here's a front view and a back view.

I know this won't work for racers or for those more concerned with aesthetics than safety, but a quick glance warns me of anything behind me.  It's called an EVT Safe Zone Mirror.

At about 22 miles I came to the Devils River Trail.

This was again a crushed limestone trail that was better in some spots, where the gravel was heavily packed, and not as great in places where loose gravel was on top.  The greatest surprise was that these signs appeared every 1/4 mile from the time I entered the trail until the trail ended.

It was certainly very clear when the trail ended.

At an intersection just a mile beyond this point I spotted this sign and was so pleased that there were Seattle fans around.

After packing the bike into the Rialta we drove to the Manitowoc ferry dock. Dee snapped this photo of the Badger arriving from Ludington.

 

Once checked in an attendant drove the Rialta onto the ferry and we boarded.  Here's the office and boarding area.

The Badger is the last of the many historic ferries that ran out of Manitowoc during the heyday of train car ferries.  Here are a couple of signs that explain that history.

 It was a pleasant ride across Lake Michigan.  Much of the time was passed in talking to Jim Dickinson, a retired Forest Service firefighter who began a cross-country ride a week after retirement.  He's 68 days into the ride from South Lake Tahoe to Portland, Oregon, and across to this point.  He's riding to Portland, Maine, and will be riding with us tomorrow.

Our friend Lori Tucker-Sullivan joined us at the Ludington Pub after we'd eaten.  She's the chair of the Book Industry Charitable Foundation board and will be joining me on the ride to Reed City tomorrow.  It should be a fun day.

Day Twelve by the numbers:

35 - miles ridden

902.2 - feet in elevation gained

3500.04 - calories burned

0 - falls

0 - dogs

 

 

Ride Day Eleven: Near Plover to Near Appleton, WI - 82.6 Miles

There are lots of things that excite me about the Whatcom Community Foundation, but there's very little that is more exciting than Project Neighborly.  In the 2017 program WCF granted more than $100,000 to projects that brought people of diverse backgrounds and experience together.  Take a look at this list of projects.  And, if you or a group you work with wants to be part of the 2018 round, here is the grant application page.  Of course, you can also donate to the Foundation for Project Neighborly or the wide range of other community projects in which WCF is involved. I'm proud to work with the Whatcom Community Foundation, and was once again proud to wear the WCF jersey today (it got a little sweaty at 80 degrees).

I also want to give a big shout out to our friend, Garth Stein, who matched my donation of one dollar per mile to the Book Industry Charitable Foundation.  Garth, as most will recognize, is the author of A Sudden Light, The Art of Racing in the Rain, and a number of other books. Thanks Garth!!  I just hope I don't have to learn the art of riding in the rain.

The first six miles or so of this morning's ride was on quiet county roads.  The morning was cool with a heavy layer of dew.  Here's a photo I took a short distance from our campground, with morning dew heavy on roadside weeds.

I decided that today would be an "all day, all Beatles" playlist.  Yes, I have plenty of Beatles music to last for an 80+ mile ride...and some to spare.  I began with two of the Anthologies (2 & 3).  I like them a lot because there are cuts of the group in rehearsal being very playful.   I then listened to "Love," the album that accompanies the Cirque de Soleil show from Las Vegas — our favorite Cirque show (and we're sort of groupies), and ended with "With the Beatles."  It's hard to get too much of the Beatles, even with the repeats between the albums.

A short distance into Plover I began a 30-mile ride on the Tomorrow River Trail.  Here's a shot of one of the trail signs.

The trail is primarily crushed limestone.  At some points it is fairly smooth and at others a bit rough.  In shaded areas there is often grass growing, but a couple of tire paths usually find their way through.  The ride was pleasant, but the loose pieces of gravel on top of the trail tended to slow the pace a bit.  I did think sacrificing time for the solitude of the trail was worth it.  Later in the day I decided not to ride on another similar trail.  It paralleled the highway so there was not view or solitude advantage, so I stuck to the highway shoulder and made much better time.

There was a point along the trail when I saw this sign and became discouraged.  I couldn't believe someone was trying to slow me down.

Truth is, of course, these signs are posted for snowmobiles, the only motorized vehicles allowed on these state trails.

For much of the day I was in relatively flat, Wisconsin farm country with lots of corn and beans.  There is very sandy soil here and heavy irrigation is needed, as explained in this sign.  The second photo is of an irrigation system at work.

I had to speed up to avoid one of the rotating sprays that was going out across much of the trail.  Here's a pretty typical Wisconsin farm.

Most of the wildlife I saw today were repeats of previous days — ground squirrels, snakes, frogs, grasshoppers, crickets, birds.  But just after lunch in Manawa a white tail deer leapt (and I mean leapt) across the road about half a block ahead of me.  I didn't have time to get my camera out.

I mentioned crickets.  Many of you know that you can tell the temperature by listening to cricket chirps and doing some math.  Here's the formula:  count the number of chirps in 25 seconds, divide by 3, then add 4 to get the temperature in Celsius.  If you want to know the temperature in Fahrenheit multiply the temperature in Celsius by 9/5 and add 32 degrees.  Unfortunately, I didn't have time to stop and listen to the crickets today, so I just had to trust the Weather Channel.

There were some beautiful purple flowers along the trail, sometimes in small clumps and sometimes in fairly expansive display. Maybe one of you know the name of these.  I don't.

I had one (almost) encounter with a dog along the trail today.  There was a home off to my left through the trees along the trail.  I spotted a large Rottweiler racing along the same direction I was going, without making a sound.  I couldn't tell if there was a fence so I dismounted and pulled out my water bottle.  Then I saw the tall fence.  The Rottweiler stopped on the other side of a gate and began barking at me.  I just stood for a while (likely waiting for my pulse to return to normal).  Finally the dog just stopped barking and stared at me.  Maybe he just wanted to play.

There are many rivers in Wisconsin, as you may have gathered from the names of the trails.  I've seen the Black, the Yellow, of course, the Tomorrow, and the Wisconsin.  Perhaps the most interesting name was the Embarrass River.  It was named by French explorers who often found their passage blocked by fallen logs.  Embarrass is French for obstruction.  Because of the rivers there are many swampy areas and wetlands so cattails are prevalent.

This area was heavily glaciated and large rocks, left by the receding glaciers are ubiquitous.  Here are two pictures.  The first is one where rocks have been moved to form a border on a property.  The second is one of many places I saw along the trail today.

I didn't realize before setting out on this bike trip that I would be in Scandinavia for a second time this year.  In this case it was the town of Scandinavia.  The trail crossed a bridge that bisected the village's main street.  I got this shot of the Scandinavia Co.

For several miles after the trail the ride was along highway 54.  While it was very busy and the shoulder was not extremely wide, it was smooth and the speed picked up quite a bit.  The last 20+ miles was along quiet country roads, mostly smooth.  The wind today was fairly calm.  The breeze was in my face, but with little speed it was quite pleasant.  You know that it's bikers who understand why dogs stick their heads out the car windows.

One of the last towns I went through today was Freedom.  Just to think, some folks search for freedom all of their lives, and here it was in Wisconsin all this time.  I do think there's an important political statement under the name of the town.

 Tomorrow is a short ride day, only about 40 miles to the ferry at Manitowoc.  Then a four-hour cruise to Ludington, Michigan, where I'll meet our long-time friend Lori Tucker-Sullivan, a member of the Binc board.  She'll ride with me the next day to Reed City.

Day Eleven by the numbers:

82.6 - miles ridden

1742.1 - feet in elevation gain

8262.49 - calories burned

0 - falls

1 - dog (see above)

 

Ride Day Nine: Menomonie to near Neillsville, WI - 76.1 Miles

As I began my ride today, wearing my Whatcom Community College riding jersey, I couldn't help thinking about the start of an all new academic year at WCC.  Classes begin a week from tomorrow and, once again, the campus will be abuzz with activity.  I learned so much about WCC in my ten years as a trustee there, and much of what I learned came from the amazing students.  On more than one occasion the student government president was a Running Start student, meaning they were high school age.  They were so articulate, and it was clear that they highly valued the education they were getting at WCC.  In spite of the much lower cost to attend a community college than a four-year school, many students need assistance.  That's a major reason I chose Whatcom as one of my fundraising choices.  I hope you'll consider making a donation today to help students be the best they can be — Donate Here.

Today began on the Red Cedar River Trail, just about a quarter mile from the campground where we stayed last night.  The route from Menomonie to Eau Claire was longer than it needed to be (intentionally this time).  I chose to ride on two trails — the Red Cedar and the Chippewa River Trail.  The Red Cedar River Trail is packed dirt and gravel and most often has trees on both sides, nearly forming a tunnel, like this.

The trail could be a bit rough in spots, but for the most part was not too difficult to ride.  There were signs alerting one to each upcoming bridge crossing — there were many bridges across small streams flowing into the river.  The best sign I saw on a bridge was this one.

Shucks!

I began the morning thinking I would listen to more of Thinking Fast and Slow, but soon discovered that it took far too much concentration on a trail where one needed to be alert for fallen branches and big holes, so I switched to music.  My playlist today mostly has personal connections.  I began with the Lady Crooners.  They're a folk / pop / 'almost country' band from San Francisco, CA, fronted by siblings Nadia, Joseph, and Megan Krilanovich, with Kevin Conness, Jason Braatz, and John Smart.  But, they used to be from Lummi Island.  Nadia is also a children's book author — Moon Child and Chicken, Chicken, Duck.  The Lady Crooners have been guests on the Chuckanut Radio Hour several times, and we hope they'll return for another gig.  Here's one of their videos.

There was a bit of a theme in the playlist today — the Chuckanut Radio Hour.  I listened to The Senate, frequent guest on the CRH, including the show on which Garrison Keillor was a guest — he loved them.  I also listened to The Walrus, the CRH's original "house band."

I also listened to The Roches, a three-sister group from the 80's, who I saw live on Garrison Keillor's show in NYC.  The list became a bit more eclectic when I played a country western compilation called "On the Road Again" (appropriate for my ride).  It did include the iconic Willy Nelson rendition of that song as well.  Maybe the theme is actually "groups I've seen in person" because we saw Willy at the NW Washington Fair a few years ago and the next group was The Rolling Stones, who Dee and I saw in concert in Kansas City in 1973.  Sitting to the side of the stage we spied Truman Capote and Lee Radziwill walk down the little alley between us and the stage.  Capote joined the Stone's tour at that point and covered it for Rolling Stone Magazine.  I finished out the day listening to a cardio version of ABBA and the Best of the Band, neither of whom I've seen in person.

Small wildlife was abundant today.  In addition to many, many grasshoppers and crickets, there was a toad and a Garter snake, both of whom I nearly hit — similar to the tortoise I saw a few days ago and only missed by a hair (groan).  There were a lot of small birds, and late in the afternoon I saw a small, green snake coiled on the road.

Here's the sign I saw when I arrived at the Chippewa River Trail.

Though it's difficult to read, the smaller sign just below the distance sign indicates that the Chippewa trail is part of the Aldo Leopold Legacy Trail System, a 42 trail system in the state of Wisconsin, totaling 1728 miles.  Leopold was a professor at the University of Wisconsin and the author of the highly acclaimed classic, A Sand County Almanac.

The trail also changed from packed gravel and dirt to chip seal, or should I say Chippewa seal?

It was smooth in many places, but one still had to be aware of cracks, holes, and tree debris in the more sheltered sections.

There were a number of historic markers along the trail, including this one.

This one indicated a town that once stood nearby.  A climb up the bluff, suggested on the sign, yielded little view of any town, but turning around it did give this good overview of the river.

The ride on the trail was the most interesting part of the day.  Most of the rest of the ride was along a narrow shoulder of a busy highway, and though the landscape is beautiful, there was little to photograph, until I came upon this sign.

Dee's Great Grandfather Otis was in the Iron Brigade and survived all of the major battles of the Army of the Potomac.  In the Battle at Gettysburg, according to the history of the Iron Brigade, due to death and injury of officers, "command devolved to Lieutenant Otis."

A switch from U.S. Highway 12 to U.S. Highway 10 brought me to tonight's campground.  Tomorrow will be another riding day.

Day Nine by the numbers:

76.1 - miles ridden

1305.8 - feet in elevation gain

7518.59 - calories burned

0 - falls

0 - dogs

 

 

Ride Day Six: Osakis to St. Cloud, MN - 60.9 Miles

I proudly wore the jersey of Whatcom Community College again today.  Though no longer a trustee of the college — I served from 2005 to 2015 — I continue to be engaged, most recently in co-chairing a major fundraising campaign feasibility study.  Those of us who have come to know the college realize that it is sometimes a hidden gem in the shadow of Western Washington University.  Here's some information about the college you may, or may not, know.

It's a regionally and nationally accredited college with an accomplished faculty and staff who serve nearly 11,000 students annually. On its 72-acre campus in Bellingham, Wash., and through online courses, Whatcom offers transfer degrees (many students go on to WWU or UW, among other schools), professional-technical training programs, as well as basic education, job skills, and Community & Continuing Education classes. According to the Aspen Institute (2016), WCC is rated among the top nine community and technical colleges in the state and recognized as one of the leading community colleges in the nation. Established in 1967, Whatcom is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year.

I rode most of the day today on the Lake Wobegon Trail, which is an extension of the Central Lakes Trail.  We did have a bit of a time finding the trail, then if it hadn't been for the phone call from Dee when I had only gone half a block or so, I might forever be known as Wrong-way Robinson. The sign below was created as an Eagle Scout project to explain the meaning of the trail's name.

I realize it may not be readable, but what it says in essence is that when Garrison Keillor was first asked where Lake Wobegon was located he would say it's just a fictional place.  Later, after being asked often, he began to say that it was in central Minnesota.  Thus, the name for the trail that runs through that part of the state.  The state legislature established a rail land bank in 1980 and authorized the commissioner to purchase abandoned or soon to be abandoned railways.  Many miles of the properties in that bank are now developed as paved bicycle trails.  All along the trail one sees these signs.

Riding the Lake Wobegon Trail caused me to reminisce about my connections with Garrison Keillor.  My first awareness of Keillor was, as was that of many, by listening to A Prairie Home Companion in the 1970's and then buying the cassettes (remember cassettes?) of his programs.  In the early 1990's, when I was president of the American Booksellers Association, the ABA sponsored Keillor's program, to the tune of about half a million dollars a year.  During that time I had several encounters with the show's host.  We had dinner together at the Russian Tea Room in NYC and I attended one of his shows there.  Later, Dee and I met him for lunch in his hotel suite in Seattle when he did a performance there.  I was also involved in bringing him to the Mount Baker Theatre in support of the new NW Public Radio station during that time. One of our most memorable encounters with the famed radio celebrity was when he appeared as a guest in September of 2008 on the Chuckanut Radio Hour, Village Books' unabashed ripoff of A Prairie Home Companion. Not only was the show a hit, but it raised $10,000 for the Pickford Film Center.

Our first rendezvous along the trail today was in Sauk Centre.  What book lover, or retired bookseller, could resist visiting the hometown of Sinclair Lewis — The Gopher Prairie of Main Street. Here's a photo of the house in which Lewis was born, followed by a close-up of the sign out front.

I took a loop through the downtown and found this intersection of Sinclair Lewis Avenue and Original Main Street.

Just around that corner is a great old movie theater sign.

And, though it had absolutely nothing to do with Sinclair Lewis, I couldn't pass up taking a shot of the front of this tavern.

The next little town along the trail, Melrose, had a couple of interesting sights.  The first was this beautiful church, built in 1888.

The second was a bit of a surprise.  Accustomed as I am to seeing bike share programs in big cities — NYC, Chicago, Paris, London, and a somewhat failed one in Seattle — I wasn't prepared to find one in a town of 3611 people, but here it is, complete with a bike repair station. The signs say to call the Chamber of Commerce to take a bike and that they're only to be used on the trail.  Very interesting.

A short distance out of Melrose one comes upon Memoryville with a unique little transportation museum, village, and antique store. Though I didn't stop, I understand the owner has done a good job of collecting lots of interesting buildings and history.

At some point along the trail I began seeing these small signs attached to the mile marker signs.

This one says "Exercise feeds the body, mind and soul."  The first several I saw all related to exercise on the trail —"Just one more mile," "I'm sculpting my best body," and "Exercise is fun."  There was then a gap for a few miles and these signs appeared: "Be fair," "Be kind," "Be understanding," "Be honest," "Be thankful," "Be a good sport," "Be joyful," and "Be positive."  Great things to think about anytime, and plenty of time to think about them on the bike.

The little town of Albany also had some interesting sights, including this bike sculpture at one entrance to the trail.

The trail remained uncrowded today with only occasional encounters with walkers or bikers.  Traffic got a bit heavier between Avon and St. Joseph, likely because of the location of St. John's University.  We have several connections with St. John's.  As a freshman in college I attended a college radio conference there — I was a DJ on our college radio station.  Dee and I returned to the area as seniors in college, though the student union conference then may have been at St. Cloud State (memory fails me here).  One of our long-time friends, Seattle bookseller Michael Coy (Bailey/Coy Books, M Coy Books, and now manager of Third Place Books, Ravenna) went to school at St. John's, and Scott Richardson, who we've known since he was in elementary school, has been a classics professor there for more than thirty years.

I didn't have a music playlist today as I was listening to Bored and Brilliant the entire time.  I finished it just before arriving at the campground and I'll have more to say about the book and its ideas in some future posts. The audio version, which is what I was listening too of course (trying to read print while riding is dangerous) is available here.

 

I'll miss the trail tomorrow.  My ride will be all on roads, which I hope won't be heavily trafficked.  Tomorrow is the last day of riding before a two-day rest in the Minneapolis area, staying with a college friend.

 

Day Six by the Numbers:

 

60.9 - miles ridden

921.9 - feet in elevation gained

6099 - calories burned

0 - falls

1 - dog, barking and ready to chase, but thankfully on a leash