Past Halfway

It's so so easy to neglect to keep a blog up to date. But so much has happened. When Camil last posted, we felt like beginners who had a lot left ahead of them. We still have over 1000 miles ahead of us, but we've been biking day in, day out for over a month and finally have our legs under us. I figure now's a good time for a recap of our trip thus far.

Section 1 (independant): Seaside OR to Kooskia, ID
The first section was intense can fascinating. Right once we got off the airplane, as we were assembling our bikes, a women saw what we were doing and asked about our trip. Upon hearing we were embarking on a x-country adventure, she gave us each $10 because she "supported what we were doing." Western Washington/Oregon was very beautiful, as we followed the Historic Columbia River Highway which had constant nice views. We stayed with our Mom's cousin Andrew's family the third day of the trip in White Salmon (just north of Hood River) and learned some of the ins and outs of chicken slaughtering. We also met an retired couple while changing a tire, who not only showed us a much better technique to prevent future flats, but also gave us some great conversation. You can read their blog here.

Section 2 - Kooskia, ID to Jordan, MT (w/ Mom & Dad) 
It was amazing having Mom and Dad join us a week into the trip. Behind schedule and suffering in the heat wave that hit Eastern Washington (it was 107 degrees when they pulled up in their rental car), we needed the relief that only parents can provide. With our bike panniers in the car, our bikes felt light and went faster, and we needed fewer breaks. Suddenly, 80 mile days didn't seem to bad and we even found ourselves going 130 miles one day (even without panniers, that was tough). By the end of this week we were significantly ahead of schedule.

Section 3 - Jordan, MT to Fargo, ND (independent)

Loaded once more with panniers, we cycled headstrong into the next segment of the trip. By this time, we had learned the secrets of audio books - entertaining and educating us during the 6-8 daily hours on bike seats. We continued the breakneck pace set by our parents, and blasted across North Dakota in just 4 days (averaging 100 miles a day). We also finally signed up for Warm Showers, a community website in which people offer to host touring bicyclists for free, offering (variably) meals, beds, and, of course, showers. Our first host, Terri from Fargo, was amazing - welcoming us with a delicious meal and jubilant personality. Also, as you can no doubt tell from the pictures, our facial hair really started coming into it's own.

Section 4 - Fargo, ND to Chicago, IL (independent).

Once in Fargo, we performed a recalculation and realized that in order to make it to Chicago by the 23rd (in time for a plane on the 24th to attend a cousin's wedding), we only needed to average 50 miles a day and could take two off days to spend time with our cousins and friends in Milwaukee and Chicago.Thrilled, we immediately slowed down the pace by leaving much later in the morning. Through Minnesota, we were able to find many Warm Showers hosts. That, combined with our parents offer to pay for a hotel once a week, meant we only have to camp about one out of every three days! Considering the armies of mosquitoes in the land of 10,000 lakes, this was definitely welcome. Leaving North Dakota, we also reentered civilization, and took advantage of the abundance of QuikTrip gas stations to treat ourselves to such convenience store delights as hot dogs, doughnuts, and mountains of cosmic brownies. We met more interesting and awesome people along the way (Camil will be sure to expand on this in his upcoming post) and relished our visits to our cousins and friends along Lake Michigan.

Some people we met:

• Terri Verkuilen (Moorhead, MN) - Prodigious warm shower host, painter, and a great cook
• Jan Lasar (Bowlus, MN) - Adventure magazine editor, bike enthusiast, and late night pizza cooker.
• Jim Patterson (Red Wing, MN) - Chiropractor and great conversationalist
• Rosemary Lyons (Winona, MN) - Practicing Buddhist, home gardener, former foster parent, and retired teacher for kids with emotional / behavioral disorders.
• Rob Nelson (Baraboo, WI) - Bike enthusiast, service dog trainer, softball coach.
• John Rowland (Racine, WI) - World class hobbyist chef; tech, bike, and camera prosumer; 3rd generation owner of insurance family business.

Special thanks to our cousins in Milwaukee (the Allens) and Chicago (the McBratneys) and the Muis (also from Chicago).

Also note: we post our progress every day on Strava (click link below) along with photos. Look there anytime to check our progress!
 

Mom's Guest Post

Written by Holley Allen

June 27-July 3 2015

H and J: Spokane to Billings with 1 car and 1 bike. Biked 40-60 miles per day for 6 days with J and C.
J and C: just past Kooskia, ID to Jordan, MO, through Nez Perce country, up the Clearwater River, over Lolo Pass, Missoula, Rogers Pass, Great Falls, Lewistown.

Julien chose to bike cross country after graduating from college. Camil decided to join.

Wow, what to say about kids who are not kids? Who have the physical and mental stamina to bike 85-130 miles day after day, to pedal and hydrate and eat and seek shade and seek air conditioned  cheap calories and pedal some more? Who keep going when it is 108 degrees because they can, because they have set a goal?Who learn from strangers who become friends what life is like in Walla Walla Washington or Sand Springs Montana, population 1, and she is 90! ? Who deal with chafe, sore knees, tooth pain, bike seat butt without complaint but with lots of Ibuprofen?

I say it is a privilege to do your laundry, buy your Spandex and Gatorade powder, bring you Gabe's Jetboil (oops) and learn to use it as we prep your dinner. It is a joy to dip in cool streams after sweating up a storm. It makes me happy to wait in the car, reading Nightengale (good enough to make me cry) as you bike another 10 miles with Jacques-O. And to deliver donuts and ice cold strawberry lemonade. To join you as you check the map for progress, again.

It is an honor to be your Mom and I thank you for allowing us to share in your adventure.

Now pedal home my boys (have you figured out how many pedal revolutions yet?)... And be safe.

Tired, but having fun!

                  "Its like you're biking through a convection oven"
                                                 - fellow Lewis and Clark aficionado, Tom

           There is a heat wave in the Northwest which is and will be, according USA Today, challenging or breaking record highs across the region. Of course the week that Julien and I are in our second (traditionally hardest) week of our cross country bike trip and are going through the Rockies there is a heat wave. We have so much to say with surprisingly little time, and even less energy, to say it so I will save a few paragraphs and let it suffice to say that it is hot.
           The first thing anyone who has biked across the country, or something of the variety will tell you is that people are nice. This trip has been no exception. Every time Julien and I stop at a gas station to fill up on water, or resupply at a grocery store people want to talk to us. I suspect it is some combination of the neon yellow biker shirts, spandex tight shorts, or fifty pound panniers fixed to our bikes that attracts so much attention because normally when I go to the supermarket I am lucky if I have decent conversation, or any at all, with anyone but the check-out lady. There are two groups of people who we have gotten to know particularly well, a couple from California who are also attempting a cross-country tour, and a family, or at least part of it, from Walla-Walla, WA.
            Today was a day of records, and I am not referring to the extreme heat this time. We rode 103 miles! This is by far our longest day, our next two highest being 80 and 85 miles. Not only was it our longest day but it was also by far the most uphill we've done in one day, according to Strava's elevation reader. We crossed over Lolo's Pass, over a mountain range which separates Idaho and Montana. That being said we have been making good progress as of our last post, finishing Oregon, Washington and Idaho. We have biked over 75 miles for four days and counting, but don't know if we will keep at our current pace as we are certainly feeling the wear of nine days riding and camping.
         

Camil

First Three Days!!

It took an entire day just to get to our starting point. After our dad drove us to the Boston airport super early in the morning in time for our 7:05 am flight, we arrived in Portland around noon local time. As we assembled our bikes in the baggage claim area, we experienced our first random act of kindness on the trip when a women inquired about the nature of our trip and then gave us $10, wishing us luck and saying that she support the adventure we're taking and wish she could still do something like it. Hurrah for friendly strangers! After filling up on groceries, buying camping fuel, and biking across town, we took a 6pm bus to Seaside set in for the night.

The first full day of biking started off wet. Although it was only cloudy as we packed our panniers at 5:30am (props to time changes for facilitating the transition to a daylight-guided sleep schedule!), by the time we dipped our rear tires in the Atlantic, the drizzles had commenced! Our first half day was punctuated by stops at gas stations as we relished the reprieve from the wetness. We even saw the same car at two gas stations in a row - the guy inside suggested we'd get to the other side of the country faster if we spent more time biking and less time sitting around in gas stations! Surprisingly (or not), we found that unlike our legs, our appetites did not require any time to adjust - we were eating like monsters even on the first day! Once the clouds cleared around midday we found biking to be immeasurably nicer, and were quite satisfied with our initial 67 mile effort.
The second day of biking was substantially more enjoyable, but also substantially more sore. Still, a strong morning effort got us back into Portland by 12pm (45 miles in the morning!), which we immediately compensated for by taking a 2 hour lunch break right outside a cider sampling festival. Starting to feel sore on the knees, we pushed past the city to find a place to set up tent. Adamant about finding a patch to pitch out tent free of charge (we aren't fans of paying $30 for a campsite every night of the trip like we did after the plane ride), we set out asking roadside dwellers if we could sleep in their yard. After 1 no and 2 unanswered knocks, we found a farmer who gladly let us sleep on his field of rough cut alfalfa. We were again impressed with our 65+ mile effort, but were very much on the same page as we agreed to slow down for the next few days.
The third day of biking gave us some beautiful views on Oreagon's Historic Columbia River Highway. It was also the first day that we walked our bikes up a hill - though with the upcoming Rockies, it certainly won't be the last. We actually liked the uphill walks - turns out walking is sort of therapeutic when your legs are used to making circles all day long. More frustrating is when we have to walk downhill, which gives us no benefit at all and was necessary as we came across a staircase in our trail. The day had the best ending of all though - we made it to Hood River, where we got picked up by our mother's cousin's family to spend the night at their house. Apart from our first experience slaughtering chickens, they also gave us a fantastic meal, comfortable beds, our first shower of the trip, and most importantly, a chance to catch up with some family members. Thanks Uncle Andrew!

Ready to go! (almost)

Camil and I have been busy bees the last few days getting ready to go! Bikes, panniers, sleeping bag, tent - check, check, check, check. Our trail maps and camping gear are ready to go! Hope we didn't forget anything.

We have our route generally planned out and we'd love to have company - let us know if you wanna join us at any point along the way!

Here are some guesses as to where we'll be and when (bold is definite):

• June 18th - Start @ Seaside, OR
• June 21st ish - White Salmon, WA
• June 25th ish - Clarkston, WA
• July 2nd ish - Mosby, MO
• July 9th ish - Fargo, ND
• July 16th ish - Stillwater, MN
• July 23rd - Chicago, IL (will take July 24th through 27th off for a cousin's wedding!)
• July 28th ish - Monroeville, IN (speed up)
• August 3rd - Ithaca, NY (Cayuga Lake Tri people join)
• ~ 60 miles a day on this part. Join us!
• Auguat 9th - Swanzey, NH (CLT people finished)
• August 13th - Finish @ NH Coast