What! Did that say Sterling, not Julesburg? Yes dear reader, for the
first time this trip, we did not make our goal of Julesburg. You
would have thought if we were going to stop short, it would have
been on the Loveland or the Vail Pass days. But today was actually
the day I most suspected we would not complete. It was only day
scheduled at 118 miles.

Why did I schedule such a long day? The problem is, there is nothing
in the way accommodations between Sterling and Julesburg, and
originally I had hoped that 65 miles would be too short of a day.
Technically it is all flat or downhill, and thought we should give
it a shot.

But several factors made it unfeasible. The first hour went as I had
hoped. We were tearing down the interstate at an average of eighteen
miles per hour. We reached Ft. Morgan in less than an hour. We then
pushed onto Brush, and also made pretty god time. In less than two
hours, we had gone over twenty-five miles, and that is with a
bathroom and refreshment stop. We were talking about lunch in
Sterling.

But as we turned north on route 6, things changed. To begin with,
while the grade was still technically down, it was so slight, that
if it wasn't for the altimeter I have on my bike, I would never
have known. Then you have to add to that the weight of the fully
loaded bikes. We are always riding in one or two gears lower on the
flats. But then yesterday's nemesis came back for a visit; heat
and head winds. They increased steadily as the day progressed. My
bike thermometer reached one hundred degrees. When we reached
Merino, CO. we had to stop for lunch and we were still thirteen
miles from Sterling. There is practically no shade in this part of
Colorado, so the only break from the sun and wind is to go indoors.
It was so windy, that we needed a pace line.

We knew then that Sterling was as far as we would go. Because if we
would have passed Sterling there would have been no motels until
Julesburg, or we would have had to camp. Nobody was interested in
two nights of camping without facilities (showers, etc.), especially
in this heat. The clincher was that we heard that the area was under
a tornado watch in afternoon. Suddenly, everyone felt like a motel
in Sterling seemed like the prudent thing to do.

While it is supposed to be cooler tomorrow, they are also calling
for "Strong Scattered Thundershowers". But as of today, we
have
cycled 1,427 miles and climbed 82,077 feet.

For some reason, when I sit at my keyboard at the end of the day, I
try to sum up and decided whether it was a good day or not. When
in reality, most days are a bit of both; usually more of the
former.  Today was no exception.

We said good-bye to Walter, and headed out of Boulder on one if its
remarkable bike paths. A few of the group evidently begged some
restaurant/bakery to serve them day old pastry, at least an hour
before they were open, but I was not there, so I hope one of them
will write it up. Boulder has the most amazing network of bike
paths. You can seriously commute all over the city on dedicated
paths. They even separate the pedestrian paths from the bike paths.
What thoughtful town planners.

Today was our first full day of touring fully loaded, and I was a
bit concerned. But when we got on the highway, things seemed to be
going well. A slight down hill grade did not hurt either. So I got a
little cocky, and started clocking down the road, with Bonnie and
Martin close behind. We were averaging between seventeen and
eighteen miles per hour. But the bike gods do like cockiness, and in
our haste, we over shot our turn off by four miles. An extra eight
miles early in the morning is not big deal, but some how I know we
were going to regret it later.

In Dacono, CO we ate lunch at Jerry D's, the local biker bar. I
think what attracted us was the sign that read "Cold Beer, Greasy
Food, Beer Garden In The Rear". Watch for the pictures on SmugMug
in the next few days. Lois did not behave herself.

After the lunch the road got a little hillier, and the heat started
to build up. It hit ninety-six degrees on the asphalt and by the
time we reached Hudson, CO it was two o'clock, we were totally
parched and hot, and still had thirty-two miles to go.

It should have been a quick scoot down the I-76, but ahead of the
cold front that was moving in., came the winds. While they were
primarily crosswinds, they did become slight head winds at times,
but the worse part was, they were hot and dry. Even though we had
refilled out bottles at Hudson, they were soon running low again.
The heat, the dry winds, the long miles and extra loads soon began
to take its toll. Butts, hands, arms, backs and shoulders soon began
to ache, especially because dehydration began to set in. All I kept
thinking about in the last few miles was, if we had not had done that
extra eight, we would have been there by now.

Were we glad when we saw the Wiggins sign, that read three miles,
and it had the lodging emblem on it? Were we sad to find out that
the town's only motel was closed years ago, and all the restaurants
and supermarket were also closed on Sunday? Gail asked at the fire
station, and it turned out that the nearest motel was close to
twenty miles further, it was after six and those thunderclouds were
moving in pretty quickly. They told us we could camp in the town
park, and hopefully the restrooms would be opened, but they were not.

But as luck would have it, a town councilman was mowing his lawn
across the street, and after telling him of our plight, he actually
got the town Sheriff to open the restrooms for us. The closest
restaurant was in a gas station about one and half miles away, but I
guess we were more hungry than tired, and off we went. We got back
in time. We set up our tents, locked our bikes under the shelter,
and were in our tents as it started to rain. And here I am now
sending this up via a Verizon Wireless phone card. Can you hear me
now? Don't you just love small town America, and a special thanks
to Jim for his assistance?

In the end we biked over eighty miles, fully loaded, in temperatures
that reached ninety-six degrees. I do not have the exact figures
because in my rush to set up tent, I left my cyclometer on my bike.
Since this is on battery power, I will say good night now.

While it is only twenty-five miles from Golden to Boulder, it felt
like seventy-five. Today was the first day we all rode fully-loaded.

Today is Walter's last day. So we all decided to ride it fully
loaded as a trial run. This gave us an extra day to re-think what we
will take with us, and what we will send back home. Gail and
Ken had been riding with both their rear panniers on for most of the
trip, so it was not that much of a shock.

Now lazy me on the other had, could not believe the difference. To
begin with, I have never ridden with front panniers before, so
learning the new steering was quite an experience. An extra fifty
pounds gets you down into your granny gear a whole lot quicker. I
began thinking about cutting off the handle on my hairbrush, or
spilling out some of my Listerine.

But we made it to beautiful downtown Boulder, where we biked through
the campus, waked the Pearl Street Mall, and had lunch there. We
then headed back to the campus and checked in to the Youth Hostel.
Tomorrow we say good-bye to the mountains and head out across the
plains. The heat wave is supposed to last one more day, then the ole
heat wave breaker, thunder showers.

To date we have cycled 1,277 miles, and climbed 79,509 feet.

A word about Walter. He was great. Probably because of his years of
bicycle touring and his great knowledge of geography, he always knew
where we would be and when. We would be on some bike path for miles,
winding up and down, in and out, and when the path would come close
to the road, there was Walter. Not only would he be there if we
needed water, but often he would have some interesting geographical
fact about the area we were cycling in. He will be missed,
especially when I am schlepping my stuff up a hill.

Two passes in two days. The Loveland Pass, was not so much up and
down as yesterday; just straight up, for nine miles in air that was
getting pretty thin. We took a break at Arapaho Basin, the highest
ski resort in the U.S.A., and of course there were still plenty of
skiers. But the continental divide was still another 1,500 feet
higher.

I will let the pictures speak for our mood at the top. I suspect
relieve was definitely one of the emotions.

A rapid descent, and in no time we were in Georgetown for lunch;
just another one of great those Colorado small towns. It is like
cycling into the old west. We then pushed on to Idaho Springs on
this great frontage road. There was almost no traffic, and we were
still heading down, so pedaling was easy. Due to road work, we
missed the Information Centre and a lot of the motels. Besides we
were still feeling pretty pumped up, and even though it was after
3:00 PM, we decided to push on to Golden which was less than twenty
miles away.

It is twenty miles if you can take the I-70 or Route 6, but due to
the tunnels, cyclists are barred from both. We ended up taking this
thirty mile route that was a combination of bike paths and old
country roads, with two serious climbs; one of which was over two
miles at a 9% grade. That would have been a tough climb on a normal
day, but after Loveland Pass, we were all a bit low on leg power. To
add to this climb, we were now at a low enough elevation to be
affected by the unseasonable heat wave the area was having.

To further complicate the situation, the route we entered Golden on,
was not a major road, and had no motels. We ended up downtown
with no where to stay. After rejecting one establishment, we ended
up pedaling an addition ten miles to a reasonable motel on the
outskirts of town, and arrived just as the sun was setting. All's
well, that ends well.

To date we have cycled 1,250 miles, and climbed (are you ready)
77,845 feet.

Today was also the Stogsdill's 38th anniversary. We of course
wish them many more happy years together.

Tomorrow, May 21st, is my 33rd anniversary. To my wife Sharon, "I
miss you and wish you were here. Happy Anniversary!"

The following are comments about today's ride by some of your
favourite cyclists.

Martin:  They are done.  My brother Steve would be interested to
know that we stopped to rest and have a snack at Arapaho Basin.

Bonnie:  On my first trip west I cowered every time I looked out the
car window down into a steep canyon and did not do ANY of the
driving.  My second trip west was 30 years ago when I did all the
driving (in a car), pulled a camping trailer and moved myself and my
three precious children to San Diego.  However, I went out of my way
to avoid going over the higher passes heading south to cross the
Rockies.   So, what was I thinking…30 years older and riding a
bicycle over two of the highest in the Rockies?!  The ascents were
steep and difficult but the most frightening part was flying down
the other side of the mountain.  I know Eric mentioned the avalanche
we had to carry our bikes over yesterday but also unnerving was the
tunnel with the floor covered with thick ice.  As I completed the
trek through the tunnel I heard a local say, "This is where old
what's-his-name broke his leg last year".  Anyway, the
dreaded passes are behind us and now we've gone on to other
challenges such as finding a hotel in Golden.

Ken: It's interesting to me how the unanticipated developments
compare to the anticipated ones. Loveland pass, 11,990 feet and the
continental divide, was continually discussed in recent days. Yes,
it was a challenge, but we all managed to grind up to the top in
good spirits. The tough part began in the 90 degree weather on the
eastern side.  In Idaho Springs, we asked locals how to get to
Golden, and got a lot of different answers. Our original route
wasn't available (tunnels-closed to cyclists), so we wandered
around, up several unanticipated hills on worn-out legs, into
Golden, where there were three hotel choices: two very expensive
ones and one that was too sleazy even for us. So we wandered around
some more, and just as the sun set, we found a motel 7 miles out of
town. No, we were NOT going to pass this one by. It was dark, and we
had done approximately 76 miles.  Today was an "adventure"
for sure!

The Vail Pass! Well, we all made it. Was it difficult? You bet, but
not too difficult.

The good part was for most of the climb and descent; we were on a
dedicated bike path. It cut through snow banks, accompanied babbling
brooks, looped through forests, darted through meadows, and guided
us by ice covered lakes. At one point we had to portage our bikes
over a snow avalanche. The path took us over the summit, through
Cooper Mountain and then to Frisco. The ride concluded with a loop
around the north shore of the Dillon Reservoir.

The bad part was that the bike path, unlike a highway, had no grade
limitations, and three times we had to climb grades that appear to
hit between fourteen and fifteen percent. Because of all the ups and
downs, I am sure it added about 50% to the climb, and several extra
miles.

But now that it is over, all we will remember are the good parts,
until we think of tomorrow that is. Tomorrow, we climb over the
Loveland Pass, which reaches close to 12,000 feet, and has an
average grade of 5%. Are we nervous? Only if we think about it!

To date we have pedaled 1,172 miles and climbed 70,305 feet.

Today we had a true vacation day, playing tourist in
Glenwood Springs. In the morning, Bonnie, Gail, Ken,
Walter and Susie took a gondola up to the Glenwood
Caverns, where we were awed by the stalactites,
stalagmites, and soda straws. The hike through the
caverns was worth it! We gained over a thousand feet
on the gondola, and didn’t have to pedal once! Eric
refuses to add this elevation to our total, though.

After lunch at Juicy Lucy’s, Susie soaked in the hot
springs while Bonnie, Gail and Ken explored the town,
hiking up the hill to the cemetery where Doc Holliday
was buried. We also saw the site of his demise
(consumption), which is now a store with outdoor gear.
Back then it was a landmark hotel.

The town is loaded with historic buildings and
Victorian houses. There was even a barber shop with
old-fashioned chairs, and Dairy Kreme, circa 1955,
with red stools and a black and white checkered tile
floor. Everything seems to be in bloom: tulips,
lilacs, dogwood, and apple blossoms.

Gail was on the lookout for a new visor for her
helmet. At a local bike store the owner said he had
none, then paused and went to the trash and pulled out
a very well worn helmet with visor intact. He
skillfully detached it, even pulling out his X-acto
knife to remove the Velcro from the helmet. We still
don’t have the verdict on whether it works but he was
impressed with our endeavors.

Upon return from town Bonnie and Gail spotted Martin
on his balcony, knife in hand! “Drop the knife and
step away from the edge!” they yelled. Then they
realized he was only applying new tape to his
handlebars, not planning to do anything drastic to
avoid going on.

Late in the afternoon, Ken, Bonnie, Gail and Susie had
massages at the Yampa (curing waters) Vapor Caves. The
thighs needed particular attention: ouch!

We feel restored and ready to tackle the next three
days of climbing as we traverse the Rockies. Oh, and
where was Eric? Working hard, only taking a break for
lunch and dinner. If he could figure out how to work
from the bike he would!

By Ken King and Bonnie Brennan



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After a full day of rest, we left Glenwood Springs on a marvelous
bike path. Like the River Road out of Moab, we followed the Colorado
River up a narrow canyon. But this stretch was even more spectacular
that the River Road. Why? Because for sixteen miles we were on a
dedicated bike path through Glenwood Canyon. The path was mostly
concrete and ran right beside the river. The noise from the water
for most of the time drowned out any other noises. It was so scenic,
I was `almost' glad it was up hill, because it slowed our
pace through the picturesque canyon.

Shortly after the end of the bike path, we said good-bye to the
Colorado River, a river we have more or less followed since Blythe,
California, and began following the Eagle River.

Fellow Knickerbikers, Dan and Karen Ryan, have son Mike who owns and
operates a restaurant with his wife Chris, in Eagle, Colorado. We
had mentioned that we would try and stop by as we passed through
Eagle. Because knew nothing about the restaurant, we said that
mostly as a favour, but lunch was so scrumptious, it was us who
received the favour. If any of you are ever near Eagle, Colorado, I
whole heartedly recommend the Grand Avenue Grill.

Edwards, Colorado is a rapidly developing tourist town. We had
planed to spend the night there, and it certainly looked appealing
enough, but we arrived there at 2:00 PM, and felt we still had a few
more miles in us, so off we went to, and instead are resting in West
Vail, Colorado.

Tomorrow is the first of the two passes we must cycle over, but do
to our extra efforts; we are eleven miles closer and six hundred
feet higher up.

To date we have pedaled 1,132 miles and climbed 65,499 miles.

We were able to stay off the Interstate for most of way between
Parachute and Glenwood Springs. While the smaller highways weave in
and out and up and down a lot more, we did not have to dodge the
usual debris that litters the interstate shoulders.  Our friend, Mr.
Headwind was with us most of the way, but in tour terms it was a
short day, only forty-five miles.

Gail, Ken and I decided to pedal a few miles before eating
breakfast, so we stopped at Rifle and found a great breakfast
café. Bonnie, Susie and Martin had breakfast in Parachute. Rifle,
as well as New Castle, another little town we passed through, is a
quaint frontier town. Because they are still on the Colorado
Plateau, and not in the Rockies, they will probably stay that way
for years to come.

You can actually see the line where the Colorado Plateau and the
Rockies meet. At one point, the colour of the earth changes, the
lines of strata take on different angles, and you enter a canyon
surrounded by towering mountains. I particularly remember it,
because I was staring at the first mountain so much, I failed to
notice the "No Outlet" sign on the road I was continuing on,
which eventually dead ended over mile later right up against the
side of the first mountain.

We all checked into the Hot Springs Lodge in the early afternoon,
and availed ourselves to the medicinal properties of the hot
springs. Walter even bought a new swim suit for the occasion.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, is another lay over day. We will need to do some
serious soaking, because the next three days will most likely be the
toughest of the trip. It is at times like these that I begin to
think how lonely Walter must be in the van, and maybe I should be
less selfish and ride with him a day or two. On the next three days
we pass places like Eagle, Vail Pass and Loveland Pass.

But to date, we have pedaled 1,071 miles and climbed 58,644 feet.

After everybody's kind e-mails about how much they are enjoying
the daily reports, I go ahead and fall behind a day.

It was not easy bidding farewell to Barbara's hospitality, but we
did not want to wear out our welcome. So off we went down route six,
with large mountains looming ahead of us.

We made a quick stop at Safeway on our way out of town, because we
were worried that there would not be too many places for lunch. We
faced a head wind for much of the morning, but the road conditions
were great. Even when we had to switch to Interstate 70, the
shoulder was wide and smooth and the grades on the Interstate are
kinder than those on the lesser highways.

Our scheduled lunch stop was De Beque. No one seemed to know much
about that town, and when we arrived there it was easy to see why.
It was a small town before the mines played out. All that was open
was a bar. However, there was a great town center with a Gazebo,
where we enjoyed our picnic lunch from Safeway, and Martin got to
fix another flat.

We meet two young boys there on bikes, Colt and Seth, who were
shocked that we were cycling across the country. One wanted to join
us, but had to ask his mother first. They did ride with us to the
Interstate though. They also told us a bit about the town, and it
made for a great lunch.

The head winds did calm down a bit, and we arrived in Parachute
earlier than expected. Because we were there early, I was hoping to
camp, but there was no campgrounds for twenty miles, but there was a
Super 8. We could have pushed on to Rifle, but since we knew we were
stopping at Glenwood Springs the next day, there was nothing to be
gained. So we called it a day, and all went to eat at a New Mexican
(as in New Mexico) restaurant. It was surprisingly good.

And anther milestone was reached today. We passed one thousand
miles. We have now cycled 1,026 miles and climbed 56,288 feet.

Today's report has been carefully prepared for you by Bonnie Brennan.

Bonnie, Martin and Walter broke camp late to lengthen their
enjoyment of the peaceful setting along the Colorado River.  They
were preceded into Grand Junction via the River Bicycle Path by
Eric, Gail, Ken and Susie who hoped in vain to make it there in time
to participate in the Bike Rally parade.  They did, however, arrive
in time to see the games, contests, sculptures, and unusual bikes.
Ken and Susie stole the clowns' bike, a two-person, back-to-back
four-wheeler to try something "different" but have decided
not to use it for the remainder of the tour after all.

We all enjoyed the ambience, outdoor art, and greenery of the
downtown area which is bike and pedestrian friendly.  With the great
bike shops available and overnight delivery from Jandd we all
managed to make repairs and replacements to our bikes.  Some
shopping was done and Lois (see Smugmug), our mascot, enjoyed trying
out the tents at REI…some were just the right size for her!

Thank you SO much to Barbara Bynum and Sheryl King for scouting the
route from Moab to Grand Junction along the River Road even being
there at the appropriate times to point out landmarks (petroglyphs
and native American ladders), for finding great restaurants, a
campground, and so much more.  Today we enjoyed the generous
hospitality of Barbara who opened her home to a group of grimy,
sweaty cyclists---allowing us to do laundry, bike repair, shower and
eat almost everything in sight.    A delicious communal dinner of
grilled salmon and vegetables, fresh salad and make-it-yourself
sundaes was enjoyed by all.  Barbara and Sheryl also made a
wonderful breakfast for us the next day.

Barbara's children Maggie and Daniel, ages 7 and 3, are
exceptionally bright, delightful and polite…and did we mention
they are Ken and Sheryl's grandchildren?

We pleaded with Barbara to allow us to stay for the remainder of our
time away…we could easily fake doing the cross country trip while
lolling in her Jacuzzi but she kicked us out and we were on our way
to Parachute.

We left Moab this morning by the "River Road", route 128. It
runs through this deep cut canyon along the Colorado River. This
could quite possibly be the most spectacular section of road we have
cycled on this trip. For most of the road we were surrounded by
majestic red cliffs that rose straight up. The fabulous scenery
lasted for about thirty miles.

What a fitting way to leave Utah. A state were Gail got to ask
"Hey,what's wrong with this wine?"

We then climbed up to the Mesa, and cycled on to Cisco. For those of
you who are following the original itinerary, you are probably
wondering why we are not in Cisco right now. Cisco is a ghost town.
We knew that, but we were told that the General Store would be open
this time of year, and the owner (the crone) said we could camp on
her property. Well, even the General Store was not open when we got
there, so we decided to push on to the next available town.

Unfortunately, that was another forty-five miles away, and today
turned out to be another near century, with over six thousand feet
of climbing, but it is all good training for the Loveland Pass that
is coming up shortly. To add to the extra miles today, we had a head
wind for most of the afternoon.

Other than the wind, the weather has been great, and looks good for
the next few days. Tomorrow we head for Grand Junction which is only
twelve miles away. We have not decided if we will stay there, or
push on. There is a big bicycle festival in Grand Junction tomorrow
with parades, and activities, so we will have to see how much of it
we want to stay there for. Ken's daughter lives in Grand Junction and
we can use the facilities there, so it will be tempting to spend
some stay, if just to do laundry.

I am again on battery power, so I will have to cut this short. To
date we have cycled 957 miles, and climbed 52,663 feet.

Do you remember reading yesterday about all that real estate we got
to keep; meaning we were up at seven thousand feet. Well, you really
know you are up at that elevation when you get up in the morning.

We started today's ride in the high thirty's, and it didn't really warm up until
we were close to Moab. Today, Martin and myself got
caught in a little hail storm.

Talk about the Wilderness of Moab! There is nothing between
Monticello and Moab except for one tourist trap called Hole in the
Rock. But for a tourist trap, it was pretty neat. It not only had a
petty zoo, but it also was filled with sculptures made out of junk
metal, but they were quite good.

Moab is just a charming town. It is big enough to have a choice of
restaurants and stuff, but it is still a real small town. But most
importantly, they bill themselves as the Mountain Bike Capital of
the World. There are loads of bike shops.

Tomorrow is an unscheduled rest day. Some of us are hiking, some of
us are visiting with family, and some of us will just be sitting by
the computer. On Friday, it is off to Cisco, UT. If you have never
heard of it, don't be surprised. It is an old ghost town, and
yes, your daring adventurers will be camping there on Friday night.
OOOoooohhhh…

Statistically speaking we have pedaled 868 miles and climbed 46,407
feet.

We climbed out of Bluff on a hot sunny morning. The problem with a
cute little town surrounded by cliffs is you need to climb over them
to leave. We hit the first steep hill just around the first bend,
and our stiff legs were not ready for it.

As soon as we climbed a few hundred feet the terrain changed to high
desert; not as dramatic as yesterday's buttes, but looming ahead
of us were the snow covered Abajo Mountains. Our destination for
today, Monticello, is nestled in the eastern foothills of these
mountains. And so we climbed all day; almost five thousand feet.

The difference between today's climb and yesterday's is that
today we got to keep the real estate we worked for. We started the
day at 4,300", and ended it at over 7,000. And yes, for those of
you who are paying attention, I did err when I wrote that we would
not be at 7,000 feet until Colorado. Today we were over 7,200 in
Utah. However, tomorrow we drop down to 4,000 when we ride to Moab,
only to climb back up and past that in Colorado. Hey, could some one
please straighten out these roads.

The hot sunny morning quickly changed to a cold cloudy day as we
approached the Abajos. Bonnie and Ken actually got caught in a
little hail, because they stopped to check out a museum in Blanding
and were about an hour behind us. The price of culture!

In the desert Gail needed to squat
But her wallet it appears she forgot.
Five miles further down the road,
She notice the lighter load,
And had to go back to find the wallet she sought.

I know you have heard about the burning bush, but have you heard
about the pay bush. For some reason, as Gail decided to avail her
self to a desert ladies room, she though they were like pay toilets,
and left her wallet behind the bush. We stopped at a Mobil in White
Mesa when she noticed her wallet was missing. Panic time!

We first called the motel to see if she left it there. We then had
to call Walter to pick her up, and go back down the road. She
thought it might have fallen out while I suppose she was trying to
keep her derriere off of the ground. How she recognized the exact
bush five miles down the road, I was afraid to ask, but there her
wallet was.

I have wisely advised her that in future she should discard the
leaves, and take the wallet.

We have passed the eight hundred mark. We are now at 810 miles and
44,045 feet of climbing. I hope we will be ready for Colorado.

Well, when you ride from a place called Monument VALLEY to a place
called BLUFF, you know you will be climbing. And climb we did. We
had three leg screamers today, two right at the end. But to add
insult to injury, we started the day at 5,725 feet, and ended it at
4,350 feet. Yes, there was obviously some screaming down hills as
well.

First we had to climb out of Monument Valley. As the angles change
on the buttes, you get an entirely different perspective. We ate
lunch at Mexican Hat, which is not much of a town, unless you are a
rafter. From the general store/restaurant/campground I learned that
rafter drink a lot more beer then cyclists.

Bluff, Utah! Perhaps one of the quaintest towns we have yet seen.
Beautiful Cottonwoods trees litter this town that is surrounded by
vertical wind sculptured cliffs that Southern Utah is known for. The
remains of Fort Bluff, the original Mormon settlement of this town
are still maintained.

Tomorrow is statistically one of the toughest days of the tour. We
have to climb u to Monticello. But as of today we have ridden 762
miles, and climbed 39,250 feet.

And not back by popular demand, comments from the other riders.

Gail: "The terrain keeps changing. Yesterday Susie and I had a
field day taking pictures because it was a short day on the bike, 29
miles. The rock formations are spectacular, and we have lots and
lots of wild flowers along the roadside. She and I also experienced
our first camping of the trip, we prefer the motels. We had a
wonderful campsite overlooking Monument Valley. All was well, until
the icy cold showers, not a drop of warm. Regardless of the cold
shower, I really did enjoy the evening under the stars, and the
sunrise, but would like to keep the camping to a minimum.
Today was not as easy, up, up, and up some more, however the scenery
keeps coming, wow, this is great!"

Martin: The bugs are gone and have been replaced by beautiful wild
flowers, like Globe Mallows.

Bonnie:  On the very first day of the tour Eric called me
a "stickler for the rules" when I insisted that we actually
go INTO Tijuana.  So, in that vein, I have a confession to make –
I did NOT get on my bicycle today!  Yesterday I rode 50 miles from
Kayenta to Mexican Hat where I was whisked away by my dear friend
Rick from Santa Fe who took me on a 6-mile cross country hike into a
beautiful canyon filled with Anasazi ruins.  That, some R&R at the
Recapture Lodge, and another cross country hike to petroglyphs today
were a Mothers' Day present from him…thank you, Rick.  And,
yes, I missed 20 miles of the route but it was worth it! I'll
catch those 20 miles the next time I'm here.

Ken: Another day with mostly tailwinds—what would we do if we
faced headwinds? Just ride it, I'm sure. The 50 miles flew by. We
had lunch at Mexican Hat, named for a weird vertical stone butte
that looked like an upside-down sombrero. People we meet (many
foreigners enjoying the unique geology) are curious about us, and
usually impressed with our progress. The people in Blythe were less
impressed with the fact that we started in San Diego than the people
in Utah. Three states and counting. . .

The Susie butt report: On the scale of 1 to 10 today was about a 5.
Gail and I reached for the Aleve just in time for the worst climb of
the day.  Ken said the grade was about a 17 when I told Gail we had
just climbed a grade 17 she said she didn't think it could be a
17. My answer was let's just say it was….. Tomorrow is a new
day especially since Bonnie and I made use of  the  Jacuzzi.  The
landscape is so beautiful it partly makes up for the aches and pains
of the day.  Having fun…sus

It is a short but breathtaking ride from Kayenta to the entrance of
Monument Valley. The entrance is actually in Utah, but the campground
we are currently staying at is back across the Arizona border.

We are all camping tonight. Walter scouted ahead and reserved us a
site right on the rim of a look out into the valley. We watched the
last rays of sun reflect off the Two Mittens. I will let the pictures
as we upload them say all the rest.

Tomorrow we climb to Bluff, UT and continue the journey. I am
currently typing this on battery power, so I have to keep this short.
Seven Hundred, thirteen miles and thirty-five thousand, six hundred,
forty-five feet climbed.

The advantage of overcoming adversity is that it makes the regular
days seem great. But today might have been near perfect even without
yesterday's adventures.

Today was supposed to be a tough day; over seventy miles and a
steady climb for the first fifty-two. But the shoulders for the most
part were wide, and the pavement smooth. The tailwind was light, and
the climb was steady and at an easy grade. It was mostly cloudy, but
we did get some sunshine breaks. For about two hours the temperature
dropped and we thought for sure it would rain, but again Walter was
waiting at the right spot, and I was able to transfer my rain gear
to my bike trunk, but there is stayed.

There are only two general stores between Moenkopi and Kayenta and
nothing else. But they were more than adequate.

But the day was made by the scenery. As we approached Monument
Valley the dazzling sculptured landscape continued to amaze us.

Susie had another flat to fix. She is rapidly becoming a bike
monkey. Did I write that there are only two general stores on
today's route? Well, somehow. Susie and Gail manage to find trash
can Bar-B-Queue set up on some corner. They were on hog heaven.

Tomorrow, we enter Utah and Monument Valley. We say good-bye to
Bonnie for two days, who is scooting directly up to Bluff, UT for a
two day tryst with a male `friend' from Santa Fe. She will be
passing on the Mittens for the hot tub, and Bonnie the camper will
be leaving her tent in Walter's van the Recapture Lodge. What can
she be looking to recapture?

The tour is now up to 681 miles and 35,080 feet of climbing.

Day ten, and at seven thousand feet you can expect almost any
weather, and we were not disappointed. To go north from Flagstaff,
you need to get around the San Francisco Peaks. While crossing over
the pass ten miles north of Flagstaff a cold storm blew in, and we
actually saw snow in the air mixed in with the cold rain.

As luck would have it, Walter was just passing us. (I would also
like to mention that Walter's last name is spelt Schmitt and not
Schmidt as early written.) We flagged him down, and quickly changed
into our rain gear. We then high tailed it off the mountain. We
quickly dropped several hundred feet, and found a hole in the storm.

For all of the day we rode in the eye of the storm. There was
lightning and rain all around us, but we never got wet, once we left
the mountain. The winds were the strongest we have ridden in. By and
large they were tail winds, but they were so strong, that if the
road or the wind turn off a bit, it was extremely difficult to keep
our bikes on the narrow shoulder between the rumble strip and the
dirt. Especially at the speeds we were traveling at because most of
the day was down hill with thirty mile tail winds.

The winds were so strong that at Grey Mountain, about forty miles
into the day, we had a long debate if it was even safe to continue.
We were now well into the Navajo reservation and we had just come
out of a native restaurant when we realized how the wind was
howling. There were two motels across the street, and we were real
tempted.

In the end, we decided to push on to Cameron, on the Little Colorado
River. It was twelve miles further, and there was another motel
there. Once we started moving again the wind did not seem so bad. I
guess thirty mile tail winds are not as noticeable when you are
cruising at twenty miles per hours. The gusts were still terrible,
especially when the tracker-trailers came barreling by, causing all
sorts of wind shifts and turbulence. At times it seemed like we were
riding at a seventy-five degree angle, just to stay on the road.

But the same wind that was plaguing and aiding us, carved a
spectacular landscape out of the red rock. It was highlighted by the
contrast of bright sun and dark crossing storm clouds and punctuated
by occasional blasts of lightning.

By mid-afternoon we arrived at our destination; seventy-five miles
and our arms were more tired than our legs. Steering was harder than
pedaling today.

A special mention goes out to Seth who changed another flat today
completely on his own. So what if it took him an hour. We had our
first non-flat casualty today. Bonnie broke a spoke, and her wheel
bent. Walter had to take her back to Flagstaff for repairs, but she
still made it back in time to ride the last eleven miles up to Tuba
City. What a trooper!

And lastly, I would like to write a word about our accommodations at
the Greyhills Inn. It is part school and part hotel. The school
teaches the native children about the hotel business, and the
students run the hotel. It is really reasonable, if you do not mind
dormitory bathrooms. It is a great casual place with lots of meeting
places.

The circle turns. And so do the winds. Today the winds turned around
and unfortunately did not bite us on our butts. When it wasn't
blowing straight at us, it was swirling around to become a terrible
cross wind. Our nice easy pedal to Flagstaff turned out to be bit
more of a challenge, but it was better than rain.

Bonnie and Martin both decided to body build in the form of Olympic
tire pumping. Yes, we were continuing to be plagued by little devil
road wires.

It is lot cooler in Flagstaff, and at this point it is really
pleasant. We are currently camping among fragrant pine trees. We
were cycling at 7,350 feet today, and managed quite well. We will
not be at this elevation again until Colorado.

Tonight we said fare-thee-well to Marge and Joan, and hello to
Walter. We also bid good-bye to Bruce Leonard as well. He has
decided to end his tour at Flagstaff.

Tomorrow we leave these wonderful Northern Arizona Mountains, and
head north towards Utah.

And now to answer to Jean's questions. Joan is a friend of Marge
who decided to come along for trip. She was wonderful company. Seth
is the youngest of the riders and the son of a friend of mine. Poor
Seth, for some reason always seems to be waiting for us at every
rest stop. I keep telling him to pace himself. The problem, is that
he is. I think he has come along to remind us of how old we really
are. But we still have managed to ride to date 533 miles and climb
29, 346 feet.

And lastly, our best wishes go out to Merle Vogel whom we are
looking forward to riding with when we get back.

Today was supposed to be easy; a 53 mile day with less than 2,400
feet of climbing. I do not know if it was the perfect weather, the
helpful tailwind, the inspiring scenery, or the fact that yesterday
was a rest day and many of the aches and pains have eased a bit. But
when we got to Ash Fork at about 1:30, we decided to grab a quick
bite and push on to Williams, AZ. It was not the seventeen miles
more that made this decision tough, but the additional 2,200 feet
(Torrey Pines is 425 feet for a point of reference) of climbing.

So off we pedaled, inspired by the occasional glimpses of the
mystical snow covered San Francisco peak. By day's end we had
covered 70 miles and climbed close to 4,600 feet. The advantage of
this type of tour though, is you only have to climb each mountain
once. So the extra effort we made today will make tomorrow that much
easier.

Have you ever been kicked out of a bar or restaurant. Well tonight
Martin was asked to leave the KOA campground after to pointing out
to the manager that he was price gouging. Fortunately for him Bonnie
was able to pacify the manager. Never underestimate a tired, cranky
and hungry Knickerbiker.

I would also like to thank Bonnie's wonderful cousins for buying
our drinks at the Palace Saloon (and restaurant) in Prescott last
night. Great food, great atmosphere and great company!

Tomorrow we say good-bye to Marge and Joan. I could not imagine
being here at this time with out their amazing assistance. I am sure
this will come as no surprise to her that Marge went way beyond what
was called for. I suspect Seth will miss her most of all. Walter
Schmidt will be taking over the SAG van at Flagstaff.

Tomorrow we continue east to Flagstaff. Because of our extra efforts
today, it will be a short 32 mile day, with a 1,500 feet climb. The
shorter day will allow some of us to get some necessary bicycle
repairs done. It will also allow us to perhaps dodge the rain as
well as they are calling for scattered thunder showers for tomorrow.
On Friday they are predicting isolated thunders showers. What is the
difference between scattered or isolated thunder showers? I suppose
not much if you are being rained on.

Eric

Oh, I almost forget about the record keepers. To date we have cycled
491 miles, and climbed 27,625 feet.

Yarnell to Prescott, AZ

Well today I was glad we struggled up the Yarnell grade yesterday,
because it made this day a really great day.

While we actually climbed several hundred feet more today than
yesterday, it seemed a lot easier. To begin with, because of the
climb to Yarnell, we are now in the mountains so it is cooler.
Today's ride had more down hills as well, so we got to rest our
tied legs.

Or maybe it was the knowledge that tomorrow would be a rest day.

But the best piece of luck was that Ken, who is always looking to
strike up conversations with locals, was advised of a major
improvement on our route. While it added twelve miles to our ride,
it made the grade much easier, and we were on quieter busy roads,
and got to ride through quaint small towns like Kirkland and Skull
Valley.

Prescott is a wonderful artsy town. We are staying in this hotel
(almost Bed & Breakfast) that is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places, Hotel Vendome. It was built in 1917, and is
beautifully restored. We will all enjoy exploring Prescott on our
lay over day.

The following is actually a comment from Martin about crossing the
desert but I did not get it in time to add it to yesterday's
report.

Bugs! It is amazing how many bugs there are along desert roads.
Teeth and nose hairs take care of many of the small ones and thank G-
d for bike helmets when the big hard ones hit. The first time I took
a big one to the head, I thought someone had hit me with a rock.
White jerseys are not good either. They attract bugs like fly paper,
but the hungry little devils that get inside your helmet are worse.
Since more men than women ride bikes, I now know why Mother Nature
gave us so much extra nose and ear hair. Ha Ha --- Take that you
bugs. – Martin.

It would appear that Martin does not know a lot of hairy women.:)

Bonnie:  Long hill to Yarnell, but so much better than yesterday
– thanks to my PI shorts and Ken's encouragement.  Traded
some life stories with Bruce…helps us get through those miles.
Pelican Pub and Grub in Aguila – great desserts, especially the
famous peanut butter pie.

Martin:  Seth and I had lunch at this wonderful plowed field two
miles past the junction where we were supposed to turn.

Sus:  I broke the mold today.  First one to hop in the van – I
did the last half - uphill – in the van!

Gail:  Long hard climb, I did take a break to chase a beautiful
colored bug around trying to get a photo….never did.

Ken:  Uh-oh – The dreaded Yarnell hill!  After 55 miles of a gradual
uphill that was offset by tailwinds, we reach the 7% grade.  85
degree weather and great views made it worthwhile.  The highlight of
the day?  Peanut butter pie in Aguila.  Watching Gail chase a bug to
shoot a picture was pretty funny, though.

Eric: I like getting to write my comments last, because I can make
corrections. To begin with, as tasty as that Pelican Pub & Grub
peanut butter pie was, it was so rich; I think it completely closed
two arteries. It was not something I should have eaten on a hot
biking day.

Secondly, it actually was Ken who was the first to get in the van,
but that was to go back down the highway, so I suppose that
shouldn't count.

And lastly, who in their right mind plans a seven mile steep climb
after a 55 mile ride across the hot desert? I'd like to kick his
butt. Oh, now I remember who did the routing, and his butt
definitely feels like it has been kicked.

But the good thing about small towns like Salome and Yarnell, is how
good and cheap the restaurants are. It almost makes the climb
worthwhile. When I arrived in Salome last night, the only
restaurant/bar was still open. Supper and beer came to $4.91 tax
included.

Do to the lack of internet connections in Salome and Yarnell, I will
now post some catch ups. For the Blythe to Salome, AZ portion, we
passed around a note pad, and ask anyone who wanted, to write
their comments or thoughts of the day.


Gail:  Eating a juicy apple while riding down the freeway in a big
dry desert tasted especially good.

Susie:  The sign of the day was as we were leaving Hope, AZ. the
billboard said, "You are beyond Hope."  Ya betcha.

Ken:  The pedestrian bridge over the Colorado River into AZ –
piece o' cake.  Quartzite – not a desert ghost town but a
retiree/RV haven.  Three hills to Salome (where she danced) were
easy…since we had our tailwind.  In fact every day has had a
tailwind. Salome: Dying desert town owned by two competing families.
Its population is declining annually.

Martin:  Saw 10 camels under an overpass along I-10 in AZ.

Bonnie:  60 mile day (after two 90 milers) – piece of cake, NOT!
Forty miles on HOT, sizzling asphalt of I-10.  Second hill nearly
killed me.  Did not wear my $100 Pearl Izumi shorts (thank you,
Sharon, for telling me to buy them) and regretted it.  Ouch!

And what were your writer's thoughts? They can hardly be posted.

To begin with, my cyclometer fell off of my bike near the motel, but
I did not notice it for three miles, so I had to back track 6 miles
on a 62 mile day. Then while huffing it to catch up with the group,
I got a flat three miles west of Quartzite from the litter of torn
up steel belted re-trends all over the shoulder of the I-10.

There was not a speck of shade, it was already in the nineties, and
there I was trying to get my rear wheel off with out undoing the
fenders or rack.

Eighteen miles later, I had another flat. But I had used my spare,
and now I needed to patch the first tube. It was now close to 100
degrees on the pavement, and still no shade. On went the patch, and
as soon as I mounted the wheel, I heard SSSsssssssssss. I then found
the second hole, and tried to patch it, but it was so hot the glue
on the instant patch would not seal well. I had one of the old style
patches, but as I was about to carefully place it in the tube, a
tractor-trailer flew by and blew the patch out of my hand and out to
the desert. I did the best I could with the patch I had, and
started again.

Three miles later, the tube lost air. At this point I was about 15
miles from Salome, AZ, and it was going to get dark soon. There was
no cell service. So I pumped it up again, and hoped to make three
miles at a crack, but only made a mile. However it was cooling down
and each time I re-filled the tire, it lasted a bit longer. I
actually made the last four miles on one pump. I arrived in Salome
at 7:00 PM just as the sun was setting. Oh well, it is good to get
the bad days over with early.

Another memory of that day was from crossing the bridge into
Arizona. You really feel you are making progress somewhere, when you
cross a state line. I was hoping for a big sign that would
say: "Welcome to Arizona". Instead there was this sign that
read: "No Diving off the Bridge". I am now sure it was written for
cyclists who get too many flats on the Arizona highways.

Eric

Except for the miles, today was supposed to be an easy day.



The small climb over the pass north-east of Glamis was not that
high, but the `plateau' on the top was not as flat as the map let us
to believe. It was ten miles of high rollers, after the climb. Not
what we were in mood for on a 90 mile day. But we did arrive in
Blythe at 5:30, which was better than yesterday.

But the weather was perfect, with a high of around 85° and a nice
breeze, mostly at our backs.

The Imperial Sand Dunes were stark and beautiful. Luckily we passed
them before the week-end dune buggy riders showed up.

Glamis, what can I say? We were told that there was only one
general store in Glamis, after that, no food, water or facilities
until Palo Verde, forty miles away and over the pass. So how did we
miss it you ask? Well, Ken and I arrive at this building that
said "Glamis Beach" general store right beside the dunes. But
on the road there was a sign that said Glamis with a big arrow
pointing up the road. So we thought this was just a store servicing
the sand vehicle riders, and that "Glamis" was up ahead. Besides,
Bonnie was ahead of Ken and me, and we know she would have stopped
at the store. We did not see any bikes there. For that matter Marge
was not there either. So we pedaled on.

In about three to four miles it became painfully obvious that we
were mistaken, especially when the next sign said Palo Verde 36
miles, but no mention of Glamis. We eventually found Bonnie sitting
under a bush on the side of the road, taking a break. She had made
the same mistake. The only ones who actually stopped there were Gail
and Susie. They were behind us because they stopped to take pictures
of the sand dunes. Now they will tell you how they were not fooled
by the two misleading signs, however, I suspect it had more to do
with the available facilities.

I have always heard that on a long tour the third day is the most
painful, and I can now attest to that. As we trudged the last 20
miles from Palo Verde to Blythe, everybody was wiggling in their
saddles. This report would be a lot longer, but it is hard to type
standing up.

But tomorrow, we leave California and enter Arizona.

For those of you who are keeping track, to date we have ridden 250.6
miles.

Eric Goodis

Pine Valley to Brawley, CA

How do you know when you are on a tour?

I will have to admit that the first two days of the tour it did not
feel any different than a regular Knickerbiker outing. But today,
that changed.

The first reason is because the first two days consisted of various
parts of regular Knickerbiker rides. Rides we have enjoyed many
times before. But today, after we passed Jacumba we were riding on
roads we had never cycled before. But the bigger reason would be the
weather. Only on a tour would we consider riding in so much cold
hard rain. I believe that had this been several weeks into the tour,
we would have laid over. But with so many miles ahead of us, we did
not want to fall behind this early in the tour.

So we donned our rain gear, put plastic bags on any and everything
we could and off we went into the pouring rain and wind. Due to some
first day confusions we got off to a later start than we had
intended. With so much wind and water, our brakes were not
functioning at 100% and we could not take advantage of the nice down
hill from Pine Valley to La Posta. Water managed to seep in
everywhere. We stopped at the La Posta Diner, not because we were
hungry, because Marge had prepared for us a wonderful breakfast, but
because we needed to warm up and dry off a bit.

Brawley was still 80 miles away, and we were far behind schedule. We
began talking about spending the night in El Centro or even Jacumba.
Gail couldn't help noticing the limitation of wearing plastic bags
on her hands, but I will let her tell you about that. The twenty
minutes we spend shivering in the La Posta Diner, helped in another
way. Rain changed from a steady pour to light showers, and we began
the climb to Live Oak Springs. We were still pretty damp and cold,
so much so, and I know you are going to find this hard to believe,
that six of us decided to pass on The Candy Cottage just to get to
Jacumba sooner so we could sit in a warm restaurant.

Originally we were planning on passing on the Spa, but we now needed
to warm up again. I was beginning to shiver at the restaurant
because all my clothes were now damp or wet. Now it was 1:30 and it
was still 60 miles to Brawley. El Centro was looking more and more
likely. But again, the time in the restaurant was well spent,
because when we got out, while it was still very overcast, the rain
had stopped, and even the roads had started to dry. So off we went.
The winds had actually picked up, but now it was a tailwind, The
wind did make the drop down to Ocotillo a bit tricky, but we were
beginning to actually dry out.

By the time we hit the valley floor, it was partially cloudy. Yes we
actually saw the sun. It was rapidly become a beautiful day, with a
wonderful amazingly strong wind at our backs. We were easily
cruising in the high twenties along the highway. At this point I
would like to thank Larry Zinn for advising us to stay on I-8. It is
because of his advice that this tour has officially become two
thirds of a triathlon. Let's hope no one falls off of the ferry on
Lake Michigan and picks up the remaining third, but that is also
another story.

Since we made up for some lost time, and the weather was just great,
we decided to push on to Brawley. A nice and helpful gentleman,
Hank, helped us out on a better route. The biggest problem we now
faced was that very strong tailwind became a crosswind as we turned
north. But we were too determined at this point to stop. We arrived
at 6:30, an hour and half later than I had planned, but we were all
here safe and sound.

Tomorrow, we hope to go through the pass north-east of Glamis, and
make it to Blythe, CA. The weather is supposed to a high of 80
degrees and sunny. So we will pack our rain gear, and get out the
sun block.

Not a lot of miles, but a whole lot of climbing; almost 6,000 feet,
but we made it.

It looked like rain in La Mesa, but it held out long enough for us
to get to East County. It got sunnier as the day progressed.

There are so many people to thank.

First of all, all the people who came to the trolley station, not to
ride, but just say good-bye, and wish us well.

Then of course there were the cyclist from the Wednesday group who
rode with us to Alpine and joined us for lunch at the Bread Basket,
with a special thanks to Jeff Gianformaggio who led us out of La
Mesa avoiding all the rush hour traffic. And then there was the
Bonnie Brennan fan club who drove up to Alpine just to also join us
for lunch and see us off.

And of course no cross country trip would be seems right without the
stop over at Marge Cooper's, who provided us all with a wonderful
supper and her warm hospitality. And lastly another special thanks
to Sharon Lisa and Danielle Gillian Goodis, who drove all the way to
Pine Valley to join us for a last supper before we are out of range,
and to bring the various items we forgot to pack.

Tomorrow we leave for either El Centro or Brawley, depending on the
winds and traffic.

Eric Goodis

Oh it's enough to be on your way
It's enough just to cover ground
It's enough to be moving on
Home, build it behind your eyes
Carry it in your heart
Safe among your own

Thanks, James Taylor!

On our first day of the tour we took the trolley to
the border crossing at San Ysidro/Tijuana, crossed
into Mexico, came back, rode to the Imperial Beach
pier to "dip the wheels in the Pacific," and rode back
to La Mesa where we had boarded the trolley.

Sharing this adventure were 8-10 other cycling
friends--thanks!

Seven of the eight of us were able to
participate--Seth will do this stage tomorrow or the
next day, since he isn't in town yet.

At least we believe all seven completed this; Bruce
took off before we got to lunch and we never saw him
again. Since he started in La Mesa, though, we will
believe him when he says he did the whole 37 miles.

The Mexican experience was an adventure. After getting
some information on how easy it was for cyclists to
cross back into the U.S., Ken led the group on a
circuitous path through big revolving turnstiles that
barely fit the bikes, down busy streets and unmarked
roads until we were stuck in wall-to-wall stalled
traffic with virtually no shoulder at all. "This way"
said Ken, ignoring advice to use the pedestrian
access. After being told by the authorities to turn
around, and after squeezing between spiky bushes and
big buses, we finally walked our bikes back into the
U.S. and proceeded via a good route laid out by Eric
(with some modifications by Martin) to Imperial Beach,
Chula Vista, and back uphill to La Mesa. It was
raining east and north of us, but we were spared.

After a two-day layover (at home!), we will continue
the journey Wednesday from La Mesa to Pine Valley.
Ken King




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For pictures of this adventure, see

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Ken

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