Wednesday, April 21, 2004
Welcome to our WebLog!
Karen and I are about to embark on our 10 year anniversary celebration and you're welcome to tune in. We're going to cross the USA on our recumbent tandem bicycle (a Rans Screamer) from San Francisco to Yorktown Virginia. We're both experienced long distance touring cyclists, but this trip is clearly the biggest adventure either of us have ever attempted.
When we married on June 25th of '94, we celebrated by taking a tour around the perimeter of the Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York ... our "backyard", so to speak. We rode our brand new custom road touring tandem, a "Sterling" built by Steve Bilenky.
Welcome to our WebLog!
Karen and I are about to embark on our 10 year anniversary celebration and you're welcome to tune in. We're going to cross the USA on our recumbent tandem bicycle (a Rans Screamer) from San Francisco to Yorktown Virginia. We're both experienced long distance touring cyclists, but this trip is clearly the biggest adventure either of us have ever attempted.
When we married on June 25th of '94, we celebrated by taking a tour around the perimeter of the Finger Lakes Region of upstate New York ... our "backyard", so to speak. We rode our brand new custom road touring tandem, a "Sterling" built by Steve Bilenky.
Although it's a beautiful ride, (our favorite of 3 tandems we own) we have always thought that being on the road all day, and eventually getting tired and sore would cause us to droop our heads and stare at the asphalt miles rolling by, instead of looking UP at the beautiful country we're riding thru. What a WASTE!
So, for THIS trip ... Here's the bike we're using.
So, for THIS trip ... Here's the bike we're using.
Ok ... kinda weird, kinda heavy, and for us ... kinda slooooow climbing up the hills. But, no matter how tired we get on that thing, we always have our heads up, and we don't get the aches and pains from riding all day ... just tired, and that's to be expected anyway.
So the plan is to load up everything on this monster and it's "Beast of Burden", the Bob trailer, and head out from San Francisco on May 28th on Adventure Cycling's Western Express Bicycle Route. We'll climb the Sierra's near Lake Tahoe, head straight (or as straight as we can go) across the Nevada basin to Utah and Colorado, and connect to the original TransAmerica Trail at Pueblo. From there, we finish out the trip by crossing Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and finally to Virginia and the Atlantic coast at Yorktown. 3800 miles.
Just one month till departure!
Brian
(- posted from home - Rochester NY)
So the plan is to load up everything on this monster and it's "Beast of Burden", the Bob trailer, and head out from San Francisco on May 28th on Adventure Cycling's Western Express Bicycle Route. We'll climb the Sierra's near Lake Tahoe, head straight (or as straight as we can go) across the Nevada basin to Utah and Colorado, and connect to the original TransAmerica Trail at Pueblo. From there, we finish out the trip by crossing Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, and finally to Virginia and the Atlantic coast at Yorktown. 3800 miles.
Just one month till departure!
Brian
(- posted from home - Rochester NY)
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Thursday, May 6, 2004
THREE Weeks to Go!
Karen's thoughts as we go under three weeks before leaving ....
Less than 3 weeks left! So much to do yet, so little time! In reality, looking at our "to do" list, we are actually doing ok getting ready ... then why do I feel so overwhelmed?
It was only mid January that we even thought we could pull this off this year. It seems like so long ago and yet here we are down to the final phase now. All the arrangements have been made for being gone, contacts established, and we have both turned over our duties in the bike club to others. We spent this past weekend, well ok ... Saturday (it rained Sunday) doing a trial run fully loaded, even carrying the 2 gal jugs of water we will need through the desert! Now the bike is disassembled and sitting in a bike box waiting to head west!
A huge thanks to our many friends and neighbors for helping us out in so many ways, and the many soon to be friends for their help while we are on the road! We are looking forward to meeting them ("TCA" - Tandem Club of America members and many others) and hope in the future we get a chance to return the favor!
Karen
(- posted from home in Rochester New York)
Karen
(- posted from home in Rochester New York)
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Wednesday, May 26, 2004
We're in Frisco! Left Rochester at 6am EDST and arrived Frisco @ noon (Pacific). Great views of the mountains and deserts coming across. Caught the BART train to downtown and rode the cable car to Fisherman's Wharf and hiked over to the Hostelling International (formerly AYH) hostel in Fort Mason (National Park).
Hiked over to City Cycle and picked up the bike and gear, then rode back to the hostel to pack everything in storage. Had dinner at the hostel ($5.00 each) then went out to stroll the wharf and hike to the summit of Hyde and Lombard to see the twisty street. Back to the hostel, and writing this on computers available for guests. Great day ... great weather .... BEAT! Off to bed!
(- posted from the hostel at Fort Mason, San Francisco California)
(- posted from the hostel at Fort Mason, San Francisco California)
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And the trip begins ......
Friday, May 28, 2004 - On the Road ... Day 1 - 80 miles!
We left Frisco in cloudy and cool weather on Friday May 28th. We caught the ferry across the bay to Vallejo and hit the ground running (uh ... biking) at 10:00am.
That was a beautiful day of riding, relatively easy, considering it was mostly flat after crossing the coastal hills, and we had GREAT tailwinds pushing us most of the way to Davis. We stayed with a wonderful family (Don and Margaret, and their children Peter and Emily) that evening. Hit a couple local bike shops to pick up a few items (including replacement brake shoes for the hydraulics) and grabbed tacos for dinner. Back to Don and Margaret's house for the evening, a shower, and a wonderful night sleep in a real bed!
Thank you SOOO much Don and Margaret! It was great to meet with you and the kids! Hope you can swing by OUR neck of the woods sometime! Our doors are open ANY time!
(- posted from an internet cafe in Carson City Nevada)
Thank you SOOO much Don and Margaret! It was great to meet with you and the kids! Hope you can swing by OUR neck of the woods sometime! Our doors are open ANY time!
(- posted from an internet cafe in Carson City Nevada)
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Saturday, May 29, 2004 - Day 2 - 76 miles
American River Trail - Sacramento to Folsom California
We followed the American River Bike Trail thru Sacramento all the way to Folsom (about 30 miles of flaaaaaat riding). After a short break, we started the climb into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. We got as far as Placerville and did a bivvy.
(- posted from an internet cafe in Carson City Nevada)
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Sunday, May 30, 2004 - Day 3 - 26 miles
A "one-half" rest day
After a couple long days, and after having just a little trouble with my knee (that one - from the skydive boo-boo), we decided to call it an early day and hold up at Pollock Pines ... Sly Park Recreation Area. Uh-Oh ... no campsites available due to the Mem-Day weekend. So here we are, sitting at the general store/grocery/bar/gas station across the road from the park entrance. And a lady comes out to ask the "Top 40" questions and says: "Are you looking for a place to stay?" Yup! So, she goes inside, talks to the bar owner, and the bar owner comes out and says "I have a spot over here right next to the -->SHOWERS<-- ... will that be OK for you?"
Sure is!!
So we set up, get showers, (after really hard riding - all uphill) and THEN a local guy walks up and asks if we are looking for a place to stay. He has a million-dollar house at the top of the hill that his son the basketball player (some guy name Sayer or Sayre from a pro team) bought for the family. He offered to load us up and take us up there. Oh well ... the hot tub sounded good, but we were already set. Thanks anyway!!
Since it was still early afternoon, we decided to take a ride (unloaded) around Jenkinson Lake (very hilly park!), and even took a semi-dip (up to the waist - BRRRR! Cold mountain water!).
So we set up, get showers, (after really hard riding - all uphill) and THEN a local guy walks up and asks if we are looking for a place to stay. He has a million-dollar house at the top of the hill that his son the basketball player (some guy name Sayer or Sayre from a pro team) bought for the family. He offered to load us up and take us up there. Oh well ... the hot tub sounded good, but we were already set. Thanks anyway!!
Since it was still early afternoon, we decided to take a ride (unloaded) around Jenkinson Lake (very hilly park!), and even took a semi-dip (up to the waist - BRRRR! Cold mountain water!).
Back to the "camp", and stocked up on food and water for tomorrow's big climb, hung out at the bar and tipped a brew w/the locals and hit the sack early.
(- posted from an internet cafe in Carson City Nevada)
(- posted from an internet cafe in Carson City Nevada)
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Monday, May 31, Memorial Day, 2004 - Day 4 - 39 miles
On the road early. Today, we had to climb the big stuff in the Sierra's.
Taking the Mormon Emigrant Trail, we climbed a steady 39 miles to Kirkwood. Elevation change was a total of 6,500' including a couple dips where we lost precious altitude! Absolutely BEAUTIFUL, but certainly the hardest day so far. Kirkwood is a really cool mountain town/ski resort and we ate at a really fun little cowboy bar/restaurant. Only "meal" of the day ... we snacked on apricots, bananas and beef jerky (power-food) all day. Camping was at a USFS campground (Caples Lake) at around 8000' and MAN did it get COLD that night!
(- posted from an internet cafe in Carson City Nevada)
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Tuesday, June 1, 2004 - Day 5 - 65 miles
Too cold to start early! Finally climbed out when the temp got over 40 degrees or so. Climbed the final 5 miles to the summit of Carson Pass at 8573', and started the WILD descent into Nevada.
Maxed out at 48.9mph ... only because a turn was coming up fast and had to hit ALL the brakes. Got into Genoa and had to stop at "The Oldest Thirst Parlor" in Nevada. We believe it. The DUST on the light fixtures, the walls, the bar, and ... well ... EVERYWHERE had to be at LEAST 100 years old! I'll bet 1/2" thick in places!
So, we're writing today's entry from an internet cafe in Carson City across from the casinos, and heading out now to visit Dale and Denise just 15 miles north of CC.
(- posted from an internet cafe in Carson City Nevada)
(- posted from an internet cafe in Carson City Nevada)