Just a paraphrase of a Mark Twain quote. I'm sure some of you thought something may have happened to me or I quit. Neither is true. Something more mundane actually.
Now that I no longer have my laptop (I sent it back with Cathy to cut down on the weight I'm carrying solo now) I am finding it difficult to post photos in Blogger for the ride blog. The Blogger app for my Samsung smartphone and my iPad Mini are very cumbersome, clunky and not consistent or compatible with the browser version I was using on my Toshiba Laptop. So everything takes longer, I can't transfer photos easily from the phone AND I can apparently only post one photo at a time. So I'm trying to find a workaround. Those of you on Facebook will find some photos already posted there as it's very easy to post them from the phone. What I think I'll start doing is taking photos with the iPad and see if I can upload them easily into the blog. So stay tuned.
I did even start a posting a few days ago but then the app closed unexpectedly and I lost half of what I was working on so I gave up on it.
Now for a quick ride update. Since my last posting on July 8, I've ridden 448.8 miles in 6 days do riding since Helena. On July 9th I covered 100.7 miles from White Sulphur Springs to Eddies Corner, Montana! That's my first century ride since doing the Seagull Century Ride in Salisbury, Maryland in 2002. I've now biked a total of 1,554 miles (2,501 km) since dipping my tires the Pacific Ocean four weeks ago.
I am now in Glendive, Montana at the public library to access the wifi. I will cross into N Dakota tomorrow and may try to make it all the way to Dickinson (98 miles) since it's goingto be much cooler the next couple days (60s, 70s) but will be back in the 90s by the weekend. Make hay while the sun shines or at least bike longer while it's cooler.
Summary of the ride stats since the last posting:
Day 23: July 7 - Rest day in Helena. Learned how to play disc (frisbee) golf with Reed. Even had my first par on Hole 13, of course. Relaxing day.
Day 24: July 8 - Helena to White Sulphur Springs. 78.5 miles. My first solo day and carrying almost 50 lbs (22 kilos) of gear, food and water. Tough day, with the first 35 mile section with narrow shoulder and rumble strips, construction and heavy traffic. Next 25 miles was climb back up to over 5,000 feet elevation and I ran out of water by the time I reached the top. Luckily there was a ranch there and the owner let me pump some fresh cold delicious water from his well. Since I still had 18 miles to go this was a lifesaver! The next 9 miles was a beautiful downhill into wide open valley and rangeland. The final 9 miles was a flat push to my destination where I enjoyed a nice ribeye dinner before bedtime.
Day 25: July 9 - WSS to Eddies Corner, MT. 100.7 miles. My first 100 mile day on this trip. I didn't plan to do that much but an old guy Leonard whom I met while I was eating my 2nd lunch at a bar in Harlowton, mentioned I should go up the road another 42 miles to Eddies Corner, where I could tent camp for free, get a shower and there was also a convenience store and restaurant right there as it's apparently truck stop. So I did even though it was already 4 pm. That's the thing with the long daylight. It's not dark til after 9:30 pm. I got to Eddies Corner at about 8:30 pm set up my tent in the park, took a shower and then had dinner at the restaurant. That night I had the best nights sleep I'd had in a while.
Day 26: July 10 - Eddies Corner to Winnett, MT. 74.7 miles. Not a bad ride but pretty desolate, not much traffic and variable shoulder. I must say that most of the drivers encountered thus far have been very courteous and pass very wide, even going all the way into the opposing lane like I'm a car. The truckers are usually the best at passing me and giving me wide berth. RVs and campers are the worst. In the four weeks there's only been maybe 10 real assholes who are intentionally hostile to cyclists. Not too bad considering all the traffic we've ridden in. Winnett (Population 182) is another sleepy, dying, rural town with many abandoned buildings, cars, farm equipment and a very old demographic. Like many we've seen thus far.
Day 27: July 11 - Winnett to Jordan, MT. 76.9 miles. By far the worst day of riding yet. It was not quite as hot (only mid-80s) but there was a strong easterly headwind all day long. Mostly 10-12 mph but gusting up to 20 from time to time. Fortunately 21 miles in there was a rest area (first I've seen in Montana) that had potable water (non-sulfur flavored) and shady picnic tables so I could eat my lunch. By the time I re
Now that I no longer have my laptop (I sent it back with Cathy to cut down on the weight I'm carrying solo now) I am finding it difficult to post photos in Blogger for the ride blog. The Blogger app for my Samsung smartphone and my iPad Mini are very cumbersome, clunky and not consistent or compatible with the browser version I was using on my Toshiba Laptop. So everything takes longer, I can't transfer photos easily from the phone AND I can apparently only post one photo at a time. So I'm trying to find a workaround. Those of you on Facebook will find some photos already posted there as it's very easy to post them from the phone. What I think I'll start doing is taking photos with the iPad and see if I can upload them easily into the blog. So stay tuned.
I did even start a posting a few days ago but then the app closed unexpectedly and I lost half of what I was working on so I gave up on it.
Now for a quick ride update. Since my last posting on July 8, I've ridden 448.8 miles in 6 days do riding since Helena. On July 9th I covered 100.7 miles from White Sulphur Springs to Eddies Corner, Montana! That's my first century ride since doing the Seagull Century Ride in Salisbury, Maryland in 2002. I've now biked a total of 1,554 miles (2,501 km) since dipping my tires the Pacific Ocean four weeks ago.
I am now in Glendive, Montana at the public library to access the wifi. I will cross into N Dakota tomorrow and may try to make it all the way to Dickinson (98 miles) since it's goingto be much cooler the next couple days (60s, 70s) but will be back in the 90s by the weekend. Make hay while the sun shines or at least bike longer while it's cooler.
Summary of the ride stats since the last posting:
Day 23: July 7 - Rest day in Helena. Learned how to play disc (frisbee) golf with Reed. Even had my first par on Hole 13, of course. Relaxing day.
Day 24: July 8 - Helena to White Sulphur Springs. 78.5 miles. My first solo day and carrying almost 50 lbs (22 kilos) of gear, food and water. Tough day, with the first 35 mile section with narrow shoulder and rumble strips, construction and heavy traffic. Next 25 miles was climb back up to over 5,000 feet elevation and I ran out of water by the time I reached the top. Luckily there was a ranch there and the owner let me pump some fresh cold delicious water from his well. Since I still had 18 miles to go this was a lifesaver! The next 9 miles was a beautiful downhill into wide open valley and rangeland. The final 9 miles was a flat push to my destination where I enjoyed a nice ribeye dinner before bedtime.
Day 25: July 9 - WSS to Eddies Corner, MT. 100.7 miles. My first 100 mile day on this trip. I didn't plan to do that much but an old guy Leonard whom I met while I was eating my 2nd lunch at a bar in Harlowton, mentioned I should go up the road another 42 miles to Eddies Corner, where I could tent camp for free, get a shower and there was also a convenience store and restaurant right there as it's apparently truck stop. So I did even though it was already 4 pm. That's the thing with the long daylight. It's not dark til after 9:30 pm. I got to Eddies Corner at about 8:30 pm set up my tent in the park, took a shower and then had dinner at the restaurant. That night I had the best nights sleep I'd had in a while.
Day 26: July 10 - Eddies Corner to Winnett, MT. 74.7 miles. Not a bad ride but pretty desolate, not much traffic and variable shoulder. I must say that most of the drivers encountered thus far have been very courteous and pass very wide, even going all the way into the opposing lane like I'm a car. The truckers are usually the best at passing me and giving me wide berth. RVs and campers are the worst. In the four weeks there's only been maybe 10 real assholes who are intentionally hostile to cyclists. Not too bad considering all the traffic we've ridden in. Winnett (Population 182) is another sleepy, dying, rural town with many abandoned buildings, cars, farm equipment and a very old demographic. Like many we've seen thus far.
Day 27: July 11 - Winnett to Jordan, MT. 76.9 miles. By far the worst day of riding yet. It was not quite as hot (only mid-80s) but there was a strong easterly headwind all day long. Mostly 10-12 mph but gusting up to 20 from time to time. Fortunately 21 miles in there was a rest area (first I've seen in Montana) that had potable water (non-sulfur flavored) and shady picnic tables so I could eat my lunch. By the time I re
My blog posting above froze up again so I just uploaded it as far as I got so I wouldn't lose it again! My next post will pick up where this one leave off. Sorry about this. I also hope to post photos, but I don't always have Internet access so I have to take advantage of it where I can. to be continued.
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