A Concluding, Unscientific Postscript

I traveled like a turtle, moving slowly and carrying my home with me.

I was reminded that hills are just hills and wind is just wind. We breeze along when we can. We limp along when we have to.

I went outside my comfort zone and got comfortable there. Still, I'm glad to be home.

I ate. I ate a lot. I lost weight anyway.

BJ and I met a lot of people: vagrants, vagabonds, dropouts from society, an addict, a panhandler, hard-living people, hardworking people, a PhD, a precocious kid, farmers, ranchers, cooks, and servers. Most of them were kind to us.

We met people who have done long, self-contained bike rides; people who dream of taking a long, self-contained bike ride; and people who couldn't imagine themselves ever doing such a thing.

So many people wished us, "Have fun," and "Be safe."

We rode over mountains, through valleys, across rivers, through wheat fields, cornfields, forests, wetlands, deserts, prairies, open range, small towns, and large cities.

We saw countless railroad cars on hundreds of miles of track.

Blogging about this trip has been part of the fun. I'm grateful to everyone who has read this blog, and particularly to those who left comments or sent emails. Part of our morning ritual was to read, share, and chuckle over your remarks. Your encouragement helped to keep us going.

In my wife's office, there is a monthly meeting which always begins with an inspirational thought of some kind. They call it a "Higher Ground." Last month, the company's CEO was responsible for the Higher Ground. I was flattered to learn that, among other things, he read part of one of these blogposts. It was the post dated September 25, in which I related our nighttime difficulties with drunk boys, noisy neighbors, and an automatic sprinkler system. To that account he added this quote from G.K. Chesterton:

An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered; an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered.

It was a great adventure.

BJ was a good partner. We formed, for a while, a community of two, trusting, tolerating, and relying on one another. Frankly, I wouldn't have gone without a partner. BJ's different. I think he'll be fine out there on his own.

Anyway, thanks, Beej!

And thanks, especially, to Melanie who encouraged me to go and missed me when I did.

Stats and Superlatives

In 32 days I rode my bicycle 1932 miles for an average of 60.375 miles per day.

I rode in 7 states: Washington, Oregon, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa.

Longest Ride: September 13, Havre to Malta, MT, 94 miles.

Shortest Ride: Septermber 20, 35 miles on the Enchanted Highway from Gladstone to Regent, ND.

Hardest Ride: the climb to Steven's Pass, August 29, day one.

Easiest Ride: Gladstone to Regent, ND, September 20.

Best Day of My Life: every day.

Worst Lodging: the hard luck RV Park in Kalispell, MT.

Best Lodging: the Badlands Ministry Bible Camp Retreat Center in Medora, ND. (Thanks again, Nathan!)

Weirdest Lodging: the Kountry Inn Motel in McLaughlin, SD.

Biggest Surprise: the lack of rain.

Second Biggest Surprise: homesickness. I didn't see that coming.

Nicest Surprise: a gift of baked goods from the cook/owner of the Midway Cafe in Canby, MN.

Best Meal: spaghetti with Prego Sauce and two cans of chicken breast meat; a can of green beans, and a can of pears for side dishes at Badlands Ministries. We ate in our pajamas while the rest of our clothes were in the wash.

Second best meal: medallions of beef over wilted spring greens and sauteed asparagus, and a glass of decent cabernet at Lunker's in Watertown, SD.

Best cup of coffee: a double espresso at the public library in Havre, MT.

Worst cup of coffee: the diner in Regent, ND.  It was worse than the stuff we made in camp.

Packing List

Here, in excruciating detail, is a list of the things I carried on my velocipedic saturnal:

ON THE BIKE: front and rear racks, handlebar bag, 4 panniers, 3 water bottle cages, 3 water bottles, headlight/flashlight, tail light, rear view mirror, bike computer.

ON MY BODY: jersey, vest, shorts, gloves, socks, shoes, watch, helmet, bandana, arm warmers, leg warmers.

IN THE HANDLEBAR BAG: wallet, glasses, pen, notepaper, compass, key for BJ's bike lock, lip balm, loose change.

SNACKS (in outer pockets of front panniers): usually 2 Clif Bars, 2 packets of Fig Newtons, 2 Rice Krisipie Treats.

ON TOP OF REAR RACK (secured with bungee net): dry bag containing sleeping bag, pajamas, thermal shirt; stuff sack containing self-inflating mattress, tent and rain fly, Buddy.

IN RIGHT FRONT PANNIER: rain jacket; warm jacket; extra plastic bags; toilet kit containing toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, soap, adhesive bandages, 4-ounce squeeze bottle of Dr. Bronner's liquid peppermint soap, small pair of scissors, nail clippers, comb, dental floss, antibiotic ointment, travel size deodorant (yes, I broke down and bought some); tool kit containing chain tool, spare link, cassette cracker, screw driver, 2 tire levers, 3 hex keys, small screwdriver, tire patch kit.

IN LEFT FRONT PANNIER: spare tire, walking shoes, 10 spokes with nipples, Swiss Army Knife, Leatherman multi-tool, spare tire, pump.

IN RIGHT REAR PANNIER: shirt, jeans, 2 pr. socks, stocking cap, bandana, glove liners, pack towel, iPad, tent pegs, 1 qt. Nalgene bottle.

IN LEFT REAR PANNIER: 2 pr. cycling socks, jersey, 3 pr. cycling shorts, nesting knife-fork-spoon, cook kit, clothesline, 10 clothespins, charger and cords for electronics, notebook, 1 qt. Nalgene bottle.

When I left BJ in Rock Rapids I gave him my pump, spare tire, cassette cracker, and cook kit.

My Daily Bread