Panguitch was calling

Well today the graces were with us. We had amazing weather and luck. It started with the trip to the bike shop. Erik squeaked out with a $50 part and some labor. They were able to get it done by 11. We went into town searching for breakfast and a ride up the mountain when we lucked out on both. We met a policeman at the polaris dealership (yes that is where you go for rides up mountains in Utah... who knew?) He was coming back at 1:00 to pick up his ATV and offered to take us back to where we stopped Saturday night.

I went into town and bought a few things for loved ones and Erik went to the hardware to fix his BOB trailer... Well at 1:00 sharp we loaded our bikes onto the kind policeman's flat bed and drove up 25 minutes what took us 6 hours on Friday.

Filled with vitamin Dr. Pepper we rode off after many thanks and headed here to Panguitch. The ride was spectacular. We saw volcanic residue from millions of years ago (ok like I know how long ago?...) The ride was beyond words... we saw it all. The national forest is called Dixie... land of many uses... well that is a great description. Even the snow was pretty!

We stopped for a tasty Burger at the Burger Barn... Solid food has been making me feel sick, and this was no exception. It tasted great and I am sure was top quality, but my stomach can't stand solid food. We will keep you posted.

So another KOA tonight and then who the heck knows tomorrow? lol I think it is Bryce canyon or something like that... you know... more spectacular scenery... ho hum...

Really it is some of the most breathtaking natural land I have ever seen. I've been in Utah before, but never this way... Try it...

Keep the comments coming. They help us. Really.

Much love
T

Cedar Break we went bust!

OK! yesterday we climbed a little mountain out of Cedar City... 10,350ft! We stopped near the summit at a place called Cedar Break to see a national monument and then camp about a half mile down the hill... Well all day Erik's bike had been giving him trouble in the lower gears... Well as we started off the path onto the road away from the break, there was a loud bang and some clicks and clacks...

Erik's rear derailleur disintegrated and bent up his rear wheel a bit... Well what the heck do you do then? Well we started to talk to the people who were there to see this amazing place and some of them took in their hearts to help us. One nice family offered to pick us up this morning and drive us back down that mountain and bring us to the only bike shop for the next few hundred miles. So last night, we camped in the national park amongst the snow and the cliffs waiting until the morning.

So that is where we are. At the KOA, in Cedar City, waiting for the bike shops to open tomorrow (or today if we can enroll them in opening up for us) I have no idea how expensive this will be, but my hope is that after it's fixed some kind soul will drive us back up that 10k hill!

Much love all!
T

The hills got nothing!

Well we got stuck in Ely one more night. We stayed in the "El Rancho". We did civilized things liked wrote e-mails and saw Spiderman 3. Our bikes needed some serious cleaning and it took several hours by the bike shop mechanic. If you need work done on your bike get it done in Ely. Only 5 bucks! Well after our wonderful night at the El Rancho we pedaled off towards Baker and the State line. We got to Baker around 4. Baker is an old town along the pony express line. It is also the headquarters for the Great Basin National park... We camped on the lawn of the Silver Streak Hotel. We played cards and drank a few beers with a public defender from Illinois. Baker was filled with characters. It seems that most of these small towns, quality.... hmmm how to say this... relations are hard to fine. Not that Erik and I were made any offers..., but they sure like to talk about it alot. Not good for two men on the road for 60 days away from their wives?

BTW.... the picture is of ERIK!!!!!

We left Baker around 8 hoping to make it into Utah and then maybe even make it the 83 miles to Milford UT.... Well we made it to Garrison UT only a few minutes into the ride, but the strong winds in our faces made the possibility of 83 doubtful at best. The wind did keep the temp down, but the three huge mountains added to our dilemma. Do we go for it or not? So around 5:30 or so we had one more 7000 foot mountain to climb and about 40 miles to go... so we decided that it was worth the ride in the dark to make it into town. WE DID IT! at 8:30 we glided into Milford. It was dark, but the lights of the town guided us home for the night.

We ate at the all night diner and got a room at the adjacent hotel. The shades in the room were so good we slept in to 10:41! so here we are... riding along and are in the little horse town of Minersville... hoping to make it to Cedar City sometime tonight or early tomorrow.

A few questions answered: Yes I'm on the same socks. I did by a pair of socks to wear as my town socks. Going barefoot was keeping me out of the better establishments. We have been told we are insane by enough people that I am beginning to believe it.

So three states! Only a few minor physical anomalies... and close to our first 1000 miles since San Fran.

Hopefully all of you will spread the word of our trip. Hopefully it will continue to move you as much as your support has moved us... Thank you all.. we really do thrive on your support and love.

T&E

Thoughts from the road

Well Erik and I are in Ely Nevada. We will be crossing into Utah maybe tomorrow. We had hoped to make it today, but our bicycles needed some attention.

So let me re-cap the last few days. We made it into Austin, NV from Middlegate. The day was filled with a huge climb and long stretches of open valleys. We chose the more senic and more challenging alternate route and were given a scenery bonanza. Who knew that Nevada was so mountianous? we made it into Austin around 6.

Austin was where we took our first zero day. We hunkered down in a hotel and rested and rested and skipped meals becasue we were busy resting. lol

So after our rest day we took off for Eurika... We had more mountians and more valleys. You can really get the sense of the ocean that covered this area a few million years ago. The geology is amazing. There were a few ranches, but for most part it was devoid of people. (They don't call highway 50 the loneliest highway for nothing!)

The night was cold! we slept in a rest station on the side of the road. The only phone available was at the county jail so I called home from jail... kind of funny.

Yesterday we had four big climbs and four long downhills. We did big miles and made it into Ely. I am guessing we are either getting stronger or crazier. We covered more vertical feet yesterday than we did in four days in the sierra's. There is not much to report as far as things we saw other than nevada is: say it with me... big mountians and bigger valleys...

Today we have to get some work done on the bikes and then we are off to see how far we can get out of Ely tonight. My body is tired but seems to be holding up.

Why I called this thoughts from the road is that you spend a lot of time thinking while grinding out the miles. I asked Erik about it and he seems to be thinking about the future alot. I can get that, given what he has ahead of him when he gets back. As for me... Well I covered a lot of my past... I have replayed many good and not so good times with all of you... over and over. I have also thought a lot about the future present and the possibility it brings.

One of these days I will remember to bring my camera in with me and see if I can add photos. If there is anything you have questions about leave a comment or e-mail me.

lots of love to you all. I can feel your energy and it has really helped me cover all of these miles.

try: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=100166537273525461929.000001126873bbd7261f1&om=1&ll=38.852542,-121.393433&spn=3.020056,5.141602&z=8

Middlegate Station

Well last night we did not make it to Fallon. We slept along the banks of a lake 20 miles out. It was beautiful! We had our Raman noodles up at the privy, becasue that is the only place that the wind was reasonable enough to use the stove. I fell asleep with the big dipper right over my head and the good soreness of a hard days work.

Today we got up at the crack of sunlight. We did over 20 miles before 8:00am! We had breakfast in Fallon and then tanked up and headed off into the Nevada back country. Well after more than 70 miles and several 1000 ft elevation climbs... we made it to Middlegate station... When I say one horse... I am being generous! It is a beautiful saloon and hotel. They have free internet... so that is why I have been able to update so soon.

I am hoping to enroll Erik to stop these 12 hour days!

I miss all of you soooooo much and I think of the ride into Wilmington often!

Much love
T & E

Carson City!

Well yesterday we summited the Sierra's and we made the white knuckle ride down into Nevada. So for those who were keeping track... Over 200 miles and now one state completed.

We left Folsom and into the mountians. We made the seven up ranch around 8pm. It was either poison oak on the left or $140 at the B&B on the right. We chose the right. Well they had pity on us bikers and let us use the room for the shower and the kitchen for cooking and let us set up the tent in a freshly mown lawn. It was heaven. They shared their dinner and cooked us breakfast. We left around nine and took off up into the mountian further.

We only made it to cook's station but luck was with us and we tented in the back of this rough biker bar. The diesel generator was loud but the big tree we slept under provided a nice soft bed.

We made it to silver lake the next day. Only 20 miles of grueling elevation. yes that is right 20 miles in 10 hours of pedaling. but we were rewarded with a waterfall and huge iron bear boxes. It was breathtaking, but my sore ankle kept me pedaling on one leg for the whole day.

That brings us to yesterday. We summited around 12. The weather was perfect. There was snow everywhere except the road so it was... well word escape me. We met a nice family who took pictures of us at the sign and hopefull merc will have them soon. My camera is not working and I have a B&W camera katie gave me so my photo ops have been limited.

Well my time is almost up here at the carson city library... so I'm off to fallon Nevada.

Much love all!

"so many miles to go Tom"

So it has begun! We made it to San Fran and with terror in my heart we started. We made it to the beach around 10am and dipped our tires in the ocean and then made our way out of town. I could tell you all of the amazing stories that we have already experienced in the three days... like having the police arrive at the camp site tazers drawn... to the hundreds of serendipitious things that have happened, but I will only bore you with that if you if you want?

Ok I'll bore you.

We made it out of San Francisco and did about 40 some odd miles. There were plenty of hills climbing out of the bay area, but they were all ok. We made it to the outskirts of Cordillia and decided to camp. The best we could come up with was the on ramp to I-80... (it was a cozy field with pine trees etc... Thats when the police showed up... Well needless to say it is illegal to sleep along the highway...after asking the police a few times what that meant... they just said it was illegal. It was a nice camp site. We ate cheese and salsa burritos and slept like babies.

Yesterday we rode almost 60 miles to Davis. California is so beautiful. They have it right with the bike trails everywhere and it seems it is required to have a really tricked out bike if you want to live in the region. It was almost demoralizing to be passed by so many riders, but when the guy with the two giant bags of empty tin cans buzzed by... Well lets say I almost quit... for like a second. Then a coyote ran by and it was all good. Lets just say the stories are endless... so I will stop on this day.

Today we rode into Sacramento around 10 and we were met by Katie... she hooked us up with breakfast and then a place to sleep tonight. For those who don't know who Katie is... she has posed for me and then moved to california via a few places along the way... The trails today were even more amazing if that is possible. We saw coyote, quail, blue birds, woodpeckers, tons of squirrels. I could keep going, but I might be here typing when I should be sleeping.

I spent hours thinking about all sorts of clever things to say. Profound things to say, but what do you say or what to you leave out? Maybe I'm exhausted and should start over in the morning....?

OK that is the gist of it... I think what I am saying is so far the road has been kind to us. We are being spirited on by love and it feels pretty amazing. There are so many thanks to be handed out so far, but I know they know who they are... and if not... thank you and I love you too.

The next few days we will be climbing around 8000 vertical feet and then coasting back down. I am choosing to think about the coasting part...

Thank you all again.

Much love