Week 8, June 9 - June 15

For the week
Distance ridden: 441 miles
Time riding: 40:20:35
Ascent:  12,585 feet

For the tour
Distance ridden: 3050 miles
Time riding: 280:58:51
Ascent: 87,894 feet

This was a big week for us: we crossed the Continental Divide at Togwotee Pass, and on the last day of the week we surpassed 3000 miles of riding. 

For the first time we ride through several diverse landscapes. After weeks in the Midwest, where the scenery never changes, we were treated to two gorgeous river canyons, the Wind and the Snake, a high pass over the Absaroka Mountains, and the Teton Valley during a storm.

The riding itself was a challenge. This was our biggest week for distance and second biggest for ascent. We also had some bad conditions, with hail and thunderstorms a couple of times, and the heat of the Idaho high desert. We got through it and I feel like we can take whatever the test if Idaho and Oregon throw at us.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 5: Mistaken Identities

  On day 5, after we arrived at the Roundbottom Campground (Robert described why we arrived so early in the day in a different post), I knew I was going to get antsy with so many hours ahead of us.  As a result, I volunteered to see if there was a grocery store or convenience store in the area (well, within 3 miles) where I could buy some water and fun junk food. The guys who were working on the campsite recommended (already described by Robert) that I bike two miles further down the path, where I could cross the river on an old railroad bridge and enter the town of Layton, PA.  In the downtown area, I was told, I would find a small grocery story. I changed into shorts and a t-shirt, took the bags off my bike, and off I went. (Side observation: my goodness, I could just zoom without all the extra weight on the bike). Going across the one line railroad bridge, along with cars, was a bit scarier than I would have liked, but I successfully entered the “town” of Layton to dis...
Read more

Days 7 and 8: Recovery, and leaving Pittsburgh

Sunday, April 27, 66 miles Monday, April 28, Pittsburgh PA to Colliers, WV Sunday was a true day of rest. Nobody really slept in, but we tried not to exert ourselves. We spent the morning dealing with things that are hard to do on tour, like laundry and bicycle maintenance. Then we had a day in Pittsburgh. Sue and I went for a walk in Frick Park. Then we all went shopping for odds and ends at Goodwill and REI, then rode the Duquesne Incline for great views of the city.  In fact, we had a view directly to "The Point" where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers become the Ohio. That is where the Great Allegheny Passage officially ends, just a few miles from where we turned off to go to Sue's.  Also included in the day was a trip to East End Brewing, Sue's favorite brewery in the city. And then, of course, Sure made us another great meal. We could not have had a better recovery day. But we had to leave Monday. We thought of staying another day, but we have a long way to g...
Read more

Day 3, Wednesday, April 23: the day of moderately bad mistakes

North Mountain campsite to Irons Mountain campsite, C&O Canal Towpath, 67 miles As daunting as biking across the continent seems, it does not compare to the man we shared the campsite with last night. He started walking across the country a year and a half ago from Seattle, pushing a buggy. I noted he's almost done, being just 110 miles from DC, but when he gets there he's walking the East Coast Greenway to Florida to complete his corner-to-corner walk.  Godspeed, Darren.  This morning we packed up and took the time to have a cup of coffee before departing (Mt. Hagan instant, which is surprisingly good). We rode 14 miles to the town of Hancock, Maryland where we had another great breakfast. More importantly, we showered at C&O Bicycle. At ten dollars, a shower it is worth every penny. Don't let the doors fool you. It was a great shower. At Hancock we made an unfortunate decision: we decided to leave the C&O Canal Towpath and pedal the Western Maryland Rail Trail...
Read more