Nevada        

Sept 18^th

6 am came much too soon! I spent last night (the whole night) listening to NPR on the radio next door, the people had it turned up so loud I could understand every word. I was awakened many times by the voices from the radio and had a hard time sleeping. I could of knocked on the door at 2am and asked them to turn it down but I wasn’t in the mood.

Leaving Reno at 8 it was only 54 degrees with a nice blue sky, no clouds and a fiery sun. I rode on Highway 80 following the Truckee River for the first 30mi before I had a hill. As the miles passed the hills on both side got smaller and farther from the road telling me I was coming to the end of the Mtn’s and the beginning of the open spaces that define the interior of Nevada. The road opens up in front of me and I can see in the distance large Mountains and a haze that looks kind of like smog, but I have to assume its dust from the headwind I am facing. I roll into Fernley around noon, head to the local Starbucks for some free interweb and a coffee. While I am sitting a couple of Older ladies ask if they can take one of my chairs for their friend  I agree and the two ladies mother and daughter sit, they are soon joined by two more ladies and the foursome talk away about politics the ‘tea party’ ( radical and dangerous republicans) and the ‘No Child Left Behind’ gimmick that George “war criminal” Bush put into practice, as well as the upcoming march on Washington at which point I look at one of the ladies she see me and asks “have you heard of it” I reply “yes I just learned about it last night” this begins a conversation ranging from what my trip is about, to my growing up poor and the future of the country. I spent a good hour talking with these ladies and enjoyed myself thoroughly, one of them told me before she left that my life has been very diverse and extremely fascinating and I should write a book about it as well as what I am doing now…we’ll see! Before they left I gave them each a card, thanked them for their interest in my trip and the great conversation, it was nice to meet people who show a genuine interest in others.

I ate lunch and headed out for my first section of the famed highway 50. The 27 miles to Fallon went by quickly the Road is flat and without hills so I made good time. I needed to connect with Kaori about her joining me on the trip when I get to AZ so I stayed two nights in a hotel. I am always amazed when I find a hotel in the middle of nowhere and it is run by an East Indian. The next time this happens I am going to ask how in the world they ended up in such a small town in a remote place. It is not a bother just a curiosity.

Sept 20^th

I left early with the thought of doing a big miles day more than I have ever done, I knew the road would be mostly flat and being the “loneliest highway in America” I was not expecting much traffic; big mile I did “loneliest highway” it is not.

The road out of Fallon if so flat water would sit in a puddle a foot high if poured in the middle of it at least for the first thirty miles then you hit a pass small to begin with but as you head east they get larger as I would find out the next day. Being in the middle of Nevada I would not expect to see anyone out in the desert jogging; but there he was a guy off to my left on an old two track jeep trail doing just that. I honked my horn to say hello thinking he might need water, he looked and waived and continued on it was about that time I saw an RV ahead of me in a pullout, lawn chairs sitting in front of it. Two people saw me and approached the road as I was coming near; I noticed one of them was filming me as I approached so I gave them the middle finger and sped on past…..NO I didn’t I slowed down stopped and said hello.

I wish I was better with names! As I was talking to the girl and guy another girl approached introduced herself and told me what they are up to; the guy I passed jogging is with them his name if Carl and he is an ultra-marathoner who is running 50 miles a day for 45 days on the Pony Express route from Sacramento to Missouri it’s entire length….and I thought I was tough. For more info on the Pony Express Route go here. The group is with Red Bull they are doing a thing called The Human Experience, they wanted an interview with me to see what I thought about all this running stuff…I spent about 10 minutes talking with them about it gave them a card and off I went, supposedly they may use my footage in a TV commercial or on the interweb, we’ll see.

I made my way to Middlegate junction were I met up with a couple of west bound riders coming from New York, a couple of kids who left their jobs as teachers and are spending the summer riding bikes. I was hoping to get a bit of beta from them about the road ahead but they just finished lunch and were anxious to get going to Fallon. We talked for a few minutes and off they went. I stayed at Middlegate for about an hour ate some lunch, talked story with the repair man who went by the name “sleeping bag bill” apparently he used to keep a SB on the back of his Harley all the time even though he never used it, maybe he was trying to be like Easy Rider?? About three miles from MG is a Shoe tree that out does all shoe trees in the world. The tree had to have at least a thousand pairs of shoe hanging from it and at least half of that on the ground behind it, it was impressive for the sheer number of shoes but sad that so many people through their trash out this way, you know these shoes were not brand new. About five miles further I stopped by the Pony Express marker on the side of the road and read up on some history. Turns out one of the PE riders did 360mi in only 36 hours that’s more than I do on a bicycle in a week. Technology killed the PE it was only around for about 18mo before the train and it’s adjacent telegraph line put an end to the PE for good, now instead of ten days to get a message across the country it only took ten seconds how can you compete with that.

The road made a slight incline for a few miles then dumped me into an amazing valley with high mtn’s on all side and a nice flat road with a tail wind pushing me towards the far end. I had ridden 85mi when I finally came across a decent place to camp off the side of the road at the bottom of the climb leading out of the valley. I am now 36mi from Austin and should be there tomorrow morning if the terrain stays like it has. Though I was only forty feet from the road the traffic was so light it was not an issue, I slept peacefully through the night.

Sept 21^st

I awoke tired. Yesterdays 85mi was the longest mileage I had done to date and I felt it today.

The road like before didn’t climb steeply but gradually as I ascended the pass and fell into the valley beyond it. Each valley becoming wider and longer as I head east, this one seemed to stretch on to the south farther than I could see. I didn’t make fast miles today because the wind had changed direction and I was battling it as well as a bit of fatigue. I climbed the last pass before Austin and peered out at the road leading up the side of the valley far in the distance judging the wind and width of the valley I estimated it would take me about an hour or more to cross the valley floor and start the steep ascent up into Austin. It amazes me how accurate you become with this stuff after traveling for a a while an hour later I was at the foot of the climb, the road pitched up steeply in the nine percent range as I wound my way up to the town.

I stopped at a local watering hole for lunch procured some water then headed over to the local park to wait out the heat. It was 2 o’clock when I stopped at the park; I had only done 38 miles but thought about staying the night in Austin after lounging on the nice soft grass for a few hours. I sat contemplating this idea for a long time until the sun light started to wane and I realized that the sprinklers would probably soak me during the night. With not much light left I started the climb up the switch backs that lead out of town, none of them too steep, I topped out at 7480ft

On the descent down the other side I had a car behind me that wouldn’t pass, usually this would bug me but they kept a distance and when it was truly safe they passed me, the girl in the passenger seat about broke her neck getting a good look at me in my cycle touring splendor. In the fading light I could see I had another climb to make out of the depression the hill had deposited me in, I was running out of light. I never travel this late and I was in a desperate mood to find a safe place to camp when I crested the last climb and started the descent, my worries were put to rest when I sign for a camp ground came into view. I pulled into the camp set up my tent in the disappearing light and got ready to eat dinner. Just as I was getting dinner ready the guy from the car that had been following me down the hill came over introduced himself as Dan and invited me to have tea with him and his GF. I cooked dinner headed over to Dan’s camp where I met his lovely English GF (name escapes me) had some tea, cookies from her mom’s house in England; actually cookie bits and pieces they didn’t survive the trip to well, it didn’t matter they were damn good! Dan told me about a cycle trip he did across the US and how he would love to do a trip like mine someday, the conversation went into the night until I realized it was around 11pm I said my goodbyes thanked them again for the hospitality and headed back to camp. I enjoyed the company immensely and hope to keep in contact with them both.

I slept well and left early in the morning before anyone was awake in camp.

Sept 22^nd

The morning air was crisp with the scent of sage and earth as I started my long decline into The great Smokey valley that would lead me south towards Tonopah. I decided that highway 50 a nice road to travel didn’t live up to It’s name as the “Loneliest road in America”. I would head south to the “Extraterrestrial Highway” and see if maybe I could be abducted by some aliens and taken to a planet of women who needed a sex slave…OK that a stretch. Big Smokey valley is a great ride on a bike; wide open plains surrounded by large mountains and a super nice cross/tail wind that as the day progressed turned into a superb 20mph direct tail wind. Flat roads combined with the wind made today's cycle very easy soon I found myself with 90miles on the OD. I needed a place to camp and one would think that with vast amount of open space you could just pull far off the road and throw up the tent, this is not the case. The terrain is flat but it is also covered in lava rock, so much that I kept on riding until I finally came across a paved road that spurred the main route 376. About a quarter mile from the main road is a large turn out with many options for pitching a tent, the only problem I now faced was the 20mph wind; a friend while at my back became my foe as I tried to set up my tent behind a mound of dirt, the only shelter I could find.  In the lulls that occurred I was able to get the tent up and for the first time on the trip had to guy out the rain fly to keep the poles from bending inward under the ever increasing wind force.

At the end of the day I had my longest day ever on a tour 96mi; even though I had done more miles that two days ago I actually felt great and if it had not been for the sun dipping down I might have kept going and passed the 100mi mark. In the morning I found that the spot I had chosen was the only good spot until Tonopah were a motel awaited me.

Sept 23^rd

The road to Tonopah was not much different than the roads I had already been on, except for the long shallow climb that started when I turned west off the 375 and on to the 6 it was an uneventful ride. I made to town at 11am and took a room at a flea bag motel for the night. I checked my email as I do when in town; it was then that I got the news I was not hoping to receive for some time. My mother wrote to tell me that my Father was in the hospital and not doing well, she said she understood what I was doing but wanted to let me know so I could make it down to Phoenix in case he didn’t live much longer. So now I had to figure out what to do this is the 3^rd time he had been in the hospital in the last 2 years and each time he had come home better. I had to decide do I continue to ride and hope I make it there before the worst happens or do I try to get to an airport where I can catch a flight to Phoenix and be there now with the idea he won’t last another 3 weeks…the decision I would make tomorrow would be an on the spot one and make the difference between seeing him again to say goodbye and not seeing him at all.

Sept 24^th

I awoke with a plan; I would continue on my ride and hope that he was as tough as he had been in the past and make it through. I headed over the McDonalds for breakfast, something I had never done before. While I was eating a truck towing a car carrier pulled into the parking lot. On the car carrier were two cars a 56 Corvette white on black a real beauty, the other was a ‘09’ Camaro. I watched as the family, mother, daughter, baby and father exited the truck, and for a split second I thought to myself “I wonder if they are going to Las Vegas, and would they throw my bike on the carrier and take me to the airport”? As soon as the thought happened it vanished and I continued to eat my breakfast. Done with my coffee I started for the door at the same time as the family that had come from the truck was headed out. I made it to my bike at the same time the dad was passing me he looked at the bike and asked me where I was headed and how far I had come.

I told him the story and mentioned that I was now at a cross roads, I explained about the email from my mom about my dad, and my decision to keep on cycling; while we were talking I offhandedly said “ you got any room in that truck for  loaded bike and a cycle tourist” I was only half kidding but he turned to his wife and said “ Hun do you think we should give this fella a ride top Vegas” she looked at him then me and said “Sure I’ll make some room in the truck”…that’s how I met my ultimate trail angel family Shane, Kasey (his wife) and the kids Savanna and Shane Jr. While Kasey made room Shane and I strapped the bike to the back of the fifty foot long car carrier, I removed all the bags and we strapped it down with four heavy duty straps. Kasey had made herself a place in the back with the kids so I got to ride up front with Shane. I immediately liked this family, not because they had given me a ride but because they were real people, my kind for people. Shane explained that they had picked up a couple cars under contract in Reno at the car show and were on their way home to Texas, on the way they would deliver one car to Albuquerque and a car to a small town in Texas not far from their house. So this was his job picking up and delivering cars around the country, he could now add bicycle as well. Shane also let me know that he never picked up hitchhikers, he said he new from our short talk that I was a real person doing on a hard journey with a real problem and was not a threat to him or his family, so he had made an exception and allowed me to tag along for the ride.

It turned out that the path they would take passed right through Flagstaff, AZ so I asked if I could continue on with them until then were my mom could come up from Phoenix and pick me up, it was not an issue. Shane and I talked about life, politics, jobs and family as the miles passed I began to feel as if I had known him for years and we were just catching up, we had started as stranger but by the end of the short trip would part as friends.

Well no road trip is complete without a bit of excitement. Remember I said we had strapped my bike to the back of the car carrier, well we checked the straps after 150mi and one as a little loosed but no big deal, tightened up we made the last 70mi into Las Vegas. We were almost outside Vegas when we both mentioned checking the straps at the next stop, at the same time we discussed this a truck pulled up beside us and yelled “YOUR BIKE IS HANGING OFF THE BACK OF YOUR TRUCK, IT’S DRAGGING ON THE GROUND!!!!”  Shane looked at me and you could read the “OH SHIT” in his eyes. He pulled the truck over and we both jumped out to see what had happened. The bike was lying between the wheel wells and the rear end of it was dragging on the ground, when I picked it up there was no strap actually holding it on. A few yards back on the side of the road was one of the straps I guesstimate we had about 30 seconds more before the bike ejected itself from the truck and flew into traffic.

I looked the bike over; the rear rack had exploded and was probably the cause of the bike coming off, it was ground down on one side so much that one of the supports had broken free and was missing. The rear wheel was true and the frame from what I could tell was straight. It was agreed that the best place to put the bike was in the back of the truck, so I unscrewed the couplers and took it apart into pieces. Bike stowed we headed on down the highway. I could tell by looking at Shane’s face he was thinking he was somehow responsible I assured him that ‘Shit Happens’ and he IS in NO way responsible. I laughed it off, I was thankful the bike didn’t come loose and cause an accident, if it had come loose a 60lb metal object would of done some serious damage, and hurt people something I could not of bared.

The rest of the ride was uneventful and around 7pm The Brown family deposited me in Flagstaff. I can’t begin to thank Shane and the family for their altruistic deed enough. My mother came and got me the next day…..a week later My Father passed away in his sleep he was 64 years young.

Sept 25^th to Present

I have been here in Phoenix for about 5 weeks.While my Father is gone I choose not to morn his dying instead I have chosen to celebrate his life. While he didn’t take care of himself like he should have and it untimely lead to his passing he was a good man and well-liked by those around him. He was also a lover of the outdoors and as much as his health would allow him and my Mom would take driving trips to the Mtn’s, he enjoyed the cool Mtn air and the wildlife. So I have planned a few hikes in the coming month as well as borrowed a Mtn bike from Scott Bikes, thanks to the help of Jason McCormack the local Scott Rep. so I can rekindle an old flame.