Day Two
Mood:  smelly
Now Playing: What evil lurks?

The first 60 miles of Tuesday were idyllic.  The weather was very pleasant and the modestly climbing rolling terrain sped past.  The goal was to have a large breakfast in Sedro Wooley, a nice lunch in Marblemount, and "camping fare", at the campsite about 10 miles east of Newhalem. 

Newhalem is a town built by Seattle City Light in order to manage the power generation of Ross and Diablo dams.I stopped at the little Newhalem grocery for tomorrow's treats.  It would be the last place for the next 50 miles.

 Have you heard of how marathoners "hit the wall" at the 20 mile mark?  All of a sudden their legs seem to lose their strength.  Although I've never had this happen to me before on any rides, this is what happened to me on the last ten miles.  The first climb out of Newhalem, a semi-steep one, (I had bicycled it, fully loaded with gear, the previous Summer with little problem) left me gasping for air.  As much as anything, it was the shock that I was having such difficulty at this small stage when I knew that the major difficulty still awaited.  Then there was a 3 mile steep grade that I strained and wobbled over, finally stopping at the campground, completely exhausted.  Had it not been for the fact that I knew I had to eat (it's like re-fueling your engine) I would have dropped off to sleep immediately.  It was around 6 PM. 

The campground had no potable water and was closed.  Actually, one could camp there for free if you had water.  Fortunately, I had a water purification kit, so I got water out of Diablo Lake, and ruminated on what kind of catastrophe was I going to have tomorrow.  Did I mention that no one else was in the campground that night?  I started praying.

Will McMahan

The Journey Begins
Now Playing: Summary of first day

Mid-morning on May 26th, I left home on the very first leg of my Cross Country trip.  The official departure photographer, Dave Miles, stood by Karen as she waved goodbye.

 

 

 

 

 

A pleasant surprise was that our pastor, Kevin Bates, rode out to our house in order to accompany me for the first 5 miles or so, after which he peeled off for his home. 

 

 

 

 

 

After checking out "Cruzing in Colby" and lunch, I headed for Mount Vernon. My first stop was at the home of our friends, Phil and Esther Harmon. 

 

After that, I rode to the home of Dave and Cindy Schuh, the middle son and daughter-in-law.  Dave installed a flag antenna on the back, and then his son, my grandson, Mattie, and his cousin, also my grandson, Andy, gave me a rousing send off by riding with me through the neighborhood before my leaving.  That was very nice of them.

 

 

My last stop was at the home of my grandson, Troy Schuh.  He and his fiancee were gracious hosts.  Troy had the magic touch in several games of Yatzee.

The weather had been pleasant, and the ride perfect.

Tomorrow should be good, with a couple of small climbs at the end.  Then there are four consecutive mountain passes in four consecutive days.  If I can survive them, then I should be okay for the rest of the trip.

Will McMahan

Will, Have a save and wonderful time.  I admire you for what your doing and look forward to you sharing your experiences with us. May God be with you on your journey. Ron and Dorothy

Be Safe
Mood:  celebratory

Will,

 Stay in the moment.  Be safe and thanks for sharing.

 

Jack

Have a GREAT trip

Thouhgt I woulld get to you before you took off tomorrow.

 I remember the times we walked to first grade at Harrison Hill in Ft Wayne, about 150 years ago, and all the times since.

 

I will be with you again on this rife of yours, im my mind, adn hopefullly a few days physically.

 

Hawk

OVERVIEW OF THIS CROSS COUNTRY BICYCLE TRIP

This bicycle trip will start from home, in Everett, Washington, and will end in Raleigh, North Carolina, at the home of my brother Jim.  The route was chosen with help from maps sold be the Adventure Cycling Association, a bicycle touring advocate.  The routes they promote tend to be on lesser traveled yet scenic roads.  In this case, I have merged the ACA’s Northern Tier Route with their Transamerica. Route, then personalized the route to include visiting friends and relatives.  Approximately two thirds of the 3,800 trip will be on the ACA routes.

 

The itinerary shows this being an 87 day trip, with 14 days scheduled as Rest Days.  At the end, the bicycle will be boxed up and shipped back home.  My wife, Karen, will meet me in Raleigh.  From there, we will travel a bit, spending time visiting relatives and relaxing at Myrtle Beach.

On the surface it seems that the first 37 days, from Everett to Boulder, Colorado, will be some of the most scenic, yet the most physically challenging.   It will include 14 mountain passes, culminating over Trail Ridge Road, through Rocky Mountain National Park, at an elevation of 12,300.  I will be carrying around 50 pounds of camping gear, so ascending mountain passes will take patience and endurance. 

Except when staying with friends and relatives, nights will be spent in a combination of camping and staying in motels.  In light of the low night temperatures in the mountains, there will probably be less camping until I reach Boulder;  more camping as the elevation drops. 

From Boulder east, the entire trip will change as the elevation drops, and the temperatures become significantly higher at night.  That is why I will have a box of “hot weather” clothing waiting for me in Boulder.  I will ship back home my “cold weather” bicycling clothing. 

Go for it Will!  I admire you for your adventure and will follow your progress.  Mike Deller