Moving on!

North Dakota was a lot easier than Montana.  I flew through ND.  I did have a few challenges with the wind.  I did make it through it though.  ND was beautiful and it amazes me how spread out everything is in the West.  I do know everything seems to be bigger in the West.  I went by the biggest cow and buffalo statue.  As you can see below that is one big statue.  You can see the actual buffalo in the field.

My first day in Minnesota was hot and windy.  It took me a while to get 60 miles in.  Whenever you average less than 10 mph it becomes a long day.  I made up for it though when I got on a rail to trail path.  On these paths they take old railroad tracks and make them into bike trails. It was absolutely awesome to ride.  I came into so many neat little towns and went by so many beautiful lakes on the route.  I ended up riding the entire route. (110 miles)

 It was nice to meet people on the trail.  I met two couples that were out riding the route.  They were battling the wind as I was enjoying it for once.  I stopped to talk to them and we had a wonderful conversation.  I gave them my card and I hope they read this.  If you do Thank You  for the donation and I hope you enjoyed the rest of your ride. 

It wasn't long that I would be in Minnesota that I would find a viking.  He was in a little lake town called Alexandria.  He makes me look small but I have felt small since I have been on this trip. 

I've made it to Minneapolis, MN and I'm a little over halfway finished with this trip.  I'm taking a day off in Minneapolis to get some rest and go to a chiropractor.  I need a little adjusting from putting in so many miles.  A massage may be in my future as well.  I hope this blog finds everyone BLESSED.  Take your "NOW" and make it a "WOW". 

Out of Montana!

I want to thank everyone for all the support on my social media, and the videos that I have been receiving. You guys are amazing. I've had so many people stop and ask me about my ride in the little towns I have been in. It is very humbling how much people care and want to help. I had to stop in Glendive, MT today. As I was there a women came up to me and asked "where you headed son". So I asked today or when I'm finished? We started talking and had a wonderful conversation. She ended it with "God Bless You"! It is a wonderful feeling to feel the presence of God while I'm on this journey I'm truly blessed to be doing this but it is a wonderful feeling to think I'm able to help and inspire others to do something positive. That is what this ride is about!

I'm glad to be out of Montana. It was pretty difficult riding conditions with the wind the last few days. I made it though and that is what matters. Hopefully the wind from here on out will push me in the right direction. I made it to North Dakota today and I'm 90 miles from another time change. I'm making progress. I'm really tired and I'm trying to take care of my body. I wish everyone the best and I hope you are doing something incredible. God Bless!!!

Small Town USA!

The toughest day on the trail was my ride from Lincoln, MT to Simms, MT. It was a total of 40 miles but the side winds and climbs were brutal.  I made it to the Continental Divide by way of Roger's Pass. On my way up I found a sign that said I was in a historic place.

 Then I made it to the Continental Divide.

The downhill after Roger's Pass was great for about 6 miles.  Then the rolling hills and side winds came.  It was difficult to keep my bike on the road at times because of the winds.  My jacket sleeves were  blowing to the side the winds were so bad.  I made it though.  Once I finally got to Simms, MT the ride became great.  The roads flattened out and I had a tailwind.

I then went to Great Falls, MT were I had another visitor waiting for me.  Tarah flew in that morning to spend a few days with me on the trail and ride a little bit.  It is so nice to have someone around and I've been very blessed to have such great friends and family support me.

Getting to Great falls was pretty tough so I wanted to take a shorter ride to rest my legs some.  I went about 55 miles into Fort Benton, MT.  I thought Dayton, Wa, was like Mayberry until I went to Fort Benton.  This little town had more spunk that most big cities.  As soon as I pulled in the first car I see on the road is an old Model T.  

It didn't take long to find out the happenings for the night.  The buzz around town was a wedding and the Model T car show.  We got a hotel room in the historic downtown area.  Suzy was the owner of the motel and she took care of us.  She told us about the happenings in town and then shared with Tarah and I that her friend John rents canoes and we could go on the Missouri River for a few hours.  We jumped on that.  I thought if I didn't have to use my legs I would be fine.  So we sat out on a 17 mile canoe trip that was peaceful and gorgeous.  

After we left Fort Benton, I decided to take my ride a little farther than planned.  I wanted to make it to Lewistown, MT.  The ride was 100 miles but I thought I could catch up on some time.  There were a few hills in the way but all and all the ride went well.  I was fatigued throughout the day but I've come to grips that I will be tired everyday until I get finished with this trip. After 7 hours 32 minutes in the saddle I made it to Lewistown, MT.

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 God Bless America!

On the trail!!

I've made it to Lincoln, MT.  I haven't blogged in a few days because I haven't had service.  I just got service back yesterday.  I've been in the mountains of Idaho and Montana, where my new favorite berry is the huckleberry.  The only Huckleberry I ever heard of was Finn but now    I know you can put them in pie, pancakes, soda, cheesecake and anything else you can think of.

I spent one day riding along side of the Clearwater river.  It looked like the pictures you would  see in a Field and Stream magazine. One of the coolest things that I noticed was if someone lived on the other side of the river there were zip lines they would use to get their mail. I'm sure they fight to go get the mail there.  As I was riding along I came up on a young man that was stretching.  I stopped to say hello and find out the guys story.  His name was Jack and he was 70 years old riding the Lewis and Clark Trail by himself.  Last year he explained to me that he rode the TransAmerican Trail.  He was in amazing shape and didn't look 70.  He shared a story with me about riding up a hill and seeing 3 beautiful women.  As he was paying attention to the women he lost focus on climbing the hill and because he was clipped in he fell over.  He explained to me that it isn't a big deal to fall over just get back up and start riding again.

The next day the Clearwater River turned into the Lochsa River.  My goal was to get into the Powell Junction so I would have a place to stay and get as close to the edge of the Lolo Pass as I could.  As I'm riding I see a little black car come towards me with an arm hanging out.  It was my good friend Chad McKibben.  He got a flight and wanted to be around to help me get through the 140 mile stretch of Idaho's national forest and support me in getting over the Lolo pass.  I finished my ride in Powell that day and Chad and I got a little cabin to sleep that night.  It was called the Lochsa Lodge and it was very cool.  It had a pay phone to make calls.  As we were getting settled there my friend Jack from the trail came in and stayed there as well.  We had dinner with him.

The next day was a trip up the Lolo Pass.  I started out early that morning.  The Lolo Pass was about a 2000 feet climb up the 5,236 feet.  It took me 1 hour and 36 minute to climb Lolo Pass.  Even with that I'm not sure who got more exercise Chad or myself because Chad was running up and down the Lolo Pass trying to find the best picture opportunities.  He did an excellent job of capturing memories of going over Lolo Pass through pictures.  I'll share a few.

Once I reached the top of Lolo Pass I hit two mile stones:

and

I finished the day riding downhill into Missoula, MT.  I actually took a rest day the next day to rest my sore legs.  Chad and I spent the day in Missoula checking out what it had to offer.  We went to the Adventure Cycling headquarters and I ate the ritual free ice cream that they offer to all members who ride across the country and they took us a tour of the facilities. They also took my picture and hung it on the wall and I wrote in their book about my trip so far.  

Now that catches up to today.  Chad left this morning and my goal was to ride to Lincoln, MT.  The ride was 85 miles and 90% was climbing.  It looked like rain from the get go but luckily it was just a drizzle.  This was without a doubt my toughest day.  It was in the mid 40's and with the drizzle it wasn't the most pleasant ride.  I was in the saddle for 7 hrs. and 31 minutes.  I finished the day exhausted but as I finished up my first 40 miles I stopped to take a picture and a guy I met named Randy at Adventure Cycling rode up and we started talking.  We were going to the same place so we finished our ride together in Lincoln, MT.  When we got into Lincoln we stopped at a local cafe to get a bite to eat.  Many of the locals started talking to us and telling us about Lincoln.  Come to find out this is where the unabomber was from and where they found him. They were quick to tell us but they said that isn't what we want to be known for though. 

So far this has been an amazing journey from the beautiful scenery, all the support, and to the interesting people I've met.  You just never know who you are going to run into on the trail! 

I just rode across Washington

I know I haven't blogged for a couple of days so I will do a quick recap on them.  After Walla Walla, Washington I took a short ride into Mayberry.....I mean Dayton, Washington.  I stopped in at the visitor center and they shared some information about the town.  It was actually a nice little cozy area.  It wasn't a big town by any means but it did have a lot of character.  The ride was beautiful but it was pretty difficult even with a lower mileage. 

From Dayton I rode to Clarkston,WA which is right on the Washington/Idaho border.  I actually thought I was from the country until I started traveling in the west.  It is amazing how much open land is around.  The fields go on for miles and miles and then you will see a single house.  I don't know how they farm all of these hills but they do.  It is actually neat, you look at the wind blowing the plants and tall grass on the hills and it looks like ripples in water. I feel so small when I have all this large scenery around.  I have a free feeling like I can yell and no one can hear me.  I actually have done that a couple times or a song will come on and I'll sing it out loud because no one can hear how bad I sing.  

On my way to Clarkston I came up on three gentle resting on side of the road.  They were riding into Pomeroy and finishing their day there.  As I pulled up to stop and talk, they immediate greeted me and said, "What's your story?"  This is the question that I've heard over and over again while on this ride.  Everyone has a story and it is awesome and inspiring to learn some of them on the road.  One of the gentleman named Bob had just retired and he always wanted to do a trip on his bike.  He told me that he was a rookie.  I explained to him that I was too. It was fantastic to see these three free spirited gentleman out enjoying their lives.    

Today my goal was to get to Kamiah, Idaho.It started out with a minor chain issue on my bike. I stopped in a bike shop on the way in Lewiston, ID and was out in 10 minutes.  Once that issue was fixed I was ready to go. I started out riding through Lewiston and had to go up a hill so steep that I couldn't make it all the way up.  I had to get off and walk a quarter mile. I know I probably shouldn't tell that but it is the truth.   These are definitely not the rides that I'm use to.  The land in the west is on steriodscompared to where I'm from in Ohio.  It is absolutely beautiful though.  Majority of my ride today was a climb.  It took 4 hrs. 30 minutes to ride 40 miles.  Climbing the mountain was slow and exhausting.  It was nice to go down the mountain on the other side but needless to say I'm a flat lander and I'm tired of hills and mountains.  I don't mind looking at them but riding them is a different story.   I know I have a few more mountains ahead but I can at least prepare for them a little better.  When it says5000  feet of elevation I will have a better idea of how much that is.  I continue to follow the theme of "Just Keep Pedaling".  I know that with my faith and a little sweat I can accomplish anything.  

Onward to Walla Walla, WA

The day started out great.  I had another great day to ride.  My goal for today was a 70 mile ride to Walla Walla, Wa.  My legs were a little sore but when you actually get on the bike and start seeing the scenery you forget what is hurting.  

I have to be honest, I stand at 6'5" tall but one of my biggest fears is heights.  The bridges around here are huge.  About 15 miles into my ride I had to cross one of those bridges.  I was scared to death, not because I was in danger but I was pretty high up.  I just focused on the road in front of me and talk to God the entire way.  He got me through it.  After I crossed the bridge I ran into two guys (Eric and Shawn) that were coming from Missoula, Montana.  We shared information on the routes we had to look forward to.  

Tony, my uncle has been here with me since Friday.  He has been traveling along taking pictures and video of different things.  If I stopped to take pictures of everything I wouldn't get any riding done.  He is leaving in the morning so I will have to stop and take more of them. I truly appreciated all his help.  He took a few absolutely beautiful pictures and video.  It is easy to do when you have views that are around here.

I traveled along the Columbia River for about 30 miles and it was breathtaking. Here are examples of the views I had while riding.....Amazing!

Then after a 68 mile ride I finished the day pulling into Walla Walla, WA.

The third day hump

Today my legs were a little fatigued but than can be expected. . Last night Tony, my uncle made an executive decision and decided to stay a couple more day. Since he did that and was going to be driving with me I thought I would go a little farther than I had planned. There was an 82 mile stretch of limited service and limited it was. I traveled along the Columbia River. It was absolutely amazing. The climbs again were tough but I kept telling myself, you get to the top of be mountain with one push of the pedal at a time. As I was getting closer to the top the music that Chad McKibben.gave me, started talking about reaching the mountain top. It's really  cool that when you are continually on a bike for a while you pick up little things to entertain you. I actually about fell off the bike a couple times because I wanted to dance listening to a couple of the songs on there. That is difficult to dance when you're clipped to the bike.

I spent the day thinking WOW looking at the incredible views. Overlooking the river at many different levels was impressive. It was funny because an expedition passed me and on his license plate it said WOW. I thought that is perfectly fitting.  Some of the biggest WOW moments I receive is the support of everyone. I love seeing how people are getting inspiration with something as ordinary as riding a bike. The support I receive keeps me going, so Thank you very much!

Day 2-Goodbye Portland

Sorry I'm a day late already. Yesterday, I started the day having breakfast with Cherise and Shira of the Brian Grant Foundation. They are both wonderful ladies truly making a difference.  It is an honor to be riding for Brian Grant Foundation. They are truly helping many people with the facets of Parkinson's Disease. Providing awareness and giving people dealing with Parkinson's ways to cope and continue to live a happy healthy life.

After breakfast it was time to get on my bike again and head into Washington to a small town called Lyle. The ride was absolutely beautiful. It was slow because of the ascend but when I finally reached the top I found Cape Horn.  Cape Horn had a breathtaking view. It was definitely worth the struggle to get up there.  When I got into Lyle I was a absolutely exhausted.

Stats for the day:
Mileage- 72 miles
Ascend- 3609 ft
Time- 4hrs 51min
Calories burned- 6046
Avg speed- 14.7

First day!

Day one complete! My day started with dipping my tire in the Pacific Ocean at Fort Stevens. It was overcast and looked like it could rain at anytime early but then the sun came out and turned out to be a beautiful day.  The ride was tough but the sites were beautiful. I felt strong today. I rode 70 miles and ascended 2,989 feet.  There was one hill after we ate lunch in Clatskanie that ascended 750 feet over a distance of 2.5 m iles.  I know it wont be the toughest I see but I didn't think it would ever end. I also hit a pothole that about dislocated my entire body.  It was truly an awesome day. There were views with the mountains in the background that would absolutely take your breath away.

It's time!

The idea of cycling across the country was just a thought two years ago. I shared the idea with my health classes as I gave them a sheet that I call the WOW list. I give this sheet to all of my high school and college classes. The WOW stands for WithOut Wonder. I try to make them think about something they could do or achieve that would WOW them. I make them think about things that they have wondered "what would that  be like", and then challenge them to do it. As we were going through this lesson one of the students asked, "what is something on your WOW list?" I replied that I had a few but one thing that I always wondered was,  what it would be like to travel across the country on a bicycle. I then followed it up with, " I will do it one day."  I thought back to 17 years ago when I was in high school and two teachers, Tom Anderson and Eric Krauff, set out on a journey from Georgetown, OH and went to the west coast.  At that time I didn't know but 17 years later I realized that they inspired me. 

Tomorrow I will begin my journey to inspire and help, just like those two teachers did me, by riding across the country. It has been quite a journey to get to this point by now it is time to mark off another WOW moment that I have on my list. When i make it from sea to shining sea it will be a major WOW moment that I'm sure I will never forget.  I challenge each and everyone of you to start a WOW list. Write it down and make I happen. It's time to stop making excuses of why you can't do something and start figuring out ways you can. Time is precious so use it wisely!