Gonz

Stay off those roofs...

forgot this one!

SKULL FRACTURE!!!!!!! :))))):):):):):):):):)

Sorry for the lack of blogging...

I got hit by a car.

Its been a long while since I updated this blog, and to be quite honest with you I can't really remember all the fun little details that usually make this blog so fun and interesting... yeah right. Though I suppose compared to recent events the quirky dive-bar and grills and all its patrons, and all the pretty animals, and all the crazy weather that we experienced may not be what everyone really wants to hear about.

On May 12th, the one month aniversary of my trip, I was in Fargo North Dakota. We got in kinda early, and decided to go and see a movie. We saw Star Trek, I liked it. We took a wrong turn somewhere out of the parking lot and wound up a little lost. After a quick glance at the GPS, we were able to determine that our camp ground was just a few blocks away and a right hand turn was in order. After that I don't have any memory until the hospital. Nick tells me that we were riding off to the side of the road, in a single file line. A white saddan buzzed Nick real close, and then cut hard hitting me at about 45 mph. Since he hit me right from behind I didn't really see it coming, I was rolled up the hood breaking his windshield and then ejected into the air about 10 feet or so. I came down pretty hard, though I don't know what part of my body hit first. I guess I was out for about 30 seconds. The guy took off blowing two red lights in the proccess. I came too and tried to move around, though I was strongly urged by Nick and two other kind citizens that had stopped to help, that I should remain still. A man at an intersection saw what had happened and followed the guy and got his plate number. My memory picks up again in the hostpital bed, in a neck brace and in pain. They told me I had been hit by a car, I was not wearing a helmet, and that they need to CT scan me for posible spinal cord injuries. I wiggled my toes and relaxed and asked for some morphine. Then I relaxed some more. The first scan results showed a hair-line fracture in my skull, and a 3 millimeter blob of blood on my brain. The doctor told me that they would keep me over night, and scan me again in the morning. The second scan showed that the bleeding had recest as they hoped it would and that I would be out of the hospital that day. They guy got caught, and is now being slowly digested through the court system. Nick kept going and broke his dad's milage-in-a-day record by 10 miles with a massive ND tail wind hitting 139 miles in one day. Wish I could have been there for that. I'll try to keep up on the blog more frequently now, I just needed a little break. here are the rest of the pictures from the trip. Including some awesome day after pictures of me. See yah.

This accident convinced me hollywood is a fake. All those dudes running around with guns in action movies looking like this?... No way, this f-ing hurts.

wind

Llamas

More bars in more places... right guys?

edge of the storm

The middle

Hey,

So now we are in Minnesota! Long Prairie to be specific. Doing the rest of WI was for the most part fairly uneventful. Except that Nick was stricken with what cyclists refer to as the ID, or Inflation Dysfunction. 4 flats in 3 days. We were also rained upon by a huge rain storm, though I suppose what else is new? The one thing that really impresses me about the mid-west is the sky. In NY whenever you look up most of your view is interrupted by trees. Here there are certainly a fare share of trees, though it seems that they are spread out far enough that one can observe the weather in every direction. For example, when we were caught in that giant rain storm we were able to actually watch the entire weather system as it got closer, morph and swirl away as it departed.
After that day we were blessed by beautiful weather all the way into MN. In Dalbo MN, pop. 50 maybe, we met a man named Don Olson. One day about 6 years ago he was in his front yard watering some plants when he spotted two cyclists off in the distance. It was a hot day in July and the county road that passes Don's house was not yet finished. As he observed the bikers pushing their fully loaded rigs through the hot dirt/sand road, he asked them if they would like something to drink. The rest, as they say, is history. Now Don's house is a landmark on the Adventure Cycling maps that Nick and I are using on this trip. Don's house/ front lawn is now a haven for any touring cyclist passing through the area. Don is a great guy with tons of stories and a lot of spirit. He showed us around his farm and answered all our city-boy questions about what does what and why. After a great nights sleep and some showers we were on the road again. Now we are just rolling through MN, we will be in Fargo North Dakota in 2 days. We would be there sooner, but today was the latest start of the trip, and cost us a lot of miles. It wasn't even our fault. Ask me about it later, Im still a bit upset about the whole thing. Tomorrow is Mother's Day so don't forget!!!! I know I wont. Sorry again, no pictures, so there is nothing cool to look at after all this blabber you just muddled your way through, hehe. Soon though, I promise. Maybe even later this evening. Oh yeah, one more thing. The second we rolled into town a man rode up to us on his bike and asked if we needed a lawn to camp in! People are nice. talk to you later.

Good fishin'

Heeeelllooooo,

So last time that I posted on here I had just entered the upper peninsula of Michigan. Well a lot has happened since then. For one, we are no longer in Michigan, yesterday we rolled into Wisconsin! The terrain before Wisconsin was very hilly, climbing out of a town called Crystal Falls MI was reminiscent of the first day of my trip tackling the Adirondacks. The weather remained cool for most of the our time in the UP, with a crisp breeze coming off Lake Michigan. The morning before we crossed over into Wisconsin we saw our most interesting weather yet. Harsh climbs made us sweat under our lycra sportwool poly blends, forcing us to de-layer at the top, then quickly reconsider as we descended into a cold head wind. Rain would come suddenly, followed quickly by bright blue skys. At one point we even saw a bit of hail. Though as we made our way across the border the skies cleared and we were immediately aware in the change in terrain. Northern Wisconsin is particularly woody. Most days we are surrounded by dense pine forests with the occasional lake thrown in the middle to break up the monotony. Not that these woods aren't nice to look at, its just nice to see something different every 30 miles at about 13 mph. The real excitement actually happened 3 miles into the todays ride, when Nick's chain exploded causing a link to fray. As the deformed hunk of metal made its way through Nick's front derailer it snagged, causing the derailer to be pulled into the crankset, destroying it completely. Luckily I was there. With my extensive knowledge of bikes, and added prowess as a mechanic, I was able to point and bark directions at Nick until I saw that his bike was fit to be ridden once again. Actually it wasn't that eventful, we took the broken derailer off. Took a link out of the chain to make it smaller, chose a decent gear in the front and we were off. This is a sure fire way to make it back to wherever you need to go, or the closest bike shop. We made it back to the town that we had just left and started inquiring how we might be able to get 30 miles away to the nearest bike shop in Boulder Junction. A kind old man named Louie told us that the big man up stairs told him it was the right thing to do, and gave us a ride. In Boulder Junction we found that the bike shop didn't carry any Shimano components, nor did they have the ability to help us out if they did. So after a few more lost puppy faces and hinting questions a nice fellow offered to drive us about 15 miles south to another bike shop that might be able to save us. Luckily they could! They swapped it out and cleaned it up and we were on the road again. Well actually we were back in the car and back to Boulder Junction, but THEN we were on the road again. 40 miles later we were in Mercer WI. All in all not too much riding was done today, though we still made about 65 miles progress in the right direction. Not bad if you ask me. Here are all the pictures that I promised you! If you wanna see them BIGGER, or more random ones click here

How pretty.

Going to dinner.

Jealous?

Dirty dirty fingernails.

Finally an OPEN campground. May 1st was national "everything open day".

Our campsite.

Good end to a day.

Sky.

"Its ok, we can fix it."

Road side bike shop.

Clean it up.

Horses.

We made a friend.

YES.

The most metal senior center EVER.

We stopped to do some laundry... I was washing pretty much everything I own.

Ice cream made me cold. Black = fast.

Misty day.

Lake Michigan.

Tail winds!!!

The first night in the UP. Lake Michigan.

The UP fuel. ZAGNUT!

Humid.

ME!

Ride hills kids... preferably down them. We were not so fortunate this day.

Kids!? Are you noticing all this plight?

Hey all,



Im not on my computer right now so I can't post any pictures, sorry about that. Yesterday we crossed the largest bridge in America! 200 feet above the water, thats 18 stories to you and me. The bridge connects Michigan's lower peninsula to the upper peninsula. Apparently 2 people have flown off of it in their cars since the bridge was constructed. We didn't though! We woke up the next morning to a glorious sunny day in St. Ignace MI, and were wisked along US 2 by an awesome tail wind all the way to Manistique MI, 94 miles away. Amazingly we arrived at 4:30pm, must have been some wind, or maybe we are getting faster... who knows? Anyways I apologize for the lack of pictures. I promise I will have some good ones for you next post. Later.

I think this is what has happened.

So Last time that I posted I was in Ontario Canada all wet and cold.  Well the next day proved to be a bit better.  The rain held off and allowed us to get on into Michigan.  While the rain held off it continued to be cold and windy.  As soon as customs gave us the green light to procede into America I felt a sense of safety, as if I was finally home.  Although we were never actually that far away from the US while in Canada it was just nice to have that chapter done, and to know that we were once again on native soil.  As we pushed on the weather began to warm though the wind still pushed hard down on us, sometimes from the side causing us to lean hard so as not to be blown off the road, sometimes in our faces, and for a few moments to our backs propelling us effortlessly forward.  For the most part it seemed to push against our chest, an invisible force crashing down on us like giant waves at the break point.  Though a warm wind is better than a cold one.  The temperature climbed as the days went on,  until we awoke in Fairgrove MI at 6:45 am with already 50 degree temps.  We stopped in a place called Bay City MI to fix some pedal problems I had been having.  My cleats stripped out in both shoes causing me to actually have to take my foot out of the shoe to do anything non-riding related.  It was pretty annoying, and I have the bruises on my hip to prove it.  Jack's Bike Shop is just behind Jack's house.  An awesome place with some beautiful vintage bikes that you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else in such good condition.  Ask me in person about the details because that could fill a whole other post.  Anyways Jack helped me out, and I got some new Shimano SPD road pedals that I have been enjoying very much.  I also picked up one of his cycling caps (see pictures).  So we topped off the day at 80 degrees and we were in heaven.  Clare MI had a diner that served 24 breakfast, a pancake brinner and I was ready for bed.  When we zipped up the tent for the night it was still 60.  Huge rain storms at night lowered the temperature, though not too much.  The next morning we were ready for a similar day and left the camp ground in just short sleeves and shorts.  About 2 hours into our ride a dark cloud loomed over the horizon, and things didn't look good.  Shortly after the words, "Hey looks like rain... " were uttered a squall of biblical proportions descended upon us.  I never thought I could get that wet that quick, but it happened.  We pushed on regardless, marveling at the speed at which it had come and the ferocity of which it persisted.  The rest of the day it rained, and it rained hard.  The day was ended at 80 miles and a warm motel.  Not much changed in the morning, cold and rainy all day.  Now we are in Traverse City MI, 70 miles away from yesterday, and all its soggy events.  Tomorrow looks to be much of the same, a little warmer!  Though you wont find us complaining, this is the deal and we signed up bright eyed and bushy tailed.  Our tails are a bit damp, and eyes a little dim, but it wont last forever and soon we will be back in the sun.  Just keep on keepin' on.

Im ready for the Seals training now.

The word, "Waterproof" is written on a lot of things.  Usually driving up the price.  An 8 hour day in non-stop rain is a good test, and most "Waterproof" things don't pass.

"I think its only 5 more miles."

Oh its summer now.

I forgot to talk about this in the summary.  The road we needed was just on the other side of this bridge.  Too bad that the bridge was OUT.  We asked the guys to just hoist us up and over with the crane.  The guy called his boss and he said no.  10 mile detour... 

Great end to a day.

Back to the U.S. of A.  Burr.

Almost back!!!