Bicycling Coast to Coast

  Stats:   Today's miles:  70.0 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   2,274 feet Total miles traveled:   1,875.3  miles Total feet climbed:   57,439 feet It worked out to set up my route through Minnesota to stay with relatives along the way. My second leg was from Matt & Martha’s to Polly Schmitz’s. The ride (on new tubes!!) was uneventful. It was nice to spend the evening with Polly, Matt & Danielle and family and neighbor John.

Stats:   Today's miles:  42.0 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   659 feet Total miles traveled:   1,805.3  miles Total feet climbed:   55,165 feet Some days should just be taken as a mulligan…. It was great to get back on the road after spending time with family and grand kids. The weather was great and the route to Matt & Martha’s promised to be easy. The first challenge came at mile 10 in Cokato…the first flat tire since Oregon. No problem, I quickly changed the rear tube and was on the way. I made good progress all morning and was on the Dakota trail in Mayer when I had a second flat. Thinking it must be a fluke ( valve not sealed….etc) I pumped it up, confirmed that it was holding air and pushed on down the trail. A mile later, I pulled into a shady section and started changing the flat. After replacing 2 more tubes(all previous flats that had been patched) and replacing a patch only to have it fail, I had exhausted all my spares and was out of...

Stats:   Today's miles:  0.0 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   0 feet Total miles traveled:   1,762.7  miles Total feet climbed:   54,510 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   31 I’m spending a few days at home to visit with family and see the kids and grandkids. I dropped my bike off at Outdoor Motion for a little maintenance (thanks Chad) and am doing some route planning and modification for the eastern leg of the trip which starts on Tues (08/30/2022).

  Stats:   Today's miles:  64.0 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   525 feet Total miles traveled:   1,762.7  miles Total feet climbed:   54,510 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   31 Since I didn’t get to the hotel until 10:30PM I slept in a bit and had breakfast at Perkins before taking off @ 9:00AM. The route continued along the Central Lakes trail and then became the Lake Wobegon trail. It was a pretty ride through the farmland and woodlands of central Minnesota. After a couple rest stops at some of the familiar towns along the way (Sauk Centre, Melrose, Albany) I pulled into St. Joe just before 4PM. Originally I was going to ride the rest of the way home. The St. Joe-Cold Spring-Watkins-Darwin route is one that I’ve ridden several times before. Given it was already late in the afternoon and I was due for a longer lunch break at Sals or the La, the remaining 40 mi would have meant again finishing late, I opted to call this segment complete in S...

Stats:   Today's miles:  111.0 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   1,736 feet Total miles traveled:   1,698.7  miles Total feet climbed:   53,985 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   31 I left Daniel’s apartment at 7 AM and stopped by the nearby McDonalds for a quick breakfast. The stretch from Moorhead to Fergus Falls was on highway 52/88 which pretty much parallels I94. The route goes through the flat farmland of western Minnesota, through the towns of Sabin, Barnesville and Rothsay before hitting the rolling hills around Fergus Falls. Fields of corn, beans, sugar beets and wheat and a moderate (you guessed it) SE wind accompanied me until mid-afternoon. After a lunch stop in Fergus Falls I picked up the Central Lakes trail that stretches from Fergus Falls to Osakis (a final section from FF to Moorhead is under construction) This trail is a paved, converted railroad bed. And while the pavement is rough in several sections the gentle grade and trees sh...

  Stats:   Today's miles:  0.0 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   0 feet Total miles traveled:   1,587.7  miles Total feet climbed:   52,249 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   31 Along the last several miles coming into Jamestown there were a number of construction zones. They were all passable, but I had been advised that there were several more sites in the Jamestown to Fargo stretch. After reviewing the construction zones and alternative routes that also had construction zones, I opted for a pickup ride to Fargo/Moorhead to spend the day with son Daniel at his Concordia apartment. My thought after completing the rest of the ride is to come back and ride this section in the fall (or maybe not).

Stats:   Today's miles:  104.0 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   1,640 feet Total miles traveled:   1,587.7  miles Total feet climbed:   52,249 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   31 I have to be honest, this segment was forgettable. There was a 10-15mph  headwind most of the day (What is it with winds from the east? This isn’t supposed to happen). Coming into Jamestown is a bit of a tease since the water tower is plainly visible when cresting the last ridge. What’s not obvious is that its still 13mi away. At times during the final stretch I swore the water tower was moving further away. This was a long day and I (particularly my ass) was glad when I pulled into the hotel.

Stats:   Today's miles:  62.0 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   1,667 feet Total miles traveled:   1,483.7  miles Total feet climbed:   50,609 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   31 The ride from Glen Ullin was pretty unremarkable. I stopped in New Salem for a mid-morning break and sat with the ‘coffee regulars’. They talked about ranching and farming in the area and were curious why anyone in their right mind would ride a bike across the country. They did however offer to strap one of their buddies on a bike if I would take him with me. All kidding aside, they were a good group and gave me a breakfast donut before taking off (“you’re going to need this…”). The ride from Glen Ullin highlighted the reason that I chose to ride from Glendive all the way across North Dakota on I94. Glen Ullin is about 6 mi off I94 and is on the ‘official’ Old Highway 10 route. So, I thought I’d try the route and see what it was like. The road was a typical rural highway w...

Stats:   Today's miles:  50.6 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   1,296 feet Total miles traveled:   1,421.7  miles Total feet climbed:   48,942 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   31 Initial/Final elevation 2,305 ft / 2,163 ft The best laid plans… Feeling confident after the previous day I took off early planning to knock off another 100+ mile day and go from Dickinson to Bismarck. It became obvious by late morning that wind was going to be the determining factor for the day. By 1:30 PM I had reached the last turn-off for a town with resources (food, camping,…) for the next 27 mi. With 15-20 mph winds from the east and my pace slowed to under 10mph, I reluctantly took the exit and headed to the Cenex convenience store for Hot Stuff pizza and a cold soda.

Stats:   Today's miles :   103 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   3,323  feet Total miles traveled:   1,371.1  miles Total feet climbed:   47,646 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   31 (+5) Staying at the Microtel and eating "Big" on Cashwise tonight. On to Bismarck tomorrow! After the weather delay I was anxious to get back on the road. My original plan for the day was to get to Medora ND (62 mi). There were several ascents on the route although it wasn’t clear how steep they were. The weather was great, temps in the low 80’s and the winds were forecast to be out of the north (cross wind), not great, but not a head wind. I made really good time all morning and made it to Medora by 1:00. A burger and a beer at the Boots Bar & Grill seemed like the perfect lunch. Since the morning had gone well and I had recovered over the lunch break I opted to push for Dickinson (+41 mi) during the afternoon. I rolled into Dickinson around 7 PM. It was a grea...

  Stats:   Today's miles :   0 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   0  feet Total miles traveled:   1,268.1  miles Total feet climbed:   44,323 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   26 Initial/Final elevation 2,471 ft / 2,139 ft It's been a long six days riding through central and eastern Montana. The terrain, environment and remoteness have combined for some challenging rides. Rather than recap each day, I’ll summarize some of the notable experiences of the week. Amazing Changes Every Fifty Miles: I am constantly amazed how quickly the environment, terrain and eco-system change while crossing Montana. Within distances of 10 to 20 miles the terrain changes from wheat fields & grassland pastures to mixed Ponderosa pines & upland and to arid canyons/buttes/badlands. These transitions occurred everyday of the ride.     Groundhog Day in Eastern Montana: Every day, riding through this area there are a handful of things I could cou...

Stats:   Today's miles :   48.3 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   922  feet Total miles traveled:   1,268.1  miles Total feet climbed:   44,323 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   26 Initial/Final elevation 2,471 ft / 2,139 ft

Stats:   Today's miles :   67.6 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   2,815  feet Total miles traveled:   1,219.8  miles Total feet climbed:   43,401 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   26 Initial/Final elevation 2,651 ft / 2,471 ft

Stats:   Today's miles :   76.5 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   2,874  feet Total miles traveled:   1,152.2  miles Total feet climbed:   40,586 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   26 Initial/Final elevation 3,105 ft / 2,651 ft

Stats:   Today's miles :   56.6 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   1,099  feet Total miles traveled:   1,075.7  miles Total feet climbed:   37,712 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   24 Initial/Final elevation 4,124 ft / 3,105 ft

Stats:   Today's miles :   46.1 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   1,079  feet Total miles traveled:  1,019.7  miles Total feet climbed:   36,613 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   21 Initial/Final elevation 4,245 ft / 4,124 ft ***Completed 1,000 miles and past the half-way across Montana point***

  Stats:   Today's miles :   61.2 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   2,638  feet Total miles traveled:  973.6  miles Total feet climbed:   35,534 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   21 Initial/Final elevation 3,494 ft / 4,245 ft

  Stats:   Today's miles :   0 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   0  feet Total miles traveled:  912.4  miles Total feet climbed:   32,892 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   21 Initial/Final elevation 4,254 ft / 3,523 ft Today is a rest day. Taking the day to get some stuff done - plan my route, recover some calories and update my travel log/blog. Due to how remote the next leg of the journey is I may not be able to update the this blog for a couple of days. I will post updated live track links if/when able.

  Stats:   Today's miles :   57.0 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   853  feet Total miles traveled:  912.4  miles Total feet climbed:   32,892 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   21 Initial/Final elevation 4,254 ft / 3,523 ft The route to GF promised to be relatively easy. Other than a few transition climbs, the ride was generally downhill. Since I was still short of calories from the previous day, I delayed taking off until 8:00 AM and had breakfast at the motel restaurant...good food and worth the delay. The route follows a paved back road with very little traffic along a long, flat valley. The irrigated fields and pastures were in stark contrast with arid conditions the day before. The route climbed from the end of the valley, between a couple buttes and dropped into the town of Simms where it rejoined MT200. From there it was an uneventful ride into Great Falls. I checked into the Super 8 around 2:30. Nice to get out of the 94F heat! My ...

  Stats:   Today's miles :   55.8 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   2,562  feet Total miles traveled:  855.4  miles Total feet climbed:   32,039 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   16 Initial/Final elevation 4,603 ft / 4,254 ft Whether it was the long previous day, the 44F morning temp, or the churning in my gut (bad “Deli” sandwich??) I was slow tearing down camp and hitting the road. After oatmeal and a cup of coffee I was on the road a little after 9:00AM. This segment of the route was challenging for several reasons: 1) Within the first 17 mi there is a climb over Rogers Pass/Continental Divide (5610’, the highest elevation on my whole route) 2) There are no services (convenience stores, café , rest stops or water sources) between Lincoln and Augusta 3) The route includes a number of steep climbs up/down river bottoms and buttes on the ‘down slope’ from the divide. 4) The east side of the divide quickly becomes a high plains, hot, ar...

  Stats:   Today's miles :   80.6 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   2,960  feet Total miles traveled:   799 .6 miles Total feet climbed:   29,477 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   16 Initial/Final elevation 3,219 ft / 4,616 ft I left early Sunday. The traffic was light and it was a cool, 52F morning. The ride followed the Blackfoot river through the rocky canyons (signs warning to be aware of big horn sheep…didn’t see any) and up into a long, green valley; home to several cattle ranches. The route then veered away from the river and into the upland mixed range of grassland and ponderosa pines. It was very much like a scene from the Ponderosa/Bonanza. The route continued to climb into the higher, drier grassland and by 1:30PM I pulled into my original destination for the day, Ovando (pop 81). Ovando is a curious place. It has a General Store & Inn (3 rooms), the Stray Bullet café , a volunteer fire dept. and a museum. The town is notabl...

Stats:   Today's miles :   0 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   0  feet Total miles traveled:   719 .0 miles Total feet climbed:   26,517 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   16 Current elevation 3,314 ft So what happened to Aug 6?…..False start due to weather. I was ready to leave Missoula Saturday morning at 6:00, however when I went to the office to drop off my key, this is what it looked like outside. Winds over 20 mph had been blowing since the middle of the night and heavy clouds were threatening in the east. With little improvement by 10:00 it was too late to ride to the next camping location. (Photo doesn’t show the trees bending in the wind very well)

  Stats:   Today's miles :   0 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   0  feet Total miles traveled:   719 .0 miles Total feet climbed:   26,517 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   16 Current elevation 3,314 ft I’ve opted to spend a rest day in Missoula. In addition to recovering from the ride over Lolo, it’s time to do laundry, pick up some supplies (Albertsons and Scheels) and make plans for the next stages to Great Falls!

  Stats:   Today's miles :   57 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   2,218  feet Total miles traveled:   719 .0 miles Total feet climbed:   26,517 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   16 Initial/Peak/Final elevation 3,553 ft / 5,225 ft / 3,314 ft I find it hard to break camp and be on the road early whenever I ‘tent it’. I was out of Lochsa Lodge by 7:15, shortly after Israel and Anna had left. I admittedly had some trepidation about the 12 mile climb to Lolo Pass. The first 6-8 miles were much like the day before, a moderate climb, but manageable with rest/water stops. Then the climb became very real!! I’ve mentally adjusted to a very incremental approach to riding (one more mile marker, one more turn of the crank…etc), but when you shift to your lowest gear and make such limited forward progress that the bike weaves and is difficult to control, especially with limited/no shoulder, it’s time to switch strategies. While I can claim to have ridde...

  Stats:   Today's miles :   39 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   1,542  feet Total miles traveled:   662 .0 miles Total feet climbed:   24,299 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   16 Initial/Final elevation 2,122 ft / 3,553 ft In terms of mileage, today was a light day; however, notice that the rate of elevation gain has stepped up. Additionally stopping at Lochsa Lodge was the logistical break-point before grinding up Lolo Pass and riding down into Missoula. The road continued along the Lochsa river with the same spectacular scenery. The river narrowed and definitely quickened in pace. Quiet pools were few and rapids were frequent. Unfortunately, that meant the slope of the road increased accordingly. Along the route there were amazing stands of old growth cedars and pines. The last couple miles of the route were noticeably up-hill…my legs have a way of letting me know!! It was great to pull into the Lochsa Lodge resort for a burger and bee...

Stats:   Today's miles :   59 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   1,653  feet Total miles traveled:   623 .0 miles Total feet climbed:   22,757 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   16 Initial/Final elevation 1,196 ft / 2,122 ft After a comfortable night with AC at the Clearwater 12 Motel (nice place) and fine dining at the local pizza joint and Albertsons, I left the hotel just after 5:30AM hoping to beat the heat and be done riding around 1:00 PM. The ride continued along the Clearwater and Lochsa river with the same steady uphill climb. There are nearly endless ‘A River Runs Through It’ scenes along the Lochsa, gentle pools alternating with rapids and rippling streams. It’s awesome to ride through and disappointing that a camera doesn’t truly capture it. Most of the route is sparsely resourced, no convenience stores or cafes after the first 8 miles at Kooskia. A convenience store chicken-bacon-ranch hot box sandwich (not recommended) and 2 granola...

  Stats:   Today's miles :   64 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   1,188  feet Total miles traveled:   564 .0 miles Total feet climbed:   21,104 feet Dead Rattlesnake count:   16 96 F @ 1:00 PM Finally, after 6 nights in Lewiston, the heat wave started to break and it was time to start putting on some miles. The area temps are still in the 90’s, but they’re manageable with early starts and limited miles (early afternoon wrap-up). So at 5:30 this morning I waved goodbye to my source for lunch/dinner/refreshments for the last week….bye Stinker!! (western convenience store chain) (this is a long story, ask me about hotel location some time) and headed east along the Clearwater river. The ride was fairly easy. The elevation change was consistent over the whole ride. The route was on US Hwy 12 for most of the ride, which for much of the way has nice wide shoulders, although plenty of logging trucks. I suspect that I may have committed a feder...