Category: 2013

July 9th

Posted on by mikebike

Fargo North Dakota to Fergus Falls Minnesota. 103 miles. 1943 miles from the Pacific. a great day to be on the bike. I woke up early at the Larson lodge, looked out the window at the rain and
went back to bed and covered up my head for couple more hours of sleep. I left Fargo at 7 AM and headed south East. made my first mistake of the day by missing a turn. It cost me about 7 miles extra. make note to self to pay closer attention to the map. once I got the pointed in the right direction I crossed the Red River into Minnesota. I stopped for breakfast at a small general store in Sabin (photo). I noticed the corn is a lot taller in Minnesota and the air is heavy with humidity fromy last night’s rain. the flat North Dakota landscape has changed to beautiful rolling hills of the minnesota lake country. the road snakes its way between crystal clear lakes and small streams. I go through the towns of Downer, Cormorant, and Pelican Rapids and pass several beautiful country churches (photo). I stopped for lunch at Pelican Lake and sat on a pier. A great blue heron walked the shoreline searching for frogs and minnows. I was having a day old sandwich, and he was having the fresh catch of the day. on a nearby log there were several turtles and a couple of ducks relaxing in the afternoon sunshine. I don’t know what the conversation was about but it looked like they were friends sitting on bar stools at a local pub. sometimes I let my imagination wonder – really
I don’t know if it was yesterdays rest , Morgan’s delicious banana bread, or the nice tailwind that gave me energy to do another century today. I didn’t start out thinking I would do a hundred miles , but the day went so well it just happened. tomorrow I will be on the Central Lakes and Lake Wobegon bike trails. over a hundred miles paved trail between fergus falls in saint joseph’s following the old railroad route. I am looking forward to a couple of days without any traffic.
Take care, Free bird

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July 8th Fargo

Posted on by mikebike

Kindred North Dakota to Fargo. 24.5 flat easy miles. 1838 miles from the Pacific. nice easy ride into Fargo this morning through the grasslands national Park. I rode into Fargo just after 9 a.m. almost exactly the time my cousin Dean predicted. Eric and Ryan Larson were kind enough to host me at their apartment. photo of Eric and his girlfriend Morgan. I took a shower and a nap then got some lunch at Lucys Chinese restaurant. got caught up on my laundry and took another nap. Eric and Morgan arrived and cooked up some delicious corn on the cob and chicken on the grill. I had a much needed rest day. life is good.

pictures of North Dakota landscape grasslands, and my new bike trailer. it’s not easy to pull but once it gets rolling – watch out 🙂

July 7

Posted on by mikebike

Gackle North Dakota to Kindred North Dakota. 104 miles. 1813 miles from the Pacific. watching the sun rise over the North Dakota wide open plain was spectacular. like an ocean of grass. it was biker bliss most of the day. gentle rolling North Dakota landscape, light traffic, and a good shoulder most of the time. I had a tailwind most of the day. water is everywhere, North Dakota is having one of its wettest years in history. I took a break next to one of the small lakes and watched a muskrat chase a duck. priceless entertainment that is only available here.
the highlight of my day was when my good friends brad and dan from Stoughton pull up beside me and rolled down their window. they were on their way to Calgary and hunted me down from the information on my blog. they drove next to me for the next 4 miles and then we got breakfast together (see photo). it really picked up my spirits to see them. I was grateful that they made the detour to see me. I am blessed with a lot of really nice friends. I pulled into town at about 5 p.m. after 11 hours on the bike. it was my first century day. I felt strong all day until the last 4 miles. I thought my legs were moving but when I looked down they were not. I got off the bike did some stretches and rested for a while. got back on the bike and everything seemed to work just fine. evidently my legs are only good for a hundred miles. make note to self. I came into town and got some groceries, then wolfed down a pizza , a sub sandwich, and ice cream at the local restaurant. the waitress was wondering where I put all the food. then I headed for the swimming pool for a shower and a swim. I set up camp happy in the city park near the pool. I met about a dozen riders going west today. they all told me that it rained for 2 weeks straight at the beginning of their journey. I’ve been very fortunate to have only one day of rain for my entire trip. if all goes well I will be in Fargo tomorrow staying with the Larson boys. (Adult sons of my friends Rich and Nancy). pictures of brad and Dan and I. also picture of me with several westbound riders. Take care. Free bird.

Ps- all that good karma you send me seems to be working. Thanks again. I love to hear from you. I read all the comments every day. sometimes twice.

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July 6th

Posted on by mikebike

Napoleon to Gackle North Dakota 39 miles.1709 from the Pacific. nice day to be on the bike. I started off early in the morning to beat the heat and the wind, but mother nature had other ideas. it was one of those days I just needed to accept the North Dakota hot wind in my face. the road was good and traffic was light and I was feeling good. the rain last night brought a cool morning and then humidity in the afternoon. I’m met several riders from the East Coast today (see photo). one of them was from Argentina. tonight I am staying at the a honey hub (see photo) a respite for bicyclists. hot showers, laundry and a bed. other pictures of a cow wash, and the old North Dakota homestead. thanks again for all the nice feedback. you guys are the best. Fargo is on my radar. Take care, Free bird

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July 5th

Posted on by mikebike

Bismarck North Dakota to Napoleon North Dakota 73 miles. 1670 miles from the Pacific. I started this adventure exactly one month ago today. how time flies when you’re having fun. I have crossed two time zones and now I am back on central time. I have pedalled in oregon, washington, idaho, montana, and part of north Dakota. last week I turned 55 1/2 years old. I feel like one of the luckiest guys on earth. how many folks will get a chance to do this.
I said goodbye to my friends Trudy and Frank after breakfast this morning. Frank gave me his bungie clothes line which will make doing laundry much easier. no clothes pins required. this trip makes one grateful for the little things in life.
the morning started out with a climb out of Bismarck leaving the beautiful valley of the Missouri River behind me (see photo). I made a turn on to Easy Street just to say that I was there (see photo). Lewis and Clark, and the Custer Trail are behind me now. the nice part about traveling at bicycle speed is that you get to read all the historical markers. the other things I notice at this speed is the morning glories and black eyed Susans tipping there flower heads towards the morning sun. the smell of fresh cut hay and clover lingers in air for miles. I hear the screech of the hawk and watch him as he searches for breakfast. deer and cattle look at me like I’m from another planet. sometimes they run and other times they just stare. life is simple. I eat, I pedal, I sleep, and I meet a lot of nice people along the way. I am staying in the city park next to the pool. that seems to be my MO on hot days.
I met several bikers today coming from the east coast. Daniel was coming from North Carolina and heading to Seattle. greg started in New Brunswick Maine and is heading to his home in Oregon. a couple from Australia in there late 70’s we’re on a tandem. I had lunch with them in Hazleton at a little cafe. they have bicycled all over the world. I ask myself if I would have met these interesting people if I was flying by in a car at 70 miles per hour. the lessons I’m learning are endless. some folks ask “what possesses you to do this”. I just smile and say “it’s not about me”. this type of travel is not for everyone, but it sure seems to fit me just fine. I thought I spent too many hours on the bike today when I saw pelicans landing in the lake next to me. so I took their picture and showed them to some local folks. sure enough they are pelicans. white pelicans with black tips on their wings. they are beautiful when they fly. who woulda thunk.
Take care,
Freebird

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July 4th

Posted on by mikebike

Hebron North Dakota to Bismarck North Dakota 64 miles. 1597 miles from the Pacific.
another great day to be on the bike. I rode with Trudy and Frank all day because it was there last day on the route. they will rent a car in Bismarck and drive back to California. I really enjoyed getting to know them and I’m sure we’ll stay in touch. we had a tailwind most of the day. we stopped for something to eat in New Salem. but everything was closed. because of the holiday. we stopped at a house where a man was watering his flowers. we had a nice conversation and then he offered us ice cream. Yum yum. and his wife appeared and invited us to their fourth of July family picnic. lots of friendly folks out here. we ate ice cream and headed for Bismarck. we arrived in town just as the parade was ending. there was an art fair and a food fest. we ate until bellies were dragging on the ground. Bismarck is a nice town. the highlight of my day was crossing the mighty Missouri River. we will walk up to the Capitol grounds for the fireworks tonight.
picture of our river crossing, North Dakota landscape, and Frank and Trudy on their bikes.
take care, happy 4th of July
Freebird

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July 3rd

Posted on by mikebike

Medora North Dakota to Hebron North Dakota. 77 miles. 1527 from the Pacific. A good day on the bike. Madora was sweet little town that I hated to leave. I climbed out of the tent and packed up camp happy and was on the road by 5:30 a.m. the climb out of roosevelt national park was beautiful. the painted canyon of the north Dakota badlands at sunrise distracted me from steep road ahead. The cool morning soon gave way to the hot sun. The road was good and the wind off at a right angle. When I got off my bike at 4 pm it was 94 degrees. I am camping at the city park next to the pool. I hope to make it to Bismarck tomorrow and watch some fireworks. Take care. Freebird

Pictures are of canyon at sunrise, horses with colt, and an oil well.

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July 2nd

Posted on by mikebike

Glendive Montana to Medora North Dakota. 83.2 miles. 1450 from the Pacific. a great day to be on the bike. I hit the road at 630 AM and climbed out of the glendive. The route took us up on interstate 94 for 5 miles. I thought that would be a bad thing but it turned out to be great. the traffic was light and the shoulder was wide. in a few miles I turn onto Old Highway 10 and had some breakfast at a rest area. yogurt with nuts and berries, peanut butter jelly sandwich, a banana and some apples. I like to put on a few miles before having breakfast. it seems my stomach is happier that way.
I celebrated with a big “who ha” as I passed by the welcome to North Dakota sign. I saw a couple of antelope with big horns early in the morning. by 10 o’clock my stomach was growling so I stopped in Beach North Dakota for some lunch. it was Taco Tuesday. I wolfed down three big Tacos and some pie and ice cream and headed across the street to a park for some after lunch rest. since it was in town the only hazzard would be dog poop. I lay down in the shade of a big Cottonwood and rested my body. about 10 minutes later I felt I tickle crawling feeling on my skin. just a bunch of ants. I brush some of them off and lay back down. about 30 seconds later the tickle turn into a bite then another then another. turns out these ants can bite and bite hard. I tore off my jersey and begin beating myself. the towns people were looking strangely at me. why is a strange man in undressing in the park and jumping around like he’s on fire. so much for a rest in the park idea. make note to self.
I pull into Medora at about 2 p.m. and went to the bike shop to buy somechamois cream. I’ve been out for the last few days and borrowing it from Trudy. Medora is a awesome little tourist town at the gate of Teddy Roosevelt National Park. it is beautiful here. Camp happy is set up next to The Little Missouri River and just down the Road from the public swimming pool. this is biker bliss. picture of Frank,Trudy and myself. Camp happy. and some scenes from North Dakota. enjoy and take care

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July 1st

Posted on by mikebike

Circle Montana to Glendive Montana. 50 miles. 1366 miles from the Pacific. great day to be on the bike. I am taking a half rest day today in Glendive. The morning ride was fairly easy. I saw an antelope with her two babies very close beside the road. I don’t think they heard me coming because I was down wind and in stealth mode. that just means that I wasn’t singing “home on the range” at that moment. she bolted for the ridge beyond the road with her babies in tow. all running like they have pogo sticks for legs. I was thinking, maybe the person that invented the pogo stick watched antelope run. The ride started out with a 14 mile climb and then flattened out. Then a downhill as I approached town. the 10 to 15 miles per hour head wind took some of the fun out of the downhill but knowing there’s a hotel with a pool at the end of the ride gave me biker bliss. the long stretches between towns has mostly ended, along with those difficult rollers. life is good. I took a quick dip in the pool, showered and texted Frank and Trudy my location. they were about an hour behind me. I went to a local Tavern and got some lunch and then took a long afternoon nap. I will have dinner with Trudy and Frank and plan tomorrows route. it’s nice to have a bed to rest my head. its been awhile. Take care, Freebird

if you zoom in on the second picture you might be able to see the antelope.

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June 30th

Posted on by mikebike

Jordan Montana to Circle Montana. 67 miles. 1316 from the Pacific. I packed up camp happy and hit the road by 5:30 a.m. this morning. thinking once again that I could get some miles on before the heat of the day builds up. The morning sky was beautiful with wispy clouds turning bright pink against the green landscape. it sure looks like Jarsic Park to me. a red fox crossed the road just in front of me. I think he was after the prairie dogs. I stopped and watch him for a while and we had a staring contest. turns out this fox had more patience then me. I gave him the win and peddled onward. I have to admit these last 3 days with these big Montana rollers have been the most difficult terrain I’ve ever riden in. up and down and up and down – never ending climbing and decending. the worst part is you can see them miles away. when you get to the top of what you think is the end of them, there are many many more waiting for you. I told myself just to accept them and make peace. it worked for a while but then about 11 a.m. I bonked. that’s a bikers term used to explain the feeling that comes over you when your body informs you that it has had enough. And if you don’t listen to your body, bad things happen. lucky for me there was a tree nearby up on the fence line just up the road. this was only tree in the last 20 miles. I steered my bike into the ditch. took off my helmet and shoes and laid in the shade and took a nap. I woke up about a half hour later thinking that I should have checked for rattlesnakes before laying down. make note to self for tomorrow. I ate the rest of my food stash and drank a bunch of water. with 30 miles to go I needed to balance conserving water, with the threat of dehydration from this heat. I was feeling better and made it to a rest stop about 10 miles down the road. I restocked my water supply and ate my last energy bar. at the rest stop I ran into two ladies with Wisconsin license plates from Eauclaire. we chatted a while and it turns out her dad (retired) used to work at Cummins. he was the HR guy for Bloomer and Neilsville plants. she will be writing in my blog and showing her dad. another hour down the road and the rollers had taken their toll once again. A rancher was stopped near his mailbox and I asked him if he had any water. he opened up his truck and said “no but I have an ice cold Gatorade with your name on it” my eyes popped out of my head as he brought it to me. his name was Clayton and he told me about his three thousand acre ranch with 250 head of cattle. we talked for a bit as I guzzled the Gatorade. he was on his way into town to pick up his daughter from 4H and happen to be in the right place at the right time for me. more good karma just when I thought it was time to give up. just beyond his ranch the road levelled out as I entered ranch country. it seemed like the last 10 miles into town was like heaven on wheels. even the wind that had been my face all day seemed to calm down. I pulled into Circle at 2 p.m. a little girl was selling lemonade from a cardboard table in front of her house for 25 cents. I stopped and got three glasses full. I chatted with her mom and grandmother and got the scoop on where to eat, the location of the town park and pool. life was looking up. I got to the park and noticed a closed sign at the pool entrance. its sad that a pool would be closed on a hot summer day. it’s just not right. there was no one around, so I let myself in. The cool water replenish my body and lifted my spirits. after the swim I set up camp happy and then went to eat at one of the finest restaurants in eastern Montana. as I was walking back from the restaurant I ran into Trudy and Frank, my biker friends from California. they looked half dead. they had done the same route as I did today. I told them that the dinosaurs didn’t really go extinct by volcano or meteorite like most people believe. what really happened was that they were walking around in Montana in the big rollers and got so depressed that they drank the suicide Kool Aid just like Jonestown. we all laughed and agreed that tomorrow will be better now that we’re out of dinosaur country. pictures are of my breakfast table (a bridge over a creek) and the famous Montana rollers.

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