"It is the unknown around the corner that turns my wheels." ~~ Heinz Stucke Bicycle touring for 49 years and still going

May 31, 2012

Just 3 days till Jack and I board the train for Portland, OR.  OMG!  We did manage to get everything loaded on our bikes today.  The three bags on my bike weigh in at 25 pounds.  My clothing weighs only 8 pounds while Jack's clothing bag weighs 12 pounds!!  The bag on Jack's bike weighs 12 pounds and then he will pull a loaded cart weighing 35 pounds.  After we got the bikes loaded we then boxed things up for the train.  We will check 6 bags and carry on 3 bags!! Haha!!  Don't know how we will manage!

Tomorrow is a work day and Saturday is the College Rugby Championships and the University of Delaware is playing.  That means everything needs done tonight - probably an all nighter!!

We wanted our trip to count for something special so we are fund raising for the Special Olympics of Lancaster County.  If you can and would like to support us by making a donation, you can do so at our First Giving Page.  The link is at the top of this page.  Our fund raising goal is $5,000.  So far we have raised over $2,000 for this great organization.  Thanks to all who have donated!  In Lancaster County over 300 athletes are supported by an all volunteer organization.  Our $5,000 goal represents 1/7 of their annual budget!

Love you all!!  Can't wait to report from the road! xoxoxoxox

"In preparing for battle, I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." – Dwight D. Eisenhower

Yikes! What the Heck was I thinking!!!!!    I can hardly believe it -- all this planning, dreaming, anticipating and in a few more days we will head West on the train!!!  I'm a bit frantic right now!

Our Health Club's newspaper wrote an article about our trip.  I scanned it below.  The University of Delaware also did a video and article featuring Jack and Anna.  Anna is another recent graduate from UD who will bike across the US this summer!  The link to the video and article are below.   Also, the Manheim Township Merchandiser put us on the front page - link also below!!  I can't go out anymore without the press hounding me :-) lol!!!

Feeling very blessed and happy that I get to try this feat with my son, Jack!  Ready to roll!!

University of Delaware Video and story on Jack and our bike trip

Manheim Township Merchandiser Article

"It's just a hill . . . Get over it."

Getting Ready to ride some hills!

I knew I needed to bike some hills to prepare for pedaling over the mountains!  I thought a bike ride to Mt Gretna would be a good start - after all it is a mountain.  So John (hubby) and I biked there, and it felt good.  Then, reality set in.....I looked up its elevation, only a measly 673 feet!  Ugh!!  On our trip we will bike up Lolo's pass in the Rockies at an elevation of 5,233 feet, Togwotee pass in the Grand Tetons, at an elevation of 9,658 feet, and Powder River Pass in the Big Horn Mountains at 9,666 feet.  HaHa!!  Mt. Gretna is a little more than a speed bump!

It was a beautiful day to ride along the river to the PPL power plant

Well, Jeff Bradley who had biked across the US last summer was nice enough to give me some trip planning advice. He told me to bike in the southern part of the county - particularly to bike the hills along River Road past the Turkey Hill plant.  He assured me this would prepare me for the mountain passes I'd encounter.  So with that advice, I planned two rides to our "river hills." Each provided valuable lessons!  First I set off with my girlfriend Margaret.....Up, down, up, down.....most of the ride we had the wind in our faces......then it started to rain, so we had hills, wind, and rain!!  Then, things got worse!  Margaret's bike chain broke!!  We didn't have the tools nor the know-how to repair it!  We called for a rescue!

The gate was open when we went through to the dam!

Then on Friday, the Pedal Princesses accompanied me on another trip along River Road. My dear friends, Kathy, Lynn, and Yvonne kept me laughing as our legs felt the burn pedaling uphill.  But, the climax of this day was not the hills.  Instead it was when we stopped for a short break.   I got off my bike, unzipped my trunk bag, and took out a cut up apple to share.  As I walked away from my bike, it crashed to the ground and everything in my bag spilled onto the road and toward a nearby grate on the side of the road.  I watched as my cell phone teetered on the edge of the grate.  Quickly,  I gathered my belongings from the road..... Then,  I looked at the bottom of the grate.  There, about six feet down, were my bag of salted almonds,  my brand new SPF 50 sunscreen that I had just purchased for our bike trip, and my CAR KEYS!!!!! 

Keys!!!!

One of the Princesses responded by saying, "We need to get a fishing pole to fish out your keys."  But, before the sentence was completed, Yvonne picks up an "S" hook just lying there on the road!  I had a strap on my bag long enough to reach the bottom of the grate and we used a rubber band to attach the "S" hook.  While we were trying to hook the small loop on the edge of my key, two kind fellows stopped to help and completed the job!!  Thank-you God for the "S" hook, the kind rescuers, and for the world's best girl friends!!  It was a great day!

To the rescue!!

Job complete!

Lessons learned.....(1) Confirm that Jack does know how to fix a broken chain.... Margaret bought us a chain repair kit to take along on our journey. (2) Never, ever stop near a grate at the side of  the road.  (3) Always zip bike bags before walking away.  (4) On our trip we will need to depend on the kindness of strangers—I can't wait!!

Awesome lunch!  PB&J on Yvonne's homemade bread!! xo

"Oh, the Places You'll Go!"

Loading up the bikes to see if everything fits!

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go..."
-- Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

    I'm staring at the calendar. . . I can hardly believe that it's MAY!  In 33 days, Jack and I will leave for the West Coast!  I bought our train tickets for this trip over a year ago!  Now here we are!  In just 25 days, Jack will graduate as a Mechanical Engineer from the University of Delaware.  Our bicycle trip will celebrate his transition from college life to professional work life.  Both our trip and the anticipation of doing great things in a career hold much excitement and anticipation!
    As a new mechanical engineer and as the Mom of an engineer, we wanted to plan our cross country route  to see many engineering marvels.  Here are a few that we can't wait to see!  Our journey begins along the Historic Columbia River Highway.  This historic highway is the oldest scenic highway in the U.S.  Constructed between 1913 and 1922, the highway was a technical achievement of its time, successfully joining challenging engineering with the careful  treatment of the surrounding landscape.  The Columbia River Basin, is the most hydroelectrically developed river system in the world.   It encompasses more than 400 dams with a  generating capacity of more than 21 million kilowatts. We plan to visit the Dalles Lock and Dam, America's fourth largest power producing dam, and the Bonneville Dam.
    Then in eastern Oregon, we plan to ride the Wallawa Lake Tramway.  This Tramway  powered by a 150 h.p. electric motor at the base, operates on a single continuous-loop cable that is 19,300 feet long, or nearly four miles in length and takes the rider to an 8,200-foot elevation up Mount Howard in only 15 minutes. 
    Continuing our bike ride east, we will travel the Wind River Canyon Highway, another engineering achievement.  The Wind River Canyon is a magnificent channel carved more than 2,000 feet deep by the rushing waters of the Wind River. Engineers designed US 20 to be constructed by literally blasting it from the rock and tunneling through solid granite in three  places.  At the south end of the canyon is Boysen Dam, another engineering accomplishment.
    On the 4th of July, we hope to be at Mount Rushmore.  This sculpture of 60-foot busts of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln not only represent the first 150 years of U.S. history, but exemplify magnificent engineering ingenuity and clever construction know-how. The artist, Gutzon Borglum, had to employ a variety of mechanical tools and blasting techniques to reach his goal.
    Continuing east, we are planning some fun at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Ohio to ride the Millennium Force Roller Coaster.  This coaster is not only a tribute to its engineers for being the world's largest at 310 feet high and fastest at 92 mph, but engineers also employed a host of new technologies. For example, the elevator cable system, used for first time on a roller coaster, ensures a smooth trip up the hill, and a magnetic braking system replaces the traditional friction approach.  The roller coaster is supported by 226 footers using 9,400 yards of concrete.  It took 175 truckloads of steel make up the frame! 

Can't Wait!!!!!!!!!!!
   
"You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!"
-- Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!