hobolog :: US Perimeter Tour

I want to explore. The desire for the ever new and ever different, the wildness and thrill of going where I haven’t been, lands me in situations where I don’t know how to behave. It gives me tales to tell and unkown terrain to point my life towards. Life becomes a land of tests that I stumble through, where folly is inevitible and survival is a delicious meal of remarkable moments. This is the latest manifestation of the urge that rules me.

There is a price to pay for such foolhardy pusuits. My parents have tried, in a very encouraging way, to warn me about the surprising splats the birds of adventure drop on such intrepid souls. One can wind up feeling very depressed sitting alone in the wilderness, covered with the ugly signs of failure, convinced that the powers of the universe have been provoked beyond forgiveness, while the bombs of hubris rain ever down. But I insist on venturing out, with hopes that you’ll help me along by laughing with me at my sufferings, and sharing my wonder at all that happens.

(more…)

I want to do a big tour, see a lot of the country, and a lot of my well-dispersed family and friends. Poring over road atlases, I found I had hundreds of little roads to choose from, with no idea how good they would be for cycling. I was about to give up, figuring I’d improvise. Then I found Adventure Cycling’s web page, with well-researched maps of routes all over the country. This is what I pieced together. It amounts to about 13,000 miles of backroads and byways.

A recumbent bike seemed a foreign but enticing choice. The Self-Propelled Lazyboy is a road-burning throne of comfort. It is outfitted with huge Jandd panniers on the back, dynamo headlight, bumble-bee noisemaker, cadence computer, Andre the Giant sticker, and all sorts of doo-dads. My only concern so far is that it is too tail-heavy, but all my pain-free training rides indicate that the trade-offs are wise ones.

This is based on a guess that I might average 55 miles per day.

Not totally accurate, but basically what I am carrying.

Item Needed             Need   Weight Apiece    Have    Total Weight
                                  (oz.)                  (lbs)
Pants, wind/mosquito         1            5          1       0.31
Rear Panniers                1           93          1       5.81
Pump                         1          3.5          1       0.22
Alien Tool                   1            9          1       0.56
Tire Levers                  1            1          1       0.06
Patch Kit                    1            1          1       0.06
Lock                         1           48          1       3.00
Cell Phone                   1           10          0       0.00
Camera                       1            9          0       0.00
Film                        30            1          0       0.00
Sunglasses                   1            1          1       0.06
Mosquito Repellant           3            3          0       0.00
Toothbrush                   1            1          1       0.06
Bandanna/towel               1            0          0       0.00
Map/Guide                    1            2          1       0.12
Head Lamp                    1            5          1       0.31
Knife+lanyard                1            2          1       0.12
Compass+lanyard              1            1          0       0.00
Matches                      1            0          0       0.00
Duct Tape - 5 ft.            1            0          1       0.03
Small Lighter                1            0          1       0.01
Space Blanket                1            1          0       0.00
Stove Repair Kit             1            1          1       0.06
Clothing Bag                 1            3          1       0.19
Hand Towel                   1            1          1       0.07
Hat                          1            3          1       0.19
Shirts                       2           10          2       1.23
Shorts                       1            6          1       0.36
Gloves                       1            3          1       0.20
Shell                        1           20          1       1.25
Pile Jacket                  1           22          1       1.38
Pile Pants                   1            9          1       0.55
Sleeping Bag                 1           76          1       4.75
Sleeping Bag Stuff Sack      1            3          1       0.19
Tent                         1           64          1       4.00
Water Bottles                4            4          4       1.00
Shoes (regular)              3           32          1       2.00
Sleeping Pad                 1           16          1       1.00
Parachute Cord               1                       0       0.00
MSR Stove & bag              1           13          1       0.81
Fork & Spoon                 1            0          1       0.03
Fuel Canisters (MSR 64 oz.)  1           20          1       1.25
Water Pump                   1            5          0       0.00
Water Filters (First Need)  10            9          0       0.00
Cookware Set                 1           20          1       1.25
Lycra Pants                  1            4          1       0.25
Lycra Shorts                 1            4          1       0.22
Long Underwear               1           15          1       0.95
Socks                        1            4          6       1.50
Total                                                       35.43

The posts following this one are my raw journals, written while on the trip. The journals didn’t cover my journey to the starting point, though, which was definitely part of the adventure. Later I started writing material for a book that included this, but I ran out of steam. Here’s an excerpt from that effort.

It’s creeping up on midnight in Arcata, California. The air is soft and cool when I step off the bus. “Thanks,� I tell the driver as he opens up the belly. “Can’t believe my ass is still awake,� he says. I put the seat and the bags on the ground, and pull on the box. I grunt and it thuds onto the street. “Well that shit sure looks heavy,� says the driver. He shakes his head a few times before leaving me. The girl who got off drives away. The little parking lot is empty. I grunt some more as I drag the box onto the sidewalk.

(more…)

Awake early, feelings of fear subsided, esp. after talking w/ Dad. Beautiful day, enthusiastic start. Soon lose map from front pocket, ride back & forth searching but don’t find it. Spirit of exploration prevails, I don’t need it. Not used to the weight, I fall over once while stopping. A bit of freeway riding, and no-shoulder is scary, but the rest is grand. Glad for the flag and blinkers. Nervous once finding a place to pee – not used to the outdoor life yet.

Looking over the ocean, struck with the thought that this is where my country ends. Japan & Asia are over there. Are they beyond reach? Beyond imagining? One hill poops me out – I need ice cream and rest to recover. Worry I will go over budget buying snacks & food.

The redwoods are tall mountains twisted bark. Elk here are supposed to be the biggest, but don’t match my memory of those in the Jemez Mts.

Meet some nice Germans touring. Going south. Good news – cheap hiker/biker campgrounds are abundant.

Very tired at sundown. Feeling good.

Up a little after sun. Immediately went on a hike, the Revelation Trail. Excellent self-guided trail instructs using all senses but taste. Learned to ID Elderberry, Tan Bark Oak, Sword Fern, Black Huckleberry.

Unsweetened muesli for breakfast (BF). Packing when Forker go up, wished him well & departed. First thing – a gorgeous ascent through towering forest. Learned to ignore miles, to be inspired by surroundings instead. 1st 1000 ft. hill, really fun coming down. Speed handling on the recumbent requires some skill.

The route rejoins 101 when there is a bridge, then departs again when possible. Some bridges are long with no shoulder – hope those cars back there are friendly!

Got some cheap food in Klamath: noodles, burrito, cookies, chips, & 2 snickers, plus 18� gas. Total $11.60. Oh – that includes 2 powerbars. Another monster 1000-ft climb – very bad shoulder on some of it. Felt at risk often. Again lovely forest though. And not too much fatigue. The descent brings me to Crescent City, smelly & dismal. My burrito is still frozen when I reach the beach, so I munch chips & presss on. Outside town are more charming rural roads. I stop once more at Mr. C’s groc. For tortillas, water, and monster ice cream sand: $4.38. I had gotten dehydrated, not wanting to look for water in CC.

Another bridge & rural rd., I can feel the butt & legs aching from those hills now. Make a good push through Brooks to Harris State Park (Beach & Cmpgrnd). Oh so sore. Go a very pretty campsite.

Later Chris & his Dad pull in, who both smoke everyday. Then Brendon from Medford, riding his new mtn bike home. All are interested in the recumbent. I talk, then eat a ton of noodles & cookies.

It’s getting dark now. The bike needs the dynameo tightened, back rim trued. Later.

At 7:30 AM, Brendan was already gone. I showered, ate, no hurry. Waved to Chris & Dave, on the road by 8:30. Dave said I’d have a long day, with lots of infuriating ups & downs. (I told him about the two hills he’d hit). Mostly good road w/ a few treacherous spots. Learned a little about Samuel Boardman, who procured land for many Oregon state parks. Developed a second style of pedaling for uphill stretches. Missed a turn heading up the Rogue river, but found a decent substitute for it.

Stopped for lunch amidst some raches. While I ate my PB tortilla this white horse, alone in a field of cows, was staring at me. Then I got fascinated watching a hawk soar, very low and close to me, slowly spiraling away. I was wondering what might be creating the thermal he rode when that horse stomped the ground and shrieked at me. Perhaps he was as perplexed by me as I was by the hawk, and thought I might invade his territory. He stared and shrieked for quite a while before going back to grazing.

I faced some of the headwinds people have warned me about. They made a couple of climbs more difficult, and a couple of descents less fun, but were tolerable. I try not to think of the advantages the southbounders have.

At about 4:00 I took a five mile detour to this campground at Cape Blanco, Oregon’s westernmost point. This spirit of forker is still affecting my decisions – I decided at the last minute for exploration over mileage. On a walk I watched a guy do amazing stunts with a remote control glider. He said the technique is new, dynamic soaring involves pumping the glider at high speeds through the turbulence on the back of the hill.

Two women cyclists in camp when I return – Andrea and Lorie, recovering from rainy days up north.

When I got back to 101 in the morning, there was a grey-haired, crooked-toothed guy coming south on a women’s Western Flyer with a backpack and front & rear panniers. He immediately noted that my bike is tail-heavy and has no chain guard – more observant than most. Then he proceeded with a flurry of facts:

• He had invented a very good solar diode
• I could ballast the front of my bike by putting batteries in the tube and attaching a small motor
• His bike cost $5
• All electricity is man-made in radio towers, RF-modulated
• Motors require very little current, I might even power my bike with a few of his diodes
• The western flyer was the fastest bike ever made
• Electric current is essentially the same as the wind
• Batteries weigh only ¼ ounce and last for five years
• He had worked with GM on an electric car that recharged automatically near radio towers
• The cars you plug in aren’t really electric
• He would keep riding as long as the wind is at his back (there are prevailing northerlies all summer)

About this time Andrea and Lorie came by, and I used the distraction to politely move on. Hope they were ready to talk electricity.

The sun has been burning my legs through layer after layer of sunblock. Will have to ride in pantlegs for a while. Note: UVA/UVB thing?

In Langlois a friendly store owner made me an awesome veggie sandwich & warned that some logging truck drivers like to scare cyclists.

Adjustments to handlebars gave me another degree of freedom. Further improvements to pedaling technique.

Finally saw two north-bound bikers ahead and pedaled hard to catch up. They led me on a beautiful logging road detour, but were not too interesting themselves. Didn’t make me feel too welcome. I let them go by to explore an estuary research center, but caught up again later. Guess I’m not too much slower than the uprights

At camp is a couple from Denmark – toured S. America for 5 months before coming here. They love it, and have bright eyes. I think I’m like that already. Talked a bit about logistics. N: trip funding.