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Hotter than Helena August 17, 2008Leave a comment  View More Images Wow, I didn't think it could get any hotter than it was yesterday! Was I ever wrong. I had just come out of an A&W after slurping down a ice cold, mouth watering, root beer float, when I took a look at my temp gauge. Yow! 117 degrees! Must have been the concrete and side of the building baking my bike to a crispy finish. Math for the day... If it was 117 degrees F, what would that be in centigrade? Think I could have fried an egg on the sidewalk? What's the boiling point of water in F and C? I was pretty toasted last night after having ridden so far in the heat of the day. I finished my blog, but did not elaborate on how my day ended. I have my wits about me again, so let me finish the story... I came out of a small town called Selah, WA and was trying to follow my GPS to a hotel that I had located earlier. My GPS said that the hotel was only two miles away (as the crow flies) but gave me 7.51 miles to get there. Huh? My GPS told me to hang a left and follow a steep hill, rather than go into town. I decided to follow the designated bike path into Yakima and began a winding, curving path along the river. By now it was getting dark and I was hoping for the day to end in short order with a comfortable bed and cool shower. Well, the bike path wandered on, clearly away from the direction I needed to go. I kept on pedaling and grumbling that there was no way off this path. Every winged insect in the valley was swarming on the bike path and I kept getting mouthfuls of bugs. Trying to breathe with my mouth closed, but still sucking down the little demons. I pedaled for another four miles, before I finally had to drag my bike off the path into the parking lot of a hotel. Finally!! Yah hah! A place to sleep. What, no rooms? Jazz festival in town? Car show? Where's the nearest hotel that has rooms? Thirty-four miles? I'm sinking here! The folks at the hotel were great. I gave them the number of the hotel I had been looking for earlier and they were surprised there were rooms available. My first alarm should have been that the hotel was not on their list of hotels to recommend. They called and found there were rooms available, so I hopped back on the bike, totally dark outside now, and off I went (the guy wouldn't take my card, but gave me 45 minutes to get there). My GPS wandered me through the back streets before I finally found the hotel, buried back in a darkened parking lot (my next alarm). My third alarm was the fact that the door was locked and a big sign said no visitors after 1000. A darker parking lot I have not seen around a commercial establishment. A lady came to the door, unlocked it and asked what I wanted. I told her I had a reservation and had just called. She stepped back and invited me in and then quietly mentioned that she was having problems with the rooms (fourth alarm). No air conditioning, but she would see what she could do. My fifth alarm? Thirty-five dollars a night and a deposit required for the key!! I should have been turning for the door long before, but having a bike on a dark night with no prospects for a room somewhere else, left me with few options. I was committed! After I paid, she said she would check on the room and make sure it was clean (sixth alarm). Off she goes with cleaning supplies in hand, complaining about the temperature and lack of AC. She told me to wait there and enjoy my cold soda (which was great). I waited in the parking lot and lost track of where she went. She pops out of the darkness like a bat exiting a deep cave, telling me that she needed to find something else, but I was welcomed to take a look. She introduced me to Jose, the maintenance guy on the balcony (she said he had fixed the AC earlier). After jiggling the key in the door, she was able to wrestle the door open (there was a huge gap in the door jam and someone could have easily stuck a knife through the opening with the door closed. Gee, someone may have done just that at one time...). The room reeked of smoke, the carpet was a pale shade of green, stained in numerous spots, one bed, a desk with no chair, curtains that barely covered the windows, one window without a curtain entirely. I pushed my bike through the door and decided that I wasn't going to go anywhere. I was bushed. I have stayed in worse places, so I could suck it up. It was muggy and stuffy beyond belief and I made one more appeal for a fan. She went off to find one (Jose comes to the rescue). As I sat there, flies started to come out of the wood work. They were everywhere. On the walls, the bed, the bathroom. What fun! Always nice to have company, but this was pushing it! I went into the bathroom (which was the coolest room) hoping for a nice cool shower, to take some of the heat out of my system. I pulled back the shower curtain and was greeted by even smaller little creatures bouncing around the rust stained porcelain. Oh boy, fleas! All right, this was about as low as it could go. No shower, just finish my blog and go to sleep. With Jose's fan in place and my blog finished, I crawled into bed with this sinking feeling that I wasn't the only one sharing the covers. Ever have that itchy feeling when you think there might be fleas or bedbugs in your space? Uh huh! So did I. I didn't sleep too well... Anyway, that was the story I needed to tell. I hope I didn't gross anybody out! To cap it all off, the next morning I did an interview with one of the local reporters and shared the experience of the previous night. She immediately knew which motel I stayed at, because she had recently completed a story on how the entire complex had been inundated with sewage. Covered the entire place, she said. Oh joy... Well, needless to say, I departed rather quickly the following morning and had breakfast at a local diner, Mel's. I met a couple of gents out front, Dave and Gene, father and son. We chatted up a bit and talked about the ride. Dave shared some philosophy on faith (he needs to tell you the story). From there I headed over to meet a couple of reporters to film a bit on my ride. It's always fun to have an interview with a reporter that acts as the cameraman, producer and reporter all rolled into one. Both Nick from KNDO and Lindsey from KAPP TV did a great jobs. Not much news going on on a Sunday morning, so I was something to film! I headed out of town along Hwy 97 and moved at a quick pace. The highway cut through a split in two mountains and I came across a historical marker. I don't know more about the story than what is in the photo. I will make sure to ask tomorrow. After I came through the split, I was met by vast orchards of peaches and apples right inside the Yakama Nation. I stopped at the first fruit stand and picked up a peach for 36 cents. The shade was pleasant and the sprinkler was clicking away. I asked a guy to take a photo of me with the peach crates and the bike. I think I shocked the guy! He fumbled with the camera and I thanked him for his trouble. Too bad he didn't take a photo, I ended up taking one of my bike alone. The road was flatter than a pancake and just about as hot as the frying pan. A dog leaped out of the bushes and gave me a good fright. I think he died of heat prostration after having exerted himself trying to chase a wayward cyclist! Even though the temp was recording about 109 degrees, it was actually kind of pleasant (yep, I'm a glutton for punishment). One of the things about riding a bike that you would not experience in a car is that a cool breeze blows off the orchards where the sprinklers are watering the trees. You pedal along and float through these moments of cool, refreshing air that immediately drops the temp about 20 degrees. The folks in the cars have no idea what they are missing. Hwy 97 is a straight stretch of road that runs right into Toppenish. But from the photo, you can see that my GPS was telling me to take a right, then a left, cross the highway and do the same on the other side. Huh? I need to call Garmin and have a chat with their software developers! My ride today was short, but I could not have gone far in this heat. Tomorrow I will meet with one of the NASA Explorer School teachers and drop by the tribal headquarters. The weather is supposed to change for the better and temps will drop over the coming week. From here I will head east and pick up Hwy 12 toward Lewiston, ID. I suspect it will take about 2 and 1/1 days to get there. Should be a nice ride. Here are my stats for the day: Total distance: 26.19 miles Total time: 2:15:54.48 Avg pace: 5:11 / mi Avg speed: 11.6 mph Max speed: 25.7 mph Total calories: 1355 Avg heart rate: 114 bpm Max heart rate: 145 bpm Avg cadence: 67 rpm Total ascent: 425 feet Total descent: 861 feet More Images:        7 Comments
Aug 18, 2008 4:17 pm - Bill Khourie wrote : Hey John, Hope all continues to go well - what a trip!! Perhaps we will have a chance to see you when you are in Oklahoma. Bill Khourie
Aug 18, 2008 1:54 pm - Rhonda Hulsey wrote : Hi John,we missed you at the family reunion Sat. It was good as always. Plenty of good food. I am at work here at Carl Albert and found the website. I wish you luck on your endeavor. I can't wait until you come to Ada. I will keep checking in on you. Love Your Cousin, Rhonda
Aug 18, 2008 9:03 am - Sherry Wheeler wrote : Hey cuz!!I am so proud of you-although I think you're crzy!!! Must run in the family. Good luck-don't overdue it!! Sherry, Brandon and Chance
Aug 18, 2008 8:10 am - Michelle wrote : Good Luck!!!!!! Your friends at DKNY wish you the best.
Aug 18, 2008 1:22 am - Bill Marsh wrote : Here is another link about Tow-tow-nah-hee. istorical info seems to conflict with my previous blog info. http://www.yakimamemory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT /relander&CISOPTR 1053&REC 9
Aug 18, 2008 12:49 am - Bill Marsh wrote : Hey John! Think I stayed at Hotel From Hell as well. Listed as 5 stars, they just left off the minus sign! Wow! 117 degrees please watch out for that insidious dehydration! Do you have a way to check your postural B/P's at the beginning and end of each day? Areyou keeping track of your I/O's? "God Speed!" Your Friend, Bill FYI - Found the following info about your historical marker: HISTORY OF YAKIMA VALLEY 921 Wayacika, the progressive. Representing the non-progressive of his tribe, he opposed the stamping out of the ancient customs of his people with all the power of a stern, uncompromising will. He was born on the west side of the Yakima River, just east of the Washington State Fair grounds, where his father, Twinite, a secondary chief, had his village gardens enclosed with a fence. Traces of this Indian occupation were still in evidence when a part of the tract on the L. V. McWhorter ranch was plowed a few years ago. Also the excavations of five winter lodges were plainly discernable on a secondary "bench" near a fine 'spring-pool-hl'-"water pushed up" located near the northeast corner of the fair grounds. These lodge pits were on the five-acre lot lately owned by Mr. Elijah J. Craft, and disappeared only within recent years. The Winters of Sluskin's boyhood were passed in such underground dwellings. The ruler of this Indian settlement was Twinite, the son of former Chief Sluskin, who had twelve wives. That Sluskin was the son of Chief ¥eowikt, the primal stock of the "Pishwanwapum" of Tolmi, as quoted by Lord; but more generally known as "Yakima," a corruption of Yah-ah-ki-ma; a name which appears foreign to the tribe. It was, according to tribal legend, conferred on them by the Nespelems or Spokanes, or Indians of Idaho. None of the old tribesmen, including chiefs Weyallup and Sluskin, have been able to give me any definition, or meaning of the name. Space will not permit of further discussion as to its origin in this sketch. With Weowikt, the genealogical table of the family, indeed of the tribe, ends and legend steps in. Two sisters were kidnapped and wed by two stars. To Tah-pql-lou, wife of the brighter star, a single son was born, and from this son sprang the warlike race of Weowikt. Owhi, the renowned War Chief of the Yakimas was a half brother of Twinite. The twelve wives of the father, selected after the Indian custom from several different tribes, evinced diplomacy, securing a wide neutrality and immunity from hostile invasions. Chief Sluskin's age is not known to a certainty, but compatible with his own statements he was old enough to accompany his tribesmen to the treaty grounds of Valla Walla, 1855, as caretaker of horses for his half-uncle, Chief Owhi. Later he was on the bluff, west side of Pah-qy-ti-leoot, a boy warrier with the Indian forces ready to roll stones down on the soldiers had they attempt- ed to rush the pass. Holite, better known as Billie Captain, was also there. With out guns, these lads could assist in dislodging the ready boulders and basaltic blocks on the advancing cavalry. This battle, declared the chief to me, was "no fight." But few of the Indians had guns and the one single shot fired from their side was by Aalchen. This intrepid warrior was stationed with a few chosen followers in a canyon in the west side of the pass and near the base of the hill to oppose the expected charge of the troopers. But the unforeseen flanking movement of the enemy disconcerted the Indians who precipitately fled without putting up any resistance. The only Indian hurt was Tow-tow-nah-hee, a noncombatant, who because of his inferior mount, was overtaken and shot killed , by Ow-hah-tah-ma-so, a Columbia River Indian and Scout for the Government, about three miles north of the Pass. The victim was a young man, unarmed and defenseless. Add a comment: |
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Hi John we are 10 years old and want to know where you live.How old are your kids.