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To Bee or not to Bee... August 18, 2008Leave a comment  View More Images The weather has finally relented and given me a reprieve from the heat. Temps peaked out a 106, but with a 15 knot tailwind and a thunderstorm building behind me, is was a much more bearable day. Questions for the day... how does a knot (nautical mile per hour) differ from a statute mile per hour? How many feet in a nautical mile? In a statute mile? Which is faster, 1 knot or 1 mph? My accommodations were a far cry better than they were the night before. I stayed in a Best Western, within walking distance of a fantastic Mexican restaurant, which provided the incredible calorie busting meal I took a photo of yesterday. I don't know what had more calories, the margarita or the burrito! But after a long, hot day riding, they were both a welcome treat! I chose to stop in Toppenish for two reasons. One, the Toppenish Middle School is a NASA Explorer School and Toppenish is the location of the Yakama Nation tribal headquarters. Unfortunately, the school year doesn't start until after Labor Day, but I couldn't wait to start riding later for fear I might be caught in the first snows of the season, going through the Rockies (which will probably happen anyway). Even though school was not in session, I met with Amy Milne, one of the NES teachers at the middle school. She was a pleasure to talk with while her mom helped her arrange her room for the opening of school. I also met with the ladies at the front office and we took a photo under their NES flag. From there I headed over to the tribal headquarters of the Yakama Nation and met with their Chairman and members of the tribal council. I just kind of popped in unexpected, but they were incredibly gracious and made me feel right at home. We met in the council chambers and discussed the ride and some other educational activities I am involved in. One of which is the American Indian Institute for Innovation (AIII). A non-for-profit organization we recently formed which will lead the effort to build and operate a full-time, in-residence STEM focused 8th-14th year learning institution situated in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It will be based on the very successful South Dakota GEARUP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) that a very talented and dedicated man named Stacy Phelps has been running in Rapid City for the past 16 years. What Stacy does is bring high school aged kids from throughout SD, mostly from the reservations in the state and puts them through a six week academic program at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The kids spend six weeks living in the dorms, attending classes in math, science, scholarship application process, to name a few. They also include the parents in a discussion surrounding separation anxiety associated with college life. Of the 400 or so kids that have graduated from this program, ALL have graduated from high school. Eighty-seven percent or so of the graduates have gone on to college, while another 10% go into the military. A phenomenal success rate that needs to be implemented in a full-time institution that prepares students to be successful in the college environment. If you are interested in learning more, check out the GEARUP website link. After taking a few photos in front of their awesome council table, one of the councilmen performed a blessing ceremony and prayer for a safe journey. I was incredibly touched by their kindness and warmth of spirit. I said my goodbyes and hopped back on the bike, but was greeted by a blistering wind from the west, complete with dust clouds and swirling debris. But that was ok, because it was at my back. You have to ride a bike long distance to appreciate the advantage a good tailwind will give you. Debris and all... I headed off down Hwy 22 amid orchards and fruit stands. I even went by some fields of cilantro and the smell was unmistakable. Another thing that people miss when they just sit in their cars as the world passes them by. The smells of wet sage and pine, apples and peaches, and cilantro. Corn doesn't smell! Looks pretty, really tall, no smell... On the downside, the big disadvantage of riding the bike when it comes to smell is that it takes a bit longer to pass the carcass of a skunk on a bike then in the car. Just can't put the AC selector on recirculate when riding a bike. You just have to suck it up! I had my share of skunks today. I passed a couple of fields with a really strange arrangement where the plants were going up wires attached to big wooden poles. I have no idea what they were. No fruit hanging off of them that I could tell. If anyone knows what they are, please share the wealth. I also passed a some marking on the road that said "C2C" with an arrow pointing in the direction I was going. Since this ride of from Cape Flattery to Cape Canaveral, C2C makes sense! How weird is that? Another time, there was this house that was COMPLETELY covered in vines, with the exception of the roof. Every nook and cranny was covered. I don't know if the house was a 10 years old or a 100. Sure looked pleasant, though. I came into the town of Prosser and stopped by the Chamber of Commerce to say hi to Amy Milne's husband (being neighborly) and found an interesting statue on a park bench. I just had to take a picture. Another pleasure of riding the bike is taking advantage of all the fruit stands that line the road. I usually don't stop when I am in a car, but on a bike, it is a great chance to take a break and just relax for a bit. I would grab a couple of peaches or nectarines, a cold drink and sit by the side of the stand and enjoy the moment. One stand I went to had raw Oklahoma peanuts in the shell. Now, that's my kinda nut! I buy them by the bag full back home. I bought a pound or so and stuck them in the back pocket of my riding jersey. It is much easier to eat a peanut out of the shell while standing still with two hands then to try and man handle those little critters while moving along at a 15 mph clip on a bike. The little buggers just wouldn't break open easily and I kept weaving from side to side while I wrestled one-handed with the shell. Not to make matters worse or anything, but I kept crossing paths with bees flying across the highway in search of precious nectar. Well, for some reason, a couple of them decided it was more fun to follow me and take swipes at the red neckerchief I was wearing. I had my video running trying to capture the moment when one of those fellows decided to sting me. Right on the neck! I kept shaking my head side to side (the video looks pretty good and I will try and upload it for your viewing pleasure) to shake them off, but it obviously just pissed them off! Pedal faster, pedal faster... I cruised straight down the highway without exerting too much effort, the wind pushing me along. I pulled into a another Mexican restaurant ( I get a hankering for mex when I exercise) just about the time the storm opened up. I sat in the comfort of the store for about a half-hour while it blew over. The temps dropped by about 15 degrees and I put my rain jacket on before heading further toward Richland. I caught one last long stretch of highway before descending into a torrential downpour in Richland. Luckily I had just made the edge of town when the skies opened up and I ducked into a Starbucks to wait it out. It wasn't so much the rain that bothered me, it was the lightning that kept lashing out of the sky that caught my attention. Having been struck by lightning twice in airplanes and nearly twice on the ground (Ed, remember the day in the Montgomery Wards parking lot in Colorado Springs?) I have this belief that I am a natural lightning rod. I may be crazy to ride a bike across the country, but I don't tempt fate! With full rain gear on, I left the coffee shop and was greeted by the most beautiful double rainbow I have seen in a long time. Once again, I tried to capture it on film, but it just doesn't do it. Pictures may be worth a thousand words, but the original is seared into your memory and can never fade away... Tomorrow morning I will have breakfast with some folks that belong to the American Indian Science and Engineering Society. After that, I need to search out a bike shop and purchase some aero bars for my bike. I need to find some way to off load the pressure on my hands from riding so long. I am starting to lose feeling in my left hand, pinky finger to my wrist. I'm impinging a nerve and I don't want any permanent damage. Once that is accomplished, I plan to head east along Hwy 12 toward Dodge or Pomeroy, hoping for Lewiston, ID by Wednesday evening. For those that have never ridden a bicycle long distance and have always had the desire to, you need to make every effort to try it sometime. This has been the most pleasant and rewarding experience I have had in a long, long time. I don't know if it is the endorphine rush (runner's high) or what, but I feel so alive and free. My own pace, my own power. My legs aches in a most satisfying way at the end of the day. The little discomforts come and go, but the satisfaction of doing something like this is sticking with me for the long term. I think it is just like flying in space. I am doing something I have never done before. Something that is challenging and in an environment that is unfamiliar to me. There is a certain level of risk and uncertainty in what I am doing, but the rewards are worth all of the effort. I am seeing this country and the people that make it special, up close and personal. The feeling of satisfaction is huge and can never be taken away from me. Whether I do it once, or a thousand times... Whoops, forgot my stats: Here's today's stats: Total distance: 59.15 mi (GPS) 69.6 (Trek) My error is that I sometimes forget to restart my clock on the GPS. It does not track mileage unless the timing is running. Total time: 6:53:16.69 Avg pace: 6.59 /mi Avg speed: 8.6 mph (GPS) 13.6 (Trek) Max speed: 35.9 mph (GPS) 36.7 (Trek) Total calories burned: 3395 Avg heart rate: 87 bpm Max heart rate: 142 bpm Total ascent: 1201 feet Total descent: 1552 feet Avg Cadence: I don't know, the sensor fell off my bike... More Images:             9 Comments
Aug 19, 2008 10:28 pm - Joe Oswald wrote : Great blog John! I can't help but note how your maximum heart rate is improving almost daily it seems. What a wonderful adventure you are having and you described it so well it makes me want to dust off my bike and hit the road! Stay safe my friend. Joe
Aug 19, 2008 9:23 pm - Don & Rubye Smith wrote : John, your aunt Rubye & I look forward to your daily trip discription. Our prayers are for your safety and a nice room every night. :
Aug 19, 2008 8:21 pm - Debra wrote : John- Thanks for sharing your journey with our small town restaurant/bar Tuxedo . Everyone was interested in your experiences and your journey. That was the highlight for the day. Good luck and stay safe. Debra
Aug 19, 2008 3:05 pm - Michelle wrote : John, It is nice to see your progress every day. We look forward to meeting you on the Nimiipuu Rez on Thursday. Traveling mercies from Lapwai.
Aug 19, 2008 8:55 am - Big Brother Jim wrote : Hey Rocket Guy! Great reading your wonderful descriptions of people, places, and things. Laughed and laughed about the motel from hell experience! Management seems to have several of these scattered around the world. Think I've been to a couple. You have always loved peanut butter on pancakes! Hey, regarding peanuts, there's a secret way to open a peanut. Learned this from my Senegalese friends when I was in Peace Corps. Press that button under the pointy end and the shell just opens right up. You can even do this one-handed. Try on the ground first, before popping them on the fly riding! Here's a peanut pop quiz problem for everyone: According to the USDA, 100 grams 3.5 oz of raw Valencia peanuts contain 570 calories of energy. If you are burning 6,000 calories a day riding, how many kilograms of raw Valencia peanuts would you need to eat to replace those 6,000 calories? Would that be fun or what?! Ride safe. Lots of love, Big Bro
Aug 19, 2008 8:53 am - Amy Milne wrote : John, Again, thanks for stopping in at Toppenish Middle School even though we had no students to share in the moment with you. The plants you mentioned growing up the wires are hops. They produce green berries and are ready to pick right about now. The Yakima Valley grows a huge amount of hops with more being planted every year. A local grower recieved a multi-million dollar contract from Anheiser Busch this year and planted many more acres than before. Next time you enjoy a cold beer, raise your glass to the Yakima Valley! Good luck on your journey, we'll be keeping in touch! Amy Milne
Aug 19, 2008 8:23 am - John wrote : John - This is awesome! Can other cyclists join you along your journey when you're in their area?
Aug 19, 2008 12:28 am - Karen Kuhta wrote : John - It was such a pleasure to meet you today I was your photographer at the Prosser Depot . Those plants going up the wires are hops. The Yakima Valley is one of the largest hop-growing regions in the world. God speed on your great adventure. Karen Add a comment: |
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John! Greetings from Tucson AZ. You are doing an excellent job on the blogs. What an excellent way to see our great nation. The longest bike ride I did was 169 miles in two days. Loved every minute of it. And peanut butter on Pancakes is the best! Safe travels.