(photos: friends along the roadside; produce seller)
Up very early due to a high-mileage day (110). Camp breakfast as usual. Sharon Cowdery arrived last night to lend her skills and talents to the crew staff. We are all delighted to have her in our midst.
Left the campground around 6:30. Road construction in town created a few orientation challenges, but we made our way to the highway after obtaining new directions from a local. The morning air was wonderful as usual, and a thick fog enveloped us as we rode down into a valley. It almost felt as though a cool blanket was caressing my legs (perhaps it's time to get them waxed?). Descents and climbs over hill and dale. The fog eventually lifted to reveal blue skies. What a joy to ride in such surroundings and with such good conditions. Arrived in Richland Center around 9:30 and felt the need to refuel. Saw a couple of familiar bikes against the outside of a local cafe. Spied Tony and Brendon inside and went in to join them. A short stack and some juice were just the ticket. And I requested several glasses of ice water to fill my camelbak. Tony and Brendon departed, and other Riders came in the door within minutes. We simply used the one booth and swapped out seats. As I took off, someone else came in. Must have been an interesting sight for the other diners.
Continued out of town on Highway 14. I hadn't gone to far when I noticed a produce stand located up on the hillside of a roadside farm. I pedaled down the highway and then reconsidered. This is what the Ride is about: being There. I backtracked back to the driveway and rode up to the stand. A sweet young girl was there, more than willing to point out what was available. I asked her about the peaches. She assured me that they were ripe and quite good. I tried one at her suggestion - the juice ran down my arm faster than I could keep up with it. She charged me only 25 cents for the experience. Too good a deal. Bought and ate another. My presence was noticed by another Rider - Jim - who rode up the hill. He soon was engaged in hearing about the options from the young saleswoman...I hope that others stopped as well.
The route at this point was flat and hot. Continued on to the lunch stop check point at mile 52. Made and packed a sandwich. Jim caught up with me. And we encountered Patti at well. The three of us road together, off and on, for awhile. Pulled over to a gas station around mile 75 to eat my sandwich, and drink some cold apple juice. The remaining miles of the day seemed to take an inordinate amount of time. More hills came into play. Up and down. Drink and pant. Checking the cue sheet to make sure of the route. By this point, Patti and I were riding together. We carefully manoevered our way through Madison given the multitude of directions. It was not fun to be back among the density of cars and trucks in a suburban setting. Traffic lights - what a drag. We finally made it to Lake Farm Park. Sharon was there with the truck and all bags had been unloaded. She set out some great snacks including italian ice cups.
The campsite was in a lovely setting - and the park is only 4-5 miles (mostly on a bike path) from the heart of Madison. But a midwest park, near a lake, in the summer is the perfect combination for mosquitoes. And even at 4pm, they were ever-present, each with an appetite to match mine. Fortunately, I had made a reservation at a local Holiday Inn at Barb's suggestion. She had been riding our route with some Wisconsin friends for the past couple of days and they all had rooms at the Holiday Inn for the evening. Judy and Scott also had a vehicle for transporting me and my bags (and eventually Janet and Diana as well) to a bug-free hotel room. I left my bike at the park and jumped into their van. Wow - at check-in, I was told of complementary refreshments in the lounge, and also found a mini business center with an idling computer.
Janet and Diana got a lift over to the hotel a bit later on and all of us were glad for the break.
Several of us were talking about the concept of time, and how it changes when you are immersed in an event such as the Big Ride. Each day we eagerly collect our cue sheet and set out. Our day unfolds in miles, and is interspersed with stops - both scheduled and spontaneous. Our intention each day is to reach our destination by the end of the afternoon. We might look at a watch or clock, or might not. But time is no longer a reference point in our lives.
Most Riders are not seeking out national or local news, or referring to calendars. Sometimes it is a challenge (or even seems annoying) to try to figure out what day or date it is. Our former roles (e.g. spouse, sibling, parent, co-worker) have faded into the background. We ride. We eat. We shower. We eat. We sit and chat. And eventually we sleep. And then it starts all over again. It is what we do.
Loping across the country is our occupation.
Left the campground around 6:30. Road construction in town created a few orientation challenges, but we made our way to the highway after obtaining new directions from a local. The morning air was wonderful as usual, and a thick fog enveloped us as we rode down into a valley. It almost felt as though a cool blanket was caressing my legs (perhaps it's time to get them waxed?). Descents and climbs over hill and dale. The fog eventually lifted to reveal blue skies. What a joy to ride in such surroundings and with such good conditions. Arrived in Richland Center around 9:30 and felt the need to refuel. Saw a couple of familiar bikes against the outside of a local cafe. Spied Tony and Brendon inside and went in to join them. A short stack and some juice were just the ticket. And I requested several glasses of ice water to fill my camelbak. Tony and Brendon departed, and other Riders came in the door within minutes. We simply used the one booth and swapped out seats. As I took off, someone else came in. Must have been an interesting sight for the other diners.
Continued out of town on Highway 14. I hadn't gone to far when I noticed a produce stand located up on the hillside of a roadside farm. I pedaled down the highway and then reconsidered. This is what the Ride is about: being There. I backtracked back to the driveway and rode up to the stand. A sweet young girl was there, more than willing to point out what was available. I asked her about the peaches. She assured me that they were ripe and quite good. I tried one at her suggestion - the juice ran down my arm faster than I could keep up with it. She charged me only 25 cents for the experience. Too good a deal. Bought and ate another. My presence was noticed by another Rider - Jim - who rode up the hill. He soon was engaged in hearing about the options from the young saleswoman...I hope that others stopped as well.
The route at this point was flat and hot. Continued on to the lunch stop check point at mile 52. Made and packed a sandwich. Jim caught up with me. And we encountered Patti at well. The three of us road together, off and on, for awhile. Pulled over to a gas station around mile 75 to eat my sandwich, and drink some cold apple juice. The remaining miles of the day seemed to take an inordinate amount of time. More hills came into play. Up and down. Drink and pant. Checking the cue sheet to make sure of the route. By this point, Patti and I were riding together. We carefully manoevered our way through Madison given the multitude of directions. It was not fun to be back among the density of cars and trucks in a suburban setting. Traffic lights - what a drag. We finally made it to Lake Farm Park. Sharon was there with the truck and all bags had been unloaded. She set out some great snacks including italian ice cups.
The campsite was in a lovely setting - and the park is only 4-5 miles (mostly on a bike path) from the heart of Madison. But a midwest park, near a lake, in the summer is the perfect combination for mosquitoes. And even at 4pm, they were ever-present, each with an appetite to match mine. Fortunately, I had made a reservation at a local Holiday Inn at Barb's suggestion. She had been riding our route with some Wisconsin friends for the past couple of days and they all had rooms at the Holiday Inn for the evening. Judy and Scott also had a vehicle for transporting me and my bags (and eventually Janet and Diana as well) to a bug-free hotel room. I left my bike at the park and jumped into their van. Wow - at check-in, I was told of complementary refreshments in the lounge, and also found a mini business center with an idling computer.
Janet and Diana got a lift over to the hotel a bit later on and all of us were glad for the break.
Several of us were talking about the concept of time, and how it changes when you are immersed in an event such as the Big Ride. Each day we eagerly collect our cue sheet and set out. Our day unfolds in miles, and is interspersed with stops - both scheduled and spontaneous. Our intention each day is to reach our destination by the end of the afternoon. We might look at a watch or clock, or might not. But time is no longer a reference point in our lives.
Most Riders are not seeking out national or local news, or referring to calendars. Sometimes it is a challenge (or even seems annoying) to try to figure out what day or date it is. Our former roles (e.g. spouse, sibling, parent, co-worker) have faded into the background. We ride. We eat. We shower. We eat. We sit and chat. And eventually we sleep. And then it starts all over again. It is what we do.
Loping across the country is our occupation.
No comments:
Post a Comment