2007 First Bicycle Trip: 1; How It Started

Restarting a lost life:

 A while back, I was asked to post a blog by my dear friend Isabelle, as she thought my story would not only be of interest to many, but more importantly would help and even inspire some people who could associate with my experience.  So here I am, with the very first page of this long journey back home...to me!

 It was kind of a dream to ride down Baja California on a motorcycle. We all have experienced though times in the course of our lives, bumps and hurdles to master every journey. My biggest hump (mountain) came with a life changing personal event; the death of a family member. The loss was sudden and totally unexpected, and quickly turned into a daily struggle for me. A lot of help and counseling was offered and all were of good intention, but not for me.  I had to figure things out on my own to understand.  As I needed time to think and refresh my thoughts, I decided to ride my bicycle from Salt Lake City, Utah down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico instead of by motorcycle. My hope was that by travelling this very long distance..in a slower pace with all the physical efforts it demanded, I would gain clarity, a new direction and a new outlook in which to take my life.

As I started to make plans, my mental health started to improve. Guess I had forgotten how powerful setting goals and having something to look forward to can quickly turn your life around. Those magic words have always been a part of my life, but somehow got buried somewhere...in grief.  As the planning unfolded, they started to reappear and everything else began to brighten up again.

With the mental trauma, I had gotten disoriented and diverted from my path.  With this trip, I started to chisel a new one.

I am kind of a private person by nature, but I chose to share my personal feelings and experiences on my challenging journey, with the hope that perhaps someone reading this blog will also be able to find new goals and things to look forward to... inspire to create a new path for themselves. 

Looking back, this was the best decision for me.  I chose not to use professional help or any medication, and instead take on a physically and mentally demanded journey to heal...and to figure out what I wanted my life to be like...from this unexpected point on.

I would like the credit to go to all my friends. It goes to show that friends & health (physical & mental) are our greatest treasures and should be treated accordingly.

Of course this was only made possible by my former employer (Muller-Martini), who generously provided me with leave of absence.

    Until next time...

    Tony Bike                                           

2007 First Bicycle Trip: 2; Preparation

Preparation For First Bicycle Touring Adventure: Fall 2007

I’ve been riding bicycles for a good part of my life, but like most of us just on weekends and day trips. The route was pretty easy to figure out, as there are not too many roads leading from Salt Lake City to Baja California. From start to finish, this trip would be about 2300 miles over 2.5 month. As before, 203 miles from Logan, UT to Jackson Hole, WY was the longest ride I had ever ridden in one day. The biggest difference would be the lack of support, as everything would have to be carried on board the bicycle and no hotel room, or restaurant waiting at the end of the day.

As I was searching for touring equipment and ideas, I came across the website “downtheroad.org” which became my bible of sort. Preparation and planning took little over a year, as I not only had to buy the equipment; my employer also had to agree to get me the needed time off. Most of the gear I purchased at REI, such as tent, sleeping bag, silk liner, panniers, hydration pack, tools, spare parts……. as everything carries a great warranty. For my touring bike companion, I bought a Koga-Miyata World Traveler, which is already setup for touring, complete with luggage rack to hang on panniers. An important part the manufacturer forgot though was to mount a mirror. So I added a mirror, aero-bars, and raised the front pannier bracket to make it perfect. At first I used a mirror from the bike store, but later on some narrow roads, I felt this was a much more important part and mounted a motorcycle mirror instead. As for bicycle safety, I think this is a much overlooked part on the bike. It also pays off to plan ahead and travel on good equipment, as all those years I didn’t have any material breakdowns, except for flat tires of course.

Before the BIG one, I did a couple of trial runs in Salt Lake City, to check the gear and weight distribution. Although staying at friends places, I pretended to be camping out and used all of my equipment in their living rooms, making sure everything was in its place. Knowing that once on the road, there won’t be a bike store around every corner.

Then finally on October 1^st. 2007, I was all packed and ready for the trip south. As it was a rainy day with snow mixed and freezing cold, I decided to leave the following day on a better weather forecast, staying warm and dry an extra day…………..

    Until next time...

    Tony Bike                                   

2007 First Bicycle Trip: 3; First Tracks

First Bicycle Touring Adventure: Fall 2007   

I said goodbye to my neighbors and headed south on route 68 on a clear but chilly morning. An easy 30 miles at the beginning, turning west on route 6 got slightly more physical, with some hills and a headwind. I scanned for a first campsite after 58 miles. After setting up camp and a quick meal, it was time to slip into the sleeping bag as the sun was going down. The sun setting about 7pm and rising around 7:30am produced long nights without any ambient light. When traveling by bike, daylight dictates the time moving about; also it is too cold in the morning this time of the year to get going. This first night of pitching a tent became a regular routine, (the distances through the Utah and Nevada desert are often too far for riding to the next town). With this, I worked out a camping strategy. Riding perhaps to an hour before sunset, I then looked for a favorable spot to hide the camp. This would always be away from the road and into the sun. This way as traffic went past, I couldn’t be seen.

After the first night, I knew that a couple of things had to be changed. I needed to get a softer seat and woolen socks, as cold feet kept me up most of the night. Those items got purchased. Second, I got something to eat in Delta UT, at the first restaurant that came in sight, which happened to be Mexican.

Those early few days were rather tough, as I was dealing with issues like never before, but this was all part of the challenge. The elements, especially the headwinds across the Utah – Nevada desert, were hard to cope with. There were days with averaging less than 10miles/hour, although over the whole journey, it would be around 12-13mph. It wasn’t just the physical wind blowing all day, but more so the noise in the ears, which was playing with the mind as well.

Note: Put earplugs on the shopping list!

The wind is a player 24 hours a day and it becomes rather difficult to setup & take down a tent in 30-40 mph + wind gusts. At night it is almost frightening to listen, when it sounds like a freight train as the wind howls through the canyons. After a wind storm camping out in the desert is going to be a cleanup, as all the equipment, inside the tent as well, is covered with sand. Sand is lodged everywhere, hair, nose, ears………

I made it to the Nevada State line just in time to get a motel room. On the horizon was another snowstorm heading east and closing Sacramento & Connor Pass to Ely. After 2 days of snow, the sky turned blue again and the journey continued, although with temperatures just above freezing. Riding west on Route 6 the headwind was a constant companion, but with very little traffic and no precipitation. Every day on the road was a real treat and with lots of time to think about the future, which this journey was all about. One problem I found so far was that on long distances from town to town, the 1.5 gallons of water I carried was not enough, having to ask road construction crews and other road users for precious liquids.

After several nights of camping out, I booked into the Jim Butler Motel in Tonopah NV, enjoying modern amenities such as heating and laundry machine, followed by chicken fajitas at El Marques Mexican Rest……….

    Until next time...

    Tony Bike

2007 First Bicycle Trip: 4; California Bound

California bound:                                               (stage 2)

Leaving Tonopah on a misty morning was a slight bother, but most was downhill and with it, the temperature got warmer, sigh. The next stop was “Dusty Fender Bar & Grill” in Goldfield for breakfast, where I enjoyed an “Everything Omelet” for fuel, as there was a long day ahead. This was an excellent place to stop; I enjoyed visiting with friendly, chatty locals.

I then continued south on 95. So far the roads had good shoulders to ride on, though this came to an end and with increased truck traffic, it became a bit scary at times. With this, I heard the voices of my friends in my ears again, who are calling me crazy, nuts, etc……. 

So I was happy to turn onto scenic route 267 towards Death Valley National Park and get back to peaceful riding. After a 94-mile ride, I stopped at the Mesquite Spring Campground inside the National Park. On my camping menu for the evening was Ramen Noodles, crackers and Trail-mix. This, or baked beans, is kind of the standard on the road gourmet meal, as it is easy to carry and prepare.

From over 6000 feet and 40 degree F the day before in Tonopah, to 10 feet and 98 F in Stove-pipe Wells (Death Valley), shows the extreme weather conditions in this country, never to be underestimated. From the low point of Death Valley, it was a long 17-mile uphill over the 4956 foot Towne Pass. Thinking back 2 weeks from when I had started, my fitness had improved tremendously. Pedaling the 110 pound plus load (incl. bike), would have seemed impossible at the beginning of this journey.

The ride continued south toward route 395, as I remembered talking to a Ranger on top of Towne Pass, who advised not to camp out near Trona, but further south in an Off-Road-Vehicle Park. Cycling towards the park near Red Mountain, I noticed big black spots on the pavement and some moving balls as well. Stopping to investigate, it turned out to be Tarantulas and it looked like out of a movie, an invasion of spiders.

It was Sunday afternoon and as I got to the “campsite”, the weekend enthusiasts were packing up their vehicles with the toys, leaving me with leftover food and beer. With the sun going down, I was left by myself, grateful and indulging the gifts.

The next hurdle was the San Bernardino Mountains, climbing from Hesperia up to Crestline. At first it was a nice gradual incline with great scenery overlooking Silverwood Lake, but just before the crest, I was using the smallest gear, barely making it to the top. As it was drizzling and cold, I only stopped long enough for coffee and a snack before racing down the other side to the greater and warmer Los Angeles area.

Again and again, life is not always all pleasantries, but in any situation if looking for it, we can find something positive, if it is only a warm cup of coffee in the hand of cold fingers.

Until next time...

    Tony Bike