Virginia’s New River Trail: More Than Cycling

(Published in SPOKES, June 2010)

I suspect that most of you, like me, keep a file of places that you would like to cycle…some day. Over the years, I have opened this file and pulled out Tom Gibson’s excellent article on the New River Trail (SPOKES, June 2004) and have wondered when I would experience this wonderful trail. Finally, in the late summer of 2009, I found myself enjoying the New River Trail and the surrounding area of southwest Virginia. The trail is only part of the richness of this area. It abounds in outdoor sports, music, arts, antiques, cafés, and restaurants. I spent 3 days there and wished that I planned a much longer vacation. Because it is such a wonderful cycling destination, SPOKES asked me to provide an update to Tom’s article.

The New River Trail is a Virginia State Park that runs northwest 57 miles from the towns of Galax and Fries to the town of Pulaski (near Interstate Highways 81 and 77). Cycling this trail became reality when good friends invited my wife and me to visit them at their summer home in Galax. How much better could it get? Their home sits on a hillside overlooking the Cliffview trail head and a pasture full of wildflowers and horses.

To cycle the trail in one day I selected one of the several shuttle services (Blue Cat Outfitters, located in the town of Fries just off the trail—276-744-2027) to take me to Pulaski for the start of my trip. Blue Cat offered to pick me up in Galax; however, I chose to cycle the trail to Fries. The trail forms a “Y” with Galax and Fries at the top end and Pulaski at the bottom. While Galax and Fries are about 5 road miles apart, they are about 15 trail miles from each other. Thus my cycling day was much longer than the trail’s 57 mile length.

The town of Fries is on the trail’s New River branch and Galax is on the Chestnut Creek branch. My shuttle driver told me that the name “Blue Cat” was derived from a local Native American Tribe. In addition to its shuttle service, Blue Cat offers bike, canoe, kayak, and tube rentals. They also offer guided tours, tipi rentals at their primitive river-side campground, and fishing trips.

The New River is one of the few rivers that flow north. Thus, starting at Pulaski meant that I would be cycling against the flow and presumably “up hill.” However, being a rail trail I figured that the grade increase would be very modest (usually 1 percent inclines). Before hitting the trail I explored Pulaski’s historic district. There I found an active community with interesting shops and restored historic buildings. At the Pulaski trailhead I enjoyed the restored railway station and museum. The museum offers displays of the history and culture of the Pulaski area.

Leaving Pulaski, I quickly saw why the trail has been designated a National Recreation Trail by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Its packed gravel surface led me into a wooded wonderland and after a few miles, I was cycling parallel to the New River. The river is approximately 320 miles long, flowing through the states of North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. From what I could see from the trail, the river would be great for water sports.

When I am on a rail trail, I imagine what went before. In the early morning mist I could see a Norfolk and Western freight train hauling lumber to one of Galax’s furniture factories. Once the lumber was unloaded, the train would then be reloaded with the finished furniture before heading north to the train’s main line. Like me, the trains would go through two tunnels, the longest nearly 200 feet; cross three major bridges, the longest at Fries Junction is over 1,000 feet; and, according to trail literature, nearly 30 smaller bridges and trestles. This trail was originally part of the New River Plateau Railroad Company that was eventually absorbed by the Norfolk and Western Railroad. The right-of-way was abandoned in 1985 and later donated for the rail trail.

The day I cycled the trail it was virtually deserted. Our 3 day vacation in the New River Valley was characterized by overcast skies and intermittent afternoon showers. I suspect that many trail users stayed home to avoid the wet weather. However, I did meet a few other trail users, most of which were deer but some were people. Just out of Pulaski I met a group from Ohio who were RV camping nearby and were on their cruiser bikes doing a short ride. They told me that while their trail back home was the best, they really liked the New River Trail. Their big tires were ideal on the packed gravel trail but most any bike would be ok. My touring bike with its 37mm wide tires worked fine.

Near Foster Falls Park, I met a family who were exploring a small cave adjacent to the trail. As I arrived, a father and his young son were emerging into the light. After posing for a photograph, they told me that the cave went into the mountain about 30 feet. Once inside they found old bones and evidence of earlier explorers. Being somewhat claustrophobic, I accepted their report at face value and wished them well as I continued cycling on the trail to the wide open spaces of Foster Falls Park. The park is on the trail so stopping there should be part of your journey.

On the trail there is little in the way of refreshments. However, I was able to purchase light snacks and drinks at the restored railway station in Foster Falls Park. The store manager, Marilyn Rudy, told me that the park rents bikes, canoes, kayaks, float tubes, and horses. In addition to the train depot, other historic attractions include an old iron furnace, caboose, and a hotel and grist mill that have not yet been restored. The park also has an outdoor amphitheater that is used during the summer. Two festivals are held annually at Foster Falls. In early September, the park hosts the Railway Festival and on the third Saturday in September it hosts the Wythe County Heritage Day event.

A few miles north of Foster Falls Park is a 200 year old shot tower. According to Wikipedia, “lead was hoisted to the top of the tower using block and tackle and oxen. The lead was melted in a retort and then poured through a sieve at the top of the tower. The droplets of molten lead would become round during the 150-foot descent. The shot would collect in a kettle of water and workers would enter through a 110-foot access tunnel located near the bank of the New River to retrieve the shot from the kettle.”

The New River Trail State Park offers four unique campgrounds: Cliffview, Millrace, Baker Island and Double Shoals. I stopped at the Cliffview campground and was impressed. The facilities are primitive but well built. In fact the pit toilets here and elsewhere along the trail were in stone buildings and very clean.
The trail is accented with several interesting pieces of trail art. Just outside of Pulaski, I enjoyed the Ghost Train Sculpture by Harry McDaniel. It consists of five abstract sculptures on poles and telescopes placed at each end. Looking through the first telescope I saw the silhouette of a locomotive and from the other telescope I saw the silhouette of a caboose. The other sculpture near Galax was more abstract but I believe that it depicted the wild and scenic New River.

For the more traditional rail-trail cyclists several railroad artifacts remain. These include the mile-marker obelisks, warning signal light fixture, and tunnel warning device with tentacles hanging over the trail like a “brushless carwash” that warned trainmen to duck or get off the top of the train.
Before arriving back at Galax, it rained heavily for about 45 minutes. Luckily, I planned for this possibility by carrying appropriate rain gear—3 plastic bags for my wallet, cell phone, and camera. Since it was very warm, I did not carry any other rain gear and enjoyed the cooling effect of the soaking I received. At the Galax trail head, I had to climb the hill back to my friend’s house. After getting cleaned up and enjoying wine on their deck we headed into Galax for dinner.

Galax has a vibrant downtown with art, music, coffee shops, cafés and restaurants, and antiques. It is the home of the Jeff Matthews Museum with Civil War and Native American artifacts, the Old Cranks Motorcar Museum and the Rex Theater. This Theater offers live music which is often free during its Friday night radio broadcasts. In addition, Galax has hosted the Annual Fiddler’s Convention since 1935 and is on Virginia’s “Crooked Road” music heritage trail. (This 300 mile trail through Southwest Virginia is also included in my file of great places that I want to cycle). Finally, the Blue Ridge Music Center is only 12 miles outside of Galax.

After a night on the town, my wife and I packed our car in an early morning rain for our return trip home to Northern Virginia. We hated to leave and seriously talked about looking for a realtor so we could also live in the New River paradise.

click here for more photos

Places I Go and People I Meet

Pedaling where Lewis and Clark Paddled

The simple chalkboard menu read: “Monday: salmon patties, tater tots, coleslaw, strawberry cake and sweet tea. Tuesday…” If we wanted a hamburger we would have had to wait until Thursday. So it was salmon patties for all. We were hungry and the food was good. It was served with a smile and lots of conversation. In our spandex, we sat at a long table with farmers in coveralls and flannel shirts. One man joked that he also cycled—“the real kind with a motor.” He was called Preacher. Preacher was a grizzled man with lots of tattoos but a warming smile and full of talk. He had just returned from a rally in Arkansas where he rode his 3-wheeled motorcycle. “At the rally, I saw naked women riding motor cycles.” Preacher, a retired Missouri River pilot, is now a farmer. This particular café was between Jefferson City and Boonville, Missouri. Like many small towns that we cycled through, this café did not look like anything special—cinderblock structure, gravel parking lot with non-operating gasoline pumps, and a sign offering gas, food, and groceries. What was special was inside!

I and my friends, Joe (from New York State) and Hans-Peter (from Switzerland) started our westward journey in St. Louis Missouri. We planned a route that followed Lewis and Clark’s travels up the Missouri River as they explored the Louisiana Territory for President Jefferson. Like Lewis and Clark we met many interesting people along the way. Cycling out of St. Louis, we met the first of many new friends: the café owner who served us breakfast; the city guide who got paid to ride his bike and answer questions from tourists; and the park rangers who snapped group photos for us under the Gateway Arch. Our daily narrative, photos, mileage, and maps can be found at http://oldmensbikeride2009.blogspot.com/

Once we crossed the Missouri River we cycled much of the 225 mile Katy Trail that follows the Missouri River to Kansas City. In Defiance, Missouri we stopped to get coffee and decide if we would cycle to Daniel Boone’s Missouri home. As we pulled into town (3 stores, a bar, and several homes), we were met by the owner of those 3 stores (a general store/bike shop/gift boutique). While very friendly she was also very cruel. She let us smell her special coffee beans that just came out of the roaster but then told us that her coffee service was not yet in operation. She sent us across the street to the bar for coffee. We were crushed and had to settle for weak coffee and the smell of stale beer.

Further along the Katy Trail we met John. He offered to cycle with us to the next village to show us where to get good coffee. John seemed to know all the farmers gathered outside the café/general store. Once inside, he introduced us to Britney, the effervescent teenage store manger, coffee maker, and breakfast server. She sat with us and joined in our conversation. She did not have a menu but offered to make us several styles of egg. One style was called “daddy eggs,” a term that none of us knew. When asked, both John and Britney gave us the “look” that meant everybody knows daddy eggs. So we each ordered a daddy egg and as best as we can determine it is an egg fried in a ring with its yoke broken but not scrambled.

Later that morning, we met several cyclists who reported flood problems on the Katy Trail 2 days ahead. One couple told us that they cycled several miles in near knee-deep water and lugged their bikes over another section where the cliff collapsed and blocked the trail. This information took us off the Katy Trail and on the road where we met Preacher.

Days later, we stopped at the historic town of Arrow Rock, Missouri. While the docents provided interesting discussions of the town’s history and restoration, we got a different perspective on local history as we cycled out of town. An elderly gentleman waved us to a stop in front of his home. He told us that he was the fifth generation to live there. The home was built in 1835 by a great grandfather. He built the house for his wife before he left to make his fortune by taking trade goods to California, a 2 year journey. When he returned home his wife was pregnant…she then moved out to live with his best friend who owned the Arrow Rock Tavern.

Our arrival in St. Joseph, Missouri had 2 surprises. First, we were met by a local television reporter who filmed our arrival and interviewed us for the nightly news. She was particularly interested in Hans-Peter’s journeys in the United States. The second surprise was when friends from Chicago met us at our hotel. They had been tracking our progress from our blog and decided to meet us for drinks and personal updates of our journey.

In the town of Rock Port, Missouri, we were struggling with the fact that the town’s only restaurant was closed. However, we did find a grocery store. Rather than locking up our bikes we decided go in the store separately. Joe went in first but took forever to return. We soon found out that we were the central attraction and the crowd was growing by the minute. The 2 store employees could not do enough for us. While helping us get food they had lots of questions and comments. They were not alone and other customers were just as curious. The town doctor walked in and he was introduced as being an avid cyclist…so our story began again. Dr. Mike is a family doctor and a 3rd generation doctor in a family full of country doctors. He enjoys the rural life and the freedom it provides him to roam on his cycle. He and his wife have cycled in many states and in Europe. He examined our bikes like he would new patients, commenting on their differences and similarities. Our simple grocery stop took an hour but it was an hour well spent.

Our morning in Tarkio, Missouri started out with breakfast at a farmers’ café. Again our spandex did not seem to matter to the blue jean clad farmers. They were thrilled to tell Hans-Peter about American farm sizes and farming methods. When it was time for us to leave, the waitress told us that one of the farmers paid for our breakfast before he left. Wow, what a wonderful start to a great day!

Leaving Missouri, we cycled on the Wabash Trail to Council Bluffs, Iowa. Along the trail, we met a man picking mushrooms. He carried a golf club that he swung to chase the snakes away. The mushroom picker revealed that he lived in Council Bluffs, our day’s destination. Getting there would result in an 88 mile day, a long cycling day for Hans-Peter. Hans-Peter accepted a ride with his new friend but Joe and I cycled on; making this our longest, but not our hardest, cycling day.

We took a layover day in Council Bluffs to get some bike work done. My bike took only minutes to repair but Joe's took hours. Steve Batten, the owner of the True Wheel Bicycle Co, took charge of Joe's bike and as soon as one problem was fixed another was revealed. In the end, Joe was thrilled with Steve’s diagnostic and repair skills and the resulting price. The next morning, as we were leaving Council Bluffs, we passed several groups of children heading to school. One little boy got excited at seeing us and started to wave his arms and yell, “hasta la vista, amigo.” We were disappointed that we did not photograph the boy, but some memories are worth a thousand pictures.

Although Sioux City, Iowa was our destination, we camped in S. Sioux City, Nebraska. You could say that we were having a one-night-stand in Nebraska because this was our only night in this state. Just before crossing the Missouri River, we stopped at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and met the director and some of his staff. They asked if we had a blog and, of course, we obliged and gave them our address. The next morning we met 2 workmen near our campground who recommended that we have breakfast at the nearby Townhouse Café. The owner, Mrs. Curry greeted us with fresh coffee, good food and genuine curiosity about our travels. She has owned and operated this café for 16 years; serving food from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. She said that she likes her café and having family nearby but she would also like to travel.

We headed northwest out of Nebraska, through the corner of Iowa and into South Dakota. A strong tail wind pushed us quickly to the town of Elk Point. Upon entering the town, we were told that the best place to eat was the Legion Hall. So we headed down Main Street for our second breakfast. As soon as we entered the Hall, we knew that we were at the right place. A group of women were there for their weekly gathering. They quickly took charge and welcomed us to Elk Point. Sylvia, a spry woman, wanted to trade her electric scooter for one of our bikes. While no trade occurred, she enjoyed posing for pictures. Within 5 minutes of our arrival, Kelly Kruithoff, Editor of the Leader-Courier Newspaper showed up with camera and note pad. We became multimedia cyclists.

We were welcomed into South Dakota by the lovely ladies of Elk Point. However, the next day, South Dakota showed us a very different kind of welcome. We had strong north winds and cold temperatures. After 7 hours of cycling, we only covered 33 miles. To add insult to our day, we cycled a circuitous route of country roads. The direct route on the highway was only 23 miles. So the day was mostly about the “suffering cyclists” and not lovely ladies and cafés.

The next day, we arrived in Springfield, South Dakota before noon and stopped at the Libby Stake House for lunch. Everyone in the restaurant was dressed in their Sunday clothes except for us in our spandex. While we were trying to discuss our day’s destination and eat lunch, we were swamped by other patrons who either wanted to hear about our trip or provide input to our plans. Two middle aged women wanted Joe to go to the casinos with them. A grain storage operator had a thousand questions about us, our bikes, the routes, etc. A business man offered Hans-Peter some alternatives to our route. Four road cyclists told us that they were the ones that yelled encouragement to us as we battled yesterday’s head winds.

On our way to Pierre, South Dakota, we cycled together until Fort Thompson where Hans-Peter decided to spend the night. Joe and I cycled on. In hind sight our decision was “stupid.” Our journey turned out longer, windier, hotter, and with more hills than anticipated. It was totally desolate. I decided to hitchhike but Joe kept cycling. Since there were no passing cars, trucks, or planes, I kept moving, trying to catch Joe. As the day wore on and it got later I was worried about reaching Pierre. It was hours before I got a ride. However, I did not see Joe as I sped into town in a big pickup. When I got to our hotel, Joe had already settled into our room. He told me that he was picked up hours earlier by a trucker who said that he felt bad about not picking up the first cyclist he saw.

Leaving Pierre was a lot easier than getting there. About 30 miles into our route, we met 3 other cyclists. These guys were cycling the Lewis and Clark route in sections and this was their last one. Dave, Terry, and Lauren are from the Twin Cities area of Minnesota and were taking turns driving a support van. At that point, we had planned to head 12 miles east to Onida for the night. However, these guys were heading north. While their route was twice as long as our planned route, it had a strong tail wind. We chose their route and flew at 20-25 mph for the next 25 miles to an alternative lodging. Even with these great tail winds, we made one stop. We saw a man sitting on the tailgate of his truck holding a sign that read “OLD GUYS WELCOME.” The man knew our names and knew our eating habits. Craig McIntyre, South Dakota’s State Bicycle Coordinator, had been following our blog and decided to give us a big boost. When he brought out the caramel sticky buns, 2 kinds of cookies, and several types of drinks we knew that he seriously followed our journey. Leaving Pierre was much nicer than getting there.

About half way into a 61 mile day, we stopped in the town of Kenel on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. It was the only food stop on the day’s route. We pulled in just as the owner, Ernest Martinez, arrived to open his store. He apologized for the lack of provisions and said that he expected a big order this week’s Pow Wow. We selected a healthy lunch of oatmeal-raisin cookies and orange soda. While we munched, the real richness of our lunch emerged. Ernest told us about his grandfather, John Bear King, a WWII Code Talker. Ernest was proud to represent his family at the 2007 dedication of Code Talker Hall at Quantico Marine Base in Virginia. Despite the popular belief that all code talkers were Navajo, many native tribes provided them. He showed us plaques awarded to his grandfather and a medal that lists all the Tribes that provided code talkers.

About 20 miles outside of Bismarck, North Dakota, we were exhausted from the headwinds and suffering from the cold temperatures. I asked a farmer if we could take a break in his barn to get out of the wind and cold. Instead, Arlan invited us into his home for coffee. When he opened the door he yelled to Shirley that “they had company.” Arlan said that he has 2 sections of land (1,380 acres) overlooking the Missouri. He has about 400 head of cattle that he grazes on this land. During 2004, the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, Arlan said that lots of cyclists passed by and some stopped to enjoy his view of the river. Before we headed back into the wind, Shirley said “that the North Dakota wind never stops and when it does they declare a holiday.”

We cycled through parts of The Little Missouri National Grassland in North Dakota and stopped in Grassy Butte for quick refreshment. Like most towns its size, it had one “do it all store.” This one sold plumbing and automotive parts as well as light groceries and snacks. The owner, Don Trotter told us that “the coffee was free because some things in life should be.” Next, he offered us some of his wife’s home made cake. He said that despite the fact that he tries to sell pastries, she is always bringing in a cake to share. Don showed us a 5 foot skinned snake and said that it came from his farm. He had a “live and let live” philosophy about snakes. In fact, the snake kept his farm free of mice. However, when he got a new dog, things changed. The dog and the snake decided that the farm was not big enough for both of them. The dog lived.

From the Grasslands, we cycled into the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It was spectacular! We dropped down into the park and then had to climb out. However, that did not distract from our wonderful day. In the Park, Joe asked the Ranger where he could photograph buffalo. The Ranger gave Joe a cautious look and said “buffalo don’t like bicyclists.” He went on to explain that buffalo have poor eyesight and when they see a bicyclist, they think it is competition. Joe joked that he was fast but the Ranger quickly gave him a reality check. He said that “buffalo can run up to 35mph and they can get that fast in just 2 strides. While Joe still took some buffalo pictures, he made sure that I was always between him and the buffalo.

Just before we left North Dakota, we stopped at both Fort Buford and Fort Union. Fort Buford was established in 1866 and housed both cavalry and infantry units. Fort Union was not a military fort but rather a trading post. Fort Union dominated the area’s fur trade between 1828 and 1867. It belonged to John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company. Lisa and Dave were dressed in period costumes. They described life at the fort and served us boiled coffee in tin mugs.

Crossing into Montana, our cycling got easier as our direction changed from north to west. In Culbertson, we stopped at the local museum. Not only was it free, it had great exhibits and the ladies served us home baked cookies. The museum was filled with artifacts from the surrounding community and depicts life over the last 100 years. At our hotel, we met Robert, a youngster at 60. He was cycling from Seattle to Minnesota along the northern tier of the United States. He took 3 weeks off work to do this and needed to average 77 miles a day to meet his goal. He told us that he is "not smelling the rose but looking for bragging rights." We had dinner together but found it difficult to wish each other great tail winds…since we are going in the opposite direction.

We continued westward through Montana and ended up in Havre after 1600 miles of cycling. At that point, our paths separated. Joe met friends from his home town and packed his bike in their van for his return trip. I boarded Amtrak for my trip home and Hans-Peter cycled to Portland, Oregon for his flight back to Switzerland. It was a great bike trip that gave us wonderful memories of the places and people along the way.

The Ageing Cyclist

While this is my story, you may find similarities in your life. I have been a cyclist since I got my first bicycle. I was a young boy then and that seems like a long time ago. Well, in fact, it was a long time ago! With a career, wife, and children I did not cycle very often in my middle years. I still have my wife, but I am retired and my children are on their own. Cycling has again become an important part of my life.

During my non-cycling years, I was not a complete slug. I was a compulsive runner. My transition back to cycling occurred when my body could no longer endure the punishment of running. In hind sight I was not too bright. The doctor told me that I should quit running to heal the stress fractures in both of my feet. I ran 3 years beyond my doctor’s recommendation. Eventually, I traded my running shoes for cycling shoes.

I restarted my cycling where my running left off—punishing my body. I was not an efficient runner nor was I an efficient cyclist. Spinning was for wimps and smelling the roses was for slow pokes. Now that I am even older, parts of my body and mind are telling me to smarten up. Knee pains at the start of a journey across the United States sure smartened me up to spinning. However, I am a slow learner. Just in case you are feeling sorry for me, I am not in a nursing home and I am only 63 years of age.

MY FIRST BIKE

I sometimes wonder if childhood events foretell what is to come. My first bike was a “3-speed English” bike. It had an internal gear hub, skinny frame, even skinnier tires, and hand breaks. Today these bikes are known as road bikes. I don’t remember why I got an English bike. I do remember that I initially resented being different from my friends. They all had the big cruiser bikes that were popular in the 1950s (before many of you were born). However, I quickly found out that my English bike was lighter and could climb better than my friends’ cruisers. That bike would not compare favorably to today’s road bikes. However, it would be considered a classic. Cruiser bikes are back in vogue and internal hubs are again gaining popularity. Bikes@Vienna has a bike on display with an internal 8 speed hub. Perhaps I am also a classic and may yet have a rebound.

Until I learned to drive, I went every where on my English bike. I took it to the swimming pool, the store, and even to see my girlfriend (who became my wife). In fact, I also used my English bike as a mountain bike. Don’t get me wrong, it was a road bike but that did not stop me from taking it into the woods and over jumps. I abused and enjoyed my childhood bike. I did not worry about miles or hills. Nor did I worry about the temperature or the weather. I even joyfully remember the reckless abandon of my youthful cycling—racing down hills thru intersections and disregarding stop signs. Just so you know that I was not completely stupid, I quit this practice after the first time I got hit by a car. However, I proudly beat my friend to the bottom of the hill! Also, I was very lucky with only minor injuries to my body. While my bike did not fare as well, I was able to replace its damaged parts with those from a discarded English bike.

REDISCOVERING MY YOUTH

No, I don’t want to rediscover how foolish I was. Nor do I want to cycle on a 3-speed bike. Rather I want to get back to that youthful feeling of freedom that the bike of my youth provided. As a youth I did not concern myself with putting in X miles over X time to maintain my fitness and prowess as a cyclist. As I free my mind I also need to take care of my body. Mind and body are not separate and they both must be nurtured.

Taking care of my body

First things first. As I get older I am learning to change and adapt. It’s not that long ago that I would have ridden through pain and that would have been considered a good thing. Didn’t our high school coaches tell us to “tough it out.” Today, I cycle with a 27-gear touring bike and my body appreciates those easy gears. It is a great bike and has transported me about 25,000 miles over the last 8 years. However, my new aches and pains (that I would have dismissed in my earlier years) are lingering to the point that they are annoying. As last summer drew to a close, I suffered from a stiff and sore neck. I tried to ignore the problem as long as I could but it would not go away. Eventually, I admitted that I had a muscle imbalance from using my drop handle bar and I needed to do something to fix the problem. What could I do: (1) purchase a new bicycle (2) replace my drop bar with a flat one, or (3) work with a physical therapist? I chose “all of the above.”

Lance Armstrong said, “It is not about the bike.” However, sometimes a new bike may be the answer to that needed change demanded by our bodies. It sure helped me. I tested many different recumbents, trikes, and other style bikes. Not only did I need a change in position to relieve that pain in my neck, I also wanted something that would be fun. However, I did not try a tricycle or Big Wheels. I did try a racing trike and liked its quickness and maneuverability. It reminded me of the Big Wheels my children loved. Maybe when I am older, I will use a tricycle. That is, if can I figure out how to attached panniers to it. Then I can keep taking multiple day/week/month cycling trips to and from the nursing home. In the end I purchased a recumbent bike that allows me to sit upright and not strain my neck muscles. Yes, recumbent cycles can be cool.


While the new bike is nice, I did not want to give up my touring bike. After some research, I purchased a butterfly handle bar that turned my cool looking road bike into a European touring bike. I bet that you thought I would say that it made my bike look___________ (add your own term for “less cool”). Getting older allows me to put a positive spin on events and totally disregard the popular racing image prevalent in U.S. cycling. Instead of looking like a “racer,” I will now cycle with a European flair. Also, without the drop bar I have an excuse for being slow.

Finally, I saw a doctor and had my neck x-rayed; nothing broken and no arthritis. The doctor sent me to a physical therapist. She gave great massages and put me on a series of strengthening and stretching exercises. She also told me that “at my age” I needed to take better care of my body and get off the drop handle bar. It took several months of serious work but the pain is gone and most of my mobility has returned.

Taking care of my mind

Taking care of my body was relatively easy; ha ha ha. The real challenge is taking care of my mind. When I am on my bike, I sometimes still focus on fitness and prowess with miles covered and time spent. Feeling cool with a European looking handle bar and recumbent is just a start on my new mindset. Sometimes, but not often enough, I focus on the moment (a Zen thing), my location, the company I keep, the weather, or just being alone and lost in my thoughts. However, I still want to enjoy the carefree cycling of my youth. No, I don’t want a 3-speed bike nor do I want to race down hills ignoring stop signs. Rather I want to let my mind free to soar with the wind until I drop and then lie in a grassy meadow to watch the clouds go by.

I am not yet where I want to be. This year I plan to cycle the Lewis and Clark trail from St. Louis, Missouri to Astoria, Oregon. I figured that this is a good opportunity for me to work on my mind set. But, this was not as easy as I had hoped. I wanted to do the trip in 2-months time which requires a modest 55 mile-a-day average. However, one of my 3 cycling companions thought that this would be difficult for him. He offered to let us go on without him. My initial response was “I want to do more miles per day not less…this sucks.”

After taking a deep breath, I thought about my goal of freeing my mind and rediscovering that lost youthful abandon. Because I enjoy my friend’s company, a new plan emerged. We reduced the average daily mileage to 45 and extended the number of days on the road. This is “now” a good thing. It means that I will have more opportunities for smelling the roses each day. I can take longer stops and enjoy more side trips. Heck, Lewis & Clark did not try to do this trip in 2-months. Their journey took 2 years. They discovered new lands, found new plants and animals, met different cultures, and their trip resulted in many books. When I get home I don’t want to find my journal filled with miles, elevations, and time on the road. Rather, I want to read about the wondrous things I saw and did. Especially, I want to read that my journey was really about smelling the roses and laying in meadows watching clouds move across the sky.

You can be the judge of my success. Check out our Lewis and Clark trip travel blog at http://oldmensbikeride2009.blogspot.com/

NORTHERN NECK DELIGHTS

(Published in SPOKES: March 2009)

I have long wanted to cycle the Northern Neck region of Virginia but like most good things it just had to wait until the time was right. At the prodding of SPOKES, I finally did it and had a wonderful cycling experience. I cannot remember having as much fun cycling as I did during the 3 days my cycling friend Larry and I spent on the Northern Neck. The October weather was on the cool side but not cold. The traffic was very minimal and the roads were great and mostly flat. However, that is not what made the trip so wonderful. My joy came from being relaxed and not being concerned about mileage. In just 3 days, we stopped at more coffee shops, historic sites, and scenic areas than I did crossing the United States in 90 days; at least that is what it seemed like. I think some of the sites were more powerful than when I first saw the Tetons; not that they were better, far from it, but rather my mind was in a far better place. Cycling the Northern Neck was truly delightful.

The Northern Neck is east of Fredericksburg, Virginia and flanked by the Potomac River on the north, the Rappahannock River on the south and the Chesapeake Bay to the east. According to WIKIPEDIA, the Northern Neck has “1,100 miles of shoreline containing beaches, marinas, old steamship wharfs and small towns that date back to colonial times.” It is about 100 miles from Fredericksburg to the southeastern tip of the Northern Neck, which is just east of the town of White Stone.

While cycling on the Northern Neck offers isolated rural areas, it is not without its great small towns and full services. According the RIVAH VISITOR’S GUIDE the Northern Neck has plenty of places to stay including over 50 motels, bed and breakfasts, and resorts. In addition, it has almost 2 dozen campgrounds and several canoe and kayak rental locations. This guide also reports nearly 200 places to eat and several vineyards to visit and taste. However, we did not find any bike shops. The RIVAH organizes the Neck’s offerings by its 4 counties: Westmoreland, Richmond, Lancaster, and Northumberland. Since I grew up in a Northumberland county in Pennsylvania, this Virginia County has a special place in my heart.

It took us about 2 hours to drive from Northern Virginia to start our first ride on the Northern Neck.

Three rides for 3 days

It was difficult to plan rides that would let us experience the Northern Neck in just 3 days. Therefore, we focused on cycling near its water boundaries. Our first trip started on the Potomac River at Westmoreland State Park. (While we used motels on this trip, we saw that the park has tent camping and cabins.) Before mounting our cycles, we stood on the rivers edge watching the wind create havoc on the water. Even though the cool and windy weather by the water was challenging, we stayed long enough to see either ospreys or eagles (sorry that I don’t know which) circling their nests and looking for food. Leaving the park, we began a 30 mile loop that took us through the countryside past Stafford Hall Plantation, the birthplace of Robert E. Lee, and into the town of Montross where we made our first café stop. In The Art of Coffee café we were greeted by the owner and her friendly staff. We had excellent coffee and sandwiches while enjoying the café’s art gallery. The owner displays and sells her paintings as well as the paintings and crafts created by other Northern Neck artists. From there we continued southwest through mostly agriculture areas toward the Rappahannock River. Finally, we completed our loop by heading northeast back to the Park. The only traffic that we encountered on this trip was on this last section where we cycled several miles on Route 3. However, the traffic was still minimal and drivers courteous.

After loading our bikes, we drove east for our next day’s ride that would take us along the Rappahannock River out to the Chesapeake Bay before heading inland. The second day’s ride started in Irvington on the south eastern part of the Neck. According to the town’s webpage, Irvington dates from 1891 and was part of the steamboat route between Norfolk and Baltimore. The town displays part of a steam boat at its Steamboat Era Museum and offers B&B and resort accommodations, farmers markets, and charter boating.

From Irvington it was only a short ride east to the town of White Stone where we found another great café that roasted its own beans. From there it was only 7 miles east to the Chesapeake Bay. Since this road only leads to the Bay through a low density residential area, we had minimal traffic. After doubling back to White Stone, our route took us north to the town of Kilmarnock. According to the town’s webpage, Kilmarnock was settled in the mid-1600s. To get a flavor for the town, we stopped at The Talk of The Town Coffee House were we met more friendly people. One of those we met was a former bike racer out of Richmond who wished that he had the time and conditioning to join us. Little did he, or we, know that our day would require only minimal conditioning.

Our route through Kilmarnock was to loop us northeast before coming back into town for a loop to the southwest giving us a 60 mile day. This is where relying totally on a GPS can get you into trouble. I recently purchased a GPS for my cycling adventures. This trip was my first real test in using it. I liked not having to read a map and just follow along the route shown on the screen. However, the GPS got confused in Kilmarnock with my planned route. I wanted to do a figure eight that went through the town twice. After our stop, I could not get the GPS to show me the northeast loop. It kept showing me the southwest route that I planned for the second loop through Kilmarnock. So we just gave up and went with the flow and headed southwest. Initially, I thought that the loss of 20 miles would be disappointing. However, as the day turned out the GPS was smarter than me.

We followed our destiny and cycled southwest in a wide circular loop back toward Irvington. On the way, we stopped at the historic Christ Church and received a tour and warm hospitality from its docents. After our “long” ride we wanted to have some refreshments as we neared the town of Irvington. First, we found a winery but it was closed for the day. While disappointed we cycled on and found a café called The Local. It was opened and we rationalized that coffee was probably better for cyclist than wine. One of The Local’s claims to fame is its ice cream. Larry raved over the ice cream’s rich flavor and texture and went into a 2 scoop mode. To burn off all our extra calories we cycled around Irvington for one more look at the Rappahannock Rive before packing up our bikes.

Our third ride started in Warsaw and would take us past another section of the Rappahannock River. Since we had to check out of the motel by 11 a.m., we started our ride early so we would have time to get back for showers before heading home. This meant a very cool start with the October temperatures in the 40 degree range. While Larry was prepared with the correct clothing, I did not have leg or finger coverings and I was cold for the first hour. After that Larry was overdressed and I was comfortable. This 20 mile ride took us northwest before heading southeast toward the river. Along the way we ran into road construction where a new bridge was near completion. Rather than making us take the detour, the workmen allowed us to cycle through, thus keeping us on our route. This route gave us our first and only “hill.” While not much of a climb, it was followed by a long downhill. What surprised me was that we were at water level before and after the hill so it was hard to explain why the downhill seemed much longer than the climb. I guess it was all part of the fantastic journey.

As we got closer to the river, we again saw lots of water birds and deer. We stopped at Naylors Beach Campground located on the bank of the Rappahannock River. While the campground was deserted at this time of the year, it looked like a great place to stay. With the many campgrounds we saw I could easily envision taking a loaded tour through the Northern Neck.

Stopping traffic with a Trike

While I cycled with a standard touring bike (my “yellow bike”), Larry used a Catrike—a very low bike with two 20-inch wheels in the front and one 20-inch wheel in the rear. Every day we were stopped and asked about Larry’s trike. We must have been stopped a dozen times but it became part of our relaxed journey. We forgot the miles and just talked. One man passed Larry and motioned for him to pull over. Larry figured that he was going to catch hell for cycling on the road with what some consider a “toy.” However, the man told Larry that last week he tried a similar trike in Vienna, Virginia. As it turned out, it was the same place that Larry purchased his trike (http://www.bikesatvienna.com/). On the second day in Irvington, the Tides Inn Resort’s lawn crew came to a halt as we cycled by. There we spent about 45 minutes discussing the pros and cons of such a bike. On our last day, a huge orange state highway truck stopped in the middle of the road, the driver turned off its motor and the crew started the all too familiar questions about Larry’s trike.

Lots of history

If historical sites interest you, your bicycle is an excellent way to explore the Northern Neck. According to the RIVAH, there are over 70 museums and historic sites on the Neck. Settlements on the Northern Neck date back to the 1600s. One of the oldest and very interesting structures is Christ Church, located just north of Irvington. The original wood structure was built in 1670 and in 1735 it was replaced by the current brick structure. The church has been restored and is still used, but it was never heated or air conditioned. The church still has its original high-backed box pews that view a towering triple deck pulpit. Sitting in one of box pews I could almost experience an early American preacher standing high up in the pulpit’s third level and raining “fire and brimstone” down upon me because I sometimes cycle on Sundays.

A jump in time and distance will take you to the birthplace of George Washington on route 3 in Westmoreland County. Today, George’s mother, Mary Ball has her own museum in nearby Lancaster County. In Colonial Beach, a short distance away from George’s birthplace you can find the birthplace of James Monroe, our fifth president. Further east along route 3 you can visit the birthplace of Robert E. Lee at Stratford Hall Plantation. This plantation built in the 1700s has been restored and is open to the public.

If presidents and historic churches are not your thing, you can cycle by Hayden Hall in Irvington. Scandalous as it seems today, Sarah Wilder the mistress of Hayden Hall was married at the age of 12. She must have grown up quickly because she and her husband, Tom Hayden, had 11 children in this home which dates from the 1800s. While the RIVAH reports that Sarah’s ghost haunts the home to this day, you will not have an opportunity to meet her for Hayden Hall is a private residence.

Going further south

Before heading home we had the opportunity to cross over the Rappahannock River at White Stone and drive up to Tappahannock, Virginia about 45 miles away. The area south of the Rappahannock, north of the York River, and west of the Chesapeake Bay is called the Middle Peninsula of Virginia. I had not been to this part of Virginia either and it looks like another great place to explore on my yellow bike.

Cycling Close to Home: Exploring Virginia's Horse Country

Published in SPOKES: June 2008

After cycling across the United States, circumnavigating Switzerland, and exploring Spain, I often wonder “where to” for my next cycling journey. Spokes’ editor suggested that I explore Virginia, my home state. What a novel idea! I have cycled the trails and roads in Northern Virginia and crossed the length of the southern part of the state—a long and hilly ride—when I cycled across the United States. Usually, I have been going “somewhere else” on my cycling trips. In the spring I took my first “cycling closer to home” trip into Virginia’s horse country.

Overview
Since I planed a local trip I decided to actually start cycling from home (no cars, trains, or planes on this trip) by taking the Washington & Old Dominion Rail Trail (W&OD) west out of the metropolitan area to Purcellville before hitting the roads. From there I planed to head south to Middleburg, The Plains, Marshall, and on to Warrenton. After that I would head northwest to Front Royal then head northeast to Paris (Virginia not France), Bluemont, and then back to Purcellville before hopping on the W&OD for the final leg home. I planned to cycle about 200 miles over 4 days.

My local cycling friend Larry and his cycling friend Dave from York, Pennsylvania decided to join me. Larry wanted to try his new recumbent on a tour and Dave wanted a shake-down ride in preparation for his upcoming ride from Astoria, Oregon to his home in PA.

I used Google Maps to find a route that consisted of mostly country roads with low traffic volume. I knew that the terrain would be hilly so I did not even look at that feature of the program. I left home with a print-out of the narrative directions but wished that I had also printed the larger sections of the detailed maps. The level of detail on Google was greater than the state road map that I carried. It would have been helpful to connect the narrative with a map to avoid some of the confusion we had at several unmarked country roads.

Google is also helpful in finding lodgings, restaurants, and bike shops. If you want a Bed and Breakfast you will have no trouble finding lots of accommodations along this route. However, motels are only found in Leesburg, Warrenton, and Front Royal. By using B&Bs you will have greater flexibility in controlling the length of your riding days. Restaurants, cafés, and other food stops are found in all the towns that we cycled through.

Heading West on the W&OD

Our trip started in less than ideal conditions. The weekend weather prior to start of our trip was a torrential downpour. Despite the continuing rain, we started our journey on a very wet Monday. However, we anticipated better weather for the rest of the week as we left Falls Church (mile 7 on the W&OD trail) and headed west. Surprisingly, we encountered other foul-weather cyclists, joggers, walkers, etc. on the trail. With all the rain a section of the trail near Leesburg was flooded and closed; necessitating a detour onto the roads. Otherwise the trail was in good condition and riding to the end in Purcellville was easy. The W&OD railroad first ran to Purcellville in 1871 but terminated operations in 1968 and later becoming a rail tail.

On the Roads

Purcellville has several restaurants in this part of town. Just make a left off the W&OD onto N. 21 St. and go to Main St. While we were having coffee in Purcellville, one local resident told us that they see lots of cyclists on route VA-690 heading towards Middleburg and that most drivers took their time passing the bicyclists. We had no trouble with the cars and made several stops to look at the wildflowers and horses. We were still on the fringe of “horse country” but my untrained eye saw lots of good looking horses.

Falls Church to Middleburg: 55 miles
W&OD Trail to Purcellville
Left onto N. 21 St.
Left at Main St. (Route 7)
Immediate right at Nursery Ave (VA-690)
Left at S 32nd St. (continuing on VA-690)
Cross Snickersville Turnpike and VA-690 becomes VA-611
Left on Foxcroft Rd to Middlesburg.

We arrived in Middleburg in time for lunch. Middleburg was established in the late 1700s and supposedly got its name because it was midway between Alexandria and Winchester. This little town has several good meal options ranging from a grocery store bag lunch to fine dining. We chose a café called Mello Out on E. Federal St. and had interesting sandwiches and drinks while we relaxed and listened to several local horse owners talk about the trials and tribulations of owning a horse. Based on what they said, we were thankful that we only had bicycles to contend with. You may want to plan your cycling trip to Middleburg to take advantage of its horses, fox hunting, and steeplechases. Or plan your trip for May when the town hosts the “Hunt Country Stable Tour.” I took this tour several years ago and was amazed at how well the horses lived. In fact, one stable even had a swimming pool for its horses.

Middleburg to Warrenton: 30 miles
Right on US-50
Left on VA-626 to The Plains
Right on VA-55 to Marshall
Left on US-17
Right at Carters Run Rd.
Left at Wilson Rd
Left at Cannonball Gate Rd.
Continue on Bear Wallow Rd
Right at Norfolk Dr.
Left at Gold Cup Dr. into business district

Next, we headed south to The Plains. The W&OD was flat but the further south we got the more rolling hills we cycled. None of them were difficult and the change of pace was nice. We were now in the heart of Virginia’s horse country which made stopping by the side of the road very enjoyable. We also noticed that the number of wineries was increasing as we headed south. It would be fun to plan a cycling trip that incorporated stops at several of them. In hindsight I wondered why I chose to tour the horse country and not the wine country.

The Plains is a very small town but you won’t go hungry as the town has several cafés where cyclists are welcome. In The Plains we met a man interested in our ride. While in his professional life he is a mine inspector, his and his wife’s passion is competing in long distance cycling races. We were definitely not racing since we only averaged 12 mph. However, as with most cyclists we found a common bond as we swapped cycling stories.

From the Plains we headed about 5 miles west to Marshall. In case you are wondering, Marshall got its name from our first Chief Justice, John Marshall. If you did not want to do a horse or wine tour of this area, you could do a history tour. Many of these towns were founded in the 1700’s and later saw action during the Civil War.

Our First Climb

Leaving route VA-55 we headed south for a short distance on Winchester Road (US-17). While this highway has more traffic it also had a shoulder. Just after crossing over Route 66 we made a right turn onto Carters Run Rd and quickly into the calm of another good country road. This was great cycling until we neared Warrenton and had to climb Viewtree Mountain. While the climb was only several hundred feet in elevation, it was steep. I rationalized that a short walk would do my legs good and ended up pushing my bike up the steepest part. Since Dave and Larry were also walking, they must have wanted to stretch their legs as well.

One of Warrenton’s “claims to fame” is that it hosted Virginia’s first Gold Cup Race in 1922. Like most towns we visited, Warrenton has maintained its historic district with many early American buildings still intact. That is amazing considering that during the Civil War the town “changed hands 67 times.”

Warrenton to Leesburg: 75 miles
Left from Gold Cup Dr. at Blue Ridge St.
Right at Waterloo Rd
Continue on Old Waterloo Rd
Left at Old Waterloo Rd
Right on Leeds Manor Rd
In Hume, left on Hume Rd
Right on Fiery Run Rd
Stay on Fiery Run Rd (several miles of unpaved surface)
Right at VA-55
Left at VA -688
Left at US-17
Left on US-50
Right on VA-601 Blueridge Mountain Rd
Right on VA-7 at Snickers Gap to Purcellville
Left on 21 St
Right on W&OD to Leesburg

Getting Lost is Part of the Adventure

We left Warrenton early in the morning and experienced some traffic getting out of town. But within a few miles the traffic disappeared and we were again cycling on country roads. Before we got to Hume we found a café and stopped for a break. After we got on the road again we were thankful for the stop because we did not find another place until we reached VA-55. While we had originally planned to go into Front Royal we got confused when we reached Fiery Run Road. Where was the detailed Google map when I need it? We should have gone straight because Hume Road became Fiery Run Road going west but we chose to go right on Fiery Run Road heading north. If we had gone straight on Hume Rd it would have taken us to US-522. From there we would have made a right and headed north into Front Royal. However, our right turn on Fiery Run Road took us directly to VA-55 but over several miles of unpaved road. Yes, that became just another part of the “adventure.”

Front Royal is the gateway to the Shenandoah’s with access to Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, and the Shenandoah River. However, I later learned from the town’s web page that by missing Front Royal I missed a great piece of baseball trivia. The Front Royal Cardinals play in the Bing Crosby Stadium; named for the singer because of his donations of land and money.

After turning onto VA-55, we passed a crossing for the Appalachian Hiking Trail that would run parallel to our ride north on VA-688 and VA-601. Dave recently hiked the entire trail and Larry has hiked a good portion of it.

Always Another Climb

After leaving VA-55 we encountered our first big climb of the day. We headed north on VA-688 toward Paris and had a 600 foot climb over the mountain. We reached this point in our trip after cycling 35 miles over rolling hills and on dirt roads. However, it was very scenic with farms and more horses along the way. We also passed the 4,000 acre Thompson State Wildlife Management Area (which hosts 7 miles of the Appalachian Trail) and the Green’s Mill site (the mill was built between 1818 and 1823). What bothered us was that we knew that we had another climb facing us as we cycled up Blueridge Mountain Road.

The Blueridge Mountain Road climb seemed steeper and the 3 of us ended up walking our bikes up the worst part as we swatted away the mosquitoes and gnats. Once we got back on our bikes we cycled for several miles along the top of the ridge before heading down to route VA-7. We had been paralleling the Appalachian Trail during most of this climb and hoped to stop at the nearby hostel. However the hostel was about half way down the mountain and we chose not to interrupt our great down-hill ride. Once we hit VA-7, we literally had a long down hill ride all the way to Leesburg--about 20 blessed miles!

We reached Leesburg after cycling 75 miles on loaded bikes and climbing 2 big hills. Surprisingly, we all felt that we could continue the rest of the way home. However, we had reservations to stay in Leesburg and decided to keep to our original plan. While all the towns we visited were very nice, Leesburg has always been one of my favorite towns. I like the feel of the town, its historic district, great restaurants, and bike shops. The town also has horses, wineries, and was the home of George Marshall of WWII fame.

The next morning was just a short-flat ride of 26 miles on the W&OD trail. Within a few hours I arrived home in Falls Church.

Canadian Rockies

The Great Parks North Cycling Tour:
Jasper Park in Alberta, Canada to
Glacier Park in Whitefish, MT


Did you ever wonder what it would be like to spend time in one of those fantastic picture postcards? You know the postcards that show snow-covered mountains, fast-running rivers, and wild animals. My cycling trip through the Canadian Rocky Mountains provided such an experience. However, as you read my narrative and view the photographs you may not fully appreciate the beauty and majesty of being integrated into this environment, unless you too have been there.

My trip started like many others. It took me all day to get ready. I was not sure of how best to pack my gear for the train trip and what I would do with my luggage when I was cycling. Larry picked me up at 3 p.m. and drove me and my bike to Union Station in Washington, DC to catch Amtrak train #29 leaving at 5:20 p.m. for Chicago. Larry had planned to go on this trip but had to cancel because he had not yet fully recovered from pneumonia.

After much anticipation and some anxiety I spent my first night sleeping on the train. Before this my train trips were just hours long. However, this trip involved sleeping 2 nights on the train. I decided to sleep in the coach rather than in a sleeping car because it was significantly cheaper and I figured that it would prepare me for the upcoming nights that I would spend in my tent. In Chicago I met my friends from NY—Joe, Jack, Dick, and Ray—where we boarded another train for the second leg of the trip to Whitefish, MT. These four guys and Hans-Peter, who we would meet in Whitefish, were on my cross-country trip in 2002. We arrived in Whitefish on time (9 p.m.). Despite the late hour and long trip we all had plenty of energy to move our bikes, boxes, and bodies to the Downtowner Motel. After being on the train for 3 days and 2 nights I relished the idea of a hot shower and a real bed.

The town of Whitefish is a great tourist town for those who love the outdoors. It is located near Big Mountain (a sky resort) and Whitefish Lake. While the town was originally nicknamed “Stumptown” because of its logging heritage, this name does not reflect its exciting character and many interesting shops, restaurants, and activities. Whitefish has a population of 9,500 and is at 3,040 feet of altitude.

Our first morning in Whitefish started with a great breakfast at the Buffalo Café with its nontraditional menu and large portions. Later we went to the Glacier Cyclery (a wonderful and very helpful bike shop) to drop off our bike boxes and extra gear and purchase last minute things that were forgotten. We had lunch at Truby’s outdoor café before we cycled up Big Mountain. On the way up a black bear crossed in front of us. However, it disappeared into the woods too quickly to get out our cameras. After cycling an hour we reached the lodge area and we took the chair lift to the top of the mountain (which took about 40 minutes). We sat for a while in the cold air and listened to 2 folk musicians entertain café patrons and watched mountain bikers hop off the chair lift, hope on their bikes, and disappear down the steep and twisting trails. On the top of Big Mountain we got a picture postcard view of the entire area. It was about 20 degrees cooler at the top and the wind-chill made us even colder. On the way back down, I took another picture postcard shot with my camera.

Later in the day we left the comfort of the motel to join the rest of our tour group at the KOA campground that was 5 miles west of town. Despite leaving the comfort of the motel, it was great to be outdoors and sleeping in my tent. The next day the rest of our Adventure Cycling group arrived, set up their tents, and got aquainted. Since our first meeting wasn’t planned until dinner time, I decided to cycle around Whitefish Lake. It was a peaceful journey and provided more great photo opportunities. In the evening we had a formal get acquainted meeting at the KOA lodge. Dinner of pizza and beer was enjoyed by all as we discussed the morning’s bus tip to Jasper in Alberta, Canada where our cycling journey was to begin. During the bus ride we stopped to photograph the mountain goats grazing along the road.

The town of Jasper is at the northern end of Jasper National Park. Established in 1907, Jasper National Park is the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies with 10,878 square kilometers of mountain wilderness. We camped in the park and cycled into town to purchase the food for the next 3 days. We were leaving civilization for wilderness camping where no food was available (or showers, or flush toilets, etc). On the way out of Jasper the next morning I photographed an elk grazing near our camp.

For the first 20 miles, our route took us along the Athabasca River toward the Athabasca Falls. The falls were not large but an impressive amount of water moved over them and it provided another postcard moment.

By day’s end I cycled 47 miles to the Jones Creek campground and the journey there provided more picturesque views. The campground was rustic. It had no showers and only pit toilets. Like most of the campsites on this trip we had to put food items into metal bear boxes and make sure that no food or even tooth paste went into our tents.

The next morning started off with cold temperatures (in the 40-degree range) as we left the campground and cycled on The Icefields Parkway. We had some serious climbs and along two scenic rivers—the Sunwapta and Saskatchewan. We stopped at the Athabasac Glacier for a tour. The Glacier is part of the Columbia Icefield and located in Jasper National Park. To get to the glacier we boarded special vehicles that looked like RVs with monster truck tires. These vehicles took us onto the glacier where we got out and walked around. Most of us were bundled up with extra clothing but it was still cold.

Continuing on the Icefield Parkway we cycled up Sunwapta Pass at 6,676 feet. The mountain was full of wild flowers including many “Indian Paint Brush” plants in different colors. At the bottom of the overlook was a very blue colored lake.

So far most of our cycling has been in what is called “a sub-Alpine area” – the areas just below the no-tree zone. The trees in this zone were small for their age. That night we camped at Rampart Creek—another rustic campground. My soapless bath in the glacier-fed creek was very cold and quick. While we only cycled 41-miles it was a long and tiring day.

Finally, we headed back to “civilization” with a 57-mile journey to Lake Louise. Lake Louise is a resort town with a large and civilized campground. Food was available in the village not far from the campground. However, the lake and resort area were a steep 2.5-mile climb up the mountain. The lake sits at the foot of a glacier and was well worth the effort to get there. Unfortunately, none of my pictures captured this wonderful scene.

We left Alberta and entered British Columbia on a short cycling day to the Marble Falls campground—our last rustic place. On the way to Castle Junction I stopped to watch a large male elk grazing just off the road. I was amazed at both the size of this animal and his indifference to the tourists watching him eat. While the day’s ride was only 28 miles we did have a climb that took some time as we cycled over Vermilion Pass (5,145 feet) to our campground.

During our evening meal a sociable small black bear came up to where we were eating. While I ran for my camera, others decided to make noise to scare it away—so no up-close photos of cute baby bears. However, that incident did provide much levity later on. During the night one of our cyclists woke up coughing but the fellow in the next tent thought the noise was a bear. He screamed and tried to get out of his tent. In his panicked state it took him awhile to emerge from the tent and by the time he got out the rest of us were standing around looking for the “bear.” When the fellow with the cough started hacking again the panicked fellow realized that he had not heard a bear and when he admitted it, the group had a good laugh—for many days afterwards.

Next morning we started off with a nice down hill ride but we had a hard climb over Sinclair Pass at 4,875 feet. The climb was long but the downhill to Radium Hot Springs was great—once it got started. The pass had a false top and required climbing for several additional miles after we thought we crossed the pass. Except for the mosquitoes, the Radium Hot Springs campground was nice. It was called Canyon RV Park and was literally in a small wet canyon (with an 8% grade below the highway) that served as a mosquito breeding ground. Most of our meals were eaten in the campground and we took turns cooking and cleaning up. This night’s meal was created by our tour leader. He made a Thai dish consisting of rice, spinach, peanut butter, pineapple, Tabasco sauce, onions, and green peppers. It was a big hit but as soon as we were done eating the mosquitoes attacked in full force. The cleanup crew put on extra clothing and the rest of us headed for our tents.

Thankful that the mosquitoes sent us to bed early, we got up the next morning facing a hard cycling day of 70 miles. We passed through Columbia National Wildlife Area and the town of Invermere. Invermere (with a population of nearly 3,000) was hosting a lively farmers market and craft fair in its historic district. Once we left the town the ride got less enjoyable as the weather got warm and the road conditions deteriorated. We cycled around Windermere Lake but did not get to see much of it. We posed for a group picture at Hoodoos’ Mountain but no one wanted to move so that the mountain would be in the background. Later several of us stopped for lunch at the Fresh Garden Café in a very small town called Canal Flats. Ironically, while the food was good, there were no fresh garden items on the menu. Even the strong riders complained about the day’s ride. That night the group camped at Wasa Lake but I checked into a motel next to the campground. I rationalized that a bed and hot shower were required to rejuvenate my tired body.

I knew I made a good decision the next morning when the group complained that a noisy party in the campground kept them up most of the night. We had another 70-mile day and I was ready. Joe and I left early and missed a turn at Fort Steele, taking us on the main highway. Our ride was nice because of low traffic and a tail wind. We stopped in Jaffray at a country club for breakfast and then decided to stay off route as we headed toward Elko. Because it was later in the morning our route had more traffic but it was not bad. It got hot by the time we reached Elko where we stopped for several milk shakes (each!) before starting on the last leg to Fernie. Our map indicated that we would have rolling hills the rest of the way. However, the map was wrong. After an initial climb out of Elko we had easy cycling and nice scenery. I even stopped to cool off in the Elk River. In Fernie we stayed at the Raging Elk Hostel.


Fernie was our first and only layover day. It was a good-sized town with a population of 4,600. However, no one was in town. We were there during a Canadian national holiday similar to our Labor Day with most shops being closed. The 14 people in town belonged to our group. We spent most of our free time eating and resting.

Leaving Fernie we head for Blairmore and the Lost Lemon Campground. It was a 46-mile day over Crowsnest Pass at 4,457 feet. At the beginning of the day we continued to cycle along the Elk River as we head to Sparwood. At Sparwood we stopped for photo ops at the “world’s largest truck.” Leaving Sprawood we start to climb into the coal mining area as we head for Crowsnest Pass which is also the boarder between British Columbia and Alberta. After crossing the pass we enjoyed 15 miles of down hill cycling. It rained in the evening, the first rain of the trip. Despite the rain the cooks put together a good evening meal.

The day started out with a continuation of the previous day’s down hill until we got to Lee’s Lake Road where the terrain became hilly—not steep hills but constant ups and downs. As we got closer to the town of Pincher Creek we were blessed with a nice tail wind and passed fields of wind driven electrical generators. However, leaving Pincher Creek the terrain again was rolling hills combined with moderate cross winds. We were in the Canadian Plains but heading back into the Rocky Mountains. Overall, it was a tough 66 miles to Waterton Lake National Park—our campground for the evening. Near the park entrance we saw two black bears just off the road and in the town we encountered a very tame deer walking the streets…so much for “wildlife.”

Before leaving Waterton Lake that morning the group had a fancy breakfast at the Prince Edward Hotel that overlooked the lake. It was good that we had a great breakfast because we had a long climb out of the park. Later, we went through the Canadian-U.S. border and up Chief Mountain International Highway. Coming down the other side was a fast and fun ride. At the interchange with route 89 we met up with two more fellows from our 2002 cross-country trip (they drove up from Missoula, MT to join us for several days). We cycled 48 miles to Saint Mary where we stayed at the Johnson RV Park.

Leaving Saint Mary we faced our last, but best climb of the trip. We cycled from East Glacier up the Road-to-the-Sun Highway that runs through Glacier National Park. It was a long but beautiful climb to the top. However, it was not a difficult climb and had lots of great places to stop and smell the roses—waterfalls, overlooks and switchbacks. At the top, the group gathered at the Logan Pass Visitor’s Center for pictures and to kill time before we descended into West Glacier (because of traffic concerns, the road is closed to cyclists until the afternoon). Of course we had another fantastic downhill ride! At the bottom of the hill Joe and I stopped at a lodge and posed with an “old prospector” for a comic postcard. Our 52 mile day took us to a KOA campground just west of the park.

The final ride of the trip was taken in the rain. Some of us missed the “low traffic” route and decided to get to Whitefish the quickest way. While there was a little more traffic we were early enough not to have any problems. We flew over the 27-mile route and got to the motel in about 2 hours. While I was wet and dirty I felt great. After checking into the motel and taking a long hot shower I met the rest of the group at Truby’s for a final lunch.

Our train home was 2 hours late getting to Whitefish. A train derailment earlier had slowed eastbound traffic. Thus we were very late getting to Chicago and I missed my train to DC. However, the guys going to NY were able to get on their train that was also late getting to Chicago. Amtrak put me on a train that went through Philadelphia, PA that was scheduled to arrive in Washington, DC at 8 p.m. the next day. However, it was not all bad news. Riding in the same train car was a Blues band returning from a festival in Spokane, WA and they willingly entertained us.

The delays continued and I did not get to Washington, DC until 2 a.m. on the following day--14 hours after my originally scheduled time. At that hour of the morning the train station was deserted and the Metro and taxies were not running. However, my son was there and he took me home.