Technical difficuties

Just arrived home from our biking tour.  I tried to post new information along the way but my ipad was not functioning properly and I could not publish the posts.  So, I will now bring you up-to-date.  On Fri. July 8th we left Bonner's Ferry ID. and biked up to the U.S./Canadian border.  We ended up biking 72 miles on Fri.  We had planned to stay in Sanca, B.C. but when we arrived there, there were no stores or places to eat and we had only packed some peanut butter, bagels and apples, which we ate for lunch.  We went on to Boswell, B.C.  where we found a small store/cafe and got some food for that evening and the next day.  We found a real nice campground up in the mountains, we built a fire and settled in.  Noteworthy for Fri. was that when we stopped to see a beautiful water fall right off the road, a swarm of mosquitoes swarmed us.  We frantically dug for our repellent, but by the time we got it on, we had all be bitten numerous times.  We biked on and noticed that the mosquitoes were flying all around us.  That night we had to goop the repellent on us again just to keep from getting eaten alive.  The locals said it was the worst they had ever seen it for mosquitoes.  We biked along the Kooteny Lake which was beautiful.  On Saturday, we biked 55 miles up to the small town of Kaslo, B.C., again following the Kooteny Lake.  I guess this lake is one of the largest in British Columbia.  Kaslo was once a gold and silver mining town now transformed into town of local artists and art shops, even some live ones, that is where you can go in and watch the artist working.  Kaslo is said to be one of the most beautiful towns in B.C.  It sits on a sloping hill, surrounded by forested mountains and bordering the Kooteny Bay.  We stayed in a Hostel that evening and had a lay over day on Sunday.  The Hostel was great.  We had a private room with a bunk bed and a double bed.  The people there were friendly and charming.  It was a fun visit.  On Monday, we biked from Kaslo over to New Denver, B.C.  It was a very steep climb out of town, and we climbed the mountainous terrain for several hours before arriving in New Denver.  We had planned on staying in New Denver but we decided to bike on to Slocan Valley B.C., another beautiful river and lake area in B.C.  We found a great campground along side a river and huge waterfall.  We found a bike trail by the falls and after we set up camp, we set out on this bike trail.  It took us along the river, up and down some pretty challenging terrain of rocks and logs.  Nate did great because he had a mountain bike, but me and Ryan still make our bike work.  It turned out to be a real fun ride.  We went into town and found a small cafe.  The owners had known Mormon's all their married lives and they thought we were the elders.  We spent  lot of time taking with the husband.  They were very friendly and we were glad we met them.
The next day, Tuesday, we biked down the slocan valley into Nelson, B.C.  Nelson was probably our most favorite spot in B.C.  It was a cool town with lots of hippies and great places to eat.  We stayed in a campgound in town and we had not planned on another layover day that day, but we decided to stay an extra day and see the town.  The next day we peddled around the town, ate real good food, went to a farmers market, and sat on the sand of the river bank as the sun set.  This part of British Columbia is really a jewell.  If you ever get the chance, it is well worth visiting the Selkirk Splendor Loop.  It has some of the most picturesque scenery and great little towns than any place else I have ever been.  Nelson reminded me of Park City, Utah where I grew it.  It was a mining town in its day and has a rich history.  We were told by the locals that smoking marijuana was legal in Nelson and that we would see everybody smoking it.  Actually, it is not legal.  It is just not enforced. there.  Evidently, there are fields and fields of marijuana growing in the surrounding mountains.  We did not see everyone smoking it but we did see its presence.  No wonder there are so many hippie type people living there.  It did not detract from our visit, but it is an interesting tidbid about the area.  On Thursday the 14th we left Nelson and biked to Metaline Falls, Washington, again crossing the U.S./Canadian border.  When we crossed they took my apple.  All of noticed how the terrain had changed since leaving British Columbia.  This part of Washington State is also beautiful, but just in a different way.  As we arrived in Metalne Falls, it was downpouring.  We put on our rain gear, but as soon as we did, it started to clear up.  We decided to bike on down the road to Metaline, WA. and we stayed at a real nice R.V. park.  The mosquitoes were just as bad there.  It started to rain again, but we got our tents up before it did.  We went to grab a bite to eat and discovered that everything was pretty much closed already.  One thing we noticed around the loop was that the stores and cafes closed by about 4:00 in the afternoon, except in Nelson.  It was really a strange phenomenon.  We did find a pub however that cooked us up some nice hamburgers.  On Friday we biked about 60 miles down the road to Newport, WA.  Nathan decided to race me and Ryan.  He had worried about keeping up with us on the trip.  He did fall behind a few times, but he actually surprised us all with how strong he became each day he biked.  Anyway, he decided on this day he was going to beat us into Newport.  After we stopped to fix our peanut butter and honey sandwiches, he left about 5 minutes before me and Ryan.  We figured we would catch up to him in 4 or 5 miles.  As we began to bike our regular pace, we did not see Nate out in front of us.  We picked up the pace and after about 15 miles of biking, we finally say his as a small speck about 3/4 of a mile out in front of us.  We knew that he was really hauling, giving it all he had and so the challenge was on.  We picked up our pace again, but it seemed like we were not gaining on him like we thought we could.  I went all out and gave it all I had and it took me another 5 miles to finally catch him.  He was completely wore out sitting alongside the road.  He certainly earned my respect.  I have been biking a long time and my endurance is pretty good.  Nate had decided to come on this tour just weeks before we left and did not have a chance to get in real good biking condition.  We all laughed and laughed.  We finished the last 10 miles together as we entered Newport.  We found a very nice camping spot close to town, set up our camp and grabbed a meal a a Mexican Restaurant.  That evening we watched a movie at the clubhouse and then headed for bed.  On Saturday morning, we headed out for Sandpoint, ID. to end our tour.  It was a nice flat ride along the river, though we did have a pretty strong head wind along the way.

Overall, it was a great biking tour.  I loved being with my boys.  They were great companions.  They worked hard. There was no complaining.  They carried their weight with the chores.  We laughed a lot.  We shared in some beautiful, pristine scenery.  We had a lot of fun.  We all like camping, so that was a bonus for all of us.

I probably left some good things out because I have put this post together at the end of the trip and it is hard to recall everything after the fact.  I like to keep a blog daily if possible, but it was not in the cards this time.  Thanks for reading about our adventure.  If you have any questions, please call any one of us and we would love to tell you more.  If any of you would like to join us, on a biking tour, let us know.  In 2 years, we are planning to bike in New Zealand.  We will be saving up for that one.  It will cost about $1,100 for airfare.  Everything else is very inexpensive, because we haul our own gear and camp out along the way.  I will be doing another 1-2 week tour in September, and then will be doing a couple more next year. 

Pictures

Nate took some pictures on his Iphone that he said he would post.  They will be forthcoming.  We took a camera, but we left the battery in the charger at home.  Ever had that happen??

Selkirk Mountain Loop

Me and my two boys, Nate and Ryan, started a ten day tour today in Sandpoint Idaho. Today, we biked to Bonners Ferry ID. covering about 35 miles. This area is beautiful with Large lakes, pines and winding rivers. Last night we camped in Couer d'alane,ID. Tomorrow we will bike about 55 miles to Sanca British Columbia, crossing the border sometime mid morning. The panhandle of Idaho is really worth seeing if you have not had the chance yet. We will spend the next 5-6 days biking in Canada in some of the most grand scenery anywhere, again following lakes, rivers, and waterfalls, sprinkled with some farmland and forested hills. I cannot blog in Canada with 3g, so hopefully we can find some wifi. If not, you'll have to tune in about Wed. Of next week and we will be crossing the border again, this time in Washington State, biking through Mataline Falls and New Port before looping back in to Idaho again. When we are in Washington, we will be just north of Spokane. It's great to be biking with two of my boys. They are great company. I respect them both very much and I trust that the memories we create will be priceless. We are camping in an RV campground tonight. The wind has picked up and some clouds are rolling in. It will be in the 60's tomorrow and then will get near 80 on Friday. I will sign out for now. Jerry

Hills and more hills

Made it to the mountains. After a long climb and 54 miles, I made it to the base of Leggett mountain on Wed. Had no Internet service there, therefore I am sending this message for Wed. and Thurs. The mountains are wonderful. The redwood forests are some of the best I've ever seen. In them I see God's regal handiwork. The traffic has increased and the shoulders on the roads have decreased. It has gotten pretty dicey the past two days. It is also much hotter. It was 96 degrees when I biked into Willits, Ca. today. Willits is famous for the racehorse, "seabiscuit". This is where he was purchased and trained. The climb this morning up over Legget mountain was truely a real test for any biker. I can say that I am glad that it is over and that I survived it. It's all pretty much level and down hill into the Bay area from here. Kim is on her way to pick me up, so this is my last day of my bike tour. I want to thank you all for following me, giving me encouragement, and praying for me. It has been a wonderful adventure and experience. The campgrounds I stayed in were remarkably clean and comfortable. The people I met were awesome. The scenery was beyond description, the challenges great, the exercise stupendous. All in all, it was a fantastic biking tour. I look forward to next years tour. Come join me for all or a portion of it. I will post some pictures of this tour after I get home, so tune in again in a week or so. Kim and I are going to enjoy the Oregon coast for the next week. Signing off for now. Jerry

tailwind

Had a 15-20 mph tailwind pishing me today. Love those tailwinds. Biked 68 miles. Am saying in a campground on the avenue of the giants. I pitched my tent right under 3 massive redwoods. Who knows how old they are? It is beautiful in here. Very quiet and quite dark. Having chili for dinner. Pretty flat today, I do not miss the hills. On Thursday though, I will bike up over legget hill, 2000 feet high, the highest on the California coast. I will then drop down as I draw closer to the Bay area, where I will meet Kim on Friday. Started off with fog today but it burned off after an hour. Getting much warmer as I move further South. It was in the 80's today. Meeting more bikers every day. Quite a few of them here in California. They have all been pretty nice, and it's fun sharing stories of the road. Well, that's it for now. See you later. Jerry

Thick Fog

When I left Orick, CA. this morning the fog had shrouded the wholle area. I thought I would bike out of it after a while. However, after 47 miles of biking, the fog never lifted. At points, I only had about 35 yards of visibility. All I could do was strap on my lights, hug the shoulder as far to the right as possible, and keep peddling. Well, I guess I could have stayed put, but fog is common to this area and who knows how long I would have to wait. Anyway, the biking was uneventful today. I could not see any viewpoints and therefore I did not take any side trips. I am now in Eureka, CA. staying at a KOA campground. I think I am fairly close to 1,300-1,400 total miles so far. I passed through the towns of Trinidad and Arcata today. Humboldt University is in Arcata. There are numerous Victorian homes in this area. Hopefully, I will be able to get some pictures tomorrow as I leave Eureka. Tomorrow ai will bike through the "avenue of the giants", a huge redwood forested area. I think there is a redwood tree you can drive a car through that is supposed to very, very old (they say, 400 BC. Oh, I forgot to tell you, 2 days ago I biked through the segolilly capital of the world. I guess 90 percent of all sego Lilly bulbs come from this California farmland. All else is well with me. I am enjoying the adventure. Jerry

I conquered the hills

Got up this morning, filled my belly full of pancakes and went to attack the mountains. They were definitely long and steep. The climbs were exhausting but the descents were exhilarating. I basically drew my strength from the giant redwoods lining the roads, got into a rhythm of peddling and just kept moving. My pace on the steepest part was 3.8 mph, which is just a little faster than a walking pace. I completed 40 miles today and I am in Orick CA., a very small town of about 480 people. On my way, I biked through Elk Prarie State Park. I spotted a group of elk and stopped and watched them for a long time. I have a pair of binoculars with me. Thre were 5 big bulls, 4 spikes, and 12-15 cows. It was fun to watch them play and eat. One big bull was trying to come on to the cows, but they would have nothing to do with him. He bugled a couple of times, but the ladies were not impressed. Met a couple today who have been bicycling for 6 years. They met in Montana 6 years ago and they have been on the road ever since. They looked like they were in their mid 50's. He takes odd jobs from time to time to help finance their lifestyle. They basically live in a tent. They bathe in the rivers, and they simply replace their gear when it wears out. What do you think Kim? Does that appeal to you? (lol). The redwoods are magnificent. They average about 300 feet tall. The real big ones are about 370 feet high. They are inspiring. I think of their centuries of spreading their roots deep in mother earth while branching upward into the heavens, inch by inch. If they could speak, I think their wisdom would astound us. It is Saturday and I will be taking a rest day tomorrow, so you will not hear from me until Monday evening, as long as I am in an area with Internet service. Until then, stay happy. Jerry