tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23584601614353584972024-03-21T10:23:02.234-07:00Daisy and Jason's AdventuresDaisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-69788860558765746232013-04-28T15:44:00.000-07:002013-04-28T15:44:13.955-07:00SB2013 Part 2: Lopez IslandFor Spring Break this year (back in early March) we flew out west to Seattle and headed north. We had planned a few day bike adventure in Canada and the San Juan Islands. Here are a few pictures from the second half: on Lopez Island! We stayed in Daisy's family cabin in the woods. Comfy, cozy, and out of the rain. We spent the day riding around Lopez and enjoying the two coffee shops.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hiking at Watmough Point Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice inlet - Watmough Bay, presumably</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The happy couple</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reading in the cold cabin - before the fire was going</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious 'Italian dipping chocolate'</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset back in Bham</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Readin' the paper</td></tr>
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... And then we flew back to PA and returned to the Spring semester. But the best news is that summer is coming up soon, and we have some great adventures planned!</div>
Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-58521976220104327222013-04-28T15:34:00.001-07:002013-04-28T15:34:32.541-07:00SB2013 Part 1: Harrison Hot SpringsFor Spring Break this year (back in early March) we flew out west to Seattle and headed north. We had planned a few day bike adventure in Canada and the San Juan Islands. Here are a few pictures from the first half: our trip to Harrison Hot Springs in BC, Canada. Daisy's mom got us two nights as an anniversary gift! They dropped us off at the US-Canada border and we rode up to Harrison. During our day at Harrison, we rode part way around the lake, and of course spent some time in the Hot Springs!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh970CYFoLmjTCpPgc1R6fAsWn-mxPhcT8ROxBRpl7bGb8JsHIqD05UlcxF3mRDmaztORQHDd3lYsxM68UzWHCG3ilQkEDOXnyBPTJxsJsXgt1GXnAl88wgI7yqe9Fps9hKIli2cgubdQc/s1600/SB2013_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh970CYFoLmjTCpPgc1R6fAsWn-mxPhcT8ROxBRpl7bGb8JsHIqD05UlcxF3mRDmaztORQHDd3lYsxM68UzWHCG3ilQkEDOXnyBPTJxsJsXgt1GXnAl88wgI7yqe9Fps9hKIli2cgubdQc/s1600/SB2013_01.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Packin' up at Daisy's parents' house in NW Washington</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canadian rural neighborhood</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Postcard worthy?</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harrison Lake - we arrived around sunset</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think they get a bit of rain around here. ;)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXw9hCq8Vxc81fGwQbdVBQ4yg4MQxxYA0Edp7OjNO4oMep3fZaVcwjncnMVEDVLD6umUTzlzW7WS2spBAcnbR6dxNbUWLFfGloRW4cSioQU-QL5lh9aTUfyNA91YuaiIeRUu61gWdZ1B4/s1600/SB2013_06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXw9hCq8Vxc81fGwQbdVBQ4yg4MQxxYA0Edp7OjNO4oMep3fZaVcwjncnMVEDVLD6umUTzlzW7WS2spBAcnbR6dxNbUWLFfGloRW4cSioQU-QL5lh9aTUfyNA91YuaiIeRUu61gWdZ1B4/s1600/SB2013_06.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This park wasn't totally abandoned in early March... we were there!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainbow Falls + our bikes<br />(Site marked on map, but without a sign!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bicycle rest spot during lunch </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_gxfak1LktXs_ixhruIzup5VSA4MudqbE_8LK3hXDkR3oz1R8FCt-DdXCAg4zHGl5DrWuQGZcL9C-wC25QxfrE_vCUNpjxBOt5jzdIP5KMTBbuH-9Lxdf9CHz5Q1RgIjI0iuyM_-yXg/s1600/SB2013_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_gxfak1LktXs_ixhruIzup5VSA4MudqbE_8LK3hXDkR3oz1R8FCt-DdXCAg4zHGl5DrWuQGZcL9C-wC25QxfrE_vCUNpjxBOt5jzdIP5KMTBbuH-9Lxdf9CHz5Q1RgIjI0iuyM_-yXg/s1600/SB2013_10.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Brompton folding bike performed well over the gravel road + gear</td></tr>
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Obligatory[?] photos with the Sasquatch! They claim the legend started here.<br />
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<br />Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-2197093277165931592012-08-10T14:32:00.000-07:002012-08-10T14:32:11.624-07:00Moving by BicycleWhen I quickly agreed with Daisy's idea to move across town by bicycle, I probably didn't know what I was getting myself into. However, I must say it was exciting and fun, and I didn't expect to earn 2 free massages!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our first loads.</td></tr>
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Most of our trips involved Daisy's extracycle, with weight loaded as low as possible (for balance), and my commuter bike with a children's trailer attached. We borrowed the trailer from our friend Chris, who uses it for collecting random items. (We had ordered a bike trailer which could carry up to 200 lbs., but unfortunately it was on back order and didn't arrive in time.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8z2uWs7RmQDuM-opdQ2sA6YjlAeDPl9H9DcdTB8K_qmf5XGRKOAGZY1IURZxOU4yP4Fpfaisxh6ech43HPSHpWinCsDHeXb4zOXvt0RT9mYs66mcqHvRuGL_wSOV-f004molQBKWobi8/s1600/DSC02303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8z2uWs7RmQDuM-opdQ2sA6YjlAeDPl9H9DcdTB8K_qmf5XGRKOAGZY1IURZxOU4yP4Fpfaisxh6ech43HPSHpWinCsDHeXb4zOXvt0RT9mYs66mcqHvRuGL_wSOV-f004molQBKWobi8/s400/DSC02303.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
Our route was about 1.5 miles long and crossed Atherton at my favorite spot: Foster Ave. This is a great spot to cross Atherton St. because there is a double crosswalk with flashing lights to gather cars' attention. What makes it my favorite spot, though, is that some drivers feel outraged that they have to slow down or stop for people walking across the street (as if they never saw the flashing lights...). Silly people.<br />
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Our new place is in a quieter section of town, and we have about 4x the space for the same price. Awesome. ... Even better: it is walking distance to Daisy's work so she can take the puppy easily. (that's another story)<br />
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Oh, and the massages! During one trip a guy ran out onto the street and asked us to stop for a minute. He said that he and his wife had been watching us and were excited about our move. So, they gave us 2 gift certificates for a 1 hour massage. Sweet. We really should schedule that appointment soon! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0-M7LNjAQjb1sqXcoo_EBQ_Tfo7IXR7K6xoF6L-QYrYNmDb4VbL7zkOnAbTm74jJY5DTgrs05fv1AwF-MlNZ3u_t9DiKn_deBTZ8TTmQEoSyrQDZu-Olsam9FtkcrEXBX3REd8sZVpQ/s1600/DSC02314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0-M7LNjAQjb1sqXcoo_EBQ_Tfo7IXR7K6xoF6L-QYrYNmDb4VbL7zkOnAbTm74jJY5DTgrs05fv1AwF-MlNZ3u_t9DiKn_deBTZ8TTmQEoSyrQDZu-Olsam9FtkcrEXBX3REd8sZVpQ/s400/DSC02314.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Futon. For the large items we needed to attach the trailer to the xtracycle<br /> to get a larger carrying surface.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Futon frame. That is our new place in the background.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PeUq8yFcKCX5M83K-YslocHcnisYlHucO5ShhyphenhyphenZ7g_NaMLsN7dg05izM5axGItOzaF2_Ux-gNPo86abTHFV6PBjY3UdLBP8avVUemUhyphenhyphenzrlydlE4JWFrnLnHw83e75WGUz1Zq7twuLo/s1600/DSC02323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PeUq8yFcKCX5M83K-YslocHcnisYlHucO5ShhyphenhyphenZ7g_NaMLsN7dg05izM5axGItOzaF2_Ux-gNPo86abTHFV6PBjY3UdLBP8avVUemUhyphenhyphenzrlydlE4JWFrnLnHw83e75WGUz1Zq7twuLo/s400/DSC02323.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mattress!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfJhC23qPycSXmBFWucD_Q597OtmJzBj_sZt2MoScDQvzs0rjsM_4PYdupkMhyF38VRJMqoQxwYpsP4WZTkm0mz9A_2TGfYWrHTzlT__0hyxdgn917ppzsLQfX1swUaE15PF13yC6X8E/s1600/DSC02320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFfJhC23qPycSXmBFWucD_Q597OtmJzBj_sZt2MoScDQvzs0rjsM_4PYdupkMhyF38VRJMqoQxwYpsP4WZTkm0mz9A_2TGfYWrHTzlT__0hyxdgn917ppzsLQfX1swUaE15PF13yC6X8E/s640/DSC02320.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We ran into our friend Lori, who was conveniently riding a Brompton folding bicycle, for contrast.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-85731963626558244182012-07-22T14:57:00.002-07:002012-07-22T14:57:31.475-07:00Bikes Back!Ah, finally, the bikes are all unpacked and we can take rides in State College! It took a couple weeks to ship them across the country, but last week Daisy picked them up from our local bike shop. You can see her below, riding her cargo bicycle (Xtracycle) to bring the two bikes home. Wow! (She sure knows how to haul stuff!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcuucOHYpDmJj3-K7saPTjklctv6G4JDkrb-90Sdq282AxGZ0KJLFRsvvDRguUDfE8I71y8sOFLE1TXJL5LNNZqttt_fmZLfiKij84TWZxOQ0K0D2r95QHxU8Jx6MmYQbtrLdd-0jcFo/s1600/biketransport.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCcuucOHYpDmJj3-K7saPTjklctv6G4JDkrb-90Sdq282AxGZ0KJLFRsvvDRguUDfE8I71y8sOFLE1TXJL5LNNZqttt_fmZLfiKij84TWZxOQ0K0D2r95QHxU8Jx6MmYQbtrLdd-0jcFo/s640/biketransport.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy transports two bicycles by bicycle!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibiusUKYOLza-29dckIthitAlu6lsy7kxaynThxSGzTtGdPwnX2ecJE46RTTiCBkjGE281xWnZZwdrUZ1yTRj7Zn7ozy3RJ8qsauP2btUhP4S1PkYdStuOs2dPOAsgpdOXUpW-vm9qxc0/s1600/2012seeds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibiusUKYOLza-29dckIthitAlu6lsy7kxaynThxSGzTtGdPwnX2ecJE46RTTiCBkjGE281xWnZZwdrUZ1yTRj7Zn7ozy3RJ8qsauP2btUhP4S1PkYdStuOs2dPOAsgpdOXUpW-vm9qxc0/s320/2012seeds.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An excellent example of 'random stuff we find' that is <br />then transported by bicycle.</td></tr>
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Actually, I'm consistently impressed by the stuff Daisy hauls around -- a friend with suitcases heading to the bus stop, Jimmy's bags/boxes that he is moving across town, and random stuff we find. As she was loading the bikes on her bike a guy walked by and commented "That is what pick-up trucks are for." Well, sir, that is what cargo bicycles are for! Maybe you've seen those bumper stickers around that say 'my other x is a y,' we need one that says 'my other bike is a bike'!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX5U20UJfc8vVOozEGeJMErcqvG7nHmHR1uY6yEl_XKha2urp4sYuL70CzhBkDNt3NebEbjdW3ayvFOFMzHjEBmCujpY3VRfsZHYs5lLS0nHycNWTTkdzSyWZOO8VzETRAQ7KB7MDDelA/s640/DSC02120.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our garden in mid-July... needless to say we got a late start!</td></tr>
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p.s.- We look forward to moving across town in two weeks - by bicycle! Maybe ~10 trips with the xtra and another bike with a trailer? We'll see!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-v38CcUuKchQUbe3jwYVBXiGtbMsiM1xZIJe56LA9BvnZGtCXY0y10BdFSNwYcJHIz6x2rOq9Jy013MSZdvJVdodsda7EXh_By7hryZxZJd8FOknJhYsshRa7X2G2J8Xx12Wy_sAA94/s1600/DSC02115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-v38CcUuKchQUbe3jwYVBXiGtbMsiM1xZIJe56LA9BvnZGtCXY0y10BdFSNwYcJHIz6x2rOq9Jy013MSZdvJVdodsda7EXh_By7hryZxZJd8FOknJhYsshRa7X2G2J8Xx12Wy_sAA94/s400/DSC02115.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bonus photo: A squirrel takes a bagel from the 833 house. I've long been a promoter of <br />shutting the doors. Now I can add this to my list along with the skunk, possums, etc.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-13726750260080540322012-06-19T11:10:00.000-07:002012-06-19T11:10:42.504-07:00The victory lap - to the Peace Arch.Yesterday Jason and I did it - we accomplished our goal of reaching the US-Canada border. Yippee!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">The Peace Arch at the US-Canada border</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the 'abandoned' road</td></tr>
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It is a little hard to believe that we really did it. The final 35 mile ride from Bellingham to the Peace Arch was so easy - flat and beautiful along the bays of Northwest Washington. Traffic was light, or even non-existent in portions. We got to ride on roads that had been shut to car traffic for nearly 10 years after 9.11, as they are close to a refinery in the country. It is amazing to see how the fields and forests are slowly reclaiming the side of the roads. I used to love to ride out there and pretend it was the post apocalypse, and I was delivering food and medicine to isolated country communities. Silly.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At Birch Bay</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snacktime</td></tr>
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We made it to the Peace Arch and found my parents waiting for us... with cameras. It was like the Paparazzi or something. There is a great park right along the border that British Columbia and Washington State manage jointly. It makes it possible to go see the boundary line and the monument without actually going through customs. So we posed, of course, still a little incredulous that we had really done it.<br />
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Now we are preparing for our trip back to State College, and our re-entry into the real world. We have learned a lot on this trip about simplicity, focus, and enjoying time together. Also, about being nice to people. The trip flew by as we pushed through challenging days and conditions. Ultimately, I am thrilled that we rode border to border, but next time I am determined to schedule in more time to explore and rest and spend time with new friends we make along the road. </div>
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Two nights ago we watched a movie called Ride the Divide (check it out on Netflix) about a race along the border to border mountain bike route available from Adventure Cycling. I am now determined to ride the route (but not race it). You should seriously make the time to watch this 80 minute documentary. The goal of riding through some of the US and Canada's true wild places will keep me focused just long enough to complete my PhD. </div>
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Thanks to all who followed along on our great adventure. We'll probably post a few more pictures and stories as we settle back into a more stationary life over the next few weeks. Hopefully, we'll find some adventures around State College too. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Citrus was happy, too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 'Paparazzi'</td></tr>
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</div>Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-12706547255147428292012-06-17T10:51:00.000-07:002012-06-17T10:51:02.214-07:00Oh Bellingham, Oh Bellingham... <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made it to Bellingham!! Notice... the pouring rain. Ha!</td></tr>
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Yesterday evening around 5 pm we made it to my home turf - Bellingham, WA. This city's unofficial slogan is "the city of subdued excitement", and that pretty much sums up our final full day riding. We were excited, yes, but subdued by the drenching rain. So very different from our first full day riding in southern California! Tomorrow we will finish the trip by riding the final 30 miles to the US-Canada border, but first I'll fill you in on what has happened since Cashmere. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the shore of Lake Chelan</td></tr>
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North of Cashmere is an amazing lake called Lake Chelan, where we camped for a night. In future years (when we live closer), I hope to return here for some backpacking trips. You see, the lake is a filled in glacial fjord type thing. It is about a mile wide (at its widest) and an amazing 55 miles long. It is also the third deepest lake in the US. Wow! It goes from central Washington wine country to deep in the Cascade mountains. In fact, there is a tiny town deep in the mountains called Stehekin that you can only reach via float plane, foot, or boat. They only got land line telephones in 2007!! You can hike into this town from the Western side of the mountains, and then take a boat out and finally a bus back around. Someday... There are always so many places that we find on bike tour that we want to come back to. The list is getting longer and longer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rinsing of Rainier cherries makes them look like goldfish</td></tr>
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One of the perks to riding in Central and Eastern Washington is the availability of fresh produce. Growing up in this state, I had no idea that the inundation of incredible cherries, apples, pears, and berries was special to this region. Luckily, we were able to catch the very beginning of fruit season here. We saw vast fields of cherries and pears, apples and apple packing factories. We've been eating cherries from fruit stands and strawberries from the lowlands. Yum! When on bike tour, it's hard to not eat massive amounts of the cherries. Trust me, as I learned on a past tour in Eastern Washington, eating more than a pound of cherries in one sitting is NOT a good idea!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winthrop - a 1900 themed town</td></tr>
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After riding north for a number of days, we hit the town of Winthrop. This is the town where my parents had their very first date! Actually, the town is hilarious. It's been re-done to imitate a western town at the turn of the century. The sidewalks are really wooden boardwalks, and all the storefronts look like the wild west. We were lucky to hit town on a perfect day of clear blue skies. Once we left, we headed due West to tackle the final pass of the trip - the North Cascades.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water gushing next to the road</td></tr>
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Even after having ridden the incredible mountains of California, I still have to say that the North Cascades is my favorite pass of the trip. I know, I know, Yosemite was epic, but the Cascades are so incredible, and the snow and jagged peaks continue for so many miles. Take a look at the pictures to see! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason on the east side of pass - the mountains are<br />getting closer!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the high point of the North Cascades Highway. A stunning<br />view of the snowy mountains.</td></tr>
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We were incredibly lucky to ride the pass under clear blue skies. There was still large amounts of snow next to the road, and the streams were all gushing with the snowmelt. There were more than a dozen waterfalls next to the road, some of them very very high and impressive. What a fantastic pass to finish the trip with. </div>
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We descended to the West side of the mountains and rode alongside the Skagit river for many miles. We could tell that the ecosystem was vastly different - so much green! In fact, Washington is home to the only temperate rainforest in the lower 48. The next day we experienced it. Rain! <br />
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At first it was a drizzle. Then it was a downpour. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason on the road near Concrete, WA. Notice the water... everywhere.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFPr_QCGAX4IMJtxuPOliU87IXg7S_ugZAHQ5CbkfDZgUgxXNjOwNNvTVBIACQtd-TV8rp5Bvv7s3eaJ-gSiMBaYgyY9JER2U2nSPMT9XYqr-PtK9d4NcVJ29-Z737keZWujeq__FXpY/s1600/DSC01946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" pca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghFPr_QCGAX4IMJtxuPOliU87IXg7S_ugZAHQ5CbkfDZgUgxXNjOwNNvTVBIACQtd-TV8rp5Bvv7s3eaJ-gSiMBaYgyY9JER2U2nSPMT9XYqr-PtK9d4NcVJ29-Z737keZWujeq__FXpY/s320/DSC01946.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding through the rainforest</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqVmD_aOZVRRssReA63csrkxC79eXHTCSqL0LwYQHJwulXc_ps2HFWz5IQtk7ACCRenc7RVard1ZbHiKG2uOosOozHJwVvu5rxSXA3VahEOpjlOPOwIaWjkHArUDyMYG7K1DASqQbTP0/s1600/DSC01950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" pca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlqVmD_aOZVRRssReA63csrkxC79eXHTCSqL0LwYQHJwulXc_ps2HFWz5IQtk7ACCRenc7RVard1ZbHiKG2uOosOozHJwVvu5rxSXA3VahEOpjlOPOwIaWjkHArUDyMYG7K1DASqQbTP0/s320/DSC01950.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking shelter from the rain with a cup of coffee. Yum!</td></tr>
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Our final full day of riding was bittersweet. I'm on familiar roads now, where I've ridden countless training rides in my racing days. For Jason, the roads and scenery are still new and exciting. The rain did little to dampen our spirits, as the temperature was comfortable and we had very good rain gear. It's just strange to reach the end of a trip. Our goal, once so lofty and distant, is within easy reach. That is exciting, but the reality of going back to the real world is staring us in the face. I like my work and my friends in PA, but I love this West Coast so! It's hard to go from the unrestrained freedom and adventure of bicycle touring to a cubicle and weekend adventures. We'll do it though, because every day I'll be putting money away for the next BIG adventure. Yes, it's already in the planning stages.<br /><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wet. Wet. Wet.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The strawberries are giant in the Skagit river valley!</td></tr>
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We are resting and enjoying Bellingham today, and tomorrow we'll take a quick jaunt up to the Peace Arch at the border, completing our border to border adventure. What remains you ask? The coast to coast sequel!! </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXEFLqiYNAC04-N-G-lgdub6k5UctyF_BdYaTmTEJyi7VV2A1KYNir9oPsgUo0D511N49dmrosNQsJE14rGhdHYioEgfvmj8LHfZjAJTJF5hcQQZ0u5On-6PC5Z8RIgbyUaK1XaxXzV4/s1600/DSC01965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" pca="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXEFLqiYNAC04-N-G-lgdub6k5UctyF_BdYaTmTEJyi7VV2A1KYNir9oPsgUo0D511N49dmrosNQsJE14rGhdHYioEgfvmj8LHfZjAJTJF5hcQQZ0u5On-6PC5Z8RIgbyUaK1XaxXzV4/s400/DSC01965.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying laughter with my family.</td></tr>
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<img height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAID7cTmU8AucHVCaokr_vKc_ozbhPDHkmo5TVal5qdPnBu6UjGQrTl_qgF-P7e7pMMSURVy6fZJ0lTZiD3nBynbInV2hMQ2nsxhVgnwDYu8fSWoYiVDwjv5HX32IusjAT9bk-MUhyBg/s320/DSC01918.JPG" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 481px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 478px; visibility: hidden;" width="63" /></div>Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-15315520682133157082012-06-13T14:07:00.002-07:002012-06-13T14:07:28.694-07:00<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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We are currently right in the middle of Washington State (well, more
or less). This afternoon we visited the Aplets and Cotlets factory in
Cashmere, a sleepy little town that is 'famous' (ha!) for this little
candy reminiscent of Turkish Delights. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Let's see,
last time we updated we were in Bend, OR. I (Daisy) really liked this
town, and would have loved to spend more time there. Alas, Canada
called and we headed North once again. About 20 miles from town we
stopped for dinner at a Safeway. We had carried a ton of food, but in
the middle of what seemed like endless headwinds, we decided to get the
"Shanghai Tonight" special for $9.99, and remarkably it was more food
than we could eat. Ha! While we were eating a woman offered us a ride
and a camping spot in her yard. She wanted to help us out since her son
is plotting a South American bike tour. We told her that we wanted to
keep riding, but thanked her and wished her son luck. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
We
ended up stopping that night at the best wild camping spot we've found
yet. There was a beautiful overlook next to the road that included a
pedestrian bridge across a 300' river canyon. Just on the other side of
the bridge there was nothing but flat, sandy ground with shrubs and
trees. Taking shelter from the wind behind the trees, we were happy
campers on the soft ground.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
The next day was
characterized by one thing: HEADWIND. we fought the headwind all day
long. The internet set that the wind was 20 to 25 mph, but by the end
of the day it felt worse. Eastern Oregon was beautiful, and we could
see the mountains still getting snowed on, but it was really hard to
fight the headwind. At certain moments we were really discouraged, but
luckily we had a fantastic diversion cheer us up: at a rest next to the
road a herd of donkeys approached and we fed them all of the carrots
that were going bad in our food bag. What fun! </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
We
called it quits early that night, and camped in the only place around
that gave us any kind of shelter from the wind: a giant pile of
gravel. I dug out a spot right up close and we settled in for the
night. The rain fly flapped until the morning. </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
On
Sunday we crossed the river into Washington. Yippee! I was so excited
to be back in my home state. Actually, I still am. Even better, my
parents met us in a state park next to the Columbia and are now
following along with us. During the day they slowly drive along and
explore and we ride, then we meet them in a predetermined campground for
the night. My mom makes the best dinners! It is wonderful to be
greeted in camp by the screaming family dog and a lovely salad. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Because
of this luxury, we've been riding long days. Monday was just over 100
miles through the flat and mostly featureless "Horse Heaven Viticultural
Area". Apparently the Columbia River has been siphoned off to feed
grapes in what would otherwise be scrublands. The road was in the
middle of nowhere, and we almost despaired of making it back to
civilization. Little did we know that we had been gradually climbing up
over 1,000'. We thought it was flat! And then we descended...</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Yesterday,
too, we road over 90 miles. We rode through busy Yakima, stopping for
ice cream, and finally got back on the Adventure Cycling route. Yay!
We were happy to be on pretty roads again. We spent 25 miles in a
beautiful river canyon, and then emerged into the valley at Ellensburg.
The valley... and the headwind. It was terrible. Especially Jason,
who is built like a sail to catch the wind, was suffering. We
persevered though, and made it into the mountains. After a wonderful
night with my parents in the pines, we finished a gentle Blewett Pass
this morning and descended all the way to Cashmere. If all goes well we
will be on the West side of the mountains on Friday night, and in
Bellingham in time to see the Farmer's Market on Saturday. I'm soooo
excited! </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
PS - The computer I'm using won't let me arrange the pictures artfully... you'll just have to pretend! </div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUsZ79oXj1Ur_-k3njMcUoluvwUfKw0pUb8Unq7Zxr7drOEJD1TnEP71hZ0Js3NQyzOkJcicO4zDcYPHbcsXa8cX8gMtP_cAkNgYsblN0hY8s8wHbwnbVmfUtnplnSfJXjq3JHBY-pVk/s1600/DSC01619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUsZ79oXj1Ur_-k3njMcUoluvwUfKw0pUb8Unq7Zxr7drOEJD1TnEP71hZ0Js3NQyzOkJcicO4zDcYPHbcsXa8cX8gMtP_cAkNgYsblN0hY8s8wHbwnbVmfUtnplnSfJXjq3JHBY-pVk/s320/DSC01619.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feeding the donkeys!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKKwRdgdbxMHWxtBdkf3m3ZWwQIluJoN9I8xolH2Ffas2mcs5fYNGr2S0k_SYZAQtVS3UKwIxlA5_7xUibANRT2KR-qnIX2-C4uES4geivs5opWeoI_MnWrYr0-HjhUP1Te0pSR9sTds/s1600/DSC01654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKKwRdgdbxMHWxtBdkf3m3ZWwQIluJoN9I8xolH2Ffas2mcs5fYNGr2S0k_SYZAQtVS3UKwIxlA5_7xUibANRT2KR-qnIX2-C4uES4geivs5opWeoI_MnWrYr0-HjhUP1Te0pSR9sTds/s320/DSC01654.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy's home state!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKzrVe4uU7AyWVQVJIsMiWQBFcOuptPbDlj-raIfVSTdFiOr07jsEGAGYc01AYgUGwbjTWrRx6PZIzofZkJBscdVS-b_e2zr9GI9g_qvyMDHDoj3-yU7O86vDmfcC_543Mb1GGeWfgEk/s1600/DSC01569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKzrVe4uU7AyWVQVJIsMiWQBFcOuptPbDlj-raIfVSTdFiOr07jsEGAGYc01AYgUGwbjTWrRx6PZIzofZkJBscdVS-b_e2zr9GI9g_qvyMDHDoj3-yU7O86vDmfcC_543Mb1GGeWfgEk/s640/DSC01569.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Crooked River Canyon north of Bend. Best wild camping ever!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9D_qoi-1fnsfL6TjMLMP_GIDeXFNwPNkMENMeNKu12xDOF_WzjEUFiONYDMarF3RtkdDSnrL-Xn_CvBdDLzJUJh6lh0aIeW87OL6M4Iy7gDe4E9lskdbOh6C4wa3ShW5tPiSuVdY82Xo/s1600/DSC01631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9D_qoi-1fnsfL6TjMLMP_GIDeXFNwPNkMENMeNKu12xDOF_WzjEUFiONYDMarF3RtkdDSnrL-Xn_CvBdDLzJUJh6lh0aIeW87OL6M4Iy7gDe4E9lskdbOh6C4wa3ShW5tPiSuVdY82Xo/s640/DSC01631.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shelter from the wind provided by... a gravel pile!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkHPP4N3ppqE9R3xma073SV8QGxbFCZLVxcM8BuZfeZ5RImadnaGI0RB5IHsrNm6uZpAslj2WuXJzueE7tBnG2gFYAzV2fGn0cXAiMYi8qyiMR63K5tjf2HN29tNxXgWAckx6IfvGWyA/s1600/DSC01587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMkHPP4N3ppqE9R3xma073SV8QGxbFCZLVxcM8BuZfeZ5RImadnaGI0RB5IHsrNm6uZpAslj2WuXJzueE7tBnG2gFYAzV2fGn0cXAiMYi8qyiMR63K5tjf2HN29tNxXgWAckx6IfvGWyA/s320/DSC01587.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason can be protective of his (many) munchies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3T95Z9cflXQ5-pXN2c7jmhjUhkgD1tTXElaKDy6e1VOWOWwRD3kbWnHDPSnhSS6toual8Hn9Ku06IakKDg161amBtCNFvwaMYm2Fb805jzMCTzcCza_XouwKmNgyOxmjgqbtkWIZ3ZM/s1600/DSC01681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ3T95Z9cflXQ5-pXN2c7jmhjUhkgD1tTXElaKDy6e1VOWOWwRD3kbWnHDPSnhSS6toual8Hn9Ku06IakKDg161amBtCNFvwaMYm2Fb805jzMCTzcCza_XouwKmNgyOxmjgqbtkWIZ3ZM/s320/DSC01681.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family Reunion! (Except for my sister)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNutWoJ4ikHnu0WNlu-yhMZL2B53s6M5ECeror-_5jyo_IAZy9WSxdimWYH3StDyDi3IeDrqNtuiYunSmXOcCkODULH_RkeYNDy3gVFUL3MMCrosuXY2Prh_Z0DKOeJ2hwZBwKZpzVPw/s1600/DSC01738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRNutWoJ4ikHnu0WNlu-yhMZL2B53s6M5ECeror-_5jyo_IAZy9WSxdimWYH3StDyDi3IeDrqNtuiYunSmXOcCkODULH_RkeYNDy3gVFUL3MMCrosuXY2Prh_Z0DKOeJ2hwZBwKZpzVPw/s320/DSC01738.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love Citrus!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-38895176520420477712012-06-08T15:07:00.000-07:002012-06-08T15:07:17.791-07:00Eastern OregonEastern Oregon is cooler than we thought. OK, so Daisy already thinks Oregon is a really awesome state, but now the impression has improved further. We are in the library in Bend, OR, and today has been absolutely awesome so far!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohrDqkOrJYDNi-SUemyyf-TLlHC068hKK8dZ8CSOZYAP7dH3fl89fN7GK81rSuqlfo6DMPUIl8sI8vNGCxxc3KswXHPiFth2Xr_stRQjHVkQRNUDSPPBxCm0_FOpryr0PPTEq2Y7raRc/s1600/DSC01534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohrDqkOrJYDNi-SUemyyf-TLlHC068hKK8dZ8CSOZYAP7dH3fl89fN7GK81rSuqlfo6DMPUIl8sI8vNGCxxc3KswXHPiFth2Xr_stRQjHVkQRNUDSPPBxCm0_FOpryr0PPTEq2Y7raRc/s320/DSC01534.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ice in the lava tube cave.</td></tr>
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We woke to ice on our tent - it was a bit cold overnight - but no snow. We were wild camping across the street from an RV park. Ha. We biked a few miles (~10) up the road and found a lava tube cave! We arrived right as it opened for the day, so we had the cave to ourselves. (A mile long and at times 30' high.) As we were leaving two school buses full of children arrived... We continued northward and arrived at the city of Bend. As we entered downtown, we asked a random buy-on-a-bike what his recommendation was for lunch. After a few choices, we decided on Brother Jon's, a brew-pub (Deschutes Brewery). It was "sort of" on his way home, so he decided to ride us there. He was getting ahead of us a little, but then noticed that we were a little slower after we carefully went off a curb, instead of jumping into the street. The food was great, definitely filled us up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98VwFXmZ7ag2JFub2tEL-MZfo8-Qyeh0ojYJi1EjvkQt0l619pFw47_hq6lLh2hIagRylGOlW3AWeQPu8MERVGaOkD_XJGPnzNoY2t99Yy1eYG4BeQjY7tWqcVUeE4RA_gXXAyH4Sxe8/s1600/DSC01487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj98VwFXmZ7ag2JFub2tEL-MZfo8-Qyeh0ojYJi1EjvkQt0l619pFw47_hq6lLh2hIagRylGOlW3AWeQPu8MERVGaOkD_XJGPnzNoY2t99Yy1eYG4BeQjY7tWqcVUeE4RA_gXXAyH4Sxe8/s320/DSC01487.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowy morning... before additional snow.</td></tr>
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So, you may be asking, why are we in Eastern Oregon? It is true that the ACA (Adventure Cycling Association) Sierra-Cascades route drops into Bend, and a few other towns on the east side of the mountains, but we have been off route for a few days. It started a few days ago when we woke up to snow on our tent, the ground, and in the trees. (It was only ~1 inch of accumulation, but it did make the trees look beautiful.) After about 8 miles, the snow storm was going quite well. Visibility was low, it was starting to stick to the roads, (we were really cold and wet,) and we decided that it might be better to head east out of the storm. (By the way, we had talked to Daisy's father the night before, who told us that there was a week-long storm coming -- low pressure [rain] all the way to Japan.) After about a mile on Rt 140 in the snow, we pulled off. It just so happened that there was a forest service guy there with an empty pick-up truck heading east! Perfect!! He gave us a ride downhill out of the mountains to Klamath Falls. In case you're keeping track, our score is two for two on hitching rides out of snowstorms.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9HYPoYCOuwLWDiVFVQod7CaiFxUFkWZLTrKZ1-mPStCZi8gPYoUDURKmXeolK6uXQOivyyhbiGUDwC3LYnqUdE17NEOoctyqjwq5fytDuO2LKxfDpdnqytBTNKkenGB0hyphenhyphenF0i8fv2to/s1600/DSC01498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY9HYPoYCOuwLWDiVFVQod7CaiFxUFkWZLTrKZ1-mPStCZi8gPYoUDURKmXeolK6uXQOivyyhbiGUDwC3LYnqUdE17NEOoctyqjwq5fytDuO2LKxfDpdnqytBTNKkenGB0hyphenhyphenF0i8fv2to/s320/DSC01498.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Treating ourselves to dinner while planning a new route, <br />hopefully free of snowstorms.</td></tr>
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We got stocked up at the grocery store and headed north. Unfortunately, the shortest route also happened to be heavy with trucks (Rt. 97). The shoulder narrowed, and then the road was sandwiched between a lake and a hill with a concrete barrier. We decided not to risk our lives further and head back to town to regroup. We ended up staying at a funny, "old school" hotel (it actually had real keys!) and working out a new route.<br />
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The next morning we headed east. We got into the rural part of Oregon quickly. And then we left it and entered nowhere-land. This nowhere-land happened to be along forest roads 30 and 28 between the small towns of Beatty and Silver Lake. To give you an idea, that afternoon and the next morning we saw about 10 vehicles - and four were forest service trucks. We did see a lot of trees. Thick patches as well as the "thinned" logged areas. That night we made dinner near a stream and I think I saw the most mosquitos I've ever encountered (more than Alaska). The lemon-eucalyptus bug spray worked well (no bites) but it didn't stop them from swarming.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3nkbA1Z9UlJNrVBVr0F5R4uB9Ipcj5KfVjIwz2eIUoy_-vcpnIfSY_5jQVTAmHK2taaYjSufpezXNch_34R6tWarlA1YKIeJoi_trtZtHSHKEOvGAFWaIeBolXMKGCMfk-toLC6-uWw/s1600/DSC01524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3nkbA1Z9UlJNrVBVr0F5R4uB9Ipcj5KfVjIwz2eIUoy_-vcpnIfSY_5jQVTAmHK2taaYjSufpezXNch_34R6tWarlA1YKIeJoi_trtZtHSHKEOvGAFWaIeBolXMKGCMfk-toLC6-uWw/s400/DSC01524.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cooking dinner at city hall.</td></tr>
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I enjoyed the break from traffic, but it was also nice to get back to "civilization" for a change. Our use of public spaces continues - yesterday for lunch we cooked outside the post office, and last night for dinner we cooked under an awning at the city hall building in La Pine while a windy storm rolled in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8uVvnzldnmiFXeSaYvyCBnDxnGKoCvVmS8HHNzjR2eXoh0akSGGs2M2z3Ou3MtZfT109gpWhGt3AbTYj0W0MWf93bul4mVmrZALHFRRp_ox2TH23WaOUsaB4O2VJoa60Hfjjtn-N3HE/s1600/DSC01552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8uVvnzldnmiFXeSaYvyCBnDxnGKoCvVmS8HHNzjR2eXoh0akSGGs2M2z3Ou3MtZfT109gpWhGt3AbTYj0W0MWf93bul4mVmrZALHFRRp_ox2TH23WaOUsaB4O2VJoa60Hfjjtn-N3HE/s400/DSC01552.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clouds dumping precip. on the Cascades.</td></tr>
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When we came back in sight of the Cascade range, we could see the clouds dumping rain/snow/whatever in the mountains. (This made us feel a little more justified for leaving the route.) Earlier we were told that snow was falling down to 4500' elevation (we're at 3500' now). Our current plan is to keep heading north on the east side of the range and reconnect with the ACA route in Washington. We'll finish it to Bellingham, and catch the border, too.<br />
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On a related bike-maintenance side note, my chain has been used for almost 1900 miles of touring and is showing little sign of stretching (<0.75)!! Wow! (Usually they get replaced at 1000+ miles. I guess I've been using the 'granny gear' a lot instead of cranking up those mountains.) Today I had my rear tire trued a little, but other than that no maintenance has been necessary - that check-up at Freeze-Thaw Cycles before leaving was very effective. (Daisy did get her chain replaced and rear tire trued back in Tahoe.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgwMSilrFQW2Eqv1v3YyBmtRV_x5ZEbgwt4V8lPcggsmnsu2levknNLdPjL9nCliY8uKMDDp07EpRzRMNsrCtFQQ74GkDpWkyQQYE6V0S6x0vb0F0dyK-I1d1Bhz3GEED7Wqb5FD8Nyc/s1600/DSC01559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgwMSilrFQW2Eqv1v3YyBmtRV_x5ZEbgwt4V8lPcggsmnsu2levknNLdPjL9nCliY8uKMDDp07EpRzRMNsrCtFQQ74GkDpWkyQQYE6V0S6x0vb0F0dyK-I1d1Bhz3GEED7Wqb5FD8Nyc/s400/DSC01559.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After journal-writing I always give dramatic readings to Daisy, who suggests edits.</td></tr>
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Time to continue northward to the OR-WA border. Daisy's parents will be meeting us in a couple days and camping with us for the Washington section. (And Citrus the German Shepard, too!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome back to "civilization"!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-70148023824195261022012-06-08T14:47:00.000-07:002012-06-08T14:47:02.833-07:00From Northern California to Southern Oregon<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzFMzSrL5oz7iMelR-VkouazUGUxM9jDNVJfewqcDtrvWCv1MS45tarxGcGYllR2evElKYwlkUm4Wq9I3bxz1VPOfZD9RoAENxXFpNKbYQz6JAtp5_uhvBeTaitZZ5V07lSnMJSgNUNk/s1600/DSC01375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguzFMzSrL5oz7iMelR-VkouazUGUxM9jDNVJfewqcDtrvWCv1MS45tarxGcGYllR2evElKYwlkUm4Wq9I3bxz1VPOfZD9RoAENxXFpNKbYQz6JAtp5_uhvBeTaitZZ5V07lSnMJSgNUNk/s400/DSC01375.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A shot of some epic clouds - we've finally been seeing lots of them since we<br />left California!</td></tr>
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We've been a bit isolated for the past week, so we've got a bit of catching up to do here on the blog. It's my (Daisy) job to write about our on route adventures from Tahoe City, CA to Ashland, OR. My, there is a lot to say.<br />
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For the entire week between these two places we were booking it - I think that our 'slowest' day was 68 miles, and our longest was 96. Yikes! After the numerous and epic mountain passes of Southern and Central California, this northern stretch was relatively mild. We saw sooo many pine trees! The national forests seemed to go on forever, but luckily the logging traffic was not too bad. <br />
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There was one final big pass in California that we were really looking forward to in Lassen Volcanic National Park. Our story of this pass is really quite a tale...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1bUuO9gVNAOXqJt6rY1uLWWWGIT5rYT5lVGO0eR2MIqciN44f80k9a38i0VQzdg9DFGfFNhHlU3YbqURl6LCb9ynpXMK8LUqKskHE8wdC4l0HD7KbsDFIPUjeFzgJXWU2dKPxP391sI4/s1600/DSC01370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1bUuO9gVNAOXqJt6rY1uLWWWGIT5rYT5lVGO0eR2MIqciN44f80k9a38i0VQzdg9DFGfFNhHlU3YbqURl6LCb9ynpXMK8LUqKskHE8wdC4l0HD7KbsDFIPUjeFzgJXWU2dKPxP391sI4/s400/DSC01370.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A distant view of the volcanic Mt. Lassen</td></tr>
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We planned to ride to the base of the pass on Thursday, and then do the climb and descend on Friday. The ride to the base was very nice, curving around a rather large Lake Almanor. We even got to ride along a curvy bike path for quite a while right next to the water. At the end of the road around the lake we turned to head towards the park... only to see the sign on the road declaring that the pass was still closed due to an extreme accumulation of snow and ice. No!! We immediately called my father to do the online detective work to make sure the sign was right. He confirmed it. We called the park information line. It was after hours, so we just got the recorded message saying that the pass was closed and that it was to open sometime in the next week. Great. We wanted to call again in the morning, so we decided to camp nearby and try again. We found a spot in what turned out to be the towns flood control canals, whoops! No rain though, so we were fine until morning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYthmULvR4G8Sf5zN9WwxMgMuXXfXn3qNg4PD5rKCKob3cLYQF1KQdKFLDllnKVZ1yyagtzcAaHtqACBuefXdZbOQR3D-LrT5HOtgpHMgBDSEx-Wi36PKSOUg6SI0PeCFBSv0m_9WhRI/s1600/DSC01363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivYthmULvR4G8Sf5zN9WwxMgMuXXfXn3qNg4PD5rKCKob3cLYQF1KQdKFLDllnKVZ1yyagtzcAaHtqACBuefXdZbOQR3D-LrT5HOtgpHMgBDSEx-Wi36PKSOUg6SI0PeCFBSv0m_9WhRI/s400/DSC01363.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding in the flats.</td></tr>
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In the morning we woke up and rode to a nearby town, Chester, where we got coffee and a cinnamon roll and checked the website. The picture on the website showed multiple miles of unplowed road, and the message on the information line was the same. We were sad, but decided to take the road around the park and continue north. The new route was nice - flat and fast and nearly traffic-free. The miles flew by, and before we knew it we were around the mountain and back on the route. Before descending to the route though, we stopped at a beautiful overlook that gave us clear views of both Mt. Lassen and Mt. Shasta, two huge volcanic peaks that dominated the skylines in either directions. <br />
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At the intersection with the original route we turned to go buy chips in town and saw... a road sign saying that the pass was OPEN. Ack!!! Apparently they hadn't updated the message or the website, and had opened it that afternoon. I had a little meltdown on the side of the road, and then we pulled it together and bought some ice cream as a (pathetic) consolation prize. There was also a 'book swap' where we traded in a few of our already-read books for some new ones. We limped on down the road for another 30ish miles, trading extra miles for the disappointment of a missed pass. Luckily, a wonderful surprise was waiting for us at the State Park where we were planning on staying.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXR7hFHbDjwErIMRgedXEOljw7dF_uTCG11Yrw7BppRfIbHT-WKgf6q8-C7SHQ7u3uLf9sWKweKQj3lGEghFzhB89HHDzr2FZbCyvT2_SNlt8L4LknV_OsOQ24sxlfvdjvGfhGbKR4oPg/s1600/DSC01381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXR7hFHbDjwErIMRgedXEOljw7dF_uTCG11Yrw7BppRfIbHT-WKgf6q8-C7SHQ7u3uLf9sWKweKQj3lGEghFzhB89HHDzr2FZbCyvT2_SNlt8L4LknV_OsOQ24sxlfvdjvGfhGbKR4oPg/s400/DSC01381.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our wonderful bike touring friends in Burney Falls State Park.</td></tr>
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The surprise was not a nice view of a waterfall, or a pleasant hiker-biker site (although both of those things were there too), it was another pair of touring cyclists! We got to share a site and some wonderful conversation with Eric and Sophia, a Swedish couple who decided to leave their modern lives behind for a year to ride their bicycles and get a new perspective. They were fantastic - friendly and funny and full of just the kind of cycling stories that kept us chatting into the night. We talked about all the crazy things that happen on bike tour - it's like a special language that only people who've done it can decipher. For example, how luxurious a picnic table can be. The real kicker though... they had come over the pass denied to us - a whole day before it had been opened to cars! They got a tip from a local; tour guide about sneaking past the barricades. The video they showed us looked epic - the snow was piled at least 5' high next to the road, like they were riding through a canyon of snow. We had such a good time talking to them though that we were ok with missing the pass. If we had ridden it, we may never have met them! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAUF7eI_mg2NRk60Br3KvE4swWI8ACcD0wKzilVgaD6kL3TTOgTUbSX6P2B0wQ5EctW0JSsrDviRbM0NmoLvwOK5f29cQmk5eq1oz06lMcVvWpS9vX-QEGMqh4bXc1XeBIKiDvjKp44Y/s1600/DSC01447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAUF7eI_mg2NRk60Br3KvE4swWI8ACcD0wKzilVgaD6kL3TTOgTUbSX6P2B0wQ5EctW0JSsrDviRbM0NmoLvwOK5f29cQmk5eq1oz06lMcVvWpS9vX-QEGMqh4bXc1XeBIKiDvjKp44Y/s400/DSC01447.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closed... to cars...</td></tr>
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We continued riding north towards Oregon, into rather isolated countryside. Finally we actually ran out of side roads and had to ride (uphill) on I-5 for 8 miles across the California - Oregon border. For you East Coasters, I-5 is the border to border massive freeway of the West Coast. Lots of trucks, not much fun for bikes. Yet, we had no choice, so we did it. We left the freeway at Oregon Exit 1. Yay for riding across the entire state of California! We had one more big hill to climb until descending into Ashland. On the descent the road was closed, but emboldened by Eric and Sophias story of Lassen, we continued on. We found that the road had been washed out by a landslide, but it was easy to walk the bikes across and snap a few pictures with the machinery parked there for cleanup. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYl-Bfm7QiMmzpSZ_XSrJvfo3YiGW_U7wrY9c8xGqgZtjvJW4Iw9vQMYC3J666322oY0R4tJGEnEtFIicQZsAHkTQzt0DXcWOFGBAjYnIRDNcUi2UcsL2Qyjj-CpFnh0Q3CH4OvTSanDU/s1600/DSC01394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYl-Bfm7QiMmzpSZ_XSrJvfo3YiGW_U7wrY9c8xGqgZtjvJW4Iw9vQMYC3J666322oY0R4tJGEnEtFIicQZsAHkTQzt0DXcWOFGBAjYnIRDNcUi2UcsL2Qyjj-CpFnh0Q3CH4OvTSanDU/s320/DSC01394.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Shasta! Huge!</td></tr>
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Ashland was a funny little artist's town, known for it's Shakespeare Festival, which actually runs for 8 months of the year. Ha! We got a room in a funny little hostel run by an artist couple. The woman was horrified that I didn't know the name of some (apparently very famous) poet. I should have asked her if she knew of any famous statisticians... I bet she would have not even known Gauss. Oh well, different worlds I guess. We met some very kind people at the local Co-op, and one man suggested a tasty Thai place for dinner. We went there and, hungry as all get-out, ordered three entrees. They were all delicious! Most incredibly, another couple at the restaurant was so inspired by our bike tour that they paid for most of dinner, without even telling us! Thank you to those nameless folks, we will someday pass on the favor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6ve0HBdLrNqn-PHpP70lJeAxCc4iBGGtScNfaTtJBdaPNHJAcbeyVVBB77S_uNJTSN_37oph4pNdPni9nwhuLT6HSGOiJwAKSBs2IVrrzWDP4h4oOWnuQeR6TnSMVm3Z0FNN1UYMxBg/s1600/DSC01422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK6ve0HBdLrNqn-PHpP70lJeAxCc4iBGGtScNfaTtJBdaPNHJAcbeyVVBB77S_uNJTSN_37oph4pNdPni9nwhuLT6HSGOiJwAKSBs2IVrrzWDP4h4oOWnuQeR6TnSMVm3Z0FNN1UYMxBg/s400/DSC01422.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We slept in an elementary school play yard with this excellent map painted on the ground.<br />They were kind enough to have painted in only the states we were riding across!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvn4pu-m9Kt0ki5EsxWtU2n-chchcmd8bf-iy-dk8PCsAA9uUPm7uUzHwK6fW9bJqDUsX1rYGhZ6giOeZQSvoTamouEL1u4Un013GOopGhWB5N9GUAf9aBXBpLzLCpGdl22_lqPRUN110/s1600/DSC01477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvn4pu-m9Kt0ki5EsxWtU2n-chchcmd8bf-iy-dk8PCsAA9uUPm7uUzHwK6fW9bJqDUsX1rYGhZ6giOeZQSvoTamouEL1u4Un013GOopGhWB5N9GUAf9aBXBpLzLCpGdl22_lqPRUN110/s320/DSC01477.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy is tired and cold! Time to REST!</td></tr>
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The next morning we climbed a pass heading north, but only 30 miles into the day I was exhausted. We found a campground with only 6 sites that was closed, and we stopped to read for a bit. When it started to rain we decided to stay the night and rest. Good thing too - the rain refused to stop. It was so insistent that when it came time to make dinner we ended up cooking in the vault toilet stall, as it was the only dry place. After a quick call to my dad, who informed me that there was nothing but rain for the next 10 days, we fell asleep to the insistent sound of raindrops. This is the part of the story that Jason (next to me at the library in Bend) is typing even now...Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-61979426212388331542012-05-30T11:35:00.006-07:002012-05-30T11:35:57.342-07:00Yosemite and beyond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally, some home-grown eggs!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;">Today we are in Lake Tahoe getting our bikes checked. The library is
closed so we are in a coffee shop with wifi, using my tiny iPod touch
to access the web. It's surprisingly easy! </span><br style="color: black;" /><br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">Since we last
updated, a lot has happened. We made it to Yosemite national Park,
narrowly missed a visit with a dear friend of Daisy's, climbed two
passes in one day, and showered twice! We didn't know it at the time,
but at the coffee shak where we wrote last we were mere miles from the
geographic center of the state of California. Wow! Also in that little
town we bought some delicious home grown eggs from the feed store. I
had been dreaming of eggs for a long time and we proceeded to make
fried egg and cheese burritos for lunch next to a beautiful lake.</span><br style="color: black;" />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snow!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;">That same day we saw the first non-sunny weather of the trip. A
lot of it, too! We triumphantly rode into Yosemite Park only to find
that a storm was rolling in, and strong. To get into the park we had
to climb over two big hills of 2,000' each. We got rained and hailed
on during the first climb, and during the second... The snow really set
in. We were going really really fast to stay warm in the face of all
that white, but about half a mile from the summit the visibility was
terrible and the snow was starting to accumulate. In the face of these
actually dangerous conditions we decided to hitch a ride. Actually,
two since we had so much gear we needed two cars. Jason got a ride
with some recent college graduates, and I got a ride with a great
couple from Maine. They were super nice, especially when I left my
soggy gloves in their car and had to track them down in a massive
campground!</span><br style="color: black;" />
<br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: black;">Yosemite was, as expected, spectacular. We spent a full day there,
during which it proceeded to rain all day long. We were warm and dry
in the visitors center and shuttle bus, happy as little clams to be
resting. We ate an entire large pizza for a late lunch, and were so
full that we only had bananas and gummy bears for dinner. Hee hee.</span>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reflections along Tioga Pass<br />
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<br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">We climbed out of Yosemite valley over Tioga Pass - the highest
pass of the trip at 9,945'. It was incredible! The ride to the top took
all day, and was at times very cold, but the views were utterly
spectacular. There were high meadows, steep mountains, and plenty of
snow on the ground. We were suitably exhausted at the top. Exhausted,
but also in awe. Yosemite is another place we'll have to come back to.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made it! Highest spot on the route!</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black;">Yesterday we rode over both Monitor and Luther Passes. Monitor
pass was remarkable because it was 3,000' up the same hillside. We
just crisscroased it, climbing, repeatedly. But we made it! In a
little town on the other side we stopped to buy stamps and met a woman
who had been postmaster for 25 years. She knew everyone and everything
in that town. She shared with us a few stories before we eased back
onto the road. After Luther Pass, which was another 2,000' of steep
climbing, we descended into Lake Tahoe. This lake is huge!</span><br style="color: black;" />
<br style="color: black;" /><span style="color: black;">We were exhausted last night, and were happy to get a hiker biker
site in a state park. Today we will enter Truckee, and complete the
second of our five map sections. We are really getting into a groove
and the mileages are really started to pile up. We might still make it
all the way to Canada! We only have a few more truly epic(7,000'+)
passes left. Also, we're getting much faster at climbing! </span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Panoramic shot of a lake near the top of Tioga Pass (Burr!!)</td></tr>
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<br />Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-85305034172723428342012-05-25T10:08:00.003-07:002012-05-25T10:09:46.612-07:00Slim's Koffee Shop!Yes, that's right! Check the photo. Complete with two benches and a fire barrel. Ha! this morning we just climbed a steep (8-9%) 4 mi out of a river area into North Fork. This appears to be a cool little spot.(Note: no blueberry bagels this morning because they were eaten by a 'coon because they were left in a motorcycle sachel last night.) Later today we'll be in Yosemite Valley!<br />
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Since we're borrowing the barista's computer, I'll make this quick, and post a few photos. the redwoods were great. the park was high and the climbing tough. However, the 20 mile descent out of King's Canyon NP was perfect - no need for breaks or pedaling. We went out to dinner last night, for a change - a nice big plate of Mexican food. yum. OK, off soon!<br />
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[These photos might not have loaded right, so if not, we'll post again later...]<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Us near the General Sherman tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset at Sunset campground</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cattle grates. Saw many!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stealth campsite last night</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This sweet morning spot: Slim's Koffee Shop!</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-12986049679667019382012-05-22T16:58:00.000-07:002012-05-22T16:58:02.213-07:00First national park today -- SequoiaAfter more than a week, we are coming upon our first (of many) National Parks. It is Sequoia National Park, and we're planning (and hoping, ha) to camp inside it tonight. We are so excited to buy our 'annual pass' to the parks!<br />
<br />
The past few days have seen many ups and downs... I mean that both figuratively and literally. Last Friday morning, we have a little bit of a 'strugglefest' day. These happen every once in awhile. I (Jason) woke up too early, and we ended up getting started on the wrong foot (pedal?). We were a bit bummed, too, because we realized that we wouldn't get to see any of the Tour of California bike race because our routes diverged. (That is, the Tour was taking a shorter route than we were between the towns!) In any case, by the evening we had things all worked out and were happily staying at a hotel/motel. ha! Our first/only one of the trip!<br />
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Saturday saw us cruise across the valley floor and out of the desert before it got too hot. We ascended into one of the most productive areas for wind energy - and saw <i>hundreds</i> of wind turbines! Wow! What a sight. We saw the last of the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) for awhile, and chatted for a hiker for a few minutes. He had said he biked across the country east-west on both a northern and a southern route, and now he was doing the PCT. We joked that he should do the AT (Appilachian Trail) too, in order to box the country, and he mentioned that he already had! He seemed like one of the ones that was going to make it through the whole PCT. (We saw many that looked like they wouldn't.)<br />
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By the end of Saturday, we had made 82 miles - our longest day yet. We saw some really amazing scenery. (see photos). On Sunday we took a "rest day." It is nice to build in one about once a week to let the muscles recover a bit. Strangely, we decided to do 52 miles (many climbing) on this day, but we still had a relaxing afternoon and evening! We finished Section 5 of the route (we're doing it backwards: 5-4-3-2-1) and ended in a town called Lake Isabella. Although the name sounded promising, unfortunately for us the town itself was a dud. The best part was probably that we got to sleep in the tent with the rain fly off and look up at the stars. (The overnight low was just in the low 50s.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first 'giant' redwood.</td></tr>
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On Monday we climbed a massive mountain. (The climb was over 30 miles long.) The further up we went, the more (and bigger) trees we saw. We came across our first grove of large sequoia (redwood) trees. And wow, they are big! (If you have seen them, you might think that is an understatement.) The descent was a never-ending ~5%. It was amazing to watch the ecosystems change right before our eyes: large conifers, a small addition of deciduous, mixed, less conifers, and finally sparse shrubs and back into the hot low country. This morning we hit a low of ~500 ft -- which we haven't seen since we left San Diego! (I thought this was a route through the mountains, so I'm still surprised every time we drop low into the hot, desert-y valleys.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxdTOW7N4x5bQV1gtfvWWe2A4U9LmFHs0_FeV8usDF0TCp_6WoDr3TaioNG4gi91xr0OgWLoS3uF6xnn7HjoYKIkoHsphGAB8Px-Sv-uy4JMHXW6xtfZjEpQMzj-4HaJluN7Nqdj5AZk/s1600/DSC01003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbxdTOW7N4x5bQV1gtfvWWe2A4U9LmFHs0_FeV8usDF0TCp_6WoDr3TaioNG4gi91xr0OgWLoS3uF6xnn7HjoYKIkoHsphGAB8Px-Sv-uy4JMHXW6xtfZjEpQMzj-4HaJluN7Nqdj5AZk/s320/DSC01003.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grassy desert and/or "cattle country." <br />Note: sometimes there are trees, too.</td></tr>
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We have found the meaning of 'cattle country,' as one sign said it: "Watch out for cattle and enjoy the drive." We saw several large cows at the edge of the road (luckily not crossing) which we silently rode by. One pair of animals we startled, they stood up, huffed, and I was glad to be out of there quickly.<br />
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This morning (Tuesday) we hoofed it across some low-lying areas. I think Daisy got some extra bike-touring energy, or got in the groove, or something. (She was setting a fast pace!) We even did a little pacelining. It seems every other day (or so) we need to do some grocery shopping. (Part of this is because we don't want to carry extra weight, the other part is that we eat so much...) Today was no exception. After shopping we proceeded to sit at a table in the shade of a tree and eat lunch. Since we're on bikes, we are constantly looking for little places like this (picnic or other tables preferred!) to stop and eat.<br />
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Since we're travelling at a different speed than cars, we also see all sort of things along the road's edge: snakes attempting crossings (and smashed ones), tons of lizards and squirrels scurrying out of the way, and a variety of different shaped ant hills are just a few. Lovely details. ... Of course, we also see the bigger picture, too:<br />
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<br />Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-19423127109338852952012-05-22T16:46:00.005-07:002012-05-22T16:53:17.696-07:00What it feels like to be a week and a half in<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6A4q2aGEOIR0ryldV-Hpxs6fNlLhrQJeknFI-q2ZeFUG4jwsiqAlP4_cQr35tl6FXfOTfYy0_Tsvw48M2LjdVVf0FK3azudOYe6o0y80NImnanya5xLJ-fo0qzlzjlEP6lWLbz6yZqA/s1600/DSC00982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy6A4q2aGEOIR0ryldV-Hpxs6fNlLhrQJeknFI-q2ZeFUG4jwsiqAlP4_cQr35tl6FXfOTfYy0_Tsvw48M2LjdVVf0FK3azudOYe6o0y80NImnanya5xLJ-fo0qzlzjlEP6lWLbz6yZqA/s400/DSC00982.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical breakfast cooking scene on a random porch.</td></tr>
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We saw this phrase (a classic in the cycling world) chalked on the road this morning:<br />
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"It doesn't get easier... you just get faster."<br />
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Lance Armstrong said this in a famous cycling movie, and when I saw this on the road I couldn't keep myself from laughing. It's so true - whether you're training for a bicycle race or taking a six week bicycle tour. A week and a half in... we are getting faster.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-J1yhFWSbJFNzhHlGt51zWr9cAzeIeNrItwBh6tMFNvwjAB7yY-fC8FqMDtLl8KPJ5uYXL0FwMMdOnqKnWK04sHU7YYvwH-psVIgxL2U2BTtB2JsQOmBM88wnng6guCvKPsN6IotxdI/s1600/DSC00910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-J1yhFWSbJFNzhHlGt51zWr9cAzeIeNrItwBh6tMFNvwjAB7yY-fC8FqMDtLl8KPJ5uYXL0FwMMdOnqKnWK04sHU7YYvwH-psVIgxL2U2BTtB2JsQOmBM88wnng6guCvKPsN6IotxdI/s320/DSC00910.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cold shirt for Jason!</td></tr>
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After a week and a half we are used to the routines of the bicycles and the camps. We are losing the calluses that we had on our fingers from playing banjo and guitar, and instead we have formed calluses on our palms from holding the handlebars. We finally know where all our gear is in all nine of our bags! The tan lines have been cemented onto our backs, arms, and legs, and our appetites are positively enormous. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYb5uP1JcqEOV1DSMTEZUXJJpDH1zrLWHzwZ9tpMZOQWbaj-4nQNP2Pk7FuedMl_Ei9Q0vVEKZHVEfJnY8SZ2G2iRnSz07qIB2p1IS0aY_NnkvX1YFbIgyj1zd2Op358MbNtyB1wbXjpE/s1600/DSC00925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYb5uP1JcqEOV1DSMTEZUXJJpDH1zrLWHzwZ9tpMZOQWbaj-4nQNP2Pk7FuedMl_Ei9Q0vVEKZHVEfJnY8SZ2G2iRnSz07qIB2p1IS0aY_NnkvX1YFbIgyj1zd2Op358MbNtyB1wbXjpE/s320/DSC00925.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you click on this to make it big, you'll<br />
see the ridiculous gasp on my face.</td></tr>
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These pictures show one of our coping mechanisms for the sometimes extreme (90 +) mid-day temperatures: We get our shirts wet in whatever water is available. Rivers full of cold meltwater are the best, even though they make us grimace momentarily from the cold. Our days usually start around 6:00, and we're on the road around 7:30. Lunch doesn't happen until between 12:00 and 2:00, and then it's a little rest before we ride again in the afternoon. Depending on the altitude of course. If we are higher, and it's cooler, we can continue to ride. If it's hot... well we usually end up reading for a bit. <br />
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The scenery has been phenomenal - I am truly a girl of the mountains. Specifically, the Western mountains. I think back to all we've seen already and it's awe-inspiring. We started out at the chaos of the US - Mexico border at Tijuana and rode through San Diego, the hot mountains and valleys of Southern California, the desert valleys and the high pines. Finally we are reaching Central California, the home of giant trees, cool streams, gold trout. We are past the metropolis (and rude drivers) of the Los Angeles area. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0JlF2EuMfMDMr4PFSmZ4TdAkRgqBK23pjmoMtZaUAu-AGZ9-Nrv8TaA7AZVvAc-pnH_A2lNNd_ryCID0AOUd8fQJVgWYdNBEJtCng-ccscQkeln7RQpKjb4rd1VpoiWgJ5MulNTL7_Y/s1600/DSC01006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf0JlF2EuMfMDMr4PFSmZ4TdAkRgqBK23pjmoMtZaUAu-AGZ9-Nrv8TaA7AZVvAc-pnH_A2lNNd_ryCID0AOUd8fQJVgWYdNBEJtCng-ccscQkeln7RQpKjb4rd1VpoiWgJ5MulNTL7_Y/s320/DSC01006.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found German Shepherd Puppies!!</td></tr>
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The going is good. We are enjoying ourselves immensely, even we do sometimes have moments of struggle (we call the moments "struggle fests"). Usually when one of us is at the end of the rope the other will step in and make some decisions, take some of the weight, or just dump water over the other one's head. It helps!<br />
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We don't know if we'll make it all the way to Canada in the time allowed, but we've come to terms with it. If we make it to Oregon we'll be happy. The passes are huge now, and the climbing slows us down. Every day is epic. Now, we say things like "it's a little pass, only 3,000' of elevation gain". Really, we do.<br />
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We'll keep updating and sharing, but don't be too sad if a month from now we aren't all the way to Canada. We'll finish the route someday (after we move back to the West Coast...). I'm still just dreaming, but I love these mountains!Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-90113315570576040832012-05-17T13:53:00.000-07:002012-05-17T13:53:09.698-07:00So many mountains, so much climbing<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqakryUJuDQNJ_iAPE3LNqNiZygjkfsJenhSOUxQq0uOmqKYHsK5NVejo3hWOf3G_4JlZzft4i0p241uu_hOFxMplKs_3cbX7I3gyY6TTy0rMEGKm3eMDboCNHRB5of1m2yAmUjcVT-I/s1600/DSC00731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKqakryUJuDQNJ_iAPE3LNqNiZygjkfsJenhSOUxQq0uOmqKYHsK5NVejo3hWOf3G_4JlZzft4i0p241uu_hOFxMplKs_3cbX7I3gyY6TTy0rMEGKm3eMDboCNHRB5of1m2yAmUjcVT-I/s320/DSC00731.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onyx Summit - The highest either of us have ever climbed on tour.</td></tr>
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Last time we posted, we were in Idyllwild, CA. We thought that was a big day of climbing, and we topped out at 6,200'. Two days ago we went over Onyx Summit... at a whopping 8,443'! That was a big big day of climbing. We went up nearly 7,500 vertical feet that day. Today, we are going back up to 7,901', after having dipped down to 3,000' yesterday. A few stories:</div>
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After our big climb we stopped at the summit to take some pictures. Surprise! The local cycling club was having their Tuesday night race to the top. We got to watch the 'finish', aka arrive exhausted at the summit going a lot faster than we had been going. A <u>lot</u>. We bundled up for the descent in our jackets and warm gloves. It's cold going downhill at 8,000', regardless of how bright the sun is shining.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9T9OPdW20iRgK5p9fNXqYW8S6XO1L88tSCoGWdZhruSJgmsiV1cSExCdi1sDAwJIl5jSzbiZgxDZED8GD6M3dS2R_ysu9YTjEKpD34MbsfBWdvyj7QTdYmbd10hXTayzXdY5Ian6xKEI/s1600/DSC00723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9T9OPdW20iRgK5p9fNXqYW8S6XO1L88tSCoGWdZhruSJgmsiV1cSExCdi1sDAwJIl5jSzbiZgxDZED8GD6M3dS2R_ysu9YTjEKpD34MbsfBWdvyj7QTdYmbd10hXTayzXdY5Ian6xKEI/s320/DSC00723.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the climb up to Onyx Summit</td></tr>
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That night we stayed in a great hostel in Big Bear Lake. It was a really neat place - bunk beds for nearly 50 people, two kitchens, bathrooms, etc. It was actually full because of the crush of PCT hikers right now, but they let us camp in the yard and use the facilities inside. The bustle and chatter of the kitchens reminded us of the co-op in State College: lot's of friendly outdoors folks in their early twenties. We were also very very lucky to meet a cycling fellow named Dave who was about to start leading the Adventure Cycling group on this route. He has been leading tours for 17 years! At the beginning of his 'career' leading tours, all the other riders were younger than him, but now they are mostly older. He was 54 years old. I (Daisy) got really excited - it means I can just keep on touring for the next 50 years! Yay!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpSd3dhuywozzBz1KqGf7hSYugF_ZiJoxtyRO2jAdNdVwIczJn3_dOIXH29H0HILkHzKAoWuGIjKTXgZ8MiRzG3K1QqvlDmxRyEk5Pa1onhId2H2rMVPLcQTES2MAcXXXH_fwYa2xBfI/s1600/DSC00768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpSd3dhuywozzBz1KqGf7hSYugF_ZiJoxtyRO2jAdNdVwIczJn3_dOIXH29H0HILkHzKAoWuGIjKTXgZ8MiRzG3K1QqvlDmxRyEk5Pa1onhId2H2rMVPLcQTES2MAcXXXH_fwYa2xBfI/s640/DSC00768.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the Rim of the World Highway</td></tr>
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We thought that we would have lots of descent coming out of Big Bear, after all it was located at nearly 7000. We were kind of right. There were some very very steep little hills awaiting us, as well as a few longer (2+ miles) gradual climbs. The scenery, however, was stunning. The mountains! I love them. As long as we are at high enough elevation I can just keep riding, happy as a clam because it's not deathly hot. I love the pine forests. We even have started to see some redwood trees. More of those in the next week...</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMLHzcLcIwgfAsZAzvxLfuMCByVYbYHqxGMoYLaCIhAZB4yzUchrYdDQz_abeCt0_keKVtQnMrW6zfMkCg0XE8HdPhIamZk6fStOV5NFZFbmgD6aHaoBfgyClw-Q59m9Sg4AbTOvxqk4/s1600/DSC00762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMLHzcLcIwgfAsZAzvxLfuMCByVYbYHqxGMoYLaCIhAZB4yzUchrYdDQz_abeCt0_keKVtQnMrW6zfMkCg0XE8HdPhIamZk6fStOV5NFZFbmgD6aHaoBfgyClw-Q59m9Sg4AbTOvxqk4/s320/DSC00762.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mural on the side of Rim of the World Highway.<br />
Click on the image for more detail</td></tr>
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We went on this crazy road called The Rim of The World. It was a depression era public works roads that just barely clung to the side of a mountain. Somehow, for some crazy reason, some genius built a high school on top of it. Seriously. The traffic was pretty bad, but we made it safely. </div>
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Last night we stayed at a big campground overlooking a resevoir. The best part? We got $5 hiker biker sites! Regular campsites (which weren't as nice) were $45. Thank goodness we didn't have to pay that. The showers though... were so high pressured it hurt to get wet. We didn't use too much water.</div>
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<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOt2KiSNrP5UAg6YKgHxcDC8PRMcErNb4ptXIdSe2Xbzicn1yWEuVN2UsrEnkTyNHRNHKAFnWJAaYbTvHSyC8uztQH7lnWQBhIF9bAjgnAfOX6IogGBdBbDrI2xl6aGJongUpnK_knkxI/s1600/DSC00775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOt2KiSNrP5UAg6YKgHxcDC8PRMcErNb4ptXIdSe2Xbzicn1yWEuVN2UsrEnkTyNHRNHKAFnWJAaYbTvHSyC8uztQH7lnWQBhIF9bAjgnAfOX6IogGBdBbDrI2xl6aGJongUpnK_knkxI/s320/DSC00775.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Our lovely campsite last night</td></tr>
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We have a little more climbing left to do today, but we are already at 6,000' so it's nice and cool (ha! it's actually 80). Here's the most exciting news of all: Tomorrow the Tour of California professional cycling race is going to pass us! I am super super excited, as I've never seen a pro tour peloton in real life before. We've been watching the bike race signs on the signs of the roads for two days, and we're going to see them tomorrow. If you watch the tour or tour highlights from Friday's race you'll see a LOT of the roads we're on (and maybe you'll see us cheering too). Here's a <a href="http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com/">link</a> for more info. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgbJVSXKeTFFmmQnBB_m08eNdHCoCO9XwVCIKG5raDU8A4fDn-1gGf-lcb79c_HqhsCr1H2JHy1bBTa56mQHPUC4Y6jM9PCsqDhXdo-eQOYG4A5tTS8yQCQyrDzEtBADLtO6Y_C_4_WM/s1600/DSC00784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgbJVSXKeTFFmmQnBB_m08eNdHCoCO9XwVCIKG5raDU8A4fDn-1gGf-lcb79c_HqhsCr1H2JHy1bBTa56mQHPUC4Y6jM9PCsqDhXdo-eQOYG4A5tTS8yQCQyrDzEtBADLtO6Y_C_4_WM/s640/DSC00784.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Train tracks in the desert - as seen this morning</td></tr>
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</div>Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-5209174376628414872012-05-14T14:42:00.002-07:002012-05-14T14:42:30.035-07:00Once a gypsy, always a gypsy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbutLz-ej5-U29khDaQbbKMBg5Zoio4lrElKNEWesjDV1QInZPJha6yfNechBA-WxtvxRFtK_1pMfnu6Sw9DfMyvT0FVNSSpxQ4pPh3wsYqh3ayBR7vacwXQElyWpZZqFK6zqMFtguUYY/s1600/DSC00650%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbutLz-ej5-U29khDaQbbKMBg5Zoio4lrElKNEWesjDV1QInZPJha6yfNechBA-WxtvxRFtK_1pMfnu6Sw9DfMyvT0FVNSSpxQ4pPh3wsYqh3ayBR7vacwXQElyWpZZqFK6zqMFtguUYY/s320/DSC00650%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a>Way back in Pittsburgh, Jason was drying out our tent while I went food shopping. A couple of young hippies walked by and asked him where he was heading. As they left they told him "once a gypsy, always a gypsy". It seemed to be a compliment. Now that we're on bike tour, we really do seem to be gypsies. We are on our third day of real riding, but it feels like we've been on the road for much longer. It is HOT here in southern California. Further, it's COLD at night. The desert is like that I guess.</div>
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On our first day on the road it seemed to take forever to get out of San Diego. We ate lunch at a golf course resort in the middle of the desert. We thought we were going to get kicked out, but instead the employee just showed us to a bench near the snack bar. After lunch we climbed and climbed and climbed... in the heat of the day it was pretty rough. Around 2:00 we couldn't take the heat anymore and just sat and read under a tree for two hours. This came to be a habit! I (Daisy) can't seem to handle much heat - I wilt when it hits 80. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYuvFe4lCSVhzDYovuUUNue1q0H6iPVz1q4aat88vZ0TTyozIcsWhiB0vfL_gzOmGIyu7ZvbDePVLl7qGshg_EPd9tXNGs9SMRByePLoqyGEQ8X0SoTlKRFrygADshWkbWoJsYRZZhN4/s1600/DSC00654%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYuvFe4lCSVhzDYovuUUNue1q0H6iPVz1q4aat88vZ0TTyozIcsWhiB0vfL_gzOmGIyu7ZvbDePVLl7qGshg_EPd9tXNGs9SMRByePLoqyGEQ8X0SoTlKRFrygADshWkbWoJsYRZZhN4/s320/DSC00654%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
We spent the first night in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. They had Hiker/Biker sites for only $5 per person, and we were happy to get showers. Although they cost 25 cents for 2.5 minutes... we only needed a quarter each! That night the stars were amazing, and it got super cold. When we woke up there was ice on the inside of our rainfly. We had slept at around 4000', and as I write this we are above 5000' again. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43R-k5DwPOYYepikkwRbqHnpdebCM9c7NkSFSPVCpwqmZufLX1G8_KHDD8ujQEPFSRtr0pdJP_GkmME2BYvwslL6jMUgBxhsgurgQ0nF2J-boJVELajIMdIKfwSsNID9Dk5CFGK0TdVA/s1600/DSC00656%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj43R-k5DwPOYYepikkwRbqHnpdebCM9c7NkSFSPVCpwqmZufLX1G8_KHDD8ujQEPFSRtr0pdJP_GkmME2BYvwslL6jMUgBxhsgurgQ0nF2J-boJVELajIMdIKfwSsNID9Dk5CFGK0TdVA/s640/DSC00656%5B1%5D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Anza-Borrego State Park</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVO9LzgPzzoLgkAxgGrGN1yXKGn7mBwLE04RVdOxGclp9caYAduhZh1GcdkUJmjJhzupa2_ASujnJFwrjQU0IcJKTciXfpAiUvugUm43kCNZCALlh7IA_rd3AKY0yKdwL8wx6TKAzJcgk/s1600/DSC00664%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVO9LzgPzzoLgkAxgGrGN1yXKGn7mBwLE04RVdOxGclp9caYAduhZh1GcdkUJmjJhzupa2_ASujnJFwrjQU0IcJKTciXfpAiUvugUm43kCNZCALlh7IA_rd3AKY0yKdwL8wx6TKAzJcgk/s320/DSC00664%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a>Yesterday was another scorcher - I'm not sure how hot it was but that rest in the heat of the day was absolutely necessary. We rolled through a little Western-looking town around lunchtime and met a fellow that was dressed as an old-time sheriff. The little towns here are pretty great, and geared towards the PCT hikers. It has been easy to find gear and refill water. People have been very friendly. It's funny, actually, sometimes people in cars stop and ask us directions just because we're on the side of the road. We obviously are not from the area, so it's ridiculous. We've gotten requests for a casino and a liquor store. Ha!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-T8wzbUIUulF10ZOdNJIdkoaeYgmD12jQFjA5fWdfPuamPMg4Sp6RGyuvYzx9y1_H-S0bodKKsSGLOta_kUuqCVNvv9iqX3tsDvOTCt40dDAdHajV7Q0ytuf-ngl_dMlIhtLhgdKRY4/s1600/DSC00669%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5-T8wzbUIUulF10ZOdNJIdkoaeYgmD12jQFjA5fWdfPuamPMg4Sp6RGyuvYzx9y1_H-S0bodKKsSGLOta_kUuqCVNvv9iqX3tsDvOTCt40dDAdHajV7Q0ytuf-ngl_dMlIhtLhgdKRY4/s640/DSC00669%5B1%5D.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last nights campsite... 15 meters from the road (but well hidden!)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQm3umHxSxA2XgU4oEEqSc4bE1RiAlYTAog18U2KzUZ7X44a6kXkeyVQcTClYJC_8nwxC6SAtPjcYS4zSLyTO6FyNQ-HuLFQl-Lstsz25RPPH4PBvzMH56NGtuVqCz49phu8kzUuLs7sI/s1600/DSC00675%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQm3umHxSxA2XgU4oEEqSc4bE1RiAlYTAog18U2KzUZ7X44a6kXkeyVQcTClYJC_8nwxC6SAtPjcYS4zSLyTO6FyNQ-HuLFQl-Lstsz25RPPH4PBvzMH56NGtuVqCz49phu8kzUuLs7sI/s400/DSC00675%5B1%5D.JPG" width="400" /></a>We are now in Idyllwild, a little mountiain tourist town of about 3000 folks. We had a big lunch of hamburgers. For a couple of mostly vegetarians, it was quite a feat. When bike touring though, it's easy to dream of hamburgers and fish and chips. I'm still dreaming of the fish and chips. Maybe next week...</div>
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We are riding lots of windy mountain roads, climbing in and out of the mountains. The pass today is at just over 6000', and we'll finish the day at around 2000'. We started out at 3000'. It seems that all we do is go slooowly uphill and then fly downhill. Most of the time... it's uphill. I won't lie - more than a few times I've wondered if we've bitten off more than we can chew. That's just because I'm wilting in the heat though. The higher up and the farther north we go, the easier it will get. The scenery is beautiful, and I can't wait to hit the national parks in just a few more days. Ok, at least five... But whenever I see the PCT hikers I realize how good we've got it. They are walking on blisters that formed on top of blisters. Their clothes are crusted in salt, and they still keep moving. So... I guess we can keep pedaling!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMFEmkNpx7EEg3KfhuVbh_QT-uOhcJrkj5VwRbrSYlrFRfyEeTq0WR1fgIy5eBjxwtbZz_ufCGbxv1yZKDPpMwjHX8MntK786k6GfsFaP_DjDExWSZEYcg1m-EPSo75lALgeyU9hWoPg/s1600/DSC00682%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNMFEmkNpx7EEg3KfhuVbh_QT-uOhcJrkj5VwRbrSYlrFRfyEeTq0WR1fgIy5eBjxwtbZz_ufCGbxv1yZKDPpMwjHX8MntK786k6GfsFaP_DjDExWSZEYcg1m-EPSo75lALgeyU9hWoPg/s320/DSC00682%5B1%5D.JPG" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisy doing her lovely 'we're taking a break!' dance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSVM6Nu8kQGmM2RIWX-ypiC-bSGtmrwdOz39tEjb35UHq2L4QIMOCvjqYNiF2QzbIYofbQSueQMzB8jgwnQkz5NBXS52AsyI6Mc4tSclJYJDgxk3ByeI9U-1ywEmv4g4s71pUGZbUvKQ/s1600/DSC00679%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSVM6Nu8kQGmM2RIWX-ypiC-bSGtmrwdOz39tEjb35UHq2L4QIMOCvjqYNiF2QzbIYofbQSueQMzB8jgwnQkz5NBXS52AsyI6Mc4tSclJYJDgxk3ByeI9U-1ywEmv4g4s71pUGZbUvKQ/s320/DSC00679%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We've seen several protests to folks speeding past on motorcycles. A different one just said "This is not a crotchrocket raceway", but this one wins the prize.</td></tr>
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</div>Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-8307574290834522882012-05-11T22:01:00.001-07:002012-05-11T22:01:29.987-07:00The trip really starts... we're in San Diego!We made it to San Diego today! The three-day cross-country trip was great, although we got pretty stinky being cooped up on the train for all that time... <br />
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The train left Pittsburgh at midnight, and we quickly settled in for the night. Although I (Daisy) sleep fine, Jason just could not fit himself on the seat. The three nights on the train turned out to be fine though - during the second night I actually just slept on the floor and left the whole double seat to Jason. The train is surprisingly fun, we ate food from Trader Joes, played cribbage and Yahtzee (Jason got <u>two</u> yahtzees in one game!), and had a nice layover in Chicago. We randomly ran into an old friend of Jason's (Hey Steph and Jon!) on the street, and had lunch with two of his college friends from Delaware, Pam and Erik.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6GgaBbCbNohV1OJdXVe3x8p6GSCyirczXGlIwvhlEd-cu5HKiWAQwgh0SBrw4KMoZXr_ZlJbdaPxirk5uDQYUb2MOHWypTMbKaSrwgSRO50pknx3OzvxyfYm3LYS5HGS0XieEPkIbMQ/s1600/DSC00588%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6GgaBbCbNohV1OJdXVe3x8p6GSCyirczXGlIwvhlEd-cu5HKiWAQwgh0SBrw4KMoZXr_ZlJbdaPxirk5uDQYUb2MOHWypTMbKaSrwgSRO50pknx3OzvxyfYm3LYS5HGS0XieEPkIbMQ/s320/DSC00588%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The people at the table before us left this cup, and I was pretty excited about it.</td></tr>
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Miraculously, the train got in to Los Angeles an hour early this morning, and we ended up catching an earlier train to San Diego. Once there, we put the bikes together, dried out our still wet tent, and started the adventure. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting bikes on and off trains is surprisingly easy. Look!</td></tr>
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Specifically, we got on the trolley to the border. It was quite an adventure to get our fully loaded touring bikes up the three steep steps into a city metro car. Actually, I got stuck about 2/3 of the way up and had to wait for Jason to haul the bike up for me. The people in the car looked at us like we were crazy.... and they were probably right. We managed to get the bikes safely off the trolley as well, but needed teamwork. At this point, we were within sight of the border. We rode a bike path along a peninsula (that used to be an island until the <u>highway</u> went in), and made it to a ferry just in the nick of time to get a ride back to downtown San Diego. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We really did start at the border! This picture proves it.</td></tr>
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We made our way to Jason's friends' house (Thanks Matt and Kira!), where we were greeted by two bouncing dogs. After much needed showers, we were treated to dinner (Thanks Matt, Kira, Colin, Jaime!) and a hilarious stroll in San Diego Old Town. Apparently there's some plaque somewhere that commemorates the first palm tree that was planted in California but now no longer exists. Actually, there are three plaques, which we never found. None of them are actually near a palm tree.We know they exist because of smart phones. <br />
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Tomorrow we are setting out for the mountains! We have been warned of the heat, the steep roads, etc etc, but we are not worried... we are excited!Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-52215081777210085232012-05-08T12:03:00.000-07:002012-05-08T12:03:15.235-07:00We made it to Pittsburgh!After two and a half days of riding, and more than a few funny stories, we've made it to Pittsburgh. It's always interesting to ride into a city from the outskirts, watching it slowly change from suburbia to almost-forgotten to Dairy queens, food stores, strip malls, and finally to the actual city. I think of that outer ring as 'anywhere America', since it seems to be the same just about anywhere. <br />
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So back to the Journey... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdO2O55nqixArlOTpbg6bGJjGK8ti_7I1zskBHGRQsQ5lH0_5ggEe2E_hAjzq58-74QdZ6BGtS12n0ZJkocF_bDnVjOTmrsMHIiZIQRD7GL1OgTyO7wm8eWvcL9U_HPz5ATgXFUccedbU/s1600/DSC00496%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdO2O55nqixArlOTpbg6bGJjGK8ti_7I1zskBHGRQsQ5lH0_5ggEe2E_hAjzq58-74QdZ6BGtS12n0ZJkocF_bDnVjOTmrsMHIiZIQRD7GL1OgTyO7wm8eWvcL9U_HPz5ATgXFUccedbU/s320/DSC00496%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
We left on Sunday after the UU music Sunday. That was really fun! We soon realized that we had left Jason's sunglasses behind... oops! He did buy some excellent clip-on glasses though. Now it's like he has sunglasses on demand!<br />
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That first first night we met up with my stat friends in Prince Gallitzin State Park. We went swimming, ate spicy rice, and made s'mores. We even got some free camp wood. Also, we were essentially the only campers there, so we didn't have to be quiet, which was nice. Look at those friendly statistics faces!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkvvJrYVJ_CQrbp5fEcrl3ReT1Wu2d6Jd76TzYTP44OK_7-TKgQEPKP0q4CIF-_NZ1CNE6jnlZPEYNZAsd0SQKXMls1THF5RHL5iGyAj0AP-EpdBwChsQqI4zsj_kI-2NwwFqLB66Qv0/s1600/DSC00460%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKkvvJrYVJ_CQrbp5fEcrl3ReT1Wu2d6Jd76TzYTP44OK_7-TKgQEPKP0q4CIF-_NZ1CNE6jnlZPEYNZAsd0SQKXMls1THF5RHL5iGyAj0AP-EpdBwChsQqI4zsj_kI-2NwwFqLB66Qv0/s320/DSC00460%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></a>Yesterday we rode some rail trails across the middle of the state, thinking that they would be a nice traffic-free alternative to the steep hills we had been seeing. We even camped alongside one of them (which is technically not qallowed, but a huge storm rolled in). This morning though... that 'flat rail trail' pulled a bait and swtich. The old train went through a tunnel... but they had closed off the tunnel! The only way around was OVER. We essentailly had to portage the bicycles and gear in three trips over a steep staircase. Grrr... That was the last of the rail trails for us. We stuck to the roads from then on. I reccommend rail trails for family weekend adventurers, not touring cyclists. It's a great get-away, but a bit monotonous and slow. </div>
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So today it rained rained, and now we are in Pittsburgh at the library. They have very fancy screens, and Jason is kind enough to wait for me outside. I best hurry up and relieve him of his bike-guarding duty! We are very excited to meet up with a few friends here, shower and get supplies for the train ride. Three days in the train, just watching the country roll by... after the steep hills of Pennsylvania our legs deserve a good rest too. Thanks for reading! We may get a chance to update in Chicago, otherwise it won't be until we reach California. We're going west...!</div>Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-64020877961648199582012-05-06T05:52:00.003-07:002012-05-06T05:52:37.582-07:00...and they're off!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQaZE_n1z0udmvSNASWUqqyxaOW-EJtpc4SKt8__4KKVsbPof-QruEs2J8s6ErrzUWYpJazOASEEWxaUSvOqcwk3leWvicblB8xX0id-fjheXBaeTCr_UMbQ7fKWPhuWHCiTIopKiSOI/s1600/DSC00429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQaZE_n1z0udmvSNASWUqqyxaOW-EJtpc4SKt8__4KKVsbPof-QruEs2J8s6ErrzUWYpJazOASEEWxaUSvOqcwk3leWvicblB8xX0id-fjheXBaeTCr_UMbQ7fKWPhuWHCiTIopKiSOI/s400/DSC00429.JPG" width="265" /></a></div>
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Look at that- the adventure is beginning.
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Yippee!!!!!Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-5952791964398774422012-05-05T21:17:00.000-07:002012-05-05T21:17:55.216-07:00All Packed!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTmu4p9uR3jDIMs5k80eP-0Qh1gVSmrJ10A5kyaWHgCT-5KltK9PTKGQJUWxd-i01ONASJWG_mBgrNio7iCtvIl4_0moYXVDqn-M6YpqX_GCkZACa3Dl_a1MFcpUpcbQ_2aooFppX9Vc/s1600/DSC00403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTmu4p9uR3jDIMs5k80eP-0Qh1gVSmrJ10A5kyaWHgCT-5KltK9PTKGQJUWxd-i01ONASJWG_mBgrNio7iCtvIl4_0moYXVDqn-M6YpqX_GCkZACa3Dl_a1MFcpUpcbQ_2aooFppX9Vc/s400/DSC00403.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First we gathered everything that we needed....</td></tr>
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Wow! That was fun, certainly -- Daisy has been making lists of things to take on this tour all semester long, and now we finally got to make our pile o' stuff and bag it into the panniers! I think we'll have everything we need. ;) haha. And a lot of extra food: dehydrated beans and delicious cans of smoked salmon for lunch, a couple of things we won't find easily on the road. We're listening to Mark Erelli, who is a singer/songwriter I highly recommend.<br />
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It's late (midnight), and we're just finally ready for our big first day. We've got coffee duty at the UU tomorrow at 9, and a few loose ends to tie up in the morning. Getting out of town is always so difficult, but the departure is within sight now. We present... our packed bags!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbviclGTztx_eTtPYlh0KraGTAJ0W5-OOcbKSAXjB23EDu4MMuUPwMD3bV34cdnE_KE_cRrDbSZAkjIWJcyEHB7X-12CwkSvTNx5nrA9T53T5as0MqnI4nTP4Kl0Xwz0cE0uNqUmMelc/s1600/DSC00418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbviclGTztx_eTtPYlh0KraGTAJ0W5-OOcbKSAXjB23EDu4MMuUPwMD3bV34cdnE_KE_cRrDbSZAkjIWJcyEHB7X-12CwkSvTNx5nrA9T53T5as0MqnI4nTP4Kl0Xwz0cE0uNqUmMelc/s400/DSC00418.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: -webkit-auto;">I suspect it will take us days to figure out where everything is.</span>
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<br />Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-56151272679401498842012-05-04T08:37:00.001-07:002012-05-04T09:02:58.692-07:00What it's like to be almost ready (For Daisy):I can't focus on anything - except checking the passes that are still closed because of the snow. I keep making lists, dreaming up maps of our panniers - where will we keep all of our gear?! I know I'm supposed to be answering questions about my research, but different questions keep popping into my head:<br />
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Will we have enough water? Enough shade? Should I get some electrolyte powder? Do I <b>really</b> know how to tie up a bear bag properly?<br />
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At this point, it doesn't really matter. We'll figure it out as we go, and I am <u>so</u> excited to get on the road. To give you a little idea of why I'm so excited, check out this link to a Google <a href="https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=206011316831798524011.0004b43c2bbe0bd791685&msa=0&ll=41.738528,-116.103516&spn=17.496119,37.485352">map</a>. It has just a few of the stellar locations we'll be riding through marked. Do you see all those national and state parks and forests? We're riding through the 'best of the west', and over some really huge passes! Tioga Pass in Yosemite goes up to 9,945'. Wow! <br />
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Meanwhile, things in State College are winding down. All my final papers are submitted, the end of the semester meetings have taken place, and the undergrads are going crazy and moving out of the dorms. We leave in just two days: on Sunday right after the service at the UU. Then we are meeting up with a few of my (awesome) friends from statistics for a camp-out in Prince Gallitzin State Park on our way to Pittsburgh. <br />
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From Pittsburgh we'll catch a train to San Diego. It leaves on Tuesday at 11:59 pm (ha!), and we'll arrive in Chicago in the morning. Then we'll have a chance to wander the city and get books for the next leg to San Diego, which will take until Friday afternoon. We hope to take the metro down to the Mexican border then ride back north to where Jason has friends where we'll be staying for a night before really setting out for the Southern Sierras.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYB9uj9F25I-aG-4wXEI0s-aBvUgcea4AQurUXbMPJucSDOmf1Ot5pmXTT65iQUE4kfu3rYMWDs5LDHk59qnjL54ZpOlkYy2uDK17BPQAVLD_qY5v4ryI6Eoo5nPP4tDO7UOcHz-lSviI/s1600/DSC00097.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYB9uj9F25I-aG-4wXEI0s-aBvUgcea4AQurUXbMPJucSDOmf1Ot5pmXTT65iQUE4kfu3rYMWDs5LDHk59qnjL54ZpOlkYy2uDK17BPQAVLD_qY5v4ryI6Eoo5nPP4tDO7UOcHz-lSviI/s640/DSC00097.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Co-op Kitchen - another reason to get out of town.<br />
The paint tubs are our grain storage, everything else is dirty dishes...</td></tr>
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<br />Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2358460161435358497.post-19568328460298724372012-04-30T18:41:00.000-07:002012-04-30T18:41:07.403-07:00Preparing for our trip - one week out<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgXLiZnuraVc5KhPf4YhOsAWWgUqWrBgElhcfdF-Yh_eUOzyjE78WyIB-4bvRRqO6L9KogZaWS0kpMHlz_BQEe-wqI2eSOAUi1tOwhsXMj6zbI84mMgRxnHnEAixcWAATf1ut70xtWlg/s1600/DSC00115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgXLiZnuraVc5KhPf4YhOsAWWgUqWrBgElhcfdF-Yh_eUOzyjE78WyIB-4bvRRqO6L9KogZaWS0kpMHlz_BQEe-wqI2eSOAUi1tOwhsXMj6zbI84mMgRxnHnEAixcWAATf1ut70xtWlg/s400/DSC00115.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jason puts finishing touches on his custom (and fiery) fenders</td></tr>
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Preparation for bike tour includes a lot of different things. One thing is to get your bike looking good. This is important because your bike is going to be in a lot of beautiful photos of awesome places! So, yea, these red and orange fenders will match Jason's panniers. You'll see.<div>
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We also, of course, took our bikes in for some serious pre-tour check-ups. Several hundred dollars later, we have some new components cleaned and greased parts, and are ready to go.</div>
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Finally, please note how nice the photo looks! Although Daisy may have an eye for photography (we'll see about that more over the next 6 weeks...) it can be chalked up to our fancy new camera. We decided to go with a Sony NEX 5N. It is basically a point-and-shoot sized body, with attachable lenses and a serious software/hardware upgrade. It feels great, and will be easy to whip out of the handlebar bag for some clear, high-quality photos on-the-go.</div>
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Jason out.</div>Daisy and Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11774395560272907884noreply@blogger.com1