I just want to touch base with my loyal web page readers one more time to let you know I've re-entered the 'real world' and am leading a happy and healthy life, being just as busy as before I went on Odyssey. My summer is off to a good start and promises to be one of the best, catching up with friends from pre-Odyssey rides and friends from Odyssey as well as working at my favorite outdoor job at a nursery and greenhouse, and planting a huge garden at my home. I will return to my teaching job in the fall for at least one more year.
During my Easter break from school, I visited Charlie (from Odyssey) in Pennsylvania and we hiked part of the Appalachian Trail, rode a century the first day on our bikes, and worked in his gardens. Great fun.
I organized a beautification project for my home town (Driggs, Idaho) and turned it over to the Boy Scouts in March. Driggs businesses will soon be adorned with flower boxes on every window. This is a community project, involving many volunteers and donors of labor and money. I just came up with the idea after seeing the beautiful flowers in Europe. The cleanliness of the roadsides in Europe gave me another idea which resulted in a school-wide cleanup day for Earth Day. We covered parts of 17 different county roads and celebrated Earth Day with many activities. It was a perfect correlation between the flower boxes and clean roadsides, and having been there made it easy to explain to the students.
The school year finally ended and I started working full time at the nursery, only to take off on two bike trips almost immediately. Boy did it feel good to get back on the bike for several hours a day.
Craig and I did BRAN (Bike Ride Across Nebraska) the week of June 10-16. We were joined by three friends from Kansas, one from Missouri, one from California, and one from Nebraska. Also, we met several web page readers and just had a good time. Our buddy, Fred, rented a rather large motor home for the week which his wife, Kris, drove. We were able to keep our luggage in that as well as some food, cold drinks, and luxury items like our two trumpets, baritone horn, and trombone. Most every night we (Craig on trumpet, Fred on baritone and myself on trumpet or trombone) just played for fun. Anyone who walked by was queried as to what instrument he played. Three different cyclists sat in regularly with us. What a trip. We actually had small audiences of other riders.
The 'hills' of Nebraska were long, gentle rolling hills, nothing at all like what I encountered on Odyssey. This area is known as the sand hills of Nebraska, covered by lush grasses and dotted with windmills accompanied by cattle herds. Many days we rode for miles and miles without seeing a house or town. It was quiet and peaceful, the roads were excellent, and the scenery was ever-changing. In six days, we pedaled more than 530 miles, traveling from the western border town of Harrison to Chalco Hills, near Omaha in the east. It was a very pleasant ride, having only one night and one morning of less than almost perfect weather. On day three, we had lightning while on the road and, of course, I went ballistic. I even sagged a few miles in the motor home until we were past the storm cell. Not my idea of a good time to share the road with lightning.
Then the night of day four, there was a severe storm warning for all night, meaning possible hail and/or tornadoes. We went to bed as usual and soon after falling asleep, we were awakened by a blinding flash of lightning followed by a deafening crack of thunder. Fred had previously told us what to do if the civil defense sirens sounded so I was ready. As soon as the storm announced itself, several tenters ran for the gym. But I was too chicken to get out of my tent and enter the zap zone of the lightning. So I slept in my rain jacket and bike helmet most of the night. I wasn't planning on leaving my tent unless I heard a sound like a freight train. So you can imagine the razzing I got from my friends when I told them the next day what I had done. My tent weathered the storm and I and all my gear stayed dry. It was a very sleepless night for most of us since it stormed off and on all night. The temperatures were cooler than normal all week, which Craig and I both appreciated.
Soon after arriving at the end of the ride on Saturday, Craig and I took off on the 14 hour, 900 mile drive to Cody, Wyoming to start RAW (Ride Around Wyoming) on Sunday morning.
We arrived in Cody at 1:30am, slept a little and then rode almost 70 miles on Sunday. This felt like Odyssey all over again. The highlight of this ride was riding with fellow Odyssey friend, Neil. Also, on the trip was Odyssey rider, Jackie and many web page readers.
This week was a little harder, the hills much bigger and longer. One day we had more than 7,000 feet of elevation gain over 80 miles. I felt strong that day and loved the mountain scenery. Dead Indian Pass was quite spectacular. Looking down into Sunlight Basin on the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway was definitely the best scenery of the week.
We ended the week by riding Bear Tooth Pass on the way home. This pass divides Montana and Wyoming between Cooke City, WY and Red Lodge, MT. We were on a roll and just couldn't get off our bikes.
Now that this first vacation is over, I can concentrate on my garden and enjoy being home for awhile. The Jackson Hole Community Band will play in the Fourth of July parade as well as give two concerts that day. This is always a highlight of the summer. Then we'll put our horns away til fall.
Denise, from Odyssey, will visit me in late July and we plan to backpack in the Tetons for a week. Then Craig and I will head for two more bike trips -- one in upstate New York, the other through New England, both being produced by Cycle America. We will spend a few days with Ed and Willma from Odyssey before starting the NY ride and spend a couple days with Craig's sister, Gail and family at their vacation home on the beach in Truro on Cape Cod after the New England ride. On the way home, I will make a stop to see my parents in Ohio and spend a day with Odyssey friend and singing buddy, Alan. While on the New England ride, I hope to see some other Odyssey friends who live in that area.
I want to thank everyone again for all your support throughout the year 2000. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't reminisce about something or someone on Odyssey. And meeting web page readers is an added plus.
I'll be sure to let you know when the book is finished. It may be a while. If ever traveling through southeastern Idaho or northwestern Wyoming, be sure to let me know. I'd love to meet you.