Go Point

Tap, tap, hello, hello …  how nice of you to read this blog about our bicycle trip from Oregon to Maine.  I hope the blog teaches me not to overthink and mercilessly edit  (that is, mercilessly to edit) everything I write. Finding a stupid statement or a grammar error in writing I’ve already committed to public view brings me deep shame.  It’s easier not to write at all, and that sense has certainly constrained me. However, this big trip brings me to attempt a blog for many reasons.  First, I find and I hope you find as well that it’s fun to follow anyone on a grand adventure. Next, being in new territory every day will give me something to consider and maybe something to say.  Third, the long time away will make us miss family and friends, and this blog connects us easily.

While we ride I’ll ponder the questions that people have asked about this trip. “When will you be back?” is unanswerable. “Why are you doing this?” has a few levels of complexity. But “how’s your training going?” is an easy one.  After the 1000 mile bike trip we took last April, I’d had enough of biking. Since then I’ve biked maybe 75 miles: a couple of Ride and Dines, and a test run a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been exercising in other ways, and that will have to serve.  I expect to be sore at the start of this trip, but that’s nothing new. Wise Kim gave me an unbelievably big tube of Chamois Butt’r. I’ll be fine by Idaho.

Other than my not training, here’s what we’ve done so far to get ready.

Mark:  Bought a custom made bike.  Karen: started to look into a new bike but realized I don’t care. Cyclemania gave my old bike a nice tuneup, and a specialist tried to get the fit just right.

We chose a route, approximately this:  https://goo.gl/maps/FCmQiucD5u42.  We ordered maps from the Adventure Cycling company and a guidebook for Ontario. Because we will be interrupting the trip to return for our niece’s wedding, we looked for an airport town to get us back for a week in June. Great Falls, Montana, is about the right distance along. We blessed Airbnb for making it so easy to find a place to store our bikes for the wedding hiatus.

Then for the many details of leaving home for a long time. We invited Sally to use our vegetable garden while we are away, knowing that her visits will constitute a bit of a watch over the place.  Some friends have sold their house, and, in a fine coincidence, would like to live here while they regroup. Mark hired someone to mow the lawn.  I set up automatic payments for likely bills.  We’ve set a Google reminder to ask someone to pick up the mail every 30 days, as the post office requires. We got short haircuts that will have to do for the whole summer.  I stuck in some tomato plants and leeks and wished them well.

Mark has packed up the bikes, and I’ve checked in for our flight. In whitewater canoeing, each rapid has a point when you are going down even if you change your mind.

Still to do: Try not to regret missing a summer in Maine.  Press “publish” on this blog.