This is the front of the temple. It is on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi River facing West.
The Salt Lake Temple faces east. Both have gold covered, carved writing saying "HOUSE OF THE LORD".
Friday, July 31, 2009
Here it is. This is a picture of western Ohio, Indiana and most of Illinois. At least the parts that I saw. The road is long and straight with no paved shoulder. There is a little dirt strip if you dare use it.On the left are corn fields. On the right is some unknown crop that the farmers use as rotation for corn. It was the same crop through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois but I just do not know what to call it.
The drivers are almost all very considerate. They go way out around me.
Thursday July 30, 2009
CATCHUP BLOG. This entry will cover the past week.
HOORAY. I made it to Nauvoo, Illinois on the Mississippi river today and I only had to cheat a little bit.
The ride through western Ohio was a killer. I thought it would be a cinch because there would not be as many hills but I did not count on the viscous headwinds. For three days I had a 15 to 20 MPH wind blowing right at me. I was heading straight west and the trade winds were blowing straight east. Sometimes it would almost blow me backward.
I averaged about 40 miles per day during that period. Those 40 miles per day took longer and required much more energy and guts than the 85 miles I rode yesterday.
I was behind schedule and decided to rent a car and drive through the western part of Indiana and the eastern part of Illinois. Those 200 free miles would help me arrive in Omaha Nebraska in time to make my flight to Utah for the “Lake Powell Family Vacation”.
Besides that I did not want to ride into a headwind across Indiana and Illinois. In addition the scenery in the rural parts of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois was exactly the same. (See the attached photo of the open road. It was shot on route 116 in Illinois but it could have just as easily been in Ohio or Indiana).
It had rained pretty hard during some of the evenings and my tent leaked quite a bit so when I got to Peoria, Illinois I decided to buy a new tent. The old one was big (two person plus equipment) and heavy (approx 7 lbs). The new one is little (one person – no equipment) and light (approx 3.6 lbs). It is very fast and easy to set up and I am quite happy with it.
I am now a knowledgeable self supporting bike tourer. I know what to carry and what to leave home. I know the right bicycle, clothing and equipment to use. I am not the strongest rider yet but I can ride over 80 miles a day carrying a 45 lb load if I have to.
And I can ride up hills if I want to. Sometimes I do not want to. After about 1 – 2 hours my butt gets very tired of being on the saddle. It really helps a lot to get off and walk for a while. The ride through western Illinois was great because there were rolling hills. I would ride fast (20 – 28 MPH) downhill and then sometimes get off and walk uphill (3.5 MPH). I can ride up a reasonably steep, long hill at 8 – 11 MPH. However the Rocky Mountain Range will be a completely different story. I don’t know how I am going to ride over them.
On Wednesday night 7/29/2009 I camped at a baseball field in Lomax Illinois. It was late when I got there and I was behind the concession stand and I did not think anyone knew I was there. I decided not to set up the tent that night but sleep between two picnic tables on a concrete pad right by the concession stand. My panniers were on the picnic tables and the bike was leaning against one of them. I had not hooked up the bicycle cable lock.
In the middle of the night someone tried to steal the bicycle. I don’t think he saw me sleeping next to it between the two benches. I jumped up and he dropped the bicycle and took off. I chased him and hollered at him but did not catch him.
The next day on the short ride to Nauvoo I stopped at a park in Neota Illinois. It is right on the Mississippi river. There was a group of kids and dogs just messing around. The dogs came over to check me out and a little girl with a box came over to tell me she was catching frogs and toads and insects for them to eat. Then the boys came over to see my bike, bike shorts and find out where I was going. We had a great conversation. They told me a lot about life in a small Mississippi river town, about the floods, friends, families, 4 wheelers, bikes, school and everything else. I thought I was right in the middle of the adventures of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and friends. I helped and the boys helped roll over logs so the girl could catch more toads and frogs. I wish that I had thought to take their picture and get their names.
Nauvoo is tremendous. There is a lot of interesting, historical tourist stuff to do. It is one of the most historically correct restorations of a mid 1800’s Mississippi river town. In my mind it is almost as good as Jamestown Virginia although Jamestown was a much earlier period.
After I got in town I showered and washed my clothing and then went to the new Nauvoo Temple. It is a re-creation of the original Nauvoo Temple and on the same site. It is an operating Mormon Temple and I wanted to see if they would let me in to do a temple session. Usually you wear a white shirt, tie, dress shoes and a suit to the temple but all I had was an EXOFFICIO backpacking shirt, light cargo pants and tennis shoes. I told them this was the best clothing that I had. I did have my temple recommend and they let me in to do a session.
I was extremely lucky to be in Nauvoo when I was. The Nauvoo Pageant had 2 more performances. It was a tremendous show. A dramatization of life and religion in Nauvoo in the 1838 – 1846 period. It was a very bright, happy production with a cast of hundreds. It had singing, dancing, humor, testimony and great information. It was really worthwhile and I was lucky to be here.
After the show I went up to meet some of the cast. I met a beautiful young English woman who played the part of John Taylor’s wife (English). All the cast members had referral cards and asked audience members to refer non-member friends and family. This girl was so friendly, charming and interested in my bike trip that I could not help myself. I referred all of you to the missionaries – so expect a knock on your door soon.
CATCHUP BLOG. This entry will cover the past week.
HOORAY. I made it to Nauvoo, Illinois on the Mississippi river today and I only had to cheat a little bit.
The ride through western Ohio was a killer. I thought it would be a cinch because there would not be as many hills but I did not count on the viscous headwinds. For three days I had a 15 to 20 MPH wind blowing right at me. I was heading straight west and the trade winds were blowing straight east. Sometimes it would almost blow me backward.
I averaged about 40 miles per day during that period. Those 40 miles per day took longer and required much more energy and guts than the 85 miles I rode yesterday.
I was behind schedule and decided to rent a car and drive through the western part of Indiana and the eastern part of Illinois. Those 200 free miles would help me arrive in Omaha Nebraska in time to make my flight to Utah for the “Lake Powell Family Vacation”.
Besides that I did not want to ride into a headwind across Indiana and Illinois. In addition the scenery in the rural parts of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois was exactly the same. (See the attached photo of the open road. It was shot on route 116 in Illinois but it could have just as easily been in Ohio or Indiana).
It had rained pretty hard during some of the evenings and my tent leaked quite a bit so when I got to Peoria, Illinois I decided to buy a new tent. The old one was big (two person plus equipment) and heavy (approx 7 lbs). The new one is little (one person – no equipment) and light (approx 3.6 lbs). It is very fast and easy to set up and I am quite happy with it.
I am now a knowledgeable self supporting bike tourer. I know what to carry and what to leave home. I know the right bicycle, clothing and equipment to use. I am not the strongest rider yet but I can ride over 80 miles a day carrying a 45 lb load if I have to.
And I can ride up hills if I want to. Sometimes I do not want to. After about 1 – 2 hours my butt gets very tired of being on the saddle. It really helps a lot to get off and walk for a while. The ride through western Illinois was great because there were rolling hills. I would ride fast (20 – 28 MPH) downhill and then sometimes get off and walk uphill (3.5 MPH). I can ride up a reasonably steep, long hill at 8 – 11 MPH. However the Rocky Mountain Range will be a completely different story. I don’t know how I am going to ride over them.
On Wednesday night 7/29/2009 I camped at a baseball field in Lomax Illinois. It was late when I got there and I was behind the concession stand and I did not think anyone knew I was there. I decided not to set up the tent that night but sleep between two picnic tables on a concrete pad right by the concession stand. My panniers were on the picnic tables and the bike was leaning against one of them. I had not hooked up the bicycle cable lock.
In the middle of the night someone tried to steal the bicycle. I don’t think he saw me sleeping next to it between the two benches. I jumped up and he dropped the bicycle and took off. I chased him and hollered at him but did not catch him.
The next day on the short ride to Nauvoo I stopped at a park in Neota Illinois. It is right on the Mississippi river. There was a group of kids and dogs just messing around. The dogs came over to check me out and a little girl with a box came over to tell me she was catching frogs and toads and insects for them to eat. Then the boys came over to see my bike, bike shorts and find out where I was going. We had a great conversation. They told me a lot about life in a small Mississippi river town, about the floods, friends, families, 4 wheelers, bikes, school and everything else. I thought I was right in the middle of the adventures of Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn and friends. I helped and the boys helped roll over logs so the girl could catch more toads and frogs. I wish that I had thought to take their picture and get their names.
Nauvoo is tremendous. There is a lot of interesting, historical tourist stuff to do. It is one of the most historically correct restorations of a mid 1800’s Mississippi river town. In my mind it is almost as good as Jamestown Virginia although Jamestown was a much earlier period.
After I got in town I showered and washed my clothing and then went to the new Nauvoo Temple. It is a re-creation of the original Nauvoo Temple and on the same site. It is an operating Mormon Temple and I wanted to see if they would let me in to do a temple session. Usually you wear a white shirt, tie, dress shoes and a suit to the temple but all I had was an EXOFFICIO backpacking shirt, light cargo pants and tennis shoes. I told them this was the best clothing that I had. I did have my temple recommend and they let me in to do a session.
I was extremely lucky to be in Nauvoo when I was. The Nauvoo Pageant had 2 more performances. It was a tremendous show. A dramatization of life and religion in Nauvoo in the 1838 – 1846 period. It was a very bright, happy production with a cast of hundreds. It had singing, dancing, humor, testimony and great information. It was really worthwhile and I was lucky to be here.
After the show I went up to meet some of the cast. I met a beautiful young English woman who played the part of John Taylor’s wife (English). All the cast members had referral cards and asked audience members to refer non-member friends and family. This girl was so friendly, charming and interested in my bike trip that I could not help myself. I referred all of you to the missionaries – so expect a knock on your door soon.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thursday July 23, 2009
BUSINESS DAY. It rained again today and I decided to stay at the motel in Fremont, Ohio another night and conduct a whole bunch of business.
The kids have invited me to fly to Utah and go with them to Lake Powell for a week. Ed has access to a houseboat and four out of the five families will be there. So today I planned how I can do it. I decided I could be at the airport in Omaha, Nebraska by August 8 and then be in Utah in time to go to Lake Powell with everyone. It is going to be a great family vacation and a lot of fun swimming in and exploring Lake Powell. I love each of the 23 members of my immediate family and can’t wait to see them.
It is going to be a stretch. There are not many airports in Iowa. Omaha is right on the eastern edge of Nebraska and is 1000 miles from where I am. I figured I would have to ride 75 miles a day to make it.
I bought tickets and the agent scheduled me to leave on Friday, August 7th instead of Saturday, August 8th (cost considerations) so I lost another day.
In addition to the “Plan A” that I already had, I formulated a “Plan B” and a “Plan C”. Plan A is just to ride hard and fast following the original route. Plan B is to rework the route and take shortcuts along highways with heavier and faster traffic. Plan C is to figure out where I can rent a car and drive to Omaha if I cannot make it on the bicycle in time. Preparing Plan B and C took a big part of the day.
I was also able to use a library internet session to install the scriptures on my iphone. I had purchased them from itunes a week ago but could not get them installed correctly. With help from the vendor I was finally able to get them installed.
I cut down on the equipment again today and sent another package home. I am now down to 50 lbs of gear in addition to the bicycle.
In the future I will probably not try to post to the blog daily. It will be the same story every day. “Ride 75 miles, eat, sleep and do it again the next day”. We shall see if I am up to the task. I am really enjoying this time and the compensation and planning that it involves as well as the physical challenge of moving an old body down the road everyday.
BUSINESS DAY. It rained again today and I decided to stay at the motel in Fremont, Ohio another night and conduct a whole bunch of business.
The kids have invited me to fly to Utah and go with them to Lake Powell for a week. Ed has access to a houseboat and four out of the five families will be there. So today I planned how I can do it. I decided I could be at the airport in Omaha, Nebraska by August 8 and then be in Utah in time to go to Lake Powell with everyone. It is going to be a great family vacation and a lot of fun swimming in and exploring Lake Powell. I love each of the 23 members of my immediate family and can’t wait to see them.
It is going to be a stretch. There are not many airports in Iowa. Omaha is right on the eastern edge of Nebraska and is 1000 miles from where I am. I figured I would have to ride 75 miles a day to make it.
I bought tickets and the agent scheduled me to leave on Friday, August 7th instead of Saturday, August 8th (cost considerations) so I lost another day.
In addition to the “Plan A” that I already had, I formulated a “Plan B” and a “Plan C”. Plan A is just to ride hard and fast following the original route. Plan B is to rework the route and take shortcuts along highways with heavier and faster traffic. Plan C is to figure out where I can rent a car and drive to Omaha if I cannot make it on the bicycle in time. Preparing Plan B and C took a big part of the day.
I was also able to use a library internet session to install the scriptures on my iphone. I had purchased them from itunes a week ago but could not get them installed correctly. With help from the vendor I was finally able to get them installed.
I cut down on the equipment again today and sent another package home. I am now down to 50 lbs of gear in addition to the bicycle.
In the future I will probably not try to post to the blog daily. It will be the same story every day. “Ride 75 miles, eat, sleep and do it again the next day”. We shall see if I am up to the task. I am really enjoying this time and the compensation and planning that it involves as well as the physical challenge of moving an old body down the road everyday.
Wednesday July 22, 2009
RAIN DAY. I have been wondering what it was like to ride in the rain. Today I found out. It really came down. For most of the day it did not bother me too much. However I got cold and then I was not having much fun.
I rode about 60 miles today. Riding is becoming easier and I am riding faster. I am still carrying too much weight.
I stayed at a motel in Fremont, Ohio and got warm and dry.
RAIN DAY. I have been wondering what it was like to ride in the rain. Today I found out. It really came down. For most of the day it did not bother me too much. However I got cold and then I was not having much fun.
I rode about 60 miles today. Riding is becoming easier and I am riding faster. I am still carrying too much weight.
I stayed at a motel in Fremont, Ohio and got warm and dry.
Tuesday July 21, 2009
ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY OF FREEDOM. I rode through Cleveland today. It was very interesting to see the city. The street route that was in the “Adventure Cycling” map was safe even if it was complicated. It took me through some of the more gritty parts of town as well as some extremely rich parts of town.
Cleveland lists a “Bike Trail along the lake”. It was not a bike trail alongside of Lake Erie. You actually never did see the lake but you did travel along a road filled with mansions whose backyards bordered on the lake. I could not see the lake but I could see the houses whose occupants could see the lake. When I first got onto the lakeside trail, I went into a small park overlooking the lake thinking I would find the “lakeside trail”. Wrong – there was no such trail. And I got into trouble with a lady who came out of her house and said that it was a private park and I was not allowed to be in there.
Later I went through some State Parks and could see the lake.
I rode 66 miles today.
Tonight I camped at an abandoned train station in Vermilion, Ohio. The past two evenings I got to where my iphone said there was a campground only to find that the iphone was wrong. It was late and dark so I just found a place to sleep.
ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY OF FREEDOM. I rode through Cleveland today. It was very interesting to see the city. The street route that was in the “Adventure Cycling” map was safe even if it was complicated. It took me through some of the more gritty parts of town as well as some extremely rich parts of town.
Cleveland lists a “Bike Trail along the lake”. It was not a bike trail alongside of Lake Erie. You actually never did see the lake but you did travel along a road filled with mansions whose backyards bordered on the lake. I could not see the lake but I could see the houses whose occupants could see the lake. When I first got onto the lakeside trail, I went into a small park overlooking the lake thinking I would find the “lakeside trail”. Wrong – there was no such trail. And I got into trouble with a lady who came out of her house and said that it was a private park and I was not allowed to be in there.
Later I went through some State Parks and could see the lake.
I rode 66 miles today.
Tonight I camped at an abandoned train station in Vermilion, Ohio. The past two evenings I got to where my iphone said there was a campground only to find that the iphone was wrong. It was late and dark so I just found a place to sleep.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Newell K Whitney Store
Newell K Whitney and his generous nature which included dedicating this store to the work of the Lord played an important role in helping the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Church move forward. Many revelations were received here. The prophet and his family lived upstairs for a year and a half. The "School of the Prophets" was held here. A number of the attendees reported in their journals that they were introduced to GOD THE FATHER and JESUS CHRIST at one of the training sessions.
KIRTLAND TEMPLE IMPORTANT ETERNAL BEINGS
Some very important Eternal Personages restored some very important covenants in the Kirtland Temple. They include GOD THE FATHER, JESUS CHRIST, Moses, Elijah, Elias and others.
Sunday July 19, 2009
KIRTLAND WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE. Most of the blog info today will be in text surrounding the pictures. Suffice it to say that there were some tremendous things that took place in Kirtland about 170 years ago.
I did no riding today, just walking to all of the historical sites. They were all close to my motel.
KIRTLAND WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE. Most of the blog info today will be in text surrounding the pictures. Suffice it to say that there were some tremendous things that took place in Kirtland about 170 years ago.
I did no riding today, just walking to all of the historical sites. They were all close to my motel.
Saturday July 18, 2009
UPHILL AND UPWIND. I started thinking that I had this biking thing under control. I could just sail along with minimal effort and cover great distances fast. However today brought me back to reality. There is a big difference between riding level with the wind at your back and riding uphill with a strong wind blowing right at you.
I rode about 25 miles today to get to Kirtland Ohio but it was harder than the 50 miles yesterday. Kirtland is in the hills around Lake Erie and the route to get there is all uphill.
I stayed at a motel to get ready for Church tomorrow.
UPHILL AND UPWIND. I started thinking that I had this biking thing under control. I could just sail along with minimal effort and cover great distances fast. However today brought me back to reality. There is a big difference between riding level with the wind at your back and riding uphill with a strong wind blowing right at you.
I rode about 25 miles today to get to Kirtland Ohio but it was harder than the 50 miles yesterday. Kirtland is in the hills around Lake Erie and the route to get there is all uphill.
I stayed at a motel to get ready for Church tomorrow.
Friday July 17, 2009
RAIN AND OTHER ADVENTURES. Today I rode on the “Western Reserve Greenway” trail. Some really progressive cities, counties and bicycling associations are acquiring old railroad bed routes and then making a walking, biking, running, rollerblading trail. The trails are great: pretty, shaded and an excellent way to avoid competition with automobiles for road space.
I passed an Amish farmhouse and barn today. In the yard was a group of young boys playing happily. What was really striking though was the clothes line. It had a pulley so the clothes went clear up to the top of the barn. She could hang the clothes down low but dry them high in the wind. This lady is still using sun power to dry her clothes rather than a gas or electric dryer. There was a whole string of levi’s progressively increasing in size.
I also got chased by a pack of 10 or 12 rotweiller dogs. They were big, I estimate 60 – 80 lbs. And they were aggressive. I think they wanted to eat me and since I did not want to be eaten I pedaled fast through that area.
There were some pretty impressive thundershowers during the day and I had to finish the day riding on US 6. It is a high speed highway with only one lane each way and no shoulder on the road.
I biked over 50 miles today and camped at a campground in Montville Ohio.
RAIN AND OTHER ADVENTURES. Today I rode on the “Western Reserve Greenway” trail. Some really progressive cities, counties and bicycling associations are acquiring old railroad bed routes and then making a walking, biking, running, rollerblading trail. The trails are great: pretty, shaded and an excellent way to avoid competition with automobiles for road space.
I passed an Amish farmhouse and barn today. In the yard was a group of young boys playing happily. What was really striking though was the clothes line. It had a pulley so the clothes went clear up to the top of the barn. She could hang the clothes down low but dry them high in the wind. This lady is still using sun power to dry her clothes rather than a gas or electric dryer. There was a whole string of levi’s progressively increasing in size.
I also got chased by a pack of 10 or 12 rotweiller dogs. They were big, I estimate 60 – 80 lbs. And they were aggressive. I think they wanted to eat me and since I did not want to be eaten I pedaled fast through that area.
There were some pretty impressive thundershowers during the day and I had to finish the day riding on US 6. It is a high speed highway with only one lane each way and no shoulder on the road.
I biked over 50 miles today and camped at a campground in Montville Ohio.
Thursday July 16, 2009
NORMAL DAY OF RIDING. I am getting much stronger, developing more bicycle riding stamina and hurting less. However since I had requested those exact results in prayer I am not sure that I can claim the credit.
Libraries are rapidly becoming one of my favorite places. Newton Falls has a great library with helpful staff. I was trying to figure out where to stay in Kirtland. Some of the ladies at the front desk gave me maps for another bicycle path – “Western Reserve Greenway” trail that will help me avoid automobile traffic again.
I camped in a campground in Newton Falls, Ohio.
NORMAL DAY OF RIDING. I am getting much stronger, developing more bicycle riding stamina and hurting less. However since I had requested those exact results in prayer I am not sure that I can claim the credit.
Libraries are rapidly becoming one of my favorite places. Newton Falls has a great library with helpful staff. I was trying to figure out where to stay in Kirtland. Some of the ladies at the front desk gave me maps for another bicycle path – “Western Reserve Greenway” trail that will help me avoid automobile traffic again.
I camped in a campground in Newton Falls, Ohio.
Wednesday July 15, 2009
GREAT DAY FOR RIDING. The weather is great and it a fun day to be riding a bicycle. I have really enjoyed the trip so far.
It appears to me that Pennsylvania has the best roads. Most of their highways have a large shoulder at the side of the road. This makes it much safer to ride a bicycle on the side of the road. It also means vehicles with problems have space to pull off the road and resolve the issue. Neither Virginia, nor Maryland, nor Ohio seems to have shoulders on their roads.
Spent quite a bit of time in the Columbiana, Ohio library catching up on my daily journal and blog.
Although riding the bike is fun it is even more fun to eat and relax in some of the small town restaurants that I have discovered.
I camped in a parking lot in Columbiana. I had been getting quite wet camping on grass and I wanted to see if it was any different on asphalt. I am happy to report that asphalt is much dryer than grass. That means I do not have to dry out the sleeping bag the next day.
GREAT DAY FOR RIDING. The weather is great and it a fun day to be riding a bicycle. I have really enjoyed the trip so far.
It appears to me that Pennsylvania has the best roads. Most of their highways have a large shoulder at the side of the road. This makes it much safer to ride a bicycle on the side of the road. It also means vehicles with problems have space to pull off the road and resolve the issue. Neither Virginia, nor Maryland, nor Ohio seems to have shoulders on their roads.
Spent quite a bit of time in the Columbiana, Ohio library catching up on my daily journal and blog.
Although riding the bike is fun it is even more fun to eat and relax in some of the small town restaurants that I have discovered.
I camped in a parking lot in Columbiana. I had been getting quite wet camping on grass and I wanted to see if it was any different on asphalt. I am happy to report that asphalt is much dryer than grass. That means I do not have to dry out the sleeping bag the next day.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tuesday July 14, 2009
END OF THE DIRT BIKE TRAILS. I got to McKeesport early today. After 320 miles of rough dirt trail the equipment needed to be cleaned. The new bike had only gone 140 miles on dirt trails but it needed servicing as well.
It took a couple of hours to clean all of the equipment and the bicycle. I cleaned and oiled the derailleur and the chain.
The new bike performed outstandingly. I can now handle hills and I am riding faster on the flat terrain and expending less energy per mile which means I can do more miles per day.
It took a few hours to make all of the bus connections and get through Pittsburgh. Downtown Pittsburgh was really neat and beautiful, right at the confluence of two rivers.
I camped at a on the grounds of a Catholic Church in Darlington PA approximately 37 miles northwest of Pittsburg.
END OF THE DIRT BIKE TRAILS. I got to McKeesport early today. After 320 miles of rough dirt trail the equipment needed to be cleaned. The new bike had only gone 140 miles on dirt trails but it needed servicing as well.
It took a couple of hours to clean all of the equipment and the bicycle. I cleaned and oiled the derailleur and the chain.
The new bike performed outstandingly. I can now handle hills and I am riding faster on the flat terrain and expending less energy per mile which means I can do more miles per day.
It took a few hours to make all of the bus connections and get through Pittsburgh. Downtown Pittsburgh was really neat and beautiful, right at the confluence of two rivers.
I camped at a on the grounds of a Catholic Church in Darlington PA approximately 37 miles northwest of Pittsburg.
Monday July 13, 2009
LOTS OF WILDLIFE. I got on the trail early today and saw lots of interesting wildlife: A wild turkey and two young, numerous bunnies, but the most interesting was the intricate and beautiful spider webs that were built overnight across the trail. There were some really interesting structures and designs. There were lots of mosquitoes and other flying insects because of all the vegetation and the river nearby and I guess the spiders were catching food to eat as the insects get caught in their web.
I spent most of the day in East Newton figuring out how I am going to proceed to and from Pittsburgh. The Great Allegheny Passage trail has not been completed to Pittsburgh yet and ends 10 miles short. It will be finished soon. The roads from McKeesport to Pittsburgh are dangerous and not at all bicycle friendly.
In addition the bike road route that will take me from Pittsburgh to Cleveland does not start in Pittsburgh. It starts in Coraopolis which is about 10 miles north of Pittsburgh. So how do I get from McKeesport to Coraopolis? All of the map information just assumes you can drive to and from McKeesport or Coraopolis.
I bought a guide book at the visitor’s center that mentioned that the “Port Authority of Allegheny County” ran a bus between McKeesport and Pittsburgh (Route 56C) and gave a phone number. I was able to find out that I could also take another bus to Coraopolis (Route 21A). Problem solved.
There is also another trail – the Montour Trail that I could ride from McKeesport to Coraopolis but it was a 50 mile detour loop and I decided to use the bus option.
I camped at the Dravo Cemetery Campground at Milepost 122. It is the last camping spot before McKeesport which is the end of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail (GAP).
The GAP trail is far superior and easier to ride than the C&O Canal trail. It is smooth, wide and hard. The surface of the C&O canal trail is rough, rutted, and muddy with lots of roots and limbs. It is also narrow. There is lots of interesting history on both trails.
During the ride from Washington DC to McKeesport I have traveled on, crossed over and traveled close to the old “National Road” that was the first road built to get to the territories. That is the road that Joseph Smith was on when the Stage Coach he was riding in had run away horses. He stopped the coach and saved the passengers inside.
LOTS OF WILDLIFE. I got on the trail early today and saw lots of interesting wildlife: A wild turkey and two young, numerous bunnies, but the most interesting was the intricate and beautiful spider webs that were built overnight across the trail. There were some really interesting structures and designs. There were lots of mosquitoes and other flying insects because of all the vegetation and the river nearby and I guess the spiders were catching food to eat as the insects get caught in their web.
I spent most of the day in East Newton figuring out how I am going to proceed to and from Pittsburgh. The Great Allegheny Passage trail has not been completed to Pittsburgh yet and ends 10 miles short. It will be finished soon. The roads from McKeesport to Pittsburgh are dangerous and not at all bicycle friendly.
In addition the bike road route that will take me from Pittsburgh to Cleveland does not start in Pittsburgh. It starts in Coraopolis which is about 10 miles north of Pittsburgh. So how do I get from McKeesport to Coraopolis? All of the map information just assumes you can drive to and from McKeesport or Coraopolis.
I bought a guide book at the visitor’s center that mentioned that the “Port Authority of Allegheny County” ran a bus between McKeesport and Pittsburgh (Route 56C) and gave a phone number. I was able to find out that I could also take another bus to Coraopolis (Route 21A). Problem solved.
There is also another trail – the Montour Trail that I could ride from McKeesport to Coraopolis but it was a 50 mile detour loop and I decided to use the bus option.
I camped at the Dravo Cemetery Campground at Milepost 122. It is the last camping spot before McKeesport which is the end of the Great Allegheny Passage Trail (GAP).
The GAP trail is far superior and easier to ride than the C&O Canal trail. It is smooth, wide and hard. The surface of the C&O canal trail is rough, rutted, and muddy with lots of roots and limbs. It is also narrow. There is lots of interesting history on both trails.
During the ride from Washington DC to McKeesport I have traveled on, crossed over and traveled close to the old “National Road” that was the first road built to get to the territories. That is the road that Joseph Smith was on when the Stage Coach he was riding in had run away horses. He stopped the coach and saved the passengers inside.
Sunday July 12, 2009
I tried to find a Mormon Church today but no luck. I have the scriptures on my laptop so I was able to read scripture today.
I caught up on the journal and posted the daily journal entries on the blog. I cannot figure out how to modify existing published posts in order to add pictures so I am going to put the pictures to date on this post and then from now on I will add the appropriate picture to the appropriate post.
I have a couple of pictures that were taken today. They are of the Yougheoheny River and a State Park – Ohiopyle – on that river.
Camped at Adelaide Milepost 92 on the Great Allegheny Passage Trail.
I tried to find a Mormon Church today but no luck. I have the scriptures on my laptop so I was able to read scripture today.
I caught up on the journal and posted the daily journal entries on the blog. I cannot figure out how to modify existing published posts in order to add pictures so I am going to put the pictures to date on this post and then from now on I will add the appropriate picture to the appropriate post.
I have a couple of pictures that were taken today. They are of the Yougheoheny River and a State Park – Ohiopyle – on that river.
Camped at Adelaide Milepost 92 on the Great Allegheny Passage Trail.
What an innocent. He does not know that in a few minutes he will have lumps on his head.
Harper's Ferry, West Virginia
John Brown's Fort
After John Brown & his force invaded Harper's Ferry, killed the Mayor and tried to take over the National Armory, they barracauded themselves in the Firestation for a couple of days.
The US Army sent a force of Marines under the command of Major Robert E Lee to capture him. Major Lee's next in command was Captain Jeb Stuart. Both would later win world wide acclaim as military commanders for the Confederate States of America.
Crossing the Potomac River at Whites Ferry.
This post will catch up on all the pictures that I have not posted until now.
I was hoping this picture would look like Indiana Jones but no luck. This is where all my stuff including the van and the motorcycle live. Picture 1 - About to Start the Adventure.
I was hoping this picture would look like Indiana Jones but no luck. This is where all my stuff including the van and the motorcycle live. Picture 1 - About to Start the Adventure.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Saturday July 11, 2009
Great Allegheny Passage. Today I started on a new trail to Pittsburg. Hooray, I do not have to compete with cars just yet. It is the “Great Allegheny Passage” trail. It is a great trail that is built on old railroad bed. It goes thru the mountains of western Pennsylvania without all of the up and down that kills you. It is 150 miles to Pittsburg but the last 10 miles have not been completed yet so it ends at McKeesport.
It follows the wild and beautiful Youghiogheny River that Kurt Lund, Bret Stevens and I floated a couple of years ago.
Met a couple of riders going to Cumberland (Mark and Alisa) in Meyersdale. We went to the grocery store and shared ½ gallon of ice cream. You meet lots of nice people on the trail. It is fun trading stories.
I camped at milepost 43 – Town of Rockwood. All of the campgrounds on this trail are privately owned. It is usually $10. per night. The Husky Campground was very nice.
Great Allegheny Passage. Today I started on a new trail to Pittsburg. Hooray, I do not have to compete with cars just yet. It is the “Great Allegheny Passage” trail. It is a great trail that is built on old railroad bed. It goes thru the mountains of western Pennsylvania without all of the up and down that kills you. It is 150 miles to Pittsburg but the last 10 miles have not been completed yet so it ends at McKeesport.
It follows the wild and beautiful Youghiogheny River that Kurt Lund, Bret Stevens and I floated a couple of years ago.
Met a couple of riders going to Cumberland (Mark and Alisa) in Meyersdale. We went to the grocery store and shared ½ gallon of ice cream. You meet lots of nice people on the trail. It is fun trading stories.
I camped at milepost 43 – Town of Rockwood. All of the campgrounds on this trail are privately owned. It is usually $10. per night. The Husky Campground was very nice.
Friday July 10, 2009
Retool Time. I spent the whole day in Cumberland. I found a great bike shop – “Cumberland Trail Connection”. Hutch and Rob were not only very helpful but also experienced riders and bike tourers. They had scales and I was able to weigh all my stuff. It turns out that counting all of the bags, I was carrying over 110 lbs.
My earlier theory on what to bring on this trip was the old “Pioneer Pack Horse” theory. If you need something you better bring it with you. I bought the lightest version of everything that I might need and then just loaded it on the “Larry Carter pack horse”. It turns out that Larry is considerably weaker than a real pack horse.
I tried out eating ground wheat on the trail. It worked well but in involved bringing a wheat grinder, a supply of wheat, a container of powered milk, salt, a backpacking stove and an insulated container to cook in.
My new theory is: The USA has an abundant supply network. I will only carry what I need for that day. I can buy plenty of food and water each day. It also means that if I need something in Wyoming I am not going to carry it across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska. I will buy it in Wyoming.
I boxed up and sent 37 lbs of stuff to Ed in Utah. I am still carrying 64 lbs counting all of the bags. That is still a lot. I camped with a couple of guys who have done a lot of bike touring. They only carry about 30 – 40 lbs.
The bike shop had the exact model that earlier research had indicated was the best road touring bike for the money: Surly “Long Haul Trucker”. I bought it, outfitted it and sent the other bike to Mei-ling in Alexandria. She was kind enough to store it for me.
The new bike and the weight reduction made all the difference. I can now pedal up steep hills rather than walk and push the bike. It still takes a lot of strength and energy and I will need to build up as I go but at least now the ride to Utah up over the mountains is in the realm of possibility.
Retool Time. I spent the whole day in Cumberland. I found a great bike shop – “Cumberland Trail Connection”. Hutch and Rob were not only very helpful but also experienced riders and bike tourers. They had scales and I was able to weigh all my stuff. It turns out that counting all of the bags, I was carrying over 110 lbs.
My earlier theory on what to bring on this trip was the old “Pioneer Pack Horse” theory. If you need something you better bring it with you. I bought the lightest version of everything that I might need and then just loaded it on the “Larry Carter pack horse”. It turns out that Larry is considerably weaker than a real pack horse.
I tried out eating ground wheat on the trail. It worked well but in involved bringing a wheat grinder, a supply of wheat, a container of powered milk, salt, a backpacking stove and an insulated container to cook in.
My new theory is: The USA has an abundant supply network. I will only carry what I need for that day. I can buy plenty of food and water each day. It also means that if I need something in Wyoming I am not going to carry it across Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska. I will buy it in Wyoming.
I boxed up and sent 37 lbs of stuff to Ed in Utah. I am still carrying 64 lbs counting all of the bags. That is still a lot. I camped with a couple of guys who have done a lot of bike touring. They only carry about 30 – 40 lbs.
The bike shop had the exact model that earlier research had indicated was the best road touring bike for the money: Surly “Long Haul Trucker”. I bought it, outfitted it and sent the other bike to Mei-ling in Alexandria. She was kind enough to store it for me.
The new bike and the weight reduction made all the difference. I can now pedal up steep hills rather than walk and push the bike. It still takes a lot of strength and energy and I will need to build up as I go but at least now the ride to Utah up over the mountains is in the realm of possibility.
Thursday July 9, 2009
Larry Carter – Bike Tourer in Training. I finally got to the end of the C&O Canal Trail – the trail is 185 miles from Washington DC to Cumberland Maryland. After the exertions yesterday and the effort it took to get off the mountain today I am totally exhausted.
This whole ride to Cumberland has been a good trial for the rest of the ride to Utah. Things have got to change.
I have made two decisions: a) I am going to cut the weight down considerably. b) I need the increase in efficiency that a road touring bike offers. I am going to transition from a mountain bike tourer to a road bike tourer. From previous study done it appears to be from 10 – 20 percent increase.
I camped at the YMCA campground in Cumberland. Very Nice, and we can use of all their facilities.
Larry Carter – Bike Tourer in Training. I finally got to the end of the C&O Canal Trail – the trail is 185 miles from Washington DC to Cumberland Maryland. After the exertions yesterday and the effort it took to get off the mountain today I am totally exhausted.
This whole ride to Cumberland has been a good trial for the rest of the ride to Utah. Things have got to change.
I have made two decisions: a) I am going to cut the weight down considerably. b) I need the increase in efficiency that a road touring bike offers. I am going to transition from a mountain bike tourer to a road bike tourer. From previous study done it appears to be from 10 – 20 percent increase.
I camped at the YMCA campground in Cumberland. Very Nice, and we can use of all their facilities.
Wednesday July 8, 2009
MOUNTAIN TIME. I decided to take a shortcut this afternoon and I learned a lot. I camped at “Four Locks” last night at milepost 107. By the time I got to milepost 140 I was ready to see new country. The map showed that the river and the trail had a series of S curves that went for 20 miles. It also showed a straight road across the top that looked like I could save about ten miles and I decided to take it. I got off the trail at “Little Orleans” at about 5:30 pm.
The road turned out to be a hunting road up over the mountains in Western Maryland. The bike was too heavy to pedal up the hills so I pushed it up and rode it down. The country was beautiful. There were hunting chalets and sportsman’s clubs occasionally along the way. I camped at a neat hunting campsite arriving at 8:00 pm. It had a hitching post for horses and a big firepit. The best thing is that it had no mosquitoes.
However I worked so hard to get there that I was beat.
MOUNTAIN TIME. I decided to take a shortcut this afternoon and I learned a lot. I camped at “Four Locks” last night at milepost 107. By the time I got to milepost 140 I was ready to see new country. The map showed that the river and the trail had a series of S curves that went for 20 miles. It also showed a straight road across the top that looked like I could save about ten miles and I decided to take it. I got off the trail at “Little Orleans” at about 5:30 pm.
The road turned out to be a hunting road up over the mountains in Western Maryland. The bike was too heavy to pedal up the hills so I pushed it up and rode it down. The country was beautiful. There were hunting chalets and sportsman’s clubs occasionally along the way. I camped at a neat hunting campsite arriving at 8:00 pm. It had a hitching post for horses and a big firepit. The best thing is that it had no mosquitoes.
However I worked so hard to get there that I was beat.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday July 7, 2009
I HAD A LOT OF FUN TODAY. I did not make much progress as far as the mileage chart goes but it was a great day anyway. There is a three mile section of the C&O Canal path that never has been opened for biking. None of the maps I saw told about this. I discovered some pretty wild single track bike riding before I finally found a sign that said the trail was closed. Back tracking and the detour added about 10 extra miles. I really like the surprises and the spur of the moment compensations and decisions that must be made.
The bicycle had a mechanical failure today. All of the weight on the front rack caused the brackets that hold the rack to the front bicycle forks to break. I was riding along and the front rack and the front packs all rotated to the ground. I figured out how to reengineer the front rack with the materials I had and put it back together but it took quite a while to decide what to do. I think that it is much stronger now but we shall see. It was rewarding to be able to fix it.
I should have stress tested all of the gear and equipment before starting but I did not have the time. Actually that is what I am doing now. It will be a long ride and I am finding out how to use and maintain everything early on.
When I got started again the front disk brake was binding up so I stopped early at a beautiful camp site. This site had picnic tables, grass and no mosquitoes. It also had swimming access to the Potomac River. I learned how to adjust the disk brakes, went swimming and caught up on my daily journal. Some of it will eventually make it into the blog. I also need to organize the pictures and figure out how to load them into the blog.
Maybe tomorrow I will actually get my 60 miles of riding.
If you want to see a map of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail you can use this URL www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/upload/parkmap.pdf
Front Rack failure at DAM5 Milepost 106
Camped at FOURLOCKS – Milepost 108
I HAD A LOT OF FUN TODAY. I did not make much progress as far as the mileage chart goes but it was a great day anyway. There is a three mile section of the C&O Canal path that never has been opened for biking. None of the maps I saw told about this. I discovered some pretty wild single track bike riding before I finally found a sign that said the trail was closed. Back tracking and the detour added about 10 extra miles. I really like the surprises and the spur of the moment compensations and decisions that must be made.
The bicycle had a mechanical failure today. All of the weight on the front rack caused the brackets that hold the rack to the front bicycle forks to break. I was riding along and the front rack and the front packs all rotated to the ground. I figured out how to reengineer the front rack with the materials I had and put it back together but it took quite a while to decide what to do. I think that it is much stronger now but we shall see. It was rewarding to be able to fix it.
I should have stress tested all of the gear and equipment before starting but I did not have the time. Actually that is what I am doing now. It will be a long ride and I am finding out how to use and maintain everything early on.
When I got started again the front disk brake was binding up so I stopped early at a beautiful camp site. This site had picnic tables, grass and no mosquitoes. It also had swimming access to the Potomac River. I learned how to adjust the disk brakes, went swimming and caught up on my daily journal. Some of it will eventually make it into the blog. I also need to organize the pictures and figure out how to load them into the blog.
Maybe tomorrow I will actually get my 60 miles of riding.
If you want to see a map of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail you can use this URL www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/upload/parkmap.pdf
Front Rack failure at DAM5 Milepost 106
Camped at FOURLOCKS – Milepost 108
Monday July 6, 2009
BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR RIIDING. The weather was perfect, cool and clear. The scenery was tremendous, the Potomac on the left, C&O Canal on the right, canopy of tree cover overhead and riding through the forest I saw a lot of wild life. Deer were plentiful, I saw woodchucks occasionally and I even saw a fox.
I have met some really nice people so far: A man and his teen age son from West Virginia, a couple from Washington DC, a mother and daughter walking their dog and the daughter now lives in Spanish Fork Utah. I am even more friendly on the road.
Today was the day that I had my first episode of compensating for a less than perfect situation. I also had an accident. With the bike loaded the way it is, it tends to wander back and forth. The part of the C&O trail that I was on is quite narrow with steep drop offs on both sides. I was moving pretty fast, probably about 12 – 15 MPH and the bike floated to the left. I went over the embankment and got slammed pretty hard. The bike helmet broke in six places. My head would have broken if not for the helmet.
After doing damage assessment I found that I was bleeding from my head, the ortlieb panniers took a beating but nothing broke, the front wheel was bend so bad that it would not rotate.
I cleaned up my head and tried to figure out how to get the bike fixed. It was about 10 miles to a bike shop in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. I found that if I removed the disk brakes that the wheel would rotate so I removed the disk brake assembly and went for bike repairs in Shepherdstown.
I bought a new front wheel and a new helmet. The bike mechanic at “Shep Peddle and Paddle” was named Alan. He installed a new wheel, the disk from the old wheel and reinstalled the disk brake assembly that I had removed.
Alan told me if I put most of the weight on the front rack that the bike would handle better. I tried it and it worked amazingly well. The bicycle steering is now much more stable.
I did not make much progress today but at least I got the “trip accident” out of the way and I am back on the trail.
The crash happened at Dargan Bend – Milepost 63.
Got the bike repaired in Shepherdstown, WV – Milepost 73.
I camped at Big Wood – Milepost 83
BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR RIIDING. The weather was perfect, cool and clear. The scenery was tremendous, the Potomac on the left, C&O Canal on the right, canopy of tree cover overhead and riding through the forest I saw a lot of wild life. Deer were plentiful, I saw woodchucks occasionally and I even saw a fox.
I have met some really nice people so far: A man and his teen age son from West Virginia, a couple from Washington DC, a mother and daughter walking their dog and the daughter now lives in Spanish Fork Utah. I am even more friendly on the road.
Today was the day that I had my first episode of compensating for a less than perfect situation. I also had an accident. With the bike loaded the way it is, it tends to wander back and forth. The part of the C&O trail that I was on is quite narrow with steep drop offs on both sides. I was moving pretty fast, probably about 12 – 15 MPH and the bike floated to the left. I went over the embankment and got slammed pretty hard. The bike helmet broke in six places. My head would have broken if not for the helmet.
After doing damage assessment I found that I was bleeding from my head, the ortlieb panniers took a beating but nothing broke, the front wheel was bend so bad that it would not rotate.
I cleaned up my head and tried to figure out how to get the bike fixed. It was about 10 miles to a bike shop in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. I found that if I removed the disk brakes that the wheel would rotate so I removed the disk brake assembly and went for bike repairs in Shepherdstown.
I bought a new front wheel and a new helmet. The bike mechanic at “Shep Peddle and Paddle” was named Alan. He installed a new wheel, the disk from the old wheel and reinstalled the disk brake assembly that I had removed.
Alan told me if I put most of the weight on the front rack that the bike would handle better. I tried it and it worked amazingly well. The bicycle steering is now much more stable.
I did not make much progress today but at least I got the “trip accident” out of the way and I am back on the trail.
The crash happened at Dargan Bend – Milepost 63.
Got the bike repaired in Shepherdstown, WV – Milepost 73.
I camped at Big Wood – Milepost 83
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Sunday July 5, 2009
FREEDOM. It is great being free and on the road to adventures unknown. I got up early and biked to Harpers Ferry to try to find a Mormon Church to attend. I got to Harpers Ferry and asked my IPhone where the nearest church was. It told me it was 7 miles away, gave me an address and directions to get there.
I checked the Churches web site and found out the name of the Ward, Stake and hours of the service. Everything was in order as far as the web was concerned. However when I got there it was it was still under construction. No church today.
It is amazing the toll a little bit of physical effort takes on your body and mind. I hope my body adapts and cooperates with this adventure.
FREEDOM. It is great being free and on the road to adventures unknown. I got up early and biked to Harpers Ferry to try to find a Mormon Church to attend. I got to Harpers Ferry and asked my IPhone where the nearest church was. It told me it was 7 miles away, gave me an address and directions to get there.
I checked the Churches web site and found out the name of the Ward, Stake and hours of the service. Everything was in order as far as the web was concerned. However when I got there it was it was still under construction. No church today.
It is amazing the toll a little bit of physical effort takes on your body and mind. I hope my body adapts and cooperates with this adventure.
Saturday July 4, 2009
Today is the day to pack the bike and leave. It took longer than I thought to organize everything and pack it in my bags.
I tried to weigh the bike. I have a home scale that goes to 280 lbs. I weigh 180 lbs. When I picked up the bike it exceeded the limit so I estimate the loaded bike to weigh over 100 lbs.
Hallelujah. I am on the road. I left about 4:00 pm. Biked along the W&OD trail to Leesburg then got on highway 15. 15 is not meant for bicycles but considering the design of most Virginia roads it is a great road to ride on. It actually has wide shoulders. After about six miles I got to Whites Ferry, took a boat across the Potomac and got on the C&O Canal Trail.
In preparing for this trip, I took a number of long rides and got comfortable with distance rides. However I did not fully load the bike. That much weight makes a big difference for both me and the bike. It struggles and so do I. I hope its wheels, frame and racks can take it. I hope my legs, strength and energy levels can take it.
I camped at milepost 43. After the first night I thought: “I was very comfortable in camp. I am on a great camping trip. It is a better camping trip than a bike ride because I brought everything but the kitchen sink and I even brought a collapsible kitchen sink.
Today is the day to pack the bike and leave. It took longer than I thought to organize everything and pack it in my bags.
I tried to weigh the bike. I have a home scale that goes to 280 lbs. I weigh 180 lbs. When I picked up the bike it exceeded the limit so I estimate the loaded bike to weigh over 100 lbs.
Hallelujah. I am on the road. I left about 4:00 pm. Biked along the W&OD trail to Leesburg then got on highway 15. 15 is not meant for bicycles but considering the design of most Virginia roads it is a great road to ride on. It actually has wide shoulders. After about six miles I got to Whites Ferry, took a boat across the Potomac and got on the C&O Canal Trail.
In preparing for this trip, I took a number of long rides and got comfortable with distance rides. However I did not fully load the bike. That much weight makes a big difference for both me and the bike. It struggles and so do I. I hope its wheels, frame and racks can take it. I hope my legs, strength and energy levels can take it.
I camped at milepost 43. After the first night I thought: “I was very comfortable in camp. I am on a great camping trip. It is a better camping trip than a bike ride because I brought everything but the kitchen sink and I even brought a collapsible kitchen sink.
Friday, July 3, 2009
REASONS FOR THE BIKE TRIP
We live in a complicated, interactive and interdependent society. Every day I go to work in a specialized and technical job. I spent most of my thoughts, activities and energies only indirectly related to the basic needs of life: Food, water, clothing, shelter, and social and familial interaction with others. My hours are focused on accomplishment and carrying out assigned tasks.
In most societies throughout world history regular people spent their energies directly related to obtaining their basic needs. I want to spend some unfocused time worrying about whether I am hungry, thirsty, cold, hot, tired or wet. I want to spent time finding food, trying to keep warm and dry and discovering and exploring unknown territory. I want to work hard with my body and not with my mind.
I also want to find out at my advanced age whether I can still plan and carry out extensive physical adventures. I want to find out if I could have made it in former pioneer times.
Admittedly my quest will be far different than the pioneers. Theirs was a journey of survival. Mine will be more a journey of self-discovery. I have maps that tell where the rivers and mountains are, show bridges and roads and cities and distances to each. My paths are paved so wheels can easily traverse. I do not have to carry a huge load of supplies. I do not need to hunt fish and kill animals for food because my agents have deposited caches of food and goods all along the way. I have a small plastic magnetically encoded card that is the key to unlock access to all of the supplies I will need. If I want to find something or need any type of information, I have a small crystal ball (iphone brand) that will tell me everything I want to know. It knows the location of all goods and services and will tell me how to get there.
I hope you enjoy following an idiot as he struggles with the unforeseen challenges and troubles that life will bring. I will record daily experiences and pictures on my laptop and will post them to this blog as I come across internet hotspots along the way. I am new to blogging but I understand there is an interactive element to them so if you have questions or requests just post them as comments on this blog or send them as email and I will try to answer each one.
We live in a complicated, interactive and interdependent society. Every day I go to work in a specialized and technical job. I spent most of my thoughts, activities and energies only indirectly related to the basic needs of life: Food, water, clothing, shelter, and social and familial interaction with others. My hours are focused on accomplishment and carrying out assigned tasks.
In most societies throughout world history regular people spent their energies directly related to obtaining their basic needs. I want to spend some unfocused time worrying about whether I am hungry, thirsty, cold, hot, tired or wet. I want to spent time finding food, trying to keep warm and dry and discovering and exploring unknown territory. I want to work hard with my body and not with my mind.
I also want to find out at my advanced age whether I can still plan and carry out extensive physical adventures. I want to find out if I could have made it in former pioneer times.
Admittedly my quest will be far different than the pioneers. Theirs was a journey of survival. Mine will be more a journey of self-discovery. I have maps that tell where the rivers and mountains are, show bridges and roads and cities and distances to each. My paths are paved so wheels can easily traverse. I do not have to carry a huge load of supplies. I do not need to hunt fish and kill animals for food because my agents have deposited caches of food and goods all along the way. I have a small plastic magnetically encoded card that is the key to unlock access to all of the supplies I will need. If I want to find something or need any type of information, I have a small crystal ball (iphone brand) that will tell me everything I want to know. It knows the location of all goods and services and will tell me how to get there.
I hope you enjoy following an idiot as he struggles with the unforeseen challenges and troubles that life will bring. I will record daily experiences and pictures on my laptop and will post them to this blog as I come across internet hotspots along the way. I am new to blogging but I understand there is an interactive element to them so if you have questions or requests just post them as comments on this blog or send them as email and I will try to answer each one.
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