Half way home

"Well we finally made it out of the boring, straight ahead, wash-boarded, 400 mile dirt road that someone named Wyoming" - Nat

Well we are pleased to let everyone know that we have made it to Steamboat Springs, CO and the weather is beautiful! We are very excited to be here and wait anxiously as Uncle John bikes his way up to meet us!

Well after we left Rawlins, we immediately were placed back in the desert and fell into kind of a 'funk'. We didn't want to ride and we just wanted to be lazy. It was so hard though when its 100+ degrees with no shade. So we continued on and fell way short of our mileage goal for the day. It was still a 46 mile day but it meant we would have a 60+ mile day the following day. It was our last night in Wyoming and we were glad to see it go!

As we walked and pedaled to our camp destination for the night, Nat and I discussed all the things we missed about home and all the things we wanted to do when we get back. I think that is kind of what helped us get through the day. That and we met up with a few groups of hikers going South-North on the Continental Divide Trail. We have seen a few people riding the divide on motorcycle touring bikes and they say that we are their heroes. To us, our heroes are the people who take 6 months off and hike the same trail we are doing. It is really am amazing feat and we applaud them.

We pulled into camp around 8 and got setup for the night. This was probably one of the more beautiful campsites we had as we were alone for miles and miles and there were 4-5 thunderstorms going on around us but never directly over us. As we headed to bed, thoughts of Colorado danced in our heads.

We awoke to another scorcher and were on the bikes by 8:15. We knew it would be a long day and we wanted to get a good jump on it. We met some cows on the side of the road that decided they wanted to run beside us for a few miles and that kept our minds off the crappy roads for a little bit. Around noon we pulled into an area that locals call 'Aspen Alley'. Looking at the picture above, its easy to see why.

Next was lunch and we sat in the shade full on knowing we had 35+ miles to go. It was relaxing as we ate our PB&J and dreamed about laying on the couch at home and watching a Red Sox game and enjoying a cold Long Trail. We were quickly snapped out of our fantasy by a crack of thunder in the distance. Climbing back on the bikes, we pedaled into a brisk headwind as the journey continued on.

Large ranches dotted the scenery as we finally passed the Wyoming/Colorado state line. It was quite overcast but never rained as we pedaled through the hills leading to Steamboat Spring Lake. It was quite a tiring day and to top it off, the general store was closed when we got there. Luckily, Nat's friend Laura had sent us out some home-made baked goods to Rawlins and we were able to have a sweet treat before bed.

We set our sights on Steamboat and meeting John and blasted. We rode like the wind and made it the 35+ miles in just under 3 hours. It was a nice mix of downhill and pavement and made for some very fast riding. The ski mountain came into view on the horizon and we just pedaled harder. As we made our way into town, people started stopping us and asking were we are heading. Everyone here has been super friendly in the 2 hours we have been here. We are excited to have made it this far and can't wait to see the rest of Colorado!

A few thank you's have gone way overdue and I just wanted to post them so that the people know we love them for what they have done!

First, a huge thank you to the Cunnigham family for getting care packages out to us at every stop and for keeping the food and goodies coming. We appreciate all your help and I love you!

Next a special thank you to Nat's friend Laura Damon. She recently sent Nat a care package of homemade cookies and brownies that definitely brightened up both our days!

Herb and Bob at Revolution Cyclery back in Concord have helped us out as well. They helped us out with our pre-trip bike needs and really got the ball rolling on nutrition for Nat and I. Thanks!

The Morgan family back in Concord as well for getting us some goodies and care packages. Thanks also to Kit for keeping us updated on how the Sox are doing.

Also our friends at Nuun and EMS for all their help getting stuff to us before the trip. Without them, the trip would not have been successful as it has been!

Through the desert

Hello all! Well I am relieved to say that we made it through the Great Basin and have popped out healthy and safe on the other side. I will give you the whole run down since we left Pinedale.

Pinedale was a really cool place to stay and so cool in fact that Nat came down with some food sickness just so we could stay an extra day! This gave me extra time to pack in some cheap food and so I did! We hit Pinedale on a very special weekend. It was Rendezvous Weekend which is where all the crafts people come and line the streets and there are lots of events going on.

Friday night we saw that John Fogerty and friends were playing a free concert downtown. We couldn't believe our luck and to think that world famous John Fogerty was coming to this tiny town of 1,000 to come play blew us away! Well it turned out it wasn't THAT John Fogerty but the concert was very cool anyway. A band from Jackson, WY called Steam Powered Aeroplane came and played some excellent bluegrass and all seemed well. We headed back to the campsite with some new tunes in our head and made some spaghetti before heading to bed.

The next morning as we got ready, I didn't really feel right and knew that I wasn't going to have a good day. I figure it was food poisoning but cannot be sure, all I know is that was rode 40 miles and I felt horrible the entire way. We made camp before an intense mountain storm hit and I was asleep by 6pm.

I woke up feeling a lot better and we set out with our sites on Atlantic City. We knew today wasn't going to be easy as we had some catching up to do on top of three divide crossings. Luckily it was only about 50 miles to Atlantic City. We started up the first hill and right around the corner was a beautiful shot of the Wind River Mountains. They were lit up on this beautiful morning and we knew we would have a better day of riding.



We hit the first divide crossing of the day (#10 for those playing the home game) around 11am when the sun was just getting high enough in the sky to make 100 degrees feel hot. We pedaled on from there through the beautiful rolling hills on Wyoming.



Pushing on through lunch and the washboard roads that seem to go on for miles, we topped out and Nat stopped. There were no signs or anything but according to the mileage, we were at #11. Pretty anticlimactic but definitely very pretty all the same. We were on a ridge that had amazing basins on both sides. "This is it", is all he said and we grabbed some pictures before heading out.



Before we knew it, we were back on pavement and heading through South Pass. There was a little rest stop on the side of the highway and they had some wonderful cold water and benches in the shade that allowed for a great mid-day break. We filled up camelbaks and laid down and I looked at the map. "This is divide crossing #12", I mentioned to Nat. We had no idea as they talked a lot about the pass at the rest stop but not the divide. We grabbed a quick pic before heading back onto the secondary roads which we are now getting used to. Across the way we could see another storm was coming across.

We pulled into South Pass City to catch the end of a bake sale and baseball game they were having for Gold Miner Days. Sounded like a fun event and it was too bad we missed it. We stood inside for a few minutes while a rain shower passed over and ate some delicious coffee cake. Then it was onto Atlantic City. We didn't know what to expect as the population the sign read "About 57" and everyone seemed to be at the bar. We stopped into the bar to see what a bite to eat would run us and as they only had steaks on Sunday night, we knew it wasn't for us. We headed a little ways down the road to a small inn and B&B that seemed nice. We knocked on the door and asked Bob, the owner, if we could set up on the lawn for a few dollars. He said of course and we got to work getting the tent up.
The next morning we got up and was surprised to see Bob walking out to meet us at 7am. He asked how our night went and to our surprise, offered us some breakfast. He apologized that he didn't have anything but banana's and dry cereal but it was way more then we could ever ask for. He threw on a pot of coffee for us as well as we ate. We talked about the Basin and he reminded us it was a very dry and remote place. Before we headed out he offered us a sleeve of Fig Newtons. We were blown away by his hospitality and gladly packed them into the food bag.

We had so many different thoughts and emotions going on that was totally forgot to look down at the map after we started. Before we knew it we had climbed a pretty large hill...in the opposite direction! Well luckily whatever goes up very slowly, comes down in a hurry! I snapped a quick picture of our first glimpse into the Basin before heading the RIGHT way.

As soon as Atlantic City was out of sight, we knew we wouldn't see another person for a few days. The first views of the Great Divide Basin just reminded me of every picture I have ever seen of a desert.

(Mom's need not read this paragraph) I won't lie to you, this was our toughest day yet and it really took a toll on both of us. We did 85 miles with one divide crossing and the entire thing was on old gravel roads that were wash-boarded, rutted, and chewed up from years of harsh winters and powerful storms. We finished the last two hours under the candlepower of our lights. It didn't help that we had headwinds for most of the journey and that sand was at a premium and it was blown directly into eyes, hair and mouths. But we made it and we are extremely happy to be on the other side!

That brings us to our haul the heck out of there! We did our 14th divide crossing and met our first hiker going North on the CDT. We started very early this morning (for us) and made it to Rawlins by 3pm. We headed for the first ice cream shop we saw and order two tall milkshakes, something we have been craving for a few days now! We are going to spend the night here and then take a couple easier days to get down to Steamboat Springs, CO!

People have been e-mailing me how to send us stuff (you know like cookies, brownies, Snickers, candy, love etc) and I will post the rest of the general delivery addresses we will be stopping at:

Keith Cunningham or Nat Morgan

C/O General Delivery

US Post Office
142 6th ST

Como, CO 80432-9990
(projected arrival date 7/20 - 7/25)

C/O General Delivery

US Post Office
590 Columbia AVE

Del Norte, CO 81132-2200
(projected arrival date 7/25-7/28)

C/O General Delivery

US Post Office

6358 Main ST

Cuba, NM 87013-9998
(projected arrival date 8/1-8/5)

C/O General Delivery

US Post Office

816 W Santa FE AVE

Grants, NM 87020-7000
(projected arrival date 8/5-8/12)

Again, I can not say how awesome it is that you guys are enjoying the blog. I love reading the comments from family, friends and even the random spainish guy! Keep it up guys and gals! Until Steamboat, keep the rubber side down!

Record breaking ride!

Well just got news that Jay Petervary of Jackson, WY just shattered the Great Divide Race record. His new time of 15 days, 4 hours, and 18 minutes breaks Mike Curiak's 2004 record of 16 days, 57 minutes. The racer's started on June 15th at high noon in Roosville, MT. They are riding the same 2,490 course as we are (minus Canada). Congrats to Jay and all the racers!

For more info, check out the link!

Good-bye divide ride ... For Now!

Unfortunately Jen and I ran into some financial struggles, due to her accident on day 2. It put us in a tough situation with still more than half the ride to go. We evaluated the situation, as we do when climbing, and realized that our ride was over, for now. We will regroup, replan, and prepare to do the trip either next year or the year after, since I have another year of school, it may be difficult to plan for next year. One thing is for certain, we will do the ride again!! It was a learning exprerience that will provide us with good knowledge and insight for the next time around. We were able to make new friends along the way and become reaquainted with an old friend. Thank you to Ben Gilmore, our friend in Jackson, WY, for allowing us to stay at his place and plan our trip back to NH. Good luck to keith and nat, don't loose sight of the reason for the ride!

Doug & Jen

What a week!

UPDATE: PICTURES ARE UP! Also check out Pinedale, WY for more pictures of the recent fires.

I know you have been all sitting on the edges of your seats waiting for a new post and pics...and here they are!

Well we left Lima after filling our stomach's at Jan's Cafe. It was great to have some homemade pancakes and some of the tastiest sausage I have ever had. We headed back into the rolling hills of Montana and right back into the desert. We passed by a beautiful reservoir and through some more cow pastures before ending the day with our longest ride (57 miles!) to date.



We spent the night at Red Rocks Refuge which is home to thousands of different animals including the always popular mosquito! They had delicious spring water there which we were able to fill our camelbaks with on our way into Idaho.



The next morning we got up early with our sites set on Big Springs, ID and another divide crossing. Another beautiful day and a great climb to 7,120 ft to the border of Montana and Idaho. We made it there well before noon and from there is was a nice coast and pedal through the roads and paths of Idaho. We popped out of the woods to find ourselves surrounded by ATV's (Texas Wheelchairs) and dirt bikes. We made camp by a nice stream and listened to the constant whir of motors for the rest of the night.


Well at the convenience store, we heard of a small restaurant in Ashton, ID called Big Jud's. They were famous for their one pound gourmet burgers, something we just had to try! So we made the trek to Ashton, which was about 6 miles off route and gave it a go. Nat, Doug, and myself each finished one with room in our stomachs to spare. It was quite a treat to feel so full again! We stayed in Ashton for the night and was treated to breakfast by our camp hosts in the morning.



With Wyoming (and Jackson) on our minds, we left Ashton and headed down the road. It was one of the worst gravel roads we have hit yet with lots of loose sand and big stones to push and pull the trailers all around. We made it to Wyoming around noon and decided to head for Flagg Ranch, the most over-priced, over-populated campground between the Tetons and Yellowstone. We headed out and followed the road that took us right along the border of Yellowstone. It was a very scenic ride as we got plenty of glimpses of the snow covered Grand Tetons.









The next morning we woke up early so that we could beat a few of the RV's to the very heavily traveled highway. That didn't work out so well. We rode down to the Jackson Lake junction with 50-60 foot motor homes just inches away. It was quite an experience (That I never want to go through again).




We had decided to take a day to head down to Jenny Lake so that was could see the Tetons up close without having to deal with Jackson. Jenny Lake was filled with tourist and as we rode in, the sign read "Campground full". We rode in and immediately saw they had a hiker/biker campground that was almost empty, what a relief! So we put our stuff up and headed for a swim in the 90 degree heat. Cooled off, we headed back to cook some dinner and then Jen noticed something moving around in the woods. At first she thought it was a buffalo but as soon as it came out into the open, she knew what it was. A grizzly mother and cub strolled out of the woods about 100 feet from our campsite. We all froze and got up slowly to back away. They walked across an open stretch and then into another grove of trees before disappearing out of site. We were all relieved and immediately threw all our stuff into the bear bins, we didn't want any trouble that night!


As Nat got up to go brush his teeth, Doug and Jen asked if I would hold on for a second. They let me know that for reasons outside of their control, they would not be able to keep going. They planned to ride to Jackson in the morning and board a bus to take them back home. We were all stunned and saddened by the news and tried to think up solutions so they could continue. With no real solution, we made some brownies to headed to bed. In the morning, we got ready and wished them the best of luck and headed off. We wish Jen and Doug all the best and hope they can come back next year to ride the divide!







With the shocking news, Nat and I headed off with a big day ahead of us. We pulled into Turpin Meadows around lunch time and noticed a group of picnic tables in the shade. There were a few folks sitting around and we asked if we could sit with them. They said sure and we were able to rest and plan out the rest of the day. This was going to be one of our biggest climbs yet and we would have to conquer it with 25+ miles already on our legs. The goal was Togwotee Pass (elev 9610, divide crossing #8) and we had a good solid 20 miles of climbing to get there. We set out and began to pedal. It was around 5pm when we finally hit the top and with much relief, we took some pictures and started our descent. We flew back into the forest and past a few huge ranches and made it to the nights destination, Sheridan Creek. The big surprise came when we looked down at the odometer, 64.1 miles. We had broken our previous mileage and we had done one of the biggest climbs of the trip in the process! We were very relieved as we passed out under a star filled Wyoming sky.



Which brings us to yesterday morning. Nat and I awoke with a feeling of strength and rejuvenation (I still have no idea why). There had been some talk about doing a century (100 miles of riding) but not until later in the trip. We looked at the map and saw that to start the morning we would need to do an equally, if not harder climb up Union Pass (9200 feet) and divide crossing #9. We stopped at the bottom of the hill for a couple of S'more Pop Tarts (hint hint) and got ready to climb. The road was all gravel, compared to the paved Togwotee, and the grade was a good bit steeper.







As we reached the top of the first pitch, we met a couple of folks riding South-North on the divide. Jo and Lewis warned us that our climb was nowhere close to being over but that in a couple of days, we would be able to refuel and relax a little in Pinedale. It was about 75 miles from where we were talking. Nat and I looked at each other and the word "relaxing" struck a key in both of us. It was on! We were going to try and do 3 days worth of riding (according to our guide book) in 1 day. We grunted up the mountain and as we hit the summit at noon, we noticed smoke way in the distance. It looked like a prescribed burn (which we are used to at this point) so we didn't think much of it.




We started our slow descent and as we entered a large clearing, we noticed the smoke was starting to billow and turn white. Concern started to fill our minds but as we are not from around here, we figured it was something normal. Around 5 we came to the 50 mile mark and looked to our left and about 40 miles away, we knew this was the real thing. I have never seen a forest fire before and it was a sight that filled me with awe and terror. The smoke was billowing and looked like a bomb had gone off. We could now see flames hovering on a ridge in the far distance. The only problem was that our road was heading towards where the smoke was. We kept following it and luckily at about 20 miles from the fire, the road took a right and out of the trees. I cannot wait to get some pictures up so you guys can see what this looked like. It was just unbelievable.



As soon as we got out of range of the fire trucks and smoke, we realized that we were riding on pure adrenaline and that was needed some calories! We pulled into a little cafe and got a burger so that we could refuel before we attempted to get to Pinedale. We finished eating around 6:30 and headed onto a paved highway. It was busy with trucks and fire equipment heading in the other direction. We maintained an average of 15 mph as we hugged the white line of the double lane road. Before we knew it we had gone 20 miles and Pinedale was on the horizon. We pulled into town at 8:30 and I immediately went into a gas station and chugged a chocolate milk. It was such a great taste after 6+ liters of water. We pulled into the campground at dark and setup all the stuff. When Nat looked at his odometer, we were both surprised and amazed. 89.3 miles! We slapped each other five and then hit the hay!



So today (7/12) we are in Pinedale (notice it too is on fire) on a much deserved rest day. We miss Jen and Doug and hope that they found a way home. I just got another e-mail from my Uncle confirming he will meet us in Steamboat and maybe even have a place for us to shack up (yey!). I appreciate all the feedback you guys have been giving us and please keep Jen and Doug in your thoughts for safe travel as they head back to NH. Looks like Rawlins is just a few days away! We will see you again then!



Also a plea from me is for someone to send Nat a guide to birds in the Midwest/West. He has been asking me what kind of eagles and other birds of preys we are seeing and I have no idea. So if anyone has a guide or book on birds that they want to let Nat borrow, I would be grateful. Thanks!

So I lied...

Well I am back blogging before I though. Its the 4th of July and we wanted to let everyone know that we are here safe in Lima after one of the toughest weeks so far. We pulled in around 1pm and found a motel (Mountain View Motel and RV Park) with a deal we couldn't turn down. They are all about helping out cyclist and hikers and when he heard we were without a computer, he handed us his laptop to use for the night. We were so thankful and glad we could get the good word to you guys.

Well we ended up heading to The Outdoorsman Sports Shop right after the library in Butte. We walked in expecting to see shotguns and fishing poles everywhere but we were instead greeted by a very friendly guy with a handshake. All around were bikes and tons of Tour De France memorabilia. Nat had snapped a piece on his derailleur and we were search of a small little part that I knew would be able to find. The man who was helping us instead tried to find a broken derailleur that I could steal a piece from. That didn't work either and finally I walked over to the glass case and was surprised to find some awesome prices on the parts. Rob finally introduced himself and I made a comment about all the Levi Leipheimer jerseys and personalized signatures on all the walls. "He is my brother", says Rob. I was blown away. Levi is one of the best cyclist in the world and has a GREAT chance at winning the Tour De France this year and here I am talking parts with his brother. Rob then let me tune up my bike with the shop tools and even repair my pedals with some spare parts. It was definitely an experience I will never forget!
It didn't take long to get back on the trail with a smile after that. We left around 3:30pm and made it to camp around 9 after a tough day. We headed out of Butte and didn't stop climbing for until the end of the day. On the short downhill before the campsite, we did get a glimpse at tomorrows goal, Mount Fleecer. It is a 9,000+ foot peak with some big up and downhills. It was nice to pull into Beaver Dam Campground for the night though and grab some sleep.

The next day we knew we were in for quite a challenge. The map warned of a pedalling/pushing uphill for .5 miles up so we figured it couldn't be that bad. That was until we got to the bottom of the hill (above).
It took us a good half hour to get to the top and once we got there, it only got worse. We grabbed some lunch and enjoyed the view and chatted for a bit. Then it was time to come down. Words cannot really describe how steep and rocky the downhill is but hopefully the above picture does it some justice.
Anyway, that was probably the toughest hill on us yet and we made it through. Right after Fleecer, we hit desert-like sage and plains that seem to go on forever. We here that the Tetons will change that, I guess we will have to just wait and see.

One more short thing I wanted to tell you guys about is our experience at Bannack State Park. We haven't been to a ghost town yet and this was our first one. It was quite a cool experience and something you don't see much back East. Nat and I headed down to check it out and read the stories of Montana's first gold strike. It was a little eerie walking around and reading about how they hung the sheriff for being one of the biggest villains in the town.

That's it from sunny and beautiful Montana for now. We are looking forward to my uncle joining us in Steamboat Springs in a couple of weeks and riding through the plains of Wyoming. I will leave you with a couple of pictures of our campsite right near the Medicine-Lodge mountain where we stayed last night. When we turned onto the road, the map warned of remote wilderness next 47 miles, they weren't joking. We saw maybe 10 ranches in a 47 miles span of secondary roads. It was amazing with lots of wildlife. Golden eagles and pronghorns were all over. It was very cool to see.
Well until next time, I wish you guys the best and I guess we will update whenever we can! Keep up with the awesome comments, they really are fun to read and its great to see you guys are following along with us!

-The Crew