by Greg | Jun 3, 2019 | Training
I am going to amend the old carpenter’s saying in the above title to “Read four times and ride once!” On Sunday I read my map twice instead of four times and it cost me 20 miles! I took a wrong turn, stayed on HWY 113 and as I pedaled along I expected to encounter my breakfast stop, Sharon, VT! Well after pedaling uphill from 450 ft elevation to 1280 ft, I figured out something was wrong and I had not made it to Sharon! Long story, but I turned around, I knew it was all downhill, and finally got to Sharon, VT. I had traveled 42 miles and was only 22 from where I had stared the day! Read, memorize and read the map again and again – lesson learned! BUT…..
Below is another absolutely true “OMJSN Guardian Angels” story! An hour before the below encounter, I looked down at OMJSN and said, “Poppie messed up, took a wrong turn, it is getting late and I have nothing arranged for tonight because I thought I would have been in Hancock, VT. Any magic would be appreciated!” (I never feel alone while riding and talk to the five all the time.)
As I sat eating my delicious turkey sandwich at Sharon’s deli, a lady pulled up and asked, “Where you headed?” I briefly told her my story and she told me that she and her husband lead bicycle tours for Adventure Cycling! They have done the same tour as I am doing, but 11 times! Eventually she asked my plans for the night and I said, “No idea and no campground, motel or B&B in the area!” “We have an unpublished B&B and we’d love to have you spend the night at our B&B, out of the rain!” Nancy and Ken Wright are such a delightful, knowledgeable and caring couple! I got warm, washed clothes, dried my soaked rainfly, slept like a log, received fabulous tips on my route and topped it off with a delicious breakfast this morning! Thanks once again to my Guardian Angels, OMJSN, what should have been a disastrous day, turned into a fabulous day!
Tonight I am in Middlebury, VT and should be in NY state tomorrow. Today was another long climb, but with a cold headwind, rain at times, a bit of hail (I found a covered picnic area next to the Rochester Volunteer Fire Department during the hail storm,) but I didn’t miss read my maps!
Thanks again to old friends, new friends, and my loving family for all the love and support via this blog and Anita’s Facebook postings! I am so blessed! One special thank you to Pearl Hopson, a former student of mine from Wainwright, AK, for her kind words. I can’t believe my former students in Wainwright are now Mom’s, Dad’s, teachers and I hear some are now successful whaling captains! Be safe out there at whale camp, unless the season is over already! Remember the big chocolate chip cookie Eli won for some contest at Halloween’s? LOL
Cheers and all is good with Greg’s Journey
by Greg | May 31, 2019 | Training
Well, where to start? I am still struggling with optimizing photos on my iPad so I can publish them on my posts! Oh well, the above blurry photo was from Day Two, Friday. I didn’t really think this “enlightened” body could/would make it to the top! The last 10 miles was a 9% grade and I was in a gear my Atlantis had ever been asked to use on a climb! At one point I looked down at the photo on my handlebar bag of OMJSN and said, “Hey my little guardian angels, I need some help. I am about to start walking because walking would be faster!” LOL! In a matter of minutes the headwinds coming over the pass stopped and as I rounded one last curve, there was the Kancamagus Pass sign less than 500 yards away! Thank you my angels, you got your Poppie over the top!
Otherwise, the Journey is all that I dreamed it would be. Beautiful weather, super courteous Maine and NH drivers who never once have failed to move over to give me a safe riding zone, curious people who truly want to know about my Journey, kind clerks at coffee shops, bicycle mechanics in Portland that made sure my bike survived the flight from Alaska, and most of all, I “feel” the love and support of family and friends! Your kind replies to my posts affirm that I am the luckiest man alive and I truly appreciate all of you!
Kind regards and I think I am camping the next few nights so no new posts. (My Atlantis has performed flawlessly, Camelback hydration bag in my frame pack has kept me hydrated, and helmet mirror keeps me safer.)
Cheers, and for those HAP readers who are working the Royal Princess tomorrow, my best wishes for a smooth, stressless ship turn!
Pedaling Westward
Greg
by Greg | May 23, 2019 | Training
I do not have enough words in my vocabulary to express my sincere gratitude to my lovely wife Anita and her good friend Karen for the Greg’s Journey Send-Off party they created. The food, desserts and creative artistry on display rivaled a professionally planned event! In addition to Anita and Karen, well over 50 friends and family took time out of their busy schedules to stop by our home to wish me “Good Luck and Safe Travels!” The atmosphere was similar to an “End of Season” party because 95% of those attending were former and current Whittier Port Operations team members. 15 years ago we all worked together to make Whittier one of the most successful and effective cruise ship ports in the world!
”Are you traveling with a group?” 23 years ago I rode solo and will be solo again on this journey! Even though I am pedaling my bicycle West each day by myself, I will never be totally alone.” When I hit a low point on this journey, and it will happen, I only have to glance down at the photo on my handlebar bag. The photo is a picture of my grandkids, OMJSN! Their smiling faces, images of my family, and the memories I have of working together with all you will give me the strength to keep pedaling.
Please know that I will cherish the memories of my Journey Party, as well as all of your kind words of encouragement, prayers and emotional support as I travel West to Portland.
Cheers and Let the Journey Begin!
Greg
by Greg | May 13, 2019 | Training
Well it is two weeks and counting until I fly from Alaska to Maine to begin this adventure. I fly to Portland, Maine on May 27th, work on getting my bike ready on the 28 and 29th and “If the Good Lord willing, and the creek don’t rise,” I will start pedaling on May 29th! I have been riding as much as I can on the trails here in Anchorage, but still don’t feel 100% ready to pedal 50 miles day in and day out. I keep making minor adjustments to my Atlantis, adjusting the height of my Jones’s H-Bar, installing the rear rack and Ortlieb rear panniers. I rode 50+ miles last Saturday with 15 pounds of sugar in each rear pannier and wasn’t totally “out of it” by the time I got home. My goal is to average 50 miles a day, so that in 75 days I will have covered approximately 3,750 miles. Weather and terrain will determine how far I travel each day.
I will put my training rides on hold for the next three days because Anita and I are flying to Tucson. Our granddaughter Olivia is being inducted into the National Honor Society and we want to be with her for her special day. I get back to Anchorage on Thursday, May 16 and it will be “Ride, pack, ride, sort, and pack some more!” My only real issue so far is this blog and getting pictures optimized so as to to fit the format require to post on the web. I have to figure this out before next week or this is going to be very boring blog.
Take care and I will begin seriously posing upon my return from Tucson.
by Greg | Apr 24, 2019 | Training
After returning from Boston, our son-in-law Jason ran the Boston Marathon, I decided to get really serious about my upcoming bicycle journey. We landed in Anchorage last Friday afternoon, and it has snowed everyday since last Friday. In addition to the snow, temperatures dropped into the low 30’s at night and barely into the 40’s during the day. We all enjoyed the clear skies, warmer sunshine and longer days in March and early April, and we all thought maybe spring had arrived early in 2019. Mother Nature decided to show us all that She calls the “shots” when it comes to weather.
On Saturday afternoon I dressed in layers, added a warm knit hat under my helmet, wore warmer gloves and thicker socks for my expected 25 mile ride along Chester and Campbell creek trails. I took the above photo near Lake Otis and Tudor and the trail became even more snow packed after this photo. I was able to stay on my Rivendell Atlantis most of the time, but resorted to walking for about 500 yards. We have lived in Alaska for almost 45 years, including years teaching on the North Slope where temperatures can be brutal! I have run, biked and skied in weather much worse than Saturday, so I figured No Worries. At mile 22 my hands were so cold I could barely operate my Paul Thumbie shift levers and my feet were blocks of ice! I finally called it quits and called my lovely bride, who was busy at home preparing food and goodies our Easter festivities, and asked for a ride home. As always, Anita greeted me with a smile, a hug and said, “Well you made it 22 miles and that is awesome in these conditions!” Oh the joys of a loving wife of almost 50 years and “Springtime in Alaska!”
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