by Greg | Jun 9, 2019 | Training
“When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a road straight ahead with no mountain to climb!” It is almost a “Catch-22” situation when I think about the mountain ranges I have pedaled up and over the last few days. I won’t miss the long hard climbs, but I also won’t receive that emotional “high” one gets when accomplishing difficult tasks. Oh yeah, just like life itself! I leave behind the White, Green and Adirondack mountains, but the magnificent scenery will be forever etched in my brain.
Inlet, NY was my next stop, but AT&T is not the most reliable carrier in Central New York. I stopped for a late breakfast at Long Lake and called the Marina Motel to see if by chance they had a room for the night. (Black flies are now my least favorite critter. I passed a small church on the way to Inlet and their sign read, “I wish Noah had swatted both the black flies.”) Anyway, my conversation was like the old cell phone advertisement “Can you hear me now?” I walked around a small deck looking to get the best signal. The owner said, “I don’t think I have a room, but you pedal on to Inlet and I’ll find something for you!” As always, I glanced down at OMJSN and thought, “ Here we go again!” I rolled into Inlet and started looking for the Marina Motel. A few seconds later, I heard a lady yelling at me from a car pulling up beside me, “Are you the man who called the Marina Motel from Long Lake? I was getting worried so I have been parked at the corner looking for you.” She actually did have a room and escorted me to the motel. I am so embarrassed that I either did not hear her name, or had a senior moment and it slipped my mind, but as the late Paul Harvey always said, “Now the rest of the story.”
The next morning I went down for breakfast at the motel and encountered Grace, the teenage daughter of the owner. Now, it was 6:30am on Saturday and yet Grace greeted me with a bright, shining smile and a “Welcome to our breakfast area!” I told her I was a retired teacher and her she started asking questions about Alaska and what grades I had taught. We had a delightful conversation as she busied herself making coffee and cleaning up tables. Remember, this a 13 year old teenager who was working at her parents motel while her friends were probably either still in bed, listening to music or getting ready for a day in the sun! What a delightful, charming and out going young lady. The Dr. Seuss quote, “Oh, the places you’ll go” fits Grace perfectly. (Grace is an exact copy of my own Olivia.) Their enthusiasm for life, caring personalities and intense curiosity are examples of how loving parents can and do mold young adults. Grace, thank you for shining your light on me last Saturday morning.
I know, I am long winded, but the beauty and uplifting individuals I am meeting truly brighten our world. Even though I can’t for the life of me remember Grace’s Mom’s name, I think I have an even better name for her:
Grace’s Mother – Filled with grace. Thank you so much for helping to make our world a better place, and for entering my life.
I have seen the names of many places of worship on this journey in just 450 miles, but this one caught my eye! Oh the scenes we see traveling at 8 mph.
Greg
Pulaski, New York on the shores of Lake Ontario, almost.
by Greg | Jun 7, 2019 | Training
”Are you visiting Middlebury? If you are a visitor to Middlebury, tables at Rosie’s are for eating but, counters are for eating and visiting. So set yourself down here at the counter and share you story!” That was my introduction to Doc, and the ways things are done at Rosie’s Diner. During our 45 minute “visit” I learned Doc truly was a doctor and had retired at age 75 as Chief of Surgery at the Middlebury Hospital. Doc served the community of Middlebury and the surrounding area because he “Liked the people, countryside, and the small time feel of Middlebury!” We shared stories about our families, Alaska, exercise (He shares many of the same philosophies as my good friend Alex Monterrosa) and life in similar communities! I reluctantly pried myself away from Doc, paid for both our hearty meals and gave him my web site address! He just had to have a photo of me on my bike and we bid a fond farewell! Doc is one of the reasons for this Journey!
As I pedaled westward, I decided I should maybe take some time off and visit Fort Ticonderoga! After all, this Journey is more than an enlightened, white haired man riding a bicycle 50-60 miles a day. I ended up spending 3 hours at the fort taking in all the tours offered during my short visit. As I left the Fort, the sky darkened and it started to sprinkle, thus cementing my plan to take Wednesday off! It rained most of Wednesday, but I still walked the streets of Ticonderoga! While eating breakfast at Libby’s Cafe, I noticed a huge pencil hanging from the ceiling as part of the homey decor! As a former elementary teacher it all came back to me in a flash as to the real reason I think of Ticonderoga! The yellow, #2 Ticonderoga pencil with the black bands around the brassy looking eraser holder! That is, and always will be my most vivid image of Ticonderoga!
Now George enters the blog! George is a local business owner and chief entertainer in “Ti!” George escorted me through his small Adirondack Furniture “store” and chatted about the same topics as Doc the day before. I learned he was, and still is, a power lifter! While showing me an old photo of himself pressing a barbell he said, “One day a kid at my gym asked me why I continue to lift at age 80. I told him that I wanted to look so good at my funeral, they won’t be able to shut the lid of the coffin!” He drew himself in the picture he is holding after his knee replacement surgery! If you can’t read the message, it is written out below!
“I wanted to same money on my knee replacement so I asked our local veterinarian if he could do the surgery! I saved a lot of money, but now I can’t pass a fire hydrant without lifting my leg!” Oh the memories I will carry in my heart and mind regarding George and Ticonderoga!
I have rambled long enough, but with no WiFi in Ticonderoga and camping last nigh, I wanted to catch everyone up on my journey. My days while riding are filled with magnificent scenery, interesting local residents and sounds that can only be heard pedaling along at between 2.7 and 10 mph. I was so slow today while climbing a super long pass, I was able to stop talking to my OMJSN picture and share stories with “Mable Sicklefork,” a gorgeous yellow and black butterfly. Eventually she decided I was going way too slow and flew off, but not before wishing me a safe journey!
Thanks to all for reading my excessively long dissertations, and your heart warming comments! (Inlet, New York)
Greg
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.
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