Boise River Greenbelt, Boise, Idaho

September 5, 2016
21 miles

Woke up this morning and it was 45 degrees. That is way too cold for me to be biking, so while we were waiting for it to warm up, we took a tour of the Old Idaho Penitentiary. We had a great tour with a very informative guide. It was a very interesting tour!

After lunch it had warmed up and was in the 60's, warm enough to ride the bike, and we were ready. After driving 4 days and 1700 miles we were anxious to be pedaling instead of sitting in a car! We started out at Baggley Park and took the customary selfie before riding.

Boise has a great trail system that runs along Boise River through neighborhoods, parks, Boise State University and the downtown area. One thing we couldn't help notice was how bumpy the trail is. My bicycle seat broke before leaving on our trip and I didn't have time to replace it. We used a seat off of one of our hybrid bikes, which is a little larger and softer, to replace the broken one. I was very thankful today to have that softer seat, it absorbed a lot of the trail shock from all those bumps! Interesting note: on the local news this evening they spoke about the bumpy trails. It was announced that they have the funds now to resurface the trails. AMEN to that!

As we were biking along the river South of town, I heard a bird squawking. I could tell that it was a larger bird and coming from somewhere above me. I started scanning the trees to see if I could locate the bird. I spotted a cell tower close to the trail and on the top was an eagle's nest with the eagle in it. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a picture but it was so exciting to see! Even though the day started out so cold it turned out to be a very delightful day! I hope the rest of our biking days will be as nice.

Dog Days of August

I'm sitting on the back porch watching the hummingbirds while writing my blog. It is a very pleasant day for August and in the shade it is heavenly!

What a busy summer it's been. We have been riding the trails around here but really nothing noteworthy to write about. Clay and I have ridden 800 miles so far this year which I feel is good considering how rainy it has been this summer, two new grand babies, visitors and a couple of vacations. We have been getting out and riding in the mornings before it gets too hot. We usually end up at Subway for a salad or sandwich before going home.

Photo from the MCT Heritage Trail

Today we rode 31 miles down through Glen Carbon and then out toward Marine. East of Interstate 55 we passed 3 people riding horses on the trail. This is the first time that has ever happened. The trail out that way had lots of twigs, leaves and other debris strewn all over the trail. Several times we hit twigs big enough that it bounced me off of my seat. Because of the tree canopy and the shade it was hard for Clay to see and miss those things. Clay said that whoever mowed along the trail recently mowed the wrong direction and it threw everything up on the trail instead of back in the trees.

I have been nervous about crashing lately. It is a combination of a friend's recent crash on the trails here, the horrible crash of the Dutch cyclist, Annemiek van Vleuten, at the Rio Olympics and just the concern about getting hurt before our upcoming biking trip. Clay has been really understanding when I have expressed my nervousness while out biking and has adjusted our speed at intersections and/or curves in the trails! Thanks dear, you're a Great captain!

This time next month we will be in the Northwest adding 5 more states to our quest to ride in every state. Susan & Tom, my sister and brother-in-law, are joining us again in our adventure. Here are the trails we plan to ride:

Banks - Vernonia State Trail - Oregon

Boise River Greenbelt - Idaho

Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes -Idaho

Chehalis Western Trail - Washington 

Great Northern Historical Trail - Montana

Grand Teton Multi-Use Trail - Wyoming

Looking forward to seeing the beautiful Northwest and praying we'll have good weather and safe travels.

Ode to the Tandem

May 2016

Ode to the Tandem

by Clay Burkholder

Day after day you stood on that display, beckoning a pair of riders to take you away.

One of us was gung-ho, the other one not so much so.

A vacation ride on one like you, was the trick to make the other willing too.

So began the many travels, with hopes the marriage wouldn't unravel.

But through miles and miles and fifteen years, sore bottoms and a crash didn't bring tears.

You've carried us to places with beautiful sights, spurring conversations but never a fight.

We look forward to fifteen more, if one of us doesn't wear out before.

May was the anniversary month for buying the tandem. So, happy 15 years to our bike! It is hard to believe that we've had it for almost half of our marriage. We have had lots of adventures (retracing my Great Great Grandfather's move West), taken lots of silly pictures (see 10-3-2012 post), benefitted tremendously health wise, and seen so much more of our great country from the seat of our bike instead of behind the dashboard of a car! I'm looking forward to many more years being the stoker on the back seat of the Cannondale!

Recent ride on Madison County Trails

Tunnel Hill State Trail, Illinois

September 7, 2015

41 miles

On the spur of the moment we decided to drive south a few hours and ride the Tunnel Hill State Trail. This section is located in the Shawnee National Forest. We started in Vienna, Illinois and rode uphill 9 miles before reaching the Tunnel. It was originally 800 feet long but in 1929 a portion collapsed now making it 534 feet. After going through the tunnel we enjoyed an up and down ride to the small town of Stonefort. The trail map indicated that there was food there but we couldn't find any. Our plan had been to eat lunch there before making our return ride back to Vienna. Thank goodness that we had a huge breakfast this morning at Country Schemes Bed & Breakfast!

 View coming up to the tunnel from the South

View looking South from the tunnel

It was hot and humid, and even with the tree cover, we were still glad that we had gotten an early start and had finished before the hottest part of the day. 

Random thoughts as I rode through the tunnel:

*Ahhh, the coolness feels wonderful!

*I sure hope there isn't an earthquake while we are in here.

*Maybe we should have gotten off and walked. (I had the strangest feeling while in there, almost like vertigo)

*Why did I leave my sunglasses on. I actually reached up and tried to remove them but, of course, they weren't there!

Our hostess from the Bed & Breakfast was actually one of the people in this area that got this trail started. It was very interesting to talk to her about it and what she had to do to get it going. Thanks Norma, your trail is a great asset to the area!

Washington and Old Dominion Trail, Leesburg, Virginia

August 28, 2015
24 miles

Today marks the last day of this biking vacation. We started out biking from our hotel to the bike path. It was less than a mile on a busy street which had a designated bike lane. Once on the trail we headed West, our destination was Purcellville, Virginia. This trail is named after the W&OD Railroad, which operated from 1859 to 1968. Along the trail there were many historical markers explaining about the different depots and other interesting facts. We rode under an old stone arch bridge which dated back to the late 1800s. We also saw old lime ovens used to bake limestone down to use as fertilizer and for road construction.

Old Stone Arch Bridge

 Lime Ovens

The trail ended in Purcellville at the quaint sunshine yellow train station, which was built in 1904. In the distance we could see the Blue Ridge Mountains. This small town was full of charm.

Purcellville Train Station

We had another perfect weather day and our ride back to Leesburg was downhill. When arriving back in Leesburg another rider passing us serenaded us with "A Bicycle Built for Two". What a way to finish this vacation!

The GAP, Meyersdale PA and Western Maryland Rail Trail, Hancock MD

August 26, 2015, Morning ride
21 miles

At breakfast this morning our plans changed. After talking to a fellow housemate at the Bed & Breakfast we decided that we should cycle more of the GAP. We drove to Meyersdale, Pennsylvania and picked up the trail there. Rode 10 miles east crossing the Eastern Continental Divide and then through Big Savage tunnel. We had to turn on our bike headlight because the tunnel is very long, 3294 feet long. When coming out of the tunnel you have a bird's eye panoramic view for miles and miles! The picture below doesn't do it justice.

There is a local man who sits up at this spot waiting for cyclists to stop and then engages them in conversation. His name is Harry and he is a retired Navy Seal. He told us a little area history, trail facts, personal facts and many, many jokes. He also took a liking to me. It would have been alarming and uncomfortable if Clay hadn't been with me. He talked so much it was hard to find a break in the one-sided conversation to get back on our bikes.

August 26, 2015, Afternoon ride

24 miles

After our morning ride we drove to Hancock, Maryland and checked in at the Bed & Breakfast. Decided to go ahead and ride our scheduled ride for this day. The innkeeper suggested riding West because that was the pretty way. It was flat and we just flew through the miles. The C&O Towpath was parallel to the trail we were on. We choose to ride on the Western Maryland Rail Trail because it was asphalt and the C&O was gravel and mud with ruts and potholes. This section of the trail included wooded areas with numerous rock outcroppings and views of the Potomac River through the trees. We had several encounters with deer this evening. I have been watching for bears but as yet have not spotted any.

Great Allegheny Passage, Connellsville, Pennsylvania

August 25, 2015
36 miles

Drove to Connellsville, Pennsylvania from Morgantown, West Virginia this morning, it took about 45 minutes. Parked by the Bed & Breakfast that we are staying in tonight. Unloaded the bikes and found the trail about two blocks away. Today we are riding on the Great Allegheny Passage Trail, aka The GAP. This trail, connecting with the C&O Canal Towpath, connects Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with Washington DC. We are riding the section from Connellsville, Pennsylvania to Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania. Uphill 17 beautiful miles.

The trail followed the Youghiogheny River, again another name I have trouble pronouncing. Like yesterday's trail the river was on one side of the trail and rock walls and ledges were on the other side, all in forested areas. Even though it was a weekday and very rural the trail was widely used. We saw many people on packed bikes that I am sure were riding long distances.

 Youghiogheny River

 One of the scenic rest stops on the trail

 Rock walls along the trail

 Crossing a bridge over the Youghiogheny River going into Ohiopyle

We arrived in Ohiopyle right at lunchtime. Found an outdoor cafe and had a delicious lunch while basking in the sun. It was glorious! Riding in the trees is pretty chilly, even in August. Made the return trip to Connellsville, enjoying the scenery while not working so hard since it was downhill.

This trail left us with wanting more. I think we will have to come back, maybe even to ride the whole trail from Pittsburgh to DC!