Two posts in one day! Crazy! We had a lot to tell, but it was narrowed down to the rattlesnake story (see below), and this one. Fun times.
We had finally made it out of Nevada, and we were so excited to leave the nothingness behind. We got into Utah and it was.....exactly like Nevada. Ugh. For a very long time it looked exactly like the state that we had just left....brown, no wildlife, mountains in the background. The only thing different was more wind. Directly in our faces. At 30 miles an hour. *Awesome*. I don't think either one of us had a really great feeling about our first few experiences in Utah (it has since gotten WAAAAAY better).
One of our first days, we encountered these heavy headwinds, and they kept our progress to an average of 6mph and below, which is incredibly defeating, especially on flat land. One of these nights, we couldn't make it to our destination for the evening, so we stopped in the tiny Utah town of Minersville. I think the population was 870, but I can't be sure. There is no motel/hotel/hostel/campground in Minersville, so we had to improvise. We made our way to the Beaver County Fairgrounds, right on the outskirts of Minersville. I think they have a different idea of "fairgrounds" than I do, but it was still kinda neat. There was a large red building that had a giant garage (probably for housing the maintenance equipment), and on the other side was a concession stand-type area. This area had a flimsy overhang, and there were some picnic tables underneath. There was a huge set of bleachers, and they looked out into a strange looking rodeo arena. There were a bunch of cows that were being held on the outside of the arena, and we made friends with them. There was also a giant playground, right next to the bleachers, so all 12 of the Minersville children could play while their parents watched the...rodeo? Cattle sale? Not really sure what happens in there.
Anyway, the fairgrounds hadn't been in use for a while, but it was still well taken care of. Some children were playing on the playground when we got there, but they left when it started to rain (yay rain!). Bethany and I thought we scored big time....we would just sleep in our sleeping bags on top of the picnic tables. We would be under the overhang near the concession stand, so the rain wouldn't be a problem, and we wouldn't have to pack up a tent in the morning, so we could get started faster.
Then the storm got worse. A lot worse. Because it obviously hadn't rained in Minersville for the last decade, the winds whipped up the dust, making it nearly impossible to see 5 feet in front of you. On top of that, it was raining. It was a pretty nasty predicament, but fortunately we weren't on our bikes when this started! Just for kicks, Bethany and I decided to try all the doors to the red building, just in case one was open and we could go in and wait out the storm. And guess what. One was open. I KNOW! I didn't believe it either. Well, it wasn't "open" so much as it was busted. The deadbolt was closed, but the door frame had been messed with, and it didn't lock to anything. The door led to the room right behind the concession area...and it was carpeted and well-lit due to some fantastic skylights. It was so tempting....we could just move our stuff in, stay the night, and be out before anyone knew we were there. So we did. We moved our stuff in and prepared to make dinner in the kitchen area on the stove (using all of our own equipment....we didn't want to use anything of theirs). The storm had calmed down, and it was clear outside again, but we were already making ourselves at home inside. We made some nice food, and just as we were getting comfortable.....every single neighborhood child and their parents came to play on the playground. Oy.
We though we could wait them out...how long could a kid possibly be entertained on the playground? More than anything, we were worried about being caught inside a building where we certainly didn't belong. I don't think anyone would believe us when we told them the door was already broken. Sure. At some point, someone went around and tried to open all of the doors EXCEPT the open one that we had found. Oh, man. Talk about having your heart stop. How awkward that would have been? If it were just the kids, I'm pretty sure I could have scared them away, then made a break for it. But their parents were there, and I didn't think Bethany and I could do the ole' "Hey, look over there!" with them.
So we sat. Every muscle tensed. For three hours. Three. And I had to use the restroom for atleast 2 1/2 of those hours. I'm talking maximum discomfort. And the restroom/port-a-potty is outside the building, not inside. That just made perfect sense. It started getting really really dark in the room, and Bethany and I were positive that the kids couldn't play in the dark. Well, I did some recon (I'm sure most of you can picture what I looked like...dressed all in black with a little blue skull cap. Crawling around and popping my head around corners. I looked like a thug, for sure), and of course there were lights on the playground. Of COURSE! Which is why they were still there after it had been dark for an hour. Ugh. Good parents playing with their kids. Can't stand 'em.
Bethany was 100% certain that we were going to get caught, because my hacking cough returned at just the right time. Doesn't it always?!?! I was the human noisemaker for about 1/2 an hour, and Bethany started to think of ways to smother me without actually killing me. Although I'm not entirely certain that the second part was as important to her.
Anyway, the only thing that got these people to leave the playground was a second round of rain. As soon as their headlights were gone, I ran so hard into the port-a-potty that I almost knocked it over. I'm not even entirely sure that I closed the door. Poor panicked Bethany wanted to go back outside and continue with the original plan to sleep on the picnic tables, but after we were certain everyone was gone, we just kinda fell asleep. Stress can really take all the energy out of you.
So, from now on, we're not going to enter (because technically there was no "breaking") any buildings unless there are no playgrounds. That is a valuable piece of advice for all of you. Utah is full of excitement already, and its just getting better!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Close Encounters of the Reptile Kind
Just add this to the many reasons why I don't like Nevada....(we're well into Utah now, but this is the first time we've been near a computer in ages, and this story is kinda worth telling).
On our very last day in the desolate land of Nevada, Bethany and I had two fairly large climbs to make. It took us quite a while, and as a reward, we stopped for lunch on the summit of the second peak. Cute, right?
We propped our bikes against a flimsy metal reflector post, and then we had to sit on the ground, because there weren't really any other options. So, picture this: from the side of the road to the beginning of the grass/bush area is about 15 feet. It is all gravel, which is a lovely place to sit for lunch, but again...no other options. We sat down, broke out the NutriGrain bars and PopTarts (endorsements???), and each of us also had an apple.
We sat there talking about random things for a while, and I was half of the way through my apple. I'm not sure why you need to know how much of the apple was eaten, but it was one of the things I remembered, so I'm throwing it in. We're both sitting cross-legged on the ground, and I felt something rub against the outside of my left leg. Normally I would have swatted it, assuming that it was an ant or other small insect, but it didn't feel like little legs walking, it felt like.....a rub. So, instead of swatting, I lifted my leg and looked down and what had been touching me, and I saw........snake skin. At this point, Bethany had to tell me most of the story, because I went a little bonkers. Apparently I screamed "Is that snake skin?!?!?!?!", and immediately proceeded to throw my apple in the air and do a super-awesome backward volleyball roll to escape the encroaching snake (thank you Coach Renzi!! Who knew volleyball was going to save my life?!).
Bethany, bless her, jumped up faster than she has ever moved in her life. While I was jumping around like a little girl and brushing off my clothing, (just in case a second snake had somehow crept up my body without me knowing...ha), Bethany kept her cool. We noticed that it was a rattlesnake because of the, you know, rattle. It must have been pretty aggitated because it was rattling A LOT. And sticking its black tongue out at us. Poor Bethany had to listen to me ask her 15 times if the snake had bitten me. That would probably be something that I would feel, but I couldn't be too sure. The snake, lets call him Rocky, then made himself completely comfortable in the shade my CamelBak. He recoiled a couple of times when I got to close, but I was pretty sure that we were out of striking distance. Poor guy, all he wanted was some shade, but we ruined it.
At some point, one of us realized that I was going to need my CamelBak to continue the trip, so we would have to move Rocky. I had the bright idea to take my silly little BOB trailer flag to push him away, but I made Bethany do it instead. I'm not saying I'm a chicken, she just happened to be the one who was shaking less at the time. She pushed the CamelBak over and expertly guided Rocky back into the grass/bush (I have a pretty good video of it, and I can't wait to see it on the computer). When we could finally see his full length, we estimated that he was between 2 and 2 1/2 feet long. I don't know what that means in terms of age, but that thing was curled up under my thigh, so I can't really say that I would have cared either way. Wouldn't this have been a terrible way to end this trip? Hey, Mom and Dad, we're coming home because ERIN WAS BITTEN BY A RATTLESNAKE. Sadly, I'm pretty sure that most people would respond with...."Yeah, that sounds about right".
I really wish this story could have been recorded for all to see, because I'm certain that I am not doing justice to the hilarity that happened in those 5 minutes (plus, I really wish everyone could have seen my crazy cat-like reflexes). Just keep in mind that cars were driving past us during the whole incident, so it might have looked a little strange to see a girl jumping up and down trying to check herself for secondary snakes. Not to mention, I lost half of my apple, which made me a little sad. It was a really good apple.
On our very last day in the desolate land of Nevada, Bethany and I had two fairly large climbs to make. It took us quite a while, and as a reward, we stopped for lunch on the summit of the second peak. Cute, right?
We propped our bikes against a flimsy metal reflector post, and then we had to sit on the ground, because there weren't really any other options. So, picture this: from the side of the road to the beginning of the grass/bush area is about 15 feet. It is all gravel, which is a lovely place to sit for lunch, but again...no other options. We sat down, broke out the NutriGrain bars and PopTarts (endorsements???), and each of us also had an apple.
We sat there talking about random things for a while, and I was half of the way through my apple. I'm not sure why you need to know how much of the apple was eaten, but it was one of the things I remembered, so I'm throwing it in. We're both sitting cross-legged on the ground, and I felt something rub against the outside of my left leg. Normally I would have swatted it, assuming that it was an ant or other small insect, but it didn't feel like little legs walking, it felt like.....a rub. So, instead of swatting, I lifted my leg and looked down and what had been touching me, and I saw........snake skin. At this point, Bethany had to tell me most of the story, because I went a little bonkers. Apparently I screamed "Is that snake skin?!?!?!?!", and immediately proceeded to throw my apple in the air and do a super-awesome backward volleyball roll to escape the encroaching snake (thank you Coach Renzi!! Who knew volleyball was going to save my life?!).
Bethany, bless her, jumped up faster than she has ever moved in her life. While I was jumping around like a little girl and brushing off my clothing, (just in case a second snake had somehow crept up my body without me knowing...ha), Bethany kept her cool. We noticed that it was a rattlesnake because of the, you know, rattle. It must have been pretty aggitated because it was rattling A LOT. And sticking its black tongue out at us. Poor Bethany had to listen to me ask her 15 times if the snake had bitten me. That would probably be something that I would feel, but I couldn't be too sure. The snake, lets call him Rocky, then made himself completely comfortable in the shade my CamelBak. He recoiled a couple of times when I got to close, but I was pretty sure that we were out of striking distance. Poor guy, all he wanted was some shade, but we ruined it.
At some point, one of us realized that I was going to need my CamelBak to continue the trip, so we would have to move Rocky. I had the bright idea to take my silly little BOB trailer flag to push him away, but I made Bethany do it instead. I'm not saying I'm a chicken, she just happened to be the one who was shaking less at the time. She pushed the CamelBak over and expertly guided Rocky back into the grass/bush (I have a pretty good video of it, and I can't wait to see it on the computer). When we could finally see his full length, we estimated that he was between 2 and 2 1/2 feet long. I don't know what that means in terms of age, but that thing was curled up under my thigh, so I can't really say that I would have cared either way. Wouldn't this have been a terrible way to end this trip? Hey, Mom and Dad, we're coming home because ERIN WAS BITTEN BY A RATTLESNAKE. Sadly, I'm pretty sure that most people would respond with...."Yeah, that sounds about right".
I really wish this story could have been recorded for all to see, because I'm certain that I am not doing justice to the hilarity that happened in those 5 minutes (plus, I really wish everyone could have seen my crazy cat-like reflexes). Just keep in mind that cars were driving past us during the whole incident, so it might have looked a little strange to see a girl jumping up and down trying to check herself for secondary snakes. Not to mention, I lost half of my apple, which made me a little sad. It was a really good apple.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Hitchhiking 101
Ok, here's the thing about today...and I'm not proud of it...but there was some hitchhiking. Well, technically not hitchhiking, because we didn't stick out our thumbs or anything, but....
It was kinda a horrible day to ride. Tons of hills, and the weather was crappy. About 14 miles into the ride, it started to rain. Hard. I had some "laundry" hooked to the back of the bike drying, so that was a bust. We trekked on for another 6 miles until the rain let up a little bit. By then we were soaked to the bone. And cold. Unfortunately for us, we couldn't have stopped if we wanted to. Eureka (the town we were in the previous night) and Ely (the town where we were headed) are separated by 78 miles of NOTHING. There is no gas station, no restaurants or cafes, no rest stops....the only thing on the road worth mentioning are two little white tables set up for passing drivers to lunch on. No water, no hills to camp in....getting my drift?
So Bethany and I had no choice but to make it to Ely. We weren't really psyched about the hills, but they weren't too bad to start. Not to mention that ever UP hill has a DOWN:). Fun times.
Anyway, we are still on Highway 50 (I KNOW!) for the fourth day (ugh), and the rain has just started to let up after 6 miles. Mom and Grum, stop reading now. Most of Highway 50 has pitiful shoulders for bikers to ride on, but this particular portion had none at all, so we were out in the road a little bit....with vehicles passing at 70+ mph. It is not ideal, but what can you do? The road gets a little twisty, and around one particular turn, we were out of sight of any vehicle coming behind us (even with my stupid little yellow flag flying behind my trailer). A motorcycle was coming on the opposite side of the road, and we hear the familiar rumbling of a vehicle behind us at the same time....but he can't see us, and we're in the lane. **Before I go on, can I just tell you how freakin' rare it is to have two vehicles crossing at the same time we are on the road? Like, next to impossible. We go miles without seeing anything. I'm serious, this was weird** Anyway, this story is getting long, but lets just say we are almost run off the road by this giant blue pick-up truck that didn't see us. I didn't think it was that big of a deal....he didn't even seem that close. Or we're getting used to it. One or the other.
But the story gets better....about half an hour down the road, a big blue pick-up truck is coming from the opposite direction, and it is slowing down...a lot. Then the truck comes to a stop, and the driver rolls down the window to ask if we are ok. This guy (sweet sweet old man...Angela, you would love him!) took the time to turn around and come back to check on us, albeit 30 minutes later. But to make it up to us, he said he would give us a ride to Ely! Well, who are we to say "no"? I'm glad he almost ran us off the road with a pick-up, because we would have had some trouble if it was a sports car.
Bob ended up being a super sweet retired man from Reno who was on the way to visit his father in Colorado one last time before he passed away (his dad is 97). We had some delightful conversation, and as it turns out, he got his giant blue pick-up truck 2 days ago and wasn't really comfortable using it yet. Lucky for us, I guess? Five minutes after we got in the truck, it started to storm. And this time there was lightning...so I took it as a sign. The Big Man must have been looking out for us.
Bob was great, and Bethany and I thanked him for the ride when we got to Ely an hour later. I really had trouble restraining myself from giving Bob a giant bear hug, and for any of you that know my obsession with cute old men, you know where I'm coming from.
So now we're in Ely, approximately 5 hours earlier than expected. And before you ask, yes, I feel like a little bit of a cheater, but I'm in it for the experiences, not to get killed by lightning or giant blue pick-ups:) Lucky for us there was another library in Ely with internet access. We're staying at a historic motel/casino/dive bar/restaurant, and the plumbing is so old that there are written warnings everywhere telling us that the shower can switch from hot to cold without warning. Awesome. The peep hole is actually just a hole in the door, and anyone can see inside. Also awesome. But on the bright side, we got tickets for a free margarita at the hotel bar...and that really is awesome. No sarcasm.
I really really really wish there was some way that I could upload pictures. We have some fabulous images from Cali (not so much from Nevada because it is a giant waste of good land. How anything survives here is beyond my understanding), not to mention I have some great images of my new haircut. Out with the long brown, in with the very short black. Yikes.
We have some camping ahead of us, so not sure when the next post will be:) If you care enough to be reading this, you're super-cool. And thats no joke. :)
It was kinda a horrible day to ride. Tons of hills, and the weather was crappy. About 14 miles into the ride, it started to rain. Hard. I had some "laundry" hooked to the back of the bike drying, so that was a bust. We trekked on for another 6 miles until the rain let up a little bit. By then we were soaked to the bone. And cold. Unfortunately for us, we couldn't have stopped if we wanted to. Eureka (the town we were in the previous night) and Ely (the town where we were headed) are separated by 78 miles of NOTHING. There is no gas station, no restaurants or cafes, no rest stops....the only thing on the road worth mentioning are two little white tables set up for passing drivers to lunch on. No water, no hills to camp in....getting my drift?
So Bethany and I had no choice but to make it to Ely. We weren't really psyched about the hills, but they weren't too bad to start. Not to mention that ever UP hill has a DOWN:). Fun times.
Anyway, we are still on Highway 50 (I KNOW!) for the fourth day (ugh), and the rain has just started to let up after 6 miles. Mom and Grum, stop reading now. Most of Highway 50 has pitiful shoulders for bikers to ride on, but this particular portion had none at all, so we were out in the road a little bit....with vehicles passing at 70+ mph. It is not ideal, but what can you do? The road gets a little twisty, and around one particular turn, we were out of sight of any vehicle coming behind us (even with my stupid little yellow flag flying behind my trailer). A motorcycle was coming on the opposite side of the road, and we hear the familiar rumbling of a vehicle behind us at the same time....but he can't see us, and we're in the lane. **Before I go on, can I just tell you how freakin' rare it is to have two vehicles crossing at the same time we are on the road? Like, next to impossible. We go miles without seeing anything. I'm serious, this was weird** Anyway, this story is getting long, but lets just say we are almost run off the road by this giant blue pick-up truck that didn't see us. I didn't think it was that big of a deal....he didn't even seem that close. Or we're getting used to it. One or the other.
But the story gets better....about half an hour down the road, a big blue pick-up truck is coming from the opposite direction, and it is slowing down...a lot. Then the truck comes to a stop, and the driver rolls down the window to ask if we are ok. This guy (sweet sweet old man...Angela, you would love him!) took the time to turn around and come back to check on us, albeit 30 minutes later. But to make it up to us, he said he would give us a ride to Ely! Well, who are we to say "no"? I'm glad he almost ran us off the road with a pick-up, because we would have had some trouble if it was a sports car.
Bob ended up being a super sweet retired man from Reno who was on the way to visit his father in Colorado one last time before he passed away (his dad is 97). We had some delightful conversation, and as it turns out, he got his giant blue pick-up truck 2 days ago and wasn't really comfortable using it yet. Lucky for us, I guess? Five minutes after we got in the truck, it started to storm. And this time there was lightning...so I took it as a sign. The Big Man must have been looking out for us.
Bob was great, and Bethany and I thanked him for the ride when we got to Ely an hour later. I really had trouble restraining myself from giving Bob a giant bear hug, and for any of you that know my obsession with cute old men, you know where I'm coming from.
So now we're in Ely, approximately 5 hours earlier than expected. And before you ask, yes, I feel like a little bit of a cheater, but I'm in it for the experiences, not to get killed by lightning or giant blue pick-ups:) Lucky for us there was another library in Ely with internet access. We're staying at a historic motel/casino/dive bar/restaurant, and the plumbing is so old that there are written warnings everywhere telling us that the shower can switch from hot to cold without warning. Awesome. The peep hole is actually just a hole in the door, and anyone can see inside. Also awesome. But on the bright side, we got tickets for a free margarita at the hotel bar...and that really is awesome. No sarcasm.
I really really really wish there was some way that I could upload pictures. We have some fabulous images from Cali (not so much from Nevada because it is a giant waste of good land. How anything survives here is beyond my understanding), not to mention I have some great images of my new haircut. Out with the long brown, in with the very short black. Yikes.
We have some camping ahead of us, so not sure when the next post will be:) If you care enough to be reading this, you're super-cool. And thats no joke. :)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Is it too late to quit?
Wow. So, no one told me there were mountains in California. But I'll get to that later....
We got a late start to the trip because FedEx sucks and didn't deliver my package to San Fran until 3 days late. What a wonderful start to the trip. Then the first road we travelled on was a giant hill. Bethany and I readjusted our expectations right quick. No amount of training could have prepared me for dragging 60 lbs of equipment behind me going up a steep hill. Ugh. Is it too late to quit? Not to mention I have been cursed with a hacking cough, and lost my voice on the second day. I sounded like a squeaky toy....but now I just sound like a 4-pack a day smoker. Poor Bethany, bless her heart, my cough keeps her up at night and gets her up early in the morning, but she hasn't complained a single bit.
Anyway, we stayed in a few motels the first week because I am still trying to kick this sickness, whatever it is. They range from Best Western to a little motel called the Mill House that looks and feels a lot like the motel from the horror movie "Vacancy". It was awesome, but I slept with a weapon close to the bed...no joke:).
We also stayed at a beautiful B&B in Fair Play California. It was up on a hill, and it overlooked the whole vineyard. The view was breathtaking, and even though it was cold, Bethany and I sat outside and watched the sun set over some far away mountains. Truth be told, I was ready to give up and stay there for a few weeks, but that wouldn't have made a very good story.
So far we have travelled through some beautiful wine country, some hilly back country, the UC Davis campus (cool!), and Old Sacramento (even cooler! Old buildings everywhere:)).
Lets get back to the mountains. Seriously, California? You have mountains? Why don't people talk about them? All I hear about is wine country, and I expected flat wine country roads the whole course to Nevada. The peak of the highest hill so far was 8,000 feet, which, okay, not too bad. Just don't forget that we're trailing 60 pounds with us. We certainly don't forget. This is just a prep for the higher mountains of Colorado. Either way, I'm pretty sure Beth and I wish for death at least 30 times a day, and we probably seriously mean it at least half of the time.
But for now, we're in a teeny tiny little town called Eureka, NV. The population is 670, and it feels smaller. But they have a library! God bless internet access. Tomorrow is a long haul 78 miles to the next town, with some serious hills in between. If you don't hear from us, send the search party there. I'm pretty sure that's where we'll be. Until next time!!!
We got a late start to the trip because FedEx sucks and didn't deliver my package to San Fran until 3 days late. What a wonderful start to the trip. Then the first road we travelled on was a giant hill. Bethany and I readjusted our expectations right quick. No amount of training could have prepared me for dragging 60 lbs of equipment behind me going up a steep hill. Ugh. Is it too late to quit? Not to mention I have been cursed with a hacking cough, and lost my voice on the second day. I sounded like a squeaky toy....but now I just sound like a 4-pack a day smoker. Poor Bethany, bless her heart, my cough keeps her up at night and gets her up early in the morning, but she hasn't complained a single bit.
Anyway, we stayed in a few motels the first week because I am still trying to kick this sickness, whatever it is. They range from Best Western to a little motel called the Mill House that looks and feels a lot like the motel from the horror movie "Vacancy". It was awesome, but I slept with a weapon close to the bed...no joke:).
We also stayed at a beautiful B&B in Fair Play California. It was up on a hill, and it overlooked the whole vineyard. The view was breathtaking, and even though it was cold, Bethany and I sat outside and watched the sun set over some far away mountains. Truth be told, I was ready to give up and stay there for a few weeks, but that wouldn't have made a very good story.
So far we have travelled through some beautiful wine country, some hilly back country, the UC Davis campus (cool!), and Old Sacramento (even cooler! Old buildings everywhere:)).
Lets get back to the mountains. Seriously, California? You have mountains? Why don't people talk about them? All I hear about is wine country, and I expected flat wine country roads the whole course to Nevada. The peak of the highest hill so far was 8,000 feet, which, okay, not too bad. Just don't forget that we're trailing 60 pounds with us. We certainly don't forget. This is just a prep for the higher mountains of Colorado. Either way, I'm pretty sure Beth and I wish for death at least 30 times a day, and we probably seriously mean it at least half of the time.
But for now, we're in a teeny tiny little town called Eureka, NV. The population is 670, and it feels smaller. But they have a library! God bless internet access. Tomorrow is a long haul 78 miles to the next town, with some serious hills in between. If you don't hear from us, send the search party there. I'm pretty sure that's where we'll be. Until next time!!!
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