Quest West - A Ride Across America

You're still checking the blog? Good, cause we still got more stuff for you. Click the PHOTOS link to the left to see a new roll of film. But before you do, give us your best caption for this pic of Austin. Our last few days in San Fran - some of the most memorable - were spent cavorting with with old friends (Tracy, Hannah, Laura, Seth, Dave, Jason, Hove, Saori, and Angela) and meeting new ones (Nicole, Brie, Lauren, Steve-O).

We may have told you about our last day of riding, but you should keep checking the blog for more posts and pictures as we enjoy some down time in San Francisco.

Coast to Coast Complete
San Francisco, CA
We stuck around Sacramento this morning in order to spend as much time as possible with Laura and Amanda (who wouldn't want to). Unfortunately, our late start left us unable to join our friend Josh for a BBQ dinner in Oakland (totally his fault though - it was a generous invitation that was extended entirely too late). We caught the last ferry out of Vallejo, and pulled into Fisherman's Wharf around 9pm. The last couple miles of our ride was a surprisingly flat stint to Deirdre's appartment in the Mission District of San Francisco. After a quick shower, we threw on some of Deirdre's boyfriend's clothes and hit the town to meet up with Tracy, Dave, and Jason - friends from Williams - as well as Jason, Jon's roommate at medical school, and Laura who drove down from Sacramento to hang out for another night of fun.
Song of the Day: Going to California by Led Zeppelin (if you know the lyrics, switch "ass" for "heart" and it's even more appropriate).

SacTown
Sacramento, CA
We knew today was our only chance to see Austin's sister, Deirdre, in Sacramento before she left at 8pm for a flight to Vietnam, so we got another early start. A quick, hard push over Echo Pass early in the morning put us over the Sierra Nevada Range and started us on a 7,000 foot downhill ride to Sacramento, filled with riding along a mountain stream, orchards, and an uptight highway patrolman that angrily kicked Jon off the freeway. We had completed 100 miles by 4pm and Austin was able to spend some quality time with his sister while Jon caught up with Laura, a friend of his from Denver with whom he had also coached and played volleyball. The four of us were taken out to a great sushi dinner by Deirdre just before she took off for the airport. Then, another of Jon's friends, Amanda, came down from Reno to hang out for an evening of darts, late night snacking, and chipmunk hunting.
Song of the Day: Cali Cali by the Notorious B.I.G.

They Say When That Lake Shines, It Really Shines
South Lake Tahoe, CALIFORNIA!!!
We took off early out of Fallon to fight some headwinds on our way to Carson City. We grabbed lunch at Stew's, where Stew's Brews along with Icy Hot and Ibuprofen helped power us over Spooner Pass (picture coming, Marshall), a really tough 2,500 foot climb that was made worth it because of the spectacular (and shiny) sunset over Lake Tahoe as we descended the other side. We rode along the lake for about 10 miles before approaching the state line. Just as we were about to cross into California, we realized we would be passing our last chance to gamble in Nevada, so we stopped for just a couple hands of blackjack at MontBleu (formerly Cesar's). A couple hands turned into a couple shoes (and a bunch of free drinks), but as a pair we ended up winning money (but let's just say Austin was the one doing the tipping).
Song of the Day: Hotel California by the Eagles

Just thought we'd let you know that we made it to San Francisco tonight (Saturday). We pushed real hard the last four days - over 400 miles - and we're ready to celebrate. Stay tuned for updates, including gambling at Lake Tahoe, partying in Sacramento, and making it to Fisherman's Wharf.

Record Day
Fallon, NV
After fixing another flat tire on Austin's bike, Austin took off to beat the heat. Jon, on the other hand, was so cold - our coldest nights by far have been in Nevada - that even with every layer of clothing he owned, he needed to wait until the sun came up over the mountains to start riding. We met up just before lunch, though, only to realize that if we were going to make it to the bike shop in Fallon before 5 to buy a new pump, Jon was going to have to speed ahead. After a grueling four hour sprint over salt flats, by sand dunes, and under the hot sun, he got there to find out the shop was out of busines. Awesome. The one cool thing about the ride was that Navy fighter jets and helicopters were flying over us all day. We saw some doing their best Maveric/Iceman impressions as they chased each other over the mountains and into the vallyes we were riding through, one did an unauthorized flyby over Jon's head, and we also saw some flying in tight formations.
Song of the Day: California Dreaming by the Mamas and Papas

There are new pictures posted online - see the PHOTOS link to the left. We thought we'd give you a little preview, though, by offering this shot up for another caption contest. We really liked your responses (not yours, Chris), keep up the good work.

Trouble for/in Austin
Austin, NV
Our Eureka campground host was kind enough to take Austin's tire to a gas station to pump it up, even though they didn't have the right adapter, so we were able to get rolling early. We only had two big climbs on the day, and we would finish with a tough climb up to Austin Summit. Ironically, Austin would not be able to summit Austin Summit on his bike. Three miles before the top, his chain broke and fell off his bike and he was forced to walk up the hill. Oh, and he got another flat tire, too, which we were only able to inflate with some more McGyver magic. At least once he got over the top, he was able to coast to camp, unlike Tony with his blow outs. We actually ended up camping in the town park right next to the pool and had a pretty relaxing evening, capped off with breakfast for dinner.
Song of the Day: Against the Wind by Bob Seger

Tony's Horseshoe Has Worn Out
Eureka, NV
We had a huge day with no services, again - that seems to be the trend in Nevada. On one of our four climbs, Austin was run off the road by an over-zealous, megaphone-using highway patrolman. One officer warned him nicely, but the second guy waited until the last second to get on the horn and bellow "Wide load coming through." As Austin pulled over, his tires slipped on the soft gravel shoulder and down he went, breaking our only pump and destroying his pride. We had to hope we wouldn't get any flat tires before we could buy a new pump - that lasted about two hours, before something punctured Austin's back tire.
Song of the Day: Falling Down by Vertical Horizon

Not only is this our first foray into putting pictures into posts, but we thought we'd also introduce a caption contest (prize TBA - probably no prize). Hit the comment button to give us your best New Yorker caption.

Riders Excited for a Tent Night After the Silver Jack Inn
Ely, NV
About a week ago, we ran into an Austrian man who told us that Nevada has the most mountain ranges of any state. For the past two days we've been seeing exactly what he means, as we ride up one range, down into the valley, up the next range, and back down into another valley until we get to camp. Today's early morning ride was filled with wildlife - a wolf, a scorpion, a herd of elk (in the distance), and as many rabbits as they get their reputation for. Another day without services means there's not much else to report, although it was an easy day of riding because of a generous tailwind.
Song of the day: Rock You Like a Hurricane by the Scorpions (Wind of Change was already taken)

By the Numbers for the Silver Jack Inn
Baker, NEVADA!!!
79.44 - Miles travelled without any services to the Silver Jack Inn
74 - Height of Austin, in inches
73 - Height of the shower, in inches
25 - Hours in the day (Pacific Time Zone, Baby!)
3 - Channels on TV
2 - Crazy people outside our room holding electrified bug swatters that looked like small tennis raquets that they just swung around randomly until they "zapped" a nearby bug, to "get revenge for the other night down by the lake"
1 - Mouse spotted in our room
4:30 - Time (a.m.) that we set our alarm to get the hell out
(1) - Surprisingly good dinner we had at their restaurant

Utah not as Cool without Tony
Milford, UT
After watching a huge storm pass through Cedar City with Tony, we finally said our goodbyes and thank yous for a spectacular three days of riding and four nights of luxury. We rode out of town and must have kept his lucky weather horseshoe because we saw storms on the plains all around us, but never got more than a few drops. The ride to Milford was entirely uneventful compared to the last three days, but we were allowed to stay in the town park nestled between mountain ranges, where we had a good view of both sunset and sunrise. (that's right, sunrise).
Song of the day: Bye Bye Bye by *NSync

A new roll of film is available for your viewing pleasure. Just click the Photos link to the left to check it out. It'll take you from just before we crossed the Mississippi through most of Colorado.

At home, when everything's coming our way, we're real happy campers; on the road, when everything's coming our way, we're in the wrong lane.
At home, when we hit the road, we can do 60m.p.h. easy; in the Southwest, when we hit the road, the road hits us back harder.
At home, when we walk the line, we stay away from the grass; on the road, when we ride the line, we also stay away from the grass.
In the hospital, when obese patients get thin, spirits are high; on the road, when patience gets thin, spirits are consumed.
At home, when we break wind people move away from our rear ends; on the road, if it's windy and we break wind, people pile up behind our rear ends.

So Close, Yet So Far
Cedar City, UT
Our morning out of the Lake was a cold and wet one, although we got started just after the big storm had passed through and were able to stay pretty dry. A mile and a half in, we passed the spot where we had walked to dinner last night after being told it was only "a half mile down the road." 19 miles in we hit a summit of 10,460ft, and while Jon was huffing and puffing because he had caught a cold overnight, Tony was cruising up the slope, showing no signs of altitude sickness, fatigue, or even age. We had great views of Cedar Breaks (more hoodoo formations tucked away in a lush mountain forest like a hidden city) and Cedar City way down in the valley below, which was our destination for the night - it seemed as if the 20-mile downhill stretch couldn't even take an hour. We were wrong. Our MacGyver skills aren't TV worthy just yet, as Tony's front tire needed another patch. Then, as we descended, he had to check his speed by braking and unfortunately heated the rear rim so much that his back tube exploded...twice. We were forced to leave him by the side of the road 10 miles from town.
Song of Day: Over the Hills and Far Way by Led Zeppelin
Oh, we went back up to get Tony with the rental car he had waiting at the hotel, in case you were worried. Unfortunately, he could only enjoy the 10-mile downhill from the car, although he had certainly earned it on the bike.

Tony Treated to Another Amazing Day
Panguitch Lake, UT
After a few miles of riding, we hopped off the bikes to take the "free" shuttle into Bryce Canyon that came with our $10 admission fee. We walked along the Rim Trail and had spectacular views of the Hoodoos, natural formations caused by errosion of the layered cliff walls that are sometimes compared to chess pieces. The colors were spectacular, we often saw natural rock arches, and even some boulders that appeared to be balanced precariously on top of much thinner bases. From Bryce, we rode through the Red Canyon - with more incredible views of rock formations and a couple of rock arches over the road - on a smooth bike path without having to worry about any traffic. From the town of Panguich, where we ate lunch at Hogi Yogi and Austin needed to change a worn down tire, we started climbing up to Panguitch Lake. On one of the few little downhills, Tony's front tire blew out. With a couple of MacGyver-like fixes, we got him rolling again so we could get to the lake with some time to fish before dinner.
Song of the Day: America the Beautiful by Katherine Lee Bates (A Wellesley High School/College graduate)

Tony's Toughest Trek
Tropic, UT
We returned to Hell's Backbone Grill for a great, hearty breakfast, but unfortunately they were out of their Swiss Char. Our first 15 miles with Tony were some of the most spectacular of the trip, as we rode down The Hogsback, a narrow strech of road, up on a ridge, with canyons dropping off on either side. The maps urged us to ride defensively, but luckily all we had to avoid was a group of touring millionaires in their fancy sports cars zooming by. We would later hear that one of them - the one supposedly in a million dollar Ferrari - had flipped over and completely ruined the car. We ate lunch in the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument, appropriately named for its layered geography. The day ended with some tough climbs through Utah's indescribably beautiful landscape - we had to convince Tony that every day was not this gorgeous.
Song of the Day: Higher Ground by Stevie Wonder

2898.9 - Total miles on the trip.
498.9 - Miles this week.
50 - New top speed (Jon - 2X).
12 - Longest continuous descent (in miles).
3 - Continents commented from.
2 - Flat tires in our first 2,603 miles.
2 - Flat tires in the next 6 miles.
2 - Flat tires the next day.
2 - Flat tires Tony got on his ride up to Boulder.
1 - Nibble on the line.
0 - Fish caught.

Welcome to Utah, Tony
Boulder, UT
A tough morning of climbing in the rain led us over Boulder Mountain and down to the town of Boulder, where we met up with Tony, Jon's dad. He treated us to an awesome dinner at the Hell's Backbone Grill and luxurious rooms in a mountain lodge. Just as we had had two flats yesterday (which we forgot to mention), he got two flats just driving out to meet us without even getting on a bike - first, his taxi's tire got a flat, which he had to change because the driver was so out of breath from just opening his car door, and second, his rental bike had a leaky rear tire. But we patched everything up, spent some time in the hot tub and got a good night's sleep for our ride tomorrow.
Song of the day: Flat Tire (is that a song?)

Fruitty Fruita
Fruita, UT
Leaving Hite requred a 52 mile ride without services, and by the time we got a Stan's World Famous Shaken we were running on empty (especially Austin). Luckily, we met some of the nicest vacationers ever. First we chatted with Dean Walker, an orthopedic surgeon who offered to buy us lunch because he was so impressed by what we were doing. Then, at our campground in Fruita a guy named Micheal Marek chatted us up and even gave us a few of his company's energy bars and mixed us a Gatorade type drink that has less sugar. Lastly, the next morning, a couple named Eric and Gabriella offered to cook us breakfast - a mix of eggs, sausage, cheese, and chilli all served over some nacho chips. Oh, and one really cool thing about the town of Fruita, a former orchard town - go figure, was that you could eat as many peaches as you wanted while in the orchard or take as many away for $1/pound.
Song of the day: Good People by Jack Johnson

Long Day in the Hot Sun
Hite Campground, Lake Powell, Glen Canyon, UT
We rolled out of Blanding early to start a long day with only one water stop about halfway in. We took a break early in the morning to hike for about a mile to some ancient Anasazi cliff dwellings - pretty spectacular, and worth the hike. We saw more Anasazi ruins along the way to the Natural Bridges National Monument, which contains three stone bridges carved by running water and other erosive forces. We hiked down below one of them to get some cool pictures that should be posted soon. Our day ended with 50 miles through a really cool canyon, down to Lake Powell.
Song of the Day: Dig Down Deep by Marc Cohn

Goodbye Colorful Colorado
Blanding, UTAH!!!
After posting from Dolores, we met a guy named Greg, who pointed us towards a great brewery/restaurant and offered to let us sleep in his backyard, which sloped down to the Dolores River, for a growler of beer. We slept under the stars and next to his two dogs Utah and Bo. The next morning, as we rolled out of town, the geology around us changed dramatically as we rolled towards Utah. We didn't get very far very quickly, though, as we each got a flat tire within 6 miles of each other. Blanding's name is very fitting, and that's all there is to say about that.
Song of the day: Flat Tire (is that the name of a song?)