Stephanie Reighart

Dusty day on the canalway

Day 45

Miles: 101

Mileage from start: 3,891

We stayed at hotel in Buffalo on our drive back after the Ohio break. Because we got in late to the hotel, we slept in until 8:30. Then came breakfast, gathering our stuff and driving to Niagara to return the car.

It was a late start, but that’s how we roll.

The first 25 miles were spent on roads as usual. But at Lockport, NY, we got on the Erie Canalway Trail and stayed on it the rest of the day.

To my surprise, we found the trail was not paved. That’s surprising to me because the Adventure Cycling Association (which produces the maps we’re using) has never before made non-pavement the official route. There have been alternates available, but the main route always avoids permeable surfaces.

Other than in a handful of spots, the ride on the trail was fine. But a couple of times I felt my back wheel fish tailing and I thought about seeking the paved alternate on route 31.

The trail through Rochester was paved, which was lovely.

While we covered 100, we intended to go a little further. The dirt surface slowed us down.

We made it to a hotel before dark. There is no place to camp along this stretch. Now we’re showered and fed by the nearby Chinese take out place.

The hotel manager was great and gave us an upgrade to a suite that has more square footage than our house in York, Pa. had.

Now I am falling asleep as I write this.

Taking a break

Days 42, 43, 44

Miles: 15, 0, 0

Mileage from start: 3,790

Around 1 a.m. a strong storm front moved over us. The tall pines around our tent made terrific sounds as they bent against the wind. We checked the radar and saw red heading for us. Will the little tent make it? we asked.

The little tent did make it. And we actually stayed dry. I have to say, I didn’t think it would happen that way. Maybe the tall pines protected us. Maybe Toronto got the worst of it. Either way, we survived just a little tired from the noise of rain of the fly.

It rained lightly off and on in the morning, so we got wet. We rode past Niagara Falls and all the people looking at Niagara Falls. They let us back into the U.S. even though we went over the bridge with the cars rather than the pedestrians. I’m still not sure which way they would have preferred…

We rented a car, shoved the bikes in the back, got Indian food and started driving back to Ohio for a wedding.

After some rest, massages and bike maintenance, we will soon head back to the trail.

A hot day, take 2

Day 41

Miles: 126

Mileage from start: 3,778

We started a little earlier today, so it was cooler in the beginning. Most of the morning was foggy and even slightly chilly, especially after eating ice cream.

But we put sunscreen on anyway and it’s a good thing we did because by noon it was hot and sunny and humid and we were roasting.

Any breeze, even a headwind, was welcome to move the air around us.

By 5 p.m. we’d left the fields of corn and soybeans and so much asparagus behind us and ended the day on a rail trail. It wasn’t as shaded as I’d hoped, but it was better than open fields.

Tonight we’re camped along the Niagara River and tomorrow we’ll go past the falls.

They’re calling for thunderstorms overnight which might take the temperature down a bit. I made sure to tuck down the Tyvec sheet well over our bikes.

More asparagus than I have ever seen before in one place.

Richard's bike tan thus far. — Richard’s bike tan thus far.

Hot day for riding

Day 40

Miles: 120

Mileage from start: 3,652

We slept well and dried out the tent at the hotel. The weather forecast called for heat and humidity. Come what may.

As soon as we walked out of the hotel, the heat felt like a heavy weight. Oh, well.

We started biking and slogged along all day.

We stopped twice for ice cream and contemplated a third.

At the second stop we met a guy biking from San Fransisco to Boston and chatted for a bit. He asked where we were staying that night. I said we were going to push on another 30 miles or so.

“Late night,” he said.

Yeah. We aren’t like the other bikers. I realize that each time we talk to others cross country cyclists. We bike longer, start later and eat more convenience store food than most. I honestly don’t know where these people eat in small towns if they don’t eat at gas stations. It’s all small-town middle America has for food.

Whatever. Because cyclists don’t travel in large groups (it just makes logistics harder and impairs safety), there’s less cross pollination of ideas and systems. Everyone becomes insular, and uniquely so, in how they like to do things.

Richard says that even adding me to his systems from biking from San Diego to St. Augustine, Florida (a ride he did in 2009) has changed how he operates. (Ex. More coffee, less bread-and-cheese diet; wake up later, more sugar.)

Crash update: I crashed again. This time it was when my front wheel touched Richard’s back wheel when he told me to look left at a chair someone had put out for free. I looked left; he slowed down a bit; the wheels touched; I lost my balance.

I came down on my left butt cheek; the bike flopped left under my right leg. No exposed skin touched the pavement, so no road rash really. It was a slow-speed crash again, which is good. But I need to stop doing this.

I’ve also had two flats recently. Front and back. Both times it was glass shards I ran over. Maybe it’s getting to be time for new tires.

One more ferry into Canada

Day 39

Miles: 122

Mileage from start: 3,532

It started raining around 1 a.m. It is pleasant to sleep in a small, well-built tent in the rain. It’s kind of cozy to know you are warm and dry even though there’s just a thin bit of fabric between you and the elements. However, sleeping in a tent in the rain is loud.

I put my headphones in, put a podcast on and was soon back to sleep.

It was warm and muggy when we woke up for real in the morning. We packed our wet tent and started off. The day was mostly biking past fields of corn, soy beans and sugar beets.

The sun came out sometimes, but mostly it was overcast. We got sprinkled on once. It actually felt nice and cooled things off a bit.

We pushed most of the day to get to Marine City and the river ferry that would take us to Canada.

Now we’re in Wallaceburg, Ontario oh so ready for sleeping.

On the ferry, hanging on to keep my balance as the boat sways.

Swallows nests under the roof of the ferry.

Michigan wins worst roads

Day 38

Miles: 129

Mileage from start: 3,410

Those loud teenagers raged into the night with music, fireworks and revving engines. Eventually, they went to sleep, and then so could we.

We got breakfast at a convenience store (ice cream and burritos — it’s the best biking food you can find at a gas station) then continued working our way southeast.

Most of the day was biking past small lakes and between stands of hard and softwood trees. While many dogs barked at us, none chased us. The folks in Michigan seem to fence or tie up the runners. Any dogs I saw walking off leash didn’t care about us at all.

We spent more than 30 miles on a rail trail that was fairly well maintained. Then stopped for dinner at a smoothie shop.

The “rail trail” we took later through Bay City was horrible and not a trail at all. It was a poorly maintained sidewalk that someone had painted the words rail trail on. It could have been called a bike route but it seems irresponsible to increase hazards in the attempt to make a bike route or trail.

Putting cyclists on sidewalks increases the chance of accidents when cyclists cross intersections. Motorists are not looking for cyclists coming into the road from sidewalks. And there is not room on a standard sidewalk for bikes and pedestrians.

I do not recommend the Bag City Bike Loop to anyone. The pavement is broken up, the signage is hard to read and it winds through highly congested pedestrian areas with sharp turns and blind spots. Very poorly done, Bay City.

I understand that Michigan has harsh winters that eat pavement, but so do a lot of states. Bike-swallowing potholes are dangerous for riders and motorists.

After that, we continued on more of Michigan’s broken roads to Frankenmuth, a town that has decided to pretend it is in Bavaria. It’s cute.

Sorry that this post is so complainy. We have been having great weather since the thunderstorms, fewer bugs and are making great progress.

Back in the swing of things

Day 37

Miles: 121

Mileage from start: 3,281

Maybe that hotel stay was all we needed? With clean bikes and clean selves and full stomachs we left Chimney Corners Lodge and continued south on Route 22. Despite following very close to the shore of Lake Michigan for the last 300+ miles, we’ve seen very little of it. It’s just off to our right, somewhere.

When we do see it, I am surprised by how clear the water is and how varied the colors. It’s blue or aqua or green.

Today a strong wind was pushing breakers three feet high to shore.

Around 3 p.m. we left Lake Michigan and started east. We will work southeast toward Port Huron from here then pass into Canada again until Niagara Falls.

The wind was less intense once we got inland a bit and we stopped for burritos and ice cream and pickled asparagus at a small, but nice, grocery store.

The final 40 miles were pleasant thanks to the ice cream.

We are sharing a state park campground with a group of teenagers who are enjoying their youth by being as loud as they can.

Richard eats blueberries in the only shade we can find.

Scattered thunderstorms

Day 36

Miles: 88

Mileage from start: 3,160

Not the longest day, but not the shortest. It was another humid one and we spent a bit of time waiting for thunderstorms to pass.

It didn’t take long before we were covered in sand and road grime. Sweat plus sunscreen plus humidity plus rain all work well together to make anything that touches you, stick to you.

We got to Traverse City midmorning and grabbed a package at the post office and ate pasties.

We actually spent a good bit of time today talking with people. One guy rode into Traverse with us. Another lady talked with us under a tent at the Cherry Festival while the rain passed.

We talked to a couple while we chose our hotel and another family who needed to borrow our bike tool to adjust something on their rented bikes.

Once we got to our hotel, we talked to four couples who were curious about our bikes. They watched us hose off and relube the bikes which were as filthy as we were.

My favorite part of the day was watching the air dog competition at the Cherry Festival. The dogs ran off a platform, jumped for a plastic tube with their mouths, then landed in an above-ground pool. They were judged on how far they jumped. Some dogs were going over 20 feet to grab the tube, which was hung above the water at further and further distances as the dogs advanced rounds. It was so fun to watch these dogs. They were having a great time.

The weather should be nice the next few days. And I hope the humidity will calm down, too.

Hiding from the rain in Traverse City under a tent at the Cherry Festival.

The storm coming at us in Traverse City.

Trying to find a hotel, wishing I were already in bed.

Some of that is my bikers tan. Most of it is road grime.

Just keep pedaling

Day 35

Miles: 120

Mileage from start: 3,072

Oh, bed. I have been daydreaming about you all day. And now that I’m here, you’re nothing like I imagined you.

Rather than camping in an established campground, with full water bottles and freshly rinsed legs, we are half a mile down a road of sand (that was marked on the map as pavement) because we couldn’t bear to go any further and hiding from the horde of mosquitoes that are the worst we’ve seen the whole trip. There is no water to refill our bottles or rinse off.

And an animal is outside our tent. Not sure what it is. Neither of us has ever heard a sound like that.

I slept poorly last night because the hotel mattress was so bouncy that every time Richard moved, I was jostled awake. And the pillows were solid. No give. No smoosh. Not sure how they did that.

We ate breakfast then packed up and caught a ferry off the island to Mackinaw City. From there we started pedaling and never really got in the swing of things.

Each restart after an intersection or stop sign was hard. Each hill was slow and plodding. It was humid, so we sweated a ton, but chilly so we didn’t drink much.

Somehow we made it 120 miles. We are covered in sweat and the road grime that sticks to our legs from the adhesive sunscreen.

It may rain tomorrow. Maybe afterward, the humidity will be less.

Zero on Mackinac

Day 34

Miles: 0

Mileage from start: 2,952

It was supposed to rain today, but it didn’t. We had some clouds in the morning, but the rest of the day was warm and sunny.

We had breakfast at the hotel then checked out and walked around the grounds.

We biked down the hill to our next hotel and they were very nice and understanding about our bikes. They let us store them in their basement to keep them out of the rain we thought was coming.

We walked around town until we couldn’t take the crowds anymore. By that time our room was ready, so we hung out and ate fudge.

We spent the afternoon at Fort Mackinac learning about the 120-year history of the fort from the 1770s to the 1890s.

Next came dinner and hot tub and now bed.