Big Water
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
A few words from Kris
After getting some much needed sleep, I would like to say a few things having completed 5500 miles by bicycle:
Thank you to all of our supporters and fans, we could have never done it without you all, you kept us going when we were ready to give up.
Thank you to all of our donors and sponsors who believed in us before we even started this adventure.
Thank you to everyone who helped us along the way and offered us their homes and friendship. We will never forget what you did!
And finally, a big thank you to everyone who came down to the Brewhouse or biked us there on Sunday.
It was a very emotional time for us and you all made us feel so special by taking time out of your day to welcome us home!
We will never forget that moment and the people we shared it with.
Last 2 days!
Day
96 – Little Sand Bay to Wisconsin Point ~ 73 miles
Well
after the fish fry last night we ended up going out to Wisconsin's
northernmost bar called the Gil-Net-Tug. It was karaoke night! We
didn't sing, but Lane sang quite the rendition of CCR's “Have you
ever seen the rain”. After the bar we went back to Lane's place to
have a beach fire. It was going really well until it started to pour.
We ran up to the house and hung out listening to music for a bit
longer until we went to bed.
We
woke up this morning at about 10...late as usual. We at quickly and
packed up our things. Lane and two of his room mates decided to ride
a ways with us. We all rode together for ways and then said our
goodbyes and parted ways. The shoulder on the section of highway 13
between Little Sand Bay and Port Wing kind of sucks. We stopped in
Port Wing for lunch and then continued on. We are exhausted today and
when we saw the sign for Superior that said 45 more miles it was
really painful.
We
slowly pushed on. Somewhere along highway 13 at around 3 or 4 we were
passed by a friend named Eric. Kris and Zach both went to school with
him. He was headed back from Bayfield and saw us as he passed. He
pulled over and we talked for a bit. We hope to see him again soon.
We
finally reached highway 53 that heads into Superior. It is a
separated highway and bikes are not supposed to be on it, but since
we only had to be on it for about a mile we decided to go for it.
Went off without hitch. We biked the last mile or so out onto
Wisconsin Point and pulled into the parking lot to wait for Bre and
Mona to come. Our editor Jay and his girlfriend Paris were waiting in
the parking lot for us as well. Once Bre and Mona arrived we at the
awesome pizza from the Thirsty Pagan in Superior and then went into
town to pick up some water, beer, and snacks for the night.
We
got back to the point and set up our camp and then started a fire. It
was starting to look like it was going to rain. We could see storm
clouds out over the lake dropping rain. We didn't get hit by the
rain, but once we had our tents set up the wind got really vicious
and blew over Zach and Bre's tent and sent the tent stakes
scattering. They were able to get it set back up eventually, but the
wind never really quit all night.
We
spent the rest of the night around the fire with a few of our friends
that came out to join us. It was a really nice way to spend our last
night of the trip. We would have stayed up longer, but we had to
finish tomorrow and we were exhausted.
It
just so happens that someone called us in for camping on the point,
no camping allowed, and a cop came out to talk to us at 2:30 in the
morning. He said he didn't care that we were there, but that we
needed to pick up our things and be out of there in the morning.
Tomorrow
we are headed to the finish line in Duluth. Hard to believe. It is
mixed emotions.
Day
97 – Wisconsin Point to Duluth ~ 18 miles (Last day)
We
woke up sometime around 8:30 this morning and hung out until it was
time to leave. Jay came back out in the morning to get our last
morning on film and we spent some time talking to the camera and
packing up. Kris and Zach hugged it out before we mounted our bikes
for the last time of the trip.
We
headed into Superior around 10 or so and stopped at Subway (of
course) to get some food. After eating we headed toward the Bong
bridge. It is the only bridge that allows bikes to cross the St.
Louis river in the Duluth area. Just before we reached the bridge we
saw Kris's mom and dad and their family friends the Van't
Hof's. They had come up to see us finish and Kris's dad and friend
Gene were going to ride the rest of the way into town with us. The
four of us headed toward the bridge and then met up with our friends
Bill and Lucas. Lucas is a team member of Superior Dream, a team of
two who paddled around Superior in 2010. Look for their documentary
to come out soon! So the 6 of us headed over the bridge and into
Duluth.
We
arrived in town and headed through downtown on Superior Street. We
got a few honks of support and a few shouts. Just before we reached
the Brewhouse we stopped to have a moment together before we crossed
the finish line. When we were ready we pedaled the last few blocks
and rounded the corner to see family and friends waiting for us to
cross. We heard their cheers just as we were rounded the corner. Our
emotions had gotten us. It was a pretty overwhelming experience.
We
crossed through the tape that Mona and Bre had made us and it was
officially over. We crossed the line that we started on 97 days and
~5,500 miles earlier. We stopped and hugged before we dove into the
crowd for congratulations and reunions.
Kris
got everyone together and said a few words of thanks to the crowd and
we were presented with an honorary booklet of praise from the Mayor
by one of his assistants. It was an awesome experience and it all
happened so fast. After the crowd broke up we interviewed with a few
news agencies and then headed to the Brewhouse for our first
Brewhouse beer since the start.
We
spent the rest of the day with our family and friends and enjoyed
being home. Although it is a mixed bag of emotions. We are glad to be
home, but we feel like we could have kept going. It will be an
interesting couple of weeks, but we will get through it and back into
the swing of things. Stay tuned for more progress.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Bicyclists finish trip around Great Lakes - Article by Peter Passi
A pair of bicyclists from Duluth ended a more-than-5,300-mile trip
around the Great Lakes on Sunday, back home where they began their
journey May 1.
Kris McNeal and Zach Chase, ages 26 and 25, respectively, laid claim to becoming the first cyclists to circumnavigate the entire Great Lakes system, including the St. Lawrence Seaway, in a single season.
They completed their ride in 97 days, and were welcomed home right on schedule Sunday afternoon by a few dozen well-wishers waiting outside the Fitger’s Brewery Complex for their arrival.
“Thank you for following us, and thank you for believing in us,” McNeal told supporters Sunday, noting that public encouragement kept them going through difficult times.
The ride started hard. Just two days into it, McNeal’s wheel got caught in a rut, causing him to lose control and fall near Lutsen. But after a bit of bandaging, the two soldiered forward.
For nine straight days early in their trip, Chase and McNeal rode through cold, stinging rain up the North Shore of Lake Superior, pausing for an unplanned hotel stay one night, after McNeal suffered frostbitten toes.
A shoulderless stretch of road in Canada that’s heavily trafficked by trucks proved particularly harrowing.
“Those nine days were probably the worst, when you’ve got semi trucks whipping by you at 65 to 70 mph,” Chase said.
McNeal recalled that the situation required hyper-vigilance.
“For the first time, we became very aware we might die trying to do this trip, but it got a lot better after that,” he said.
Chase said they did their best to stay on shoulders and out of the way of motorized traffic, but that wasn’t always possible, and occasionally conditions forced them to ride in the roadway.
“For the most part, people really respected us on the road, but there were definitely times when cars would come extremely close,” he said.
Traffic wasn’t the only difficulty.
“For the first two weeks, our bodies felt pretty well beat, but after that, we got into a groove. And it wasn’t as much a physical challenge as a mental one,” Chase said.
The pair maintained a web site — www.bigwaterbike.com — where people could track their daily progress and receive updates on the adventure. People also could post comments. McNeal said the messages of encouragement they received often provided a much-needed lift.
“We couldn’t have done this without help from our supporters,” McNeal said. “There were many times when we wanted to give up, but we couldn’t because we knew people were counting on us.”
Chase and McNeal shot video of their entire trip and plan to produce a documentary about their experience, in hopes that it will give people a new respect for the Great Lakes and will inspire others to seek out their own cycling adventures.
The pair typically spent about six hours per day in the saddle, logging 60 to 70 miles before making camp. On their biggest day, McNeal and Chase covered 104 miles of road, thanks to a favorable tailwind and flat terrain they encountered on the shores of Lake Erie.
Social media, including Facebook, also allowed the duo to make new connections on their journey. McNeal said a number of people they met online offered them food and lodging en route.
McNeal’s and Chase’s latest journey wasn’t the first ambitious biking adventure the pair has tackled.
In 2008, the two completed a 1,700-mile trek between Seattle and Mexico on the West Coast.
“On that first trip, we learned a lot about ourselves and each other,” Chase said.
“Just like everyone else, we have problems, and we have to work through them or nothing gets resolved,” he said.
McNeal agreed, explaining that both he and his travel partner share some similarities.
“We’re both pretty easy-going guys, and we don’t always speak our minds,” he said.
The trip taught McNeal a lesson about the value opening lines of communication.
“You can’t bottle yourself up. You need to be open and honest and talk, or else little things can build up and you might explode and say things you don’t even mean,” he said.
For more than three months on their journey, McNeal and Chase shared a small tent each night, and some days they chose to ride at a distance, reconnecting periodically.
“We realized we both sometimes needed personal time on the bike,” Chance said. “It’s about giving one another space.”
The pair traveled about 3,000 miles before sustaining their first flat tire, but the charm didn’t last, and they finished their journey only after repairing 15 flats in all. McNeal had the most serious malfunction, when the inner tube of his rear tire blew, and the rim was so badly bent that he had to hitchhike into town for a replacement.
Despite moments of adversity, Chase said: “This was an amazing way to experience the Great Lakes.”
After seeing them all, Chase said Lake Superior still remains his favorite as the most unspoiled. He described finishing the journey as a “bittersweet” experience.
McNeal, too, had mixed feelings about the ride coming to an end. “It has been life-changing. I’ve never tried to do something like this before. I’m really proud of what we’ve done. We accomplished
all of our goals as best we could, and that meant a lot to us.”
McNeal and Chase said they’re already hatching plans for their next trip — perhaps a journey on water instead of around it.
Kris McNeal and Zach Chase, ages 26 and 25, respectively, laid claim to becoming the first cyclists to circumnavigate the entire Great Lakes system, including the St. Lawrence Seaway, in a single season.
They completed their ride in 97 days, and were welcomed home right on schedule Sunday afternoon by a few dozen well-wishers waiting outside the Fitger’s Brewery Complex for their arrival.
“Thank you for following us, and thank you for believing in us,” McNeal told supporters Sunday, noting that public encouragement kept them going through difficult times.
The ride started hard. Just two days into it, McNeal’s wheel got caught in a rut, causing him to lose control and fall near Lutsen. But after a bit of bandaging, the two soldiered forward.
For nine straight days early in their trip, Chase and McNeal rode through cold, stinging rain up the North Shore of Lake Superior, pausing for an unplanned hotel stay one night, after McNeal suffered frostbitten toes.
A shoulderless stretch of road in Canada that’s heavily trafficked by trucks proved particularly harrowing.
“Those nine days were probably the worst, when you’ve got semi trucks whipping by you at 65 to 70 mph,” Chase said.
McNeal recalled that the situation required hyper-vigilance.
“For the first time, we became very aware we might die trying to do this trip, but it got a lot better after that,” he said.
Chase said they did their best to stay on shoulders and out of the way of motorized traffic, but that wasn’t always possible, and occasionally conditions forced them to ride in the roadway.
“For the most part, people really respected us on the road, but there were definitely times when cars would come extremely close,” he said.
Traffic wasn’t the only difficulty.
“For the first two weeks, our bodies felt pretty well beat, but after that, we got into a groove. And it wasn’t as much a physical challenge as a mental one,” Chase said.
The pair maintained a web site — www.bigwaterbike.com — where people could track their daily progress and receive updates on the adventure. People also could post comments. McNeal said the messages of encouragement they received often provided a much-needed lift.
“We couldn’t have done this without help from our supporters,” McNeal said. “There were many times when we wanted to give up, but we couldn’t because we knew people were counting on us.”
Chase and McNeal shot video of their entire trip and plan to produce a documentary about their experience, in hopes that it will give people a new respect for the Great Lakes and will inspire others to seek out their own cycling adventures.
The pair typically spent about six hours per day in the saddle, logging 60 to 70 miles before making camp. On their biggest day, McNeal and Chase covered 104 miles of road, thanks to a favorable tailwind and flat terrain they encountered on the shores of Lake Erie.
Social media, including Facebook, also allowed the duo to make new connections on their journey. McNeal said a number of people they met online offered them food and lodging en route.
McNeal’s and Chase’s latest journey wasn’t the first ambitious biking adventure the pair has tackled.
In 2008, the two completed a 1,700-mile trek between Seattle and Mexico on the West Coast.
“On that first trip, we learned a lot about ourselves and each other,” Chase said.
“Just like everyone else, we have problems, and we have to work through them or nothing gets resolved,” he said.
McNeal agreed, explaining that both he and his travel partner share some similarities.
“We’re both pretty easy-going guys, and we don’t always speak our minds,” he said.
The trip taught McNeal a lesson about the value opening lines of communication.
“You can’t bottle yourself up. You need to be open and honest and talk, or else little things can build up and you might explode and say things you don’t even mean,” he said.
For more than three months on their journey, McNeal and Chase shared a small tent each night, and some days they chose to ride at a distance, reconnecting periodically.
“We realized we both sometimes needed personal time on the bike,” Chance said. “It’s about giving one another space.”
The pair traveled about 3,000 miles before sustaining their first flat tire, but the charm didn’t last, and they finished their journey only after repairing 15 flats in all. McNeal had the most serious malfunction, when the inner tube of his rear tire blew, and the rim was so badly bent that he had to hitchhike into town for a replacement.
Despite moments of adversity, Chase said: “This was an amazing way to experience the Great Lakes.”
After seeing them all, Chase said Lake Superior still remains his favorite as the most unspoiled. He described finishing the journey as a “bittersweet” experience.
McNeal, too, had mixed feelings about the ride coming to an end. “It has been life-changing. I’ve never tried to do something like this before. I’m really proud of what we’ve done. We accomplished
all of our goals as best we could, and that meant a lot to us.”
McNeal and Chase said they’re already hatching plans for their next trip — perhaps a journey on water instead of around it.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Our last days on the road!
Day
92 – Union Bay to Ironwood ~ 40 miles
We
woke up this morning and had our breakfast and did a bit of filming
as we biked into the Porcupine Mountains State Park. We followed the
southern boundary road through the park. The road was really hilly
and it was hot, but it was a very beautiful ride through the park. We
would climb to the top of a long hill and then crest and go down and
do it again. It was like that until we got out of the park and into
Wakefield.
Once
we reached Wakefield we met up with Greg and Madeline at the grocery
store and Kris and Zach ate a quick bite before we continued on
towards Ironwood. At this point we were on highway 2 and the riding
was a bit easier and quicker paced. We also crossed back into the
Central Time Zone for the last time at some point on the ride. Once
we reached Ironwood we headed towards our destination for the night.
It was the home of a guy named Rich who is on the warm showers
network. He wasn't going to be in town, but he was gracious enough to
let us stay anyways. We went in and got changed while Greg and
Madeline went into town. After we got settled we went into town and
met up with them.
We
stopped at a local place for food and beer and decided to go
somewhere else for food after the first beer because there wasn't
much on the menu for Madeline, who has food allergies. We went and
had a nice dinner that Greg graciously paid for and then we parted
ways. They wanted to continue on a bit farther still that afternoon.
We
headed back to the place after stopping for groceries and a movie
from the redbox. It was a perfect night to relax. We watched the
movie and had snacks and just relaxed. It was great! Tomorrow we are
heading to Ashland.
Day
93 – Ironwood to Ashland ~ 38 miles
We
woke up this morning at around 9:30 or so and sat in the kitchen and
ate our breakfast. We packed up our things and hopped back onto the
highway and headed towards Wisconsin. We crossed the border pretty
much right away in the morning and the roads were pretty good,
allowing us to keep decent pace.
About
an hour into the ride the clouds moved in and it started to rain
really big rain drops. Thankfully it didn't last more than a half
hour and we were able to continue on with less worry of the traffic.
Outside of Ashland a ways we cruised down a huge hill that we could
see Ashland from the top of. It was a high point of the ride.
We
reached Ashland and had to deal with the road construction at the
edge of town. At some point in the construction Zach got a slow leak
in his rear tire, which he would discover later was caused by a
rusted nail. Once we got into town we went to a fast food joint for
lunch. After lunch we headed to our host Tiffany's house. She lives
right in town on the main drag. She has been following our trip and
offer a place to stay. We sat on the porch for a while and then
watched a bit of the Olympics on TV while Tiffany was at a work
meeting.
When
she got back we headed downtown for dinner at the South Shore
Brewery. We had really great food and good beer and watched more
Olympics. Kris had the Curd Burglar. It is a burger with jalapeno
cheese curds, bacon, lettuce, and some kind of sauce. Zach had an
awesome patty melt and some wings. We will definitely go back there
for food.
After
dinner we walked back to Tiffany's place and hung out on the porch
for a bit and then watched Capt'n Ron. Classic movie. Are headed to
Little Sand Bay tomorrow to spend a couple nights with our friend
Lane who is working for the park service this summer. We are excited
to be there and see him.
Day
94 – Ashland to Little Sand Bay
We
woke up and had breakfast and packed up our things. We walked outside
and immediately discovered that it was going to be a really hot day.
Zach patched his flat and then we were on our way. Tiffany biked with
us down the path until we reached the artesian well which is just on
the edge of town. We filled up our water there and then said our
goodbyes and headed down the road. Before we made the turn off of
highway 2 onto 13 we stopped at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor
Center. It was totally worth the stop and the exhibits were great.
Afterwards we hopped onto 13 and started north.
We
went through Washburn and then had to climb a couple of really
sizable hills to reach the nice coast into Bayfield. Bayfield is a
gorgeous town and is right at the gateway to the Apostle Islands. It
is also a major berry and orchard capital of the region. We coasted
into town and then met up with Greg and Madeline who spent last night
in Washburn. We had lunch together and then picked up some groceries
and headed towards Lane's place in Little Sand Bay. Unfortunately it
was a really hilly ride the rest of the way.
We
reached his house and just as we pulled in Lane pulled up behind us
in his car. He had come from Bayfield after working on one of the
islands for the day. The three of us went for a swim and then headed
back into Bayfield for dinner. After eating we stopped at one more
bar for a drink and then headed back to Lane's place for a campfire
on the beach. The three of us sat on the beach and enjoyed each
others company. Lane went to bed around 11 or midnight and Kris and
Zach stayed on the beach until 2:30. We talked about the trip and
what we had accomplished and what we are going to do when we get
back. It was that last night of solitude that we are going to have on
the trip and it was a really nice way to spend it. We were able to
get a lot of thoughts and ideas off of our chest and reminisce about
the trip.
Day
95 – Rest Day: Little Sand Bay
We
woke up at 10 this morning, even though we definitely could have
slept longer. We ate and then headed to the visitors center to see if
we could get a tour of the old fishery that is on the bay. It was
started in the 1930's by 3 brothers and they were successful
commercial fisherman for 30 years. Most all of their buildings and
gear are still in amazing shape. It was really cool to see how they
operated.
After
the tour we ate our lunch and did some filming. We headed into town
around 3:30 to get a few things done on the computer and pick up Lane
from work. We are headed to a fish fry tonight and tomorrow we are
pedaling our last long day to Wisconsin Point in Superior, WI. We are
camping out on the beach tomorrow night and a bunch of our friends
are going to be out there with us. It is going to be a lot of fun and
a great way to come home.
It
is going to be a really difficult adjustment back into the normal
swing of things, but we know we can do it with time. It is hard to
think about because we have had such an amazing time on this journey
and it has become our life. We can't thank everyone who helped us
along the way enough. We love you guys! The experiences we had
meeting people are what made the trip for us.
It
is time to move on to other things, but we are only partially done
with this journey. The days of production and presentations are
approaching quickly, and we are really excited for that.
Here's
to great friends, great lakes, and great adventures!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Marquette to the Porkies
Day
88 – Marquette to Baraga ~ 78 miles
We
woke up this morning and had an awesome breakfast of eggs, toast and
coffee. We want to send a huge shout out and thanks to Nancy for
being such a gracious host! After breakfast we packed up our things
and headed toward the huge climb out of Marquette. It ended up being
about 6 or 7 miles of climbing before the terrain began to level out
a bit. We made it up after a while and then we were cruising along
pretty good. It was a nice day weather wise, blue skies and a wind
that wasn't to bad. And the shoulders were comfortable.
We
got a bit separated at one point and its just our luck that Kris got
a flat. And it was his trailer tire. Zach was a bit ahead at that
point and a driver that saw Kris fixing the flat pulled over to let
Zach know that Kris had stopped. So Zach turned around to see what
was up. The culprit was an inch long screw that worked its way into
the tire and punctured both sides of the tube. We got the tire
patched and pumped back up and we were off again. We were also hoping
to see a moose today, but no luck.
We
stopped for lunch at one of the only gas stations around and had a
shitty meal. After eating we continued on, and at some point made the
turn back north to head toward the Keweenaw Peninsula. We are so
close to Duluth at this point that one of the road signs we passed
had Duluth on it. We made our way toward Baraga and stopped in L'anse
for dinner and breakfast for the morning. After stopping we biked
about 5 more miles to the Baraga State Park Campground. Its not a bad
little campground right on the Keweenaw Bay, but it is awful tonight.
It just so happens to be the weekend of “Christmas in July”, an
event where people bring and set up there Christmas decorations in
the park. It is really pretty gross that State Parks even allow this
to happen. Its basically just RV's with giant snowmen and christmas
lights. Such a waste and it totally takes away from the natural
experience of the park. So we got a site as far from the madness as
possible. We showered, ate, drank a few beers from the Keweenaw
Brewing Company, and waited for Bre and Andy to show up.
They
arrived around 9:30 and it was so amazing to see them. It is the
first time Zach and Bre had seen each other since the beginning of
the trip. We stood and talked for a bit and then got their tents set
up and went into Baraga for a few more beers and some food. We spent
the rest of the night talking around the campfire before heading to
bed. Tomorrow we are heading 30 miles north to Houghton/ Hancock
area.
Day
89 – Baraga to Hancock City Campground ~ 33 miles
We
woke up around 9:30 or so and got our things packed up and ate some
breakfast. Bre and Andy drove to Houghton while Kris and Zach biked.
We all left right around 11 and headed north. It was a pretty nice
ride, following the shoreline of the bay for a good chunk of the way.
We only had about 30 miles to go so we waited to have lunch until we
got to Houghton. As we arrived into town we passed right by Michigan
Tech and headed into downtown to meet our friends and have lunch. We
chose a seafood and grill called Joey's. We all enjoyed our food and
each others company. After we paid and walked out we realized that
Kris's trailer tire had gone flat again. We fixed it and then headed
across the river on the lift bridge to Hancock. Google gave us the
wrong directions to the camp so we called the campground and got the
right directions.
We
arrived and got a site for two nights. We set up camp and then the
four of us went down to the river for a swim. We swam for a bit and
then showered and decided to head back to Houghton and go to the
Keweenaw Brewing Company. We went right next store to the brewery and
got some pizza and brought it over to the brewery to eat. The brewery
encourages that, which we thought was pretty cool. We spent the rest
of the night at the brewery, sampling beers and playing cribbage and
Apples to Apples. We had a great time. Kris was the champion and
sampled all the beers.
After
the brewery we headed back to the campground and had a fire and then
went to bed. Tomorrow is a rest day!
Day
90 – Rest day: Hancock
Zach
and Bre woke up before the others and went for a walk along the
river. The other two were just getting up as they got back. The four
of us got in the car and headed to find breakfast. The first place we
stopped was packed and had a line out the door so we tried Perkins,
which was closed down. Our third and final decision was to get
groceries and head to McLain State Park to have a picnic of sorts. It
was a good decision. The park is really nice, right on Lake Superior.
We ate and then attempted to go swimming. It was to shallow and rocky
and there were fish eggs floating everywhere in the water. We got
out.
We
headed further into the park to check out the lighthouse. That was
also a good decision because we were able to walk out onto the
breakwater and jump out into the cool clean Lake, no fish eggs. We
were about to walk back in when we saw people jumping off of the
lighthouse platform into the water. We had to do it. So we scrambled
the rest of the way out to the end on the boulders and swam out to
the lighthouse. There were ladders that went up to the platform, but
someone, probably the Coast Guard had cut the bottom rungs of the
ladder off so swimmers couldn't reach them. It took us a bit but we
were able to find a way to get up. We jumped off into the water and
it was a lot of fun. After swimming we headed back to the campground.
At
that point it was time for Bre and Andy to head back home. It was
really hard to see them go, but we are really happy and thankful that
we got to spend the time with them. And we have to remember that we
are going to be back home in a week. After they left we headed into
town and picked up groceries for the night and morning. We spent the
rest of the night charging gear and relaxing. Just before bed the
rain moved in so we hopped into to avoid getting wet. Back on the
road tomorrow and headed toward the Porcupine Mountains.
Day
91 – Hancock to Union Bay Campground ~ 68 miles
We
woke up this morning and kind of dozed in and out of sleep while the
rain fell. When the rain stopped we got out of the tent. We had
breakfast and headed south. We had another hill to climb out of
Houghton just like the one out of Marquette. Not something you want
to do right away in the morning. And to make matters worse we had a
brutal headwind. We eventually made it to the top. We were split up
at this point. Kris was a machine and blasted up the hill. We didn't
see each other for another few hours. The headwind was so bad. 15 to
30 mph gusts directly at us. It continued like this all day.
Not
only was the wind bad but the hills were pretty much nonstop as well.
You know its bad when you have to pedal to move downhill. There
wasn't much to see and we weren't able to stop for food until we
reached Ontonagon. Once we got there we stopped for our late lunch
and got groceries for the night and morning.
We
biked out of Ontonagon and headed about 12 miles or so into Porcupine
Mountains State Park. We found the first campground we came upon and
called it good. We are exhausted after today. We set up camp, ate,
and then showered. After showering we played a couple games of Polish
golf, or testicle toss as most call it, on the neighbors set. The
campground host gave us some wood after we told him the story of the
trip, so we are spending the rest of the night around the fire.
Tomorrow
we are meeting up with Mona's (Kris's girlfriend) Dad and sister and
they are going to bike with us for a bit. We are headed back into the
Central time zone for the last time tomorrow, thankfully, and are
staying in Ironwood. It will be our last day in Michigan! We are so
close to home we can smell it.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Days 78 - 87 Milwaukee to Marquette MI
Day
78 – Kohler to Green Bay via Kewaunee ~ 86 miles
We
woke up this morning at 7 because Alex and his wife had to head to
work this morning. So we got up and headed upstairs to make ourselves
some eggs with the food that they offered us. Anyone who knows us
knows that it isn't our style to wake up that early, but it was nice
to start the day early for once. After eating we got our things
together, said our goodbyes and took off down the road at around 8.
We had so much fun riding with the guys from Fat Kats and hope to see
them again.
We
headed through Kohler, past the unknowingly famous Kohler products
headquarters and north toward Manitowoc. Being that it was still
pretty early the traffic was minimal and we were able to make it to
Manitowoc pretty quickly. We stopped to refill our water and then
took the bike trail along Lake Michigan up to Two Rivers where we
decided to wait on lunch and keep going. We got on highway 42 and
continued to head north toward Kewaunee. It was so hot already even
though it was only about noon. As we were nearing Kewaunee there was
a storm front coming in and all at once the wind totally switched
directions and the temperature went down about 10 degrees. Even
though we were now fighting the wind it was awesome to have the temps
cool down a bit. Once we reached Kewaunee, our destination for the
day, we stopped for lunch and picked up groceries for the night and
morning.
After
doing our chores we headed toward the campground which was about 5
miles out of town. We got there just as the clouds were moving in and
rain was starting to fall. We went in to pay for our site and they
told us it was $38 per night. We went outside under the awning and
thought about what to do. We ultimately decided that it was to much
to pay for a spot to sleep on the ground. We waited until the rain
and lightning slowed down and took off toward Green Bay. Good thing
we started early this morning. At this point we had done about 65
miles.
We
took a straight as an arrow country road that took us basically the
whole way to Green Bay. It was a nice 20 mile ride, especially
because it was a quiet road and the rain that came through cooled
down the air temps. Once we reached Green Bay we looked on Kris's
phone for a public campground, and found only RV parks. We decided to
find a cheap hotel. We found one for 45 bucks! We checked in and ate
our dinner...cans of soup and crackers.
We
are going to try to catch up on some sleep and since tomorrow is
going to be a shorter day we are going to stop and check out Lambeau
Field! We will be heading to Oconto which is less than 40 miles from
here.
Day
79 – Green Bay to Menominee, MI ~ 64 miles
We
got ready this morning to the tune of Cool Runnings. We headed out
the door and headed west towards Lambeau Field. We made our way
through the city and eventually found it, shimmering off in the
distance. We were proud because we had found it by smelling the air
for all of the trophies! When we arrived we met a big group of
cyclists that were biking around in Door County. We talked with them
for a bit then snapped some photos and took off. It took a little
while but we made it to the northern edge of the city and started to
take some side roads following the highway north.
The
backroads were nice and flat with very little traffic but we were
tired and Kris had a migraine. We were also fighting the wind in our
faces but we eventually made it to Oconto where we decided it was
time for lunch. Someone gave us directions to where there was some
fast food but all there was was McDonalds so it had to do. After
lunch we headed north again and after an hour entered the town of
Peshtigo. This town has some history with bad fires. There was a huge
fire in the area at the same time as the Chicago fires so no one
really knows about it. Once we were in town, we found out that the
bridge on our path was out. It was looking as though we would have to
brave the freeway as there were no other bridges over the river for
many miles. We stopped and asked if there was another way across and
we found out that there was a bike bridge across the river nearby.
We
found the paper plant and went behind it to find a very rocky but
manageable bike path. The bridge across the river was an old railroad
bridge where someone had laid boards down to make it into a bike
bridge. Pretty scary but we made it across and went on our way to
Menominee. When we passed through Marinette we stopped and rented a
couple new movies for the night. We passed over a bridge and were in
Menominee but more importantly back in Michigan, finally in the UP.
We
quickly purchased groceries and went to the campground, which was
just behind the grocery store and right on the river. We checked in
and set up camp. The rest of the night we ate dinner and watched
Wrath of the Titans and 21 Jump street. Both were very entertaining.
In the middle of the second movie it started to rain so we put
everything away and got ready for bed. We then finished the movie and
fell off to sleep.
Tomorrow
we are heading to Escanaba, MI and there doesn't seem to be too much
in between the towns. We will pick up lunch in the morning to have
along the way somewhere and hopefully traffic isn't too bad as there
is only one highway to take.
Day
80 – Menomonie, MI to Escanaba ~ 63 miles
After
it started raining it didn't stop, it kept on right through the
night. We would wake up periodically to find that out. And when we
finally decided it was time to get up, guess what, it was still
raining. That is the worst to start the day out in the rain. Luckily
there was an indoor space for us to eat our breakfast. We ate in the
dry space and then braved the rain while we packed up our gear. It
also sucks to pack up the tent wet because you know its going to be
wet when you put it up that night. We had to look on the bright side
and realize that at least it was fairly warm out and if anything the
rain was washing the salt off of our bike clothes. After packing up
we headed out at about noon and stopped at the grocery store to pick
up lunch for the day. We are headed to the land of small population.
As
we headed north out of town we quickly realized that today was going
to be a rough one. The shoulders were uncomfortably small and in
combination with rain and semi traffic it wasn't the ideal situation.
Scary is a good way to put it. We rode as carefully as we could at
the mercy of the traffic coming up behind us, checking our mirrors as
often as possible to see what was approaching. We rode for about 30
miles or so until we reached a state park where we knew we could eat
our lunch under the cover of a pavilion. We ate and then used the
hand driers in the bathroom to attempt to dry our bike gloves and
warm our hands a bit before we headed out again. Luckily for us the
rain had stopped by the time we left.
We
continued on and the sun began to fry off the clouds. We biked the
same distance we had before lunch to reach Escanaba. The biking was
much more enjoyable now that the roads had dried up and the drivers
less distracted. Unfortunately we crossed back into the Eastern Time
Zone and we lost an hour. So instead of it being 4:00 pm it was now
5:00. Once we got into town we stopped at the grocery store to pick
up supplies and headed to Culver's for dinner. By that point we were
dry again and the sun was shinning, even if it was going down. We
biked the last few miles to the campground just on the northern end
of the city. We got our site and ate dinner.
We
had a decision to make. Our plan was to continue east toward St.
Ignace and then head north to Tahquamegon Falls SP and then west to
Muskallonge SP and Grand Marais. Unfortunately when we planned the
route we didn't realize that the county roads to and from Muskallonge
SP are gravel. To far of a distance for us to go on gravel roads. And
we don't want to spend the last weeks of our trip zig-zagging and
backtracking on roads all so we could see a couple state parks and
minimal amounts of shorelines. We know the state parks we are missing
are nice but we feel that our time would be better spent on Lake
Superior in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, a place that neither
of us has been. So tomorrow once we reach Manistique, MI we are going
to take Highway 77 north to Grand Marais to spend a couple days
checking out the Lakeshore and then get back onto our planned route.
It was a tough decision, but we think its a good one and we think we
deserve to spend a couple days really enjoying an awesome park.
Tomorrow
we are headed to Manistique, our last day on Lake Michigan.
Day
81 – Escanaba to Manistique ~ 65 miles
We
woke up this morning to a nice sunny blue sky, a great sight after
yesterday morning. We ate our breakfast of our usual bagels and
nutella, oranges, and a special treat of poptarts! When we got into
camp last night the office was closed and nobody bothered to ask us
for the fee this morning, not that they should have to ask us, so we
rode away without paying. Oops.
The
riding conditions we much more pleasurable this morning. Sunny skies,
cooler temps, wide shoulders, and a nice tailwind for a good chunk of
the day. We took advantage of it and made awesome time. It really
feels good to go fast pulling our gear. We spent most of the day
biking through State and National Forest, keeping our eyes peeled for
the lone moose. Some smaller hills, but nothing to fret about. A
pretty straight forward day of riding. There are very few populated
centers up here so we took advantage of a c-store when we saw one at
about half the distance of the days ride, right at the northern end
of the Big Bay de Noc.
We
ate our lunch and then continued on towards Manistique. Unfortunately
the campground is about 4 miles short of town so we had to bike into
town to get dinner and breakfast and then bike back to Indian Lake
State Park. Once we got to camp we paid the fee and headed toward our
site. As we were going we saw a few bike tourists at a site and
stopped to talk. We found out that they were two different parties of
bikers. One is a guy from Washington who is going to grad school in
Madison, WI and biking to Thessalon, ON where his family has a cabin.
The other is a party of two girls from California who biked from the
coast of Washington to Whitefish, MT and then took the train to
Milwaukee and are biking around the UP to meet their friend in Glen
Arbor, MI. They offered to share their site with us, so we gladly
accepted and got a refund from the park office.
We
set up camp and sat and talked for a bit while we ate dinner. The
other bikers went to bed early because they are going to get up early
to make it to St. Ignace tomorrow which is about 90 miles east of
here. After dinner we showered and did some filming, read magazines,
and listened to an retired Conservation Officer, who has since become
an author who writes about his experiences working in the field, give
a talk.
Mosquitos
are bad tonight so we are writing this from the safety of the tent.
Tomorrow we are headed north. Today was our last full day on Lake
Michigan...on to the final stretch of Lake Superior! We will be
hitting the 5000 mile mark in the next couple days! It will be a huge
achievement for us. We are excited to see Pictured Rocks and be back
on Lake Superior!
Day
82 – Manistique to Grand Marais ~70 miles
At
some point during the night it started to rain. The two other groups
of bikers that we stayed with were up and out of the site by 7 am or
earlier. We took the other route, as we usually do, and slept till
about 9:30 or 10. The clouds hadn't made up their mind whether or not
they were going to keep letting water out or stop and let the sun
shine. It continued to rain on and off while we laid in the tent.
Kris bravely got out first and went down to have coffee and doughnuts
at the camp hosts site, and packed his things while he waited. It
took a while for Zach to get out, but he did around 10:30 or so and
packed up the tent while the rain had stopped for a minute. We left
camp around 11 or 11:30 and headed back toward Manistique and Highway
77 where we would head north.
It
was about a 25 miles ride to our turn north from the campsite. And by
the time we reached Manistique the rain had stopped completely and
the sun was beginning to come out. As we turned north we began to
encounter some hills. We had to cross the drainage line between Lake
Superior and Lake Michigan, so we expected there to be some hills. It
was fairly hot once the sun came out so we slowly cranked our way up
and over the divide.
We
planned to stop in Germfask for lunch, but when we got there we
discovered that everything had been closed down. It didn't look like
the small town was doing so well. So our only options were to eat the
cheez-its that we had with or push on to Seney to get a real lunch.
We chose the latter. We pedaled past the Seney National Wildlife
Refuge on our way and hoped to see a moose. No luck. Once we got into
Seney we stopped at one of the local diners in town. As we pulled up
we met two cyclists that were on their way from Toronto to Winnipeg.
They were going to stay the night in Seney and partake in the local
town celebration that was going on that night. We went inside and ate
a decent lunch. Kris had a chicken strip basket and Zach had a patty
melt. After lunch we headed toward Grand Marais. The air was really
hazy today and we would later learn that it is smoke from a fire up
in Canada.
The
road to Grand Marais was quiet and mostly straight as an arrow. We
spent most of that section riding apart, but as we approached town we
rode together and pedaled as hard a we could to reach the Lake. We
flew down the hill into town and as Lake Superior came into view we
were yelling and screaming with excitement and joy. We were just so
happy to be back on our lake! We stopped in at Lake Superior Brewing
Company, the local brew pub in town, and celebrated our achievement
with a beer. After that we went to camp which was only a couple of
blocks down the road, set up our tent, and then went and jumped in
the lake. It is warmer that it usually is for some reason. But we
aren't complaining. After changing we headed back to the brewery for
dinner and some beers. We headed back to camp after that and headed
to bed. Zach had to use the rest room and was sitting down doing his
thing when someone went into the stall next to him and said “ya'll
want to hear some tunes while we sit here. I got the stuff” and he
proceeded to blair gangster rap. The best part was that in the far
stall there was a man in his late 60's or 70's that had to sq
Tomorrow
we are headed just about 12 miles down the road into Pictured Rocks
National Lakeshore to spend a few days resting.
Day
83 – Grand Marais to Pictured Rocks Campground ~13 miles
We
woke up around 10 or so and ate breakfast and then biked the ¼ mile
into Grand Marais to pick up groceries for the next couple days. We
are headed into the National Lakeshore and there are no supplies
between here and just outside of Munising. We picked up just enough
to last us until our arrival in Munising.
We
headed out toward the lakeshore and about 4 miles down the road we
passed the 5,000 mile mark of the trip! Kris made a sign out of a
cheez-its box and we celebrated on the side of the road, holding up
the sign for cars to see as they passed. One car stopped and the guy
got out and took our picture. It was a great spot to pass the mileage
marker. Just after we passed 5000 miles we reached one of the
visitors centers for the park. We stopped in and looked around and
picked up some reading materials.
After
stopping we continued on and then stopped and the Log Chute overlook
that is just west of the Great Sable Dunes. We walked the short trail
out to the chute. It is a 500 foot drop down to the lake at about a
45 degree angle. Easy to get down, but incredibly tough to get back
up. It is called the log chute overlook because it is the site of an
old log chute that they used to use in the late 1800's and early
1900's in the days when they were logging the red and white pine off
the land. They would send the logs down the chute to the lake where
they would travel over water to the saw mills. Legend says that the
logs would travel fast enough and with enough friction to start the
chute on fire sometimes. The view of the dunes from the chute was
amazing. We could also see the Au Sable Lighthouse from our perch.
After
stopping we headed into camp which was another few miles down the
shore. We set up camp at the lower campground and got the last site
available. We immediately went down to the beach and went swimming.
The water in the lake is unusually warm. We swam around the site of
one of the old shipwrecks in the area. It has since washed to shore
and all that remains are the beams of the structure of the ship with
the metal rods sticking out everywhere. After swimming we went back
up to camp and got all of our things situated. After that we took the
1.5 miles walk down to the lighthouse. We got there just after 5,
which was the time they closed, and the ranger on duty kindly gave us
the key to the tower. So we thanked her and headed up to the top for
our own private tour. We got to check out the old Fresnel lens, no
longer in working condition, and walk around the outside of the
tower. Although the old lens isn't used anymore the tower still gives
off light for ships today. The Au Sable light house was built in the
mid 1800s and was manned by the coast guard until 1958 when the house
was vacated. The stretch of land along the coast in the region is
known as the Graveyard Coast and is now home to more than 40
shipwrecks. Ships during that time used to sail using a technique
called “coasting”, which is when they would sail close enough to
see land. The problem with using that technique in this region is
that there is a sandstone bar that protrudes into the lake for up to
a miles and is only 6 feet deep in many spots. Not a good thing for
big ships. The area along the dunes in also notoriously known for
being foggy.
After
we checked out the lighthouse we went back to camp and made dinner.
Our neighbors in camp happened to be the brother and his wife of one
of the brewers from Fitger's. Small world. So we spent the rest of
the night hanging out with them sitting by the fire, drinking a bit,
and playing Phase 10. It was a good night. Rest day tomorrow.
Day
84 – Rest Day – Pictured Rocks
We
woke up around 10:30 and after breakfast headed down to the beach.
The waves were huge today so we spent a great deal of the day getting
tossed around by the water, body surfing and playing rodeo with the
massive boulders in the water. That is how the majority of our day
was spent. We are burnt. Tomorrow we are headed to Munising.
Day
85 – Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore to Munising ~ 38 miles
We
woke up and at the last of our food supply and headed down the road
towards Munising. No more than a mile down the road Kris's back tire
exploded with the sound of a gun going off. He had noticed something
wrong with it, but thought he could ride on it. Somehow the tube had
exploded sending the tire bead shooting off of the rim. It ended up
flaring out the rim in two different spots. Luckily we were close to
an overlook so he walked the bike to a spot where we could get out of
the road. Upon closer inspection we realized that we didn't have the
tools to make the bike rideable. The rim wasn't going to hold the
bead of the tire. So our only option was to have Kris catch a ride
the 35 miles into Munising where we were hoping there was a bike
shop...there isn't one. We stood there on the side of the road for a
while trying to get someone to take Kris and his gear. Eventually we
decided that Zach should just bike toward Munising because Kris was
eventually going to get a ride and probably beat Zach there. We
wished each other luck and Zach headed down the road. About half hour
after splitting ways Kris passed Zach in the back of a truck. He had
found someone to give him a ride!
We
met back up at the Subway in Munising. Kris had borrowed a vice grips
from and auto repair shop and bent the rim back into place in the two
spots that it had flared out. Obviously not perfect, but it was the
best he could do with the supplies he had and no bike shop. Always
problem solving. After subway we got groceries and headed to our
campsite just west of Munising. In camp we met some nice folks next
to us and chatted for while. Kris later met the Lenos, a couple from
Cloquet. They invited us over to their camp and when we went over
they had made us a great dinner and offered beer as well. We spent a
good chunk of the night swapping travel stories and looking at
pictures of the flooding in Duluth. We eventually called it a night
but at least it is cool and we can get some good sleep.
Tomorrow
we are headed about 40 miles to Marquette where we are going to spend
a couple days. We are hoping that Kris's bike is up for the trip. All
he can do at this point is take it slow and try to make it to
Marquette where we know there is a bike shop. On top of it all it is
supposed to rain over an inch tomorrow. Great....time to get home.
Day
86 – Munising to Marquette ~ 40 miles
At
about 6am this morning we woke up and it looked as though the rain
was coming earlier than 11am. We decided to sleep as we were very
tired and not up to pedaling on such little sleep. An hour or so
later the rain started and we eventually got up later after that. We
packed as quickly as possible and headed over to the bathrooms where
we packed properly and ate breakfast staying dry. We talked to a
couple of film makers before we took off and got some good ideas for
shots and when we start the long editing process. Kris took off early
as he would have to go slow and Zach would soon catch up. He left in
the pouring rain followed soon by Zach. The rain kept up for an hour
but then cleared up the rest of the way to Marquette. We soon met
back up after the rain and made our way into town along the lake and
on a rail trail.
In
town we found our way to Nancy's house and met her close friends who
were staying in the backyard. They were working on a lake stone mural
walkway in the front yard, it was really beautiful. Kris headed
straight towards the bike shop next door and quickly got his bike
fixed. He had to buy a new rim, money he didn't want to spend but the
bike is now fixed and he can travel faster. We spent time back at
Nancy's cleaning our bikes and drying off all of our gear as we
waited for her to arrive home. We also got showered up and relaxed.
She eventually arrived and we hung out in her house chatting over
some beer and snacks. She made some pizzas and then we ate dinner
with her friends in their motor home. Dinner was great, just what we
needed. After dinner we decided to go looking for ice cream with
Nancy but the place was closed. So we headed up to the Oar Dock
Brewery and hung out there for a while. We stayed a little longer but
nancy had to go home because she worked in the morning. When we
arrived back home Kris slept in the tent and Zach slept in Nancy's
van that she had prepared for him earlier.
Tomorrow
we will enjoy a rest day and check out the town, maybe even see the
new Batman movie, which we have been drooling about.
Day
87 – Rest Day in Marquette, MI
We
woke up this morning and started to do much needed laundry. After
that was all said and done we headed into town and got lunch and
coffee at 3rd Street Bagel. After lunch we headed a couple
of miles up the road to the movie theater. Zach had lost his bike
lock key but luckily Kris had brought his so we were all set. The
movie was fantastic and we would definitely see it again. We made our
way back to the bagel place to look for Zach's keys but they were no
where to be found. We then headed back to home base and there they
were lying in the grass.
We
decided to walk out on the breakwater to the lighthouse. The first
part was all cement and pretty easy going. Maybe took about 5 minutes
to get out there. The second part was all huge boulders with slippery
seagull poop on them so we had to be careful. It was also a longer
stretch and maybe took 20 minutes. We hung out at the lighthouse for
a while then headed back. A seagull flew within a couple of inches of
Kris' head and tried to grab him. We made our way back to the house
and had a great dinner with Nancy. We will probably spend the rest of
the evening hanging out and getting ready for a 70 mile day tomorrow.
Tomorrow
we are heading to Baraga, which is about 25 miles away from Houghton.
We will meet Zach's girlfriend Bre and his friend Andy tomorrow at
the campground. We are excited to see them.
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