Posts in biking

Greetings!

Exciting news: I made it to Anacortes on Friday afternoon! I have a whole bundle of feelings about completing my trip, so this will be a combination of those feelings plus a couple summary stats and thoughts.

Exciting news: I am now past the Cascades! After four (arguably five) passes in four days, in a record-breaking heat wave, I am now just two days from the western terminus of the Northern Tier, Anacortes. I've had some interest expressed in pictures and tales of pre-dawn adventures, so here you are.

It's hard to believe, but my trip is slowly drawing to a close. If my schedule holds (which I give a ~50% chance of happening), I'll reach Anacortes on Friday of this week.

Since my last update I've crossed two (arguably three) mountain passes, and I have another two remaining (arguably three). That means that both my recent past and near future include a lot of pedaling uphill.

Hello and greetings from the northwest American heat wave. Hard to believe I've gotten caught in not one but two historic heat waves on this trip, but here we are. I'm biking primarily early in the morning (sunrise here: 4:15am) and spending my nights in places where I have cooling options, whether that's A/C or frigid lakes I can sit in. I start crossing the Cascades tomorrow morning with Sherman's Pass. Wish me luck!

I thought I'd answer another common question in this email: what the heck I'm carrying.

The last four days, since departing Glacier, have been a bit of a blur. A gorgeous, scenic blur, but a blur nonetheless. I'm writing now from Sandpoint, Idaho, a thriving metropolis (population 7365) and the start point of my final stretch.

A lot of people on the road (and following along from home) have been asking about what I eat on tour, so this is a shorter than usual ramble on that topic.

The last three days I have had the incredible pleasure of biking towards, around, and inside of Glacier National Park. It's been incredible.

I made it to Fargo, North Dakota! I'm at just about a thousand miles, and delighted with where this trip has taken me. I have a couple logistical updates and a lot of gratitude for the kindness of strangers. But first, a few scenery pics:

Mystery of the week: what's the story with these cylindrical buildings with trees growing out of them? (I have no idea; my guess is old silos, replaced by more modern ones?)

I can't believe it – I've been on the road for two weeks. In that time, I've pedaled over 800 miles and within parts of Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Greetings from Minnesota, friends! I crossed the Mississippi this afternoon and am spending the night at Afton State Park, which has many things to recommend it, including plumbed toilets, a biker-specific campsite, and swimming in the river! And let me tell you, cooling off in a chilly river after a long day of biking is pretty ideal.

The short version: since departing on Sunday, May 23, I've biked just over 500 miles, passed through countless cute small towns, and eaten a whole lot of peanuts and almonds. Yum! I've also biked in conditions ranging from 85 and sunny to 40 and raining. Today was my first rest day, and my awesome family came out to hang out and generally be lovely in my vicinity. Tomorrow I start the second leg of my journey, bound for Fargo, North Dakota.

This is Zeph, checking in from a small campsite north of Dyersville, Iowa. It has been a heck of a few days, and as expected, the emotional difficulties of distance touring are far more challenging than the physical.

This is Zeph, checking in from Henry, IL, specifically its lovely (air conditioned) public library. I've been biking for two days now, and I'm feeling exhausted but optimistic.

The night before my departure, and some second (and third) thoughts.

I'm planning a bike tour from the Chicago area out west to Washington state. What's involved? What does it look like? How do you even start?

With some time off between kayaking and skiing, I decided almost on a whim to head out on a fabulous bikepacking trip from Pittsburgh to Washington, DC.

In June, I had the wonderful chance to travel to the Netherlands for a combination of business and pleasure. Of the ten days I spent there, four were at FemEx and the remaining six were spent biking around, primarily in Gelderland but also to some extent in Utrecht, Flevoland, and North Holland. It was a lovely trip, made more lovely by the amazing hosts of Vrienden op de Fiets who were kind enough to take me into their homes and feed me during my travels.

Recently, getting restless thanks to the gorgeous weather and the constant hustle and bustle of living in New York City, I decided it was time to head into the woods for a night. After a bit of research, I settled on Harriman State Park as a destination: it’s relatively accessible via public transit but far enough from the city to feel like a different world.