Recap

Houston: Wounded Duck has hard dock over. Apologies to all those out there for the delay in communication over the last week or so, but upon my return back to home port the duck has been both exhausted and thrown back into society like a blaze of fury.

Where I left off was in Rigby, Idaho, I believe. After having a fabulous visit with the cuz, I continued the trek westward across the vast span of sagebrush and sand that is southern idaho. Unfortunately, tragedy struck as I neared my destination of Arco, Idaho when my chain exploded while trying to ascend a wee hill while battling debilitating winds. Absolutely left with nothing but a free wheeling crank spinning into nothingness, I was forced, for the first time in my life, to stick the thumb out in hopes to find a little help. Fortunately, as cars were very few and far between, a couple from Island Park came rolling down the road in a full-sized dualie pickup where the broken nag took shelter in the rear and I in the rear seat. As it turns out they were retired Navy folks whom had never themselves picked up a hitch hiker and after telling them that I too had never hitched we all figured that it was a day of firsts. The next possible place to find a bike shop turned out to be in Hailey, Idaho, where the big rig and all of us in tow rolled on to meet. After managing repairs to the nag's warp drive, we all decided to take shelter in Hailey where they had to pick up a corncob blaster to strip off the stain off their cabin. Taking refuge in the Americinn, we all ventured out on the town to grab a bite down at the brew pub and had quite a night of swapping stories and sharing adventures. The next day we all went our own way with a little better appreciation of what life may throw in your path on any given day.

From Hailey I continued to dance into the devil's breath as winds crept up to 30 mph of sustained headwinds so after about 40 miles of filth I decided that Fairfield was a good choice to hole up and prepare for the final approach back to home port. Angie my sister, and Greg her beloved beau, were kind enough to come out for a visit to the ol' Prarie Inn. And after dinner and a picnic in room number #102 they took off the next morning with kind waves and much needed support to help the duck suit up for the final plunge. They also managed to grab a couple of pounds of gear to lighten the burden the nag had been suffering all these many weeks. After shedding the bulge, I set off for what was to become the only century ride of the trip. The winds had been predicted to be light and helpful by the local meteorologist, but alas the prediction was to be only a falsely guided myth of equalizing barometric pressures. The reality turned out to be another chapter of the same sinister story of the southern breezes ripping their way across the desert plains. After a couple of rollers I managed my way into Mountain Home where I took refuge in the expansive green acres of grass outside Walmart where i threw down a banana or two, a couple of drinks, and settled down for a long summer's nap. Upon stirring from my slumber on the slippery sweet grass, I opened my eyes to conditions that had changed very little. Briefly I pondered continuing my comfortable position while looking up at birds of flight suffering their own flights of angst but home was calling and the duck hadn't flown this far to be shot down on the final stretch. So saddling up atop the ol' nag one last time, off I set towards 2019 Euclid Ave in hopes to roll in before the pitch of black set in. I could go into what it was like rolling directly into the 30-35 mph howlers but by now I have faith in all of your imaginations to deduce the pleasantries that were undertaken that afternoon.

Fast-fowarding to cresting the last hill at Black's Creek exit, the long forgotten emotions from a similar cross-country trip came back searing through the mind and soul. On one hand the culmination of such a trek is inexplicably rewarding to finish, however on the other hand the purity and simplicity of life on the road is rather addicting (after the preliminary stages of utter suffering) and a moment of regret too washes over that it is all coming to an end. And an end I did find late last week riding into town at dusk utterly wiped out after traveling 108 miles on that final day and enduring 9:01 hours on the well-worn saddle to reach my little casita in S.E. Boise.

I want to thank all of you, especially Dan Christiansen, Ron Shawn Brooks, my sis Angie, my beloved family - Mom and Dad: couldn't have done it without you, for all of your support over the last two months during the Race from Responsibility part deux "from barstool to bike saddle". The trip provided much more, as they usually do, than I had expected... from blazing sweat-laden heat and humidity to the frozen tops of the colorado mountains and everything in between. The trip of '08 has come to an end and the beginning of a new job and continued quest towards my master's degree has begun. Apparently life doesn't slow down much in this camp.

Houston, Wounded Duck has landed on the home pond, the nag is secure, this is Wallace signing off.

Final tally on the odometer from rolling out of substation Dixie in Pensacola, Florida to the waving farewells of Ron Shawn to the home station here at 2019 Euclid Ave: 2009 miles
days on the road: many
Memories from the journey: too many to list but all will last a lifetime.

P.S. pictures will be uploaded soon in case you would like to witness the debriefing footage. Cheers.

Day 44: Seattle, WA (by Houston)

Mission Control, this is Houston, reflecting on the last week's adventure. I'll also be posting some photographic evidence in the near future.

We certainly had our challenges... unfortunately, the cold-flu that greeted me in Colorado was slow to subside and made it difficult both physically and mentally to put in long days in the saddle. Also, as the Wounded Duck alluded to, hotel accommodations were in surprisingly short supply as we ventured north. The weather, sometimes predictable (like the endless winds in Wyoming) and sometimes just crazy (like snow in Colorado in mid-August), is always a factor. But maybe the biggest obstacle was simply the remoteness of some of the towns we found ourselves in. Sometimes it felt like we were the involuntary contestants in a twisted version of the Amazing Race TV reality show where the goal was to get bodies and bicycles from A to B using any available means of transportation. One example, you need to get from Baggs, WY to Jackson (350 miles to the north). Sounds easy, right? Our solution: hitch a ride, rent two cars and drive them a total of 1100 miles, requiring two days. Whew.

Despite this, we also shared some great memories. We met several amazing folks on the way, like Virgil (our host in Frisco), Mike (TransAm rider from New Jersey), and Helen (proprietor at the Chicken Coop B&B). We experienced a couple famous mountain resort towns (Steamboat Springs and Jackson). We spent untold hours in hotel rooms of varying quality watching the Beijing Olympics and cheering on team USA. And we returned to our former glory as two guys from Idaho, anxious to take in all there is to offer in smalltown USA, at 13 mph.

Wounded Duck, I was honored to ride with you, if only for such a short duration. Your willingness to throw yourself into new experiences, not to mention your perseverance to make it through this trip, are inspiring. Good luck with the remainder of RR2 and I hope we can do it again soon. Houston signing off.

Day 44: Rigby, ID

Houston, this is duck, over. Have made it across the border into the home state of idaho. As per usual, the day had its ups and downs. rolling over teton pass yesterday marked the last major ascent of the trip and she certainly showed some teeth. While hoosier pass might have been the tallest, teton was definately the steepest. With that behind me, i quickly rolled on down to the state line stopping for a minute to dance a little jig at the border while enjoying the spectacular scenery. The winds picked up as the afternoon wore on but did manage to roll into rigby, where my dear cousin patty lives, at around dusk.

Stand by for yesterday's hard count:
mileage: 86
saddle time: 7:32
feet in elevation ascended: oh too many
relatives visited: 4
jack-asses on eastern idaho roadways: many...more than most places across the country

Looking forward to doing more damage today, so better get scootin before the winds whip back up and the thermometer starts shooting north. Wounded duck out, over.

Day 43: Jackson, WY

Mission control, this is wounded duck, over. communication link has been restored. Since last transmission, houston and i have undergone a series of adventures/sorties throughout the state of wyoming, utilizing many modes of propulsion to accomplish mission progress. Unfortunately, houston's bio-med sensors were reporting the symptoms of a fever, congestion, cough, and other cold/flu-like signs of a pretty sick guy since shortly after his arrival in colorado and throughout operation dumbo drop. The operation also ran across an unusually high level of boarded up ports that showed flashing neon "no vacancy" throughout western wyoming and north western colorado, causing the operational status of the nag and the hog to reach a meager 40-50 percent. Due to operational conditions that were faced, we performed a series of maneuvers to successfully extract houston onto an evac aircraft back to seattle and a healthy store of medical supplies, including riding into a chicken coop inn located in baggs, wy where we had to pull in the reigns. The next day did not show signs of improvement of our mission status nor that of houston's. So with the eight ball in our hand predicting further severe complications in both health-related and logistical issues, a decision was made to roll with contingency plan c (charlie). The result, through many ups and downs, including hitching a ride from a sweet but crazy lady who never really seemed to breathe during her 43 mile long one-sided conversation to craig, co, is that houston's medical status is stable and he is now safely residing in a coastal facility recuperating, and wounded duck is safely here in western wyoming staged to re-enter the gem state of idaho and to push through the latter portion of desert and sage to return home. Before setting off, would like to thank helen from the chicken coup inn where our heads found soft beds, our bellies a hot breakfast, and our fingers computer access to get things back on track. Duck out over.

Day 38: Craig, CO

Rest of mission control: houston and wounded duck have made hard dock in craig, colorado, over. Due to a lack of docking ports in baggs, wyoming, we were forced to pull the reigns in before setting into the route north of the colorado-wyoming border. So after a relatively short day, we have found unique accommodations at the wayward inn... again sporting a pink bathroom testing both style and our masculinity. The riding conditions were absolutely delicious with just a wee nip of a breeze and temperatures finally above freezing. Fingers are crossed that similar conditions will reign the skies tomorrow while this gruesome two-some continues to head north into cowboy country, attempting a goal to complete a century ride.

Today's hard count: 50 miles
hours in the saddle: 3:13
waves by the vehicular fan base: 6
shoulder along the road: wide and and nearly complete from point a to b.

Time for these gents to grab some winks so for all of you out there good night. wounded duck out, over.

Day 37: Steamboat Springs, CO

Mission Control, this is houston, over, trasmitting for the first time. Today the duck and I deviated from the prescribed route, heading northwest to the resort town of Steamboat Springs. The morning fog lifted as we pedaled out of Kremmling, revealing the beautiful Colorado landscape. Our sortie involved summiting three passes, Muddy Pass, Rabbit Ears Pass, and West Summit, before descending down to Steamboat.

standby for today's hard count:
mileage: 52
time in the saddle: 4:01
highest elevation: 9400 ft
max speed on the descent to Steamboat: 46.5 mph (by wounded duck)
average grade on the descent: 7%
number of roasted whole chickens consumed at dinner: 2

Before I sign out, just a quick thanks to those who helped with operation dumbo drop... Bryna for the ride to the airport, Austin and the Andreasen family for the ride up to Frisco, and Virgil for hosting us at his house. Your generosity is much appreciated! Although I've been feeling less than 100% due to sleep and oxygen deprivation, I think I may have turned the corner this afternoon and am now getting my riding legs back.

Day 36: Kremmling, CO

Operation dumbo drop has been successful, mission control. Houston and wounded duck are back to our old antics, fighting severe head winds and "enjoying" every minute of it. We departed frisco around eleven when the temps finally rising out of the thirties to reach 47 degrees at departure. Fortunately the sun was out and as the it climbed from behind the mountains in the early dawn, it lit up the freshly snow-draped peaks with a succulent spectrum of color. we said farewell to our kind host virgil and set off to endure the blustery up-mountain drafts making it to kremmling, colorado while slip-streaming that would make even the most veteran race car driver proud.

Today's hard count:
mileage: 45 miles
hours: 3:03
winds: 15-20 knots
houston's legs: tested
houston's lungs: tested

overall a good day and looking forward to the next. wounded duck and houston out over.

Day 36: Frisco, CO

Houston, we have you secured. For the rest of mission control and the general public, flight director dan christiansen has blasted off from sea level in seattle and has made a successful rendevouz with wounded duck at above 9000 feet here in frisco, colorado. My friend, it's good to have you on board. Today's stage represented the apex, at least with respect to elevation, of race from responsibility part deux. Mileage-wise and time wise the day was short in comparison to friday's sortie. however, the duck, finding a little snow, reached the top of hoosier pass at over 11,500 feet and managed to steer clear of the weather's biggest teeth. The bod held up to the altitude change pretty well... i think as it's been getting used to it gradually. Rolling down the other side i had a good lunch and conversation with the folks of breckenridge before traversing the last ten miles to meet up with the flight director in frisco. Looking out of the window of Virgil's house (father of dan's coworker juliet in seattle), the storms of yesterday and last night dropped quite a bit of the white stuff. almost makes me want to trade in the nag for a day, grab some skis and head up the chair lift.

Yesterday's hard count: mileage: 37
time in saddle: 3:03
elevation increase: 1700 in twelve miles
snow line reached: yes
people whom also found their way to the top while i was there: 2
descent into breckenridge: absolutely a hoot
people whom have graciously invited up to stay in their hacienda: 1, virgil robinson (thanks virgil)
members of mission and/or operational control that have docked here at the station in the sky: 2 - again welcome aboard houston.

This is wounded duck signing off while houston continues to sleep in his altitude adjustment chamber. Out.

Day 35: Frisco, CO

Houston, wounded duck coming back on line after yesterday's ride had frozen up my comm link. The duck found hard dock yesterday evening in fairplay, colorado at the western inn. As predicted, yesterday was to be a rough one and by the end of it, fighting hypothermia, the sortie did not disappoint giving both ups and downs literally and figuratively. Fortunately, the operation concluded without casualty but it did necessitate a one hour power shower during debriefing to return the body's core temperature back to normal status, return the color of my skin from blue back to a rosey hue, and thaw the icicles off of my eyelashes. It started with yesterday's launch time being delayed in order for climatic conditions to warm up, a battle that would underwrite the day's script. The climb was going well, especially after equipment adjustments were made to adapt to the conditions. Once made, riding was going well until finally, at mile 1413 into the trip, the rubber on the aft burner went flat.

My reaction was one of utter disbelief for with these specific specialized kevlar-reinforced models, flats have been few and far between. The last one requiring maintenance occurred in 2006 while riding from moscow to boise. After making necessary repairs, on the side of a pretty decent slope, the nag and duck rolled back into operation. The rest of the assent went relatively well. The rain wasn't pleasant as it again soaked the gear and the bod, but the unusual cold front from our friends in canada caused the wind to blow up mountain where normally it would blow down thus giving wounded duck a nice little breeze from the back all day and probably staved off catching a cold as i rode with the wind instead of against it which obviously would have only caused the wind chill factor to worsen. So eventually the nag pulled itself over the crest of currant creek pass after a juicy 4000 foot climb and headed back down towards civilization at one point reaching a maximum velocity of 45.9 mph. As i began to descend, the skies began to turn dark and with a few miles to go to shelter in the town of hartsel, it began to hail. Wounded duck managed to roll in before it really got bad for in time the size of hail reached marble size-that would have left a mark. Finally with lunch in and about six cups of hot tea the last 18 miles into fairplay were wet but at least not conducive to conditions where a concussion would have been imminent.

Yesterday's hard count:
mileage: 74.7
hours in the saddle 7:03
total elevation ascended: 4300 feet finishing around 9800 feet above sea level
Elements that played a factor: many
icicles that formed on facial features: yes
ambient temperature difference in the last two and one half weeks: > 80 degrees
temperature when arriving into fair play yesterday afternoon: 40 (according to the bank sign)

Today's stage will include the highest peak of the trip - hoosier pass at 11,550. just waiting for the lighting and thunder to pass - duck out.

Day 33: Canon City, CO

houston, wounded duck has docked in canon city, colorado,over. today's stage had a few climbs but the true test will be uncovered tomorrow during the 75 mile ascent into the clouds with hopes of reaching fairplay, co. houston, we have a last minute weather advisory. it appears a coldfront will be rolling down into the area tomorrow with predicted temps of high 50's to low 60's in denver with a potential chance, according to pueblo's weatherman, that wounded duck might be rolling through a snow storm up top. needless to say from record highs in the south to potential record lows in the mountains, it remains obvious the duck is rolling through highly varied climatic conditions that will make the next couple of days, with the severe altitude increase, a rather large hurdle to overcome.

stand by for today's hard count:
mileage: 52 miles
hours: 4:01
historical stops visited: 1, the remains one of many ghost towns- hardscrabble
fans who cheered the nag on route: 5

see you on top. Duck out.

Day 32: Pueblo, CO

houston, this is wounded duck, over. made hard dock yesterday in pueblo, co around 1100 hours rolling into another 1/2 star gem - the bramble tree inn. have been spending the day at around 4800 feet performing a variety of procedures to prepare for the upcoming climb into the clouds. tomorrow will begin the ascent into the rockies with a target of reaching canon city.

stand by for the hard count:
mileage: 54 miles
hours riding towards the oasis in the high desert: 4:01
hours slept since arriving: many
hours spent on the massage table smoothing out ruffled feathers today: 1.5
public transit systems mastered: 1
weirdos freshly out of prison that are 1. staying two doors down from me, 2. wants to talk about everything under the sun to the point that the door of room 224 is shut in his face, and 3. thinks it would be a great idea if i decided to live here in the 1/2 star for the next two months: 1 - named mike.

I like all walks of life but looking forward to an early start time.
D out

Day 30: Ordway, CO

houston, this is wounded duck over. It turns out to be a push. yesterday's kind breath of wind from my six was trumped by the same from my twelve today. Regardless, aside from the services being not easy to come by, or shade for that matter, the day again has ended with the duck safely in the pond in Ordway, Colorado just outside of Pueblo. I got a call from a member of the Philly squad about this gal, Gillian, who puts up weary bikers here at her house in Ordway. Well, as it turns out, it's a spectacular little piece of heaven out here at the end of 9th street where a cool shower and a warm bed met a bedraggled soul this afternoon. Gillian is also a bit of a traveler, who has unfortunately had a bit of bad luck this year. A wildland fire swept away her house and many of her outbuildings this spring, burning everything she had "except the clothes that she was wearing". A tragic story, but as I look outside the doorway where a cool breeze currently is whipping at my face, she is tending to her flock and working to bring things back. From here I can see horses, geese, a dog who apparently refuses to leave her side, and perhaps a myriad of other creatures that are currently out of sight. As it turns out, this hospitality is all by word of mouth, to the philly squad... I tip my hat to ya fellas. Well, it's about time to start up supper, might even kick back a cocktail with the hostess tonight as she, like me, has been blessed with the gift for gab and who am I to let someone drink alone especially considering she's been ever so kind to open her doors to the likes of us grungy two-wheeler types.

Today's hard count:
Miles: 64
hours in the saddle: 4:45
structures of any kind between Eads and Sugar City that was 57 miles down the road: 4
(0 habitable)

Good day. wounded duck is looking forward to a good meal, some good jab, and entering Pueblo where I'll be rollin in and taking a day off to cool the heals before the big boys that I can just make out in along the vista. Houston, Wounded Duck out.

Day 29: Eads, CO

houston, wounded duck has had a day that has left a smile on the bill. sunday rides are always kind, but this one ranks pretty high on the charts. actually had a couple of climbs, and although i'll soon find many opportunities to be out of the saddle once i reach the rockies, it was nice to climb out a little today for it's been awhile. wasn't much wind this morning, but had a little breeze from behind that helped keep the motor running and the wings flappin. the weather managed to stay in the 70's and overcast - perfect riding weather. all helped get the nag across the border of colorado into the little town of Eads after rolling 56 miles (the next signs of civilization lie another 56) in 3:40. a spectacular buffet lunch, a dip in the tub, and a chance to cool the heals for the afternoon was just what the doc ordered. met up again with two groups of fellas from philly (the philly five) whom i've been leap frogging for the past couple of days after lunch to hang out and take pictures, after which we decided to hopefully meet up in pueblo for a cocktail or two. all in all a nice little cruise and one that again managed to stay dry in the midst of showers all around the area. ran into another solo rider, Bill, that was heading east while enjoying a sabbatical from life coming from oregon and heading to virginia. he used to be on mt hood's ski patrol so got a chance to jab a little about the rocky mountain powder which is always kind to think about. other than that, slowing down the burners a bit to link up with you, houston, in the rockies for operation dumbo drop, over. projected date of capture, according to instrumentation, is the 16th of august. duck will be waiting in camp with a warm fire and a stiff cocktail. with that wounded duck is heading to the nest. over and out.

Day 28: Horace, KS

houston, wounded duck has found a safe haven and is back on the mountain clock, over. Passed into the home time zone just before lunch, finding a fresh pond to clean the feathers in the wee town of horace, kansas. if you can't find it on the map, don't be alarmed... it's one that if you blink, you'll miss it even when traveling at ten miles an hour. the inns in tribune were booked so i shacked up in a hunting lodge of all places with the mount of a four point mule deer peering down on me while i rest my weary bones. the inn keeper is out of town, so for the evening i am on my own with thirty rooms, a stocked kitchen, and a laundry to wash the filthies. have to say the people of kansas are right on top of the list for all around spectacular human beings. from sleeping on stage to wedding reception invitations where the stuart clan (not kitsap) even got up early this morning to send me off with the fan favorite 'happy trails' as i rode off in the early dawn, to a couple whom bought me lunch today... being the king of the hunting castle for a night. what can i say for now? kansas tops the list on hospitality. rolled well today in spite of a breezy head wind, houston.

stand by for today's hard count.
mileage: 75 miles
time in the leather throne: 5:50 (like i said, the conditions were not friendly)
musical send-offs: 1
flys who caught a ride on both me and the nag to take a sip of sweat: lost track at 50
grain elevators that passed by the way side: 23
mosquito bites: 15
new time zones entered: 1 - mountain

tomorrow the duck will be entering the state of colorado and soon after will link up in pueblo to start the trek north. that's it for now, houston. looking to grab another hour of shut-eye - wounded duck out.

Day 27: Dighton, KS

houston: wounded duck rode across the plains of kansas with a fire under the feathers today landing in dighton, kansas before turning the burners off.

stand by for today's hard count:
clicks on the odometer: 97
time atop the saddle: 6:57
miles ridden before finding anything outside of a vending machine: 65
people who waved at the flightless duck on the hard top: seemingly the whole western population of western kansas
people who invited me to their family reunion/wedding reception: 1 clan (i believe it was kitsep) but unfortunately had to decline for i'm thinking they'll be up till the break of dawn.

wounded duck is signing off to grab a few winks before tomorrow. should be in colorado in the next couple of days. catch ya on the other side of the moon, houston - out.

Day 26: Larned, KS

houston, the duck is out of the storm and in the pond. cooler temps were a thing of dreams just a few days ago, and today those dreams came true. unfortunately they came as a package deal with complete and utter saturation. managed to side step a few lightning bolts as i rolled through the shower room that is western kansas on a two-wheeled lightning rod. to be honest houston, i'd take 50 miles of rain then a heat wave any day of the week and twice on sunday. managed to make good time out of the underground theater stage making it to larned, kansas by one o'clock this afternoon, finding a luke warm shower at the one-half star shanty - the country inn.

stand by for today's wet count:
mileage: 74 miles
time in the tub: 5:02
dry items left in the saddle bags: not many
people who were in the audience when i awoke this morning: none, but the light upstairs was on so perhaps a ghost or two
today's birthdays: one, sister, happy birthday angie!

tomorrow's another big one houston - wet duck out.

Day 25: Hutchinson, KS

houston, the duck has docked in the fine town of hutchinson, kansas nestling my revived little feathers downstairs of a church that moonlights as a bikers hostel for weary two-wheeled travelers. the accommodations are unique as i rest tonight on an air mattress located atop their community stage in front of an area that seats fifty. this arrangement makes one feel somewhat like an exhibitionist with an uncertainty of who might be seated when i wake, but you really can't beat the price as these good kansas folk are kind enough to shack us up for no charge. so as i prepare for the nighttime act of this off-broadway play, i bid you all goodnight. before i go, as the nag was undergoing maintenance at the nearby bike shop, wounded duck managed to venture to the smithsonian-sanctioned cosmosphere. it is the 2nd largest space and aeronautical museum in the country, and was 1st class in every sense. i highly recommend it to all those that venture here. with that, it's back to business - duck out.

Day 24: Wichita, KS

houston, the duck has landed in kansas over. operation bravo underwent various transitions and will complete maneuvers by tomorrow. to achieve capture with the u-haulian vessel rolling nest, the duck had to journey 15 miles north to bonne terre (meaning good land in french). once we had capture, rolling nest traversed much of the planned route through the ozark mountains. just before noon, rolling nest stopped to assess elemental road conditions where hand held instrumentation recorded 106.5 degrees. obviously these readings would put wounded duck straight into the oven and onto the dinner table. continuing on, rolling nest was successful in entering ft. leonard wood's atmosphere and landing on the front steps of my former home during boot camp. while reminiscing about my youthful experiences of yester year, two buses rolled up on my six filled with a sorry lot of trainees whom, according to a most amiable brown hat (drill seargent), had just wrapped up a twelve mile hump... memories. after wrapping with the guy for a few minutes, and being glad for once on this journey through the southern furnace that is america that i was in my own shoes, rolling nest left the army base in its side view mirror and found refuge in springfield, missouri.

today, rolling nest continued onto pittsburg, kansas to pass operational control to another vessel: enterprise 1. after successful capture of the new craft where instrumentation was reading 104 degrees at high noon, enterprise 1 left the worthy rolling nest and pittsburg in the rearview mirror and continued west. as the duck continued to traverse the kansas plains, temps continued to rise, finally finding hard dock in wichita, kansas at motel six where fortunately they left the light on for my approach. currently the duck is cooling his heals in anticipation of linking back up with the planned route tomorrow. according to the weather gurus, the heat streak should be snapping soon and we'll be back in business. duck out, over.

Day 22: Farmington, IL

houston, the duck has docked over. the foothills of the ozarks took a bite of this winged creature yesterday as did the atmospheric elements. waking up yesterday, after spending a delicious evening with the gurus from bicycle adventures club, I have found refuge here in farmington, mo after crossing the mighty mississip. the steamy conditions that are predicted to worsen did not treat wounded duck kindly. after many hours of both consideration and deliberation with myself and the houston hotline, a decision has been reached to roll with contingency plan bravo. due to elements out of my control, and those within, the decision has been made to fast forward to kansas utilizing means other than self-propulsion. The weight of this deviation from plan alpha has not come lightly; however, to continue on with the therapeutic spirit of RR2 "from barstool to bike saddle" while keeping my bod in the green zone, initiating plan bravo has been authorized and will be implemented at 0900 hours tomorrow morning. the plus side will be a slight deviation from the original flight path to visit the apex of another former life-changing adventure and a place i once called home many years ago. this unscheduled sortie will send wounded duck past fort leonard wood, missouri (or better known by those stationed there as "fort lost in the woods, misery") where i entered the u.s. army and underwent basic training (boot camp) and advanced technical training. should be fun, that is if the military police don't throw me in the clink for driving a u-haul onto the post without identification. come to think of it, in the context of homeland security, contingency plan bravo might be a little dicey, so if transmission from duck is lost could someone contact idaho's u.s. representative to come bail me out, over?

standby for yesterday's hard count: mileage: 52
time in cockpit: 4:15
insects that swarmed my sweet scent on every climb: 1 large mass
gallons of water consumed: many

Wounded duck out

Day 20: Chester, IL

Houston: Wounded Duck has found a soggy port on the eastern side of the ol' Mississippi River in Chester, Illinois. Unfortunately due to the elements that resemble riding in a wet sauna, the next watering hole was determined to be a bridge too far for today. Managed to link up with a group of riders numbering eleven that are riding from Seaside, Oregon to St. Augustine, Florida whom all were eager to find out whether or not the Ozark mountain range was over and done with. After giving them the news they wanted to hear they invited me to join up for a little afternoon snack and pow-wow here at the Best Western this afternoon, which will be starting here in a couple of minutes, so time to transmit is minimal.

Today's hard count: 33 miles
Hours in the hot box: 2:23
Locations of minimal flooding along the route: 2
Coal trucks that managed to avoid me in this morning's dense fog: many (thanks to my latest acquisition of a pair of riding lights in Carbondale, IL)

The environmental factor is definetely putting the body to the test. All through the midwest lies heat advisories including the state of Missouri. It's not as bad as it appears to be south of here but further advancement will proceed with caution. Time to sit in on the afternoon briefing, Houston. Wounded Duck out.

Day 19: Murphysboro, IL

houston, we're back in business. managed to scoop up the last right-sized remaining roll of rubber left in the town of carbondale, illinois, home of the the southern illinois u. salukis. after the damage was assessed, it appears the bridge cut through the last bit of tread and kevlar layer. the only thing that was left holding the air inside for those last seventy miles or so was the stubborn armadillo layer... so today's game ball goes to mr. armadillo who kindly kept the duck on the road. due to equipment adjustments, today's hard count is limited but still made it into the town of murphysboro successfully and somewhat dry. while rolling through, i did manage to see some of the damage from last night's storm but things didn't appear so bad, just blown down trees and debris.

today's count: 49 miles
time on the wounded horse: 4:03
pounds shed via postal service: 13

time to run the ol' girl lean and mean so the nag is now nothing but a flying gas can. tomorrow missouri - duck out, over.

Day 18: Vienna, IL (cont'd)

houston: wounded duck's position has officially been compromised, over. electricity gone, lightning is hitting all around, rain is driving down in buckets - very large ones. it is fabulous! i can't even see across the parking lot even though lightning is striking about every second. it is just simply amazing. looking at the shadows from the trees it looks as though the winds have picked up considerably. i could easily stay up all night watching this...there was a close one... this is absolutely delicious.

Day 18: Vienna, IL

houston, the duck has docked his wings in vienna, illinois, but it was another day with ups and downs, over. managed to squeeze past the thunder storms fortunately holing up at the inn about an hour before the sky opened up and still watching the lightning fly across the sky. To cross the ohio river the nag had to traverse a span of quasi sharp steel that did not treat the tread on the aft burner well. as you will see once i can manage to send along some photos the meat on the ol' rubber is burned down to the core. fortunately there are a few bike shops in the horizon; we'll just have to keep the fingers crossed that the kevlar can hold up for another fifty miles. tomorrow, with a little luck, wounded duck will link up with the westerly route close to the border of missouri in murpheysboro.

todays roll count:
miles: 62
hours in the saddle: 4:34
new states entered: 1 (the land of lincoln)
temps: hot and nasty.
houston, it's time for the duck to hit the rack and hope tomorrow is lucky- out.

stand by houston for further update: looking at the weather channel, wounded duck is getting news that the town of carbondale, illinois, where bicycle tire salvation lies, is currently suffering a deluge of rain, winds of up to 50-60 mph, flash flood and tornado warnings. it looks as though for now the storm's real teeth remains north and west of here (just barely) though wounded duck does have visible confirmation of heightened lightning activity from my refuge here at the limited inn, over. stand by houston for further updates as to whether or not wounded duck will be cleared for take off tomorrow. needless to say, i really don't feel like getting drowned, zapped, or blown away with dorothy and toto to the land of oz...for now wounded duck remains safely in the king sized, pillow-topped pond as the heat index is still 97 degrees outside at 9:20 pm, over.

Day 17: Grand Rivers, KY

Houston this is wounded duck over.  We have found a friendly port here in Grand Rivers, Ky.  Unfortunately lost the communication (comm) link last night due to
an excessive pork chop and a long day in the saddle but knew that I would be holding steady here for one more day to again stop the wheels and cool the heels.  Plans to continue on to Paducah, Ky for the night were thankfully thwarted for the temperature was rising at the same rate that my smiling face was falling.  The Land between the Lakes recreation area turned out to be indeed beautiful, and wet, and chocked full of adventure.  The adventure continued to rise and fall over some beautiful countryside, however by the end of the afternoon was definitely looking for some fuel for both the nag and the duck.  Houston my intent was to ride on to Paducah for a potential bicycle shop target to get the ol' honey back in tip top shape, however as I took the lovely old gals advice from the northern welcome center, I rolled into find a barbecue spot, and found both the barbecue and bicycle shop next to one another here at grand rivers.  As it turns out this little haven on Lake Kentucky is like a blast into the past.  Like the movie "Big Fish" when he stumbles across the village in the middle of the forest all lit up with white lights, well Grand Rivers has the same tradition with similar old "western" store fronts and atmosphere.  A little lake town, actually two bodies of water straddle this little oasis, Grand Rivers is chalked full of friendlies including Veronica, whom immigrated from Hungary in 1986, runs the Grand Rivers Inn, and consequently gave Wounded Duck a 25% Bicycler's discount.  Had dinner last night at Patties 1800's settlement which was kind of like a miniature amusement/tourist park attached to the the locally famous restaurant where duck bit into the house specialty; a 2" thick Pork Chop.  It turned out to be both delicious and succulent with the juices flowing freely down my chinny chin chin, however I would argue the 2".  Perhaps it was 2" before throwing it on the cooker, but on the plate she looked more like 1 3/4" maybe 1 7/8", regardless the thing was uber yummy and went down with a baked potato the size of a watermelon and about two pitchers of water. 
 
It seems that's one of the biggest things to do while on this trip is downing gallons of water (and if I can get it a couple of lemon wedges for taste).  And it may sound odd but I'm absolutely loving it even if the wallet continues to cause Gatorade stock to rise at breakneck speeds (tip for everyone: by a couple of shares for it should definitely yield a 15% return by summer's end).  My body is completely drenched by 7:30 in the morning by the average 95% humidity and I feel spectacular.  While rolling through the wilderness area yesterday I found a little patch of grass under an oak tree for my morning breather flopping down, as I like to do, for a cool stretch with my bottle of water and took advantage of having a one-way chat with a local.  Just on the other side of the fence/ shaded flop down zone was one of a herd of about 50 buffalo thinking that our little spot was just as enjoyable as I.  Topics of conversation: asked him if he felt like getting a hair cut, how the kentucky blue grass went down, and if the heat made sleeping at night unbearable.  The big fella turned out not to be much of a talker but didn't seem to mind my inquisition. 

Stand by Houston for yesterday's hard count: 
Mileage: 57 miles
Time in the saddle and not in the shady drop zone talking to an uninterested buffalo: 4:51
People who offered up a couple of Cliff Bars and a couple of bottles of cold water at the Visitor's center whilst we talked about life and what is true: 7 (2 adult, 5 tikes)
Hills: some but not too many
States finished: 1 (not too sad to leave tennessee, nice people, great water pressure, but the drivers were not top notch)
hot tubs that were freshly cleaned out and filled up early this morning by my lovely hungarian inn keeper: 1
hours spent talking over coffee with aforementioned inn keeper about her and her daughter's trip to Iceland/ Greenland after graduating from Duke: 2
hours slept last night and today: many
Heat Index today: 104 degrees (another reason to take a day off)
and finally bikes freshly tuned up with new spongy handlebar grips and dialed in for the next 1000 miles or so: 1 nag

Time to take another nap and another soak in the tub houston. should be in Illinois by tomorrow- wounded duck out.

Day 15: Dover, TN

houston, we have hard dock. wounded duck has flown into the pond of border town dover, tn. to save a little scratch, duck has blown past the route by a few miles to find sanctuary at the sunset inn - a classic. according to inn keeper frank, the place on the hill was erected in the early sixties and aside from the spectacular teal carpeting and slip proof stick-ums shaped like happy little gold fish in the tub, my little domicile for the night has a shower head that pre-dates inferior low flow modern day types by at least 22 years. wounded duck flew in to get hosed off and the elephant nozzle just about sent me through the wall... after constructing a way to chain myself, the 1000 gallons per hour (gph) was absolutely spectacular. sunday traffic was also kind for cars were few and far between on the black top today. the hills were many but the legs held up really well amidst another hot pot cooker, over. tomorrow wounded duck will roll into the bluegrass state of kentucky.

will be leaving tennessee tomorrow entering the land between the lakes national recreation area and from what i hear the journey sounds like a good one. tomorrow also marks a deviation from the underground railroad route, turning west to link up with the transamerica route, over. weather is still looking a bit spotty with thunder storms, insatiable heat, potential tornadoes, and occasional flooding here and there but morale is up with hopes that it, the ol' bod, and a little luck, wounded duck will find a way to side step any future roadway catastrophes.

stand by one houston for today's hard count:
mileage: 49
saddle time: 4:19
tennessee hills topped: 14

with a couple of weeks under the belt, the bod, aside suffering the minor concussion from getting blown through the wall by the elephant shower, is feeling pretty tip top. time to grab some grub and hit the rack - wounded duck out, over.

Day 14: Waverly, TN

houston, wounded duck has docked at the imperial inn in the outskirts of waverly, tn. today's sortie was merely a morning ride that took the nag into the world of the coal miner's daughter herself: the ranch/museum/rv park/gift shop of country music star loretta lynn. apparently there is a pretty big motorcross event going on so duck figured to appease the nag's motor envy by swingin in to check it out. according to the locals, this weekend is the biggest of the year and looked like a little country throwdown a kid from idaho didn't want to miss. the actual racing doesn't start until monday but was still a sight to see all the teams setting up and taking practice runs... kinda like a two-wheeled version of nascar to the tennessee gentry. considering things don't kick off for two more days, fans were still locked, stocked, and ready to rock in good numbers. So after takin in the spectacle, the duck rolled in to prep for tomorrow's hills.

Hard count: 18 miles in 1:28

Sack time. duck out.

Day 13: Hurricane Hills, TN

houston, we have hard dock over. rolled into the budding tourist motel here in hurricane hills, tennessee where the walls are washed with a particularly pleasant hue of peach and the floors are covered with a deliciously tacky faux slate pattern that just brings a smile to my face looking at it. houston, wounded duck exercised a delineation from his scheduled pattern which gained considerable mileage but at the same time almost caused a situation to where my beating heart nearly leapt out of my chest to hitch a ride with anyone heading down a particular hill of which its name i know not. when arriving into the next signs of civilization, which turned out to be a local feed store, i got to jawing with the local proprietor and his crew of underlings as to the route i had just rolled into town on. once i told my interested party which direction i had blown in from their eyes widened and asked if i had gotten off to walk up, to which i replied if i had the nag more than likely would have most likely tumbled all the way back down the tennessee mountain. ultimately after telling them about my mutinous heart looking for a free ride, the locals and i had a pretty good chuckle and i was on my way. needless to say, today was a slow grind as the bod was formerly introduced to the hills of tennessee.

stand by for today's hard count houston:
clicks on the odometer: 69.7
hours in the nag's saddle: 6:09
conversations with the locals offering up advice: enough... but admittedly very entertaining.
length of shower after jumping out of the cooker: long
pleasure gained from the pleasant 1986 paint job in my motel room: much

time to kick off the lights and watch the show behind the eyelids, houston. sleep well and i'll holler again from down the road. Wounded duck out.

Day 12: Savannah, TN

houston: after a two day respite in fulton, ms wounded duck again has returned to the open road docking into savannah, tennessee tonight. day went pretty alright with ups and downs both literally and figuratively. managed to hit a chunk of the natchez trace trail where slaves traded at market were force marched into the interior and dispersed throughout to their respective plantations. it was a memorable stretch to say the least... the temps managed to cool down a bit from near record highs in mississippi to a degree of a warm and wet simmer. todays damage:
miles covered: 77
time atop the nag: 6:21
junkyard/barnyard dogs who came up on my six with the duck in their sights: lost count at 100 fortunately netting 0 kills and the duck managed to fly away to ride another day.
states put to bed in the rearview mirror: 1
hotel rooms draped in pink paint: 1 (just like ol times, houston)
tomorrow's stage looks to be another long-hot one so time for the duck to hit the rack, houston-
out.

Day 10: Fulton, MS

houston we have docked on the spicy side of terra firma. slid into fulton, mississippi yesterday on hot sauce and cooking oil as temps reached 106 with the heat index over. as a heat advisory was again set for today, and i didn't really feel too much like broiling myself two days in a row, i have found shelter at the sands motel... not of the las vegas caliber. still trying to find a solution for the aft burner situation and had a fella named david and his daughter katie volunteer for errand detail to help take me over to tupelo, ms to get her somewhat dialed in again until a better solution presents itself down the road. don't know if it was the heat affecting the poor lady or if it was just a slow news day, but as i was traveling through smithville, ms yesterday i was almost run over by mrs. ortiz of the local newspaper to get a story on "from barstool to bike saddle". regardless of which reason, she'll be sending a copy of the story that i'm sure will arrive before i do.
so as i wrap up my laundry here at the no-named laundry mat, it's time to sign off from rest day.
captains log:
miles yesterday: 61.4
hours in the stove: 5:01
interviews given: 1
people who will read the article: 0
adventure cycling association maps completed: 1st (with just over 430 miles ridden)
day riding with the mayo journ / the golden fleece / the yellow jersey: 1st (only for special occasions)
hours slept today: many
hours watching the tour de france: many (i kept falling asleep during the end...)
barbecue eaten: 3
friendly faces: many... from the fork lift operator in the laundry mat to david, his daughter, nick the inn keeper who again is from india, and the good folks down at rj's eatery who stayed open late just for the wounded duck.
mississippi is aces in my book, houston.
duck out.

Day 9: Fulton, MS

houston: wounded duck is alive albeit a little roasted and toasted, over. in fulton, ms, and wiped tonight so will send status report in the morning. duck wrapped up and tucked in. holler at ya in the morning. out.

Day 8: West Point, MS

houston the duck has docked in what appears to be a furnace here in mississippi, over. aberdeen was but a dream today. sliding in the town of west point, ms to take reprieve from the heat wave rollin through. apparently the devil was dancing double fisted with the tobasco today as the heat index found its way north of triple digits. glad and sad to see alabama fading away in the rear view mirror, another state down but one filled with good folks and good experiences. with luck, wounded duck will be resting in tennessee in two days for the roads here, and the drivers, are not first class. the bod and the bike are holding up relatively well so far and fingers are crossed that both will continue to do so. the daily hard count:
mileage: 56.7
time in the oven: 4:51
gatorade and snicker stock: up three points
slogan to represent race from responsibility part deux: "from barstool to bike"
orders of grits consumed: 2
manana looks much the same with temps laden with hot sauce.
duck out.

Day 7: Aliceville, AL

Houston we have hard dock, over. Still fighting a slight problem with the aft burner. the spokes i fear are, as the mechanic noted a few days ago, inadequate to see wounded duck all the way back to home port. unfortunately the next available station to replace the thin guage wire is in kentucky... about 400 miles away. managed to get into the local library today to print off a quick and dirty wheel truing guide that will hopefully keep the nag in business until kentucky. it's not west texas tire technology but improvising is what we do. stand by houston for todays hard count:
mileage: 48
time: 3:52
cows that came up to the fence to say hello: 9
class reunions in aliceville: 2
funeral processions encountered: 1
distance a kid named jamal rode a wheelie in the motel parking lot on his sisters purple bike: 30 meters (impressive).
Tomorrow's target: aberdeen, ms about 72 miles.
again looking to be out before the sun for temps will have an extra coat of tobasco to spicen things up - duck out.

Day 6: Livingston, AL

Houston we have hard dock, over. Half day was a good day sliding into livingston, al... home of the western alabama university tigers where a sweet ol' gal let me sneak into the computer lab for a few minutes this afternoon. taking a peak, things are lookin pretty decent for hell week, at least i haven't found myself on the dirty side of the local swamp scene. I want to say thanks to all who drop an email from sweden to seattle. double thumbs up to all of you and hope life is treating you kindly. Stand by houston for todays hard count: miles: 38
time in the cockpit: 2:55
days left in alabama: 1
advil left: not many
handle bar grip super glued/jerry rigged: 1
tomorrow's target is the border town of aliceville, al and wounded duck will be lookin for another early roll time, with luck should beat the inbound lightning expected to brighten things up tomorrow afternoon- holler at ya down the road houston - duck out.

Day 5: Linden, AL

roger, houston: yesterday was again a bruiser but admittingly a smidge easier than a couple days ago. as i sit here in linden, al throwin back a bowl of mornin chowder in the chateau linden, the bod is feeling pretty alright. Today will be a half day to stage into aliceville, al which is about 86 miles with not much in between. so lookin to have a quasi day off of around 35 miles with only one real climb, over.
yesterday's glory: 75 miles
time in saddle: 6:40
conversation with the overly friendly inn keeper after a long day standing in the parking lot in the direct sun in 95 degree heat when all i had been dreaming about for the last 20 miles was a cool shower: 21 minutes (sweet moses)
restaurants serving up anything not fried in town: 0, as the overly curious inn keeper who goes by jim and who also owns a restaurant in the next town points out, the best place to eat is cluckers fried chicken.
with that its time for the duck to roll- out.

Day 4: Grove Hill, AL

houston: wounded duck remained at port today to stop the wheels and cool the heels, over. deavers motel offered up a little more a/c than a dirty fan and gloria's poor house cafe has filled the tank up with broiled flounder and plenty o' grits to soothe the soul.
today's stats: 0 miles
seat adjustments: 1
clothes laundered: 1 load scrubbed up at the dixie laundry
body temperature: a bit closer to my norm of 96.9
chats with the local color: 3, including gloria herself while loading up my plate with seconds on the house.
cooled off and grubbed up. will holla at y'all down the alabama highway, houston. duck out.

Day 3: Grove Hill, AL

houston: it was a grind out there today, but wounded duck is docked in grove hill, alabama, over. the ol' coastal plain showed some teeth today with a few rollers and more than enough bogeys on the six. the us-84 section, as it turns out, is a major corridor for alabama logging ops, a point verified by harold and bob at the quick stop in whately over an ice cream b.s. session. still deciding on tomorrow's strategy, houston. stand by for updates, over.
today's count: 73.5 miles
time elapsed: 7:03
conversations with the locals: 5 (most notably with harold, bob, and tyrone whom i caught out mowing his lawn in front of his double-wide who seems pretty tuned up for a new job in the big city now that his mother-in-law passed. friendly fella. made sure the duck was pointed in the right direction over a glass of lemonade)
dogs who made a run for the nag: 2
waves/honks/thumbs up from the rollin thunder: 18+.
duck out.

Day 2: Stockton, AL

houston: wounded duck has found dry dock, over. rear wheel is back to 100% for now; however, could have a potential spoke issue down the road, over. with just a half day in today, houston, the sortie for tomorrow is to get out of the shoot early and make grove hill, alabama tomorrow. 65 miles of rollers.
stand by mission control for today's count: 35 miles
time elapsed: 3:15
converstations with the local folk: 4
attempts to adjust the correct seat height: 3
final destination: camp delta (kinda fitting) in the middle of nowhere, alabama
hound dogs: 8
dead armadillos on road: 4
thunderstorms incurred: 0, however it appears they are currently inbound
time to choke down dinner and hit the rack, houston. resume transmission tomorrow night. wounded duck out.

Day 1: Spanish Fort, AL

houston this is wounded duck over. after dodging and not-so-dodging a few storms that would have had a goldfish heading for cover we have dry dock. The highlight, and I emphasize highlight, was a bolt of juice striking down within a couple hundred yards from wounded duck's former position, over. after extinguishing the flames on my six and putting away the flood water diversion system, the duration of today's sortie went well. wounded duck has a bad wheel that will hopefully just need an adjustment in the morning. stand by for future updates, houston.
today's count: 52 miles
time: 4:11
wheel out of whack: 1
thunderstorms caught in: 2
bolts of lightning struck within spitting distance: 1
smiles on face: 0
advil taken: 3
duck out.

Race from Responsibility part Deux

Good summers eve my dear family, friends, and those whom may find this of interest,

Some of you already know but for those of you whom do not I have again booked passage to the open road. Call it insanity. Call it therapy. I'll let you decide, and most will likely have your own minds made up on which, but I have decided to check out for the rest of the summer to take another shot at riding the two-wheeled nag across a pretty decent sized chunk of the lower 48. There are many reasons to account for why I've decided to enact the sequel to the Race from Responsibility, too many to list, but ultimately it comes down to the best kind of therapy I can think of and perhaps one last chance for an adventure of this magnitude. As we speak I'm sitting here in Pensacola, Florida on the eve of setting out west towards the setting sun with hopes to make it back to Boise by the strike of midnight on August 31st (and with any luck a little sooner ;-)). Yes attempting this little boondoggle of a bike trip probably couldn't come at a worse time with the apex of summer upon us but sometimes you simply take what little windows of time are given and make the most of them. So with mind-numbing heat and horrific humidity accounted for, and prepared for to my best known ability, it's time to turn the crank and soak in all there is to see at 15 mph.

My good friend Danny Christiansen, or better known for the next two months as Houston, will be my eyes in the sky at mission control receiving stats, pics, and other memorabilia from Wounded Duck as I travel through the southeast, midwest, and with a little luck, reentry into the great Gem State- Idaho. He has put together a website to track the progress of Wounded Duck across the hills and plains and for any whom might be interested in the mission status can find it here.

As the hour here is nearing the 11:30 mark I'll sign off for now, but want to thank my dear friends Ron "the big kid" Brooks, Adrienne Emerson, Buck Emerson, and pretty much the rest of the Emerson clan, Chateau Hustlers, and the rest of the Pensacola brood for all their hospitality while I've been staging down here at substation Dixie. You are all the epitome of southern hospitality. And lastly want to thank my dear parents, family, and friends for understanding the desire that lies within me to do what is necessary to quench this thirst. I'll get you a new worry stone when I get back mom for I'm sure you'll be needing a replacement.

Take care all and I'll see you on the other side-

Bri

Day T-4: Pensacola, FL

houston: we are standing by at substation dixie over. we have just received successful acquisition of vessel nagus trekus (call sign: nag) and are scheduling nag extraction and reconstruction. over.

Day T-5: North Carolina

houston: wounded duck has landed in a puddle but not quite the pond... thunder storms here n.c. have pushed back the final leg to gulf shore orbit by two hours over. will catch ya in the mornin houston. wounded duck out.