I swear Denver is out there somewhere. the heart of city center.

October 15, 2008

The Rockies were a tremendous sight to see for the team today as they ascended the last of the 5000 foot high foothills before reaching the city of Denver. Morale was great as the riders never thought they would ever want to ride up mountains so bad after so many days in the flatlands and prairies. They look forward to the town of Denver and Boulder, the Coors Brewery and possibly doing a little hiking in the area.

 Seamsters Peter and Scott prepare for the dickens.
Olin's expensive new rain gear.

October 14, 2008

In an effort to make up for lost time due to the torrential weather that put the team behind schedule, the team decided on an endurance ride of 100 miles that would take place through the night. The team was off to a great start, but fatigue and exhaustion set in heavy as they were battling temperatures in the mid 20's before deciding to call it a night. They aptly stopped at a town called Last Chance on mile 68 of the 100 mile ride at 2 am in the morning. Maybe a town called Last Chance was a sign they needed to stop, needless to say, they took it as an omen and pulled off the road through the desolation of eastern Colorado.

 Peter uses ingenuity to overcome in the face of adversity.

October 14, 2008

Finding spare bicycle parts in Kansas and eastern Colorado is basically impossible. Their is not an adequate bicycle shop between Kansas City and Denver, and the team knew this fact fully before embarking on that 700 mile passage. However, what the team did not plan on was the terrible head winds and weather that put a huge damper on the estimated time it would take to cross an area where no supplies could be accessable if something were to go wrong. And it is the way that the world works that if there is going to be a place where things fall apart quickly why not have it smack in the middle of a ten day voyage to the next bicycle shop? That is exactly what happened when Scott Hunthausen's back wheel decided it didnt want to work anymore by snapping three spokes at once. Having exhausted their supply of spokes, Peter was able to find spokes that were an inch longer and tie overhand knots in them to get Scott's wheel back to working. Even though the judges have not decided on the awards completely, there was a unanimous vote for Most Valuable Rider being Peter Eich. The team can agree, without him they'd be freezing on the side of a road some where in middle Kansas.

 Climbing a rickety old ladder after midnight in the freezing midwest.
Scott admires the vista from 200 feet high.

October 12, 2008

Strange things can happen to someone who rides the same road and sees the same sea of corn for eight days in a row. Maybe it is like the story of Sisyphus who was forced in greek mythology to forever push up a stone that would just roll back down for eternity, but the team was beginning to feel like they were trapped in a sick and demented time warp that would forever keep them riding through an endless flatland. As time went on, the guys began to take somewhat unnecassary risks like free climbing 200 foot ladders to board 100 year old water towers in the middle of the night when the temperature was nearing freezing, and calling home to their friends yelling "Wow, I just did the most amazing thing ever and climbed a water tower!" The only reply they seemed to get was in concern of their over-ambition, Colorado Rockies had to come fast.

 

October 10, 2008

A huge detour to go as far north as Boulder mixed with a record storm in the area has delayed the team considerably. However, this afternoon they did manage to make it out of Kansas, a place they thought they were destined to be stuck to, and work at getting back lost time as morale peaked in the new state they were in.

 Atomico Patterson is tough because he shot a chair. Eric first time shooting, he goes for the 454 magnum. that look in Peter's eyes made us all nervous.
 Scott prepares to shoot himself an abondoned car Preparing to shoot the heck out of the abondoned barn behind them.

October 10, 2008

What Kansas lacks in colorful scenery it makes up for in colorful people. While stranded on the side of the road yesterday in a terrible rainstorm they were stopped by a man driving by who said he would offer them a place to dry off until the rain had subsided. Needless to say, the rain did not subside and the team spent a wonderful day and night at a gentleman named Virgil's house learning all about the Kansan way of life. They had some wonderful refreshments, shot many a hand gun, rifle, elephant gun, missile launcher, etc. and enjoyed touring the town in a nice 50 foot RV to their own private boogie dance party. The guys learned that even though the Kansas landscape may be a bit blase, Kansans sure make the best of what they have. The boys left recharged the next morning with full bellies, warm clothes, and experts at just about 50 different types of fire arms.

 Knowing heavy winds were inevitable, the team finds very adequate shelter. ya right. Sleeping in an abandoned warehouse, while it rains record levels.
Olin Patterson passes the time by driving a cherry picker.

October 9, 2008

You will be happy to know that the team survived the entire repertoire of Kansas weather. Three tornadoes in the area, 55 mile an hour winds (70 will blow a roof off) and record rains were all in store for the battered team. One night of camping the winds picked up so strong that the tents collapsed on the guys as they slept. They layed their all night as the canvas cielings pressed them uncomfortably into the ground. When they awoke the next day, they were relieved to see that the shattered tent poles that became volatile spears did not spear anyone but rather pinned the tent into the ground leaving Peter and Eric trapped in the morning. Near death experiences are best handled with a good laugh as the team pushed on, this time without a shelter. Fortune was on their side however as the next night they found shelter in an empty warehouse complete with a working cherry picker.

Tearing through the evening hours. Proof.

October 9, 2008

At 6:03 pm CST, the transcontinental Team reached the 2000 mile marker 15 miles west of Goodland, in Kansas. Here is the recap:

Official 2000 Mile Recap:

-Now 17 Flat Tires. (Scott and Olin with the highest(12), Eric with the lowest(2))

-155,294.1 revolutions from a 26 inch tire (the size of Scott and Olin's tires)

-29 Days.

-25 Days of riding.

-1 night of hotel, 7 nights of sleeping in homes, 5 nights of sleeping at University Accomidations, 16 nights of urban and rural camping.

-7 broken spokes (Scott with the highest)

-another 500 bugs swallowed while riding (there is less the further west one gets)

-another 137 bugs into the eyeballs (happens at dusk or dawn when its too dark to where sun glasses)

-12 spills on the bicycle (Peter with the highest, Scott with the lowest)

-4 near death experiences (classified as a person's head is within 6 inches of a moving vehicles wheel (Eric), or a fall going above 30 mph (Peter), or falling into on coming traffic (Olin), or running into a steel wall (Olin))

-5 states traversed (Kentucky, Illinois, MIssouri, Kansas, Colorado)

-1 involuntary incontinence (scott had an accident)

-and 4 team members still going strong!

 Proud. Olin adds himself to the guiness book of world records. its no easy job being us.

October 8, 2008

Kansas and its people (known as Kansans) do some strange things to attract tourism. The team stopped in Cawker City today to pay their respects to the grueling hard work and discipline that go into such an enormous accomplishment as wrapping a ball of twine until it becomes so large that people flock from around the world to view such a magnificent work of tenacity. A giant ball of twine of such a stature can only be found in America, the guys recognized, because its the only place in the world that could afford to needlessly waste 7 million feet of string on a ball so that people like the transcontinental team can say things like 'Im a Twine Winder,' or 'watch me scale a fifteen foot ball of yarn,' or 'Im glad we came 2000 miles for this, lets try and roll it.' Needless to say, the town of Cawker City is ecstatic over their fame. One lady said it is the staple that holds the entire community together.

 To set the record the team completed 30 miles before the sun came up. Atomico pets a horse, the only other living thing in 70 miles.
Suffering from dementia, Scott spends all day swimming in the ocean of corn.

 

October 8, 2008

The team set a new long distance record today of 132.7 miles. In order to achieve that goal they were up at 3:30 am and road over 30 miles before any of dawns first light. The new record was in dedication of a potential bathing spot 132.7 miles away. It was the only reservoir in the entire western half of the state.

Though the team had to check their hand guns at the door, there was no law against bringing big scary looking 24 inch machetes into the town mall...

 Peter bravely leads the infantry while charging a pack of wild canines.

Peter does a victory lap.

October 6, 2008

In an arms race that can only be compared to as coldwar-esque, the team's Ministry of Defense Director Peter Eich distributed 24 inch machetes to the team today after finding compromising evidence through espionage that the non-God fearing canine infidels were planning on an underground plot to deter the team from ending the transcontinental bicycle voyage. This also came just days after team member Olin Patterson was left unarmed in a fight with two rottweilers that will forever be remembered as the Battle at La Monte. The arms dispersement announcement came as a surprise to a couple of the riders who once prided themselves on dual activism work in the early to mid 90's for Zen Pacifism with an emphasis on Animal Lovealogy. Regardless to prior passions and political beliefs, the consensus was swayed for a unanimous vote as each team member opted for self defense in a closed caucus last wednesday night at a G4 Summit Meeting. Though they hope to never have to use such weapons, they feel they are sending a very serious message to the criminal populace:  canine's beware.  

 sweet dual rainbow action and stuff.

 the rainbow did not lead to a pot of gold, but it did lead to a lovely place to bathe.

 admiring the glorious expanse of the north american continent.

October 6, 2008

The eastern region of Kansas is anything but flat. Meticulous rolling hills like swells on an ocean seemed to carry on forever as riders enjoyed the car-less road through such unique paradise. Each of the guys were awestruck by the incredible beauty of the autumn hues, subtle nuances and vast expanses of reds, oranges, purples and yellows as they road in silence through the tableau vivant of Mother Nature. 

 Peter wears a wizard costume he bought from the Emerald City gift shoppe. He wears it everyday now and plays wizard all day long.

Scott was exalted to find the mystical way to Emerald City.

 

October 6, 2008

Just as plans were becoming solidified and contacts were being made, the weather turned disastrous... The southern route became nearly impassable as headwinds raged over 40 miles per hour and the team's dome pieces (their brains) became the highest electricity conductors for lightning strikes in all the area. Fearing that doom or high doses of voltage were surely inevitable for the team, they were ecstatic to stumble upon the mystical road to Emerald City. Realizing this road goes directly to the Wizard of Oz, the team knew they would be granted each one wish. The wizard was obliged to see them and granted them their wishes. Eric wished for courage, Scott for some brain, Peter for a heart, and Olin for a way home.

 'Ain't you glad you got a dream called Santa Fe?'

An abandoned Wagon Repair Shoppe from 1882.

 

October 5, 2008

After days along the ancient Oregon Trail the team had another hinkering for some place warm. They came to the furthest western trail fork in Overbrook, Kansas before spontaneously deciding to take the Santa Fe Trail in hopes of finding some warm weather. They embarked on that southern route singing from the movie 'Newsies' "and im on the train thats bound for Santa Fe..." 

Scott rides up the Trail, now a paved highway. the team rides the beginning of the Oregon Trial.

September 6, 2008

Following the footsteps of thousands of western settlers, the team spent the day along the historic Oregon Trail as they head west towards the Continental Divide.

Night on the town. no longer home on the range, kansas city is a thriving metropolis.

September 5, 2008

Awaking to the first tailwind in over two weeks, the team's morale was peaked as they made it to the border of Kansas. Having fought the wind for so long, the group was overjoyed when the teams official midwest meteorology specialist Peter Eich made precise and acute weather observations when he threw grass into the air and it blew west. The rejoicing was exemplified when the team's average miles per hour went from a mere 12.5 to an immediate 16.5 with the help of Poseidon on their backs. They made it to Kansas City by sunfall and were seen in a borrowed minivan street racing for pink slips.

Scott plays harmonica to tempt oncoming traffic. Peter pushes his bicycle through a field and finds the right road.

September 4, 2008

A brutal headwind, an argument with a construction manager, two near death accidents, one wheel that came off while riding, an intentional run off the road by a trucker, mixed with the seemingly endless expanse of the exact same hill over and over for 12 hours made the western half of Missouri quite miserable. Exhausted and in need of some luck, the team spent the last night in Missouri patching up their broken bikes and wounded bodies, in hopes that the long and narrow expanse of road ahead of them could possibly bring better luck.

a sign marks the exact sight of the expedition's May 06, 1806 campsite. The transcontinental team set up camp here along the bank of the Missouri River.a sign leads the way. Scott rides along the abondoned rail line.

October 2, 2008

Shortly after the initial expedition of Lewis and Clark the race for a transcontinental railway had officially begun. By the 1860's the railway had been built through the area and by the early 20th century the railway between St. Louis and Clinton, Missouri had been abondoned as the rail moved north to Chicago. With the absence of a track, the state was able to open up the initial trail of Lewis and Clark along the banks of the Missouri River for anyone who wished to follow in their footsteps. This abondoned railway seemed the perfect way to traverse as the team spent three days along its route as they camped in the exact places the expedition had camped and also camped where old Daniel Boone lived in Defiance, Missouri.

 Peering out into the western hemisphere... a land soon to be reconquered.

the team trace the first 200 miles of the Lewis and Clark trail.

September 31, 2008

"The [Lewis and Clark] Expedition would be to travel over a part of the world which remianed the new- the opening up of unknown lands; the making unkown countries known; the study without books- the learning at first hand from nature herself, the drinking first her unknown springs...' -John C. Fremont.

In an effort to redefine the western hemisphere, the team embarked in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark as they push further west. They hope to spend a couple hundred miles along the historical route, as they rediscover their own America the way so many pioneers and settlers have done before them.