Little did a young Alan Williams know when he received his first bike-a fat-tire, red and white Columbia with only a single gear-that he would one day ride a bicycle across the northern United States. In his narrative, Williams chronicles his two-month cycling trip from Oregon to New Hampshire, where he would celebrate the fulfillment a lifelong dream by dipping his bicycle wheels in the Atlantic Ocean. Williams shares the emotions and moments that led up to his decision to ride across the country and chronicles his subsequent 3,700-mile journey that included laboring up switchbacks on mountain roads, speeding down from mountain passes, bucking headwinds across a seemingly endless prairie, fearing that a tender derrière might derail the mission, and experiencing the elation of reaching the Atlantic coast. While sharing descriptions of places of interest, photographs, and training tips, Williams also offers a glimpse into the physical and mental effort required to complete such a journey. For anyone considering undertaking a bicycle expedition of any length, From Sea to Shining Sea provides guidance, advice, and inspiration from a man who sacrificed and persevered in order to achieve a successful cross-country bike ride he will never forget.

FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA

A Ride across AmericaBy Alan L. Williams

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2010 Alan L. Williams
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4502-4557-9

Contents

Preface.............................................................................ixChapter 1: Home (Blaine, Washington) to Astoria, Oregon.............................1Chapter 2: Astoria, Oregon to Boise, Idaho..........................................5Chapter 3: Boise, Idaho to Jackson, Wyoming.........................................19Chapter 4: Jackson, Wyoming to Rapid City, South Dakota.............................29Chapter 5: Rapid City to Sioux Falls, South Dakota..................................37Chapter 6: Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Manitowoc, Wisconsin........................47Chapter 7: Manitowoc, Wisconsin to Niagara Falls, New York..........................59Chapter 8: Niagara Falls, New York to Portsmouth, New Hampshire.....................71Chapter 9: Portsmouth, New Hampshire to Home........................................83Chapter 10: Observations............................................................85Chapter 11: Reflections.............................................................99Appendix: Personal Gear for Cross-Country Ride......................................103Acknowledgments.....................................................................105

Chapter One

Home (Blaine, Washington) to Astoria, Oregon

Day Minus One: Saturday, June 16: Blaine to Seattle, Washington

My wife and I left home in Blaine at 6:50 pm, heading to Seattle to overnight with daughter Allison. The enormity of the task ahead and the reality of being away from home for seven weeks has hit me. It's not like being deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, but it is still a significant time away from home. My wife and I have not been apart for this length of time in our entire thirty-seven years of marriage. I think I am ready?as ready as I can be?having put in much more preparation for this ride than the Astoria-to-Boise ride of one year ago. Still, one never knows whether the body can hold up over 3,700 miles. We arrived in Seattle at 9:00 pm.

Day Zero: Sunday, June 17 (Father's Day): Seattle, Washington to Astoria, Oregon

I awoke at 4:45 am, too many thoughts racing through my brain to sleep well. My anxiety level is quite high, despite my increased preparation. I have ridden 1,600 miles since the first of January, 4,700 miles since the start of the America by Bicycle (ABB) "Across America North" ride last year, plus three months of spinning classes. Given my part-time medical practice and the miserable winter and spring weather in the Northwest, I feel that I have done all that I can do to prepare myself for the ride.

With my bike and gear in the back of our SUV, we departed Seattle at 7:10 am under a marine cloud layer, with the temperature at fifty-four degrees. We stopped in Tacoma for a Starbucks fix and a copy of the Sunday New York Times. Then we again headed south on I-5 before peeling off to cross the Columbia River at Longview, Washington. The Lewis and Clark Bridge at Longview is quite high, to allow seagoing vessels to follow the Columbia River all the way to Portland, about a hundred miles upriver. On the Oregon side we picked up U.S. Route 30 on our way west to Astoria. Route 30 is quite busy with lots of trucks, and rolling terrain.

Just thinking about all the hills on this route (we will be heading east on the same highway tomorrow) ramps up my anxiety level. We arrived at the ride headquarters motel (Holiday Inn Express) in Astoria at 10:40 am. It took about three and a half hours to cover the 186 miles from Seattle to Astoria. Blaine to Seattle is 120 miles, so I am currently 306 miles from home. Upon arrival, I spy a friendly face from my 2006 ride, Jim from Vermont, who is going to be the tour mechanic. While waiting for my room to be readied, my wife went to pick up lunch at a nearby Subway. In the meantime, Jim gave my bike a thorough check to be sure it was in tip-top operating order. Once my room was ready, I changed into my biking gear, and kissed my wife goodbye. She was anxious to get started on the long haul back to Blaine by herself. I miss her already. It's similar to leaving your child at school on the first day of kindergarten, only I am the child!

Since there were no other riders ready to ride from the motel to the Pacific Ocean, I set out by myself on the nine-mile ride to Sunset Beach on Route 101 South. The weather was cloudy and foggy with occasional sprinkles. The highway bridge on the way to Sunset Beach was very narrow with a poor roadbed: many potholes?quite hairy! When I arrived at Sunset Beach, there was no one in the vicinity to take my picture, so I took several pictures of the beach and surf to document my presence on the western coast of America. The beach was at least a quarter-mile wide, and the surf was quite loud, although it was not particularly high. Far down the beach, both north and south, several people were surf-fishing.

I walked my bike across the sand and dipped the wheels carefully into the ocean. The return trip to the motel was uneventful, although busy Sunday afternoon traffic made cycling a challenge.

Astoria was the site of the first permanent settlement in what is now Oregon. The overland Lewis and Clark expedition arrived at the future site of Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River in 1805.

In what would become the Oregon Territory (designated as such in 1848), fur trading was the primary economic activity as early as the eighteenth century. Russian, British, and American traders were all active in this region. Oregon, the Beaver State, joined the Union as the thirty-third state in 1859. It is known for its timber and its agriculture. Oregon is the foremost American state for logging, and also has active fishing, mining (nickel), and tourism industries. Numerous dams provide abundant, inexpensive electric power.

Our motel was located beneath the U.S. Route 101 Bridge that crosses the mouth of the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington. The main eastbound ship channel is very close to the Oregon shoreline behind our motel, and large container ships move up the channel within a few hundred yards of shore. In late afternoon we began a four-hour orientation session, with dinner thrown in, conducted by tour leader Mike, with a very strong emphasis on safety and cycling rules of the road. Each member of the group was asked to stand, introduce him- or herself, and give a short summary of his or her background, and why he or she wanted to ride across the country. Most riders had dreamed of a cross-country ride for years. The average age of the group is fifty-seven. There are seventy-five members of the group, including six staffers. Not all riders intend to cover the entire cross-country route this year. Sixty-two of the riders, myself included, are planning on riding the entire way. Tomorrow, the real ride starts.

Daily Stats: Miles ridden: 18; Average speed: 12.7 mph; Riding time: 1:26

Chapter Two

Astoria, Oregon to Boise, Idaho

Day One: Monday, June 18: Astoria to St. Helens, Oregon (elevation: ninety-eight feet)

Another poor night's sleep! I woke up at 4:30 am, after having been awake for a couple hours during the night. Too many thoughts competing for attention! The weather was cloudy and foggy with a few sprinkles, so the group picture, which is an ABB tradition at the start of a ride, has...