Day 5 - 68.9 miles - Salome, AZ

I must say that it is a pleasure being on the bike in the middle of the night. I was out there again at 4:30am with temps around 70. I wish it would just stay like that all day. That's not going to happen, at least around here. It was in the first 5 miles that I had reached the Colorado River. More important is that the Colorado River is also the Border of California and Arizona. It was just turning light as I reached here and I was excited to be in my second state of this trip. The bad news was that I had 3 mountain ranges to cross today. They are the Dome Rock Mountains, the New Water Mountains, and the Granite Wash Mountains. So I knew I had some climbing today. Once again the temperature rose quick. You guess it, 100 degrees by 9am. I guess some things never change. A lot of today's ride was on Interstate 10. Out here in the west, you are allowed to bicycle on the Interstate only where there are no other frontage roads. In this case there were no frontage roads. Super wide shoulders makes this no problem. Yes, lots of traffic but I had no choice and I am following bicycle maps from Adventure Cycling. I liked it so much that I missed my turnoff for Route 60. I didn't realize it for miles. I had to make a 6 mile detour just to get back on my route. I made it to my destination by early afternoon which is exactly what I need to do to avoid this dangerous heat. When I stopped the temperature was 104. As I was checking in to the Shefflers Motel, two other bikers pulled in for the night. They are brothers, and going to New Mexico.

Photos - Welcome to Arizona - Desert Plants - Biking over the Granite Wash Mountains - Railroad crossing near The town of Harcuver, AZ

Day 4 - 86.8 miles - Blythe, CA

I will start today's post with what happened last night. I received at phone call from Bob Babbitt. Bob is a co-host of Competitor Radio, which is a weekly podcast you can listen to through ITunes. Bob is the man i met a few days ago near Pine Valley. We talked for awhile and he asked if I was up for an interview. These interviews are taped and put onto a podcast for anyone who subscribes to the Competitor Radio. The real funny thing is that I listen to him every week without fail. They always have the best guests in the endurance world. For example, just recently he interviewed Ryan Hall ( 2:04 marathoner ), Javier Gomez ( silver medalist in the 2012 London Olympics in triathlon ), and Galen Rupp ( silver medalist in the 2012 London Olympics in the 10k on the track ), just to name a few. Now he wants to interview me, really! I just can't believe this is happening. I'am a huge fan of this show and now I am going to be on it. Bob said his staff would call me back in an hour and we would be on live. Sure enough, I got the call and the staff man says ok your on in one minute. Next I hear the intro music to the show that I have heard hundreds of times before, but this time it's me answering the questions. I was so excited, not to mention nervous. Next thing I knew Bob was introducing me to the listens and away we went. I will paste the link to the show as soon as it comes out on podcast, usually a few days.

To say I was up early would be an understatement. I had a wake up call for 3:30am, and I was biking at 3:55am. I am taking this heat serious, because it is. I don't think I will be camping until I get to cooler conditions. I would lose so much time breaking down camp, not to mention that I would be sweating all night. It was a very comfortable 70 degrees for the first 2 hours of biking, which was in almost total darkness. The moonlight did help and my eyes did adjust enough to see. This is the only, and I mean only way that I can continue riding. The afternoon heat can kill you if your not smart. I like it anyway, as I've always got up early. The plan is to be in a town in early afternoon, so I can still get a full day of riding in by leaving early. Once the sun rose at 6am I was treated to the beautiful scenery of the North Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area. This area is just rolling sand dunes as far as the eye can see. I assume they are formed by the wind. By 9:30am my bike computer read 100 degrees, and I was only halfway into my planned ride. I would have done fewer miles today, but there were no services to stop at closer than I did. That is the reason I left a 4am, as I knew it was going to be a long day. After the dunes, I rode next to the Chocolate Mountain Range for many miles. They are called the Chocolate Mountains due to their dark color. I came across a Border Patrol Station and met two officers on duty. They told me that many Mexicans get caught here with drugs. I hope those Mexicans are carrying water with those drugs in this heat. The guards filled up my water bottles and I bee-lined it for Blythe, CA as the temp read 107 on my bike computer. I was able to stop at Palo Verde which is no more than a ghost town, but they did have a very small market. I grabbed an ice cream and a gallon of water. I poured most of the water over my head and soaked my shirt and sunhat. Do you believe my shirt was bone dry in 5 minutes. I wheeled into town and quickly found a place to stay. I cleaned up but had business to do. I need to lose some gear. I am carrying way to much weight at 90 pounds. I walked the mile to the post office with my arms full of gear. I walked back 9.2 pounds lighter.

Photos: 6am Sunrise - North Algodones Dunes Wilderness Area - Chocolate Mountain Range

Day 3 - 39.75 miles - Brawley, CA

To beat the heat, I have a new plan to try today. I woke up at 4am and was packed up and on the road before 5am. Yes, it was still dark and no I don't have lights on my bike. I do have many reflectors on my bike so I can be seen. Ocotillo, the town I left from only has a population of 296 people and my route took me on old highway 80 so traffic was not a problem. Only 2 cars passed me before sunrise, just after 6am. When the 2 cars passed me I saw them coming and pulled off the road just to play it safe. No reason to take any chances. I was treated with an almost full moon that shined just enough light for me to see the road. Old highway 80 is in horrible shape with non-stop potholes, cracks, and just a rough pavement. So it was hairy doing this in the dark. Other than the terrible road surface my plan worked well. At 5am it was a very cool 70 degrees, and felt great compared to yesterday afternoon at 105 degrees. I was able to get across the remaining Yuha Desert before sun broke the horizon. Today's high in Brawley, CA is 103 degrees. I had arrived in Brawley by late morning and made the decision the play it smart and stop here for the night. I made this choice after looking over my maps only to see that the next town is Palo Verde, which is 70 miles away with the Palo Verde mountain range in between and no services. That will be tomorrow's ride. Years ago I would went for it and rode it today. I did have the time and daylight but 100 degrees is just ridiculous to cycle towing 90 pounds of gear. Tomorrow is another day. Although at this rate I might be singing Christmas carols before finishing this trip.

Photos - The Yuha Desert near Ocotillo, CA

Day 2 - 46.5 miles - Ocotillo, CA

I felt much better this morning. The plan for now has to be start early and finish early. I'm thinking sunrise or before. The temperature looks to be 100 degrees in this area for the next ten days. That worries me, but I just have to use my head and be smart. I started this morning in Pine Valley, CA. As I was saddling up, I notice hundreds of road bikers. I found out it was the San Diego Triathlon Club group ride. I had an amazing meeting with the Competitors Podcast co-host Bob Babbitt. He is a legend in the triathlon world. I listen to his podcast every week and know of him very well. So when he yelled out to me from the side of the road and I recognized his voice, I just had to ask, "Bob Babbitt "! Yes, he said in a surprised voice. I spun around and we talked and took photos. He said about calling me tomorrow for an interview on his podcast. He gets the very best of the best in the endurance world to interview. It would be amazing to be on the show. Then I had company the next 25 miles riding with two local riders who were also on the side of the road talking to Bob. I cycled into Jacumba, CA which was just feet from the Mexico Border and the huge fence that runs Along it. I saw a lot of border patrol officers on ATV's and trucks looking for illegals. I ended up talking to one officer and he told me that he arrests 5 to 6 Mexicans a day in just his area a day. I didn't see any Mexicans myself. Going westbound, I met "Bob" another touring cyclist who has come from Tampa, FL. Bob started on March 6th, and is going to San Diego with hopes of also riding the coast to Canada. When I arrived in the Jacumba, CA, I met "Kevin" who is also cycling to Florida. We talked awhile and had lunch together, then biked the next 20 miles together. Kevin is taking a more southern route than I am. We rode until Ocotillo, CA where I called it a day early because it is 105 degrees. I ended up in another cheap hotel tonight. Kevin pushed on another 30 miles where he was staying with someone he met on couchsurfers.com. I stopped at 2pm today but it is just to hot and not safe to cycle into the blazing afternoons here in the Yuha Dessert. Overall a far better day then yesterday. At least I don't feel sick to my stomach, dizzy, and dehydrated like yesterday. So it's early to bed, and early to rise.

Photos - Triathlon guru Bob Babbitt and I near Pine Valley, CA - In-Ko-Pah Gorge at 3,300' elevation near Ocotillo, CA

Day 1 - 60.6 miles - Pine Valley, CA

I biked an extra 7 miles this morning just to get to the start at Ocean Beach, also known as Dog Park. The first 5 miles followed a river with a bike path. Then it all changed. I climbed 4,000 feet in the 60.6 miles I pedaled today. The worst part, and what worries me most is the temperature. It reached 94 degrees today. It doesn't sound like the heat is going away. The long range forecast is not good. Highs between 97 and 101 degrees. I must be honest, this worries me. I have had issues in the past with cycling in extreme heat. In 1997, which was my first cross country trip. I got heat exhaustion and had to be rushed to the hospital by ambulance after passing out on a families front porch after they gave me 3 large glasses of ice water. Where this happened in 1997 is only a days ride from where I am now. I felt the signs of heat exhaustion this afternoon, but I was able to wobble myself to the very small town of Pine Valley. I arrived very weak, light headed and had many body aches. Not a good sign after just the first day. To be fair this is a very difficult place to start a bicycle tour due to the mountain range that sits just outside of San Diego. I knew this because I cycle this part twice before, once in 1997 and once in 2006. More climbing tomorrow, but I just hope it's better than today. Extremely hard day today!

Photo - "Mile 0" of the Southern Tier Bicycle Route at Ocean Beach Park in San Diego, CA

Old Town, Mission Beach, and La Jolla

I fit a lot into my last day in San Diego. I used the bus to get around today. My first stop was Old Town San Diego. Lots of history about the city many years ago. My 2nd stop was Mission Beach. The first thing to catch my eye was the roller coaster in Belmont Park. I'm not a huge roller coaster fan but I did it anyway. It was very mild by today's roller coasters but it was the old wooded style, the kind that feel as though it might come unattached. I walked from Mission Beach to Pacific Beach along the cool water. No wonder those surfers had wetsuits on. Not as cold as Marshfield's beaches but still quite cold. I hopped the bus again and got off in La Jolla. The same place I had dinner with Kevin and Ann last night. The bus was headed that way so I got off for another look around. One thing I did notice is that everyone is active here. Maybe it's the weather, but people are always walking, running, biking, skateboarding, surfing, or playing soccer in the many parks they have here. It rained hard early this morning but cleared up to be a warm sunny day. To much sun, I need Bonnie here to make me use sunscreen.

My first day of Cycle 4 Cancer is tomorrow morning. I will bike from my hotel in downtown to what I call mile 0, which is at Ocean Beach. I will update this website whenever I have a wifi connection. I am using my new iPad mini and its working well so far. My next post will be from the road.

La Jolla with Kevin and Ann Hunt

It was a real highlight to meet up with Kevin and Ann Hunt. Kevin is Bonnie's cousin and Ann is his wife. I have met Kevin several times before, but had not met Ann. What a treat this was for me. Kevin picked me up at my hotel after he finished work and he wanted to show me a new area outside the city limits. We drove to La Jolla, (about 15 minutes) just in time to see the sunset and hundreds of seals. In this part of La Jolla you are high above the sea with just amazing views into the Pacific. To say La Jolla is upscale is an understatement. Kevin knew of a Mexican restaurant that he and Ann had been to before. So after we got seated, Ann joined us. It was a pleasure meeting her for the first time. With Kevin's advise I choose the fish tacos and it was a great choice. With good food and great conversation the time flew by. Kevin generously picked up the check and Ann let me in on a Korean tradition. In Korea it is an honor to pick up the check, and even fought over among the men. It was a night I will remember for a long time. Kevin and Ann, I say thank you for treating me so kindly and I appreciate your generosity. I can only hope this is the start of the kindness I will experience throughout my journey across America.

San Diego Zoo

The one thing I wanted to do while I'm in San Diego was to go to the zoo. I did that today. My bike wasn't here this morning so I walked to the zoo. Everything is close to my hotel, which makes it easy. I spent most of the day at the zoo. I have never seen a zoo so big. You name it they have it. I even took the sky tram ride from one end of the zoo to the other, and a guided bus tour of the park.

Padres vs Brewers at Petco Park

I wasted no time getting to a San Diego Padres game. A 20 minute walk from my hotel and I was buying a ticket for tonight's baseball game at Petco Park. The Brewers beat the Padres 6-3. It's a lot different here compared to Boston and the Red Sox. Petco Park was at most a quarter full. It was nice to be able to walk up to the ticket counter the day of the game and get a good seat for a fair price. I bought a grandstand seat here for $16.

San Diego

I arrived in San Diego this afternoon. The weather was so nice and I had been sitting all day, so I decided to walk the 2 miles from the airport to my hotel. What a great city San Diego is, The bad news is, my bike is not here. It hasn't arrived yet. It is in Vernon, CA now which is near LA. I hope it arrives tomorrow. I have a lot of work to do putting it together.

Dad - "I'll be back soon"

My Wife "Bonnie" and I went on a walk with my dad today. My dad likes to cruise at high speed so I came up with a solution. His power wheelchair pulled Bonnie and I all around his neighborhood using this skateboard. We all had a fun day. I will miss you while I'm away. I'll be back soon. Love you. I depart for San Diego on Tuesday morning for the start of "Cycle 4 Cancer".

Signs

To my delight, my sister-in-laws father ( Jerry Manning ) has offered to make me these signs. I am not sure if I will ride with it attached to my bike or wait until I stop and take breaks. It's another way to bring attention to the cause and a great conversation starter. Jerry, thank you for all the help you have given.

Packed Up

All packed up. I covered this entire bike box with clear shipping tape because I have had issues in the past that the box broke apart during shipping and items were missing. I even added two string handles so that it's easier to pick up. Then I brought this to my local UPS store. It weighed in at 68.8 pounds. One and a half pounds from it's shipping limit. The bad news was that because the top wouldn't close completely ( about one inch off ), they charged me a crazy fee. I wasn't so happy about that but it beats flying with it and all the hassles of the airports theses days. The bike is set to arrive at the hotel in San Diego the same day as I do. My fingers are crossed.

Packing Up

One week until departure. It was time to disassemble my bike and squeeze it into that bike box that's in the left of the photo. It would be fine if it were just the bike I had to put into the box. It's all of the camping gear and extra bike parts that make it a very tight fit. To make this work I must take off the pedals, seat, handlebar, and the wheels. Then I hope it arrives in San Diego in one piece and that I can put everything back together.

My Kitchen

Don't laugh, I'm serious here. This going to be my kitchen for the next few months. Top left to right clockwise: I have a bear canister. I don't think many bear roam the deep south, but I am sick of those raccoons, squirrels, and mice that love to get your food at night. No animal should be able to get into this. Plus it will make a nice camp seat. My cook pot, just big enough to make soup, pasta, instant potatoes, and tea. Heet, is a dry gas for automobiles but it also burns well. This will be my fuel for my stove. My stove which is pictured just below the bottle of Heet, is made from a cat food can and I just punched holes in the sides for air ventilation. A lighter to start the stove. A jackknife for multiple reasons, one being to cut up vegetables to add to my dinners. Last of all, my spoon. I said "don't laugh". So next time your home cooking a large Sunday dinner for the family, think twice before saying "this kitchen is so small, we need a bigger one".

Business Cards

My latest idea, "business cards" with all the information needed to donate to the NBCF. I will pass these out to people I meet along the route. I did the same thing in 2006 when I did a ride for Multiple Sclerosis and it worked well.

Loaded Test Ride

I was lucky to have a beautiful day to test out my loading bike. It weighed in at 80 pounds without food and water. Pretty much what I was expecting. Then I took it for a ride and it was trouble free. I leave for San Diego two weeks from today.

The Southern Tier Bicycle Route

Southern Tier

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This is the Southern Tier Bicycle Route that I will be taking. Adventure Cycling Association puts out maps for bicyclist with routes crossing all of America. These are very detailed maps with all the information you need as a touring cyclist. I have been a member and supported Adventure Cycling for over 20 years. Bonnie and I used Adventure Cycling's maps in 2008 when we cycled the Northern Tier Route from Washington State to Maine. I also used their maps in 2009 during my California to Colorado tour. Check out their website at www.adventurecycling.com.

New Ride

My new ride "Koga Miyata World Traveller". I bought this bike in 2006 for my Alaska to Mexico tour, but ended up using a different bike. So this top of the line touring bike will make it's Maiden Voyage in two weeks. I took it out today for a test ride unloaded and it felt great. Next comes a loaded test ride with all my camping gear and equipment. I will then weigh the bike loaded. I expect 90 to 100 pounds with gear, food, and water. It won't be easy climbing across the Rockies with this weight. Emory Pass is the highest point on this route at 8,228 feet in New Mexico. I better get into shape quick!

Gear Explosion

I am gearing up for my upcoming bicycle tour across the country. In just over two weeks I will be flying out to San Diego, California with my bike and all of this equipment. Hard to believe that I will be living on the road for over two months with just the items shown in the photo above. I have learned over the years to pack light, as it makes a huge difference in handling the bike. Next step, loading up the bike for a test ride.