THE FINISH LINE - BROWNS COVE, BRISTOL, MAINE
I had great couple of nights at my brother's and sister-in-law's. Most of the time was spent visiting and catching up. Syd (my niece) and her two children were there which was a bonus. Tuesday I visited my mom in rehab in Portland. She is making a slow and steady recovery from her hip fracture. Wednesday morning came, time for the final push to the finish line.
I left Paul & Nancy's and went to the little kicker's soccer practice for Lindsay's (Sydney's sister) kids. Small doses of "new" things is a part of my reentry process. After practice I crossed the Kennebec River bridge in Bath before getting onto back roads from Bath to Wiscassett. The backroad traffic was minimal in part due to road construction so the ride was great!
Bath Iron Works, a naval contractor.
Woolwich Town Hall
Wiscassett to Damariscotta was on busy Route 1, but the shoulder was wide and the distance short. I needed to pick up a gift at local distillery on RT 1, courtesy of friends at Gray & Osborne! Thank you! Next town Damariscotta, the local "metropolis" for us.
Damariscotta
As I was crossing the bridge my sister called. She and my brother-in-law were in town, and tracking me on my Garmin. We had a lovely lunch together on the river waterfront. On to the bike for the last 10 mile push. My Garmin (Ralph) went "dark". No more communication between Ralph & Alice (RidewithGPS on my phone).
The finish line
The greeting party
The Wheel dip
The Swim
The Conclusion
The sermon on the Deck
The view from where I will be for the next couple of months
The Final 500 video link
Lessons learned:
- With few exceptions everyone I met was kind, considerate and nice. This trip renewed my faith that we all have much more in common than not. This trip renewed my hope that the USA is fundamentally a good place full of good people.
- Unplugging from politics was wonderful and a great stress reducer. (Maybe we could send the political talking heads out into the countryside, unplug them, and the USA would be better off.)
- I lived on my bike for 2 1/2 months. We really don't need all the things we think we need. I started with about 40 lbs of gear. I shed about 10 lbs in Missoula and did not miss it at all.
- A good bike and GREAT TIRES, are essential. I have a Surly disc-trucker, and once I got new tires in Montana (an upgrade from the stock tires that came with the bike) I had zero flats.
To all of those who supported me on this trip, thank you. You support kept me going. To all of you who rode with me, thanks for keeping me going. To my wife, Nancy, your unflagging support, especially when I had my doubts, kept me going. Thank you for having faith in my ability to complete this trip, even when I did not.
Last plea for donations. As of this writing I have raised $9,175 for the Granite Falls Food Bank. If you have not contributed, now is your last chance. I would love to get the donations into the 5 figure range, i.e. $10,000 or more. Thank you for your support. Links below.
By the numbers:
Number of States - 13 - Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.
Dist 38.8 miles
Elev Gain 2,528 ft
Elev Loss 2, 607 ft
Moving Time 3:22
Total Dist 3,955.3
Total Elev Gain 114,352
Total Elev Loss 112,688 (I guess the Atlantic Ocean is higher than the Pacific)
Total Moving Time 323:43
Total Pedal Revolutions 970,840 (estimated)
(Based on 60 RPM and some coasting - 3000 rev/hr)
Congratulations, Warren! This is a great accomplishment as I can testify from personal experience. We too found virtually everyone kind and welcoming. Like yours our ride was predominantly rural. I suspect most of the poeple we met would not have agreed with our trio politically, but we never talked about that and just enjoyed hospitality and getting to know people. Random acts of kindness were frequent, like a motel owner offering to do our laundry at no charge, and a farmer riding up to us in Kansas to bring us some lost gloves. He leans out the window of his pickup, "Are these yours?" We both could pile up examples. Most people out there are good. Goodness exists and is not hidden.
ReplyDeleteAnd more mundane but equally important: Tires. Before we left, a friend at my bike shop advised replacing the stock tires with Schwalbe Marathon Plus. I took his advice and had no flats the entire trip. My buddies did not fare as well. And the Surly is a premium touring bike. I still think that is the best of the lot, and it isn't expensive.
Most of all, the crown of your achievement is that you rode every mile. That is something you will always be proud of and should be.
I look forward to your return, unless you get a job welding at the Bath Iron Works.
Congratulations from the 4 of us! Wanted to share our happiness with you at the distance but close by heart. We’ve been following you and are so glad you could do such a wonderful trip.
ReplyDeleteone for the memory book - sounds like you could also do a retirement gig as poster boy/spokes person for the bike tire that finally saw you through the rest of the country. Congrats! How satisfying.
ReplyDeleteWarren, I just read your whole blog in one sitting and my face hurts from smiling the whole time. We've been watching the Tour de France stages we recorded and what you have done is like at least double that, it's truly amazing. I can imagine how gratifying it must feel for you now. Thank you for sharing this blog - it was educational, funny, and heartening. I appreciate your first two lessons learned more than if I hadn't read your blog and it's what we all need to hear/remember. You are such a friendly and extroverted person that your stories of chatting up strangers everywhere are no surprise, but especially appreciated by an introvert like myself. This is just so cool, and and inspiring! Thank you and CONGRATULATIONS!
ReplyDeleteHope we see you again soon, enjoy your rest.
All the best,
Daylin
Wow, you made it! At least three Schulkins have followed your blog all the way across the country, and we're so awed by your accomplishment. Enjoy the next few months - you certainly deserve a chance to relax!
ReplyDelete