my way through the Ohio River valley
Day 63 - 8/16/06
Started: Dale, IN
Stopped: New Albany, IN
Today's Miles: 87.77
Total Miles: 3531.15
Today's Total Ascent: 4098
Today's Total Descent: 4521
The trailer was working again this morning, and the ride felt smoother than it had in a long time. I don't know if it really was smoother, but psychologically I felt at ease. The weather was wonderful, my body felt good from the day off, and it was nice to be on the road again. Starting from Dale, I wasn't now on the ADT, and I didn't really want to ride south again to Santa Claus. I took 62 to St. Meinrad, where there is a beautiful abbey and seminary, and where the highway intersects the ADT. From there the ADT follows hiking trails into Hoosier State Forest. There isn't a clearly defined bike alternative, but I could have followed a winding route through the Forest; instead, I continued on 62 to Leavenworth and on toward Corydon. I have mild regrets about taking this route directly through because it really was incredibly beautiful, and I can only imagine that to ride even deeper in the forest would be even more beautiful. But I have no complaints about riding 62. The road was in great condition, and the traffic was refreshingly light. In most places trees shaded the road, often I was riding beside water, and it really was a fantastic day of riding.
After about 15 miles the ride started to feel a little less smooth. It felt like the trailer was shimmying, and I thought it was a problem with the right wheel (not the one I had replaced in Dale). We stopped the bike, and I checked it out. I couldn't find a problem, so we kept going. It wasn't until we stopped about ten miles further down the road, in Sulphur, that I realized the left wheel on the trailer had gone flat. I hate changing the trailer wheels because they aren't quick release. It requires pulling out the wrench is a little bit of a process. Anyway, I pulled out the tube, found the leak, realized it couldn't easily be patched, and replaced it with a new tube. The ride continued to be relaxing and scenic.
Leavenworth is a cute little town with sweeping views over the Ohio River into Kentucky. We stopped here to grab a sandwich at the general store, and I had a nice meal on the lawn out front. This was the least expensive sandwich with the most meat that I've had on the trip, and the Leavenworth General Store is charming. I recommend stopping there. Several locals came by and asked about the trip. Things were great until, ready to hit the road again, I discovered that the left rear trailer tire was flat again. So again we took the bike apart, this time to patch the tube. Fortunately, the ride had been so nice, people so friendly, and the weather so agreeable that I was still in high spirits. This puncture was in an entirely different place than the first, and I don't actually know that they were related. But the patch took, and we didn't have any more problems with the tire.
Coming out of Leavenworth, I could have taken the Old Forest Road through the Harrison-Crawford Woods, shadowing the Adventure Hiking Trail. Again, I am sure it would be gorgeous, but there the Old Forest Road intersects highway 62 the pavement was rough and cracked. It would have been nearly as bad as riding gravel. The racks on the back were still precariously secured, and I was enjoying 62 so much that it didn't seem necessary. I continued into Corydon on the highway. There I stopped at the Old Capition Bicycle Shop to have my racks re-secured. The owner was wonderful. He helped me replace the necessary bolts, gave me a free tube to replace the one I'd used that morning, and shared with me a bit about his own cross country ride several years ago. He was excited to hear some of the details of the trip, and I had a great time visiting with him. And leaving it was wonderful to feel like my bike was whole again. Here I did rejoin the official ADT, riding backroads through Bridgeport and north to New Albany.
Day 64 - 8/17/06
Started: New Albany, IN
Stopped: Manville, IN
Today's Miles: 76.45
Total Miles: 3607.60
Today's Total Ascent: 2805
Today's Total Descent: 3125
Today was a little muggy, but the temperature was great again. We traveled north from New Albany to Henryville and Underwood, before turning east. In Henryville we were stopped briefly by a man interested to hear about the project. But he was conscious that we wanted to ride in the cool morning temperatures, and we kept our comments short. We rode east through Lexington, Chelsea, and Saluda. The roads were more windy than reflected in the maps, and we have started to encounter some longer and steeper climbs than through most of the midwest. We rode through Hanover and took a quick tour of Hanover College, then rolled into Madison in the early evening.
In Madison I stopped in a Deli to ask about places I might stay. There I met David and Ronda G___. Ronda had seen me on the road earlier in the day, and they invited me to join them for dinner. Over the meal they invited me to stay at their home in Manville, about ten miles further on my route. So we parted to meet again about an hour later.
There isn't much to Manville. There's a grocery store, but David says it is never open. David and Ronda live a mile and a half down a dirt road on a 205-acre farm. They have two dogs, several goats, a wild Turkey and who knows what other animals. David is restoring 7 acres of the land to tall grass prairie, and he wants ultimately to keep some bison on the land. They are restoring their old farmhouse themselves. Apparently they bought it quite recently. It had been uninhabited for 15 years, and they found it full of snakes, rats, and other critters. They are in the midst of slowly remodeling, and it looks like it. There are exposed beams in several walls, floors are unfinished, and there is just "stuff" everywhere. But it looks like an exciting and ambitious project.
Day 65 - 8/18/06
Started: Manville, IN
Stopped: Covington, KY
Today's Miles: 82.97
Total Miles: 3690.57
Today's Total Ascent: 3525
Today's Total Descent: 3500
Wow, this day was muggy, muggy, muggy. But it was another beautiful one. Almost all day was spent on small roads in the Ohio River Valley. Lots of ups and downs on small, tree-lined roads beside farms and small rivers. It was really wonderful until the approach to Aurora on the highway, which was a little more stressful with traffic and a small shoulder. After Lawrenceburg I jumped back onto the backroads to cross into Ohio and rode roughly parallel to the river to the Anderson Ferry, a very small river ferry, which took me into Kentucky.
I stayed last night with a woman named Ronda, an ex-jockey, now pharmacy student who has been more than gracious. Last night we ate dinner with some friends of hers nearby who made an excellent salad and little pizza-like pastries, the name for which I won't try to spell. We had great conversation, and I have felt very at home. Coltrane spent last night playing with Ronda's 6-pound dog and the friends' Great Dane puppy.
I've had time now to post at least the balance of the Colorado pictures. Sorry about the lag, but I think there are some good ones there...
Started: Dale, IN
Stopped: New Albany, IN
Today's Miles: 87.77
Total Miles: 3531.15
Today's Total Ascent: 4098
Today's Total Descent: 4521
The trailer was working again this morning, and the ride felt smoother than it had in a long time. I don't know if it really was smoother, but psychologically I felt at ease. The weather was wonderful, my body felt good from the day off, and it was nice to be on the road again. Starting from Dale, I wasn't now on the ADT, and I didn't really want to ride south again to Santa Claus. I took 62 to St. Meinrad, where there is a beautiful abbey and seminary, and where the highway intersects the ADT. From there the ADT follows hiking trails into Hoosier State Forest. There isn't a clearly defined bike alternative, but I could have followed a winding route through the Forest; instead, I continued on 62 to Leavenworth and on toward Corydon. I have mild regrets about taking this route directly through because it really was incredibly beautiful, and I can only imagine that to ride even deeper in the forest would be even more beautiful. But I have no complaints about riding 62. The road was in great condition, and the traffic was refreshingly light. In most places trees shaded the road, often I was riding beside water, and it really was a fantastic day of riding.
After about 15 miles the ride started to feel a little less smooth. It felt like the trailer was shimmying, and I thought it was a problem with the right wheel (not the one I had replaced in Dale). We stopped the bike, and I checked it out. I couldn't find a problem, so we kept going. It wasn't until we stopped about ten miles further down the road, in Sulphur, that I realized the left wheel on the trailer had gone flat. I hate changing the trailer wheels because they aren't quick release. It requires pulling out the wrench is a little bit of a process. Anyway, I pulled out the tube, found the leak, realized it couldn't easily be patched, and replaced it with a new tube. The ride continued to be relaxing and scenic.
Leavenworth is a cute little town with sweeping views over the Ohio River into Kentucky. We stopped here to grab a sandwich at the general store, and I had a nice meal on the lawn out front. This was the least expensive sandwich with the most meat that I've had on the trip, and the Leavenworth General Store is charming. I recommend stopping there. Several locals came by and asked about the trip. Things were great until, ready to hit the road again, I discovered that the left rear trailer tire was flat again. So again we took the bike apart, this time to patch the tube. Fortunately, the ride had been so nice, people so friendly, and the weather so agreeable that I was still in high spirits. This puncture was in an entirely different place than the first, and I don't actually know that they were related. But the patch took, and we didn't have any more problems with the tire.
Coming out of Leavenworth, I could have taken the Old Forest Road through the Harrison-Crawford Woods, shadowing the Adventure Hiking Trail. Again, I am sure it would be gorgeous, but there the Old Forest Road intersects highway 62 the pavement was rough and cracked. It would have been nearly as bad as riding gravel. The racks on the back were still precariously secured, and I was enjoying 62 so much that it didn't seem necessary. I continued into Corydon on the highway. There I stopped at the Old Capition Bicycle Shop to have my racks re-secured. The owner was wonderful. He helped me replace the necessary bolts, gave me a free tube to replace the one I'd used that morning, and shared with me a bit about his own cross country ride several years ago. He was excited to hear some of the details of the trip, and I had a great time visiting with him. And leaving it was wonderful to feel like my bike was whole again. Here I did rejoin the official ADT, riding backroads through Bridgeport and north to New Albany.
Day 64 - 8/17/06
Started: New Albany, IN
Stopped: Manville, IN
Today's Miles: 76.45
Total Miles: 3607.60
Today's Total Ascent: 2805
Today's Total Descent: 3125
Today was a little muggy, but the temperature was great again. We traveled north from New Albany to Henryville and Underwood, before turning east. In Henryville we were stopped briefly by a man interested to hear about the project. But he was conscious that we wanted to ride in the cool morning temperatures, and we kept our comments short. We rode east through Lexington, Chelsea, and Saluda. The roads were more windy than reflected in the maps, and we have started to encounter some longer and steeper climbs than through most of the midwest. We rode through Hanover and took a quick tour of Hanover College, then rolled into Madison in the early evening.
In Madison I stopped in a Deli to ask about places I might stay. There I met David and Ronda G___. Ronda had seen me on the road earlier in the day, and they invited me to join them for dinner. Over the meal they invited me to stay at their home in Manville, about ten miles further on my route. So we parted to meet again about an hour later.
There isn't much to Manville. There's a grocery store, but David says it is never open. David and Ronda live a mile and a half down a dirt road on a 205-acre farm. They have two dogs, several goats, a wild Turkey and who knows what other animals. David is restoring 7 acres of the land to tall grass prairie, and he wants ultimately to keep some bison on the land. They are restoring their old farmhouse themselves. Apparently they bought it quite recently. It had been uninhabited for 15 years, and they found it full of snakes, rats, and other critters. They are in the midst of slowly remodeling, and it looks like it. There are exposed beams in several walls, floors are unfinished, and there is just "stuff" everywhere. But it looks like an exciting and ambitious project.
Day 65 - 8/18/06
Started: Manville, IN
Stopped: Covington, KY
Today's Miles: 82.97
Total Miles: 3690.57
Today's Total Ascent: 3525
Today's Total Descent: 3500
Wow, this day was muggy, muggy, muggy. But it was another beautiful one. Almost all day was spent on small roads in the Ohio River Valley. Lots of ups and downs on small, tree-lined roads beside farms and small rivers. It was really wonderful until the approach to Aurora on the highway, which was a little more stressful with traffic and a small shoulder. After Lawrenceburg I jumped back onto the backroads to cross into Ohio and rode roughly parallel to the river to the Anderson Ferry, a very small river ferry, which took me into Kentucky.
I stayed last night with a woman named Ronda, an ex-jockey, now pharmacy student who has been more than gracious. Last night we ate dinner with some friends of hers nearby who made an excellent salad and little pizza-like pastries, the name for which I won't try to spell. We had great conversation, and I have felt very at home. Coltrane spent last night playing with Ronda's 6-pound dog and the friends' Great Dane puppy.
I've had time now to post at least the balance of the Colorado pictures. Sorry about the lag, but I think there are some good ones there...
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