From Woodstock to Trinity

Here is my first blog from the road. I tried getting on last night but Gayle's computer, which she graciously has offered to let me use, was not picking up the signal.
So at this point I've made it through two 130+ days. They went well. I rode with Ralph both days. Yesterday we cruised along with wonderful temperatures. The landscape was very pretty Wisconsin dairy country. Pretty little farms tucked in among green hills. To me it looks a little like the Middleearth Hobbit shire.

It is a very interesting experience riding with 150 people who know each other fairly well, have their routines and alegiances solidly in place. Life just swirls around you and you either join in ot you miss it. Everyone is making a great effort to be good and welcoming, but there is a learning curve to this.

Today's ride was more challenging, not because the riding was longer or harder, but because the route was hard to follow. Specifically we spent nearly 3 hours on the Fox River Trail a bike path that runs north to south down the western suburbs of Chicago. What was hard was that the path branches in places and you had to guess which fork to take. It also breaks in places where you need to cross to the other side of the river, ride through some city streets, and pick up the spore of the trail at wherever you can find it. Ralph and I made it the whole length with lots of stopping and puzzling things out. Many did not. It's almost 5 and not everyone is in yet. A number of folks I have spoken with lost the trail and then just headed out on the streets and highways and made their way over land. One person losty the trail stopped at a gas station for a map of Chicago, and figured his route out that way. Hope everyone makes it in, but it might be tough for sweep and the sag wagons to find everyone.

After getting off the bike path, we had long strectches of busy highway to negotiate. I felt strong so I asked Ralph if it would be OK to let 'er rip the last few miles in. He was OK with that, so I just flew in. My guess is at an average of 35k/hr. Lots of fun. Tomorrow is a very short day so I so thought I could afford it.

Oh, one other thing -- what a hoot: There is a real premium in camp on getting up early and getting going - especially in the older post 40 set shall we say. The posted time for breakfast is 6:30 but many people are done with breakfast by 6:00. So I went to bed last night as darkness fell, all keyed up to get up at 5 like a good dooby.
After sleeping for what seemed like a long time,I woke up. I felt pretty rested and there was this orange glow on the east side of my tent. So I figure it was morning. It's very quiet in camp so I figure I am getting a good head start on eveyone, great. I check the clock on my cell phone. Shucks, its not working: it says it is 11:30 pm. Oh well, get packed up, roll up my sleeping bag and my mattress, get dressed in my cycling clothes bundle everything in my duffle bag and zip open the tent. I stick my head out and its pretty dark, and no one is moving at all, wierd. Let me check my cel clock again. 11:45 that can't be right. I look out again for the orange glow. On the highschool wall are these big orange cvoured lights I had not noticed before I went to bed. And the sky is good and dark. And no one is stirring. AT ALL. Only then did it dawn on me that it actually was before midnight.
So I settled back down determined not to unpack everthing and just sleepthe night in my clothes . I kind of fell alseep for a bit and woke up cold, so I hauled out my sleeping bag. 12:30. Later I woke again and the ground was feeling pretty hard. Haul out my mattress, blow it up. Then I finally fell asleep till morning: 5:10.
Despite these self-inflicted trials, I had a great day riding and we are now here at Trinity College in Palos Heights where the welcome has been really great. Even though I am only two days in I did laundry because I have worn all my Sea to sea togs and wanted them clean and because its free and I'm Dutch.

There is a lot more to say, but this is what I can get done for now. On Monday Marg (my wife) rode along the tour ad coaught up with Ralph and I just as we were pulling in to Woodstock. She took some pictures which we will post soon.