3-wheels Across America
Conrad Evans has cerebral palsy. On 31 July 1999, at 26 years old, Conrad flew to San Francisco to undertake the challenge of cycling, on his specially adapted tricycle, from coast to coast of the USA. Starting in San Francisco, he cycled the 550 miles up the coast of California to Florence, near Eugene, Oregon on the Pacific coast, to commence his 4,000-mile ride, to Yorktown, Virginia on the eastern seaboard. He intends to take around 85 days to complete the USA coast to coast journey (plus 20 maintenance and rest days). The route takes in 10 States and climbs over the Rockies, to a height of over 11,500 feet.
California, July & August 1999
Friday, 30 July, San Francisco, CA
Conrad has started his journey. The first e-mail report arrived today and said that he had safely arrived in San Francisco.from Heathrow via new York, JFK on American Airlines. Unfortunately his sleeping bag had safely arrived in Miami.Anyway his trike is in storage at the airport and he plans to collect it on Sunday. Apparently the only west coast destination that he could arrange at short notice was San Francisco.
1. Monday, 2 August, Samuel P. Taylor State Park, CA (15/15 miles2
This park is just north of San Francisco, over the Golden Gate bridge, near Muir Woods.It appears that the plans have changed and that Conrad has now cycled across the Golden Gate bridge and is cycling northwards toward Oregon. Unfortunately his sleeping bag had safely arrived in Miami.Anyway his trike is in storage at the airport and he plans to collect it on Sunday. Apparently the only west coast destination that he could arrange at short notice was San Francisco.
2. Tuesday, 3 August, Bodega Bay, CA (52/67 miles)
Bodega Bay is hugged by the coast of Sonoma, south of the Russian River in Sonoma County and north of the Marin County line, less than 60 miles north of San Francisco.Today, the harbor is a popular fishing and clamming area. Due to its mild climate and variety of habitats, the harbor attracts shorebirds and waterfowl in great numbers and diversity. The area also attracts migrating Monarch butterflies in autumn.
3. Wednesday, 4 August, Manchester State Park, CA (59/126 miles)
No news.
4. Thursday, 5 August, Mac Kerricher SP, Ft Bragg, CA (43/169 miles)
Conrad phoned Florida at 7pm EST with an update. All is well, but he is battling a headwind. He said that a racoon had raided his bag and taken lots of things out. He was now storing food in wooden boxes attached to the picnic tables in the state park . I think he mailed a parcel to Florida today. It contained parts of a stove he doesn’t need.The largest fishing port between San Francisco and Eureka is located at Fort Bragg. Noyo Harbor is a working port with a fleet of commercial fishing
boats that harvest salmon, albacore, black cod, bottom fish, crab and urchins.
It is home to the internationally recognized Mendocino Botanical Gardens with its extensive collection of rhododendrons and other plants that thrive in a coastal environment.
5. Friday, 6 August, Standish Hickey SP, Eggett, CA (45/214 miles)
It rained today.
6. Saturday, 7 August, Avenue of Giants, Weott, CA (45/259 miles)
Conrad had lunch at Garberville and called Florida. He continued to the Avenue of the Giants. He met lots of people including Phil. Quote of the day from Conrad “Feeling good and getting up the hills OK. Coastline great.”
7. Sunday, 8 August, Arcata,CA (52/311 miles)
Invited to camp overnight on Bill & Nancy’s front lawn and had the use of a washing machine. One day he broke a spoke but was able to find a shop to get a replacemnt. He is now looking for a shop where he can re-align the wheel.(Probably not until Eugene OR.)
8. Monday, 9 August, Prairie Creek SP, CA (50/361 miles)
Conrad saw lots of elk as he was cycling through this park. He had an exciting time at a camp site somewher when he lost control of his liquid gas cooking stove and set a picnic table on fire. Fortunately he was able to put it out before he set the forrest on fire. He now understands the stove and is confident that he will have no more problems. He enjoyed a sign “A fed bear is a dead bear.” He hasn’t seen any bears. I think Conrad mailed a second parcel today to Florida. This one contains two films.
California Pictures
Film 1 and Film 2
Oregon, August 1999
9. Monday, 10 August, Harris Beach, OR (51/412 miles)
Great achievement today he crossed the California state line into Oregon. He met someone today who had cycled across the USA and received a lot of encouragement. He told him not to worry about falling behind schedule as he can make it up on the boring prairies.,
10. Wednesday, 11 August, Humbug Mountain State Park, OR.(48/460 miles)
First full day in Oregon. Conrad called Florida at 7pm EDT from Gold Beach, CA. All is well. He is enjoying himself a lot as he now feels that he is getting into a routine. He says he generally buys one meal a day and cooks one meal a day. He enjoys breakfast with lots of coffee in the diners. No traffic problems so far. As it is only 4pm local time he intends to continue on to the state park to camp. He has sampled a few Coors beers but is not impressed.
11. Thursday, 12 August, Sunset Bay State Park, OR.(55/515 miles)
Conrad walked into a “puddle” at night and got wet up to his middle. He left his clothes out overnight to dry but it rained! ( This puddle was also described as a small pond by the path and he has no idea how he ended up in it! I do not think that alcohol was involved!)
12. Friday, 13 August, Honeyman State Park, Florence , OR.(48/563 miles)
Happy Birthday
It is Conrad’s 26th birthday today. Unfortunately he will not be getting many birthday cards.He did some washing in a laundromat and is now sweet smelling and clean. Some of the wildlife seen so far has included osprey’s, turkey vultures, a bald eagle and chipmunks.
13. Saturday, 14 August, Eugene, OR.(61/624 miles)
It is 72 deg F, humidity 43% and the forecast is warmer weather. Went through a road tunnel. You press a button at the start and lights flash to warn motorists that a cyclist is in the tunnel. Staying in a $38 a night motel for two nights- with the luxury of a TV. Discovered that Eugene is the home of Nike. He met a guy called Paul who works for The Register-Guard (the local newspaper)and he is going to try and get them to do a feature. They met in a bar and then adjorned to a micro-brewery. Today was the first day that it rained while he was cycling. All rain up to now had been overnight. Conrad is looking out for other cyclists who are going coast to coast now that he is on the official route. Today he only saw one cyclist and he was going the other way.
14. Sunday, 15 August, Eugene, OR.(0/624 miles)
Received an e-mail from Conrad at 5pm EDT and a phone call at 6:15pm EDT. He is having a rest day at Eugene,OR. He is a little disapointed that so many places are closed on Sunday. He has decided not to have any more rest days on Sunday. He is concerned that he is 8 days behind schedule. He is grateful for all the e-mail he received from The Bucks Herald and Mix-96.He is aware that there is a lot of climbing ahead to get over the Mckenzie pass. At some point he had a puncture and had to replace the inner-tube. Unfortunately the bike shops were closed on Sunday. He will stay around Eugene on Monday morning to contact the Register-Guard and visit a bike shop to buy an inner tube and some lights. He realises that he is leaving civilizarion behind in Eugene. No more large towns for many days. By Tuesday he expects to be in semi-desert and he will be carrying 4 litres of water.
15. Monday, 16 August, McKenzie Bridge, OR.(60/684 miles)
Still not received either of Conrad’s parcels. This web site is getting more popular. It typically gets 2 or 3 hits a day but there were 7 hits today. He spoke with the Register-Guard but they were not too interested as Conrad had no supporting evidence of what he was doing. Also it would be more of a story when he nears the end of the journey.He bought an innertube but decided against buying any lights. he decided he didn’t rally need them until Montana!!
16. Tuesday, 17 August, Sisters City Park, OR.(42/726 miles)
The McKenzie pass was 22 miles long and slow. Very beautiful with the lava flows on the top and snow on the pass. The Three Sisters mountains were covered in snow and were fantastic. Conrad met two guys, one called Brian, going other way and camped in the city park of sisters.
17. Wednesday, 18 August, Ochoco Lake SP, Prineville, OR.(52/778 miles)
No news today.
18. Thursday, 19 August, Lion's Club, Mitchell, OR. (39/817 miles)
Received a call from Conrad at 2:30pm EDT. All is well. He has met another cyclist who is heading to the Atlantic and although they are not cyling together they keep meeting. It is in the 90sF again. He has been taking lots of pictures but he is not in any of them. I reminded him to get other people to take pictures of him and his bike and something of local interest! Conrad is sleeping very well in his tent and in fact prefers it to the motel He has no physical problems with aching muscles or anything. Evrything is just going well. The road he is travelling on is a regular two lane highway without much of a shoulder. There is not a lot of traffic but it is reasonably constant throughout the day. Conrad really liked this small town. The people, especially the kids, were very friendly. It was small, 2 motels, 2 stores and a cafe!!
I discovered that Conrad had sent his parcels to 19804 rather than 19824 Wyndham Lakes Drive. I checked with the Post Office but they did not have the parcels but they said they would keep a look out for them.
19. Friday, 20 August, Presbyterian Church, Dayville, OR.(45/862 miles)
No news today. Population of Dayville is 185 and Conrad will be camping in the city park. Today I registered this web site with a number of search engines, Lycos, Yahoo, Alta Vista, Infoseek and Webcrawler. A group of 11 on an adventure cycling tour from Virginia stayed , with Conrad, in the church. They were too organized (regimented) for Conrad’s taste.
20. Saturday, 21 August, Dixie Pass, OR.(53/915 miles)
Clear 81 deg F, wind 17 mph. Conrad’s parcels with the films have still not arrived. Conrad was going to stay overnight in Prairie City but kept going up to Dixie Pass campground at an Altitude of 5,277ft. He woke up at 2am with a nose bleed and it stopped. However when he woke at 7:30am he was covered in blood as it had started again. He believes this is due to the altitude.
21. Sunday, 22 August, Baker City, OR.(72/987 miles)
By camping at Dixie Pass and having a long day today he avoided staying overnight in Sumpter and arrived in Baker City having saved a day. He is travelling with a guy named Brian from New Orleans. Although they don’t cycle together they have been meeting up each night at the camp sites. He met a couple from New England going the other way.
22. Monday, 23 August, Baker City, OR.(0/989 miles)
Received a very brief e-mail at 3pm EDT and a long phone call at 3pm EDT. Apparently Conrad is in Baker City having a rest day. He is having some problem with the altitude, nose bleeds earlier and a headache all day today. Not much in Baker City but he did find a computer shop to send an e-mail and he went to the post office to put a “trace” on the two parcels he sent to Florida that never arrived. It is possible that because the return address was England they may be now be stuck in customs. He is planning to call Cable & Wireless today. He lost another spoke but had it replaced and the wheel trued at a cycle shop here. He is planning to send another parcel with films to Florida but by recorded delivery of some sort.
I asked a few questions about life on the road and these were some of Conrad’s answers: He gets up about 7:30 am and goes to bed about 10pm. He had scrambled eggs and a blueberry muffin for breakfast. He had a burrito for dinner. Some camp sites are free some he has to pay for. The forestry camp sites are less crowded than commercial or state parks but the toilets are just a hole in the ground! Commercial and state parks have showers. He isn’t very good at asking peple to take his picture. He likes to take his picture at each summit – but there is never anyone around. He is using the timer on his camera. He has no bike problems, no traffic problems – there is very little traffic ouside the towns – he has had no contact with the police! He is impressed with the State Troopers and is not impressed with the county sherrif deputies. He doesn’t have a sunburn problem but he does have a red nose. He needs a haircut but plan s to wait until he gets to Missoula, Montana. He has had no rain recently. It’s cooler than it was but it’s still very warm. He has seen a few deer, lots of cows and llamas and he hears coyotes. He thinks cycling across America is better than work! He is concerned that he will be in Yellowstone National Park on Labor Day Weekend when it will be very busy. He says he sees lots of people pretending to be cowboys. He expects to cross into Idaho on Wednesday when he changes time zones and loses (?)an hour.
23. Tuesday, 24 August, Halfway, OR.(55/1044 miles)
No news today.
Oregon Pictures
Film
Idaho, August 1999
24. Wednesday, 25 August, Cambridge, ID.(58/1100 miles)
Very hot, over 100 degs F and he cycled 60 miles in the heat. He met two guys in town and a lady left $10 for his lunch. Quote from Conrad “I love these little towns they are so interesting and the people are so nice. I am going to find out if they have a laundry here and if so I may stay here.”
25. Thursday, 26 August, Council, ID.(22/1122 miles)
Received an e-mail from Conrad today which he wrote at 4pm local time on Thursday while in the town of Council.
26. Friday, 27 August, Council, ID.(0/1122 miles)
Rest Day. He is bracing himself for the climb up to New Meadows. He is suffering a headache from sunstroke. It is over 100 deg F
27. Saturday 28 August, Riggins, ID.(60/1182 miles)
He said that he had seen a fox like creature with a white tip to its tail and had heard wolves or Coyotes howling in the night some distance away. There are brown bears nearby to which Conrad just says “they are more scared of me than I of them.”
28. Sunday, 29 August, Grangeville, ID.(44/1226 miles)
Conrad called his brother, Chris Evans in Tring. He was still in Riggins but was leaving later that day. He says he is getting into real cowboy country and to fit in with the image he has not put his tent up for the last few nights, but slept under the stars with only his bed-roll between him and the night air!!! A haircut was procured in Cambridge during which the “stylist” asked many questions about the trip and refused to accept any money from him, wishing him well for the jorney ahead.
He has been fairly sociable with the locals of Rigguins recently and was particularly surprised when one young lady asked him if anybody had cycled from coast to coast before!!! This caused a wave of wagging from her companions, Riggins being one of the major stop off points on the official coast to coast cycle route!!!
He is still enjoying himself very much and the words “wonderful”, “amazing” and “oh so friendly” are much repeated in his description of small town USA.
29. Monday, 30 August 1999, Lowell, ID.(50/1276 miles)
He said that he had seen a fox like creature with a white tip to its tail and had heard wolves or Coyotes howling in the night some distance away. There are brown bears nearby to which Conrad just says “they are more scared of me than I of them.”
30. Tuesday, 31 August 1999, Powell, ID.(64/1340 miles)
No news today.
Idaho Pictures
Film
Montana, September 1999
31. Wednesday, 1 September 1999, Missoula, MT. (50/1413 miles)
Received Conrad’s parcel which he sent to Florida – it arrived in Tring today after being mailed on the 9th August from Arcata, California. Margaret is getting the films developed today.
32. Thursday, 2 September 1999, Missoula, MT. (0/1413 miles)
Received an e-mail fom Conrad this morning and a phone call to Tring in the evening. He corrected our erroneous assumptions about his travel over the last few days. The temperatures have dropped dramatically and last night was close to freezing. He has reports of snow in the mountains – sounds like fun to come! However the drop in temperatures over the last few days suits him much better – so much so that he rode the 7 mile Lolo pass to 5,235ft twice!!! John & Carol are in Tring and saw Conrad’s photographs. Not one of Conrad in America!! We will scan a selection of these pictures and will add them to this web site.
33. Friday, 3 September 1999, Missoula, MT. (0/1413 miles)
Conrad was given a mobile phone today by Barbara McLeod from Cable & Wireless. He sent an e-mail.
34. Saturday, 4 September 1999, Missoula, MT. (0/1413 miles)
Conrad sent another e-mail. He mailed 2 books, 3 maps and 4 films to Florida today. “Everything is going splendidly.” He set up the voice-mail capability on his mobile phone. He ordered 3 replacement tyres. The Big Sky Brewing Company gave him a Moose Drool T-shirt. He met lots of fantastic people in Missoula and at the Adventure Cycling HQ. They took his picture and put it on the wall. He promises thet the next pictures we see will have lots of pictures of him, his trike and his tent!
35. Sunday, 5 September 1999, Hamilton, MT. (54/1467 miles)
Conrad’s third e-mail from Missoula. Stayed in Missoula until lunchtime in order to give an interview to Bety Cohen of the “Missoulian” He is planning to leave town this afternoon and stay at St Mary’s RV Park.
36. Monday, 6 September Warm Springs USFS, MT. (35/1502 miles)
The Missoulian printed an excellent article on Conrad today. A copy of the article can be seen by selecting “Missoulian” on the sidebar of this page. Warm Springs is near Sula.
37. Tuesday, 7 September 1999, Wisdom, MT. (39/1541 miles)
The webmaster has been out of touch but is back in communication again. Conrad stayed in the american Legion Memorial Park. It has been very cold at night, 17 deg F this night, and he has bought a sleeping mat to help keep him warm at night. He is also enquiring about making warm food such as porridge.
38. Wednesday, 8 September, Bannack State Park, MT. (47/1588 miles)
Conrad’s second missing parcel turned up at his flat in Aylesbury. This one had parts of a stove in it. Bannack is a ghost town which really impressed him.He met a family there who fed him and gave him a check for $25 as they had read the article in the Missoulian.
39. Thursday, 9 September, Dillon, MT. (25/1613 miles)
Conrad’s parcel with 4 films arrived at Kim & Randy’s in Florida. Kim developed the films and Randy e-mailed one picture, (Conrad on the Mckenzie summit). Conrad sent a long e-mail to Tring.
40. Friday, 10 September, Virginia City, MT. (49/1662 miles)
John & Carol Conrad ended their vacation in England and flew back to Florida.
41. Saturday, 11 September, West Yellowstone, MT. (89/1751 miles)
Received an e-mail from Con. All is well and he expects to get to Yellowstone this evening. I am busy organizing and scanning four rolls of film. Lots of pics of Oregon and Idaho.Take a look by selecting Films 3, 4, 5 and 6 in the sidebar. The lowest temperature today, in the USA, is in Yellowstone, just about freezing ovenight.
Montana Pictures
Wyoming, September 1999
42. Sunday, 12 September, Madison, WY. (14/1765 miles)
Conrad phoned Tring at 3:30pm EDT from West Yellowstone. He was having his wheeled trued again as road construction on Big Hole Pass (7,360ft), last Wednesday, had caused him to ride a great deal on gravel roads which was hard work. He has met up with Dave again who is also cycling coast to coast. He hasn’t seen any bears or buffalo but he has seen many Osprey and Ravens. He is now inside Yellowstone National Park. He was chased by a coyote today!!! It actually started to cross the road behind him and Dave and then it turned and started to follow them down the road. He now has three new tires which he ordered in Missoula and picked up in West Yellowstone.
43. Monday, 13 September, Norris, WY (12/1777 miles)
A parcel from Conrad arrived in Florida today. It contained a copy of the Missoulian newspaper, a brochure on the Bannack ghost town and two rolls of film. Although the films were marked, there is no corresponding list identifying each print. We will get them developed and then worry about labeling the pictures. ( The webmaster is going to Boston for a few days so the pictures will not reach the web site until Saturday.)
44. Tuesday, 14 September, Norris, WY (37/1826 miles)
Conrad is seeing lots of buffalo and rutting elk. He went to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone (not to be confused with the Grand Canyon.) and is enjoying all the sights of Yellowstone, including Old Faithful.
45. Wednesday, 15 September, Madison, WY (12/1789 miles)
He crossed the Continental Divide again (7,988 ft).
46. Thursday, 16 September, Grant Village, WY(37/1826 miles)
He climbed Craig Pass today( 8,261 ft ) and crossed the Continental Divide (8,391 ft). He left Yellowstone National Park.
47. Friday, 17 September, Colter Bay Village, WY (37/1863 miles)
He saw another coyote crossing the road. He climbed Togwotee pass (9,658 ft) which was very slow but he has not had to dismount and walk at any time. There is very little traffic in this area. He entered Grand Teton National Park today and was very impressed with the beauty of the Tetons.
48. Saturday, 18 September, Dubois, Wyoming(84/1947 miles)
New pictures are available for viewing. Films number 7 and 8 have been added to this site. Check the sidebar. He is staying at the Circle-up Campground tonight. No bike problems. He is eating a lot of pasta which he is cooking himself as there are very few restaurants in this remote region.
49. Sunday, 19 September, Dubois, Wyoming (0/1947 miles)
Conrad finally called today at 3pm EDT from Dubois. He has been out of range for his mobile phone and it is so remote that there were very few public phones. (Although you can leave a voice mail on his mobile phone he is unable to retrieve his messages.) He is fit and well with no problems but sounded a little tired from cycling up so many mountain passes. It is raining heavily today but he was hoping that it would clear up shortly and then he was going to leave for Lander which is 70 miles away! Fortunately there are no significant hills to climb on the way. An important news item is that Conrad hasn’t had a beer since he was in Missoula, two weeks ago!!
50. Monday, 20 September Lander, WY (70/2017 miles)
He is traveling long distances over grassland. He might go 30 miles and only see one ranch. He bought himself a thermos as he was getting fed up drinking cold coffee. He was able to get his wheels trued and had a bit of a language problem when he discovered that no one knew what he meant by a “dustbin.”
51. Tuesday, 21 September Sweetwater Station ,WY (39/2056 miles)
Received an e-mail from Conrad at about 4pm EDT when he was in Lander and then a phone call from him at 9:15pm EDT. He is at Sweetwater Station Campground which is 39 miles beyond Lander. He is sharing the campground with lots of cows and a dog but no people. (and he stopped here because the map said Jeffery City had no facilities!!) He had to admit that the rain was so bad in Dubois he stayed there until Monday morning. He had a beer or two while he was waiting!!! The weather forecast for today is 26 deg F overnight and 71 deg F during the day. He appears to be having mobile phone problems. He can make calls OK but it tells him there are no voice mails when there really are some. I tried to call him immediately after he hung up and it switched me to voice mail so I suspect he is unable to take any incoming calls. I told him it was probably “operator error!!”
52. Wednesday, 22 September Rawlins, WY (82/2138 miles)
Conrad called his evening from Rawlins at 9:15pm EDT. He had had a good day and spirits were high. He was staying in a cheap motel. He was going to shower and then check out the nightlife in Rawlins. My apologies. A false alarm. All is well with the phone. It receives calls OK. Barbara McLeod called without a problem and I succeeded this evening. (voice-mail status is still uncertain.) He had seen no trees since the Grand Tetons National Park. He had seen lots of deer, quite a few Llamas but only one flock of sheep. He is obviously a little concerned about the upcoming Hoosier pass ( the highest point of his journey, 11,542 ft), and is pressing on until it is behind him. He expects to be in Pueblo, CO, on Tuesday the 28th September because it’s downhill all the way after Hoosier pass!!.
53. Thursday, 23 September Saratoga, WY(60/2198 miles)
Conrad called his family in Tring today. I think that he is in Riverside, WY, and he continues to make good progress. He actually didn’t make it to Riverside, he decided to stay in Saratoga.
54. Friday, 24 September Saratoga, WY (0/2198 miles)
I have listed a new mail pick-up point for October 13th. His pal Dave, whom he left in the Grand Tetons, passed him today on his way to Boulder, Colorado. Conrad decided to stay in Saratoga for a second night because of the strong head winds which made cycling difficult. He stayed and did his laundry instead.
Wyoming Pictures
Wyoming Film 10
Wyoming Film 11
Wyoming Film 11
Add Your Heading Text Here
Wyoming Film 11
Colorado, September & October 1999
55. Saturday 25 September, Walden, CO (50/2,248 miles)
Conrad left a voice mail at 9:25pm EDT saying only that he was in Walden, Colorado. He has crossed one more state line. He said he would call again tomorrow. He has no bike or tent problems. The temperature is not a problem. Although it is cold at night he is warm in his tent with his sleeping bag and mat.
56. Sunday, 26 September, Kremmling, CO (61/2,309 miles)
Conrad called Florida today at 9:15pm and Films 9 through 12 are now available on the web site. All is well with Conrad but he has been struggling against some headwinds. The climb up Muddy Pass was long and difficult because of the headwind but the descent to Kremmling was “a dream”. He is encountering more traffic since entering Colorado, especially since joining Route-40. Kremmling has a population of 1,000 and a public library so he may send e-mails tomorrow. He reported that he has had free camping since Rawlins. He is having chilli tonight. He usually cooks breakfast and dinner and buys lunch if he can find a store. He considers Hoosier Pass, 11,542 ft, a done deal now, even though there is rain and snow forecast for Tuesday when he expects to reach the highest point of his trip. We told him that the weather forecast was for warmer temperatures each day this week so if it looked bad , wait a day and it should get better. There was no official campground here but he decided to camp in the City Park. Pitching his tent after dark in order to be discreet. When he woke up he discovered a small problem. The City Park has an automatic sprinkler system that pops up out of the ground and sprays everything. Unfortunately it was freezing overnight so his tent was just one thick sheet of ice when he surfaced in the morning!
57. Monday, 27 September 1999 Silverthorn, CO (36/2,345 miles)
Con stayed in a hostel in Silverthorn.
58. Tuesday, 28 September 1999 Fairplay, CO (35/2,380 miles)
Today Conrad climbs to the highest point on his trip – the Hoosier Pass at 11,452 ft. It appears that the weather is not co-operating as snow showers are forecast, although the wind is only 10 mph.
59. Wednesday, 29 September 1999 Royal Gorge Park, CO (66/2,446 miles)
Conrad called today at 11:30 EDT. He successfully conquered the Hoosier pass in the snow yesterday. It took 2 hours to go 10 miles, the last 2 miles of which were tough switchbacks. It only took half an hour to descend to Fairplay. (Go back and read Sunday 26-Sept for a humorous story!!) He has crossed the Continental Divide for the last time and is descending about 6,000 ft in two days. He shared a room in a hostel with a fellow Englishman from Leek in Staffordshire who had been in New Hampshire and was with Conrad looking for a cheap room for the night. The weather has improved no snow, clear and bright with a view of lots of 13k and 14k mountains. He is at 9,950 ft now. He had a enchilada for dinner last night and ham, cheese, scrambled eggs with hash browns for breakfast in the Fairplay Hotel. Looking back he says McKenzie Pass was the most spectacular and the Dixie Pass was the most difficult – long and hot!
60. Thursday, 30 September 1999 Canyon City, CO (20/2,466 miles)
Con lingered an extra day at Royal Gorge enjoying the world’s highest suspension bridge but he couldn’t take pictures because of a flat battery in his camera. He bought post cards instead.
61. Friday, 1 October 1999 Wetmore, CO (20/2,486 miles)60.
Conrad called home to Tring today from Canyon City, before he set off. He is having a small bike problem. His “bottom bracket” has worked loose and there is no bike shop here, so he will travel the 36 miles to Pueblo hoping it will hold together. Conrad should picked up his mail at the Pueblo Post Office tomorrow. John in Florida, who is keeping Con’s films and the web site up to date, had a request for photographs of Conrad from “Dazed and Confused” magazine in England, which goes to print today. They are publishing a “letter from Conrad” – this will appear on the web site in due course.
62. Saturday, 2 October 1999
No news from Conrad
63. Sunday, 3 October 1999 Pueblo, CO (23/2,509 miles)
No news from Conrad, although unconfirmed reports indicate that he made it safely to Pueblo. Connie & Alan, Conrad’s grandparents, are planning to hold a “Bring & Buy” fundraiser in their home in Witney, England on Wednesday, October 6th.
Con successfully had his bottom bracket fixed and bought a tool so that he could keep it tight himself. He later reported that Pueblo (which has a population approaching 100,000) was not a particularly nice place, with “gangs” in the streets, although he had no problems with them. However, he did have his flags stolen! Obviously, Pueblo is not small town America he has learned to love.
64. Monday, 4 October 1999 Boone, CO ( 21/2,530 miles)63.
No news from Conrad today.
65. Tuesday, 5 October Haswell, CO (71/2,601 miles)
No news from Conrad today.
66. Wednesday, 6 October 1999 Eads, CO (23/2,624 miles)
Conrad called Florida today. All was well but the cell phone reception was very poor and he said he would try again when reception improved. He did successfully call Tring and reported a problem with his handlebar bag, on which the frame has broken. Conrad has decided to divert to go via Garden City, KS where he hopes to sort out or replace his broken bag. The diversion runs pretty well parallel to the official route and is more or less the same distance, although on bigger roads. He leaves the official route tomorrow and plans to be back on route on Sunday at Larned, KS.
67. Thursday, 7th October Lamar, CO (35/2,659 miles)
Conrad’s start off-route to buy a replacement bag.
Colorado Pictures
Kansas, October 1999
68. Friday, 8 October Lakin, KS (75/2,734 miles)
Today he passed USA’s largest cattle processing plant, just outside this town, the roads being very busy with endless streams of cattle trucks. He arrived at Lakin at around dusk and outside town was stopped by the County Sheriff, who escorted him the last 6 or 7 miles into town, to be sure of his safety. He was very impressed. Today, Conrad crossed another time zone, from Mountain Time (UK minus 7 hours) to Central Time (UK minus 6 hours). Received a parcel in Florida from Conrad containing two films, many patches (cloth badges) two maps and a brochure from Royal Gorge
69. Saturday, 9 October Garden City, KS (25/2,759 miles)
Con phoned early afternoon from Garden City, KS where he found the bike shop and was able to buy a replacement bag. . He has mailed the old (damaged) bag to Florida. He had an offer of a bed for the night, which he accepted. After another automatic sprinkler dousing (not freezing this time) he has been staying in motels for a few days, rather than the City Parks, but might camp tonight.
The weather is pretty warm again and the countryside is very flat, with the odd small hill. Outside the towns are fields and fields, with the occasional group of grain elevators, visible for miles.
The webmaster was in Boston all week so news and updates have been a little sparse. Hopefully I will get chance to update the map and spreadsheet over the next couple of days and input films 13 and 14.
70. Sunday, 10 October Jetmore, KS (55/2,814 miles)
Conrad received another police escort into town. Apparently the truckers who are moving the harvested grain are notifying other truckers of Conrad’s location using their CB radios. The police monitor the CB talk and go and find Conrad when it is getting dark. As they put it ” It is easier to escort him into town than it would be to scrape him off the front of an 18-wheeler!!”
71. Monday, 11 October Larned, KS(48/2,862 miles)
Conrad phoned this evening. All is well. The weather is hot and sunny, over 80 degrees F. This part of Kansas is not really flat just gently rolling hills. He is camping tonight in the city park. The police know where he is, there are no sprinklers and it’s free. He is travelling without his flags and flagpole because it was stolen in Pueblo. We told him he should buy another one as it really helps drivers to see him. He has not seen any other Coast to Coast cyclists since Breckenridge. He received a $25 donation today. He is thinking ahead and wondering how he is going to get his bike from Yorktown, VA to either Tampa, Florida and/or England. Hopefully the airline will carry it when he flies to Tampa on November 22nd or maybe UPS will transport it to Florida in time for Conrad’s flight back to England from Orlando on November 28th. The Thanksgiving holiday is an added complication. While in Larned he visited the Scouting Museum and bought a uniform as Conrad is or was a Scout Leader in England.
72. Tuesday, 12 October Hudson, KS (40/2902 miles)
The webmaster has uploaded films 13 & 14. More good pictures. Take a look. In Hudson Con was given ice-cream and 2 cinnamon rolls along with some gas for his stove.
73. Wednesday, 13 October Buhler, KS (55/2957 miles)
He is in the middle of an oilfield and is surrounded by a herd of “nodding donkeys” but he forgot to photograph them.
74. Thursday, 14 October Cassoday, KS (69/3021 miles)
The “Route” spreadsheet page has been updated to reflect Conrad’s latest position. Conrad liked Cassoday which is the “Prairie Chicken Capital of the World.” Whatever a prairie chicken is! He had a very good buffet for $7 ( including chicken) and was given extra to take away with him. He slept on the floor in the Methodist Church and they checked him in the morning to make sure he was OK.
Cassoday Cafe and Methodist Church
Cassoday: Population: 95 • Founded: 1869 • Area Code: 316 • ZIP Code: 66842
Elevation: 1470 feet
Cassoday is located in the Flint Hills of northern Butler (BU) County, north of El Dorado Lake on The Kansas Turnpike. The community, although small, has the amenities to be self sufficient. Cassoday is a place where travelers can stop and get the services they need while enjoying a more relaxed pace and a chance to rest before proceeding on their travels.
75. Friday, 15 October Eureka, KS (36/3057 miles)
Received an e-mail from Conrad who has been struggling against a headwind and had to deal with a puncture. Travelling 17 miles took 4 hours and was very hard work. Today he is having his first shower in eight days.
76. Saturday, 16 October Chanute, KS (62/3119 miles)
Camped in a park and used the Wal-Mart rest rooms. He hasn’t had any problems with traffic but he still hasn’t replaced his flags. The area is a little more populated now with with more frequent small towns.
77. Sunday, 17 October Erie, KS (15/3134 miles)
Conrad called his parents in Tring, today, and reported that all was well but headwinds were slowing him down and making him work hard. He is in good spirits but the weather is cold according to the locals, about 60 deg F. He awoke to find another flat tire which he had to repair before he could start off.
Missouri, November 1999
78. Monday, 18 October Golden City, MO (75/3209 miles)
Conrad entered his eighth state today.
79. Tuesday, 19 October Ashgrove, MO (39/3248 miles)
Conrad stayed in a nice Bed & Breakfast in this small town. He thought that it was just like an English B & B.
80. Wednesday, 20 October Marshfield, MO (48/3296 miles)
Received a very brief e-mail this afternoon, also a longer e-mail summarizing Conrad’s thoughts about each state that he has visited. Conrad is in e-mail contact with a friend-of-a-friend in western Kentucky. The web site maps have been updated today. He camped in the city park.
81. Thursday, 21 October Houston, MO (64/3360 miles)
Conrad called this morning from Marshfield. All is well. Hew has finally replaced his flag so that truckers have a reasonable chance of seeing him in the distance. He did not stop at the post office in Pittsburgh so he apologizes to anyone who sent him mail. His front tire is getting a little bald. He has a spare so he will change it when he gets an opportunity. He is meeting very little traffic at the moment and he thinks that Missouri is more interesting than Kansas as it has more rolling hills. He is looking forward to going to Chester, IL as it is the home of Popeye the Sailorman or at least the birthplace of the original author.
82. Friday, 22 October Eminence, MO
We are making arrangements, via e-mail, for Conrad to meet Jayne at Cave In Rock, IL or Seebree, KY. (Jayne is visiting the US from the Castle Pub in Tring.) Conrad broke a front gear cable as he arrived in Eminence but it wasn’t a problem as he was carrying a spare. He stayed in a motel.
83. Saturday, 23 October Centerville, MO (3442 miles)
Conrad left a brief voice mail at 5pm EDTsaying that he was following the route and hadn’t made up any lost time.
84. Sunday, 24 October Farmington, MO (47/3489 miles)
Conrad called this evening about 8pm EDT. The Ozarks were quite nice, just short steep hills. The weather is getting colder. It is often below freezing overnight and the first couple of hours in the morning are a little uncomfortable. He is also having problems with dogs. For some reason there are lots of dogs in Missouri and they follow him and bark and get under his wheels. They haven’t bitten him yet but they are a nuisance. One dog followed him for two miles. I passed on Jayne/Antoinette’s phone number and I called Antoinette and gave her the latest news on Conrad. They will probably meet in Cave In Rock, IL on Thursday.
Illinois, October 1999
85. Monday, October 25, 1999, Chester, IL
He crossed the mighty Mississippi today as he entered Illinois. He enjoyed visiting the town of Chester. Apparently they have gone overboard recently capitalizing on the it being the home of Popeye but he had a fun time there. (He remembered to pick up his mail in Chester!)
86. Tuesday, October 26, 1999, Carbondale,IL (3586 miles)
No news today
87. Wednesday, October 27, 1999, Golconda, IL (3646 miles)
No news today
Kentucky, October 1999
88. Thursday, 28 October Marion, KY
Met Jayne and Antoinette in Cave In Rock.
89. Friday, 29 October Sebree, KY (3728 miles)
Lunch in Clay, KY where he phoned his parents in Tring and had access to a computer to send e-mail.
90. Saturday, 30 October Fordsville, KY
Conrad called from Sebree city park at 10am EDT. (Time is a little confusing for Conrad this weekend as the clocks go back to standard time and he crosses into the Eastern Time Zone.) The weather is warm and sunny even though it is the end of October. He is looking forward to Halloween tomorrow night and visiting Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace on Monday morning.
91. Sunday, 31 October Sonora, KY
He spent the night at the Pentecostal Church and attended the evening service at the church. The congregation had a collection and presented him with $140.
92. Monday, 1 November Bardstown, KY (3874 miles)
No news today
93. Tuesday, 2 November Harrodsburg, KY (56/3930 miles)
Conrad called this evening and spoke to Carol. He had some rain last night but it didn’t affect his cycling. Someone paid for his breakfast this morning. The countryside is gently rolling woodland.
94. Wednesday, 3 November Berea, KY
He met a James Odell, from the college/seminary in Berea, who gave him lunch and a bed for the night, and breakfast. While he was staying at the college he attended a talk on landmines.
95. Thursday, 4 November Berea, KY (3,976 miles)
No news today
96. Friday, 5 November Booneville, KY (4,042 miles)
An e-mail from a friend-of-a-friend who lives in Virginia says “From the updated local map, it looks like Conrad will be going right by our home. His path is marked as paralleling Interstate 81 as he goes up the western side of Virginia. I assume he will be on State Route 11. We live 100yards off 11.
He still has a long way to get here. Not flat, but he has a lot of up and down. There are a lot of big mountains as he crosses up through the Cumberland Gap and down into Wytheville. He won’t make the time and distance he did crossing the plains. He will also have to watch our for snow and ice.
It has dropped below freezing the past few nights. I don’t know about his path, but a ski resort between Princeton and Beckly just a north of his path, had four inches of snow two nights ago.”
97. Saturday, 6 November Hazard, KY (4,110 miles)
Conrad called today from Booneville, and spoke with Carol. The weather is warm in the high 60’s F. Conrad is considering going straight to Norfolk rather than Yorktown in order to avoid the difficulty of crossing the James River Bridge which is not open to cyclists.
98. Sunday, 7 November Pippa Passes, KY
(4,120 miles) Conrad called his parents in Tring from Hazard, KY today. He learned that his parents, who are travelling to Florida on Sunday for a vacation, are planning to fly up to Virginia so that they can be in Norfolk/Yorktown/Virginia beach when Conrad completes his epic journey. All three will then fly down to Florida on November 22 for Thanksgiving.
99. Monday, 8 November Elkhorn City, KY
Conrad called this morning from Pippa Passes. He stayed at a hostel in the college in this very small town. He is beginning to get into the hills again but nothing very difficult so far. We discussed alternate routes and some of the logistical details associated with finishing, getting to Norfolk airport and tickets etc. for his flight to Tampa. Carol is concerned that in his haste to get to the airport he may forget to dip his wheels in the Atlantic ocean!
Virginia, November 1999
100. Tuesday, November 9, Rosedale, VA
Con has seen a lot of tobacco drying in barns. He noted that he has only had five days with rain since he started and only two when it rained all day. He hasn’t seen any snow since the Hoosier pass in Colorado. He is still using the same front tire that he started with in San Francisco and he changed the two back tires in Yellowstone National Park. His legs are fine with all the pedaling but the get a little stiff if he sits in one position for too long at lunch etc. For some reason they are no problem overnight.
101. Wednesday, November 10, Wytheville, VA
(4,320 miles) Conrad called his evening from Wytheville. All is well but he is counting the days to the finish. He saved a day by missing out Damascus(Elk Garden Ridge). By going on route 11 the traffic was busier but it was a lot shorter and a lot less hills to climb. The weather is good. It has been in the 70’sF and was 66F today. He told us that he has only had one McDonald burger and one Hardees burger since he started in San Francisco. He much prefers to eat in diners rather than fast food places. He is staying in cheap motels most nights now as it is a little cooler overnight and it is getting more “urban.”
102. Thursday, November 11, 1999
No news today
103. Friday, November 12, 1999
Con called today from Roanoke and spoke to Carol as John is away for a couple of days in Daytona Beach. He is planning to call again on Sunday evening between 6pm and 8pm when his parents should have arrived at John & Carol’s home in Tampa. He is getting pretty excited about finishing and is worrying about the details of meeting Keith & Marg, and getting to the airport etc.
104. Saturday, November 13, 1999, Lexington, VA
No news today
105. Sunday, November 14, 1999, Charlottesville, VA
(4,549 miles) Keith and Marg arrived safely in Orlando at about 6pm.
106. Monday, November 15, 1999, Mineral, VA
Conrad called this morning and spoke to his parents and they started making plans for meeting near Yorktown, VA. He broke a cable yesterday but had it fixed at a bike shop today.
107. Tuesday, November 16, 1999, Ashland, VA, (4,649 miles)
No news today
108. Wednesday, November 17, 1999, Williamsburg, VA
Keith and Marg are flying to Norfolk, VA this morning and they will be staying in Williamsburg for a few days. Con has the details of their hotel and may meet them there this evening or tomorrow morning. Con will then formally complete his journey on Thursday by reaching the water’s edge in Yorktown.
Their hotel is the Hampton Inn in Williamsburg .Tel: (757) 220-3100.
108. Thursday, November 18, 1999, Yorktown, VA
Conrad finished his epic journey today. Keith and Marg were there to see him finish and they broke open the champagne in celebration. They will be staying in Virginia over the weekend and then the three of them will be flying to Florida on Monday.