Wasn't Yogi from Yellowstone?

Hey all,

I'd like to start this entry off not with a statistic, but with a haiku poem. I would like to dedicate it to a man named Dave Maletsky, the bike guru who generously dedicated his Sundays to making my trip more legitimate. Here it goes:

You taught me so much
But failed to warn me about
All of the bird poop.

That's right. I got pooped on.

Anyway. Much has happened since the last entry but I am short on time for today. Hopefully you will enjoy this story from the road:

Before I left I bought a flashy jersey that features the California flag on the front and back. I fell in love with it when I saw it because I thought it'd be a great idea to "represent" as I made my way across the states. I mean, who doesn't love California, right?

Every time I wore this wonderful jersey, though, I would get asked: "Have you seen the movie Easy Rider?"

I haven't, and I'd say I knew it was about cocaine and drugs, but they'd just chuckle to themselves. I always thought this was kind of strange.

Then one day a car pulled up next to me while I was sitting outside a cafe. He asked: "Where are you from?"
I said: "California," as if my jersey didn't say it loud enough.
Laughing, he said: "You got a lot of balls, my friend."

I asked him why and then he told me about Easy Rider. Apparently at the end of the movie, Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda ride down a highway outside California and hillbillies blow them to smithereens. The lesson being: California isn't well liked outside of California. It turns out the California yuppies with their California yuppy money have been moving into small town America and changing the economies of these once rural towns, making it more difficult for locals to get jobs. So, walking around with a blazing California jersey is like walking around asking to get your face blown off. I thanked him for the tip and went on my way.

Later that day I rode through some of the most beautiful country I have seen yet. There were rivers, trees for miles and animals that hadn't permanently bedded on the side of the road. This was where I took those beautiful pictures of the eagles flying into the sunset.

Then I came across a large quarry. There were big rusty pickup trucks and ATVs parked everywhere. When I looked closer I saw people standing around in half circles drinking beer. I slowed down to see what they were doing.

Then I heard gunshots. Seriously. Multiple gunshots. I put my foot on those pedals and I biked and biked and biked until everything became one big green blur. Once I reached Kooskia, I scrambled for safety into the yuppiest possible cafe I could find. I think I managed to avoid the Easy Rider curse. For now at least.

Ready for the next installment of Some Interesting People and Amazing Hospitality? Here it is, with a twist.

Some Interesting People and Amazing Hospitality: Xtreme Sports Edition

Jason Eson
Jason Eson changed my trip more than anyone I've met. We met at a public library in Sisters, Oregon and he introduced me to the ultra-hobo style of cross country biking. This guy was pretty amazing. He had designed his own route from Boston to Oregon, ate Top Ramen and seaweed nightly and never once paid for housing in the nine weeks it took him to cross the states. I think he had only budgeted somewhere around $500 for his entire trip. Mine is around $2200.

In any case, we were eating dinner together at a mexican restaurant when three people who had been listening to our conversation made a comment on a dessert he ordered. Jason started playing up his hardcore, hobo sob-story and basically got us a place to stay for the night. I'd never seen anything like it. Only hours later we were sleeping in one of the most beautiful mansions in Oregon. Pretty sweet deal. I try to practice his teachings daily.

Leo & Annette
I met this couple from Holland outside of Wisdom, Montana. They are currently biking from Anchorage, Alaska to the bottom tip of South America. That's right. From the top of North America to the very bottom tip of South America. Their estimated time of arrival? 2008. They've biked through Southeast Asia, New Zealand and Europe and chose to do this ride because it is the longest possible length that anyone can bike in the entire world. Have they planted seeds in my head? Maybe. Here is a link to their blog... if you can read Dutch, I'm sure you will find it very entertaining: http://www.globefietsers.nl

Jeff & Dave
I met Jeff & Dave at a restaurant in Ennis, Montana. They were fly fishing with Jeff's family and let me sleep on the floor of their sweet lodge. Dave ended up telling me about his days as an Adventure Racer. Adventure Racing is basically the most intense athletic triathalon you can participate in. You run, bike, climb and swim your way across miles of extreme weather conditions and terrain. People die in these races. Dave has competed twice, once in Brazil (4th place) and once in the Raid Gauloise in Vietnam (19th place). He told me that one time, to keep warm, he ate a stick of butter wrapped in a tortilla. You can find out more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_racing

Lonely Guy in Kansas
Well, I didn't actually meet him, but I heard a story about a cross country biker who got so lonely in Kansas that he thought he was dying. He called the state troopers and they picked him up and kept him company. How well does this bode for me?

Some Significant Things:

1. Tomorrow I cross into Wyoming!

2. Yesterday I rode through 30 mph headwinds. I went 13 miles in three hours. Terrible.

3. Today I uploaded more photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/will.blank

4. I rode over my highest pass yet when I hit Montana's Chief Joseph Pass (7241 ft!).

5. I'm getting an odometer installed on my bike so I will be able to give you statistics on my average speeds and exact mileage. Cool!

Gotta run. If there are specific things you want to know about, let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading.