Cycling in support of Limbs For Life

Cycling in support of Limbs For Life
Cycling in support of Limbs For Life

Thursday, July 16, 2009

2 pedals are better than 1

I stood there looking down at my pedal lying on the gravel and seriously asked out loud "Hey, What are you doing down there?" I got no answer, So I walked up the hills and pedaled down them one footed for most the afternoon. Eventually I got back on a slightly more trafficed dirt road and hitched myself a ride back up to Eureka. At the V.F.W. over 25 cent coffee I borrowed the bar tenders cell phone and called Crank Bros. (the pedal company) and told them my predicament. Without hesitation they had new spindles and bearings in the mail that day. They were excellent and super quick to mail them but it was the mail that was in not so quick. I spent the next four chill days shuffling around Eureka with my coffee cup and book. After two days I was giving directions to tourist and feeling like Norm from Cheers at the V.F.W. for 25 cent coffee. There are worse places to be ship wrecked than Eureka. Its a nice little town with free camping in the town park, (as long as you dont tell them you are there) abandon rail road trax for walk along and a river for swimming. I met quite a few cycle tourist since Eureka is both on the Adventure Cycling Northern Tier Route and The Great Divide Route.
Monday rolled around and the Post Office reopened and my spindles were there! I got my bike back in one piece and was just about to leave town, again when I met Mat and Gracie. They are unicycling south on the Continental Divide Route. I finnished my book and sold it back to the ever so nice book shop lady Teresa and caught up to Gracie and Mat.
It rained on us all day and by evening were soaked and cold. I threw down the idea of a little 4 mile detour to my favorite cabin. (I felt I knew the area pretty good by this point) . I rode ahead and got a fire going in the wood stove and hot water for cocos all around.
Gear hung drying all over the little cabin, we cooked up a mulligan and slept listening to rain drumming on the roof.The sun was out the next day as we rode through eye clawing, turtle heading scenery. Of all things a Prius drove up on us and the driver gets out and says "Hello Gracie" its seemed pretty wierd. But turns out his name was Alan and he had been tracking them through their web site and had arranged to ride with them previously. Alan went and dropped off his car and came and rode with us for the afternoon. At the junction for Polebridge I said good-by every one as they were heading off route get supplies and I still had plenty of food from the Eureka food bank. I hope I meet up the the uni-crew again they were really great fun to roll with. check out there website at: divideby1.com










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