Day 33 - August 24, 2013

Day thirty three.  All is well.  I returned home.

Today was the last day of a long journey, a trip for which I had prepared for many months.  I enjoyed today and the last thirty two days very much.

Another good day.

Day 32 - August 23, 2013

A view of the Arkansas River

Day 32.  All is well.  Overnight in Conway, Arkansas. 

Today was mostly spent riding the bike.  I stopped more frequently today, for shorter periods of time, than most days riding, in part because it was hot.  Traffic was heavier, and road construction was at many locations along my route.

This is my last night on the road before my I arrive from whence I came, a little over one month and over 8,000 miles ago.  I am not physically tired, but I am somehow mentally tired.  I paced myself from the beginning.  I knew from the onset that it was a long journey, with many miles and many days on the bike. The pace was correct for me.

I will add one more post tomorrow evening and end this blog.

All is well.

Day 31 - August 22, 2013

Although the trail is nearly two hundred years old the scarring of the earth in this 

area was so severe that there are still tracks visible in this low, often marshy ground. 

The scarring is more visible in person, but it is difficult to see in this photo.

Dodge City, Kansas, a re-created attraction that offers all of the 

stores along a historic Dodge City Main Street, to include the Long Branch Saloon....

. . . which still serves beer to those so inclined.  I had one.

Boot Hill was also re-created.

Day thirty one.  All is well.  Overnight Wichita, Kansas.

" . . . and for three hours the Arkansas was filled with the buffalo, crossing so fast that they could not stop to drink, they should be overwhelmed by the crowd thronging behind."  Matt Hill from On The Santa Fe Trail, a collection of Matt Hill's journal entries from his 1839 trip along the Santa Fe Trail.  

Some estimates place the total number of buffalo in North America in 1800 at 70 Million.  One herd just south of Dodge City, Kansas was estimated at 4 million.  By 1890 there were less than 1,000 buffalo left.

As I traveled today and yesterday, across the great grasslands of plains of Colorado and Kansas it was/is easy to see how this extensive land with the prairie grasses that covered it at that time could support the numbers estimated.  For many hundreds of miles, just in these two states alone, there were/are expansive grass lands.

As I traveled further east the amount of cultivation along the route increased, and the dry, brown grasses became less brown, and finally green, and trees began to appear more naturally.  Irrigation is still necessary for much of the crop land.  Sorghum is a major crop, and more abundant as the greening commenced, to feed the thousands upon thousands of cattle being "feed out" at the hundreds of feed lots across southeastern Colorado and Kansas.

Yesterday and today as I traveled in the open air on the bike, getting all of the smells up close and personal, I thought of a story attributed to a Texas rancher, that someone asked him, "What is that smell?".  In response the rancher took a prolonged and deep breath and said, "That is the smell of money".  Feed lots. There are thousands of cattle in these numerous lots across southeastern Colorado and much of Kansas. The smell of cattle feed lots permeates the air, and is stronger in areas where there are larger or numerous feed lots. The whole of the downtown area where I stayed last night in Lamar, Colorado had that smell. The name of the hotel was fittingly called The Cow Palace.

Dodge City, Kansas (pop. 27,340) is a city of legend and lore, made so in part by books, movies, and of course TV.  Marshall Matt Dillon, Doc Adams, and Miss Kitty existed only on TV, but Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, and other lesser names often attracted national media attention for their exploits, embellished by the writers of dime novels which were popular in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.  In the later 1800's Dodge City was a frontier town, complete with cowboys with six guns, where the saloons were wide open saloons.  It was geographically located to attract a wide range of colorful individuals, and it did.

Wyatt Earp Boulevard is Dodge City's main thoroughfare, running right through the middle of town.  Dodge City is a modern small town, with the conveniences expected in a city of its size.  It is still a railroad town that traces its growth to the railroad center of its early days and the Santa Fe trail before that.  

There was too much to see for the limited time I set aside to be there.

Another good day.

Day 30 - August 21, 2013

This photo was representative of the view from the highway

most of today.  This is high prairie grassland, with some planted crops

and cattle grazing.  Most cattle are in feed lots. 

 A view of the many wind turbines along the route.

Kt Carson, Colorado.  Pop. 344.  The sign on the local museum

provides the distance to Denver and Kansas City.

A view of the road.  The road, as the flat open land, appears endless.

Another view showing a few of the wind turbines along my route of travel.

Day thirty.  All is well.  In southwest Colorado.

Today I followed secondary roads through Colorado, ending the day in Lamar, Colorado, which is approximately 30 miles west of the Kansas-Colorado state line on US 50.  US 50 tracks the Santa Fe Trail. In the early 1800's it was the connecting route from Franklin, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico.  In the late 1800's the Union Pacific followed the same route, and later Highway US 50 did the same.

My travels today have been across high prairie grasslands.  This land was once covered by buffalo.  A history of the town of Kit Carson, Colorado includes the story of a Russian Archduke guided by General George Armstrong Custer killing a buffalo when the town was surrounded by buffalo.

Kit Carson, Colorado was founded in 1838, and took the name of the famous Kit Carson (He would live another 30 years from the founding.).  There is no record of Carson ever being in the town that still bears his name.  Since it was a railroad terminus for a brief time it was a wild place, with saloons, six guns, shootings, and even a lynching. Today it is a wide spot, with very few businesses, and not even a stop light.  It seemed interesting, the name was a curiosity, and they had a nice old depot for a museum...so I stopped.  This was my second visit to Kit Carson in the last four years, but my first time to find the museum open.  Bought a T-Shirt.

The elevation from my start of the day was just over 5,000 feet.  Lamar's elevation is 3,625, and it continues to drop as I travel east.

The land is semi-arid, and there is cultivation of the land, often with the assistance of irrigation.  There were/are very few small towns along the route, and only a couple of slow-down areas in the last two hundred miles. The photos included  represent most of the landscape, although there were a few areas of very low rolling hills.

I do not know the size of the wind turbines photographed, but they are huge.  A quick search showed that the average height for new wind turbines is 275' and the rotor diameter is 308' (Recall that a football field is 300'.)  One source said that a wind turbine that produces 2 MW of electricity cost $3-4 Million (I know ...a large range.) as an installed price.  There were hundreds of these along my route of travel today.  There were a few not turning, but nearly all were...clockwise.

And it was hot today.  Like yesterday.  Since this was a scheduled short day for me I missed the long ride in the hot sun....but I was there long enough.

Another good day.

Day 29 - August 20, 2013

Photos of the high deserts of Wyoming.  However, photos of Idaho, Utah, and Colorado, all of which I passed through look similar.  Those are snow fences you see in the photos.  The highest elevation posted where I crossed on I-80 was 8,323 feet.

Day twenty nine.  All is well.  Overnight in Colorado.

Most of the day was spent riding the bike, with most travel on the Interstate.  I tried some of the secondary roads, but the roads were/are bad (generally), and mostly the secondary roads did not go in the direction I wanted to go.  And, riding some of the non-interstate roads on a motorcycle can be treacherous, because the roads are often in a bad state of repair, and unpredictable.  

My only side trip today was a brief stop in Laramie, Wyoming (pop. 30,000) which is home of the University of Wyoming, both of which are at about 7,200 feet elevation.  The University of Wyoming has one of the neatest helmet logos of any college athletic programs, a cowboy on the back of a bucking mustang. Their student athletes are cowboys, or cowgirls, and they play football in a stadium with a wonderful name, War Memorial Stadium (which seats more than the population of Laramie).  Of course the opinion about the helmet logo is mine, but Sports Illustrated agreed.  In one of Sports Illustrated's many surveys they ranked UW's helmet logos number three.  UW plays Division I football, and that number three ranking is probably as high of a national ranking their football program (or any of the major programs) will ever get.  Just fact.

Laramie, Wyoming was famous for its lawlessness, dating back to its founding in 1868, when the Union Pacific Railroad used it as the end point (lasted 6 months) for their part of the building of the first transcontinental railroad.  The reputation was earned.  Although my visit was brief, and my search was briefer, I found nothing in the town that represented its history of books and movies fame. 

More than 48% of Wyoming is owned by the U.S. government.  Another 6% is owned by the state government.  It is the second lowest (behind Alaska) for population density, and last for total population at 576,000.  

The most populous city in Wyoming is Cheyenne, with 60,000 people.

The interstates on which I traveled today did not have a lot of traffic.  The speed limit was/is 75 mph.  Most cars and trucks were traveling at greater speeds.  The big trucks were not.  The truck drivers were for the most part struggling to get up the mountains, where there were mountains, and cautious of their speed on the descents. 

Tomorrow I am off the interstate.  I find it more interesting when not traveling on the interstate if it works out, but often it just does not.

Another good day.

Day 27 - August 18, 2013

All photos are of the Columbia River Gorge area, which stretches 80 miles as the 

Columbia River winds westward through the Cascade range, forming the boundary 

between the state of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south.

Day twenty seven.  All is well.  Southwest Oregon.

I have begun my return home.

It was the Missouri River that Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery navigated from St. Louis, Missouri to Great Falls, Montana, and back again.

It was the Columbia River that Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery navigated from the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean, and back again.  Going west the current made the men joyous, and they marveled at the swiftness as they recalled the struggles they had with a strong current going up the Missouri River.

My travels last month and today took me over land for large sections of the same countryside, while often overlooking the one of mighty rivers.

The Columbia is now dammed.  I saw two dams today.  But in many ways, the river and the surrounding terrain look the same as it did over two hundred years ago.

The Columbia River and the 80 miles of the Columbia Gorge are wondrous natural phenomena.

The countryside surrounding the Columbia for the first 75 miles from the west is a temperate rain forest, with 75-100 inches of rain per year.  After 75 miles the landscape becomes stark and arid, with barren lands, and mountains as high as 4,000 feet on both sides, and rainfall of 10-15 inches per year.

The ride was great, with my eyes taking in the expansive countryside all around me.

Another good day.

Day 26 - August 17, 2013

This is a photo of my 6' x 10' space, aka "Roomette" 

aboard the M/V Kennicott

A view from the dock of Fishermen's Terminal

Seattle, WA

Overlooking the Columbia River and Longview, Washington 

from the Oregon side of the river.

Another photo of Longview and the Columbia River

This one is farther up the overlooking hill.

A photo of the exterior view of the replica of Fort Clatsop

An interior view of the replica of Fort Clatsop

August 17, 2013

Day twenty six.  All is well.  Back on the bike.

I am back on the bike, and headed home....almost.  

The M/V Kennicott arrived in Bellingham , WA at 6:00 a.m. this morning, and by 6:30 the bike was loaded and I was off the ship, headed south on I-5.  I stopped for a cup of coffee a short ride down the interstate, and then I stopped for brunch at The Fishermen's Terminal in Seattle, which is approximately 90 miles due south, and it was almost two hours travel time, in part because of heavy traffic.  Brunch was excellent, and I enjoyed the short tour of the terminal area.  Very scenic.

After brunch I set my sights on getting to Fort Clatsop along the banks of the Columbia River, which is the Washington-Oregon border, and almost 200 miles south (over four hours travel time).  Fort Clatsop (named for the local Indian tribe) was the winter encampment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (aka Corps of Discovery) in the Oregon Country, near the mouth of the Columbia River during the winter of 1805-1806. Although the Corps of Discovery made it to the Pacific Ocean as they planed, they retreated to near the location where the replica is built for shelter and security.  The replica was constructed based upon drawings of Merriwether Lewis in his journal, and is the same size as the original (50' x 50').  It took the men of Discovery three weeks to construct the original, and they were in and sheltered by Christmas Day, 1805. They remained at this location as long as they could, awaiting the spring thaws to allow passage through the mountains for their return home.

A visit to Fort Clatsop was an important part of my travels, as it gave me the opportunity to view the Corps' 1805-1806 winter home on the same trip that I had viewed their 1804-1805 winter home at Fort Mandan (North Dakota), which I saw on July 26, 2013.  Photos and notes of this visit are posted elsewhere in this blog. 

The whole of the Columbia River basin area was/is beautiful, and the small town of Astoria (pop. 10,000), sitting on the south banks of the Columbia River, five miles from Fort Clatsop, is on one of the loveliest sites for a town I have ever seen.  

Astoria has a deep-water port, and the river at Astoria looked to be well over a mile wide.  Today the Columbia River had numerous large sea-going ships anchored in the river at multiple locations from where I crossed at Fairview, Washington to Astoria, Oregon.  

Another good day.

Day 25 - August 16, 2013

From the M/V Kennicott -

A view of the food serving line - from where all meal service begins.

A view of the course ahead - Somewhere along the inside passage.

And yet another view looking south - in the direction of travel.

August 16, 2013

Day twenty five.  All is well.  On board the M/V Kennicott.

Today we continued to travel south.  This isour last night on the ship before docking in Bellingham, Washington tomorrow morning.  I am anxious.  This has been too confining for me and I am ready to continue on the bike.

Our travels south since leaving Ketchikan has been the most direct route, and course of least resistance, both of which generated the best travel time, yet maintain approximately the same speed of the vessel.  One of the other passengers is a retired employee of the Alaska Maritime Highway System.  When I asked him why we were not traveling the inside passage, as the charts show we should be, he checked with of the ship crew members he knew and he said he was told that the boat needed to be in Bellingham as soon as possible for maintenance to one of the engines.  The scheduled work would take five hours, with no allowance for unforeseen issues.  The modified course was to buy some extra time at Bellingham.

No stops today.  None were scheduled.  It was cloudy most of the day, with rain much of the time.  Today, and soon after leaving Ketchikan yesterday, we have been sailing along the western coast of Canada, as the Alaska coast line stopped just south of Ketchikan.  The scenery remains gorgeous, except for those times when we are too far at sea to see anything but open water.

At 8:45 p.m. Alaska time the announcement was made over the ships PA system that we were now scheduled to arrive in Bellingham at 6:00 a.m. Bellingham time (PDT) – two hours earlier than scheduled.

  

All is well.

Day 24 - August 15, 2013

August 15, 2013

Day twenty four.  All is well.  On board the M/V Kennicott.

Today we continued to travel south, as we did all of last evening.  We stopped in Ketchikan, AK at 10:30 a.m. for four hours, where we again took on fuel and supplies, and exchanged cargo, passengers and vehicles of all sorts.

Ketchikan is the most southern Alaska city, with a population of approximately 8,000 people.  It is a favorite stop of the cruise ships, which dock at the downtown terminal.  We docked at the Marine Highway terminal which is about two miles north of downtown, and where the cruise ships dock. 

Ketchikan is the rainiest city in Alaska, getting an average of 153 inches of rain annually.  Nashville, Tennessee averages 48 inches of annual rain fall.  And, today when we arrived, it was raining.  It stopped for part of the time while we were at dock, but, before we departed it began to rain again.

The scenery continues to be breathtakingly beautiful.  It is hard to provide varying descriptive words or identify any unique landmarks because there is/was much sameness of the shoreline vegetation and trees, as well as views of occasional distant mountains. 

As we continued to sail south the mountains appeared less massive, with no snow caps, and the temperatures have risen slightly.  Today while we were in Ketchikan the temperature was 62 degrees, which is a normal August high for the area.  Ketchikan is typically warm than what its geographical location would suggest, because of the prevailing air currents.

Also as we continued south the length of the days and nights began to change gradually.

Meanwhile, back on the ship, while we were docked in Ketchikan, the crew again practiced full emergency abandon-ship evacuation drills.  These drills have occurred each day of this voyage.  This includes launching one of the lifeboats, starting the lifeboat engine, getting part of the crew on board, while everyone wore big bright orange life preservers.  Classes are taught for passengers in the main sitting area, but attendance has not been mandatory.  If this is this level of practice is the norm then this crew should be well prepared in case of an actual emergency, assuming the training material is proper.

For some reason, after leaving Ketchikan we moved to the open waters and no longer followed the marine highway route along the inside passage as outlined on the map.  We also increased speed by one mph, now up to twenty.  This routing provides a more direct line to our destination.  If this continues we should arrive in Bellingham, WA ahead of schedule.

All is well.

Day 23 - August 15, 2013

Ship view of the Juneau transport terminal

 Looking of the front of the ship at Juneau.

 An approach view of Juneau.

 Another distant view of Juneau.

A view of the eastern shore along the inside passage south of Juneau.

August 14, 2013

Day twenty three.  All is well.  On board the M/V Kennicott.

Today when I awoke on board the M/V Kennicott we were continuing our watery voyage south.  We arrived at our next scheduled stop, in Juneau, at 12:00 p.m. Alaska time.  We remained in Juneau for four hours, taking on fuel and supplies, and exchanging cargo, passengers and vehicles of all sorts.

There are no Wi-Fi services on board so connection to the internet, and cell phone services, are available when in port, or at least this was true while at Juneau, but not at the smaller port at Yakutat yesterday.  

The scenery along our route north of Juneau, before turning east toward the inside passage around 9:30 today, was/is for the most part open water.  The stop at the town/port of Yakutat yesterday was an exception to that.  Travel from Juneau south is through the inside passage, which is the route favored by the cruise ships who traverse these waters.  The cruise ships stop at some of the same ports as the ships of the Alaska Marine Highway, of which the M/V Kennicott is a part.  However, our stop in Juneau was not in downtown Juneau where the cruise ships dock, but 15 miles north of downtown Juneau.  Taxi charges for those wishing to go downtown were Alaska-priced at $35.00 each way.  The Juneau freight port and docking station today was/is configured to accommodate loading and unloading of cargo and vehicles. 

There is one small movie theater on board.  It seats approximately 50 people, but the two movies screened so far (both on the same day – yesterday) had less than 25 takers.

The temperature along our route was in the mid 50’s during the warmer part of today, which made being outside for more than brief periods of time uncomfortable because of the wind generated as the ship moved steadily along at 19 mph.  The clear, bright skies and sunshine in the afternoon made the outside decks look inviting, but no one lingered there very long.  As we travel further along the inside passage, with lesser mountains on one side and barrier islands on the other, and slightly warmer temperatures, there will likely be more time outside where the beauty of the landscape can be more fully appreciated.

All is well.

Day 22 - August 14, 2013

The M/V Kennicott arriving in Whittier, AK

 Public sitting area of the M/V Kennicott

 Ship view of Yakutat as we approach.

Another view of photo # 3 - Fog in both photos.

August 13, 2013

Day twenty two.  All is well.  On board the M/V Kennicott.

Today I awoke on board the M/V Kennicott, having departed Whittier, Alaska, enroute to Bellingham, Washington.  We boarded at almost midnight last night and sailed all night and all day, docking at 7:30 p.m. in Yakutat, Alaska to pick up passengers, vehicles, and freight, while some others left the boat.

The photos included are of Yakutat, and were made from the ship.  Unless this was an intended destination leaving the ship was not allowed.  What you see in the included photos is what was to be seen.  Yakutat has a deep-water port to accommodate larger vessels, but I do not think there are any cruise ships stopping here….no tee shirt shops were spotted from the deck of the ship.

The service speed of the M/V Kennicott is 16.75 knots (19 miles per hour).  We were traveling the entire time, so if we averaged 19 mph, we traveled 370.5 miles on what is officially named the Alaska Marine Highway.

The M/V Kennicott was built in Gulf Port, Mississippi in 1998.  This is not a luxury cruise ship.  It is a transport ship, moving people, vehicles, boats, motor homes, and cargo up and down the Alaska coast.  There are “roomettes” available.  A 6’ x 9’ roomette is intended to accommodate one or two people, and is equipped with two single folding bunk beds.  There are larger roomettes available for groups of four.  Roomettes are not required for passage, and come at an extra cost.  Some passengers elect to find rest/sleep in one of the general sitting areas (see photo) or pitch a tent in one of the open areas on deck.

Food is available, at Alaska prices, and served during normal dining hours for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  During non-meal times the dining room is “closed for cleaning”.  Food served on board is typical Cisco variety, pre-packaged, with minimal preparation onboard the vessel.  Unfortunately this seems to be standard fare in most places across all of the USA.

There are men and women common bathroom facilities and showers available on the cabin levels.  Bed linen, a pillow, a towel, and a wash cloth, are available, in pre-packaged sets, from the purser’s office for $3.00 per set.

The floors of the vessel are covered with tile on the stairs, in the roomettes, dining facilities, and most areas, and all are kept very clean. 

Access to passenger vehicles, etc. on board the ship are limited to certain times of the day.  Today access was available at 9:00 a.m. and then again when we stopped at Yakutat.

Day 21 - August 12, 2013

Day twenty one.  All is well.  Whittier, Alaska.

When I awoke in Anchorage this morning it was still raining, a light steady rain.  I had breakfast, packed my bags, and loaded the bike in the rain.  I always hate to leave on the bike ride in the rain.  However, one of my hard scheduled event was ahead of me 60 miles to the southeast.  

The rain gave way to overcast skies after 40 of those 60 miles, and by the time I arrived in Whittier there was no rain.  Rain was forecast, so this was a pleasant surprise.

The ride along Alaska Highway One, and the Portage Glacier Highway, from Anchorage to Whittier, was very picturesque.  The photos included could not capture how pretty it was/is.  

One of the most interesting aspects of the ride today was the Whittier Tunnel, which extends 2.6 miles (13,300 feet) through Maynard Mountain, ending on the south side at Whittier. This is a joint use tunnel, shared by highway traffic and the Alaska Railroad.  It is wide enough for one vehicle, so passage is alternated, north and south, on the half hour, and trains, when running have priority, with the vehicular traffic schedule adjusted.  Motorcyclist are cautioned, and given a special instructional presentation because of the potential hazards of riding between the rails.  The surface is wet, and I can imagine what would happen if a motorcycle tire came in contact with one of the wet rails on either side.  

The Whittier Tunnel was opened for joint use, highway and train use, in the summer of 2000.  Prior to that it was a railroad tunnel that traces its construction to a US Army project of 1942.  The only road access to Whittier is through this tunnel.

Upon exiting the south side of the tunnel I was in Whittier, which is a deep-water port-town.  As seen in the last photo included there were many boats in the protected harbor, and outside of the harbor area the Island Princess, a large cruise ship was at dock.

Whittier dockside affords the standard fare of Alaska gift shops and several options for dining, all catering to the tourist that pass through the area.  Outside of the tourist industry I did not see anything other businesses. I am including the boating community in the tourist category.  It looks like a lot of the boats moored here are permanently based here.  According to the last census information (2006) Whittier was called home by 177 people. Elevation is 47 feet, but there are some tall mountains surrounding it, many with snow that appears to be present year round. 

I was able to post this because I arrived in Whittier ahead of my late evening departure, and I had internet access through one of my devices.  I do not expect this availability once the ship is underway.

But, the rain has stopped.  I had a good lunch, and all is well.  This is a beautiful place.

Another good day. 

Day 20 - August 11, 2013

Day twenty.  All is well.  Anchorage, Alaska.

In many ways today was a repeat of yesterday.  No, it was not my personal Anchorage version of "Groundhog Day", but it was again rainy and cool (with a high of 60 degrees).  It was not a pleasant day to go exploring the countryside, so I stayed in the downtown area again.  This afforded me the opportunity to view some of the museums and exhibits in the downtown area, which was also good.

I met some folks from great distances from Anchorage.  In a crowed pizzeria where we were forced to share eating spaces I met an airline pilot (not in uniform) that was on his way to Singapore early tomorrow morning.  He was most interesting, and I engaged him in conversation as long as I dared, and then he forever departed my life.  He was a gentleman with many insights in to the world that very few of us will ever see. My day was better from having met him.

Tomorrow I ride the short distance (60 miles on Alaska Highway One, and the Portage Glacier Road) southeast to Whittier, where I catch the M/V Kennicott (shown in the above photo) to Bellingham, Washington, which is just north of Seattle.  The ship is scheduled to depart at 11:45 p.m. tomorrow (Monday) evening, and arrive in Bellingham at 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning.  I am told that that there is no WiFi on board, and of course my cell phone will not work. So, I updated my Kindle material for reading along the way.  

There should be some interesting photo opportunities along the route, and I will make sure I include some captured scenery in daily posts, which may not get uploaded until I reach Seattle or beyond.  But, for continuity purposes I will group the photos and comments by day.

Another good day.