Day 10 - 40 Miles

* 40 Miles, Total = 566
* Chesterland to Westlake (Cleveland)

After the long day yesterday it felt great to take a short one. I was faced with an early challenge as my BOB trailer tire was completely flat. Once I took the tube out I couldn't find the hole, so I got out the spare tube that the person who sold the trailer gave me. Totally wrong size! For those planning a trip, this would be a good detail to check beforehand. Back to patching the tube, Armin suggested I use a puddle to find the hole. This worked out, the hole was very small. Patched it up and we were on the way!

Speaking of the BOB trailer, I really like it. It's super easy to pack, gives me plenty of space to bungy things on, and takes some of the load off my bike to the extra wheel. The two big knocks is having to lean it differently at stops and it wobbles on down hills. Nothing serious, but it is a factor. Another benefit is that it keeps things totally dry. At night I pack my shoes and extra gear into it to keep them dry from rain and morning dew.

After we got the wheel fixed this morning we took off for Cleveland. Stopping along the way at a bike shop so I could pick up a spare BOB tube and Armin needed a small fix to his gear shifter. The ride through Cleveland brought us through heavy rain, various levels of traffic, and a stop at Whole Foods to enjoy the free samples.

Next stop, the Yacso household. Former roommate Erica grew up in Cleveland and she was kind enough to ask her mom to host us. And oh boy did she! Hot shower, laundry, internet access, and a wonderful meal. She really went all out for us and has officially taken over the "best host" award that I give to one lucky person. She takes over this award from her daughter, pushing Erica to second place.

Tomorrow we push on West. We figure Ohio and Indiana will take only a few days each. Should be in Chicago in 5 to 6 days.

Pictures

I posted pictures in the previous blogs if you want to see them.

Day 9 - 68 Miles

* 6.5 miles walking
* 3 miles hitch hiking
* 62 miles bicycling
* Andover, OH to Chester, OH

Yes Mom, I hitch hiked. Yes, I'm still alive. My lucky number for the month is going to be 22. It was vehicle number 22 that finally stopped to give me and my bike a ride to Linesville, PA. It would have been nice to be done with PA, but it sucked me back in.

So, right now I'm waiting outside the bicycle shop. We got the bent rim back in place, which I'm thankful for because that could really have been a huge issue. They don't replace spokes or true wheels, so I had to go with a new back rim. The bike mechanic is switching over the cassette right now. After that we will find out what kind of hit the rear derailer took. The bike took a hit, but I'm hoping to get out of here by noon. Than it's nine miles back to my gear (hidden in the bushes) and onward into Ohio!!!

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Well, in the end the bike basically has a new back end. I'm not totally happy with it, but it works. Up until the point where my bike broke down things were running smoothly. Now I can feel the differences. The slight rubbing, gears not changing smoothly. It might need some adjusting as we go along, so for now its good enough to get me to the next day.

It was a real long day. So long that its late and I'm too tired to write about where and how we got our place to sleep tonight. Tomorrow we stay over in Cleveland.

Day 8 - 54 Miles

* 54 Miles (Total = 457)
* Union City, PA to Andover, OH

Armin has been having various bike issues and finally I have some of my own. About a mile into Ohio I busted two spokes, might have bent my rear derailer, and possible the frame. Not sure what caused the problem, but it was messed up.

With the two broken spokes removed, I was able to fix one with a repair kit, but not the other one. The wheel is out of true and not rideable. Luckily we broke down at an insurance agency and they are going to let us camp out behind an old barn. Tomorrow morning a bike shop back about 6 miles away opens at 10AM, so there is nothing to do but wait until than. I might try and hitch a ride, or will just walk it.

We had planned to stay at a friends mom's house in Cleveland tomorrow night, but that is going to have to be put off until Thursday night. There we are hoping to shower, wash some clothes, and maybe even sleep inside! Even though we haven't made it yet, thanks for hooking us up Erica!!

Other than that the ride today was nice. Felt good to be done with a state, even though I'm heading back first thing tomorrow morning. We have gotten to the flat Ohio everyone we talk to has been mentioning. Let's hope this bike shop can get me fixed up tomorrow.

Day 7 - 65 miles

* 65 Miles (Total = 402)
* Allegheny National Forest to Union City

ONE WEEK!!!! We still have a lot more to go, but I feel one week is a pretty big milestone! We've gone roughly 1/8th of the distance we need to make it to Portland, OR.

It's been four nights since we ate out, so were hoping to find a restaurant tonight. I'd kill for an Old Country Buffet or OCB as it is often referred as.

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For sleeping accomidations tonight, Armin talked with the minister from the First United Methodist Church in town. They were kind enough to let us sleep in their backyard, another nice accomidation.

We are only a few blocks from downtown, so we headed out to find a place to eat. We had a couple of different options and ended up going with a chinese restaurant. One with the same exact menus and pictures that were so familiar with. It was fantastic! All food on this trip has just been great, although I didn't try the pink pickled egg Armin bought at a convience store. To cap the meal off I had an ice cream cone from McDonalds...brings back memories of growing up.

Tomorrow we should make it out of the Keystone State and cross into the land of Buckeyes. This state has been good to us, lets hope the rest of the country is.

Day 6 - 62 miles

Today was a tough day. When we all got to a meet up point towards the end it was tough deciding what to do because we were so exhausted. But, we managed to push on for an additional 8 miles from that point into the Allegheny National Forest. We knew we could camp just about anywhere in any National Forest, but we still stopped by the Rangers Station to ask where a good spot might be. The ranger said we own the land, so basically anywhere is fine. Being tired we chose this cleared out area behind the station. It is actually one of our worst accomidtions. We have always had a water source in our previous 5 stops.

I really haven't talked about what "camp" is like each night, so let me run down the basics.
- When we first get in we want to get out of our bike clothes, so that involves either going out in the woods, or Armin setting up his big ten.
- Than we usually have some relaxation time. I might blog, Julie reads, Armin sleeps or searches for crayfish. Various chores are also completed, like last night we rinsed our clothes out in the creek.
- At some point dinner is started. Armin is usually the lead on this, but we all pitch in with the various cutting or opening tasks.
- After dinner one or two of us will do dishes. We slowly start to prepare for bed by brushing teeth, taking out contacts, or getting our sleeping gear all in place.
- More free time again. I'm still pounding away at my little computer and Armin always takes out his ukulele and we gather around to practice a few songs. We might actually be good by the time we get to Chicago if anyone wants to book us.
- A little after sunset we head to bed for either more reading or just to fall asleep right away.
- Morning comes and we all slowly rise. Talking is limited to just the basics as we shake out the cold and prepare mentally for the day ahead. We have been eating oatmeal, but we just picked up some cereal and powdered milk for tomorrow.
- Than after picking our meet up spots and final destination for the day, were off.

Recap:
* 62 miles (total = 337)
* Denton Hill State Park to Allegheny National Forest (just West of Marshburg)

Day 5 - 52 Miles

We slept in an extra hour this morning, and it would have been nice excep it was so freaking cold. I wanted to stay in my bivy sack until the fog lifted and we got some sun to warm us up. But, like the last few days we pressed on. Even thouh it was cold I decided not to wear my rain jacket and during those first 5 miles I actually had dew on my arm.

Our first major stop was the beautiful town of Wellsboro. A must see if your passing through on route 6. We all wanted to stop at the bike shop and the store manager ended up being great. Didn't even charge Armin and Julie for some minor service repairs and he was very helpful in picking out some spare brakes for me.

As we were milling about outside another nice guy, Brian O'Shea, started chatting with us and gave us a tip of a place to stay up the road. Denton Hill State Park was his suggestion and that if anyone asked just to say that he sent us.

So, we headed off and were hopeful that his suggestion would work. This part of the route brought us into Potter County, or as they like to call it, "God's Country." A local flyer describes it as, "Vast tracks of forest where man is outnumbered by wildlife - herds of deer, flocks of turkeys, abundant bear and coyotes, and the lighting fast grouse that the Indians called Thunder Birds."

We reached Denton Hill State Park and true to Brians word they were welcoming. We spoke with the ski/mountain bike hill owner Scott, who knows Brian, and he said pitch a tent down by the creek. So, once again we have a beautiful place to stay that includes a creek, picnic tables, and a fire pit we might get going. If we have as much luck in the remaining parts of the country, this trip is going to run smoothly.

Recap:
* 52 miles (total = 275)
* Mainesburg, PA to Denton Hill State Park, PA