BRO QUEST 2009

At 6:15 on Friday, Stuart and I finished up Broquest by riding into Portland. We put in 4011 miles in 59 days. It was a proud moment for us, and we drank champagne (or facsimile thereof) and called our families at the edge of the Atlantic.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!
Our last day was a fitting end to the trip. We camped behind a supermarket in Alton the night before and wanted to make an early start on the day. We were up and on the road at 7:30, and we had great weather riding into Wolfeboro for breakfast. We changed into our riding clothes and got back on the road thinking we would have a relaxed 60 miles into the finish. We were mistaken. New Hampshire doesn't like to put signs up designating state highways, so we ended up making a loop around Mirror Lake before we realized we needed to change course. About that time, the heavens opened up, and dumped rain on us for 8 hours straight. We corrected our course and were able to make it to the New Hampshire-Maine border by 2. We ate lunch and tried to dry out in Limerick to no success.

Pouring some out in the ocean for our dead homies
The terrain was beautiful - a lot of rolling hills through gorgeous forests. Had it not been raining so much, we probably would have enjoyed it a bit more. As we reached 4000 miles, Stuart pulled over to take a picture of his odometer at the bottom of a hill. I could only see 20 feet ahead of me with the rain. I looked up to see him stopped suddenly and hit both of my brakes. The rain had slicked everything down, so I could not stop in time. With 10 miles left in the trip, Broquest had its first and only bike on bike crash. We both had a quick laugh at the situation then pushed on the the finish line.

We've been having fun in Portland so far - you may have guessed that by the delay in putting up an actual posting since we've been here. It's a really weird feeling to be done and wake up in the morning not knowing what to do with ourselves. I woke up yesterday feeling ready to bike 90 miles, but not knowing where to go. Schedules are starting to tighten. Deadlines are on the horizon. My job hunt is becoming more and more imminent. Our lives as vagrant bicyclists are coming to an end (temporarily). Both Stuart and I are looking forward to coming back to Oklahoma to see family and friends for a few days. It has been an amazing journey, and we have been very privileged to share it with you. Thank you for all of your support, best wishes, thoughts, prayers, love, and patience. More to come!

Putting 3700 miles on a bike definitely does weird things to you. Both Stuart and I named our bikes before our trips, and they've grown into their personalities. I've definitely bonded with Mr. Belvedere, and I have put my life in his hands every day of this trip. I know how he handles, know his quirks, and I've grown attached to him. I plan on keeping him in good condition and getting a lot more use out of him after Broquest.

Constant need of repair

When I started the tour, my bike was practically brand new. I had put maybe 200 miles on him, and my leather saddle was as hard as a rock. I had never biked more than 45 miles at once and was unsure of how I would last on Broquest. After 2 weeks of riding, I was fully comfortable with biking extended distances and grew into the role of 'touring cyclist.' After a while, my sunburns became tan, my saddle broke in, my panniers became scratched up and dirty, my thighs and calves became huge, and I adapted. One of the subtlest complements from other tourers is when they touch our saddles to see how they have softened (kind of gross). It's a badge of honor.

Mr. Belvedere at the beginning of the tour

Now at the end of the trip, Mr. Belvedere has become cantankerous, and it seems like our bike problems are a reflection of the end of the journey. I know that it's normal wear and tear - most bikes never see that much mileage in their lifetimes, let alone in under 2 months. In the last week or so, I've started to have a slew of problems with him. I wore out my rear tire due to my brakes being engaged. I had 2 puncture flats from random debris on the road. I've been battling with my rear racks and panniers after they decided to dig into my rear wheel. I've had constant issues from my brakes overengaging and disengaging due to weather. It's been incredibly
frustrating that neither us nor seasoned bike mechanics can fix them outright.

Adjusting Mr. Belvedere next to some bikers

At the same time, it's something we realize is almost entirely out of our control. It's part and parcel of the journey. It's just circumstance that everything seems to be failing at the same time. Stuart and I have had an incredible time together, and we've grown attached to this lifestyle, meeting new people, and experiencing America from the freedom of our bike saddles.

On our way into Guelph, ON, Stuart and I ate lunch outside of a grocery store. We met a guy who lived in an off-the-grid collective and did a lot of eco-friendly projects. He was excited about what we were doing and happy for our experiences. He asked about what we planned on doing after our tour. I said something along the lines of getting back to reality, finding a job, and starting a career once I finished Broquest. He told us, "this is reality, you're returning to the nightmare."

Feral kittens offer us hope

Stuart and I just got in to Saratoga Springs, which means it's our last day in New York. We have 3 more days of riding till Portland! We're both pretty exhausted and promise full updates later this afternoon, but I just wanted to share this gem with you.

Yesterday we saw a lady wearing transition sunglasses. Riding in a miniature carriage. Attached to a Shetland pony. With her son. Who was wearing an oversized baseball helmet. The Shetland pony went crazy while crossing a bridge, and backed them into the sides of the bridge MULTIPLE TIMES.

Is it wrong to laugh? I hope not.

The Bros are back in town! And country. And we love America a little bit more for all its great glory. Canada was fun but much more expensive than we anticipated.

Yesterday Stuart and I were yearning to cross back into the states. And it felt like Canada held all of its worst punches for our last day. We fell asleep some time around 4 on Monday night and didn't get up until noon. We weren't feeling our best, to say the least and started riding around 2pm out of Guelph. At about 2:15, it started raining heavily and didn't stop until close to 6. Highway 6 into Hamilton was horrible - no shoulder and heavy traffic. Many motorists weren't too happy to see us. About 3 miles outside of Hamilton, Highway 6 turns into a nasty construction zone. Then the construction zone funneled us onto the 406 - Canada's version of the interstate. At this point it was still raining, and I was not feeling it.

Hamilton itself is about 550,000 people, and it looked like it had suffered a similar economic collapse to the Rust Belt. We were able to pull off onto a better highway and eat some food before pushing on. The ride out of Hamilton was gorgeous. The tip of the peninsula is full of rolling hills, wineries, and beautiful townships. Wayne Gretzky even has his own winery. We rode into St. Catherine's around 9pm and thought we still had enough light to make it into the states before it got pitch black. Canada had a few more surprises for us.

Stuart and I had problems with our loads after the rain. I noticed my panniers were digging into my spokes occasionally, and Stuart had to repack his load. Still, every 5 or 10 miles, something would fly unexpectedly out of our packs, and we'd be forced to go back and pick it up. One one of the bridges out of town, I got a puncture flat which further delayed us another half hour while getting eaten alive by bugs. Stuart and I rechecked the map, talked to some gas station attendants who gave us "advice" on where to cross the border.

We followed their directions and all of the signs. After a while, we started biking onto a highway with no lighting. It turned out to be another interstate. About 2 minutes in, cops pulled up behind us shining their lights. They said we were incredibly stupid and riding on the highway was an arrestable offense. They told us how to get to the pedestrian bridge and likely saved our lives. It was a frustrating event at the end of a long day, but I'm glad we were able to make it safely back into the states.

To celebrate, we stayed at a hotel for the first time in our trip, ate disgusting amounts of food at Denny's, drank High Life, and showered. Continuing our love of America, we slept in late, ate Chinese buffet for lunch, and checked out the Falls.

A few observations about Canada:

• Canadian laws prohibit beer from being sold in convenience stores, grocery stores, or gas stations. Beer must be bought at beer stores. Before 6pm. As touring cyclists, we don't finish riding until 8 or 9pm, meaning we can't enjoy cold beer at the end of the day unless we buy overpriced beer at bars. Beer cans, however, are immediately refundable for 5-10 Canadian cents!
• The population of college aged women is alarmingly attractive. Stuart and I were more than puzzled by this. They were everywhere - gas stations, customs offices, restaurants, construction zones. It felt like we were riding through a beer commercial.
• There is a disproportionate amount of yellow and orange GM sportscars and trucks on the road. We think this has something to do with US consumers not wanting to buy hideously colored cars. Being the nerd that I am, I want to check out the tariff laws to see if this counts as export dumping.
• Canadian bike tourists are impressed when we tell them that we bike 80 to 100 miles a day. They're blown away when we convert that to kilometers

Alright everyone, time to sing along to a song that is very near and dear to our hearts - the Edmund Fitzgerald. (Instructions: hit play below. Try to follow along with Gordon).

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy.

With a load of iron ore - 26,000 tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early

The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconson
As the big freighters go it was bigger than most
With a crew and the Captain well seasoned.

Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ships bell rang
Could it be the North Wind they'd been feeling.

The wind in the wires made a tattletale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the Captain did, too,
T'was the witch of November come stealing.

The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashing
When afternoon came it was freezing rain
In the face of a hurricane West Wind

When supper time came the old cook came on deck
Saying fellows it's too rough to feed ya
At 7PM a main hatchway caved in
He said fellas it's been good to know ya.

The Captain wired in he had water coming in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went out of sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the words turn the minutes to hours
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd fifteen more miles behind her.

They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the ruins of her ice water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams,
The islands and bays are for sportsmen.

And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered.

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed, 'til it rang 29 times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they say, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early.

Stuart and I have been talking up a big storm about making flowcharts for our daily actions - a lot of the stuff we do is so repetitive, it's become an inside joke between us. There's nothing bad about it, but we've spent so much time together, 99% of occurrences are predictable. For instance - I always misplace something right before Stuart and I take off for the day (sunglasses, Ipod, hat, helmet, etc.). I then start to panic and ask Stuart if he's seen my missing item. His response, "they're on your head/ in your pocket/ on your bike dude."

We always have the best intentions of waking up early, eating a quick meal and getting on the road as soon as possible. What usually happens is one of us notices the sun already up at 7:30, sees the other person asleep and goes back to sleep until 9:30. We then spend two hours breaking down camp, getting dressed, and finding coffee. We then spend two hours in the saddle before stopping to eat lunch (at this point between 2 and 3 in the afternoon). We realize we've got about 70 more miles to bike in the afternoon and commit to pushing faster, farther, and further.

That's me, loafing in the tent!

Two more hours pass, and we begin to lose steam. We stop for snacks, usually ice cream and a road pop, then decide on a backup location for the night. We bike another two hours and arrive at the backup destination to discover it only has a bar and crazy locals. We then drink two beers and decide to press on, even though it will be dark in an hour. The beer gives us an extra surge of energy, so we're able to make it to our destination safely.

When we arrive at the next town, mosquitoes immediately declare war on our blood supplies. Stuart and I seek shelter in a gas station and decide that since it's already dark, we don't want to cook. The grocery store's already closed anyways. We eat gas station food for dinner, take too long setting up the tent, drink a few beers and fall asleep around 2am. The cycle may repeat itself depending on how far away we are from couch surfing (re: showers and beds) potentials and the ability to use others' stoves.

We like to call this the college freshman rut. Basically our diets, sleeping behaviors, energy levels, hygiene, and drinking habits go hand in hand with the typical frosh, only we make better roommates.

We promise, once we can dedicate enough brain power to playing around with some fine Microsoft Office products, we will produce some of the sweetest flowcharts you've ever seen to illustrate these purposes.

The other day, I really wanted to watch this video while riding. It features a BUFF BRO IN SPANDEX and motocross (it would be better if it were cycling) which are still pretty similar to US. Hope you enjoy.

Stuart and I just arrived in Sault Ste Marie, MI this afternoon which means we are closing a chapter in Broquest. That chapter is northern Michigan and (temporarily) the United States. We're blogging from a dorm room that overlooks the international bridge. The only way across is on the interstate, so we may have a bit of trouble with the local fuzz. We haven't had to hitch hike yet, but this may prove to be a first if there's no other way into Canada.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan was extraordinarily fun. We had the off day in Marquette, MI and we spent the afternoon kayaking with our host, Stuart, on Lake Superior. Stuart and I had neither been before, and it was EXCELLENT! We also got to dive off a small cliff and swim in the lake (ALOHA WAL-MART SHORTS).

We cooked Fajitas and ate a TONNE (metric, not standard) of food and crashed out for the night. I almost blew some fingers off lighting bottle rockets. As with any couch-surfing experience, we took waaaaaay too long waking up in the morning and getting on the road. Ooops. Sorry about that. I also was a bit sick from the fajitas (or maybe the beer... hmmm). Yesterday was not the most conducive day to riding. We were expecting to make 110 miles but rode closer to 80. Still a pretty decent day.

Stuart and Andrew = Awesome hosts

During the ride, we stopped in at a little slice of heaven - AKA Christmas, MI. It was a very interesting town of about 250 people. An ornament and toy maker moved in during the early 20th century and set up factories that produced both. All of the streets have Christmas themed names although the factories are long gone. We were able to push on and camp in Seney. We ate dinner with some bikers who were very interested about the BQ. We shared road stories and talked about camping out and eating everything in sight. One of the guys said "Woah, there are so many similarities (between cyclists and bikers).

This morning, while trying to find coffee, we came across a BP station that also sold assorted animal pelts. I really wanted to buy a shirt that said "Get addicted to UP wolves... Smoke a pack a day" but I had to restrain myself. Stuart and I did end up buying coyote and blue fox faces respectively. We plan to use them when we go into our respective witness protection programs in Canada.

It's been an entire week since our last rest day, and it's been a great week. Stuart and I are in Marquette, MI in the Upper Peninsula (Yooper), and we're enjoying sleeping in beds and not biking crazy distances for the day. We are looking forward to trying pasties (past-ease) this afternoon. We may even go kayaking later this afternoon. Right now we're hovering around mile 2700 which means we're about 2/3 through the trip. In two days, we'll be in Sault Ste. Marie preparing for our siege on Canada. We also have a bag full of fireworks we need to get rid of before we cross the border, so be on the lookout for videos of Stuart and me nearly blowing our fingers off.

It took us 3 days to ride from Grand Rapids to Duluth. We had some late starts but were able to make up for them with later riding. We were really surprised when we rode into Duluth - we spent most of the day climbing hills with few drops. Mildly annoyed by the elevation hike, we were rewarded greatly when we rolled into the city. We hit hills that were so steep, our brakes couldn't bring us to a full stop. Stuart and I had to get off our bikes and walk until we reached more rideable terrain.

We got another late start in Duluth and ate a Hot'n'Ready special outside of a Little Cesar's (not the best idea ever). An owner of a bike shop approached us and gave us some advice on how to cross Lake Superior into Wisconsin without getting killed. We were really grateful. When we got into Superior, WI on the other side of the bridge, we stopped at the Richard I. Bong WWII Memorial and talked to some WWII veterans about the war. Despite all of the obvious jokes, Bong was referred to as the "Ace of Aces" during the war - he flew a P-38 and had over 40 confirmed kills during his service. I shared some stories about my grandpa who was a navigator. He was shot down over Germany and interned in a Stalag Luft POW camp for nearly 2 years before escaping during a forced march. It was really interesting to talk to them and gave me more of a perspective about my grandfathers' experiences during the war.

We celebrated Wisconsin with cheese curds and bourbon flavored bratwurst. Yum! We ended up camping behind a beautiful hotel in Ashland that was on Lake Superior. I really wish we had more time to explore Wisconsin. We had another late start and were planning on making up some more miles when we rolled into Bergland in the UP. We decided to get a beer to recharge and relax at the Bergland Bay Bar before pushing on. The beer had other plans. Between the amazing jukebox selection, friendly locals who bought us more beer, Trivia challenges, and being tired from a mere 80 miles of riding, we decided to call it an early night and not push on to our scheduled destination.

Stuart and I realized we had to make up for lost time. We had about 112 miles to make it to Marquette, so we ate some Poptarts and coffee and got on the road. We had an excellent tailwind and were able to push 60 miles before lunch with minimal breaks. At the end of the afternoon, we biked over 100 miles in close to 6 hours of riding through some gorgeous hills and forests. We were thrilled. Once we hit the outer edges of Marquette, we got sucked into the Yooper Tourist Trap. It was like a Garrison Keeler skit come to life. Everything was really corny and surprisingly funny. We're glad that Yoopers have senses of humor.

Last night we stayed with Stuart and Andrew who hosted us through couchsurfing. They've been super cool, and it looks like we're going kayaking in a bit. Can't wait!

I'm going to have to apologize on the lack of pictures for this post. We're having some technical issues, but we'll resolve them soon for your enjoyment.

PS - guess who has chops and a mustache - THIS GUY.

Stuart and I had a blast in Grand Forks for the Fourth. We hope you did too. We took a well earned rest day on the 5th and cooked up steaks and veggies at our camp site. Yesterday we wanted to get an early start, but the steaks sat pretty heavy and we spent a lot of time repacking everything. We didn't get on the road until 11:30 - a pretty late time to start riding.

Cool fish statue in Erskine

Still we made 105 miles in about 7 hours (our breaks totalled 3.5 hours). Not bad for a throwaway day. We found a $5 cheeseburger combo and met some really cool tourers who were riding from Florida to Seattle. We pressed on to Solway and arrived at a local bar and grill where we talked with the locals and drank some beers. Everyone was really friendly. Someone even put on "Bicycle" by Queen on the jukebox for us.

This morning, we were woken up by Brad, the caretaker of the field we camped in, and he invited over for pancakes and orange juice. It was awesome! It turns out he runs church camps for the Lutheran church in the area and does a lot of outdoor activities as part of his ministry.

Stuart and I just rolled into Bemidji, and couldn't help ourselves - we stopped in at a liquor store in Wilton that boasted 150 deer heads on display. It was a really cool building and the wall mounts were impressive. It turns out that the town is so small, the liquor store owner is also the mailman!

Really cool antler birdhouse

Inside of the liquor store

Anyways, we're on our way to Grand Rapids for the night. It should be another 60 miles. We heard there's a Paul Bunyan statue on the way out of town, so we'll be sure to get some pictures. Until then, we'll leave you with our new favorite Bosephus song.

I haven't celebrated any memorable 4th of Julys in the last 10 years or so. It always seems like I'm working or obligated in such a way that I can never enjoy the full day. This year was totally different. I see Broquest as a 2 month long celebration of independence, and the Fourth was an enjoyable half way point to reflect on the trip.

On July 3rd, we camped in a city park in Devil's Lake which proved to be one of the worst nights
Families lit fireworks until well after midnight. At 4am, we were woken up by a group of drunk high school students who decided to test the playground equipment. After yelling at them, they went away thinking we were crazy homeless people. At 5, we were woken up again by a truck spraying insecticide to control the mosquito population. At 6 we were woken up yet again by a flock of birds that sounded like people walking on gravel. It was not a pleasant night.

On top of that, Cameron decided to take an alternate route to the east coast the night before. The first order of business for the day was to swap all of the gear we had been borrowing and settle any discrepancies. Stuart and I were expecting the day to get worse from there, but it didn't.

Stuart and I left to get supplies from Wal-Mart and talked to a few people on the way out. As we were packing up our groceries, a lady we had talked to earlier drove by and offered us $20 for "sports drinks." We were surprised and grateful. Since it was the Fourth and all, we decided to use it for lunch at Dairy Queen. I think we might make the Brownie Batter Blizzard Blast

We kept rolling on Highway 2 and despite an early headwind, we were able to roll at about 15 mph. The skies were overcast for most of the day, and riding was relatively effortless. The rolling hills were beautiful, and we saw quite a bit of wildlife along the road. To top it off, we got a LOT of courtesy honks from motorists.

On the outskirts of Grand Forks, we found an AMAZING fireworks store. The people at Generous Jerry's Fireworks were really cool and excited about BQ.

We took advantage of some last minute deals and loaded up on roman candles, artillery shells, and bottle rockets. We found some really weird novelty fireworks. I think our favorite had to be "Judgment Day" - a revelation themed battery. I can only assume it calls the rapture down on unbelievers. I loved the warning label - apparently God doesn't want you to blow your fingers off.

Stuart and I rolled in to Red River State Park in Minnesota to an amazing, brand new camp site. The area flooded a few years ago, and FEMA bought out the destroyed land and turned it into a state park. The park is beautiful (we're camping there again tonight). It is right next to some awesome restaurants where we decided to get dinner. We stayed on the Minnesota side, but have been running back and forth between North Dakota and Minnesota. I think our total border crossing count is at 6 due to some late night fireworks-enhanced bridge crossings.

After dinner, we went downtown to see what the local festivities were. While trying to find a bar, we met a biker named Fang who was carrying his buddy Roach's ashes. He didn't really explain why he was carrying them or how he died. He was just doing it. He recommended this bar called Gilly's which is nothing like we were expecting. It was an eclectic mix of a casino, biker bar, frat party, and dance club. It only needed a few burning trash cans to be the perfect post-apocalyptic biker den. We played blackjack and I came out ahead $10! Did I mention that Gilly's had a giant foam pit?!? CAUSE THEY DID. No one was dancing, so we decided to tear up the foam. Luckily I brought my aerodynamic goggles. It looked a little like this:

We later got fresh mini-doughnuts and corndogs. DELICIOUS. We rode around East Grand Forks setting off fireworks until we noticed a cop trailing us around some municipal buildings. We decided it was time to call it a night. Great way to end an extraordinary day.