Camping Cancelled Due to Deluge - York PA, 17 miles

We got into the tent at about 8:00 pm last night and a thunderstorm rolled in. The rain soon became a deluge for a few hours. At first, I was gratified to notice that the tent was holding its own. Then I noticed a few drops that I chalked up to condensation. Soon it was apparent that the problem wasn't condensation, it was a leaky tent fly. I assumed the leak must have been at the seams, but much to my surprise, it was in the center of the fabric so the tent waterproofing must have deteriorated.

The rain was slowing at about 11:30 so I asked Lorraine what she thought about leaving and she said, "Are you kidding me?? YES!!" We packed everything up and left by midnight. We passed an Amish girl on her bicycle with a good, bright headlamp. We also saw some ladies talking in a church parking lot. I guess since the Amish work from sun-up to sun-down, they need to play at night.

We arrived home at 1:00 am and our boys, Norman and Fred, were glad to see us. Our boys are our tuxedo and orange cats. It was nice to get out of the rain and into our warm comfortable bed.

Despite the unexpected tent issue, the trip was a success. Part of the reason for the dry run (no pun intended) was to test the equipment, and it is better to find out now than on the Great Divide trip. Other equipment had minor bugs but nothing significant.

I rode 17 miles today around the beautiful countryside near our home in York.

White Oak Campground, Quarryville PA to Red Run Campground, New Holland PA - 41 miles

We woke at about 6:30 am. Neither of us slept very well. After breaking camp, I hit the road by 8:00 am. Lorraine drove and met me at the Hometown Kitchen for breakfast. There were some nice pastoral scenes that I captured with my camera on the way. Just before I got to the restaurant I saw a mom and daughter in a very small cart pulled by a pony.

I had a couple of eggs over easy with sausage and wheat toast, Lorraine had a mushroom & Swiss omelet with wheat toast. She also enjoyed the home strawberry jam.

I started riding again at about 9:30 am. I came across a farmer weeding his field with his team of draft horses and his mechanical weeder. I also saw several men and women on scooters and in horse and buggies.

My Garmin GPS sent me to the Enola Low Grade Trail, which is a local rail trail. I found an overgrown access point and was happy to find out it did lead me to the trail. I had the trail all to myself! It took me past more Amish and Mennonite farms, only this time it took me past their back yards. I saw a furniture making operation with a giant sawdust vacuum, as well as lots of furniture in various states of completion.

After exiting the trail, I came upon a stream with tiger lilies flanking it, with bumblebees busy collecting their nectar. In the background, there was a great blue heron plying his trade until I spooked him.

Soon I was in Parkesburg and stopped at a pizza joint for a couple slices and a Coke. I was hoping for a pick me up like yesterday.

I proceeded up Route 10 toward my next via point which was Morgantown. I say "was" because I never made it there. I took a detour because Route 10 had fast, frequent traffic with a disappearing shoulder. I veered off onto Route 332, which had a much wider shoulder. The traffic was just as fast, but I don't mind it when I have a good buffer. The GPS was acting up, so I primarily used my maps until it sorted itself out. I love the GPS but it is always nice to have a backup.

I was soon back in farm county and close to the campground. Lorraine was there to greet me. We set up the tent, set our electronic devices to charge through our battery backup, and we were off to dinner after I had a quick shower. 

Our first choice (a Caribbean place) was closed so we went to the Squire Side Cafe where tie dye was the uniform of the waitstaff. I had a pretzel burger with cheese and lettuce and Russian dressing. I also had side of fries. Lorraine had salad with chicken, pecans and cranberries. For dessert, I had a vanilla sundae with strawberry topping, Lorraine had a hot fudge sundae with peanut butter ripple ice cream.

When we got back to the campground, we practiced backing up the photos to the back up drive which we verified with my phone. Tomorrow is supposed to rain. Also, if the roads get hairy as we get closer to York, I may abandon early.

Home in York, PA to White Oak Campground, Quarryville, PA - 43 miles

I literally packed all day yesterday to get ready for my test run from my home in York through Lancaster and back.

I have been testing equipment for the past 6 months at home to check the operation, coordination with other equipment, and the appropriateness for the Great Divide trip this August.

I have done long bicycle trips before, but this one is different - not only because it is so remote but also because the times have changed and I have not. I just recently acquired a smartphone. I will need it for calling my wife Lorraine, but we also wanted the option of Skype (video calls). In addition, I need a smartphone to be able send her photos for my blog and to control and view the backup of my photo files. This trip is not only to test my fitness but also to test the equipment in the field. 

Packing went well, but it didn't seem like a full day's work. Lorraine said my hobbies take a lot of work and they do, but for me there is nothing like getting from one place to another under my own power, and all the while experiencing my surroundings at a human pace of life.

I got the kitties fed and watered and set out at 10 am. I rode through some nice quiet areas of York until I came to Route 74 which is a more heavily traveled route. I stopped at Roma's Pizza and had a couple slices and a Coke. The food really picked me up and I was ready for the next leg of the ride.

The frequency of traffic started to diminish and when I turned onto Route 372, I was in for a real treat in the crossing of the Susquehanna River. On the left side of the Norman Wood bridge heading towards Lancaster is the Holtwood Dam. Because of the dam, only a relative trickle of water flowed into the channel. Surrounding the river were marshes with great blue herons flying about. It was not what nature intended, but spectacular nonetheless. It was like something out of a dreamscape that few probably get to appreciate because you can't stop your car to see the sights in the 55 mile per hour speed zone. But you can stop on the shoulder with your bike, so I did, and my eyes drunk in the view. What an experience!

I continued onto Quarryville and viewed some wonderful Lancaster farmland. The Amish and Mennonite families in particular take pride in not only productive, but beautiful farms.

I arrived at the White Oak campground at about 3:30 pm. Lorraine was already there and had checked in by the time I arrived. We put up our tent, I showered, and we we were off to dinner at RD's American Grill which specializes in barbecue. Lorraine had pulled pork and I had the beef brisket, we both had cole slaw, french fries and baked beans with bacon.

Back at the campsite Lorraine, my tech wizard, gave me some tutorials in backing up the camera and transferring photos to the phone so they could be uploaded to the cloud (web storage). I have always loved capturing photographs but have not always been good about sharing them. This new technology makes it easy.

Tomorrow I will be biking about 47 miles in a semi-circle around Lancaster county, up to Red Run Campground.

Introduction to the Great Divide Mountain Biking Route, 2015 Expedition

Bicycle Expedition Along the Spine of the United States

In the middle of August, I will be embarking on an adventure that has been in my mind for the past 14 years and on the drawing board for the past year.

I will be doing a mountain biking trip down the Rocky Mountains from Banff in Alberta, Canada through the Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and finally ending in Antelope Wells, New Mexico near the Mexican border.

The name of the route, which was mapped out in 1998 by the Adventure Cycling Association, is called the Great Divide mountain bike route (GDMBR) and follows the Continental Divide within 50 miles for its entire 2,800 mile length. It is the longest mountain bike route in the world, and is a compilation of forest service roads, BLM (Bureau of Land Management) roads, and remote local roads. There are also some single-track and paved sections as well.

(map from Adventure Cycling website)

I will be travelling with a company from the Netherlands called Bike Dreams, and they have put together an international group of cyclists. We will be biking an average of 65 miles per day for 49 days for the 2,800 mile journey.

I have been training and testing equipment since last June, and I believe I am up to the challenge – but we shall see!. As part of this blog I will include text and photos from any of my trial runs, one of which will be through Lancaster county.

Much has changed since my last major bike touring trip, from camera technology to new types of biking equipment. One change that I did not anticipate is how much more difficult it has been to get in shape. It has been a struggle, but I feel that after a year, I have a good base level of fitness and we shall see if I am up to the challenge.

Lorraine will not be accompanying me on this trip as she is not a fan of off road riding, but she has been integral to making this possible, from her emotional to her technical support. I would not be able to do this without her. She will be taking care of both our home and practice while I am away fulfilling a dream of many years. For all you have done and will do, I extend my heartfelt thanks and love. 

Finally, as part of the ride, I am asking chiropractic supporters to donate to the Berkowitz Scholarship at Sherman College of Chiropractic, a fund that Lorraine and I founded 14 years ago. The purpose of the scholarship is to help defray the high cost of a chiropractic education. Students are selected based upon their demonstrated service ethic as tribute to the namesakes of the fund (Samuel and Sandra Berkowitz) whose service to their family and community was a way of life.

You can find out more and donate online by clicking on the following link: http://www.sherman.edu/give/berkowitz/. Please select Berkowitz Scholarship from the
drop-down menu that indicates "My donation is for" under donation options.

Alternatively, you can send a check to Sherman College of Chiropractic, P.O. Box 1452, Spartanburg, SC 29304 and put "Berkowitz Scholarship" in the memo line of your check.
Thank you for supporting this worthy cause!

(Photo from Adventure Cycling website)