Joel Kampf: Pedaling Across America

It's hard to believe...

Sun, 16 Aug 2015 21:50:14 -0700

August 15, 2015 Seattle Sixteen days out of the bubble.

Last night, I stood staring at big map of the country (see below) on the floor. LaVonne asked me draw my route on it. I just stood there and stared not quite able to process the whole thing. Two or so weeks later and I still see it in my head as individual days. During the ride, I had to stay in the day and even break each day into bite size segments. When I finished a day’s ride, along with zeroing in on mass quantities of food, I’d check out/maintain the bike, my panniers, refill water (3.5 L) and all the personal maintenance stuff…

I had to be ready to do my routine the next morning. Fire up the stove to boil water for oatmeal and coffee. Stretch. Sunscreen. Recheck the route and pack it all up. Keeping a routine helps minimize the need to psych up for the next day. You just have to stay in the moment of the routine and develop consistency.

Getting out of my daily routines and establishing new ones, regardless of their temporary nature, gave me an another view at my life. I heartily recommend it. Change up something simple - you don’t have to embark on a three month journey across the country - only a nutcase would do that.

Lastly, my fifteen minutes… when I reached the Alki trail I was greeted by a few friends on bikes cheering me on - and I’m not sure I’ve been cheered since scoring a home run in a kickball game back in sixth grade… and when I got home, my family greeted me with a champagne shower. LaVonne even arranged for a reporter from the West Seattle Blog to cover my return which almost immediately posted an hour after he left.

But the funniest thing happened the next night. The next night, “L” and I went out for a Friday date night dinner in Ballard, about seven miles away over the ship canal. After dinner, walking down the crowded streets chock full of other restaurant seekers, a couple approached us and asked if I was the guy in the article that...Read More

I did it!

Fri, 31 Jul 2015 14:26:57 -0700

July 31, Seattle, WA

It’s no wonder that Einstein said he didn’t really understand how time works. I’ve been feeling the same thing since I pedaled into town yesterday. For 78 days I could only focus on the day, more specifically, the mile in front of me. The only way to endure the challenge of so many consecutive 8-10 hour physical days is to mentally break each one into bite size pieces and not think of the big picture.

I still haven’t been able to wrap my head around the entire accomplishment as Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri and Kansas (the most mentally challenging states) seem so long ago. After months of prep and anticipation, months of riding and missing LaVonne, all of a sudden, I’m finished. Each day seemed so long to me at the time - so much road to focus on - so many trucks to avoid. One of my working theories - the seamless, didn’t miss a beat reconnection with my wife made me feel like no time has passed at all… it’s so incredibly great to be back home.

My last few days on the trail: After leaving Moses Lake, I headed up through farm country to Quincy, on my way toward Cashmere, WA (sounded like a soft landing spot). I literally had to dodge crop dusters who didn’t seem to care about turning off their poison when passing over roads. I then dropped into the Columbia River Gorge surrounded by magnificent rock walls and zillions of apple trees. The next morning (my second to last day riding), I set out on my longest day of the tour, a 12.5 hour, 100 mile ride cresting the Cascades over Stephens Pass, all the way into Monroe, WA - leaving me with a short (5 hour) day to reach home yesterday. All along the way, I still couldn’t grasp the finality of it all. My legs and butt could, but my mind has still yet to process it all.

About 4 miles from home, when I reached the Alki Trail, a few riders were waiting and cheering me on - it turns out, I had been stalked by a friend on a scooter for the last couple of hours, who...Read More

The Home Stretch

Mon, 27 Jul 2015 17:25:39 -0700

July 27, Moses Lake, Washington
Day 75, 3693 miles

I left Missoula six days ago over the Lolo Pass to follow the Lewis and Clark Trail into Idaho and Washington. The four hundred some odd miles had me riding alongside the Lochsa, Selway and Clearwater River systems for over 140 miles. In one 90 mile day, I started in a beautiful green Idaho river valley and finished in the deserts of SE Washington. Since entering Washington, the demon winds have done their best to slow me down. No matter what direction I take, the wind slaps me in the face. I immediately realized that whether it was the first, twentieth or seventy-first day, I have to be in that day. I still have to focus on the mile I'm in - which isn't easy when I can practically smell Alki Beach, where I live. Normally, I would take a rest day about now - but no way... I'm having dinner with my wife Thursday night, come winds or high water! Just don't tell my legs yet. Tomorrow I head to Wenatchee - Wednesday, up through Leavenworth and over Steven's Pass to somewhere near Skyhomish, leaving me with about 84 miles that will have me dropping into Woodenville where I'll pick up the Sammamish River Trail which eventually turns into the Burke Gilman. I can barely believe it as I type it. My next post will be from home where I'll better reflect on my experience... until then, its taking my utmost effort and resolve to get my butt coerced back onto the saddle and my quads to comply. The trip has been wondrous and eye-opening... as soon as I power through the next few days I look forward to sharing more with you. As always, thank you for riding along.

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A Montana state of mind...

Mon, 20 Jul 2015 23:00:00 -0700

July 21, Missoula, Montana

Day 68, Total Mileage 3,291 Continental Divide Crossings in last 15 days: 9

After covering almost 500 miles in the last 8 days, including rides and camping through Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, Keith and I worked our way through southwest Montana, pulling into Missoula yesterday. It was great having Keith along for the week - he heads home to Livingston today. I will truly miss him!

The Parks are truly gems - I lived 90 minutes from Yellowstone for years and every visit knocks me off my feet. As we pedaled into Grand Teton, I had one of my few moments of feeling vulnerable - after we entered the gate, a flashing sign warned: Sow and two cubs on road next five miles - drive carefully. Yikes. After thirty years in Montana, I've seen bear from the road, in the woods and on my power pole in Red Lodge. But riding uphill at 3 miles/per, I felt a little nervous about getting between mom and cub, and kind of like a low hanging fruit appetizer. Just another part of the adventure...

I'm taking a rest day in Missoula - although not my favorite idea of what a rest day should be. For the last couple of weeks, I've developed a pretty painful toothache. On my way into town a couple of days ago, I contacted my Dentist from 12 years ago, and he fit me in yesterday and determined I needed a root canal this afternoon. Oy. The good news - I'll still be heading out of here tomorrow morning, and, it's a root canal... just a speed bump, not a show stopper. Tomorrow I start the home stretch. After a 40 mile climb over Lolo Pass, I'll take a short trip through Idaho and pedal my way into Washington state, entering in the southeast corner. The Adventure cycling maps continue onto Oregon, so I'll be winging it through Washington. After months on the road and getting this far, I'm sure I can find my way back to Seattle - I asked LaVonne to turn on the espresso machine and stock the fridge...Read More

Wild Wyoming.

Sun, 12 Jul 2015 19:06:08 -0700

July 12, Dubois, Wyoming

Hello All - I'm finishing up a rest day after seven straight from Frisco, Colorado (440 mi). Wyoming has blown me away in more ways than one. The raw beauty, vastness and lack of population has me loving this part of the trip - and although the last couple of afternoons challenged me with 25 mph headwinds, the riding has been magnificent... especially just after dawn. I was raised in North Hollywood, CA, but I really grew up in Montana - late bloomer. I spent thirty years there. I knew from the get-go that arriving at the Montana border would feel special. But I wasn't ready for how Wyoming felt. I've always loved the spirit of this state. Like Montana, the challenges of winter and isolation create a statewide neighborhood-like feel for the most part. Even self-reliant people appreciate knowing that every car will stop if you're stuck on a wintery road. The sharp expansive terrain seems to parallel the hard-nosed determination of the people out here. Tonight, a dear friend from Montana, Keith, arrives in Dubois to ride with me into and through Montana for the next week or so. It'll be a blast. Tomorrow, my sixtieth day on the tour, we'll climb another Continental Divide pass (my fifth so far) as we'll pedal up to Jackson Lake and the Tetons. Tuesday, we'll ride through part of Grand Teton National Park into Yellowstone... putting us in West Yellowstone, Montana Wednesday. Enjoy the photos from Wyoming - while riding a five mile downhill yesterday, I wished I could bottle the sites, smells and exhilaration to send to all of you. Thanks for riding along. PS - no captions for the pics this time - just shots from the last two days working my way through the Wind River Reservation and region.
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Thank you Colorado.

Tue, 07 Jul 2015 19:58:49 -0700

July 7, Saratoga, WyomingAfter the trials of the south and plains, Colorado welcomed me with open arms - and more importantly, LaVonne's open arms. After 50 days on the road, I had a wonderful, restful three days with LaVonne and good friends Jack, Kathy, Rich and Christy in Golden, Colorado. On Sunday morning, Jack and LaVonne drove me back to the trail where I left off, in Frisco, CO, and said goodbye as I headed toward Wyoming. My emotions were a little out of whack. With all the challenges of the trip, wind, heat, bad food, endless hills etc, being away from my wife is the most difficult for me. So after a weekend of laughter and love, I pedaled away, and in just minutes, I was a solitary traveler again. It felt weird, and inspired me even more to kick butt and get home. I felt and feel pretty strong after the rest. I rode up over the southern divide out of Colorado and entered Wyoming today, feeling even closer to my home territory (lived in Montana 30 years). I've averaged over 60 miles a day for the last three, and plan to be in the Tetons a week from today, and then, glorious Montana. I have a lot of climbing ahead of me and could care less, because all I have to do is ride tomorrow. That's all. Wyoming stuns me. The least populated state (people per sq. mi.) in the country, you can see, smell and hear the fresh, unspoiled nature surrounding you. Today, I saw as many horses, deer and antelope as I did people. And fortunately, being in Wyoming, I didn't run into Dick Cheney. Yesterday, dropping out of Colorado, I encountered a thunderstorm that pretty much forced me off the bike with nowhere to hide. I had to hunch over the bike for about thirty minutes until the buckets of water lessened to an even pour, and then got back on and pedaled through the part road, part river. Today, I dodged storms all day and managed to ride 70 miles missing everything. Tomorrow is tomorrow. Enjoy the pics from the weekend and the last few days below. Thanks for riding along....Read More

The Big Climb

Thu, 02 Jul 2015 13:03:28 -0700

July 2, Golden, CO Halfway Break (Mileage: 2,380)

Greetings All,
Here's a weird concept if you've been a vagabond for the last 6+ weeks - I'm actually sitting in my friend's Kitchen, in a real house, typing out this blog, and to top that, I didn't have to wear shower shoes last night :)

My dear high school buddies Jack and Rich picked me up in Frisco, CO yesterday and brought me back to Jack and Kathy's place in Golden for the the weekend - LaVonne arrives in Denver this afternoon.

Yesterday, I capped a long week of climbing, including a three day constant uphill to reach the highest point of the trail, Hoosier Pass. Tuesday's 4,800 climb into the 9000 ft. range brought the altitude factor front and center. I could really feel that my quads weren't getting enough oxygen, so I took it really slow and finally made it to Hartsel, CO to camp at 8800 ft. prior to heading over the pass. I ran into some of my trail buddies in Hartsel, so a few of us ended up celebrating on top together (yesterday). It felt incredible. Talk about a natural high. Although my pose for the top pic seems a little out of character for me, it was no time to be humble - I really worked my already tiny ass off to get there, so a braggadocio pose felt justified and damn good. I learned and experienced so much riding through the southern and great plains states, but I also felt the constant weight of uncertainty, oppressive weather and that fish out of water feeling. Reaching the mountains, especially coming over the divide into Alpine country, lifted the weight and has me incredibly energized for the rest of the trip. Every day I gain more touring experience and things that I use to have to think about have become second hand. And every day I get stronger. I feel weird resting for 3 days - my body is ready to keep moving and my legs are ready to go... but I know they need time to rebuild and I'll feel much better Sunday. I'll be dropped off back on the trail in Frisco...Read More

Halfway Home

Sat, 27 Jun 2015 23:00:00 -0700

June 28, Pueblo, Colorado

What a week! Last Sunday, Father's Day, I woke up with a cold in Larned, Kansas. I spent Monday lying low in a dingy motel, hiding from the 103 + temps and humidity. The high point of the day was a call from my daughter, whose positive attitude and loving words inspired me to get up Tuesday and get the rest of the Great Plains behind me ASAP. In the next five days, I covered 340 hot, windy, desolate miles to arrive in Pueblo yesterday - to my first good cup of coffee, healthy food and great beer.I met up with Xander and his dog, Ella on the road (from previous post), and we stuck together pushing each other out of Kansas into the promised land of Colorado (See pics below). Resting in Pueblo today, getting caught up on work and healing up. Tomorrow morning I'll ride 55 miles of foothills to Canon City where the terrain turns to Alpine - I ride on another 5 or so miles into the mountains and camp. The route begins to climb out of Pueblo (4400 ft.) and then in earnest after Canon City. Tuesday will take me up to 9000 ft for the night, and Wednesday, I'll lift over Hoosier Pass, 11,600 ft, the highest point on the Trans Am Trail. Then, it's all downhill to meet up with my lovely wife on Thursday for a few consecutive days off for the July 4 weekend. Can't wait to see her! The elevation gains passing through Colorado, Wyoming over the Tetons and into Montana via Yellowstone, once felt a little daunting - now, feeling stronger than ever... not so much. After all, unlike "Fnn" headwinds, hills are finite and reward you on the other side - bring it on!Although I was born and raised in North Hollywood, CA, I really grew up and spent the largest chunk of my life (30 years) in Montana. Tomorrow, when I enter the Rockies, it will feel like I'm back in the neighborhood. No more crazed canines, jungles chock full of poisonous snakes, plants and insects... in comparison, alpine terrain feels clean and welcoming. And although my route...Read More

Miles as of today: 2026

Wed, 24 Jun 2015 14:26:16 -0700

June 24, Scott City, Kansas

Hello All,
I'm pretty wiped today - It took me 8 straight hours to go 55 miles in a 28 mph headwind. OY. 94 degrees didn't help... but it was cooler than yesterdays 103! I spent those eight hours trying to think about anything but the wind or my quadriceps. That's the trick - That, and reminding yourself about all the positive things in the present, like, "It's not blowing too much dirt, the grain trucks are giving me space when passing and the road is fairly new." Although that doesn't sound like much, it's preferable to,"Fucking wind, drink you're gonna cramp, shit I'm in climbing gears and it's level, my butt really needs a break etc." Due to the heat over the last few days, I've been waking at 3 am, and riding by four. The traffic is very light until 6-7 and the wind doesn't go totally crazy until the sun rises... and the temp usually sits in the early seventies. Talk about feeling like you're in a bubble. I can only see within the reach of my front lights - everything else is pretty black. For some reason, I like how it makes me feel - like I only have a tiny space to manage - I just have to look out for obstacles, roadkill, or a live skunk or armadillo... it's quiet and peaceful. At about 5:20, I begin to notice the first light of the day in my rear view mirror (heading west). Fifteen minutes later, the dark loses out to daylight and everything changes. All the little mice who were scurrying about, disappear, the crickets fade a bit and the birds take over the soundtrack, and although I felt comfortable in the darkness, it's naturally reassuring to see that orange ball rising and realize that I'm still on planet earth and not in a bubble after all. :) Tomorrow, in the mid-morning, the wind's supposed to shift in my favor for the rest of the day - I'm scheduled for a 77 miler to Sheridan Lake, COLORADO! WOOHOO! Although the terrain will remain the same for 2-3 more days, until I reach Pueblo (the halfway mark for the...Read More

Riding through a convection oven..

Sat, 20 Jun 2015 15:59:46 -0700

June 20, Sterling, Kansas

Hello All,

After dodging the rain and hail from Tropical Storm Bill, it looks like clear skies ahead for the next week as I work my way toward Colorado. Kansas has it's beauty - unending views of wheat and corn, and stunning sunrises. Because of the heat and headwinds, I've taken to rising at 4:00 am and pedaling by 5-5:30, to hopefully ensure the first 4 hours of my 7-8 hour ride is tolerable... so far, so good.

Planning daily rides comes down to what services (food, motel, camping) are along this very rural route. Until now, I've been taking it a day at a time, but for the next 11 days, I'm on a schedule - on July 2, my lovely wife flies into Denver and some dear friends will pick her up and bring her to Breckenridge (on my route), where we'll all spend most of the July 4 weekend together. WooHoo!

Keeping a schedule when traveling by bike takes careful planning, but is totally doable. Seeing a bike as transportation is easy to reconcile here on the Trans-am trail. Along with those of us who are traveling the entire length for the sake of doing so, I'm meeting a lot of people "just on their way" places. Since arriving in Kansas, I'm meeting Eastbounders every day. A young college gal passed me yesterday - she was coming from her college town in Colorado, taking the Trans-am to just over the Ohio River, then heading south on the Underground Railroad Trail to visit friend in New Orleans for the summer. I met another gent who passed me - he was traveling light, younger and just plain faster, on his way from Virginia to visit a son in Wyoming. I've met Germans, Brits, married couples, families with kids in trailers, and a lot of college kids traveling on the cheap for the summer... it's a pretty interesting culture. Adventure Cycling (adventurecycling.org) is leading the charge to map the entire country for bike routes - check it out... also, if you want to see pics of...Read More