An Adventure in Bicycling and Restored Faith

It was a brainstorm. For some reason I thought I had to bicycle seventy miles from home to a little Missouri wine town along the Katy Trail called Herman.

Packed up with gifts in toll from my friend, I headed out early afternoon on Friday. Traffic was a gas; and why are stop lights always at the top of steep hills? I'm out there, in the left turn lane with the rest of them, only they, the drivers, probably aren't praying out loud like I am. "Hail Mary full of grace."..and "Angel of God my guardian near.." No matter how you look at it, wrong or right, they're just bigger than I am and unpredictable.

Finally, I made my way to the trail...on chat now, fine rock, noisy under my wheels. A little dusty too. My 25c's with carbon streak down the center, ignoring the sharp edges of the chipped pieces of rock. I"m on my way. Backpack in toll with a few things and a three pound tent. It's a good tent but for the life of me can't figure out the two in the one to two man tent as labeled.

I pedal on, greeting bicyclist coming from the opposite direction. I see an older couple, well, about my age; they are weighted down with back packs but their bicycles has panniers too. I don't have that option on this bike. I'm thinking, maybe I should have gotten a cross-over bicycle instead of a regular road bike. The tires are 28c and with a little tread. But, mine seem to do okay. I pray a lot. I pray that I don't have any break downs of any kind, me or the bicycle.

By the time I get to Defiance, the pack is becoming quit heavy and weighting on my back and bottom. So, I'm thinking maybe I'll leave a few things at the bike shop in Defiance and pick them up on the way back. As I begin to fill the box, the owner so graciously gives me, I think maybe if I could just strap the tent across my handlebars I'll be fine. Wish I would have brought bungee cords now..but I brought my combination chain lock, wrapped in plastic...so maybe. I thank the guy anyway, he is looking all over for bungee cords...I stop him from searching as I discovered wrapping the chain lock around my handlebars and around the tent bag does work. I'm thrilled to death when I find that it does hold in place.. and my back is smiling with relief. A prayer answered.

I ride on, through the breezy warmth of the afternoon, mile after rocky, field road like, miles. For hours. I munch on Jelly Bellies candy and sip Monster energy drink from my insulated bike bottle. It's getting near dusk now. I'm should be coming upon Herman soon...it's right along the trail..isn't it? According to my mileage: 73 miles, I should have been there by now. I decided to pull out the map and take a look? What? I missed it. It is South of the Trail down Highway 19. What highway 19? A car turns in front of me with a little one strapped in the back safety seat. The guy gets out after I wave him over. He says, I need to go three miles back, over the bridge of Louve River, underneath 19 through the tunnel, climb up the hill and get onto 19 that way. He offers to strap my bike on top of his car, as he roots for bungee cords in this hatch back. I'm thinking my bike would scratch the top of his car. I said...it's okay, I'll just pedal fast and I'll make it before it gets dark. Cars are coming now towards us with headlights on. I'm thinking, once again, oh god, help me. I pedal like hell and pray Hail Mary...we're becoming very close..

Finally, the bridge, the tunnel, I climb up the hill cross 19 and pedal on the nice wide shoulder of the highway. Sweet! I'm thinking I'll get there in no time now. Then the big neon traffic alert sign on my side of the road ahead of me...warns me that with new bridge construction there is no shoulder between bridges. What does that mean? Are there two bridges that I have to cross? No shoulder? Oh no! Oh God!

It's dark now as I approach the bridge riding along side safety barrels now that are squeezing me out into the middle of the lane. I see a man walking a dog in the new construction zone. It's all rock. I cut in and get off my bicycle. I want to ask him if there is another way around all this to get into Herman, which is located just right on the other side of the river. I see town lights on the hill sides but I also notice there are no lights on the old bridge which I need to cross...something is telling me "don't even try it".

Then I see a pick up truck way ahead in the new construction. It appears to be a worker inspecting the progress of the new bridge. I see back up lights as he turns around to head out, my way. I wave. He stops. I immediately relax as I see he has a woman with him, probably his wife. They are both Hispanic. I ask him if I can get across the new bridge into Herman. He said that it was all open yet that there was no way across that way. I told him I was trying to get across to Herman.

At that point I'm thinking that I am totalling lost. What will I do? Pitch my tent on the rocks and spend the night there. I see he has a pick up. I could offer him ten bucks to throw my bike in the back and me too. Then he says. "I can follow you across the bridge." Bingo! I said. "Oh wow. You would do that? With your emergency lights flashing?" He nods. "Oh thank you!" And off we go. I swore to ride as fast as I could. I pedal like hell up the entrance of the bridge. He stays a comfortable distance behind me. This is so cool, I'm thinking and I cry because the man was so nice...and the other man before him who wanted to me help me makes me cry too. I cry, because I know they are guardian angels sent to help me. My faith is renewed. My love for man is restored. This is truly a magical moment and a life changing experience I will never forget; an experience that makes me feel one with the universe. Yes, we are all connected.

I pedal like hell. My aching back and bottom forgotten totally now. I turn slightly to cross bridge drains at an angle. I made it without my tires getting stuck. Thank god! I dodge bumps and cracks and holes and finally I'm across. He comes by me. I yell "thank you.." and truly mean it from the bottom of my heart. He is god to me. He slows to nod and six cars and trucks wait even longer to get going impatiently wanting to speed through town. But they know why now; the reason for the hold up...the slow going. There she is standing over her bicycle now. They understand.

Okay, it's time to find the park now.. I stop near a lighted sign honoring the gifted people of the town. It's bright. I can see my notes written on my map. A couple walks up. They seem alright, safe. He points in the direction of the park and says I can't miss it. She digs. "You're traveling along?" as if to say...look at me.. I have a man! You have to travel along, not me. I let that go by and concentrate on what I have to do next. I thank them and ride on. I see the sign that tells me the park is this way. I guess I should have turned further down where he told me to; as it was I passed two ball diamonds riding against blinding lights. The lights must have blinded the guy headed toward me in the Camaro, because he about side swiped me; he was so busy watching the girls play ball he about killed me. To think I made it across the bridge for this....there was no way I was taking the ditch. He got within two feet and I think when and only when I came into his line of vision did he pull the steering wheel the other way. Finally! I was so tired I didn't even get shook up or mad, surprisingly enough. I think by then I knew my guardian angels were truly with me on this trip.

I asked two couples talking near the pool where the tent camping grounds where. God, how I wanted to jump in the pool and rinse the dust off. She directed me easily enough and was very friendly. I saw the RV's then and the single tent. I see it's a young family of four. Perfect. I camp near them, my adopted family for the night.

It was then I heard the loud "rib-it" of the must have been huge bull frog. Little did I know he would keep his song up all night. My tent went up easily. I'm tired. I took a shower in the shower house and I"m ready to rest now. I figure the traffic across the creek will die down soon, it's ten at night..oh but it's Friday night. Oh well! It's noisy on the street, kids across the way are bouncing a basketball, the little kids are crying now, the traffic is zooming by and the bull frog croaks his merry greetings, but I don't care. I lay there crying as I think of the two guys who helped me. I'm safe and my faith in mankind is restored. I wonder was this the purpose of the whole trip. Was this the reason I had such a strong undeniable urge to take this trip.. on my own? My life is changed .. for the better...forever.

I envy people who can just sleep anywhere, through anything; I'm not one of them, of course, I knew that ahead of time. I've been like this all of my life. My heart doesn't slow worrying about crossing back over the bridge in the morning. I figure I'll get up early before everyone else is up and about and the traffic will be light. I munch a little on the huge pretzel I bought after the brewery in Augusta stopped selling food earlier today. I'm not hungry. I'm too tired to be hungry, and anxious. I'm feeling grateful and anxious. Why? I wonder, the universe is clearly on my side. Yet my humanness keeps me concerned. I power my cell phone on to check the time...it's 12:30 now. Then 2:30. At 3:30 I think I"ll probably doze now...as I still hear some traffic, but it's lighter now...the kids are sleeping, basketball is gone...but the bull frog croaks on. It's okay though, I've grown accustomed to it..and can almost tune it out. I do think I dozed off then..for awhile.

It's amazing to me and I think it must be the yoga for the ground doesn't seem all that uncomfortable to me. It's getting chilly though and I pull clothes out of my backpack to cover with. I knew I should have dried off with the hand towel and left the bath towel dry for covering...but I'm okay. I love these towels, they are small and compact and fold to a small size, perfect for travel or the health club pool, that doesn't provide towels. What a find I think...as I doze off.

The birds begin to sing so I know it won't be long before day break. I'm wide awake and begin to put my stuff away and take down and fold my expensive but handy dandy tent I have become fond of. It set up in a snap..and packs away small..and weights 3.5 pounds. I'm still not really hungry but snack on a Nature Valley health bar and drink some water. As I did during the night I pee in a cup in the tent and empty it by slinging the contents far out onto the grass. Sometimes it just nice to travel along and you can do such things in your tent. I think I would be more shy and polite if someone was there with me.

Anyway, I'm off and ready to go. My back aches a bit when I sling the pack on. My bottom feels sore when I straddle the seat but I'm off. I cross the bridge without problems as only two cars get into the other lane to go around me. I'm thinking, if anyone even bumps me it's in the river I'll go..there are only two widely spaced horizontal bars separately me from the mighty Missouri rapidly flowing below me. I'm glad to get across it.

The shoulder rides nicer away from the sleep bumps.. I stop at a service station quick stop and fill up on SoBe Energy drink. I love the stuff. I put one in my bike bottle and the other in the backpack with the orange juice I bought and more Nature Valley health bars. I begin to ride.

Oops slight mistake what was I thinking, now my backpack is heavy again, even more so. I try to drink the energy drink and orange juice fast as I pedal back east now...back on the bumpy, noisy, rocky, field road of a trail. Gee, this section only has a few big tractor tire marks to bump over...not bad.

I see rabbits galore in the early morning sun and mist. I pedal on. Now I'm looking for a trash can. It amazes me how people respect the trail so; there is not one piece of paper or empty bottle of any kind in sight; not the whole seventy plus miles that I have ridden...and that alone makes me want to cry, besides my burning bottom. But then I think, unlike the people who own that one house on the trail that has barbed wire around their front and side yards, that it's the type of people who are interested in using trails like this...usually health minded, environmentally minded, all around nice people. The trails are greet to see and greet like minded friendly people. As I sat on my backpack many times taking a breather, many who pedaled by, mostly men, asking if I was okay. But, in general men and women are very nice on the trails and always ready to help one another. I wonder, is it the sheer might of the nature of the big vehicle that makes drivers more aggressive and litterers? The safety of the enclosed capsule? I think people who walk and ride bicycles are more apt to greed one another...and it gives me a hometown feeling. Can't say though that I would cherish living away from the city, even though it is a lot cooler away from auto heat and rising street heat. It's nice and quiet though on the trail, away from speedy traffic, and that part is nice.

When I think of all the horrible places to have a flat tire or break down along the trail I shake inside. I know that I was darn lucky. Because when you get further out...there are no people to be seen...no help. I prayed my thankfulness. I know that I am fortunate and very blessed.

There is a whole lot of time to think about things out there along on the trail. I know that I am very grateful. Soon I finally come upon Augusta and it's getting hot. But, I don't want to stop at the brewery on the hill again so I pedal seven more miles to Defiance where I get a hot dog and engage in much appreciated lively conversation with a couple of women who are out riding on the trail. I offered the one, more talkative women, fifty bucks to take me to St. Louis...and she laughs. I'm thinking that I will leave my stuff at the lake house and it will be easier to pedal the last six miles through traffic...then I think..no then I'll have to drive back and get my stuff... I'll just call a cab....then I think that I'll check in with my friend.. I thought she might be busy but she offers to come get me. I can barely pedal the rest of the way, I am so in pain with my bottom burning... I try like hell and in vain to find a comfortable spot....the backpack gets heavier and heavier. A few times I threw the pack on the ground then sat on it..taking my helmet off, drinking water. I'm tired; I'm dirty but I inch my way onward..finally, I'm back on pavement, as I climb the big hill and cross the river. Back to civilization here I come! I know within four short miles I can sit on my butt and rest and get a ride back home. Funny as soon as it's over... I feel better already.

When I got up Saturday morning in Herman I had 80 miles exacting on my trip odometer, and when I arrived at the Lake House I had 146 miles total and a sore bottom, but that was it. I praised the lord and thanked the universe for my safe trip and lack of joint or muscle pain ...anywhere. I know that I am very gifted and blessed. Life is good! Good samaritans and friends - priceless. What a trip and what a lesson in gifts of mankind.

I feel raised to a higher spiritual level now... I am connected with the universe and the spirit world. What a loving, learning experience. Well, I'm glad I got that brainstorm out of my system.