Distant Horizons

Celebration of Life

2009-07-07T22:00:00.004-05:00

Silent Auction for Andy's Memorial Fund

2009-07-06T00:41:00.002-05:00

The great folks at Midwest Mountaineering have asked that you be reminded that they are having a silent auction to benefit Andy's memorial fund - to help defray some of the enormous medical bills that piled up during his illness. From the Midwest web site:

Silent Auction to Benefit theAndy Knapp Memorial Fund
Help Andy's family and get this brand-new Bell Northwind canoe! Silent auction bids are now being accepted via e-mail only at andysboat@midwestmtn.com . Be sure to include your name, telephone number and bid amount. Midwest Mountaineering will contact bidders prior to the close of bidding for information verification.

The Northwind is Bell's best selling Boundary Waters canoe! It is 17½ feet long, 36 inches wide, weighs 48 lbs. and is constructed in Bell's premium Black Gold carbon/kevlar layup with beautiful wood trim. Bell Canoe has donated half the wholesale value of this canoe. The retail value of this boat is $3,240.95

Submit your bid today! Bidding will be closed and the canoe awarded to the highest bidder Friday, July 17th at 8:00 p.m. at the Celebration of Life Party at the Cedar Cultural Center.
All proceeds will go to the Andy Knapp Memorial Fund for the benefit of Andy's family.

Remember, the doors open at 6:00 pm, not 5:00 as previously stated...

2009-06-24T10:33:00.007-05:00

Andy's Obituary in the Minneapolis Star Tribune on 6/24/2009: click here

...and picked up by the Washington Post: click here

The End Has Come

2009-06-22T08:42:00.006-05:00

Friends and Family,

Andy has left for his next adventure.

At 3:00 AM on June 22, 2009, Andy paddled off into the night.
He was surrounded by his loving family for this peaceful sendoff.

Denise appreciates everyone's comments and farewell notes to Andy in this blog.

There will be a Celebration of Life in mid-July, please stay tuned for the details.

You can continue to send him a farewell messages, and leave notes for Denise and Kaitlyn on this blog.

Goodbye, good friend.

Andy is Entering Home Hospice

2009-06-19T18:10:00.011-05:00

It's time to say goodbye to Andy.

He will be coming home from the hospital on Saturday, June 20, 2009.

He will be entering home hospice. He said last night that "it was time to wind this thing down".

It has been a long 6 year battle, but now it's nearing the end.
Denise welcomes his friends to come by to visit with Andy.
He will be tired, so short visits and small groups would be best.

Please just come on by, you don't have to call first.

Andy Knapp, Denise Dohrmann, and Kaitlyn Knapp
4936 36th Ave South
Minneapolis, MN 55417

612-729-2879 home phone
612-220-8493 Denise cell

He won't be on hospice long, he is ready to move on to his next big adventure. If you are going to come by for a vist, do so soon.

If you can't visit, leave him a Comment here and Denise can read it to him.

Recovering Slowly at Home

2009-06-08T14:07:00.003-05:00

Day 105. The problem I had before the last six day stay at the hostital turned out to be too low a drop in blood pressure. I fell three times in three days and injured my back and shoulder, which is still pretty much black and blue, and back to the hospital it was for observation.

I am weaker now; the steroids I am still taking for DVH are extremely hard on the upper legs and arms. So it it hard to stand up, but I am getting along with my walker pretty well. The PT exercises are bginning to help, but it's going to be a long revovery.

-Andy

Set Back! Six More Days inthe Hospital

2009-05-31T15:30:00.002-05:00

I'm back at home now, but a bit weaker. More later.

At Home Again!

2009-05-20T13:38:00.004-05:00

Day 86. I was released from the hospital over the weekend, and it is a great relief to at least be at home. It is a more stimulating environment to sit around in, there are more foods I can eat, and it is good to see more of Denise, Kaitlyn, and the animals.

I can eat small meals- we are trying to jump start my GI tract after almost two months of intravenous feeding. I still will be on the intravenous feeding for about a month, using a home portable IV unit, until we taper off. I also do one other IV infusion at home which will end June 3.

One of the side effects of the drugs and the IV food is the extreme edema in my feet and legs. I estimate I have about 15 extra pounds of body weight. When we got home, Denise went up to Nokomis Shoe Shop and bought a cheap pair of size 16 New Balance shoes so I would have something on my feet other than Ace bandages. Climbing a flight of stairs takes considerable effort.

All in all, I have probably about two more months of recovery from what was a very severe case of GVH (see other posts for details) as well as the quarantine period, although I can go outside if I wear the breathing mask.

More soon, I hope.
-Andy

Going Home Again?

2009-05-13T19:23:00.001-05:00

Day 79. Despite remaining side effects from the GVH, such as stubborn diarrhea and edema (my legs and feet look like tree trunks and the only shoes I will be able to wear on them is my Sorel boots with the liners out), there is a good probability of getting out of the hospital within the next week.

The doctors are switching IV meds to pill form for home use, I am attending several classes in home IV care, and the PT people have signed off on my ability to manoever in the home environment without going through the physical therapy classes at another hospital. I have lost a lot of muscle mass and will be using a walker and my cane, but I feel that at home, I will be more active and will recover faster. I have already climbed a full flight of stairs to show them I can live at home.

I hope I am out of the woods. The second hospital stay of eight weeks has been a tremendous ordeal, espescially when you're not expecting to go back in.

Again, I want to thank all those who have been sending best wishes, and to say that replies and thank you cards are still coming.

A Reprieve after being Very Ill.

2009-05-02T17:19:00.001-05:00

Day 69. After being readmitted to the hospital on Easter with serious side effects of the Graft vs. Host Disease (GVH), I was too sick to deal with Email or anything else. GVH is the rejection of my host body by the new immune system, and included side effects such as vomiting, diarrhea, confusion (which may be normal in my case), spotted skin, peeling, and edema.

It is a very serious condition, and happens to varying degrees in about half the cases. I pretty much stayed around in bed as the medical team (BMT is prepared for it) tried the mix of steroids, anti-rejection drugs, and other related therapies. For the last four weeks, I have been fed primarily through a tube, being too sick to think about eating. (although actually, right now, I weigh more now than I did when I had to drop everyhing and return.) I don't think you'd want to see much of this synthetic, intravenous food, however.

The low point earlier this week came with massive diahrrea and loss of blood at both ends. Now, the complete exhaustion as eased, and I decided I better get get this message out now. (Thanks Denise and Cheryl for filling in.)

There are some concerns among the doctors about the response rate they are getting to the therapies, but I am personally doing better and can sit up now and walk in the hall a bit.

On top of it all, the U of M/Fairview computer system crashed a week ago now, and I am just now getting a look at 4 weeks of email. I hope to answer all eventually, but it will take some time.

First, an initial blanket Thank You to my friends in the Outdoor Industry for your support. My family appreciates it.

Second, to my immediate family and friends, hang in there; we're going to beat this!
-Andy

Three More Weeks In The Hospital and I Haven't Even Told You

2009-04-19T18:57:00.003-05:00

I've been very sick as a result of the conflict of host vs. graft disease. The new system (my brother's cells) is fighting my system.
I've been back in the hospital for the last three weeks, but we're making progess now.

I'll try to update this a little more frequently. Your comments are appreciated.

Day 28 - One Month Into It.

2009-03-23T21:44:00.002-05:00

Day 28, a bit of a milestone since The BMT clinic is starting to test for possible results in this lengthy process with a bone scan, a CT scan, and a number of blood tests, I will find out at least some of the results at tomorrow's appointment.

Most of the past week I have been bogged down with a bit more nausea and fatigue, so I haven't been checking email as regularly as I would like. My intention is to answer everyone at some point, so be patient and I will get back to you or your group. I appreciate every one's comments and support. More tomorrow when I have some up to the minute results.
-Andy

Days of Sleep and Popping Pills

2009-03-15T20:21:00.002-05:00

I've had a bit more energy in the last few days, but every activity I do is still overshadowed by intense fatigue. The background nausea is more under control with a different medicine, so I can eat a bit more and stop the slow loss of weight. I'm taking about 46 pills a day of 16 different medications, with five more in reserve if various symptoms arise. It's almost a part-time job managing all this, especially since the doctors frequently tinker with the exact doses as the latest blood counts and blood chemistry numbers come in.

On a more positive note, Denise, Colonel, and I took a five block walk after the Saturday doctor said I could go outside as long as I wore the heavy duty N95 face mask and as long as I avoided crowds and groups of people I didn't know. Tiring, but it was great to get outside again and enjoy our springlike warm up.

The Loss of Outdoor Friends

2009-03-07T22:07:00.002-06:00

I checked my email after the last post, something I had not done for several days, and as the tears clouded my eyes, I did not get very far. Craig Martinson- your spirit will live on! Craig was a kind and gentle person, quick with wit and a great friend to many of us. He certainly has been an inspiration to me as I have battled cancer.

I also want to salute a longtime industry friend, Rob Hart, who died in a ski accident in February. Rob was the inventor of the Crazy Creek camping chair, a campsite staple. One of the industry originals, he had a sense of humor and absurdity about the outdoor industry and life in general. He will be sadly missed.

Back at Home - and a Slight Setback

2009-03-07T20:09:00.002-06:00

Day twelve. On Thursday, I was discharged after a class on how to care for the Hickman catheter. It was a tiring day, but it was great to get home even though things look bare without all my plants. The big chore each day is getting all the medicenes taken at the right times- the anti-rejection drugs; the antiviral, antifungal, anti-yeast, and antibiotic pills; mineral supplements; blood pressure regulators; medicene to prevent nausea; and drugs to prevent stomach ulcers and protect the liver. Then there are pain pills, anti-diarrhea tablets, and sleeping aids as needed.

Friday went well, with lots of extra sleep, and the security of my favorite foods in the refrigerator. I've still been somewhat nauseous, so I have to pick and choose what I can manage to eat.

This morning, I woke up with a sharp pain on my right side and very short of breath. It was below the chest catheter, so I was afraid I was developing a lung infection, and back the hospital it would be. Denise drove me to my daily BMT clinic visit and luckily my main consulting doctor was doing weekend duty. After checking vitals and poking around, we concluded that I had probably fractured a rib while coughing during a period of nausea.

That was much better than an infection at this point, although it seems silly to think of a broken rib as good news. I've been down that road before after bicycle crashes, and I'll just have to ride it out.

Homeward Bound?

2009-03-03T13:50:00.003-06:00

I woke up to some surprise news this morning, as the team of doctors I see each morning announced that I could be released to home care as early as this weekend, over a week earlier than I expected. With the blood cell counts steadily improving after the transplant, and no signs yet of infection or Graft Vs. Host Disease, they say I can improve as easily at home as in the hospital.

We had to coordinate our small group of home care providers quickly to attend the BMT care giving classes on Thursday before I can be discharged. The various IV drugs I am still getting are being changed over to pill form so I can take them at home. With several months yet to go, being quarantined at home will give me more space to move around in and more projects to relieve boredom, plus the comfort of my family.

I still will have to return to the BMT clinic every day for the foreseeable future to be checked over and get several injected drugs. With all these drugs, it will be a long time before they'll let me drive, so I will be looking for volunteers for driving occasional shuttles to the clinic at the U of M.

I appreciate all the comments you friends and family have posted here, and hope you find this enjoyable.
-Andy

Sleeping and Waiting

2009-02-27T19:13:00.002-06:00

My blood counts are way down as expected, and I'm sleeping a lot and fighting periodic low grade nausea. There's not much to do but to ride out this low point in the cycle. The staff here is great and I'm as comfortable as can be under the circumstances. The PT people are a bit relentless at making me get at least a bit of exercise most days. :)

Day Zero

2009-02-24T11:50:00.003-06:00

February 23rd was transplant day, the moment to begin to rebuilt my immune system with the donor cells. My Brother Pete spent six hours hooked up to the machine that extracted the necessary blood components through a port in his neck. They managed to get more than enough in that first sitting, so he had done his part and was a very happy camper.

After several hours of processing, the cell mixture was brought up to my room in the evening for the infusion into my IV lines. The actual process took about 15 or 20 minutes, and Denise, Kaitlyn, and Pete had a toast of Catawba juice, while I fought off drowsiness from a preventative shot of antihistamine. Rather anticlimatic.

Now, I begin the waiting game and the time of greatest risk of infection. It will be a week or two before we see any measurable new blood cell growth, then a bit longer yet to see whose immune system is winning the battle. And it will be months before we know if this is going to attack my cancer.
-Andy

Down for the Count

2009-02-22T13:04:00.002-06:00

Sunday, day minus one.
The effects of the chemotherapy and immune suppressant drugs are starting to take their toll. On Friday, I felt achy and flu like most of the day, but managed to get in some exercises and a "bike" ride. My daughter Kaitlyn and her friend Molly came by in the evening to watch a movie, have popcorn, and visit a bit, for a nice diversion.

Yesterday, I was very fatigued all day and just slept most of it away. My appetite has pretty much dwindled away as well, and further side effects are expected to progress for the rest of this coming week. This morning, I had the total body radiation scan to further reduce the immune system and get ready for tomorrow's transplant.

It is ironic to walk into the hospital relatively healthy, only to to be knocked flat on your back, barely wanting to move. But now, as one of the doctors said, we are done tearing you down, and are ready to build you back up. The transplant will be tomorrow evening, the 23rd.
-Andy

Getting My Exercise While Confined to the Room

2009-02-19T16:51:00.002-06:00

There haven't yet been many side effects from the various drugs yet, so I focused on the exercises I can do in the room to help keep somewhat fit, to prevent bone density loss, and to keep from going stir crazy. Two PT staff persons helped me go through sets of upper and lower body exercises that can be adjusted as my blood platelet count drops during the therapy.

Then I spent 30 minutes on the exercise bike, and quickly discovered, as I always suspected, that stationary exercise is a lot more boring than doing it outside with the sights, the wind, and the weather. Even my push lawn mower and my arsenal of snow shovels are more fun than just doing weights. To help motivate, I bought an MP3 player before I came in, so now I will just have to learn how to load songs onto it.

Settling in for the Long Haul

2009-02-18T19:34:00.002-06:00

Today, day minus 5 (until transplant) was a relatively busy one, with chemo infusions; regular rounds by the doctors, nurses and aids, who closely monitor the side effects of the drugs; and a visit by a PT person who set me up with a stationary bike in the room to use. She seemed to be delighted to work with someone in relatively good condition. The "bike" doesn't have studded tires, lights, or fenders, but it will get me through the rest of the winter!

Because renal cell cancer is resistant to most forms of chemotherapy, the chemo and other suppressant drugs I am receiving this week are intended to greatly weaken my immune system before the donor transplant. A full-body shot of radiation on Sunday will complete the one-two punch that will lower my blood cell counts and confine me to this room for the next month.

The side effects of all these procedures will manifest themselves within the next two weeks, including probable hair loss. The various targeted drugs I have taken for the RCC in the last three years have some similar side effects, so I am mentally prepared for the fatigue, possible nausea, loss of appetite, and mouth sores. And with months of recovery, and about a 30% chance of success, I have concluded that this still remains my best option.

On the bright side, I have a room with a view to the south- can't quite see the Mississippi due to an intervening roof, but there is sunshine coming in on the clear days. I can watch for signs of spring on the hills of the Riverside neighborhood across the river. And I now have more time for reading, writing, and other sedentary pursuits.

In the meantime, I have learned to take each day as it comes, and not get overburdened with the enormity of the journey ahead, much like starting out on a long trip by bike, boat, or backpack.
-Andy

Cancer Clouds My Horizon

2009-02-17T16:36:00.002-06:00

Once again, I am starting a new adventure- but this one will be entirely indoors. I am back in the hospital preparing for a bone marrow transplant, a type of immunotherapy that has a chance of attacking the renal (kidney) cell cancer I have been fighting for six years. I will be in this room for over a month, and as I write this, I am receiving via IV the third of three kinds of chemotherapy that are used to suppress my immune system for the transplant.

On Monday the 23rd (day zero), I will receive an infusion of marrow and stem cells from a donor- my brother Pete is the match- which will hopefully replace my immune system and attack the cancer tumors. The immune system takes many months to return to normal, which explains the long hospital stay and the additional months of being quarantined at home. The adventure for me is to cope with being holed up in one place instead of being as active as I usually am.

In this phase of the blog, I will talk about that process, as well as other thoughts that come up. Comments are welcome, and I will also be adding more updates and stories to my website, now that I have forced time on my hands.

Thanks to all those who have already expressed their best wishes.

-Andy

Back in Minneapolis

2007-08-02T23:09:00.000-05:00

The dream is over. We all know the story of Dorothy just clicking her heels together to return home, and it happened almost as fast as that for me.

After slowly battling my way up to the windswept Alaska border on Monday afternoon, the wild 3000-foot, 14-mile descent to sea level at Skagway set the pace for my return to Minnesota. I coasted into downtown Skagway with less than 5 minutes to spare to meet the boarding deadline for the M/V Columbia bound for Juneau. Twenty-four days of bicycling totaling 2651 miles ended in the vehicle deck of the big ship. When I arrived at the Juneau ferry terminal, in the early morning darkness of a typically damp, cloud enshrouded Juneau day, I had no further transportation arrangements yet made.

As the town woke up, things started to happen fast. A call to Alaska Airlines confirmed that they had bicycle shipping boxes available at the airport. An internet station in the ferry terminal gave me the opportunity to tinker around with flight possibilities. An immediate flight out in the next couple of days looked like it would have been over $1000, so I checked the long shot of cashing in frequent flier milers with NWA, and, lo and behold, I got a positive result for a flight that same afternoon at 2:55! Routed through Seattle, then via a commuter flight to Portland, topped off with the red-eye from Portland to Minneapolis. Well, it would save $1000.

So I quickly biked the six miles to the Juneau airport, got my bike box, and started repacking away. I forgot to bring a wrench that could remove the pedals, necessary to fit into the box, so the ticket counter personnel hunted around and eventually found a narrow enough wrench to do the job. Well, that's Alaska for you. They're used to stranger requests and quirkier folks than me. By lunchtime, I was munching away on a Caesar salad, and waiting to begin my 12-hour flight marathon.

Every experienced air traveler should fly out of the Juneau airport at least once. For thousands of feet after takeoff, you can look out of both sides of the plane and see trees. Real close. C'mon baby! Let's get this thing up there. Then you disappear into the clouds, hoping those trees, and the mountains attached to them, are getting no closer. Finally, you emerge from the clouds into the sunshine, a fleeting substance that rarely makes it to the ground in Juneau.

Twelve strung-out hours later, I was getting off the plane in Minneapolis. I was gone long enough to forget about the humidity.

The dream was over, but the bigger dream lives on. I had just motivated myself to do something that few 59-year olds can comprehend, let alone be crazy enough to actually try. Yet the secret is to remove barriers to our dreams and move ahead with our lives. I really wasn't in a race with a 19-year old kid with a Duluth pack tied onto his 10-speed, heading up a gravel road he knew nothing about; I was in a race with a 59-year old who needs to look ahead and win the next battle.

I have some tough times ahead in my fight with renal cell cancer. Tougher than cranking a bike up the 14-mile Steamboat Mountain grade on the Alcan Highway? Tougher than picking my way through a herd of ornery buffalo blocking the way north? Tougher than battling across the endless plains of North Dakota against a headwind that would have blown Columbus all the way to Egypt? Tougher than trying to quickly set up a small tent in a rain-soaked forest with every mosquito north of Vancouver dive-bombing away? Time will tell. Thank you for listening.

I want to extend my thanks to many of those who supported my trip. First, my family as always, provided their encouragement. My mother, who mailed us cookies and bike parts to general delevery addresses all over the north 40-years ago, this time left me cell phone voice mail messages to pedal on! My wife Denise, who has to pick up the load on the home front when I am gone. My daughter Kaitlyn helped with updates to the blog. Thanks to my brothers and others in the family as well.

The patience of my friends at work - Midwest Mountaineering - is appreciated. After all, it's adventures like this that allow us to say "ask us, we've been there."

To Kevin and the crew at Freewheel Bikes, thanks for your patience swapping parts and fine tuning the Co-Motion. The 30-day checkup will also be a 3000-mile checkup.

To Greg and Sam at Mountainsmith/Detours: the packs allowed for worry-free cycling in the rain and dust. Sure beats lashing a Duluth pack onto a rack every morning!

To Troy and Kevin, the Mountain Hardwear representatives, the 1-lb. Phantom bag and 2.4 lb. Stiletto tent were light and great, and I promise they will be clean again before the show season!

Camelbak Elixir, a mineral supplement for hydration packs, provided by the BestRep group, proved its worth to me in all the hot weather I had. Remember, when Canadians complain about 30-degree temperatures, they're talking Celsius.

And Serfas sunglasses provided a pair of their Kamber model, light and very suitable for bike touring.

Juneau, Alaska

2007-07-31T10:29:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Morning, Alaska Marine Ferry Terminal, Juneau.

Yesterday I made it to the Alaska border and the town of Skagway, thus bicycling to Alaska from the Twin Cities for the second time, forty years after the first trip in 1967.

The ride yesterday was definitely a fitting finale to the trip. To get to the ferry terminal in Skagway in time for the voyage to Juneau, I had to battle the last big hills, strong headwinds blowing up from the Pacific, sections of bad pavement, and keep my poor legs going over one of the most scenic sections of highway in North America, paralleling the Klondike gold rush trail area of 1898.

I will be returning to Minnesota August 1. Wrap up coming later.

Carcross, Yukon Territory

2007-07-30T12:18:00.000-05:00

Monday morning. 2584 miles cycled so far.

I am in Carcross, Yukon, the last town before Skagway, Alaska, with about 65 miles to go. The weather in the mountains to the south looks a bit iffy, but I am ready to head out on the final leg.

Rain, hot sun, black flies, mosquitoes, and nice mountain views were a part of my crossing of the southern Yukon in the past few days. My knees ache, leg muscles cry out with lactose burnout after every stop, and my rear end has been pounded into hamburger by the bouncy "pavement" of the local highways. but this has been an energizing trip. More soon.

Update from Kaitlyn Knapp

2007-07-28T12:18:00.000-05:00

Andy Knapp reached Watson Lake late Friday night. He is heading west to Skagway on his last leg, with 340 miles to go. We are proud of you Dad!

Contact Creek, Yukon Territory

2007-07-27T20:07:00.000-05:00

I make it to Yukon, just crossed over and stopped at a small lodge that has an internet connection. I have biked 2283 miles so far, in 21 days, with about 40 more today if I make it to the town of Watson Lake.

The big hills of the Rocky Mountain section of the highway are every bit as steep as they were in the past, and have slowed me down a bit, using the granny gears on the 8 - 9 -10% grades, climbing along at 3-5 mph.

Great wildlife viewing the last few days- moose, deer, fox, woodland caribou, stone (dall) sheep, and this morning a herd of buffalo blocked the highway near Liard Hot springs for a while.

Still trying to get to Skagway, more later.

Fort Nelson, British Columbia

2007-07-25T12:16:00.000-05:00

Old Alaska Highway milepost 300. Wednesday morning.

I got some of the hilliest sections of the Alcan behind me now, but will be heading west from here today into the northern Canadian Rockies and the highest point on the highway at 4200 feet, my aching knees willing. The new paved highway is easier than the old, but many of the same steep grades in and out of river valleys are still unchanged. Saw two bears crossing the road yesterday evening. Some rainstorms, and good views of the northern Rockies to the west, but no recent mishaps or problems. I am now about a day ahead of the pace that I was on over this route in 1967- paved roads help!

I am beginning to run out of time, and hope to wrap this venture up next week, possibly by riding to Skagway, Alaska, over the "new" highway- one I haven't before been on- and finding my way home from Juneau. Logistics sketchy at this point. Cell phone coverage is very intermittent now.

All for now, on to the mountains!

Valleyview, Alberta

2007-07-20T23:15:00.000-05:00

Valleyview is the gateway to the Peace River agricultural region of northwestern Alberta. I am now north of 55 degrees latitude, and the sun is just setting at 10:15 pm. I have cycled 1553 miles so far, and tomorrow I should get beyond Grande Prairie, Alberta, on the approach to Dawson Creek, BC. Sometime Sunday, I should be starting up the Alaska Highway.

Today, I got a good test of riding in continuously hilly terrain, as the highway to Valleyview winds through some forested foothills after dropping down to cross the Athabasca River. Moose warning signs were periodic, but my main concern was the blast of wind from trucks as I coasted the downhills. Having wide paved shoulders on the main highways is great, but I have to be constantly watching for stray gravel, shredded tires, miscellaneous metal parts, roadkill, broken glass, and any number of other things people throw out.

I have a few aches and scrapes, and my knees usually ache for several hours in the evening, and I know they will this evening, after today's 134-mile effort.

Thanks to those who have sent emails; it's always good to hear from people. I hope you all are enjoying this blog format. It sure beats trying to write lots of postcards.

Edmonton, Alberta

2007-07-19T14:22:00.000-05:00

Thursday noon. Just a quick note as I pass through the northern outskirts of Edmonton, where I had a blood draw as part of the clinical study I am in on a new cancer drug. Yesterday, I had a strong SE tailwind rolling through the green hills of eastern Alberta and made 149 miles to Fort Saskatchewan, just east of here. I am now heading to Highway 43 and the Grand Prairie region, on the approach to the Alcan Highway.

Lloydminster, Alberta/Sask.

2007-07-17T22:05:00.000-05:00

I've made it to the province of Alberta, 1171 miles into the trip. I am still running about a day behind the pace of the trip in 1967, but as I've found out, keeping up with 19-year olds isn't easy. I have had three good days, hot but little wind, rolling through the Saskatchewan plains and their biggest cities of Regina and Saskatoon.

Yesterday evening, I got caught briefly by a spectacular prairie thunderstorm, so black and ugly it wouldn't give my camera a light meter reading, taking refuge on the lee side of a large hay bail, my bike and I under my Integral Designs Sil Poncho, waiting out the wind, rain, and hail, thinking about the times that things have been worse. But they did get worse. The town I was heading for was listed as having a hotel and a city campground, both of which were closed, so I spent the night camping in a small park with a large number of vicious prairie mosquitoes.

Today, I passed the point in '67 where I caught up with Howie Graham, one of the foursome that were on the early part of my trip in 1967. The memory I had of seeing Howie ahead on the curve of the highway with the view of the North Saskatchewan River valley matched the spot I saw today, even though the road now is a four-lane divided highway.

Tomorrow, I make the final push towards Edmonton, the mental half-way point as I head into the forests and foothills. I am mostly beyond the wheat belt, but there are a few more agricultural areas to pass through on the approach to the Alcan Highway.

Because I have only gotten to a computer every 3 or 4 days, and I have been calling home via cell phone more often, my daughter Kaitlyn, will help from now on with more frequent updates, so keep checking in!

Estevan, Saskatchewan

2007-07-13T22:56:00.000-05:00

I made it to Saskatchewan on the fourth NW headwind day in a row. With 697 miles logged in so far, I am a bit behind where I wanted to be at this point. More days on the prairies mean less to spend in the northern mountains. The frustrating thing about bicycling into the wind is that it is like going uphill all the time, with no end in sight.

In any case, I chose to bike the whole route because there is a certain grandeur to the endless prairies, the vistas, the sunsets, and the friendliness of the people who live here. I have made the transition from the corn belt to the wheat belt, with intermittent grasslands where trees are few and far between and cattle watch suspiciously as I glide by. Ahead lies several days in Saskatchewan's agricultural heartland, continuing to angle northwest.

Other than the wind, things are going smoothly. The bike and other gear are working fine, the paved shoulders on most major roads- roads that were lonely 2-lanes in 1967- make it possible to mostly tune out the traffic. The first mishap of the trip happened today arriving in Estevan, when I pulled into a parking lot, couldn't get my pedal cleat unsnapped fast enough and down I went, skinning my elbow.

More thoughts later, before I leave town.

Saturday Morning: Sunny, lighter west winds, so far. Regina newspaper forecast shows more cloudiness tomorrow and rain Monday-- maybe this stubborn weather system is going to finally move on. anyway, I'm off, into some of the flattest country on the planet, to see what the day will bring!

Jamestown, North Dakota

2007-07-10T18:13:00.000-05:00

Today, the fourth day of my trip, has been a real grind fighting a vicious headwind out of the northwest, the direction, of course, that I am trying to go. 25-30 mph winds, with whitecaps on the duck ponds, waves of green through the corn and wheat, and swaying trees, kept my forward progress to about 6 mph including frequent breaks to rest my knees. I may call it a day here in Jamestown with only 60 miles done, as Hwy. 52 NW from here will only be worse.

Bicycle touring has its highs and lows, with the highs higher and the lows lower than most other activities. The wind has always been the arch-enemy of the bicyclist; hills always have a top with a ride down, and the rain can be dealt with using good gear. The low points of a day of struggling like today can be briefly forgotten by looking for interesting photos, or by sitting in a small town cafe listening to the farmers talk about the rain. I had the Sunday all-you-can-eat Swedish buffet in Milan, MN, and enjoyed the climb and descent through the rolling terrain of South Dakota's glacial hills west of Sisseton.

The first three days also had headwinds, along with heat, but I was averaging 113 miles a day until today. But tomorrow will bring a new day and each day is a fresh start. From Jamestown, the roads all steadily head northwest and I am looking forward to reaching Canada and the gradual end of the prairies and the midwestern heat. More soon. Regards to all, the thoughts and messages from family and friends keep me going!

Getting Ready for Departure.

2007-07-04T12:33:00.000-05:00

Details, details. It's been eleven years since I last took a month off for a long trip. It gets harder as the years pass by to get disentangled from work and other obligations to hit the road (or trail or waterway) and focus upon the immediate goal.

I am now going to depart Friday, July 6, and head west along the route I took on the 1967 Alaska trip, crossing Minnesota and cutting through the northeast corner of South Dakota before turning northwest towards North Dakota and Saskatchewan.

I will be traveling relatively light, as I did on the 2004 ride around Lake Superior, and as Denise and I did on our 1984 crossing of Europe. I will be testing out a 2.4 lb. Mountain Hardwear 2008 Stiletto tent prototype, and using a 1 lb. down Phantom sleeping bag and 1 lb. ultralight Therm-A-Rest pad. The only cookware I'm bringing are the original boy scout spoon and cup from my 1964 trip; eating ready-to-eat food-- peanut butter sandwiches have always been the caloric mainstay-- and stopping at restaurants once a day or so. The physical effort should be about the same as it was when I sea kayaked around the 1136-mile perimeter of Lake Superior without resupply in 1996; burning about 3500 extra calories a day for four weeks.

With my new Co-Motion touring bike and waterproof Detours panniers, I expect to have far less equipment trouble than in 1967-- no disintegrating rear wheel, leaky tent, or awkward Duluth pack to tie onto the back of the bike.

And with a little bit of luck with my arthritic knees, and the enevitable increase in highway traffic, I'll cruise the prairies and approach the vistas of the northern Rockies. Every three or four days, whenever I can find computer access, I will post updates here. At least it beats trying to stay in touch with postcards and general delivery addresses.

Welcome to My Latest Adventure

2007-06-28T00:25:00.000-05:00

I plan to depart about July 5 and bicycle the route of my 1967 trip from Minnesota to Alaska.

Check back soon for further updates.