Rain

Day Ten: Red Oak/Corning to Orient

The weather has been shifting...from 90s and suffocatingly hot the first part of the trip, to 70s and beautiful weather the last few days, to rain today...but just a little, not even enough to put on your rain gear. But still, we're glad to have our bikes under some awnings here in Corning.

So it's the middle of the day and I'm taking advantage of a little coffee and gift shop here in Corning to do a little posting. I'm surrounded by kids' books, white fluffy lambs, and pink ruffles. The rest of the gang is outside...we are reunited once again, as everyone was still here in Corning when Mark and I arrived.

So backing up, we were, as predicted, awoken quite early this morning. I heard people packing up BEFORE THE DAWN. At about 6, people started talking and packing up, and though I rearranged my earplugs fairly successfully, it was still kind of futile and I wound up getting up at SIX FIFTY AM. Yes, that is before seven.

I peeked my head out the tent, and I'd say about half the people were gone by then, but here's a pic of what was left, which was still a big change from our solitary site the night before:
It was a cool, overcast morning, which was nice. Mark and I packed up and went down to the Rainbow Cafe, where they had been so nice Saturday night, letting us use their computer. On the way in, I admired a bike outside outfitted with Arkels, front and back...well, one Arkel back and a basket on the other side, which was my touring style for all but the last two Ragbrais. It was the only bagger bike there.

I can't say enough good stuff about Arkels, by the way. They ROCK! They are sturdy and well-designed...obviously, whoever made these things did a lot of touring, and knew what bicycle tourists need. Pricey, but worth every penny.

Anyway, we walked in and I saw a gal sitting at the bar and I said to Mark, "I'll bet that gal is riding that bike with the Arkels." Mark said, "How do you know?" I said, "I don't know...I just do."

So I asked her if she was riding that bike, and sure enough, she was. We got to talking, and we mentioned we were traveling from Wray, Colorado, and then she mentioned that last year she had spent the night on the patio of Rube's Steakhouse in Montour with some people that had biked from New Mexico, and then we mentioned...well, exclaimed..."That was us!" Ha, we had been on the patio at Rube's together last year, and now here we were at the Rainbow Cafe in Red Oak.

Dorrie and I, former Rube's patio-mates.

Things like that are starting to happen...running into people from years past...feels like Ragbrai, all right. And now especially, we have REALLY run into Ragbrai. We wound up smack-dab in the middle of the pack, due to skipping three town and some miles by coming straight across on H34 from Red Oak to Corning this morning.

It was a great ride...I loved every minute of it. Rolling hills...well, some steep grinders, too, but I'm rejuvenated after our day of rest...plus, it's not hot.

It's hard to capture a steep grinder, but here is one.

We started out with the back of the pack, then were by ourselves for about ten miles, which was quite a nice change...peaceful and quiet. Stopped at a historical marker where wagon trains had camped, took a picture beside this sign which represents our riding style (not),then rejoined the crowd as they came back onto H34. And since we'd skipped three towns, we were now right in the middle of a seemingly never-ending stream of cyclists riding three or four abreast, sometimes taking up both sides of the road...and here is the amazing part: we actually passed quite a fair number of people going uphill. We GOT passed by even more people, probably, but hey. I felt studly for awhile.
Arrived in Corning around 12:30, and it was a madhouse.

There was such a crush at the corner that everyone walked their bikes up the hill to town.

Aaaaaaa! Who are all these people?!

In town, whilst looking for something to eat, we were invited to tour the Corning Opera House, which is in the early stages of restoration. Very interesting, and an endeavor I fully support. The arts are so important, and a place like that in a community becomes its heart and soul.

Corning Opera House
View from the Opera House window

This guy is pulling a cord that makes that leg on the top of the truck go up and down. Best quote from side of truck: "Worry doesn't improve the future; it only ruins the present."

Walking down Main Street to get a burrito, we were surprised to hear someone calling our names...it was Dr. Bob, Noelle, and Hajdu! I wasn't sure they would still be in town. All the rest were just down the street, including Tim Kelly, whom we'd run into at the decision point for the short cut (after much debating, he'd also taken it in the end). Ahh, reunited, and it feels so good!

Decision point, at which Tim was pretty sure he was taking the long way...not!

One veggie burrito and smoothie later (okay, again with the food! sorry), here I am with my mocha and little Asus plugged in and connected. Life is good.
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post-Corning update:

Mark and I left Corning with Bob and Noelle in somewhat drippy weather, but not enough to put on the rain covers. (That would change.) We somehow got ahead of Bob and Noelle and went by ourselves into Prescott, which was about a quarter-mile off the route. Not much there; the Ragbrai mafia has decided that things need to shut down in each town at a certain time, in order to "move people along." Some people don't want to be "moved along," though, and just wait it out outside.

The Prescott Tap, closed for half an hour.

We didn't really want to stop, so headed back to the main road. Noelle caught up with us at the junction and decided to go into town to look for Bob, though we told her we hadn't seen hide nor hair of him. (We'd find out later that he had missed the turn and ridden right past.)

Whilst we were standing there, guess who should pull up but Nick Gevock! Twenty years ago we rode together when he was a stripling of 19...big straw hat, many happy memories of a very fun ride. Nick is riding this year with his friend Chris, who got this stellar haircut as "social experiment" and is having a very interesting time. Pre-bike ride but post-haircut, Chris was ticketed for "littering" after throwing some twigs in a creek. !! Um, can anyone say "mullet profiling?"
I had to make a hard choice between "with sweatband" and "without sweatband" for the picture...loved the band, but you will have to imagine the three chiseled lines of hair on each side just above the ears.

We rode with Nick until the turn-off for Orient, where Tender Tom's Turkey had set up a stand.

Leon and Nick at Tender Tom's Turkey

It was now starting to come down, so I put on rain covers and Mark and I decided to wait for Noelle and ride in together.
The gang had many fond memories of a previous trip to Orient, so we were eagerly anticipating a great night. But when we arrived, we found the bar filled with smoke and very loud jukebox music, and no food. On the plus side, LJ was there! and Terry Vorbreck, whom I hadn't seen in a coon's age! But the downside was a bit too much for Mark and I, and we headed out to set up camp in a concrete shelter down the block from the bar.

So we were setting up camp when two ladies came up to the chain-link fence (which was up to the roof...it was kind of like we were in a cage) and asked if we needed any blankets. No we were really fine, thank you... Well, they said, if you need anything, just ask. Really, anything.

Well, what I really needed more than anything was a shower...you see the problem in Orient, beyond the smoky bar, lack of food, and really loud music, was that I couldn't wash up in the bar rest room. Because this bar had only a john in the little room and the sink was OUTSIDE, in full view of everyone in the place. NOT A HEATHER-FRIENDLY BAR BATHROOM WASH-UP ARRANGEMENT. I have perfected, if I do say so myself, the art of a completely refreshing, yes almost comparable to a shower, wash-up in any restroom. Any restroom that includes a SINK, for crying out loud!

So I'm standing there thinking well, they said anything...and I go over and say through the chain link well, what I really need, and if this isn't convenient for you it's no problem at all, I understand...but what I really could use, if you wouldn't mind me coming over, and really not everyone would be up for this and it's okay, but if you wouldn't mind...you see, I've been riding all day and usually I can clean up in the restroom but I really can't here because the sink is outside...and so what I really need, if you're willing, is a shower.

And I held my breath while I waited for their response, my life teetering between heavenly cleanliness and a night of disgustingness sleeping in my own grime, and it was all in their hands...and they said...

"Why, sure! Come on over! We just live right there!" and pointed to a white house just on the other side of the chain link.

Ahhhhhhh! Bliss!! And not only did they let me take a shower, they let Mark come over, too. And it turned out to be the mayor of Orient's house, and we had a very nice chat about Orient and bike riding and other things of interest. I really enjoy meeting people and finding out what their lives are like.

Post-shower, I retired happily to my tent. I realize I love sleeping outside...I love my Thermarest and the tent...most of the reason I ever want to go to a motel is just for the shower! I'm thinking of some kind of portable enclosure with a sun-shower for next year...

The mayor of Orient's house, which has a FANTASTIC shower!