8/12-Where’s the Ark?

Today was weather of biblical proportions! I lost count of how many thunderstorms I rode through. I think it might have been better yesterday!

Fortunately, I was back on the Cardinal Greenway for the majority of the day (Indiana’s longest rail trail). Getting to the trail was a bit sketchy as the drivers were impatient, but I wasn’t going to ride in the flooded part of the road. It wasn’t too long. 

Whew! Back on the trail!

It was thunderstorming from the get go, but the trail protected me pretty well. 

Definitely a lot of water!

This was nothing compared to what was to come!

Sadly, I came to where the trail ended for a bit, and I had to go on the road. Every time I turned south, it was a headwind. I would turn east, and my speed would pick up. Some of the time on the road it wasn’t raining. 

Looking ominous ahead

See all the water on the side? Still nothing of what was to come. 

In Gaston, I returned to the Greenway. Back to the protection of the green tunnel. It started another round of thunderstorms. Even though it was really windy, I didn’t feel it so much in the tunnel. There was a bit of branch dodging here and there, but no major trees…yet. 

Roscoe’s rocks

As I came into Muncie, I saw a gas station. I was ready for a snack. It was really raining and windy. I got my chocolate milk and Little Debbie double decker oatmeal cream cookie. It was too cold in the gas station, so I stood outside under the awning at the door. It was raining in sheets! There was water spouting up from a storm drain in the street.

Doesn’t do just to what the weather was doing. 

I made my way back to the trail. Again, it was so much better in the green tunnel. 

I was making my way along the trail. There were places where the water was running over the trail. I just rode through them. Then I came to where it said the trail was closed. I was tempted to try and go through, but there were detour signs, so I followed them. The detour came to the train tracks. There was a train stopped on the crossing. I waited for awhile. Then I, stupidly, decided to see if I could find a way around. I ended up back at the trail. Perfect, I thought. It went under the train tracks. As you might expect, it was flooded. I was already soaked so I decided to ride through it. BIG MISTAKE!!! Oh, it was deep, very deep! I apologized to Wanda. 

There was a new bridge after the underpass. I was trying to figure out if the bridge was the route. It was unclear, and the bridge wasn’t open anyway. I decided to just go back to the detour as the train had finally moved. The detour signs were good. It eventually brought me back to the trail. 

I continued along. Now I was encountering the occasional downed tree, and more water running over the trail. I came to a spot (sorry I didn’t take a photo) where the water was flowing so fast out of a culvert pipe. I tried to walk Wanda across it, but it was so forceful that it was sweeping her around. Okay, that wasn’t going to work. I looked on my phone. I could see that if I went back to the last road crossing, I could go out to Hwy 35 to get around that part of the trail. I went back. The road out to the highway was flooded, but I was able to walk Wanda through it. 

When I got to the highway, there were semis and vehicles backing up and turning around. Uh oh, that didn’t bode well for taking the highway. Sure enough, where the trail was a rushing torrent, so was the highway. There was a semi that had tried to go through. It got swept off the road (sorry, also didn’t get a photo of that). I pulled under cover at a statuary place. I talked to the women there. I told them where I was trying to go. They said I might be able to get around by going across the highway to another road, then come back to the highway beyond the flooded part. It was worth a shot. 

As I was riding, a couple pulled up in their pickup. They said they would take me where I needed to go, but when I said I was going to Richmond, they said they didn’t think they could even get there. I continued with my bypass plan. 

It worked! I came back to the trail on the other side of the torrent. Of course, there were still several places where water was flowing over the trail. Most I was able to ride, even though some of them were deep enough that the pedals were splooshing through the water. I just kept saying, “You got this, Wanda!” There was one, though, that I got off and walked. There was a lot of debris, and I couldn’t see the bottom. 

I figured I could hold on to the fence

I went by the round barn. At first I didn’t see it when my Garmin said, “Round barn”. But, I looked back and there it was.

Yep, it’s a round barn!

There were a few bridges. The flood waters were epic. 

Later on, there was another bridge. The water was almost up to the bridge! If I had been riding the road, I would have encountered more flooding than the trail. I was grateful that the trail is an old rail line. It was just that much higher than the road to not have water running over it as much. I could see the road through the trees at times. Saw another stuck semi. 

I did encounter more and more downed trees. Some were just branches, and easy to get over. There were two trees that took some effort (a lot in fact) to get past them. One of them, I had to lay Wanda on her side, and almost drag her through.

About 5 miles before I would get off the trail to go to my hotel, I stopped to quickly eat something at a trailhead shelter. I hadn’t had anything to eat since Muncie. I had one squeeze yogurt left. And I still had some squeeze peanut butter. I sucked down the yogurt, and had a good mouthful of peanut butter. 

I had a few more branches to get over before reaching Industries Rd. This was the road I would take to the hotel. It went uphill, so no flooding. 

I made it a little after 5:00 after 77 miles of some of the worst weather I’ve ever ridden in. I told the lady at the desk that I was surprised I made it! She said that her son is 35, and there’s never been this much rain in his lifetime!

My laundry is done, and I had the best dinner ever at the Bob Evans next door. Turkey with stuffing, carrots and mashed potatoes. They also give you banana bread. It was all delicious!

I’m really hoping I don’t have another day like today…ever, but especially not tomorrow!

8/11-My Good Weather Karma Has Run Out!

I’m beginning to think I am a rain wimp. Yesterday, I told myself when I looked at the forecast, you are from the PNW. You are used to riding in the rain. If it was just rain, I would agree with myself. However, here it’s never just rain. Oh no, have to have the sparky stuff too. The lightning was just a little too frequent. I was all dressed and ready to go when I changed my mind. I called the B&B women, and booked in for another night. Fortunately, this is not too expensive. And it’s a house, so I’m not just stuck in a hotel room. 

Then, of course, the storm passed, and it stopped raining! Bethany told me I should go out and find the 13 other Garfield statues (I went by one yesterday). This is the hometown of Jim Davis, creator of Garfield the cat. 

I posted this photo yesterday. See the Garfield statue on the back of the train car? That one is the “College Bound Garfield”. At the time, I didn’t know there was a “Garfield Trail”. There are 27 in total scattered around two counties. With 14 in the Marion area. They are all dressed in themes. 

Needless to say, I did not go out seeking the other statues. I went over to Lola’s Coffee House (which is owned by the same women who run the B&B) for some of their signature coffee cake, and a hot chocolate. 

It’s also a house. 

When I came out, I walked over to the Circle K to get some snacks for later. 

Hmmm…that looks ominous!

When I came out of the Circle K it was as dark as if there was a full solar eclipse happening! A woman I walked out with said, “I’m usually at home when it’s this dark!” I beat feet back to the B&B, and arrived just as it was beginning to rain. And boy did it ever rain! Sheets of rain! 

Lucky to be inside!

I’m sure if I had ridden today, this storm would have caught up to me. It should be over in time to ride tomorrow. 

I have used the day to do some planning. My plan is to arrive in DC on August 26th. I could arrive the 25th, but a day of wiggle room is not a bad idea. Plus, my youngest son, Nolan, is going to meet me at the Washington monument on the 26th! I’ve planned the shortest day for the last day from a lock on the C&O to the Washington monument. It will be just 23 miles. Nolan and I will spend three days in DC. Now I can book my flight home. Hopefully, I won’t have too much rain these next couple of weeks. I’ll be finally back to more camping! 

8/10-Four is the Magic Number for Today

The thunderstorm of last evening was over by this morning. No rain in the forecast for today’s ride! As expected, it did not get reasonably light enough to ride until about 7:00 (cloud cover didn’t help). I even turned on my taillight until I got onto the trail. Fortunately, that was only after a half mile on the road.

Trail #1 for today

The Nickel Plate Trail took me the first 22 miles. Along the trail I saw 4 deer, and 0 humans.

Deer 1

Deer 2

Deer 3

And Deer 4

The little gnat bugs were thick. I finally pulled my buff up to keep them out of my mouth. 

I kept having to brush them off my shirt

The trail was the typical green tunnel. There was a bit of small branch dodging, but nothing too bad until this terrible downed tree.

Going into the darkness!

Just kidding! I did have to get off, but it was nothing. 

When the trail opened up, the sun was even shining!

Not so buggy either!

The first 22 miles ended not too far from Peru. It was cool because the trail does continue, just on the other side of Peru. There were pavement markings to navigate through town, and back to the trail.

“Trail Ends” (but not really)

Peru was a circus town

Back to the trail!

Also Cole Porter’s birthplace. There used to be a motel called The Cole Porter Inn. It has closed.

I stopped for some chocolate milk and a snack at a Casey’s just off the trail. Refueled, I hopped back on for another 10 miles.

Nice bridge

Wabash River

 In this section, I saw 0 deer, and 4 cyclists. In Bunker Hill, one was Jerry. He had ridden from Kokomo (the end of the Nickel Plate Trail). We chatted for a bit. He took my photo, so I took his. 

Jerry

I wouldn’t be riding all the way to Kokomo, as I was heading to Marion. I got off the trail about 4 miles later. 

I had two relatively short gravel road sections. For a bit, I played leap frog with a mail carrier. 

Decent gravel…mostly

I pulled into the town of Converse. I asked some locals, “Is is Converse like the shoes, or Converse, like having a conversation?” It’s like the shoes. I was at about 40 miles, so I got a snack at the Dollar General. I looked ahead at Sweetser, where there was supposed to be a trailside ice cream place. Closed on Mondays…Dang! I wasn’t surprised.

Next up was the Converse Junction Trail.

Trail #2

It wasn’t terribly long, but it seamlessly connected to the Sweetser Switch Trail.

End of Converse Junction, beginning of Sweetser Switch

Trail #3

Cool covered bridge with picnic tables!

Old rail car in Sweetser…maybe the ice cream place?

The Sweetser Switch Trail was a bit longer at about 4 miles. Then it seamlessly connected to the Cardinal Greenway.

Trail #4

Now I was getting close to Marion. I checked the route, then after a bit further, used my phone to Google Map my way to the College Inn B&B that I’m staying in tonight. Ah Google Maps, a bit of a failure where it told me to turn right, but the trail was above the road, and no access to the road! I went back to the last street crossing. Then Google took me down some sly dog alley. Oh, it worked, but it was weird.

I arrived at the B&B with an hour to go until I could get in. I was texted a code for the door that would work after 3:00 (reminds me of the Jefco Inn in Nebraska). I went to the Circle K next door for some food.

The B&B is across the street from Indiana Wesleyan University. Looks like a nice campus. The B&B is actually two houses. I’m in the white house.

when I booked the room, I said I was on a bike. They put me in a main floor room right off the kitchen. Perfect! During the week, breakfast is self serve grab and go. They have made breakfast burritos and put them in the freezer. That will work nicely.

Kind of weird how there were so many things with 4 today. The 4 tails were amazing. Tomorrow, I continue on the Cardinal Greenway for quite awhile. 

8/9-The Good and the Bad of Sundays

First, though, Happy Birthday to my son, Nolan! 29 years old!

The bad thing about Sundays is the good things aren’t generally open. Such is usually the case with bakeries. Of course, the Oak View Inn didn’t have any sort of breakfast (and I might not have wanted to eat it anyway), but sadly the Fingerhut Bakery was closed. That left me with breakfast at Burger King. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t bakery quality.

The good things aren’t generally about Sundays is less traffic. I rode the highway to where the Erie Trail intersected with it at the North Judson Trailhead. 

At the trailhead…in case you forgot your bike.

The Erie Trail is 12 miles long, but I missed the first two miles riding the highway straight over. Along the trail were these planet signs. 

The rest of the planets must have been in the first two miles that I missed. 

Besides being part of the GAWR, the Erie Trail is also part of all of these routes.

GART, American Discovery Trail, and Indiana Bike Route 35

Nice trail surface

Mural on a shed

This sign gave directions to connect to the next bike path. 

After the Erie Trail, I was on quiet country roads. Especially quiet because of it being Sunday. 

I went through a few small “towns”, but none had any services until Delong. In Delong there was the L&B Country Oasis, a small market. It was about 20 miles into the day, and a good spot (the only spot, really) for a break and a snack. There was no chocolate milk, so I had ice cream and, of all things, a banana! 

I was over halfway for the day. This was a good day to have a short day because I have now crossed into my final time zone! That means, for awhile, it will be dark later in the morning, and light later at night. Just means I can sleep a little later. 

Yesterday, I said I was going to Peru. The one motel listed on the GAWR spreadsheet is closed. I did find out later there was a place a little off route, but I had decided to just go to Rochester. I didn’t know I would be losing an hour, so it worked out. I wanted to talk to my son for his birthday, and he was available at 1:30, but not for too long because the Boston Pops had a concert he had to work. 

I’m at the Quality Inn. Wouldn’t you know, there’s a Super 8 right next door! Oh well, this was pretty cheap too.

Tomorrow I will ride through Peru to Marion.