Sun, Rain, and Big Storms..!

Its been a few weeks since our last blog post and so much has happened in this time. We cycled out of Washington, into Oregon and are now travelling through Northern California and into the Redwood Forests. With Almost 800 miles of cycling completed through a vast array of weather and terrain (a great deal of it being wet!!) we are starting to feel like pretty seasoned cyclists.

 

After leaving Kalaloch Bay the weather really got cold and the three of us woke one morning to find our tents frozen. This made me more than a little upset and I spent the morning cycling through the fog feeling a little sorry for myself! The sun came out though which soon got the spirits flowing again. As the spirits rose however, so did the gradient of the road with the short-cut I decided to take being erm… not much of a short cut! The calories lost on the hills were however swiftly replaced with a burger the size of my head.

We crossed over the washington border and into Oregon over a bridge that really was the low point of the trip. A tiny cycle lane, high side winds and logging trucks whizzing past at 90 miles an hour really didn’t make for an enjoyable ride. This lasted for almost 5 miles and the three of us were very relieved to reach the other end in one piece! Hello Astoria!

It was here that the trip changed direction slightly and we were to have a good few days off the bike. Sadly, Shaun also decided to press on South to rake in the miles so, we decided to part ways until further on down the road. Good luck Shaun and see you soon!

Rick and I bumped into some great people in Astoria and ended up staying for nearly two weeks. We got involved in Farm work, hiking and even learned a good bit of Vegan cooking. I can’t go into all the details here but the two of us grew pretty attached to Astoria and were very reluctant to leave. Suffice it to say however, we will both be returning soon! Those of you in Astoria reading this.. you are greatly missed and we hope to see you again very soon! Thanks for everything and take care…Peace!

Having left Astoria Rick and I were subjected to a bit of a battering in the form of a huge winter storm that moved in literally the day we left. This lasted for the better part of a week and some days were really tough going. People stopped to offer us lifts and one guy even offered us shelter. The generosity of everybody we meet really never ceases to amaze me. On one of the better days we bumped into Ted Martindale, a Canadian cycle tourist in his sixties still going strong. Ted was a true hero and he bought us lunch. We cycled with him for the rest of the day before going our separate ways. I have a feeling we will be seeing Ted again soon!

Well I think that’s quite enough for another few weeks! As usual, plenty of other things have been going on but I have to save some stories for when I get back!

A little thought from life on the road:

 Perhaps the greatest thing about travelling by bike is how connected you feel to the environment in which you travel, sleeping out in all weathers, cycling through vastly different terrains, meeting new and different people from different walks of life and, most importantly, having the time to really think about the things around us. So far this trip has provided a great deal of time to think about and appreciate the world in which we live. It has also greatly changed my perspective on a number of things I had not previously considered. Our lives have been simplified down to four panniers and whatever we can fit into them. I have no phone, no laptop and no stressful routine. Travelling in such a way has helped me to realise that we should all make an effort in our lives to do the things that we really want to do and not just the things we think we should be doing. It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the rat race without making time for ourselves. Morale of the story… work less, do more!! Peace x

 

 

Nights out, Breathtaking views and the odd Bear…!

So here we are, finally here and on the road. Feels strange that after months of planning we are eventually on the road and racking up the miles. Let me start with an apology; my camera broke so the photos I was going to upload to this post are all gone (Feeling slightly disappointed about this I ate an entire loaf of cinnamon bread; call it comfort eating I guess)

So much has happened over the past few weeks and it really seems to have flown by. Vancouver was certainly a good way to start (despite spending way more money than I intended – what can I say though, the beer was pretty expensive!). The three of us ended staying three nights in a hostel just to sort out a few things and do a bit of sightseeing. I guess a night sleeping in the airport and a full day of travelling 

The first days riding was erm, a little shock to the system to be honest with a fair few big hills thrown into the mix. Spent our first night camping out near a place called Nanaimo. The locals looked surprised to see tents and greeted us in the morning with calls of, ‘You know it’s 4 degrees outside right?’, the three of us simply laughed and told them we were from England where it was like that all the time.

After a few more days riding  we made it into Victoria to stay with a friend I made over the Summer. Many thanks to Millie and all her friends for putting us up and showing us a round. We were also introduced to a 4.20 circle… Canada seems to have some pretty liberal views on things ;  )

Kalaloch Beach with piles of driftwood makes for treacherous swimming!

Despite all our fears and stresses the border crossing into America was pretty much pain-free. It was here that the real cycling began with some truly inspirational and breathtaking views through the Olympic National park. We also adopted a new team member in the form of Nathan, a french cycle tourist who was trying to make it around the world by bike. He was a pretty funny guy and kept us entertained with some of his stories. He also left bananas in his tent during the night whilst we were camping out on the Pacific coast and was visited by a bear for his mistake! It tore a hole in one of his panniers and luckily stayed away from our tents! The rangers appeared the next day to have a look and were pretty surprised that a Bear had wandered that close to the coast (we reckon it was a Racoon!)

Lake Cresent – An amazing place that reminded me of the Lake district!

 

Right… gonna wrap this up now as there are way too many words here and not enough pictures! lots of pictures to come if I can fix my camera and, if not, I’ll steal some pictures off Ric and Shaun!

In summary, suffice it to say that we are all safe, well and having an awesome time. We have swam in the Pacific, cycled in the rain, camped out in the frost, baked in Pacific coast sunsets, drank lots of beer, eaten colossal burgers and avoided any Bear attacks (just!). Speak to you all soon and take care back home.

 

p.s. remember too that we are completing this ride to help raise funds for WWF so, if you’re feeling generous, than send us a quid (or 2)…

http://www.justgiving.com/ian-mcfarlane/

Help needed…! Only 3200 Tigers left in the wild and dropping…!

As our population continues to expand we require more and more resources. More Food, more water, more housing, more medicine… the list goes on. By the year 2050 our population is estimated to rise to a staggering 9billion; a figure which will not only have a dramatic effect regarding the way we live our lives but, will also have a negative impact upon Biodiversity the world over. Tigers are a classic example of this problem with the number of Tigers in the wild being at an all time low. Here is what the WWF have to say…

”Habitat loss due to agriculture, clearing of forests for the timber trade and rapid development, especially road networks, are forcing tigers into small, scattered islands of remaining habitat. An in-depth analysis carried out in 2006 concluded that there was 40% less tiger habitat than just a decade earlier and that only 7% of the tiger’s historical range remains. As a result, the numbers of wild tigers and the availability of their prey have steeply declined.”

 

Sadly, poaching still goes on and is responsible for a rapid decline in Tiger numbers

It’s not too late though, there is still time to help save as many Tigers as we can and, as many of you know, the ‘allthewaytothebottom’ team are helping to raise funds for theWWF. Our aim is to raise as large a sum of money as is possible  so that the WWF can continue to carry out work which, will not only directly help Tigers in the wild but, will also help to raise awareness of the wider issues regarding sustainability, climate change and globalization.

We are asking as many people as possible to donate what they can so that the WWF can continue to carry out the great work that they do. Even If you can only give us a quid please do! It’s so easy too… just follow the link below to our just giving page.

http://www.justgiving.com/ian-mcfarlane/

Thanks to all! x x x

A huge Thank-you to all of the wonderful people who have helped us along the way!!!

The ‘allthewaytothebottom’ team would like to give a huge thank you to all of the following for their help and generosity.. Travelling really shows that there are a lot of amazing people out there!

Canadian Affair allowed us free passage of all 3  bikes on the plane which, when you consider the 3 of us are on a tighter budget than anything George Osborne could even comprehend, was a very nice gesture indeed! We also managed to pick up some very affordable tickets to Vancouver and, having used Canadian Affair a few times in the past, I can vouch for their credibility and would recommend them to any of you guys thinking of heading over to the Americas. Here is a link to their website; they often have pretty killer deals so check it out!

http://www.canadianaffair.com/

Edinburgh Bike gave us some great discount on a few bits and bobs of gear. They also provided some bike boxes essential for transit of the bikes on the plane (This is a part of the trip that we are least looking forward to but hey, it has to be done!!). See a link to their website below too; they have great deals on all bikes, parts and they often have some pretty naughty sales. So leave the land-Rover at home and go and buy a bike!

http://www.edinburghbicycle.com/comms/srv.a4d?f_pg=home.htm&f_Cardinal=1

Once again… a big thanks to all of the above! Every little helps and all that!

http://astoriacoop.org/wp/

Astoria Coop - Who provided us with free groceries that fueled us up foe days! My god were the Sin-Dogs good! They also supplied us with the ingredients to make some killer Vegan scones for our Astorian Hosts!

Bevens Market and Deli - Who supplied us with a weeks work of sugary treats when we informed them about our trip! The cookies came in more than a little handy for some of the gruelling climbs along the Oregon Coast!

 

Rick and the Walport Green bike Coop -A huge thankyou to Rick who really got me (Ian) out of a huge trauma when my back wheel exploded outside of his shop! Rick drove us all the way to Florence to fins a new wheel and truly saved the day! Cheers Rick! Any of you planning a bike ride along the Oregon Coast should definitely check out this awesome set up!

Vancouver SameSun Hostel – These guys gave us 50 % off rooms for 3 nights. An awesome place to stay and I would highly recommend them to anybody Planning a trip to B.C. Thanks guys! You also get a free breakfast as part of the deal! Awesome stuff!

Getting closer.! Only a few months until the big journey begins!

Apologies for not keeping this blog very active… It’s been pretty busy!

Not long now until the big departure date though so stay tuned! Eventually, it is all starting to feel very real (and erm, a little daunting too!)

Those new to the blog make sure you check out the tab above to see what this is all about..!

Also.. Check out some of the latest work from the WWF (the charity we are raising money for) they have some fantastic campaigns going on at the moment so, if you are feeling generous, then please visit out justgiving page and give what you can! http://www.justgiving.com/ian-mcfarlane/

Muchos Gracias

Where is your, ‘In the middle of nowhere’..? (Prize for the best comment!!)

Ok… So the idea of this short post is an attempt to get a bit of a discussion going amongst any readers. I read a book recently which attempted to define the phrase ‘ In the middle of nowhere’ by getting lots of different accounts, stories and perspectives from different people. I would be really interested to hear from as many people as possible regarding places you have been too which you consider to be ‘In the middle of nowhere’. It really doesn’t matter if you are a hardcore mountain goat or if you prefer to sit in Starbucks with a good book watching the world go by. Leave your comments below..! Muchos Gracias x

 

remember the best comment will have the Lonely planet middle of nowhere book posted out to them!

Time to take on the big lads..!

Ok, so this was supposed to be a trip to Scotland I know, I know! But, as it turned out i just couldn’t resist the pull of the lake-land fells. Scotland will just have to wait!

Honister Pass... stunning views!

Anyway, I set off with Shaun on Sunday afternoon despite feeling like death and we both peddled our way  into a pretty horrendous headwind! From the expression on Shauns face though I could tell he was definitely having a good time ;  )  I decided in the end that this was probably not the best time to fill his panniers with rocks! We cycled all the way to the highest point on Hadrians wall where the wind still refused to pipe down! Shaun however managed to find a pretty sweet camping spot in the woods so we pitched our tents and settled down to a romantic camp dinner of pasta, chorizo and sundried tomatoes! Foods of the Gods!…

Having spent the the first night in my brand new Terra Nova tent, I woke up to find the groundsheet looking like some kind of insect graveyard. Weird black bugs all over the place! How they managed to work their way into my palace I have no idea! When

I eventually managed to drag myself out of the toasty warm confines of my tent to cook up some grub I couldn’t help but notice that the wind was still kicking up a fuss and it was starting to rain! Just the way I wanted to start the day (at this point I really wanted to bail and get the train back with Shaun!!)

Despite these early morning negative thoughts though I left Shaun and headed off west into the wind yet again and, within as short a time as 3 hours, experienced hail-stone, torrential rain and (at long last!) blissful sunshine! By the time I reached the Borrowdale valley in the lakes I had 120 miles on the clock and legs that hated me! What a day!

It never ceases to amaze me all of the thoughts and feelings that travelling by bike seems to put you through and this is perhaps one of the main reasons I really do love it so much. The start of day 3 was a perfect example of this where I woke up at 4.30 to an amazing sunrise over the lake-land fells. Little did I know at this moment that my body was about to endure the hardest days cycling of its life to date! perhaps that’s why I decided to go back to sleep for a few hours having greeted the morning sun… (4.30 really is too early!!)

Without going into too much detail and boring all of you that don’t really know the lakes I decided to take on some of the big mountain passes in the lakes. The route I picked really did scare the life out of me and was going to be a real test of the legs! I decided though that if I could make it over the big lake-land passes I would have no problems in the Andes (by which time I will hopefully have legs of steel!)

Hardknott Pass (30% gradient!!!!!!)

So off I went to take on Honister, Hardknott, Wrynose and Kirstone pass (via ‘the struggle’) on my now very heavy bike!. This proved to be one of the best days cycling I have ever had and I arrived in Ambleside about 8 hours after setting off at the bottom of my last hill climb of the day…’The struggle’

So far I had not put a foot down on the first 3 so I was feeling pretty good about myself however, with 70 miles already on the clock my legs were feeling the strain. I began to snake my way up the climb bobbing and weaving along the road, taking in the superb view as I went… this route gets called the struggle for a reason though – it’s bloody hard work. I could feel myself starting to lose it though and just before I hit the top I was forced to put a foot down. Beaten. At this point I really did feel like my head was going to explode; nothing a boiled duck egg and some digestive biscuits couldn’t sort out though!

Well that was that and off I went to campsite number 3 before waking up to pedal the 90 or so miles back to Newcastle via the infamous Hartside pass in the North Pennines.

Overall a fantastic trip which, as usual, reinforced my love of travelling by bike! Why anybody would ever want to drive to the lakes is beyond me. Bike really is best..! If you have never done a bike trip before do it NOW..!

p.s – sorry about the sever lack of photos in this post! My camera broke! Suffice it to say though that the scenery and landscapes were mind-blowing!