day 30 (80 mi.)--people are wonderful: i woke fairly early, packed, and headed out dreaming of breakfast. it was fairly cool, with maybe even a touch of frost. i wasn't expecting a restaurant very soon as i was heading into some pretty rural territory. just past the little burg wahalla though, i spotted a big sign, country critters cafe with a couple of trucks in the lot--score! the waitress jessica took my large order with out much surprise and i dug into my 'american fries' eggs and salsa, thinking that waffle was going to taste really good. a woman came out of the kitchen and sat next to me to eat her own breakfast. it turned out norma, was more interesting than the food and i slowed down to listen to her history. i got her to pose by my bike where she finished telling me about working as an undertaker in a jewish funeral parlor.
i rolled away smiling at how people, no matter where you go, have some pretty incredible stories. the rest of the morning took me by plenty of more rural homes and until i got to the town of baldwin--with a library. while i was there i met freddie rosado, a bee keeper from branch, a 'town' i just passed through. i also got the addresses for all the postcards i wrote back on the badger (the ferry from manitowoc to ludington) and dropped them off at the post office.
as i headed out of town, i passed another rail-trail but choose to stay on the highway. a few miles down the road, a really stiff wind and the rolling hills got me thinking that maybe the trail would be better--flatter and less windy. i took the next connector i found. then as i bumped along on a rather rough pere marquette rail trail for a mile or two i started to wonder should i go back to the highway. i found some smoothness in certain areas and decided to stick with the trail. i came into reed city and stopped at the just closed trail center and chamber of commerce. no problem, it was still lunch o'clock so i parked myself at a picnic table and spread lunch out.
after reed city, the trail was paved and i made some really good time despite the nasty wind. at one point i did get off the bike and walk along with another older biker. "the wind is killing me..." started a nice conversation for almost half a mile. i remounted and took off as we neared his truck parked at a crossroad. just after that i passed a tiny lookout next to the river pictured below.
now things were really pleasant on the trail...and i pedaled into the evening toward my goal of clare. as the sun set and colored everything bright pinkish-red--"...sailor's delight..."--i knew clare would be tomorrow and started looking for a flat camp site. i found my spot and pulled off the trail, set up things, and ate before zipping myself into bed.
when i woke later to go pee, i felt a pressure deep in my jaw at the tooth my dentist had advised me to get pulled before i left. "it's only going to cause you trouble." i can remember saying back, "there have to be dentists out on the road..." now as i fell back asleep, it struck me it was going to be a pain in the butt to actually stop at one that could pull it. maybe it would go away.
day 31 (60 mi.)--real and figurative aches: toothache aside, i rode along happy that the grey sky was just that and not raining too. i went through clare and then came to coleman where a breakfast cafe stood on the corner of main street just off the pere marquette. eggs, potatoes, salsa, tea, and this time strawberry pancakes filled a good part of the 'tank' but there was still room i told the waitress. she had just told me "you eat like my teenage son!"
i rode through the large town of midland after leaving the trail. it was getting greyer and much windier as the day went on. about ten minutes after leaving town, i was thinking how terrible it was to bike routes with no shoulder when the wind was blowing so badly, directly into your face...then the rain started. i had thoughts of stopping and asking the folks i saw in their barns or garages and ask if they ever considered renting out space. the 15-ish miles from midland to bay city were definitely the toughest miles i had pedaled this trip. at one point i got past a farm house wind break and was nearly blown off my bike. i had to drop down to the middle chain ring just to keep moving ahead.
when i got into bay city it started raining harder and harder, i realized my hair was going to be a mess. i was riding along thinking this is getting ridiculous--windier and wetter every block. at a stop light, a woman rolled down her window and asked "how far are you going?" she pulled ahead a few streets, turned in, and stopped. i caught up with her, june, and she told me about warm showers and directed me to her house where she would ask her husband, gary. the feeneys took me in and gave food and shelter that was indeed warm.
they were long distance bikers themselves and we shared plenty of stories. they also had the tv on so i got a chance to catch up on what was happening out in the non-biking world.
day 32--a rest day: church...rain is tapering--sort off...decided to rest one more day...all packed...glad i am not riding in south carolina
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