Ragbrai- Day 7
Washington to Burlington, Iowa
Towns Visited- Wayland, Olds, Winfield, Mt. Union, Yarmouth, Mediapolis, Kingston
69.6 Miles
1636 vertical feet
used by permission from Rich Ketcham and GeoBike
Flying to the Mississippi!
Conditions- Foggy and humid- Cool to cold- Headwinds and Tailwinds- My average speed 17.4!
The Final night of Ragbrai
The last night of partying for Ragbrai was typical Ragbrai. Because we are not into that thing at all, we had to ask a police person what to do and where to go and, of course, how to stay out of trouble. Most of us did stay away from trouble. At least 5 ft away, anyway- except for Tim. As you can see, the town was ready. The Remax Balloon was floating overhead and many appeared to be floating down below. Here's team Bad Monkey Hawg Aaron was real tired and looking for an alternate vehicle to take him to the Mississippi. Entertainment was taking place in the square. A unicycle rider was up to his usual hilarious antics, entertaining the crowd. The team members were circling their buses like a wagon train and the band was setting up.
Saturday
Where did it all go! It seems like just yesterday that this ride began and now we're packing the tents into the bus for the last time. It's a bit weird, but we're avoiding saying goodbyes because we just don't want to say goodbye to our fellow team members, so we just get ready like it's any other day- knowing that we may not see most of them at the end. We start at 6:30 and it's looking like it just may rain. Kristy Rasanen and Kathy Smith of Waterloo follow RAGBRAI every year selling bagels and bananas. Kristy is helping finance her education at Oral Roberts University and Kathy just needs "fun" money.
The last days of Ragbrai are unique. The speeds are way higher. For me, Cindy is driving from her parents in Minnesota and meeting me in Burlington at 1:00 for the drive to Houston. Can I get 70 miles in that short of a period of time? I stop at the Mennonite Church for breakfast just outside of Washington where I am allowed to use the phone with no line! What a treat. The breakfast is great, too. Here's Norm posing with a harmonicist. (?) But there's no time to lose. Everybody has the same agenda. Get there. Get there fast. Careening down a hill, an accident has just occurred and people are getting the tightly packed groups of bikes to slow down while they are removed from the road. I sure hope they're not hurt too badly!
In Yarmouth, they are playing Bach's "Air On the G String" for us instead of the usual pump it up stuff. I for one, like the change. And what's up with this- Mr. Union, I believe it is, gives us a tour of the entire city ending up where we started. Gee, thanks. The roads are for the most part flat and there is an Easterly wind. I know we're not supposed to, but those pacelines sure work. Now I'm in one and it's real intense riding exactly one inch behind the tire of the bike in front. I'm number six in this one and there are at least 10 behind me. I always keep a way out if there's trouble up front. There isn't and we're going 26 to 28 constantly. Mediapolis is next and they've got a theme of basketball. Kindof cute. Here are the Midwest County Cloggers, clogging away! In Kingston, the Front Porch Singers are most entertaining. Here’s a sound clip. Note the concentration of the fiddle player, Dwight Beckman.Now we turn South. PAYDAY! The winds are at our back! I didn't know they knew how to do that! The road surface is new asphault. That'll work. Here's a big beautiful uphill in Burlington and everybody's cheering. Down the other side. I thought this was Iowa! Not San Francisco. Or maybe it is. Burlington has a street which is listed in the "Guiness Book of World Records" called Snake Alley. It is touted as being the crookedest street in the world. Watch Norm in his close brush with death as he carreens down this famous landmark!
Here's the Chicago delegation of the Hawgs. And here are some of the Hawgs after tire dipping in the Mississippi. WE MADE IT!
I finally get to dip my tire, too!
But wait a minute, is that it? Shouldn't it end gradually. It's been a real long week. It's been a real short week. It's been a real great week. But Ragbrai's over. I've always thought previously, maybe I won't do this next year. It was different this time. It has nothing to do with terrain, and the route. Ragbrai is about people. Some of the Bike clubs are about partying until dropping. The Superior Hawgs are close friends. I have life long friends in that group and the newbies this year were deeply special.
I will have several more additions to this page throughout the week. I want your pictures on here too, so attach them to an email and I'll give you credit. I ask you to do the same if you use ours.
Standing on a street corner, here comes Cindy and the girls. I'm one of the first Hawgs in town and we go to get the luggage. Almost nobody's at the Hawg bus and I can't say goodbye. I'd rather it be this way. Cindy's been driving six hours so I start driving. I make it for 8 miles and Cindy catches me running fingers through my hair, changing position. Would I be falling asleep if I were on my bike? Perhaps for safety and health, we should redesign the automobile. Instead of the controls, have a stationary bike in the front left of the vehicle. The faster we pedal, the more the throttle is advanced. We'd still have to pedal faster and harder on hills, but could cruise at 70. What a concept.
As we approach the state line, we hit some rumble strips, reminding us of a stop ahead. I shout "RUMBLES" and wake up everybody in the truck. I'm also driving more aggressively than usual. "ON YOUR LEFT!" Don't you think these rumbles could be used more productively? Nobody listens to me on this one, but follow me through-
You're between El Paso and BFE on I-10 and you see a sign that says "Maintain constant speed- stay in your lane. The following selection is the "Barber of Seville" by Rossini" Inspired by Dave Plummer". Moments later you hear your left tire hit grooves which produce an intermittent D natural. "Whomp- whomp whomp whomp whomp whom whomp"- (right tire on an A natural) "De de de deeee de" (rest rest) "de de de dee de" (rest rest). The entire selection plays waking up sleepy drivers, and promoting music education in the country.
I'm nodding off to sleep. Cindy's driving. I hear this loud whisper. Yes, the windows are rolled up all the way, it's not leakage- The whisper again. What was that? "Daaaaave." "Thanks for coming, It was great! Seeee you next year". That couldn't have been my imagination. That's Iowa!
Out- Dave
Links for Saturday-
Burlington Chamber of Commerce