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My Bike was Taken!
September 22nd! It is the Fall Equinox, the end of summer, and my son’s 30th Birthday! I was preparing to head home and close out my nearly four month journey in my Truck Camper, with my electric bike as the tow vehicle.
What I feel I gained the most on this journey was resilience. I learned to take things as they come and not create a big drama about anything; even if those things felt big at the time.
I had a blow out, bad rim, another flat, my bike fell off the rack several times, things broke and needed fixed, the truck was in the shop twice, for minor things, and still here I was, loving the journey! Because I was going to let those things that happened, make me stronger, more solid and not rob me of my joy!
On my last bike ride, it was a lonely country road in the high desert of Idaho, riding along the snake river. I was in bliss and ironically there was a road sign that said ‘Bliss 14 miles.” I knew I wouldn’t get that far, so may as well be in bliss now! I road about 12 miles out of the small town of Glenns Ferry, where my truck and camper was parked at the Y Knot Vineyards. I got a flat tire. My first in over a thousand miles of riding.
I pulled out my handy, dandy bike pump and patch kit and went to town, only nothing was happening. I didn’t have the right adapter for the bike pump and I was stuck out here 12 miles from town. I wasn’t sure what to do. I felt stressed. There were no taxi’s or ubers around here. I didn’t want to drag a heavy bike with a flat tire along a twelve mile journey. If I got a ride, the bike would be an issue. So I decided to leave the bike behind and come back to get it.
I put the bike in a ditch. Assessing the traffic along that country road, there wasn’t much and the traffic I did see they were all speeding along, they wouldn’t notice my bike in the ditch. So I took the heavy battery, stuffed it in my backpack and started walking. I was fully prepared to walk the whole twelve miles if I had to, but I hoped I would manifest a ride, and soon.
I walked about a mile and a half and a little truck stopped right ahead on the highway. Having already put my life in God’s hands, I said thank you and went up to the window. It was a young man with his pack of cigarettes who looked like he was just off the farm. And he was. He told me he was coming from his ranch just up the road and was going to Glenns Ferry. I said thank you and jumped in.
The rancher talked about the ranch and his three son’s and how his Father wanted two promises of him before he died. One was that he could die at home with his family around him. The other was that he would keep the farm going and pass it down to the next generation. I asked him if his son’s wanted to farm and he said yes, they are all excited about inheriting the farm. When we got into town I told him I was staying out at the Y Knot Vineyards and he said “Y Knot” it is” and he drove me right up to my truck. I thanked him beyond words for his kindness and generosity and he seemed pleased he could help.
I prepared my truck camper for travel, unplugged it and drove out to get my bike. I was so grateful I didn’t have to walk. I knew exactly where I had left my bike and even took a picture of the cross streets. But when I came up on where I had put my bike, it was gone.
At first I was in denial. No! Nobody would take my bike? Who would do that? Once again, I found my self standing in that exact same spot where I got the flat, only my heart sunk ten times deeper, because it felt like all hope of seeing my bike again had just left me.
I called 911, because I didn’t know what else to do. I told them I was standing out here in the middle of nowhere and needed to report a stolen bike. They found out where I was and said the Sheriff was on another call but would be out after. So I sat in my truck and decided while waiting for the deputy Sheriff I would call my son, who is also a deputy, and wish him a happy birthday. I got his voicemail and wished him a happy birthday and told him a bit of the story of where I was at. He called back within minutes and we talked up until the Sheriff came.
I gave a report and he asked me to send him photos of the bike and the serial number. So as I was getting images from my phone to send him, the Rancher came back up in his truck, on his way home from town. I told him my bike was stolen and the Sheriff had just been here and he expressed genuine concern.
We talked a bit about what had happened and then a man on a motorcycle, that looked more like a dune buggy, rode up and asked me what part of Arizona I was from. I told him Cottonwood, and he said he was also from Arizona, staying with a friend here in Idaho until the end of October. My bike was stolen party was just beginning. I now had a sheriff, a rancher and a biker wanting to help me find my bike.
The rancher made a few calls and posted on facebook. He also offered to store the bike for me if it is recovered after I leave. The biker offered to bring the bike to me in Arizona if it was recovered by the end of October. I felt taken care of.
I went back home and posted on craigslist lost and found. I didn’t know where else to post. I put photos up and within 24 hours I got a call from a man telling me he thinks he might have my bike. He bought it from a young guy with a truck with a “Boise State” sticker on it. He only paid 125.00 for it and talked the seller down from 250.00. I was thinking, “I will give you 125.00 for that bike right now!” and went on to tell him there was a police report filed on the bike and the serial number was given. He seemed a little odd after that. I got my hopes up but the Police said it was probably a scam and I realized he was right.
Turned out he was just passing through and is now in Tennessee but he could ship the bike. When he told me he called the shipping company and they could ship it for $110, I’m thinking “that’s cheap!” So I said great, could you please give me the name and number of the shipping company and I will call them and see if I can pay them directly. He told me I couldn’t, I had to pay him. He started to get agitated with me and told me he was trying to help me out but I was putting him in a real bind because the bike is stolen property. I asked him calmly, if he could please explain to me how asking to speak to the shipping company to see if I can pay them directly was putting him in a bind, and well, the rest is history.
I spent my last two nights at the County Park RV park in Twin Falls, which was very beautiful. The weather was perfect. There was a walking trail and so I started walking again. I hadn’t been walking much because I was always on the bike.
My time in Twin Falls helped me to process the bike ripped away from me so quickly at the end of my journey, on the first day of Fall. I was in the place I was to take my last big bike journey, on a bike and walking trail that went along the Snake river canyon. But that journey would have to be another time.
I went down the metaphysical road looking for any possible understanding of what losing my bike meant. What was I suppose to learn from this. And the thought came to me “maybe its just something that happens to people and today it happened to you.!”
But I also saw the kindness and generosity in people. I had a new connection with my son that comes with both of us growing up, and I have a heart full of beautiful experiences from the journey I had just taken.
My neighbors at the Twin Falls County Park both had electric bikes and I told them about my experience. They told me they had a buddy system where they both would always have each others back. I said that was beautiful but I was flying solo!
My friend Bern said “Oh Kaleah that bike was your wings!” And yes she was right. My bike, and my truck camper, were both my wings and the journey transformed me! It helped me to realize I could deal with anything life brings. I may not like it! But I dealt with each hard lesson life brought me with courage and strength. I stayed present and just did what I needed to do.
Yes, I could do things better, in hind sight. But maybe as I put a little distance on it, I wouldn’t change a thing, because each experience, the good, the bad and the ugly were all part of the journey to show me my own resilience.
And so I go home, about 72 pounds lighter. But I have decided to buy another bike exactly like the one I had. Meet me in the next chapter!
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Harvest Host Camping in the Vineyard
As I write this post, I’m sitting up in a vineyard, far above Lake Chelan in Washington State, which is one of my favorite places to come when I was young.
Lake Chelan is a fifty mile lake , deep and blue with a road only going the first 25 miles of the lake. You can only go further by boat or float plane. At the end is a little village called Stehekin, which you can access through a tour boat called “The Lady of the Lake.” I’ve been to Stehekin many times and really love it there. But today I sit on my perch, far above the world and enjoy the silence.
I came from a campsite on the Wenatchee River, which was nice, but there was a busy highway on one side and a functioning train track on the other. Quiet it was not.
I truly love the sound of silence. I thought when I arrived, I would take my bike and go for a ride, but after driving up the mega hill to get here, I decided it would drain my battery to bike back up the hill. And without electricity, I have no way to charge it back up.
The place I am parked is the Amos Rome Vineyards in Manson, Washington, on Lake Chelan. Amos Rome Vineyards is part of the Harvest Host, RV program where members pay an annual fee and can sign up to stay at participating orchards, farms and vineyards. We are expected to buy something from their gift shop, such as a bottle of wine, in exchange for our one night stay.
Amos Rome Vineyards was the first place I stayed in the program and it will be hard to top. Such an incredible view.
But I have a few more on my journey ahead and look forward to visiting others during my year membership.
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A Thousand Miles on the Bike
The day I hit a thousand miles on my bike, a friend asked me “are you getting the chance to ride much?” I told him how today was my thousand mile mark and I was celebrating a milestone. I had indeed done a lot of riding, from Islands to country roads, to river trails and Parks. I never get tired of being on the bike. It is like sailing, with the wind in my hair and the most beautiful scenery all around me.
As I write this I am closer to 1100 miles but I told you there would be a celebration at the thousand mile mark.
When I crossed the thousand mile mark I was on a gravel trail at Hovander Park in Ferndale, Washington. I recorded part of the 999 mile but found that recording on my phone while riding a heavy bike didn’t go well. The gravel was bumpy and difficult to ride with one hand, but I did it anyway.
I’ve had a lot of amazing rides this summer but I have to say Wenatchee, Washington gets the award for being the most biker friendly place I have visited. They have over twenty miles of bike trails along the river on both sides. That says a lot about this town. In its development it preserved that precious real estate for the community, instead of being private homes. And, the community is really out enjoying the trails.
Wenatchee, Washington is the Apple Capitol of the Country with every kind of apple, pear, cherry and other fruits and veggies that grow in abundance in this fertile community. Wenatchee also gets over 300 days of sunshine a year which encourages getting out on those bike trails. There is a confluence of the Wenatchee River and the Great Columbia river meeting right at the edge of town. And there is a State Park called the Wenatchee Confluence State Park with the bike trail going right through it, traveling the edge of the Columbia river.
I’ve really enjoyed riding the river trails. It is nice not to have vehicle traffic to deal with. And in some areas of the trail, heading out of town along the Columbia river, on the way to Lincoln Rock State Park, I had the trail pretty much to myself.
I’m not finished yet. My journey continues.
