BRAN Report: Day One

Pork Belly Adventures hauled our gear all week long

Well! That was a week and no doubt about it, one I won't be forgetting. The BRAN 44 ride is over, and I'm back at the wheel here in Guitar Ted Headquarters. This entire week I will be sharing more - mostly images - of the week long trip. There will be a little overlap with my journaling from last week in my "Notes From The Tent" series. I hope you will forgive this bit of double-story telling when it happens. 

I took notes almost everyday but for the last two, so I have hopefully not forgotten much. And yes.....there are things I won't be sharing. Either these were "you had to be there" things, they were personal matters, or confidential conversations. This will be mostly focused on BRAN, why you should consider it, and Nebraska as a gravel rider's destination spot for some fantastic riding. 

Any related "Notes From The Tent" will be linked for reference. 

Okay! That's enough of the introductory stuff. Let's dive into this trip. Four and a half hours on my own to get to Arlington, Nebraska. Then it was five and a half hours by tour bus to get to Valentine, Nebraska. And I wasn't even as far West in Nebraska as I could go! Not by a long shot. The two-day trip was fine, really. I did not get very good sleep in my Toyota 4Runner in Arlington, but at least I did not have to unpack, set up camp, and pack up again the next day. 

The busses stopped in O'Neal, Nebraska so we could eat and stretch our legs. 

Someone commented last week about my reference to how it seemed several riders on the bus and with BRAN 44, (not the staff though!) had "grossly misunderstood gravel" and the commenter wanted me to expand on this thought. So, here we go....

First of all, we all have some entrenched opinions and cycling is no different. Most BRAN riders are roadies. The desire to ride gravel roads does not compute with them in the first place. There is some agreement on the traffic issue and how gravel has less of this. However; from that point on it becomes something of a novelty subject for these folks. 

Worse yet, some spout off "knowledge" on gravel which is way, way off from reality. I'm not sure where this comes from, but this is mostly what I was referring to when I said gravel was grossly misunderstood. The bicycles, tubeless tires, the events, and how one even rides gravel were all topics I heard being discussed which had people putting forth such nonsense as truth it was amazing. I was not there to educate the masses, but my goodness! Cycling media is not coming through to these people with good information at all. Where these folks get information is anyone's guess, but wherever the source is, or from whomever it is coming from, is way outta whack. 

Nuff said.....

The tent is unfurled in Valentine, Nebraska

So, this is a camping trip, yes.....but with benefits. Pork Belly Adventures is contracted by BRAN to assist the riders in carrying their gear from town to town. But there is more they offer at BRAN. They have a recharging station which is critical for any modern day citizen, not to mention any cyclist. Your devices can get that needed recharge daily. Not only that, but e-Bikers also can recharge batteries at the recharging trailer as well. 

Probably the swankiest option Pork Belly offers are their "mobile hotel rooms". I'd liken these to bunk houses. But they have A/C, electrical power, and privacy. If you opt for these bunk houses you don't have to pack up or unpack your gear daily or set up a tent. Nice!

Pork Belly also has daily morning coffee for free, and a tent rental option if you do not have your own tent. 

Our first host town was Valentine, Nebraska, right in the Sand Hills area of Nebraska. It is a pretty cool little city. One thing I noted was the high schools we saw were all new-ish, spotless, and very nice inside with water bottle stations, modern HVAC systems, and super nice auditoriums and gymnasiums. Obviously Nebraska puts resources into their schools!  

Michael plotting on how he will obtain his next cookie. 

The BRAN staff couldn't have been kinder or more helpful to me. I stated when I was writing up my final post before this trip that I was "going alone". Well, that being alone did not last very long as BRAN staffers Jayme Frye and Michael Kolakowski took me under their wing and adopted me as a part of the gravel riders of BRAN without hesitation. But it wasn't just me. They treated every rider this way, and to be honest, this was most impressive. BRAN is a very welcoming ride, and despite its current make-up of mostly white, older folks, I feel it would be a very good ride for anyone, no matter their gender or race. The staff of BRAN would go out of their way to make anybody feel welcomed, and I know this for fact. 

There was a pre-ride meeting in the Valentine high school auditorium which was great for information about the week and what to expect. Plus they held a sponsor raffle and gave away some nice prizing. The atmosphere was relaxed and fun. Now I was really excited to get out there and ride. 

Then it was off to bed and an early rise. I think I was ready earlier on the first day than any subsequent day of BRAN. It wasn't that I didn't try to get ready quickly, but for whatever reason, the first day was the PR for getting camp broken down and packed away.  

Riders gathered at the First Baptist Church of Valentine for breakfast burritos. 

 I tanked up with a great breakfast burrito at a local church, the same place we had eaten the evening before, and then we were off. The pavement was smooth but we were not on it long before we dove off to the right into the Niobrara Grasslands and the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge. We were warned about bison the day before, but they seemed to be elsewhere in the refuge as we did not come across any on our ride. Bummer! 

We did come across some spectacular scenery though, and one major climb that had me walking the top third of its ascent out of the Niobrara River Valley. It was brutal! 

Michael leading us out of town on Highway 12, The Outlaw Trail. 

Not bad for a view, eh? We were just getting started. 

It was in the first section of gravel where I first met Carl. He is an 18 year old from Pierce, Nebraska, and on his second BRAN. He came out with his elder sister to ride for the week. Carl is a Type 1 diabetic, and he had to be super-disciplined to keep tabs on his blood sugar levels, but he never let any of that get in his way of having fun and an adventure. This young man has grit too. He was riding a Trek hybrid bike, again showing the world that any bike you like could be a "gravel bike". Maybe more cycling companies should take notice of this...... 

A cattle guard shows us we were about to enter the wildlife refuge. No bison sighted on this day however. 

 

But the views made up for it, I thought. 

The road we were on showed many signs of bicycle travel which got Jayme and Michael excited. They were hoping to see more gravel riders than they had in the past. The story was this "gravel" part of BRAN was borne out of BRAN staffer's desire to ride more adventurous terrain and see different things.. Last year BRAN opened things up to anyone on BRAN to try, but there was no support. This year they were able to acquire the services of John Berry of Berry Fast Cycles out of Madison, South Dakota. So we had sag support all week long, and we were very well taken care of, by the way. 

We spotted this little water fall from a bridge over the Niobrara River. 

A shot looking back down the climb out of the Niobrara River Valley. I'm about 2/3rds of the way up here. 

You know, we just do not have steep, long climbs around here. I'm not sure I could have prepared myself for this particular climb anyway, so I shouldn't be so hard on myself. But yeah..... That was a brutal ascent. I'm thinking it was Jayme who said he saw 16% on his GPS for incline. I just know this climb was steep and went on a long ways. 

I was not too proud to walk some of the top of this climb either. It was one of maybe two times I wished my gearing was lower, although on Day 1, I have to wonder if it would have mattered anyway. By the time I did manage to reach a spot to remount and ride, Michael and Jayme were long gone. It was fine.. I figured on seeing them later on in the day, perhaps. 

The Sand Hills region is made up of grass-stabilized sand dunes. 

 One thing I did see manifested in front of me as I walked up that big climb was an example of a grass-stabilized sand dune. The Sand Hills are known for this top layer of grass and detritus which holds the sand underneath it in place and prevents the dunes from moving with the prevailing winds too much. There is movement though! I witnessed sand being driven down a gravel road like snow in Winter across Iowa's roads. 

Sparks, Nebraska. Basically this building is all that's left and it is an outfitter for river floats. 

 Eventually there was to be a spot to get water and a bit of food at a place called "Sparks", which I had zero knowledge of other than it was "out there". I either read my GPS incorrectly or was directed Left instead of Right but after a quarter mile of seeing nothing I turned around and then found Sparks immediately where I had turned Left. I should have turned Right!

I resupplied, got a bathroom break in, and cooled down in the A/C. When I left, the Wahoo kept directing me in circles around the Sparks parking lot and street area. It was weird! I was knowledgeable enough to know Highway 12 East would get me to Springview, but other than this, I was clueless. I just decided to bail and take the pavement into the next overnight town.  

BRAN Barns For Jason

Then about two miles down the road the GPS squawked and wanted me to take a gravel road South. I knew the second gravel loop went South of 12, so I hesitantly took a chance. See, the wind had come in strong from the South and I would have a heavy headwind taking this turn, but I did it anyway. Two miles down the road I was prompted to turn right again, and the next cue after this was another right to......Sparks!?

Nope! Not buying that. I decided the Wahoo was a liar and I was going back to hop on to Highway 12 which I knew was a route. So much for that GPS nonsense! And I chewed on that as I sailed back Northward. (Later I learned from commenters on this blog it was due to the Auto Rerouting Feature and that I should turn it off, which I did. Thanks!)

Where I turned back after making a wrong turn to Sparks.

Lots of empty spaces out here near Springview, Nebraska.

I eventually latched onto three recumbent riders and used them to pace me most of the way back into Springview. There was an aid station stop, which was greatly appreciated. Then a few miles out of Springview there was a bunch of citizens trying to raise money to put up a sign at a local rural cemetery. They had some tasty, cold watermelon to eat plus some other goodies. 

The route for the day was 57.3 miles for gravel or 48 miles if you stuck to pavement. I figure I had something in between with my extra "bonus miles" and half the gravel section. 

So, if you aren't glamping with Pork Belly Adventures, you get to schlep your own gear after a hard day's ride! Yay!. (I think) I carried my heavy duffel bag and messenger bag to a good spot on Springview High School's grass and set up my abode for the evening. Then it was shower time at Pork Belly Adventures' Shower Truck, which anyone on BRAN can use. Once cleaned up I headed out to a fine spaghetti dinner at the local firehouse.  

'Merica

 And then it was time to SLEEP. In a tent with ambient temperatures hovering in the 70's. Nice.... 

More coming tomorrow on Day Two of Bran.  

Notes From The Tent: Day 7 - The Weather Wins

 Well how about that. When I woke up there was a spectacular sunrise. What I didn’t know was that there were heavy thunderstorms coming. 

BRAN recommended everyone shelter in the high school. We had biscuits and gravy for breakfast and waited. 

And waited… 

Finally word came there were a few riders who dared try it and ended up stranded in a small village on the route. Then someone showed me an image taken by a BRAN sag volunteer that showed a smoking field just after a lightning strike. That was enough convincing evidence to make me believe that riding was a bad idea. 

Busses came and hauled us to Arlington. It was muddy and gooey where I had parked the 4Runner. What a mess! I had to put it in 4x4 to get it out. 

The bikes and baggage had to be shipped from Oakland separately because the had to use the same semi tractor and trailer for the job. This took quite some time. 

Then it was on East towards home. 

This will be the last BRAN “Notes From The Tent” Thanks for reading!  Tomorrow is Fathers Day and I will be taking the day off from the blog. 

Look for more BRAN stories next week…..With images!! 

Notes From The Tent: Day 6 - It’s Only Ten More Miles

 Day six has come to a close here at BRAN. It was a good day on the gravel route. I think it came out at 58 miles. 

Starting in Wayne in the morning, it seemed that even having the benefit of staying in Pork Belly Adventures bunk did not get me out riding faster. Michael said to me later in the day that he kind of preferred the more laid back attitude of gravel riders who seemed to be content to roll with the relaxed pace instead of the more strict “get out early- arrive early road group. 

We made our departure later than normal by stopping at the HIS Bakery where we had breakfast. It was delicious and I highly recommend the place  

Anyway, the gravel was found and ground. South of Wayne the roads were well packed, fast, and fun. The days course was front loaded with climbs so we were cranking up steeps and blasting down hills all morning  

Eventually we would near the town of Pender. Going East here and the gravel was getting a little loose and deep making finding a line a little more difficult. But it wasn’t bad. Jayme had an idea that we could go North a mile and cut off this final four miles of gravel to Pender.  He suggested an MMR dirt road which we agreed would be fun. Then it was pavement into Pender and my hope for a stop for rest  

Once in town there was some debate within the four man group concerning whether we should eat there or go ten more miles to Bancroft . Nothing was open downtown so eventually the group comprised on going to a local C-Store called “Cubbies” 

I got my rest and hot dog with a Diet Coke. Then it was off to Bancroft where we hoped to find better fare ten miles away  

Well, Bancroft was kind of a bust. There really wasn’t anything going on there  Michael said, “Well, we could go ten more miles to Lyons.”

Okay, what’s up with this “ten more miles “ thing?   I made a joke out of it, as if the guys were stringing me along. But in the end, ten more miles was what we had to do   So we did it  

Lyons, Nebraska.  It looked little different than the previous two villages. We once again were left with no open options and were debating our situation when a young Latino man stuck his head out of the door of the Mexican restaurant we were standing in front of and he spoke to us.

He offered us to come inside, sit, and cool down out from under the relentless Sun. It had started off cool, but now it was above ninety degrees  

Once inside we found they had ice cream, sherbet, and cold drinks available. So we picked out our selections and sat down to relax and enjoy our treats  

In fact, my mango sherbet and strawberry Mexican soda hit the spot. It was just what I needed to carry on  

Only this time it was seven miles to the finish in Oakland Nebraska  

This would be the last evening the four of us would be together. Saturday BRAN ends at noon and we all go our separate ways  Matt Steele, Jayme Frye, and Michael Kolakowski have become quick friends of mine and I felt we all enjoyed each other’s company over the past several days  

We ate at a local bar where the staff was clearly overwhelmed. We were a bit disappointed that we couldn’t order off the menu, but prime rib, baked potato, and vegetables make for a worthy substitute. 

One more short day to go and this gig is over  

Look for one more “Notes From The Tent” Saturday and then next week will be a BRAN photo dump with a few special posts  

As always, thanks for reading Guitar Ted Productions! 

Notes From The Tent: (But It Is Not A Tent!)

 Today was Day 5, Crofton to Wayne Nebraska. I’m writing to you dear readers from the comfortable cabin in Pork Belly Adventures trailer converted to a “bunk house” of sorts. There are five of these trailers being pulled across Nebraska and each has four spaces which can sleep up to four individuals each.

And they have AIR CONDITIONING! 

A few of the BRAN staff got to access one bunkhouse when a client could not use the whole week  Those BRAN guys offered me a chance to try it out tonight  Yes. It is better than being in a tent! 

Now, on to other things  Today’s ride was unique for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it was an entirely gravel route which went through a couple small villages. There was pavement there, of course, but the vast majority of the roads were gravel. 

Secondly, the scenery changed from the big, rolling prairie vistas to the big, rolling row crop vistas! This looks like the Nebraska I know from gravel events  

I guess it was also a day to mark for visiting a dairy farm and massive Northwest winds which pushed us Southward to Wayne  

The dairy farm capped off a dreary, wet, morning of 23 miles where we got rained on for about twenty minutes. It is a family dairy farm belonging to the Burbach family. They let us sample their milk choices and tour their little processing plant. Plus we got to see baby cows! 

Then a cold front came through while we were there at the farm and the skies cleared out. The big Northwest winds which pushed took over and we were sailing down the roads. Well, until the roads pointed up, and down, and up, and rinse and repeat! 

The “grid” of gravel roads was coming back as we went further South. The gravel was very loose, small, like playground gravel, and it was hard to find “The Good Line”. 

We stopped in a town named Coleridge and we ate at Rodeos Bar and Grill which was excellent  

Then we rolled on. There was a minimum maintenance road on route with an out of commission bridge over a small creek  There a man met us on an ATV vehicle named Steve who told us a bit of the history of the immediate area. You don’t get adventure and history like this riding pavement. It was cool  

The rest of the afternoon was a big stretch South into Wayne over roller after roller. Nearly 50 miles again today  

I met my brother from another mother, MG and we hooked up with Jacquie Phelan and ate at a local Mexican restaurant. The conversation was deep and varied  

Tomorrow is another 55 miles. A day of mostly gravel from Wayne to a town named Oakland  It should be a good one, but you never know until you get out there  

More soon 

Notes From The Tent: Day 4

 A short day on tap after a sag ride and overheating the day before. But before I get to the ride into Crofton, I have to tell the story of Tuesday night. 

It started out well enough with steak dinner at the local Czech Hall, an old theater/dance hall which, for the small size of this village, was huge. It probably could easily hold a thousand people. 

During the dinner word started circulating that we may have to abandon the campground to take shelter in one of three buildings in the village. We’d have to pull up stakes, pack everything up, and wait to see if anything would come of the severe weather threat.

Fortunately for us the powers that be decided to allow us to make our own call. I and many others decided to stay in the campground. The storms came, but it was a garden variety Mid-West thunderstorm and besides a bout with hard rain and a few gusts of wind, it was more than manageable. 

Before the storm Jacquie Phelan and Michael from the BRAN staff hung out and we chatted by my tent. Jacquie doesn’t sleep in tents unless she has to, apparently. Anyway, she asked me if things got bad, could she sleep in my tent. I mean, it sounds weird, but I said “Sure”!  I’d rather she be safe and dry, right? 

But it didn’t come to that and the people she was with got her taken care of. 

Anyway….  

Due to the rain Michael announced in the morning that gravel was off the menu because he wasn’t interested in a mud fest.  BRAN kind of took it on the chin last year because of a day on the gravel route with some stretches of mud. 

So, out of caution he made the call. Now I had a little over 40 miles on pavement to get to Crofton. I wasn’t too disappointed. 

I got to ride through Niobrara and see the site where 31 years ago I and two others stopped and through a series of minor miracles were able to continue a cycling tour. 

Then I got to see the same roads between Niobrara and Crofton we rode back then. I will say now a LOT has changed and I had forgotten even more things. 

And I hit 46.8mph on a long downhill coming into town. That was fun

Crofton is- so far- the best town we’ve stayed in. Big welcome into town. Lots of food choices within a short distance of the campground. Nice set up too. 

Going to eat spaghetti tonight and- hopefully- drift off to sleep and Day 5 of BRAN where I have been promised we will do the gravel route and stop at a dairy farm to pet cows. 

Stay tuned. 

Notes From The Tent: Day 3 (It Got Real)

Another headwind day with above 90 degree temperatures and lots of long climbs made for a full sag wagon. I know, I was on it. 

The night before the ride I just could not get into deep sleep. Not sure why at the time but I would guess the two high exertion days ahead of today contributed to that. 

Jacquie Phelan is a character, as we would say in the Mid-West. That just means she doesn’t look at the world in quite the same fashion as most of us do. This is good. It knocks one off their comfortable spot. And if you are a kind person who cares about others, the World, and how it feels we are in a burning spaceship , well then you stop to think. You know, exercise the brain. 

I didn’t get along with my Dad growing up, but once in a while he’d have a nugget worth grabbing ahold of. He used to say ,”Ya know, you should engage the brain BEFORE you engage the mouth.”  He used the phrase as a sort of put-down, but I figured out what really was going on. 

Anyway, people like Jacquie are flown into your life for a reason, and it ain’t about hero worship or romancing the old daze. It is about thinking outside of your self and what you see as every day, thoughtless living. I mean, the Western World wastes a lot of food, we all know this. But would we ever actually be moved to do anything about it? Jacquie described herself as a “professional dumpster diver”. That’s some bold thinking, and actions motivated by a crisis most of us ignore. 

Anyway, hot wind, hills, and overexertion are a recipe for a quick burn out by Guitar Ted. And I could feel the matches being struck right out of Spencer. 

I didn’t make it far, but I survived.  Plus I got a horse and wagon ride around town. 

By the way, the dew was incredible at Spencer so all my gear was soaking wet   This made setting up in Verdigre a chore as I had to dry everything out first before setting up. 

I guess 25-35mph winds and heat are good for something. 

More soon. 

Notes From The Tent: Day 3(?) Loosing Track Of Time

 I’m not sure if I am posting images or not from my phone. So, I apologize but this will just be text today. 

What a difference a day makes. Today was overcast, cool, and featured an all-day long tailwind. Riding the pavement bits was super-easy. 

Gravel was split up into three sections. It was fun. Maybe not super-scenic but far different than Iowa. Big ranches, lots of grass, and funny shaped hills dominated the landscape. It’s a big, empty feeling area which is full of song birds and cattle. Very peaceful. 

The last bit of gravel was challenging with a few big, long climbs. Again, very different from Iowa where our climbs get steeper at the top. Here the steep part is in the middle of the climb and the climbs are longer for sure. 

Got in 75 miles  I haven’t ridden that far since last year  

Got to the campground in Spencer  Got settled in and was looking for the showers when I noted an okde woman  she was slender, about 5’8”, and looked as though she was looking for something or someone  she turned to me and asked if I knew where the showers were  

That’s when her face suddenly brought me to attention  The unique eyewear, her voice, and I knew it had to be Jacquie Phelan, but was it really?  Why on Earth would she be on the BRAN ride  

Well, as it turned out, it WAS her! 

More soon…