downtown Bessemer, MI
As I mentioned yesterday, the business item of the day was getting
my prescriptions refilled. I couldn't buy more than a 60 day supply of medication
when I left. Using that and what I had on hand, I made it to this point,
but I'm out of some important regular medications. I called my doctor's
office first thing this morning to learn that he was on vacation and the
receptionist told me she was not certain that the doctor filling in for
him would be willing to issue the refill prescriptions. It was pure bureaucracy
-- nothing else. I gave her the number of the K-Mart Pharmacy (the only
pharmacy in Ironwood). Then, I went to breakfast (2 huge slices of excellent
Italian bread french toast--one order was enough). I rolled my fully loaded
bicycle right into the K-Mart store and got an okay to leave it by the service
counter.
I then went to the pharmacy and inquired as to whether they'd received a
called-in prescription for me. The clerk said no. I called my doctor's office,
who checked with the substitute physician, who said the refills were called
in. I went back to the clerk--sure enough, the pharmacist had them. I waited,
and waited, and waited. Finally, the prescriptions were filled, but my HMO
refused to pay, saying that K-Mart wasn't an approved provider. The pharmacist
said that as far as he could determine, no pharmacy in the UP was an approved
provider, but that my HMO had indeed paid K-Mart for prescriptions in the
past. I paid the full price and will seek reimbursement from my HMO when
I get home. As I said, pure bureaucracy -- nothing else. I didn't get out
of K-Mart until 11:40 AM. [Note 12/96: My HMO refused
to reimburse me, saying that the policy only covers emergency prescriptions
when out of town; that regular maintenance medications are not covered.
What a bureaucratic nightmare! They refused before I left to give me more
than a 60 day supply, but then refuse to reimburse me for the shortfall.
Apparently, they don't want me traveling. Luckily, the prescriptions were
not expensive.]
I had lunch just a few miles down the road in Bessemer at DQ. While there
I met and talked at length with a District Judge. We knew a couple of people
in common.
At Wakefield, US-2 was barricaded and marked "Road Closed."
Traffic was being routed something like 36 extra miles onto US-28 instead.
I was not pleased. I stopped at the visitor information center for advice.
It seemed real bad. I hung around not wanting to go so far out of my way.
I went out and took a picture of the "tallest Indian" statue.
While I was milling about, a visitor center employee talked to
me about my trip. When I mentioned that I'd ridden through more than 275
miles of construction, he grabbed a map and plotted out a gravel road route
I could take that would add only 2 miles to my trip--but would itself be
a construction zone about 10 miles long. It sounded great to me.
As I passed by the barricade riding to the beginning of the actual construction
several miles down US-2, almost all the traffic ceased (5 miles: 5 cars
passed me)--only locals were using this route. Then I rode down Great Lakes
Road--a paved road to a gas pipeline pump station.
After the pump station, the pavement ended. I was alone for quite
a while, wondering if I'd see a black bear. I was told they'd been seen
in the area.
The gravel road was real bad--quite loose and soft in places.
Equipment was in place starting to grade the roadway and gravel
had apparently been hauled in, so the road was tough to ride on. Also, whenever
a vehicle would go by (mostly pickups) they'd create a cloud of dust. As
bad as it was, I'd seen plenty worse. I stopped for a drink of water and
a County Road Commission employee stopped and said: "pretty tough,
isn't it; well you've only got another two and a half miles." I replied:
"I've seen worse--its okay." I felt great, the toughest guy on
the road; but the truth is the Alaska Highway did prepare me for anything.
For several days, I've been noticing that I don't mind whatever comes at
me: wind, hills, bad roads. I am so much stronger than I've ever been in
my life that I can handle it all. Being in condition makes riding a whole
lot more pleasant.
Once I reached the end of the 10 mile gravel segment, I was back on US-2,
but there was no traffic due to the barricades and the main detour being
much further up. This is riding as I wanted it all these weeks since I first
got on US-2 at Cut Bank. It was peaceful and beautiful. The Upper Peninsula
is gorgeous--almost as wild and unsettled as Alaska and the Yukon. I love
the hardwoods and dark water ponds and streams.
When I was 9 years old, I lived in Chestertown, NY, in the Adirondacks.
A bunch of us kids built a log cabin in the woods. Ever since then, I've
been captivated by the woods. They're all around me here. These are the
kind of woods, I'd love to hike through. In fact, just before we moved to
Alaska, my wife and I did backpack through the Porcupine Mountains near
here.
To add to my exhilaration, I got a tailwind. Its pretty hilly, so they're
of limited effect, but I did notice I was cruising up hill at 18.5 mph.
Its 74 degrees (f). It is a gorgeous day.
At Watersmeet, I met a couple from the Milwaukee area, who were out for
a day ride from a cottage they'd rented 14 miles south of here.
We went to dinner together at a nice new Indian Reservation casino
(Vieux Desert) 2 miles north of Watersmeet. I had the all-you-an eat buffet
(excellent-$9.95).
My motel didn't have phones in the rooms, so I was unable to update the
website.
Bicycle security is a constant concern. K-Mart is just one example.
I regularly roll my bike into the grocery stores and leave it by the carts
at the front of the store. I always park it in front of a window at any
restaurant I eat at. If there's no window, I look for another restaurant
or bring it inside. If I put it by a window that subsequently turns out
not to be visible from the non-smoking section or where I can find a seat,
I go out and move it to another window.
My flag helps immensely. Sometimes (actually quite often) the windows are
so high up that all I can see is the flag; but that's reassuring enough.
It would be hard to steal something from the bike without moving the flag.
Only twice on the entire trip was I refused permission to take my bicycle
with me to my motel room. At this point, I'd argue about any such refusal.
I try to protect the motel from any damage. I've been known to put a towel
under the chain or tires (after a rain). I prop it very gently against the
least fragile area of the room. The big advantage to staying in a motel
is not having to remove the panniers--I leave them all on.
57 miles.
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© Ed Noonan 1996, 1997