Trail Magic!!!!!

We have been on a serious trail magic streak. It started in Escanaba. After a shorter day of riding we pulled in early and did some laundry at a laundry mat. Wile washing our clothes we started chatting with a fellow clothes cleaner. This guy was like what Willie Harrison is gonna be like when he was older. As we were leaving he recommended that we go to the gym he belonged to and use the locker room to get a shower. He gave us directions and then we set off to find it. The girl at the desk was amazed with what we were doing, and let us use the locker room free of charge. With clean clothes and clean bodies we headed to dinner. At dinner we met a couple that had seen us ride in to town and were curious about what we were doing. After giving them the normal speech they invited us to camp in their yard. The next morning we were woken up by the guy informing us that breakfast would be ready in 5 mins. They feed us a huge breakfast of eggs toast bacon and home fries and then sent us on our way. That day we fought killer head winds but made it to crystal falls the birthplace of crystal meth. The next morning we woke up and rode one of our hardest days. It was hilly as hell. We usually do at least 40 to 50 miles before lunch but that day we only did 20, total mileage for the day was 50. The highlight of the day was making it to WI and changing time zones. We woke up in Phelps to great weather and good terrain ahead of us. We made it 3 miles and the disaster hit. I was pedaling up a small hill when I felt my chain go loose at first I just thought that it had fallen off but when I looked down it had snapped and was dragging on the ground. I thought well this sucks but we can just take a link out and put it back together. I then looked closer and realized with a sinking feeling that my problem was way worse then just a snapped chain. My front derailer was totally mangled. We looked at the map and found out that we were no where near a bike store. We made the bike ridable by taking the front derailer so I could at least pedaled back to Phelps. Our plan was to get back to phelps and then try to get some one to drive us the half hr to the nearest bike store. We started our search at the local hardware store. The owner said that he didn’t know any one who would take us. Right as we were about to leave an older guy walked in, we asked him if he knew any one who would give us a ride. He said "i know an old guy who might do it.... he is a bit of an ass hole though (chuckles). Us: "who is he". "your looking at him go load up your bikes in my truck while i buy this stuff." this good samaritan was named Louie he told us that the big guy up stairs was looking out for us because he was the one who wanted him to take us. Louie was a great guy he drove half an hr to bolder junction where the nearest bike store was located. he drooped us off at the bike store and then headed out. we went in and quickly found out that this bike store was no use to us that mainly just rented bikes. so now we were stuck in bolder junction. we went in to a near by gas station to look at a phone book to try to find another bike store. we told the cashier our predicament and she informed us that there was a bike store 15 min away in some town that starts with a M. We asked her if there she knew any way we could get there, she grinned and pointed to a guy coming out of the bathroom "he will take you". It turned out that it was her husband and as she put it he had nothing better to do. So for the second time that day we loaded our bikes in to a pickup and were off. both times with in minuets of inquiring about a ride we found one it was pure trail magic. so guy2 (i forget his name) drove us the 15 mins to the other bike store. Strike 2 they didn't have the part either!!!! we had one more shot another bike store a few blocks away. Guy2 helped us load the bikes again and drove us there. This third bike store was legit and they had the part i needed which was great but it was gonna take a wile to install it. We were now about 30 miles off route so we thought we were gonna have to bike it to get back on track. Guy2 came through big once again by agreeing to wait it out with us and then drive us back to our route!!!!! It ended up taking about 1.5hrs we then loaded up for the last time and drove back to the route, finally back on route with working bikes. It was about 230 by the time this whole ordeal ended and we hadn't eaten any thing the whole time. Being used to eating all day we were starving. Andrew opted for pb&J but my hunger needed an real meal so i popped in to the local pub and ordered a double burger fries and a drink. I started chatting with the guy next to me telling him what are deal was and what had happened to us that day. He finished his meal first an left. When i finished my meal i asked for my check, the bartender told me that the guy i had been talking to had picked up my bill!!!!TRAIL MAGIC!!!!! We ended up riding about 40 miles then setting up camp. We had dinner at a bar and ofcorse they wanted to know our deal so we told them. after we finished out meal the owner came and told us if we wanted we could go upstairs and take showers in his apt!!!!! Getting clean is soooo great when it doesn't happen that often. After the showers the owner gave us each a bowl full of home maid ravioli on the house. i don't know what we did to deserve so much trail magic in one day but it was unreal. i hope we didn't use up all our TM. i don't think any of these people are reading my blog but i would like to thank all of them any way people like this make touring a lot of fun. below are some more pics. Hope every one is well.
-NEO

lake MI

cleaning clothes

cows

pwond