I have the desire to go on life changing journeys -- to hit the open road not knowing exactly where I will end up.
Taking a Waterbike toted behind a bicycle from Ord, Nebraska to the Missouri River would be a trip I would like to take. Then the Missouri to wherever.
I attempted this trip earlier this year. It was a great trip! It was a Brian and God trip. I will never forget the thoughts and words that God gave me on that trip.
Since I am feeling a bit reflective, I will record some of the events on that 7 day trip.
It all started with a thought that I could not get out of my head. “It would be a blast to haul one of my dad’s Waterbikes behind a bicycle from the middle of Nebraska to the Missouri River and possibly all the way to the Gulf of Mexico!" The primary purpose of the trip would be to spend time praying and connecting with God along the way.
So, I presented my idea to my dad (who was a bit skeptical at first) and we went to work on fixing up a bike and making it able to haul one of our pedal powered pontoon boats. A few days later we had a cool looking rig ready for the open road!
We went on a few quick test drives and we laughingly dreamt of the possibilities. Now I was ready! I loaded it up with my gear and drove it across town. WhooHOOO!!
The next day or so I headed out north of Ord and headed to Springdale Road.
See ya!
I wanted to take it on the gravel to see how it would do. If it went well then I could save some time taking it through the hills to Greeley instead of going all the way around through North Loup and Scotia. It went fine on the packed gravel roads but the roads with thick gravel made it a very difficult and frustrating task. I had to get off and push whenever I came to a hill – even if it was only a slight incline.
There is a particular turn on the road that goes right by the North Loup River. I stopped and decided to test out my idea for balancing everything (including my bicycle) on the Waterbike while I floated down the river. (Sorry no photos) The Waterbike has two pontoons on either side and they stick out about four feet in front of where you sit. I used the PVC pipe (I strapped to the front of the pontoons to hook onto the bicycle for towing) to balance my bicycle across the top of the pontoons in the front of the Waterbike. It floated!! Sweet!
I was going fine for the first 25-30 feet and then I hit shallow water. Anything under a foot deep gave me trouble. I spent most of the time dragging the heavy beast through sand. I probably went a little over a quarter mile and decided that the deep gravel on the road was easier to travel on.
Getting everything back to the road was quite a job. The high banks and rough terrain wore me out as I hauled the boat and my gear to the road. I ate some lunch and took a nap in the tall weeds under a shade tree next to the river – I was exhausted.
After the nap I loaded everything back on the bike for road travel. (The Waterbike sits on two bicycle tires that are welded onto a metal bar that connects them. The wheels were built for one man to easily haul the boat to water instead of it requiring two people to carry it. The wheel unit fits in holes in the back of the pontoons. You can then flip them around and put them in the same holes the opposite way to take them with you while you are on the water. The wheels have a place to strap on luggage as well – you just have to flip everything around when you go from water to land.)
On one particular hill (with deep gravel) I decided to try an easier way to pull everything. I tied both ends of a rope to my handle bars and put the rope around me. I thought that this would be a lot easier than pushing the bike from the side. But it didn't work so great. The bike got turned wrong and fell over bending the large bolt that my dad and I welded to the bike to attach it to the PVC pipe. I lifted the bike up and examined the bolt – it was definitely weaker now but it didn't completely break off…phew!
I was back on the road. North Loup was coming into view. I decided that I didn't want to take the Greeley back roads after all of my struggling through the deep gravel. (I wasn't sure where the turn was anyway!) I tried to save a little time not going through the town of North Loup so I took a left at a T thinking that the road would just take me around the town and to the highway. But my memory served me wrong. The road took me the back way to Scotia, on gravel.
I remember seeing a lady working in her lawn at a nice looking farmstead. I thought about asking her where this gravel road went, but I just kept going. Shortly after passing the farm the bolt holding the Waterbike to the bicycle broke. The PVC landed on my back tire and brought me to a quick stop. I thought this was the end; this is when I call and tell my dad that I was broke down and needed a ride home (a call that he was probably ready to receive). But I decided to try and strap the PVC pipe back on to the bicycle with a ratchet strap that I was glad that I had brought. It worked!! Unbelievable! I was back on the road!
Finally I saw the Scotia water tower! I was glad to have made it, but I was depressed to have spent most of the day getting there – not only that but I was dead tired. I collapsed in the cemetery on the outskirts of town and took a nap.
I can’t remember who called who but I talked with my parents and told them where I was. I didn’t want to give them the exact location I just wanted to tell them that I was further east. My dad then said that he and mom could come and bring me some supper. I told him that he could do whatever he wanted. I didn't care, I was just miserable.
My parents showed up and we loaded my gear into the truck. We went into Scotia and ate at the park. My dad asked me if it was okay to get a ride and I made it clear to him that I am not against getting rides. I was just on an adventure, I didn't want to add any foolish rules like not allowing myself to get rides!
My mom and dad suggested that I come home and rest for a few days and then start again later. I didn't feel up to doing anything other than that.
Two days later I told my dad that I was ready to try it again. He offered me a ride back to Scotia and he dropped me off at a church parking lot on main street.
He video taped me as I drove off into the sunset (not really…it was late morning).
It wasn't long and I was pulled over by an old couple that wanted to see what I was up to. They took my picture and encouraged me with a smile and a wave goodbye.
I was out on the open pavement! Oh and it was so much better than thick gravel!!! The gravel was so much work that I couldn't think of anything other than the work I was enduring, but the ease of the pavement allowed me to think and pray a bit more. I remember thinking, “Just keep the wheel turning, it doesn't matter how long it takes, just as long as I am moving forward.” It was fun.
Don’t get me wrong, the pavement was easier, but the hills were still tough. I’m not sure how much weight I had with me but I would bet that the small to medium sized bike I had wasn't designed to haul as much as I had on it, but I could have been wrong. I went by faith.
I made it to the turn to Cedar Rapids. I could have went a mile more to Greeley but I decided to risk it. It was probably 20 some miles to Cedar Rapids. This stretch was tough. It had some huge hills! I had to stop and take a nap under the Waterbike on one of those buggers! It was hot, too. Thankfully I had a guy stop and give me a couple waters. His little daughter was with him and thanks to her he pulled over. He told me that she had said, “He is probably thirsty!” They took a picture of me and said that his wife would not believe him if he told her what he saw today.
The sun was going down and I was making the turns into Cedar Rapids. Yes! I made it! As I was going down the hill into town I noticed an old lady crossing the road to get her mail. I also noticed the chickens running around her house so I asked her if she knew where I could get some chicken eggs. She boldly stated, “Well I have chicken eggs.” I then asked her if I could buy some from her. She then said that I could just have some. She walked me over to her house and didn't seem surprised or really even curious about my rig.
She introduced herself as Ernie Rutten. She welcomed me into her house and we talked a good while. I asked her if there was a place in town where I could put up a tent and she said that I could put it up in her yard or I could even stay in one of her many vacant rooms in her house if I wanted to; she offered me a shower as well. I told her that I would be grateful for just a place to put up my tent. But shortly after I said that it started to rain. Ernie lives with her son who is in need of in house care due to a broken neck / back (not sure which). There were people in and out of her house helping. She said that she likes to think of her house as the hotel in town, since there isn't a real hotel in Cedar Rapids. I told her that I would accept her offer to stay in her house. She then let me cook my eggs on her stove and gave me bread with homemade jelly and butter and fresh elderberries that she picked. What a neat lady! What a blessing! Later that night after I showered off and was resting on a nice clean bed I called home and shared with my parents how God had provided for me beyond my needs.
Day Two:
The next day I decided to check out the Cedar River. My dad told me that it might be good timing because the heavy rain would made it deeper. I got some groceries and headed to the river. The Cedar is more narrow than the North Loup making it deeper and easier to float. It is a popular river to take horse tanks down (tanking). I went on multiple tanking trips on the Cedar River north of Ord just west of Erickson, Nebraska.
On my way to scout out the river I ran across a farmer who asked me what I was up to. I told him and he scoffed, “Well that’s not going to be profitable!” The then ranted, “You know, back in the 60’s the hippies could do stuff like that, but now-a-days we’re all too busy paying off the government’s debt!” I can’t remember what I said. He then offered me a job. I can’t remember exactly how I responded to that either. He then told me that the river wasn't deep enough and that it wasn't going to work. He didn't encourage me much. I can’t remember the few positive things he shared with me.
The night before at Ernie’s someone told me about a free campsite north of town where I could put the boat in easier. So I checked it out. It was a really nice campsite just off the river. As I was loading my gear and the bicycle on the Waterbike, a construction worker stopped by to see what I was up to. We talked for a little bit and I told him I was headed to the Missouri and possibly to the Gulf of Mexico. His last encouraging words were said without any filter what-so-ever, “You are crazy.”
I drug the now loaded boat inch by inch down the sandy hill into the Cedar River. It was exciting! I was on the river and it was floating!
After a few hundred yards and a few turns, I noticed my first major obstacle – an old iron dam. Sharp jagged edges of the old dam held back water that dropped down less than a foot at one spot in the middle of the river. There was a small group of girls swimming just down from the dam. I remember one of them saying, “What the $#%@ is that?” It was then that I realized that the boat was lopsided in terms of weight. When I would lean back the boat would tip backwards making everything very unstable. My blood started rushing as I approached the small waterfall. The boat scrapped along the side of the metal dam and pushed me sideways against it. I then put my weight on the upriver side of the boat as I stair-stepped and plopped down the waterfall. The wide eyed onlookers were silenced… I made it!! I think they might have clapped or something (or at least they should have!). I heard one of them say as I floated away, “I thought he was for sure going to flip!”
Shortly after that I was caught in a tree. I had to get out and swim to balance the boat to keep it from being turned over in the fast current. I was somehow able to free myself from the tree and climb back on the boat. I thought to myself, “Man this is dramatic!” Up ahead I saw the bridge marking the edge of Cedar Rapids; it was also the highway I rode in on. If I was to pass the bridge I would be saying goodbye to civilization. Although, I realized that I needed to make some necessary adjustments if I was going to keep going. The boat was too heavy. It would get caught up in the sand in the middle of the river and all that weight made it too unstable and almost impossible to steer.
I pulled the boat off to the side of the river and decided to go into town to think about what I was going to do. I also came to terms with the fact that I was spending most of my time struggling to get somewhere and disregarding the main reason I went on this trip in the first place -- to connect with God.
I pulled everything out of the river and went into town and guzzled a few Gatorades at the gas station. From inside I watched all the towns folk gawk at my rig. I have to admit it’s a strange looking contraption – the Waterbikes are interesting enough let alone being hauled behind a bicycle with wheels under them.
I then went back to the campsite where I put in. I decided to stop everything and read the bible and pray for the rest of the day. I called a friend, had a campfire, ate, and rested the rest of the night. I guess that marks the second night.
Day Three:
I spent the morning being lazy reading and praying and just seeking God’s presence and guidance. I then got everything loaded up and started driving into town. On the way into town I noticed a small tire shop and an idea came into my head. I parked in front and walked into the old garage. I asked one of the two workers if he had any old tractor inner tubes that I could use to float down the river on. He said that he did and he quickly patched an old tube and filled it up with air. I asked him how much he wanted and he said that it was free. Sweet!
My idea was to put all of my luggage on the inner tube including the bicycle. Now, I was headed to the river with a new excitement. I met the not so encouraging farmer on my way back to where I got out the previous day. He stopped and asked me how it went, I told him that it didn't go very well and he said that he told me so. I was also stopped by the local newspaper journalist for an interview.
I was happy to see that everything balanced on the inner tube. I then just run a rope from the Waterbike to tube. It was encouraging to see the boat floating as it should be now that all the weight was off of it. So, again, I was floating and it was exciting!! I was now headed away from civilization with the bridge disappearing behind me.
What a ride! When I was in the current all I had to do was sit and watch the scenery go by. What a great way to experience nature! Just before dark, I came across a group of cabins. I tied off my boat to investigate a bit and to possibly find a place to set up a tent. After climbing up the bank of the river I discovered a nice sized sandpit with quite a few mobile homes and cabins around it. It was a nice area. I then decided to call home, but I couldn't find my phone. It became a big deal to me because I didn't want my parents to worry about me. We agreed that I would check in everyday and without a phone…well I probably wouldn't be able to go any further. I was stressed. I decided to go back to town to look for my phone. For some reason I decided to carry my bike to the highway on the other side of the river, through the trees, through a pasture, and up a huge hill. I rode the highway into town and went back to the campsite. Nothing. Either it is gone or it is packed away with my stuff. I rode back on the gravel road that went by the sandpit. I found out that it was private property and that had to ignore some ‘No Trespassing’ signs in order to get there. The only thought that I had was something I heard about called ‘the right of passage’. I didn't now for sure if this ‘right’ applied here but I jumped the fence and took off down the road like the criminal that I am.
Not long after getting back I found my phone in some safe (secret) place in my stuff. It was a relief to have it back. I called home and then set up my tent. I walked down to the pond that night and saw some neat fish feeders by the docks. They there bright lights with fans in front of them that blew the insects that came to the lights into the water for the fish to eat. It was a calm night and I snuck down and watched the large bass, bluegills, turtles, and catfish swim around under the light. It was memorable night.
Day Four:
The next day I floated down and cooked some eggs on a sandbar. There were tall trees growing thick on either side of the river. I remember thinking that this place would be a neat place to hideout for awhile if you wanted to. The Cedar winds around and around – it’s a beautiful river. Nebraska is definitely more beautiful in my mind because of this trip.
I floated down the river until dark and I found a clearing to stop and put up the tent. I tried to start a fire but the wood was either to wet or too green, so I just went to bed. It was nice getting out of the river wherever I pleased to camp. It felt like a free country. I liked that.
Day Five:
The next day I floated down a few miles and realized I forgot my campfire grill that my dad and I made for back-country camping back at the last campsite. I didn't think long about going back for it. I went on foot through the pastures to the last bridge I went under. I walked a little over a mile around a cornfield and down to the wooded area where I camped. I found the grill right where I remember laying it. It blended in with the sand making it easy to leave behind. Oh well…
As I was walking back towards the bridge an elderly couple driving a pickup stopped and offered me a ride. He said, “Hop on the back!” I said, “No, it’s okay I am just going to the bridge,” which was less than 200 yards away. Up ahead there was another pickup parked on the bridge; it was a road maintenance pickup. The old man insisted, “It’s okay, just hop on the tailgate!” So I hopped on and rode to the bridge. The old man had it in his head from the beginning that I was with the maintenance workers. He saw the odd shaped grill thing in my hand and was sure that I was with them doing something or other. He asked me what I was up to and I told him that I was floating down the river. But he didn't understand me. He asked me again, “What are you doing?” “I’m going down the river,” I said. “Oh come on, what are you really doing?” he said again. Then the maintenance guy in the pickup spoke up rather loudly for me and said, “He is floating down the river! For FUN!” I’m not sure if the guy ever really understood what was happening. Then I ended up doing something I regret. I turned to the maintenance guy and asked how far I was from Fullerton (the next town along the river). He then went on to tell me a story of how he and his brother had a canoe race from Cedar Rapids to Fullerton and how they finished it ‘in an afternoon’. And he said, ‘in an afternoon’ so cool and confident like it was definitely something doable if you were a real man. I thought, ‘Well I’m a real man, I can do this, no problem!’ He said that it would probably take two hours if I made good time and pushed myself. The kid who was with him agreed.
I felt good after hearing how close I was. I walked back with my returned campfire grill and envisioned pulling into Fullerton in three or four hours knowing that it might take me a bit longer than the guys who raced in their canoes that infamous ‘afternoon’.
Going down the Cedar River was not easy by any means. The river was shallow in the middle and the current zigzagged from side to side as it twisted and turned through the hills and trees. When the current moved to the other side I would get beached in the middle of the river. I would then have to stand up to take the weight off the boat and take short steps to scoot the boat to deeper water. It felt like I did this over 50% of the journey…I’m not sure if I am exaggerating either.
This is when God began to speak to me -- during the struggles. He gave me some perspective. The Faith Perspective—My relationship with God (my life) is purely based on faith. (Romans 14:23b)
The Job Perspective –God is God and most worth to be praised and worshiped regardless of my circumstances and understanding of my circumstances.
Four hours went by and I thought that I was close. Every bend I came around I expected to see a town. But nothing. Six hours, seven hours, and finally I saw a highway bridge…no just a big gravel road bridge. I came across another big bridge a mile down river and noticed that it was a place where a ‘tanking’ service put in their tanks. I must be getting close now! A couple hours later I saw a huge American flag straight on in the distance. I thought, ‘It’s the town!!’ Two or more hours later I arrived at a river guide outfitter. I made it… I was exhausted. I managed to haul everything through the sand and to the road without collapsing. There was a large campsite close by so I decided to find a place to rest. I didn't see anyone that worked there; I only saw other campers. But, I put up my tent and started a fire to cook a baked potato. I then met the campsite hosts. It was a couple and they were all excited to see me, but not a happy or welcoming excitement. They first expressed how shocked they were that I didn't come and check in with them. “We've never had any body do this before – just come in and set up camp without checking in first!” They were not happy with me. I then asked them how much it would cost for me to stay in their campsite. They said, “$20.” I said, “Ok, I’m just going to go and stay somewhere else. That’s too much for me to spend.” They said, “Well what did you expect to pay?” I think I said something to the effect of, “Well I was hoping that it would be free.” They laughed and snorted and went on to tell me about all of their bills that they have to pay each month. They asked about the Waterbike and I told them that my dad has the rights to sell them and the guy said, “Well can you just give me one for free?” reminding me of my previous comment. We ended up taking each other’s information and I took my baked potato and loaded up my tent and left. But before I left I asked them if there were any other campsites around. They said no. I said that would just go look for a place to put up a tent along the river. Then finally the lady said, “Well there is one place on the outskirts of town that you can camp for free. It's called the Power Plant Campground.” She told me that I could even plug into electricity for free as well. So, I headed out. Now it was dark.
I wasn't sure of her directions so I pulled up to a still lit baseball field and talked to the umpire of the game. He was talking with another feller. That feller gave me more specific directions to the ‘Power Plant Campground’ (or whatever it was called). On the way I passed a loud eerie sounding feedlot all lit up with lights. I then passed a grain elevator and went over some railroad tracks and finally pulled into a field that had rundown electrical hookups sticking out of the ground. "This must be it," I thought. The hookups didn't work neither did the old abandoned brick power plant building next to the river. I set up my tent, ate my baked potato, and crashed.
Day Six:
I got up and took everything to the park in town. I talked with a nice old lady who seemed to have a lot in common with me. I can’t remember what we talked about specifically but she encouraged me to continue to explore and to do what I was passionate about. Just as I was talking to her a huge motorcycle rally pulled into town. Over 500 bikers were going through town for a Nebraska Poker Run. I decided to drive my rig by them all just for the fun of it. I also wanted to go to the library to email some friends. As I was driving through main street I heard my name call out from a crowd of bikers, “Brian Shafer!?!?” It was a girl I knew from high school. I’m sure I was a strange site for her to see toting along my Waterbike behind my bicycle and all.
After the library and an amazing tasting sandwich at Subway, I went a mile south of town to check out the Loup River. I wasn't going to float it right away, this trip was just for scouting purposes. I walked under the massive bridge and stared out onto the wide wide river. It looked five times wider than the North Loup river and way over ten times wider than the Cedar. I came to the conclusion that it was probably not consistently deep enough for my boat.
I spent the rest of the day hanging out in the Fullerton park. I went to the grocery store and the owner gave me a bunch of over ripened bananas for free. I bought a pint of high quality ice-cream and some premium Butterfingers cookies and took my treat to the park. I then grabbed my bible and a book and sat in my inner tube with a pad under my butt and ate my ice-cream with bananas and cookies. I washed it down with some flavored water which wasn't that good, but…I was enjoying myself nonetheless.
As I was there, I talked with a few guys that came for that night’s baseball game. They were from St. Paul. We talked about Nebraska fishing and we talked a lot about the canals about 20 miles east of town that people call the ‘headwaters’. They said that people are allowed to put boats in them and they are consistently 6 feet deep or so. Hmmmm… that might be a way to get to Columbus that could get me into deeper water before I hit the Missouri.
That night I went down to the Power Station Campground and set up camp. I built a fire ring out of asphalt and then climbed onto a ledge on the old power station and watched the sun go down. It was a beautiful sight that I can still recall to this day.
I met a police officer that night. He came down to see if I was causing trouble. He said that usually people that are down there are up to no good. For some reason he looked awfully familiar and he thought the same. It hit him before it hit me but we ended up figuring out that we went to high school together. I graduated with his sister. Another strange encounter with someone that I knew. He must have thought that I went nuts or something… who knows!
Day Seven
It was Sunday so I went to church. The police officer suggested the Baptist church. I really enjoyed the sermon. He preached the gospel with passion and conviction. It was encouraging to see a pastor that was so on fire for God’s Word. I noticed a couple in a row ahead of me that I went to Chadron State with. They talked with me afterwards. The girl gave me some shocking news about my best friend back in college. She told me that he ended up going to prison for life for molestation charges. My jaw dropped and my spirit stirred within me. (Later I was able to reach out to his sister, his wife and kids, and to start a dialog with him via snail mail. I still need to contact his recently widowed mother. Wow, sad stuff.)
After church I was asked to go out to eat with the pastor and his wife. They were such encouraging people; they were so passionate about Jesus. Their contagious zeal was like that of new believers, but I knew that they weren't. It was refreshing. I need to get in contact them as well; I also need to contact Ernie and thank her for her wonderful hospitality.
I felt a peace about ending the trip there. Plus my friend John and I were planning our yearly Rumpspah for the end of July (coming up in a week). I called my dad and he joyfully came and picked me up (thanks Dad!).
Wow, thank you God for such a great trip!
God is faithful!
