Category: Montana

Yesterday was an easy day, but any one of us could argue it was a boring one. We spent the majority of the day on a bike path at the base of the Bitter Root Mountains. Though the scenery was beautiful, the bike path was long and tedious, as well as poorly signed and at times confusing. We had to cross the highway numerous times to stay on track as well as attempt to figure out where the next turn was. Even though frustrating, the bike path was a safer choice than the road, as there were white crosses littered along the way signifying highway deaths. Not the most reassuring symbol.

It is now becoming a trend that the last pit stop of the day (usually 20 or less miles left of the ride) is the longest. We spend up to 2 hours at a gas station or convenience store putting off the inevitable. It’s not that we’re physically tired, we just are sick of getting back on the bike at this point. We want to get to the destination, but find it hard to find the motivation to hop back on the bike. But with only 2 weeks left of the journey, the excitement of getting to OR I’m sure will energize us to get it done.

I have noticed that I spend the most money to support my chocolate milk and gummy bear addiction. I get thrilled when I see a gas station convenience store, as I usually have a strong craving for chocolate milk. I will consume at least a bottle daily, sometimes more including what the dinner crew gets for dinner. It is proven to be a top notch recovery drink, plus it’s delicious! Gummy bears are great for just bored snacking when riding.

Today we had a rest day in Missoula, MT. It is home of the Adventure Cycling Association, the organization who set this trip up. They welcomed us with drinks and ice cream, and even weighed our bikes. Old Bessie came in a little over group average at 84 lbs, she’s a hefty girl. But I’ve come all this way with the weight, so no use making cuts now! We even got to see Whitney again, it was great to see her friendly and smiling face. We enjoyed exploring the town at night with Catherine.

Today the ACA threw a delicious BBQ for us and gave us a tour of the headquarters. It was very interesting to learn the history and roots of the organization, and how we ourselves are advancing their legacy. At the end of the tour they gifted us with free jerseys, we all were very appreciative.

Sheena and I ran various errands, including getting our bikes checked out at one of the many bike shops. Old Bess’ handlebar tape ripped a few days ago, so she got a makeover with purple tape. She looks so fierce now!

Tomorrow we will be saying goodbye to MT and head into ID. We have been told that ID is surprisingly beautiful, so I’m excited to see if it lives up to the hype.

Sheena and I sprung for a hotel last night and tonight, so we should be well rested to handle the intimidating ride ahead of us!

Another fun day in Montana! Seriously. We did have to climb another pass and the continental divide again (maybe for the last time? I lost count). The downhill was pretty steep for a good 7 miles that we shot down pretty quickly. Good adrenaline rush! At the bottom we ran into a whole herd of big horn sheep, the first I’ve seen yet. We’ve been keeping our eyes out for moose, but the only ones we’ve seen are of the stuffed variety.

We entered Idaho again, but only for half a mile. We quickly returned to good old Montana. Idaho just can’t wait for our triumphant return for the third and final time.The last 18 miles were mostly downhill and we did them in an impressive hour. Sheena would argue that it was due to my competitive nature. Alec was in the not so far off distance, igniting my natural instinct to chase (thanks track!) and catch up with him. Mission accomplished! Alec then saw Erica in the distance, invoking his chase instinct, dragging us all along. It was a rush of a ride and we needed to come down from it in a cafe.

Montana is a beautiful state and the pictures I have taken fail to do it justice. Unfortunately the section we rode today was affected by a wildfire from 2001, but we could see the new saplings growing from the wreckage.

We have yet to encounter the rumored rude RV drivers of MT, but as Catherine truthfully put it, they have no right to harass us. They are the most annoying moving vehicle on the road, taking up so much space and going slow, practically moving a whole country inside!

 

The town of Darby is another cute western town. Lots of stores and restaurants to wander through. Tomorrow we are going to Missoula, where the ACA headquarters is located. Then we have one of our final rest days!

Today we had 2 climbs, both relatively long, but like yesterday they were manageable. And dare I say enjoyable. The only bad part of them is I hit a patch of gravel going uphill and fell right in front of a truck. Luckily his eyes were on the road and the incompetent cyclist ahead of him and he avoided a collision with me.

Because it was such a short day, we got into Jackson early. We are camping behind a lodge. They were nice enough to let us hang out in their lobby and watch movies on their big screen tv. Some of us even took naps on their comfy couches. It was nice and enjoyable to have an afternoon off the bike to relax! Montana has surely been treating us well.

Today was another relatively uneventful day in Montana. It starting with a long, yet enjoyable, 10 mile climb. I found it relaxing. Funny that I now enjoy climbing, my former Appalachian self would find that impossible to believe.

In the town of Virginia City, we ran into a couple groups of motorcyclists. We talk with them briefly about our trip, they found it crazy but also incredible. It’s funny how the further from Yorktown VA we get, the more exaggerated people’s reactions to our trip become. Further east, people didn’t find it a big deal, probably because we were so close to the start. But now people’s eyes get really wide and mouths have to be picked up from the floor. “You started where?! Oh you guys are crazy!” is usually people’s first reaction, followed by a list of questions about the trip. One motorcyclist told us he was truly proud of us and the progress we made, which in turn made my day.

Ever since CO, the nights and mornings have been freezing. Waking up to 37 degrees (or colder) forces us to bundle up. Which leads to a confusing first few hours on the bike until it gets ungodly hot. Strip down or keep on the layers is always running through my mind. Today was no different. Going uphill I was sweating, but the steep downhill with wind (and sweaty clothes) proved to be a freezing experience. The temperature just can’t make up its mind out here!

Tomorrow is a shorter day, but we were warned of unruly RV drivers who like to run cyclists off the road. Oh boy!

Yesterday we said a brief farewell to Idaho and made it into Montana. It was a rather uneventful ride, though we did see our fair share of police activity, including an airlift rescue after a bad accident. We also hit some construction, forcing us to get stuck in some traffic. Other than that, it was quiet and relatively easy.

Today was an off day and an opportunity to check out Yellowstone. Because we heard horror stories about riding bicycles in the park, we chose to rent a car to see the nearby attractions. We saw plenty of bison, including one who strolled right next to the car. We visited a couple different geysers and hot springs, most noticeable of which was The Grand Prismatic Spring and Old Faithful. We waited for quite some time for Old Faithful to go off, and it was rather short lived. Dad caught a picture of us on the webcam, see above pictures. We were going to check out the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, but unfortunately due to a fatal accident and potentially waiting hours in jammed traffic, we decided to go back to camp early. It was fun to revisit the park, only wish we could stay longer to check out the rest of the huge venue. But the road is calling, and alas, we must depart tomorrow.