Day 28

June 28, 2005

Today was a cold, nasty day – kind of a bummer…

I got up relatively early to get a jump on the day, only to find it pretty chilly and very overcast. I went and had some great blueberry pancakes, came back, packed up and got ready to figure out the day’s itinerary.

The first thing I needed to do was get my chain tightened. After I left Matt yesterday on my way into town, the chain connecting the two sets of pedals came off the rings. I knew there was a way to tighten it, I just didn’t know how. I went to a little bike/kite/video rental store and met the owner who walked me through the process. It’s great picking up all these little things; getting more familiar with the bike and how it works.

As I was wrapping things up at the shop, the wind and drizzle started to head over. It was a very chilly day to begin with, the wind and rain didn’t help. Luckily, it was time for lunch. After a great pizza, I darted in and out of stores, trying to take shelter from the inclement weather. There’s only so much browsing a person can do before he or she, mainly a “he”, can’t take anymore. I did manage to get a pair of sandals I had been wanting for a while, but after an hour and a half of stalling I was ready to make a decision about what I was going to do for the day.

It was close to 3 and the sky didn’t look like it would be offering any reprieve any time soon. Having exhausted all other places to hang out, I decided to go back to the hostel and spend another night there – here. That meant I wouldn’t be able to meet up with the trio later on like we had planned, but it was gross, I was tired of walking around, it was only ten dollars more than I would have spent at the campground; it was a good choice.

I checked back into the room and met Denny who is hiking the Continental Divide Trail. These hikers kill me. He has already hiked the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and is now working his way up the Continental Divide. If you don’t know too much about hiking, just know that’s madness. He’s 53 and a great guy to talk to.

On the way to park my bike I picked up a flat, the first one since coming out of Eugene. Once I got settled I went up to the store to pick up a few groceries and came back to begin fabricating the new and improved Bionic Boot Cover, guaranteed to protect from wind, rain, and road crud up to 400 miles. It’s great; see below for a glimpse of this modern marvel. After putting so much time and energy into the structural engineering of my new masterpiece, I was to tired to create it’s mate, the left boot. At least I’ll have one dry foot. I’ll work on the other one tomorrow, it’s not supposed to rain tomorrow. And of course, that means it will…

I fixed my flat, ate my leftover pizza, read more of the Jester, ate some graham crackers with peanut butter, drank some coke, packed up for tomorrow, came down here, and wound my way to typing out the journal for today. I also got a shower sometime in there.

Tomorrow I’m getting on the horse around 6 to catch the trio before they head over to Old Faithful. I really enjoyed their company and it’ll be good to ride with them for a few days.

Hopefully tomorrow will be what I was hoping today to be: a lot of great wildlife, awesome views, good company, and Nice Weather. Supposedly the high is to be around 70 with party cloudy skies, we’ll see… Today it was 55-60 with isolated nastiness.

Ain't nothin gettin through that, Baby!

My new favorite set of bunk beds...

Day 27

June 27, 2005

Day 27. I can’t believe how fast the days are passing. Today was a bit rough, but as always, I made it. And when I did, there were a few people here to make the arrival that much more memorable.

I got up and moving a little later than I wanted to. It was about 10 when I got on the road. I made it to Big Sky and stopped for a little lunch before continuing. As I was resting in Big Sky, I noticed the big sky was packing a lot of big clouds. Not wanting to recreate the monsoon disaster of yesterday, I decided to take a few precautions.

As I was purchasing a few snacks, the lady behind the counter was putting my stuff in a plastic bag. I was just about to tell her there was no need for the bag, when I realized what a resourceful item that bag may be. I asked her to double bag it and went out to the bike.

Emptying all the contents into my handlebar bag, I took the plastic bags, my pocketknife, and duck tape over to the picnic table. One of the worst parts of yesterday’s downpour was the soaked, frigid feet. I wasn’t going to let that happen again. I spent five minutes creating the most ghetto pair of shoe covers ever to roll out of Big Sky, Montana.

I was so anxious to see how well they’d work, I was almost praying for rain. Turns out I didn’t have to pray; it came all by itself. I also had enough foresight to wrap my tent and sleeping bag bundle up in plastic, so I was extra ready for it. It came with the same intensity as it did yesterday, only it lasted 45 minutes instead of 5 the day before. It was another sea-worthy squall, but with all the precautions, I almost enjoyed it.

I was on the outskirts of Yellowstone National Park getting pounded by a relentless thunderstorm, blasted by wind of the infrequent downhill stretches, shoved to the side by the sporadic gusts of the steroid-induced wind – all the while trying to muscle by 85 pound bicycle 18 more miles to my destination for the night. Who else can say they experienced that today?

Thankfully I had a snickers bar two miles before the torrents came to carry me the last 20 miles, so I had a fresh kick of energy for it. It was also the first time I noticed the immediate effects of such a snack, I think the shere madness of the thing added to my hyped up state of mind as well. I repeatedly let out a nice, wild, “Whooooo!” as I worked my way through the wild rain. It actually was a great ride. My friend Dawn, who made the trip with her husband a few years ago, wrote me a great email talking about how alive the trip makes you feel and how all the senses seem to be heightened… – that stretch of wind and rain was one of many great examples of that. Even when my cute little boot covers started to fail, I was grateful to be able to experience the feeling of soggy feet. Maybe there was a little something extra in that snickers… Seriously though, it was a neat thing to be apart of and I’m thankful I was able to experience it from that point of view instead of having to endure a long, wet ride of angst and frustration.

The shower ended about 8 miles from West Yellowstone, where I am tonight. I was about a mile from the town when I noticed a man walking my way with a backpack strapped to his back. During my visit with Steven, he told me of a guy they met in Yellowstone the week before who was walking across the country. This was the guy.

I stopped to ask him where he was headed and he told me he was going cross-country. I asked him if his name was Matt and he said, “…yeah…” with a heavy dose of confused and amazed subtext along with it. I told him he spoke with my friend from Bozeman in Yellowstone and he had told me about him. He remembered Steven and was blown away by the coincidence. From the five to ten minutes I spent with him, I gathered Matt’s a pretty cool guy.

Eleven months ago he started in Delaware and I’m pretty sure he said he is headed to Portland, Oregon. He is a physics and chemistry teacher in New York and just always wanted to do it. He had some pretty cool stories to share, and could even relate to my cool little plastic bagged shoe covers; he fabricated a similar set when crossing a river a while back. He was a real treat to meet and talk to, and if I weren’t so wet, chilled, and looking forward to the warmth of the coming shower, I would have chatted even longer with him.

But I kept on into town and found the hostel that was cited on the map; the same price yet worlds apart from the previous hostel experience in Eugene. When I walked in a guy on the sofa said, “And here’s another one…” I assumed he meant another cyclist and asked him where he was headed. His name is Paul and he has been riding the Trans Am with a couple from New Zealand. We chatted a bit then I checked in and got settled. As I was coming in from tucking my bike away in the complex’s garage, I ran into two other cyclists. They both had been crossing paths for a few days now and were headed in different directions. It felt good to find myself back in the path of the Trans Am and the cyclist realm again.

I got settled into my room while I chatted with my roommate for the night from Germany. He is in his early thirties and making a big three-month loop through the U.S. on a motorcycle. I enjoyed that long awaited shower and changed into some comfortable clothes. I ran into Paul on my way back to my room and kind of invited myself to dinner with him and his two Kiwi friends.

As always, it was nice to enjoy the company of other cyclists. Heather and Jackson are the two from New Zealand. They started in Canada and are going to Denver where they’ll fly out to London to tour through Ireland and Scotland before flying back home. And like before, they had heard of “the guy on the tandem” as well. “You’re getting to be quite famous out there,” Heather noted. It was great to hear people are still talking.

After dinner I stopped off for a Mint Oreo Blizzard and took a stroll through town. It’s a cute little town. I read it thrives on the tourists going in and out of Yellowstone and it’s quite apparent. It has a great ocean-side boardwalk atmosphere to it. Lots of little shops, restaurants, and ice cream huts, a lot of fluorescent lighting overhead as you walk the street among the other tourists. I felt like I was in a hidden, western-themed, stretch of Virginia Beach or Ocean City. Unfortunately, I left my camera in the room and wasn’t able to get any pictures of the nightlife or my new friends.

And that’s another thing that’s really awesome about being out here, they are my new friends. I really did invite myself to join them for dinner and they didn’t mind at all, it was almost assumed that I’d be joining them. I chatted with them for a total of five minutes before we were walking out the door to a dinner filled with stories, laughs, and Kiwi tidbits. There is such a great community of people out here enjoying their respective journeys, all ready and willing to let you be apart of it. And for that I’m grateful.

Tomorrow morning I’ll ask around and see what I should check out. I’m considering tomorrow an off day to see some of the park, although I may cover some ground in the process. The three are going on a wildlife tour, but it’s a little more than I think I’m willing to pay. We’ll see what happens…

Today: 69.79 Total: 1,212.30

Look at those shoe covers in action!

Miracle Matt - walking across the country...

Day 26

June 26, 2005

Today started off as planned. We all went to church today at the Julian’s new home church in Bozeman. The senior pastor was away for a wedding, so I was able to hear Steven from the pulpit. He also recognized me in the service and asked the congregation to remember me as I continue my journey.

It was good to see Steven and Stacey again. We spent a good deal of time reminiscing about people and events from the past at Alliance. Steven even refreshed a few details about Stephen for me, which we were able to laugh about and enjoy. He remembered once, when he was helping coach the Alliance golf team, Stephen came up and showed him his new 9-wood golf club. Never hearing of, nor seeing such a silly thing, Steven asked him how far he could hit it, “About a hundred yards,” he replied. Having no choice, Steven came back with the only obvious response, “That’s what your nine iron’s for!” It may only be funny if you ever played a round of golf with Stephen in that “wooden” phase of his game. There was a time when Stephen would play 85% of 18 holes with his Big Bertha driver, his Adam’s Tight Lies fairway wood, and his putter; he was out of control. But I really can’t say too much about his love for his weird woods, he knew how to use them. I don’t think I ever beat him. The last time we went out we went over to City Park and used our two rain checks from another time. I remember I was able to stay within a few strokes, but he still beat me.

Steven and I also talked about how he never let CF get in the way of how he lived his life. He accepted it and that was it. When he had to start carrying the oxygen our junior year, he did it and kept going without missing a step. He still golfed, still hung out, still worked. He graduated and started going to TCC with it. He never hid; was never ashamed of it. He let it be his cross that he carried. As I look back, I wonder if it was somehow a source of strength for him. They say people acquire strength through adversity, Stephen already had the strength – but looking back, it seemed as if he was almost proud to carry around that awful bag with its heavy tank of gas in it. Maybe it’s just me realizing how embarrassed and afraid I would have been had I been in his place. He was the man…
There are times when I think of Stephen when I’m on the tandem and I get the weird looks of, “What in the world..?!?” I used to be a little self-conscious of those looks and the comments that go along with them. And then I’d think of Stephen and how he carried that awful tank around with him for two years. I’m sure he felt his share of looks and unspoken slights, he had to. But he never hesitated nor let them affect him. So, sometime in the last few weeks I’ve come full circle and, maybe like Stephen, become proud of the unusual facet distinguishing me from the norm. To endure a few raised eyebrows and snide hollers from the cars whizzing by is the least I can do to honor the great life and spirit of Stephen.

I type this only 20 miles from the Julian house. I finally got rolling this afternoon around 4, which was fine. I was only planning on going about 35 miles, so the late start wasn’t a problem. The sky had been densely overcast all day. I was 10 miles into the ride when I noticed a nasty front quickly approaching from my right. I knew it would hit within the hour and started thinking of contingency plans for lodging tonight. I was in no mood to set up camp in the rain, and it was looking like that was going to be the case if I didn’t find a spot to lay out the tent within 20 minutes. I stopped into a gas station and asked if there was a motel around and the girl said a mile up on the right. I debated staying at the gas station and letting the storm blow over, but ended up getting on the bike and trying to fly down to the motel before it hit. I didn’t fly fast enough. It hit and hit hard.

In this trip of superlatives, I’m sure you’re getting tired of hearing them all, but believe me when I say it was the worst yet. Worse than the storm 5 miles out of New Meadows when I felt I was being tossed about in a boat out at sea. It was a lot of rain and a lot of wind, thunder and lighting also added their usual festive flair to the event. For one ten-second stretch it felt like the rain was coming at me sideways. I got doused in a matter of minutes.

As I pulled up to the motel, I noticed the “no vacancy” sign was lit. I went into the office and asked the man to tell me that was a mistake. He told me they were indeed all filled up due to a nearby wedding – “Couldn’t they have done it next weekend?” I thought… I hung out on his porch while I tried to dry and thaw out. Then, once the clouds looked like they’d allow me, I went up the road 7 miles to a Cabin and RV park where I set up for the night.

I was hoping to get closer to Big Sky tonight, but I’m in good shape. I’m going to get up and ride the 15 miles there to have breakfast, then make my way to Yellowstone, about 50 miles from Big Sky. Should be a good ride. Lets just pray God goes easy on the rain tomorrow.

See ya in Wyoming…

Today: 20.52 Total: 1,142.51

It's coming...

Days 24 & 25

June 25, 2005

Today was a long day of spinning to Bozeman. As Pop-pop would say, "It was a hard fight Mom, but I made it."

We got up and on the road by 8. Filip wasn’t feeling too great, so he headed into town to find a pharmacy. We said goodbye and parted ways. Shortly up the road, I pulled off to stretch my legs a bit. For some reason they were a little tight getting going.

About 15 miles up the road Filip caught up to me. We both noted the billboard for the deli/bakery up the way, and headed for it. The ride wasn’t too bad. There was little to no wind and the grade was relatively flat all day.

We got to the store, had a little snack and enjoyed the nice rest in the AC. As we were resting and I was enjoying my Apple-raisin Danish, four Brazilian motorcycle riders came in. Filip, spending much time in Central America with his Guatemalan wife, is much more confident in his Spanish than I am and struck up a conversation with one of the fellas. The four of them are on a six-month tour of the Americas and are now headed to Chicago for a Goldwing convention. It was cool to watch them converse, and I was proud to find myself able to follow most the conversation.

We got back on the road and made our way to Manhattan; a far cry from the New York City burrow. We stopped in a bookstore to see what we could find and got to talking with the nice lady who owned the store. We told her we were headed to Bozeman and she gave us directions to make our way into town. She told us the road we were on gets really busy as we get closer to Bozeman and gave us directions for a little detour that would save us the headache of the traffic.

The detour added at least 3 miles to our ride. 3 miles doesn’t sound like much, but when you get so close to your destination the last thing you want to do is take an extra ride around the outskirts of town to avoid "traffic" that may not have been much of a problem after all. The nice lady meant well, I know, but it became more of a headache than it was worth. I hit the wall with about a mile to go on the detour, but we finally made it back to the main road only to find ourselves with 2 miles to go.

The lady did help a lot by giving me directions to the Chronicle, the local paper. I reached deep and gathered enough energy to swing by the paper and finish the ride. Shortly into Bozeman I said goodbye to Filip and parted ways. He told me to really consider going through Boulder, so it’s possible I may see him again.

I arrived at the paper, chatted with the editor for a bit, gave him a rundown of the event along with all my info, and headed over to my friends’ house. The editor left things rather openended, I'm not sure if they will be able to do anything or not.

It had been a long time since I was so happy to reach a destination. The miles and the grade weren’t too terribly difficult today; I think it was the sun that made the day so tiresome. I’m definitely getting into the summer heat; at least it’s not humid out here. I pulled up to the Julian’s and was welcomed with a loud, “BJ’s here!” from the little ones inside.

The Julian’s, Steven & Stacey, were our youth pastors at our Portsmouth Alliance Church and are now working here at the Bozeman Alliance. They have two little sons and were also entertaining Stacey’s sister and her two girls. Graciously, they welcomed yet another guest into their already full house and are allowing me to rest and visit a few nights.

I got here, hung out and gathered myself from the exhausting ride, showered and got ready to head down to the Bozeman hot springs. The hot springs here are much nicer than the disappointing experience in Lolo. Multiple pools of naturally hot water, all varying in temperature – allowing the opportunity to prove one’s manhood by soaking in the hot baths and immediately jumping into the icy water nearby, I wasn’t man-enough… But I did enjoy the Rain Forest steam room and the hot sauna before leaving.

We came home, all nicely deflated by the soothing waters, had dinner, and visited before trailing off to bed. One interesting fact about today: this was my first time in a car since my fun hitchhiking experience in Florence. And while we’re on the subject of fun little facts: when I was saying goodbye to the girls in Missoula, I gave them each a hug before they rode off. That was the first time I hugged someone since I said goodbye to my mom the morning I flew out. Just interesting the little things like that you notice…

Too exhausted to type last night, I am writing this today, Saturday, while The Wiggles play in the background. Zach, the younger of the two boys, is watching a little sing-a-long before heading up to a nap. It’s been a great visit in Bozeman. Stacey’s sister, Garalyn, flew out this morning before I woke up. After I had a little cereal for breakfast, Stacey handed me a little note and donation Garalyn had left me for the Foundation, I was totally surprised and thankful for her gift. Thank You so much Garalyn!

They took me by the post office where I was able to mail a package back home then headed over to the Home Depot for a water softener/filter. Evidently, the water in Bozeman is really hard and difficult to wash with. It’s naptime now in Bozeman. After the peace period, we’re off to a fair, followed by a dinner.

I apologize for the delay in the update, but appreciate your understanding. I continue to thank all of you who email me short little notes of encouragement. I’m not always able to respond to all of them, but, of course, I read and get excited by each of them; they work wonders for keeping my spirits alive.

Tomorrow after lunch, I’m headed up to Big Sky, halfway to Wyoming and Yellowstone from here. Monday I’ll move into my fourth state, it’ll be another great day and mini-milestone I’m sure. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to that. I’m thinking I’ll take a day off in Yellowstone to tour around and try to see some of it. Although, I’ve heard it can be a bit of a headache, trying to maneuver through all the tourist traffic. So, we’ll see…

Again, thanks to everyone for the continued love and support. The knee is doing wonderfully and I’m feeling good. If all goes as planned, I think the next update will come from Wyoming!

Stay tuned…

Day 24: 79.77 Total: 1121.99

Filip Fantastic

Home Sweet Bozeman-Home

Day 23

June 23, 2005

Today was a nice easy day out of Helena. Knowing I didn’t have far to go to my next stop, I extended my check out time to noon and took my time getting started.

From the hotel, I went over to the bike shop to have them tighten a few things up. They lined up my rear derailleur, trued my rear wheel, lubed everything up again, and removed salt and sand from my spokes. The guy asked if I’d been to the beach because he found some salt and sand build up; I guess I didn’t clean it as thoroughly as I should have back in Florence.

After a few phone calls and a great gyro from the store next to the shop, I left Helena and headed for Townsend. About ten miles out of Helena I came up behind Filip. Filip was on his way home to Boulder, Colorado from Calgary. He has cycled all over the world. Being self-employed for a while, he was able to take extended tours through Europe, Australia, New Zeeland, Central and South America, and even a bit of Africa. We talked as we rode and pulled into Townsend together. The last ten miles of the ride into town we enjoyed the wonderful benefits of a great tailwind. We hardly had to touch our pedals as we averaged close to 20mph; it was great.

There was another great picnic shelter for us to camp under at the campground we came to. We hung out for a while, read and rested from our short trip, and went to the grocery store to pick up some dinner. On the way back from dinner I chatted with a guy named Steve who had cycled cross-country fifteen years ago. He enjoyed hearing about my trip thus far, reminiscing about his trip, and talking about potential plans to make the trip again with his son when he came of age. Filip and I got back to the campground, ate dinner, and chatted about some of his climbing expeditions up McKinley and through Yosemite, as well as my plans to scale Everest.

After a few more chapters of The Jester and watching the shifting colors of the setting sun, I zipped up the bag and fell asleep.

Day 23: 34.20 Total: 1042.22

Ps.
I'm kidding about Everest - for now anyway...

The Missouri River.

The Missouri minus the dork...

Boy, they really know how to nail a point home don't they..?

Day 22

June 23, 2005

“It’s 11:29pm and I’m trying to recall a morning, this morning, that feels like days ago.” That’s how last night’s journal began for Day 22. I was tired and making little progress, so I decided to close shop for the night and knock it out tomorrow – today. So here’s how the ride and day in Helena went yesterday:

I survive the deluge of the night before, had breakfast at the same nice restaurant that let me crash on their lawn, packed up, and made way for Helena. The ride to Helena was a fairly short one, only 30 miles. However, McDonald Pass stood in the way.

It was a hot, hot morning. I’m definitely going to need bigger water bottles, I drained two of them before reaching the summit of the pass. But I did reach it. After several stops to drain my helmet of sweat and dry my head, I reached the highest point of the ride thus far: 6,325 feet, along with my first crossing of a continental divide. It was a welcomed achievement, as always. I continued down the other side of the pass for the fastest down of the trip.

8% down grade for 8 miles = a great ride. I averaged 35-35mph, topping out at 42.9, a new high. And that confidence of which I spoke a few days ago always comes into play when you’re flying off a mountain at so high a sustained speed. I always have flashes of horrible possibilities when riding down a hill like that, not many, just enough to keep my mind focused on the road. An amazing amount of confidence is put into such a simple device, one that you trust will continue to carry you down the mountain and land you on the bottom in one piece.

I reached Helena and took a ride around town in hopes of stumbling upon the offices of the Independent Record, the local paper. Upon entering and leaving Missoula, I realized how far The Missoulian, their local paper, reached. The ride out of Missoula left me a little bummed that I didn’t try a better tactic in tapping into their press. I didn’t find the IR offices, so I figured I’d get a bite to eat, ask for directions, then head over.

As I was pulling up to tie down the bike, across from where I was to eat, a guy crossed in front of me, on his bike, hopped off and went inside his office. I had just locked up the bike when he came back out of his office to comment on the tandem. “I didn’t realize you were on a tandem…” He introduced himself and invited me into his office for a glass of water while we chatted. Alex used to have a tandem and, like many, was amazed by the weight of my loaded tandem. It was nice to talk with him and enjoy a cold drink. He gave me directions to the IR office, filled me in on another great little restaurant, and watched me ride off, reminding me how crazy I was to be lugging such a heavy load. This morning I also saw he signed the guestbook, it’s so great to see people I meet go online and check things out a bit further. Thanks again Alex! The directions were great, as was the Cajun Foul Burger at Bert & Ernie’s…

While at Bert & Ernie’s they told me about “Alive @ Five.” From what I gathered, it was to be a huge town block party with live music and good food. Wanting to check that out and enjoy a little taste of Helena, I probed around trying to nail down a campground within 3 miles of town. Of course that didn’t happen, so I broke down and pulled into the Motel 8. I got a great rate and it started to pour as I was checking in, so I took that as a comforting sign as I passed the credit card over yet again.

It rained for a while and I wasn’t even sure I would be able to head down for the party. I took a much needed, they’re always much needed out here, shower, updated the journal, and hung out ‘til 7 before realizing it was clear enough to head downtown.

I got downtown and found things close to what I was expecting. There was a throng of people in the street as I was walking up, pop-up tents along the side selling hotdogs, burgers, and sandwiches. The band was at the head of the street in the intersection playing a lively jazz set. And everyone was just hanging out, mingling, enjoying the night. After roaming around for a while with hotdog in hand, I sat down in the lawn of an adjacent park to enjoy the music and call a few friends. It was a cool night.

I got back to the hotel around 9 and replied to several emails, chatted on the phone with my friend Steven in Bozeman about the night and directions to his house, and started writing the journal for the day. Somehow, it got real late real quick and as I settled down to type, my body settled down to sleep. I gave it a somewhat valiant effort then called it a night.

I woke up today, went down to the continental breakfast, checked the paper, and found the great article outlining Stephen, me, and the trip. Many thanks to Martin Kidston of the Independent Record for such a nice spread. To view the electronic version of the article click here. The paper was the one distributed to Avon, 30 miles away, so hopefully many people will be able to hear about what’s going on through this outlet and its broad radius.

Now I’m waiting for laundry to dry, another task put off for today by fatigue. When that’s finished I’ll pack up and head out of Helena.

Thanks to Alex, Martin, the folks at Bert & Ernie’s, and the coordinators of Alive @ Five for a great visit in Helena…

Day 22: 31.96 Total: 1008.02

My ears popped twice on the way down.

The Cathedral of Saint Helena.

Day 21

June 21, 2005

I made it, no bears! Although I did hear some other beastly noise that I was sure came from nearby wolves. The sound was hideous, I don’t know how to describe it. Idaho is in the middle of some "re-introduction of the wolf population," and I thought for sure they were out last night. I thought that until I was setting up my tent tonight and heard the same horrible noise coming from the other side of the hill followed by a girl yell, “Would you shut-up!” So either they have figured out how to tame wildebeests, or they are just really abusive to their animals in Montana to make them howl such awful sounds.

I got up bright and early and was on the road by 8 this morning; I plan on doing the same tomorrow. I stopped a short ways up the road for a hotdog, lemonade, and blueberry muffin for breakfast, making you hungry..? It wasn’t the best breakfast of the trip, but it did the trick. As I was finishing an article outlining how Sadam Hussien prefers Dorito’s when given the choice, I noticed a couple of loaded cyclists pulling into the rest stop across the street. Opting for cyclists over the bearded detainee, I folded the paper and headed across the street.

The couple, from St. Louis, was headed in the opposite direction and headed for Astoria, Oregon. We chatted about how they were looking forward to the mountains and I was ready for some flat ground, wished each other well, and parted ways. I would soon understand why they were ready for the mountains.

I got back on the bike and made my way to Ovando. I had to turn off the main road about a half mile to get there, but figured I could use a Coke to finish waking me up. It’s a cute little town. The sign on the way in broadcasts the population "around 40." I went into the little general store and grabbed a Coke, a pair of Twinkies, and a sleeve of sunflower seeds. As I was paying I noticed an article of Lance Armstrong winning last year’s Tour de France. As I zoomed out of the article, I noticed it was taped to a framed t-shirt signed by Lance. Evidently he has friends near Ovando who own a ranch and visits them each fall. Now I can say I’ve rode the hills where legends trod...

After the nice, older lady and I finished chatting about her celebrity visitor, we started talking about my cause, where she was from, and how much she preferred the stillness of Montana over the bustle of San Francisco. She said one night she and her husband recently found themselves lying on the hood of their car staring up at the stars, able to see into the vastness of night unlike ever before. As she kept talking about the Milky Way they saw, I kept thinking about the image of the older couple on the hood of their car as if they were 17 again…

As we wrapped up our conversation, she reached into her pocket and handed me a donation for the Foundation. I gave her a huge Thank You, had her write down her info, and headed outside to enjoy the Coke before getting back on the road. I was almost through the pick-me-up when the lady, who I now knew was Mrs. Krudop, came out and told me to go over to the café across the way and get a boxed lunch to take with me. She had told me earlier that her daughter owns the café, and apparently she called over and let her know I was coming. I went over and picked out a great lunch, again extended many thanks, and went on my way. Needless to say, I like Ovando. Again, Thank You Mrs. Krudup and your daughter for your sweet kindness.

Today was the first day I felt the wrath of the sun. While I was rolling it was fine, but when I stopped, it took all of fifteen seconds for the beads of sweat to come. In my helmet there are little cushions to help make it more comfy. Well, I sweat like a beast. And I’ve learned those little cushions quickly turn into sponges. I stop, lean my head to the side, and push my helmet against my forehead to drain all the sweat from my helmet. Lovely, huh..?

I stopped by a little saloon to call my sister, Janice, and wish her a safe first solo flight down to Atlanta, as a passenger… I also used the restroom, inside the establishment, and asked the server if it would be alright if I ate my little box lunch in there if I only ordered a drink. And yes, I must be getting used to these little towns, I would never even think of doing that back home. She obliged, and I was able to refuel in the comfort of the AC. And for the record, Ovando gives new meaning to the term “Box Lunch.” Huge, great sandwich – three meats, tortilla chips, salsa, apple, carrots, celery, homemade oatmeal cookie, and mint. Unbelievable.

The last 15 miles to Avon made me appreciate the mountains I will soon be leaving behind. The wind was ridiculous. I got a first hand glimpse of what lies ahead in the plains I am approaching. There was one series of gusts that almost blew me over as I stopped to wait it out, seriously. I may end up riding back and circling around Idaho and Oregon if this keeps up, I’ll let you know.

But I finally made it to Avon and had a great meal, finished off by a great Chocolate-PeanutButter Shake! And now I’m camping next to the restaurant in the adjacent lawn.

Today: 72.88 Total: 976.06

**The last half of this entry was written here in Helena. As I was writing last night, the dark side of Montana revealed itself to me and, with it, a storm packing the fury of a category 2 hurricane. I’m talking, gust of up to 20-25mph easy, rain, lightning, thunder – the whole package. It was the first real test of the tent, thankfully it held up. The thunder was the best part, I don’t know if it’s closer, being higher than normal, or what. But it sounds like the sky has just violently fallen to the ground, and with the high hills and mountains around, it reverberates for an extra 5 seconds. It’s Awesome.

Home of the best box lunch this side of the Mississippi - not that I've a better box lunch on the other side of the Mississippi, it's just a saying...

Gotta go? Why wait..?

Anyone up for some LambChops..?

Don't look up.

Day 20

June 20, 2005

Well today I left Missoula, and that’s about it.

I got up, loaded the horse, and headed for Target. One of my old youth pastors now lives in Bozeman, Montana and is willing to let me swing by and hang out for a day. Yesterday when I was in Target I looked through an Atlas to see if there was a more direct route to Bozeman, there was and I wanted to go back to jot down it’s course. I took notes on the roads to Bozeman and went over to Wendy’s for lunch where, sadly, they do not have $1 whopper juniors…

One reason I went to the other side of town to Target to copy the atlas was to stall and give the package I was waiting for time to get to the Adventure Cycling office. Apparently, I would have had to stall two or three more days if I wanted to pick it up in person. My friend, who will remain nameless, that sent the package did not send it in time for it to meet me in Missoula, even with the extra weekend. After hanging around ‘til 4, I decided to give up, get on the road, and try to get a few of the much-anticipated miles under me.

I was pretty frustrated that I had wasted so much time when I got going. The main thing about the package was that my sister, Christina, rushed to put together a nice little something for me and I now wasn’t even going to be able to get it. As you can see, I really had to work hard to let the whole situation go, but when I did, I let it be a little lesson in – something… Just patience, forgiveness, and – coolness of nerves I guess…

One thing that helped take my mind off it was how great my legs felt. Today was the first day I actually felt strong on the bike. Again, many thanks for all the thoughts and prayers for my knee. A friend wrote me and told me “Healing was mine,” and he was right. With a little faith, focus, and fortitude (how’s that for a little alliteration) anything’s possible. It all truly boils down to confidence, and more on that in the days to come I’m sure.

With the late start and an extended stop for hotdogs and a chat with a local about a girl in town who has CF, I only ended up going about 30 miles. I have an extra day to get to Bozeman, so that was fine by me, no rush...

I pulled into a little campground in an experimental forest run by the University of Montana. I rode by the turn off for the campground and headed up to the “Lodge and Convention Center.” I went in to use the bathroom and continued on the road. I came across a series of cabins and a super-sized cabin with a dining room and kitchen. I asked the ladies if it was okay to camp nearby and they said it was. They said there’s a little bear that likes to come around and check things out from time to time, but if that wouldn’t bother me, I’d be more than welcome. I hope he’s friendly…

I’m actually staying in the shelter of a picnic space, I’m going to put a couple tables together and lay my mat and bag out on them. It’s nice not having to pitch the tent. It’s even nicer not having to break it down in the morning, not that it’s a terrible nuisance, it just makes for a more speedy start on the day.

So that was the day back. Hopefully you will be reading this shortly via the online journal. If so, it’ll mean I wasn’t eaten by the bear tonight, and I survived to post it.

… bears are cool, bears are cute, bears are my friends… bears are cool, bears are cute, bears are my friends… bears are cool, bears are cute, bears are my friends…

Today: 31.90 Total: 903.18

A little of that big sky I'd been looking for. As always, much better in person...

The Big Blackfoot River.

No bears allowed!

A shot of the best custom-built bike bilboard ever. Now proven to be wind and water resistant...

Day 19

June 19, 2005

The last off day in Missoula… It was nice, although I’m definitely ready to get back on the road.

It was a pretty uneventful day. I woke up late, had a Pop-Tart for breakfast and bummed around until the Braves game came on. I went back for two more $1 junior whoppers for lunch, finished tweaking the bike, and headed over to the other side of Missoula to find materials for a little arts and crafts project.

I got the idea to make a little “4Pedals.com” sign to put on the bike for when I don’t have my jersey on, and I figured today was a good day to knock that out. I asked a lady if there was an arts and crafts store around and she sent me over to a Michael’s arts store.

On the same road as Michael’s I found a Target, Lowe’s, Best Buy, Old Navy, and every other typical store you’d expect in a well-populated American town. We passed a few of those types of stores on the way into town, but this road was the main drag for them. As great as it is to find little unique stores in the small towns I’ve come through, sometimes it’s also nice to go into a Target or Best Buy and find things just as they are back home. That aspect of sameness in those super-stores can be a good argument against them, however today I found it comforting. I picked up what I’d need to make the best bicycle billboard ever, and headed back.

It was about an eight-mile round-trip, and the knee felt great on the bike. It was also really weird being on the bike without the load on the back. The weight on the back takes the wiggle out of the bike and makes it easier to control. I got back and started making the sign. It looks pretty good, not too shabby…

The sign was pretty much the highlight of the day. I had two more $1 junior whoppers for dinner – I’m not addicted, I can quit whenever I want to – and watched the Pistons go a game down in the finals.

I’m not sure what time I’ll be heading out of Missoula tomorrow. I have to swing by Adventure Cycling and pick up my package, if it ever gets here. And sometime after that I’ll take off.

I’ll be camping out for the next several stretches, so I may not be able to update the journal as often as usual. But stay tuned. When I do update it I’ll have much to share I’m sure; I hope…

Days 17&18

June 18, 2005

I’ve enjoyed my two days off in Missoula. My knee has surely enjoyed the days off the bike and is feeling better each day.

Yesterday I got up and made my way out of the hotel a little before noon. I walked around a bit and ended up having another memorable sandwich at a little restaurant called the Staggering Ox. They make their sandwiches in coffee cans; I took a picture since I knew I wouldn’t be able to describe it justly. It was another excellent experience for the taste buds as I continue my survey of American cuisine.

One of the draws and highlights for cross-country cyclists is a jaunt up to Missoula and a stop by the Adventure Cycling office. Adventure Cycling is the organization that puts together the maps and routes for the long distance cyclists. I swung by before lunch to see if a package had come yet from back home and also to sign in and have my picture added to the wall of cross-country cyclists of the year. They didn’t have my package but I did register and have my mug shot nailed to the wall. I also saw Chris and Chaz were there two days prior.

After a romp through the town, I came back to the room and made a few calls trying to tap into the local media here in Missoula. I was rather unsuccessful, but was given hope to try again before I left town. I also made up some business cards to have run off at Kinko’s. After a little rest, I headed back to Adventure Cycling to see if the package had come yet. It hadn’t, but it was a successful trip regardless.

I started talking to the nice lady at the front desk about my trip and the story behind it. She, Luanne, was very interested and said it was a shame the co-founder and resident photographer wasn’t in town to hear the story; he is on vacation. As we were trying to think of how I might be able to get in touch with him, he called the office. Luanne got on the phone, explained the situation, and passed the phone to me to talk with him. Long story short, I went back to the hotel, got my bike and went back to the office where they had other guys in the office take my picture. After the little photo shoot, I met Susan, the communications director, who sat down, interviewed me, and gave me a little tour of the offices afterward. They have two publications for the cycling community and are very excited about highlighting the trip in each of them. It was a really encouraging experience and I thank everyone at Adventure Cycling for their support and interest in my journey.

After the nice stop by Adventure Cycling, I went back to the hotel to drop off the bike and unload the gear again before heading to Kinko’s. When I got there I found Mac who had run into the girls and was going to be camping out in our room for the night. I chatted with him for a while and then headed out to have the business cards run off.

I had a rather successful trip to Kinko’s. They lined everything up and said they’d be ready in the morning. After that, I decided to run up to the grocery store and get some dinner there to take back to the room. While on the ½ mile walk there, I was doused by one of the passing showers. It doesn’t matter if I’m on the bike or not, I still seem to get rained on somehow.

The rest of the night included fried chicken, laundry, and a lot of hanging out with Mac and the girls on our last night together.

Today I said goodbye to those guys. It’s always sad – well, last time and today – taking a day off and losing the pack you were riding with. I hope some more good people come along for me to ride and hang out with…

After I said goodbye to them and left the hotel, I went for a little ride and saw they were having an open-air market that spanned three blocks of town. I parked my bike next to the Adventure Cycling building and went for a stroll to enjoy the festivities. It was really great. There were tables and tents lined up all along the streets. On one street there were all kinds of handcrafted goods: wood works, paintings, jewelry, clothing, etc. On the other two streets there were all kinds of fresh, beautiful, organic fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers and exotic plants. They had an intersection closed off and rounded into a food court of sorts with carts selling huge, delicious pastries – I went for a warm, caramel-apple danish, myself – as well as juices, coffees, and cappuccinos. There was a pair of ladies playing the guitar and fiddle while singing, hoping for a small gift to be left in their instruments’ cases. I also saw a boy playing the violin on another corner with his case open for tips as well. It was a really great atmosphere. There were people with handfuls of cute little carrots being carried by their locks of grassy, green hair chatting with other people with bunches of long stemmed flowers in theirs; as if they all just came down to pick up some produce, have a cup of coffee, or fresh squeezed lemonade at one of the several lemonade stands, enjoy the brisk morning, and mingle with friends or whoever they should encounter before going back home to enjoy the rest of their Saturday. And there were signs that read, “Missoula Saturday Market: 9am – 2pm,” which made me think this happens every Saturday, as it should. What a great memory for the kids there with their parents who may one day grow up and move to a town where things of that nature are long forgotten.

After that little piece of small-town heaven, I headed off to meet a friend and co-worker of my cousin David’s who was in Montana and flying out of Missoula this afternoon. It was great to meet and chat with Derek and his family. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to chat too long since they had to get over to the airport, but it was nice of them to swing by and say hello before flying out; just another example of the tremendous support I continue to receive from people I had never even met prior. Thanks again Derek, it was great to meet you and your family.

As they drove off, I realized I forgot to go pick up my little business cards from Kinko’s – whew, I should really be getting some kind of compensation for dropping these names like this, I feel like I’ve mentioned “Kinko’s” 8 times already, see, that makes 9, maybe not… Anyway, I picked them up and they turned out pretty good for the quick little whip-up job I did on them. They’ll just be nice to leave with people so they have something to remind them later of what’s going on.

From there I went to the bike shop to pick up a spare tire, inner tube, and degreaser. And after that, I went on a hunt for cheap lodging.

I ended up checking into another cheap motel. These things aren’t terribly expensive, but I am a little over them. Today was the first time I really felt sick to spend the money on it. And again, it’s not necessarily even the money, although it is starting to add up, I’m just getting tired of hotels, motels, and the whole deal. But I’ll be in good shape. I think I’ve realized why I’ve held Missoula up and thought of it as a significant point in the trip.

The two weeks it took to get to Missoula were like the prerequisites: Freshman Orientation. Now I know I can do this. I’ve worked out a few kinks, I’ve gotten to know my bike pretty well, I’m starting to develop a little form on the bike, which will continue to strengthen my muscles and take the strain off my joints: Play Time’s over…

I’m pretty serious though. I have a long way before I can even dream of the Atlantic and it’s time I settle into a routine and get a little rhythm under me. I’m actually looking forward to it. I think I just miss moving already. Tomorrow will be my third, and last, consecutive off day and I’m already looking forward to Monday when I will get back on the bike and get rolling again. I love Missoula, but part of me just felt super antsy tonight, mainly while I was looking at the maps which is understandable, I reckon.

Once I checked in, I went up to the grocery store and came back and started cleaning the bike. And I forgot to mention it – on Thursday I logged the 1,000th mile on the tandem! It was a nice moment of actualization. I also forgot to mention, Thursday when I wished against the thought of someone letting the air out of my tire that morning – it was just a really, really slow leak; I didn’t think anyone would do that.

But the bike was in desperate need of a cleaning. You don’t realize how cruddy it is until you go to get rid of it. Luckily, between the degreaser I picked up at the bike shop and the denture brush I snagged at the grocery store, miracles were performed and all moving parts are as good as new, almost…

As I was cleaning the bike, I met a nice couple from Alabama staying in the room next to me. We chatted a bit and they left for dinner. I finished with the bike, cleaned up, and went across the street for a nice $1 Whopper Jr. to-go to come back and eat with my 2-liter coke and pretzels. As I was walking back through the parking lot, Sherri, the wife of the nice couple, said they were going to be hanging out by the pool and I was welcome to join them, so I did. I sat with them while I ate my little dinner and enjoyed their company. They’re a great couple and it was good to talk with them. They took an extended weekend to get away and celebrate their 10th anniversary and are flying back tomorrow morning.

And that’s been the two days in Missoula.

Please keep praying for the knee. It’s feeling better, but it’s still letting me know it’s not quite there yet. But other than that, things are still great. I’m looking forward to enjoying tomorrow and getting ready to head back out on Monday.

I’ll be sure to let you know what excitement tomorrow has in store. Until then…

"The Nuke"

Adventure Cycling Association

Day 16

June 17, 2005

Montana! It sure felt good to get here. The day started out a little rough, but we made it.

The knee is always a little tight in the morning. I’ve been talking morning walks before getting on the bike to loosen it up, but even then it takes a good 2-4 miles to warm up before the pain decides to let go. Today it took every bit of 4 miles. When I got on the bike, it took all I had just to get the leg up and over the stroke. But with a little persistence and patience, it came around. Another thing that took a little time getting on the road was the flat tire I found on my front wheel. When I took it apart to change it out, there was no hole; no air was coming through. I really didn’t want to think anyone would let the air out of my tire, but that’s what seemed to have happened. So I put the tube and tire back on and headed up the road to wake up my knee.

The ride up Lolo Pass wasn’t nearly as tough as I was anticipating. It was a pretty gradual climb with a little incline in the last few miles. I wouldn’t say this too loudly, but I think I’m starting to get a handle on the mental game of the climbs over the passes. I told Amy at breakfast how I was tempted to ask the server how bad the ride up and over was, but also how frivolous the query would be. There’s no use in asking the locals how bad a hill is. You’re going to go over it no matter what the response, and in most cases the response is something like, “Whew, it’s steep in a car, I couldn’t imagine going up on a bike…good luck.” So there’s really only one way to do it, just do it. And after Lolo, I think I’ve had a pretty good run of passes to look back to and remember for the ones to come, “It can’t be as bad as McKenzie, you can do this…”

So we got to the top of Lolo and the Montana state line and threw a little, very little, party. We rode off the pass into the Lolo Hot Springs and were very let down; I was at least. I was expecting multiple open natural pools of steaming hot water with which to soak and relax the joints again. What we found was a public pool filled with warm water from the ground below. We asked one lady if that was it and she said, “Yep, that’s it. It’s kinda smelly.” Not exactly the spa treatment I was looking forward to. However, for a small fee you can camp out in one of their, very well painted, wooden TeePees.

As we got back on the road my stomach was in desperate need of nourishment. I hadn’t had anything since breakfast and it was past 1. Luckily, there was a super-sized gas station with an array of sandwiches three miles outside of Lolo, sandwiches and Jo-jo’s. I first encountered Jo-jo’s in Redmond, OR at the little deli supermarket. They’re fried potato wedges, pretty tasty. But I was surprised to see them again, I should have asked why “Jo-jo.” Seems like a weird random name, I thought it was a special thing with that one little market. Anyway, we stopped in for a nice boost, and headed to Missoula.

I like what I’ve seen of Missoula so far. The sweet grandmother, at the Ranger’s station the day before, told us to enjoy our time in Missoula, but be sure to keep going. They live in Missoula, and evidently it’s really growing and the locals aren’t too excited by that. But it seems like a cute little town. We got in and found a nice little hotel to crash in for a few days, showered, and headed out for dinner.

As we were checking in and getting situated outside of the hotel, two men, noticing our bikes, came out to chat. They are three guys in their late fifties and early sixties touring around at a nice leisurely pace. They said their wives gave them 30 days to go as far east as they could, very nice guys. They were talking to the girls when I came out of the hotel office to join the conversation. I introduced myself and told them I was on the tandem and got another great, “We’ve heard about you!” The man knew the whole story. They couldn’t nail down who had told them, but they knew the whole deal. It was pretty great.

Today I’m going to try to tap into the media here in Missoula, they’re a bit of a cycling community and hopefully I’ll be able to pick up a little exposure. I’m also headed to the Adventure Cycling office to pick up a package from home and register the trip, as well as a stop by Kinko’s. I wanted to make up a little something to leave with people so they’d have a little reminder to check out the website, and today’s the day to do that.

I also saw “Brian” from the great day of the last journal entry signed the guestbook and let me know his name is actually Chris. So Chris, Thank you for checking out the site! It’s so nice to hear of people taking an interest and looking it up after talking with them. Thanks for the nice note and enjoy the rest of your trip!

That’s about it for now. My knee's feeling good this morning, and I know it'll enjoy the day off the bike. It’s overcast and drizzling today in Missoula, but it shouldn’t hamper the ability to enjoy the day off and get a few of those errands knocked out. I’ll update the day’s events tonight and let you know how it went.

From Missoula, Montana: Talk to you later…

Day 16: 60.48 Total: 871.28

Taken that morning at the lodge. I guess it gets really boring up in the mountains with not much to do... Poor cat.

The last look at Idaho before the summit of Lolo Pass...

Back to the Mountain Time Zone! This time I'm not going back...

Tada!!! Montana, Baby! It was great to come over the top of Lolo Pass and see these two little signs. Two states down...

TeePee anyone? This was the unfortunate highlight of the Lolo Hot Springs...

Day 15

June 15, 2005

Today was the best day of the trip thus far. I know they are some pretty strong words, but it’s true. So let’s get to it…

We woke up around 6:30, broke down camp, and went across the river for some breakfast before we hit the road. After breakfast we stopped by the gas station and stocked up on food since there was a stretch of 65 miles without services ahead of us and we weren’t sure where we’d be staying for the night.

As we got rolling, and even while breaking down camp and the short trip to the restaurant, my knee was definitely not doing as well as I had hoped and/or as well as yesterday. I was pretty concerned about it, but just took more Ibuprofen at breakfast and took it easy in the early miles. In the early stages of the day, I figured out the pain disappeared when I stood out of the saddle and pedaled standing. So at one of the first little rest breaks, I raised my seat post about two inches. That first little break was where we met out first road-friend of the day.

As we pulled up to a little turn out on the side of the road, there was a man taking a few pictures of the mountains along the road. I don’t think we caught his name, but he looked like Elizabeth’s brother Brian, so I’ll call him Brian. Brian, in his early thirties, is from Grand Rapids, Michigan and is taking time to ride around, in his comfy Ford Taurus, and tour around while he contemplates his next career move. He was a great guy to talk to and clued us in on the road ahead and asked us questions about our own trip. He snapped a picture of the three of us, wished us well, and rode off into the sunset. …Or not, it was like 11am.

Today’s entire ride also followed the Lochsa River, and you know how I feel about rides along water… The Lochsa was also the best river-companion of the trip to date. It’s a great, strong river that never reached deeper than four feet. There were fly fisherman dotted along its banks, and it talked to us the whole time with its many rapids along the way. It may sound silly, but I really will be sad to turn away from it tomorrow.

Elizabeth and Amy are also great riding partners, for me at least. Chris and Chaz are great guys and we had a ton of fun together, but as far as “on the bike,” riding partners, the girls are much more my speed, especially with the tender knee issue right now. They stop at all the historical markers, which is often a welcomed little breather to let the legs rest a second, and for those who aren’t familiar – they are big signs that are scattered about every five to ten miles with little facts about Lewis & Clark’s expedition, or the battles that were fought in the region, just history of the region and its beginnings. They just seem to enjoy the actual ride a bit more and take their time covering their ground, which is fine by me.

About ten miles after we met Brian, we came upon a girl going west. Her name is Marta and she’s from Barcelona, Spain. Listen to this little story. In April she flew from her homeland, truly, to New York City, got on her bike and started heading west, sounds simple enough, but there’s more. She’s headed up to Seattle, she’s thinking about hanging out in Seattle for a few months to make some money before she continues. From Seattle she’s heading down the Pacific Coastline and heading for San Francisco. From there she wants to hit the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas before heading down to Mexico. She’ll hit Mexico and work her way through Central and South America where she’ll call it a day in Brazil. And she’s serious. The poor girl looked like she had been collecting souvenirs in NY and hadn’t quit since. She was so desperate for space, she had bags tied to her handlebars, just extremely way too much stuff on her load, and she knew it. But she was a trooper. And she was doing all this on a standard $100 mountain bike. If you ever read this Marta: It was great to chat with you! Good Luck and Safe Travels on the rest of your journey!!!

Another ten miles up we stopped by an old, now historical, ranger station Marta had recommended. As we were walking up, a really nice, older man stopped and chatted with us about how he and his wife were both from and met in Santa Cruz, as well as various other relevant topics. We continued up into the little main building and found an incredibly sweet older couple and their granddaughter managing the grounds. The gentleman implored us to take the self-guided tour of the old camp and, unwilling to let him down, we obliged.

It was actually very interesting. Many old cottages, well preserved/even more well built, of the ranger’s station 70 years ago. As we finished the little loop, I sat down on the lawn to put my shoes back on, it felt so good to walk around barefooted, and the older gentleman sat down right beside me and began talking about my knee and the ride again, the brace prompting the continuing conversation. Amy came out of the restroom and sat down beside the gentleman, the sweet lady and her granddaughter walked up from one of the cottages in the distance and sat down to join us, and then Elizabeth walked up and sat down, joining the afternoon social. The six of us had the best little conversation possible. The little girl was the cutest, the folks were the nicest, and it felt like we were some cousins coming from the shore that they had been waiting for. I didn’t want to leave. I really would have been content setting up camp right there and chatting with them the rest of the night over the campfire. It was really neat; the three of us and the three of them, just sitting on the grass talking about everything…

I really thought that would be the highlight of the day. But one more thing about that little stop… It was there that we heard there was a restaurant in Powell. I thought we’d be stranded tonight. News of a restaurant completely put a fresh wind in my sails. Yeah, if it weren’t for the thoughts of the new dinner to look forward to, I would have been asleep on those nice people’s lawn an hour ago.

But again, I thought that little family was to be the peak of the day, but it got better. The last five miles of the ride to Powell were pretty grueling, just for the shear fatigue factor, we were pretty spent. But we made it to the Lochsa Lodge and were excited by the camping facilities that were within walking distance. As we pulled up to the restaurant, I spotted Kaye chatting with another couple about 30 yards away. The three of them noticed us as we were pulling in and we all enjoyed a nice wave and “Hello.” As I was parking my bike and getting situated, a guy came up and tapped my arm with a nice, “How are ya?” It was Kirk. Just as we finished our quick little updates of the days prior, the girls must have mentioned my name in introducing themselves to Kaye. She came over with an enthusiastic, “Byron!!” and shook my hand, she hadn’t recognized me pulling in. I filled her in on my knee and filled her in on some other details of the trip… It was like meeting up with old friends. We chatted outside for a bit then all went in for dinner. It was unbelievable.

And I didn’t even mention the guys doing the Ride for Hope. There’s a group of 20 guys out here cycling across the U.S. for underprivileged youth. A few packs of them passed us a few times today and when we got to the lodge, we found out they are staying here too. And they’re really great too, we talked with several of them after dinner. They’re finishing in D.C. on the 17th of August.

So it was just a great day. My knee felt better after I adjusted the saddle, it was a perfect day for riding, the river was beautiful, the grade was just right, the people were unforgettable, the surprise of friends at the lodge was unreal… Just couldn’t have asked for a better day. I really don’t think it could have been better. I guess maybe a bed to sleep in, rather than a sleeping bag in a tent would top it off rather nicely.

Hey, Guess what, I got the bed too!

We were talking about where to throw up our tents at dinner and Kirk said he’s in a cabin with an extra bed if I wanted it. It took about 12 seconds to convince myself the girls would get over it and on the twelfth second I said, “Absolutely!” I took care of his meal and got a warm bed in return, sounds like a deal to me.

So I’m off to rest now, in a bed.

I really wish you could have been here for today, I really don’t know if it will be topped. But you never know…

Tomorrow we land in Missoula, MT! I can’t wait…

Today: 68.58 Total: 810.80

The amazing Marta! Good Luck and Godspeed on the rest of your journey, truly!

The lovely Lochsa River...

One of several fly-fishermen & women along the river. It really is a beautiful thing to watch them cast as the line wistfully whips back and forth... This picture doesn't really capture that, but I thought it was worth posting anyway.

They looked like they were having a blast, I wish I could have joined them for a trip down. Maybe next year...

The Tremendous Trio poised to conquer the road and fly into the Lochsa Lodge in a blaze of glory!

Kaye, Amy, Me, Kirk, Elizabeth, &, if you look closely, a great Blackberry Cobbler a la mode waiting for me to the left of my wallet on the table. ...What a great night...

Day 14

June 14, 2005

Here’s the story with this day’s journal entry: I typed it out in the tent that night, I know I did. However, evidently I didn’t save it when I closed out of Word… I don’t know what happened. But it was only two days ago, and I’m pretty sure I can recall a pretty good summary of the day’s events, so here it goes…

I had a pretty slow start out of Grangeville. I left the motel around noon and stopped by a hot dog place for lunch. After lunch, I went and picked up a brace for my knee. I bought one for my ankle but figured it was a little overkill and returned it. With those two stops and a few others to adjust my seat, it was around 1:30 by the time I pulled out of town.

The ride down out of Grangeville was great. I came across a book of cycling quotes and philosophies in Richmond, and in it they talked about “The Flow.” You know your in The Flow when you find yourself in a great down that seems like it’s going to last forever. You hardly touch your breaks and the road and the bike seem to dance with each other as you lean in and out of the turns. It was a great 7 miles.

Shortly after that great ride down out of Grangeville I came across two girls taking a short rest. They are Elizabeth & Amy and they are from Santa Cruz, California, going to South Carolina. Mack had told me about them the day before and there they were. One of the great things in running into them was their greeting of, “You’re the guy on the tandem! We’ve been hearing about you, we were wondering when we were going to meet you.” It was good to hear the tandem is leaving its mark.

We finished the day together and camped out in a campground in Lowell, Idaho. We set up camp in record time and ran in to grab some dinner before the restaurant closed. After dinner we decided to take advantage of the hot tubs at the park. It was nice to get in and soak the bones again before heading off to bed. That was a great night, just enjoying the cool night out in the hot tub, getting to know the girls a little better. It was a good day; the highlight was definitely running into the girls, they are great company.

So, that was the day in a nutshell. I’m still kinda bummed that I lost the real entry. Oh well, you’ll forgive me, right..?

I also remember writing about how I hadn’t mentioned it before, but I am enjoying telling people about what I’m doing and why I’m doing it. And I also thought of how I hadn’t really mentioned Stephen in the journal, but you can rest assured he’s definitely been making his appearances… As detail oriented as it may seem I am sometimes, there is a whole lot more going on out here to convey it all in the journal, I’d never get any sleep…

That day: 52.45 Total: 742.22

Day 13

June 13, 2005

I made it to Grangeville, by way of White Bird Hill. It wasn’t pretty.

I got up and slowly made my way out of Lucile. I knew the hill was the only big obstacle in my short 36-mile day, so I wasn’t in any real big hurry to get on the road. I was about half way to the hill when Mack came up behind me. He looked to be a little older than me and was headed to VA as well. We chatted for a while and he said he heard the alternate route up to the top was a lot less strenuous and may be the better option. I was considering the alternate, but still wasn’t sure yet.

When I came to the pass I decided to take the alternate. It was an extra four miles, but it did have more switchbacks and would be less stress on my joints. I was about four miles up the hill when it happened – I got off the bike… I walked up a hill for the first time in the trip. It’s really not that big of a deal, but for a stubborn man like me, it’s not the best thing for the good ole’ ego. And of course, as I was walking the bike up the hill, two other loaded cyclists came by to chat. They were two guys, in their forties, just taking a two week tour of Idaho and the surrounding country. I told them of my troubles and they offered some Advil and wished me luck. Also, I found walking the bike up a hill isn’t exactly the vacation I thought it’d be – it’s almost harder than riding it up, certainly more awkward.

But I made it up and over and to Grangeville in one piece. My knee started bothering me again toward the top and along the long stretch of flat into town, but hopefully the ice and drugs will help. I stopped in for some good Mexican food and then came to the motel to soak the bones and get a good night’s sleep.

It’s actually morning now; I was too beat to type when I had the chance last night. Today I head for Lowell; it’s 50 miles up the road with relatively easy grade. Again, I’m taking my time getting out of here. I have ice on my knee and plan on taking off around noon, after getting a little fuel in me.

I am still concerned about the knee and such, more so the knee than the ankle. The ankle problem is in the Achilles and I think that’s just soreness that can be easily remedied. The knee problem worries me because it seems to be less of a muscle problem and more of a bone/joint, structural problem, if that makes sense. I know my technical, medical lingo may be hard to follow…

But we’ll see how these next few days go. Like I’ve been saying, it’s good to know I have lots of play in the schedule to take, if needed, up to a week off and rest. I’ll let you know what happens.

“Today:” 41.30 Total: 689.99

Illuminating - You are, to me.