Sunday, July 31, 2011
Pictures July 27 - 30
Pictures for July 27 to 30 will follow when we get a chance. Thank you for checking into the blog! Larry and Marcee
July 30 - day 35
July 30 – day 35
Rest day in Bismarck.
Speaking of nice people. On day one in Seaside Oregon we met a man named Herman who was on vacation with his family. He gave us his business card (certified massage therapist) and said to call him if we were to make it to Bismarck. I think he was a little surprised when I called him on Wednesday and said remember us. He was very gracious in providing information and he owns an apartment complex along with members of his family. He had a vacant apartment and offered to let us stay overnight. We took him up on it. We also plan to go to church with him tomorrow.
We visited Fort Abraham Lincoln today along with getting a flat fixed at Epic Sports (thank you Eric formerly of Bozeman). We toured the home of General Custer on the fort as well as the Mandan earthen houses in the park. We saw the flooding in Bismarck which has been over flood stage on the Missouri River for 65 days according to Herman.
July 29 - day 34
July 29 – day 34
Start – Elgin, ND
End – Mandan (borders Bismarck), ND
Miles – Marcee (37 miles), Larry (35.5 miles) – 72 total miles
Start time – 730am
End time – about 550pm
After packing up the room we went into Elgin and stopped at the café which also has bowling lanes in it. Not uncommon but I think this was the only café in town. We had some toast and got some coffee to go to supplement our yogurt at the motel.
Marcee was riding in the morning and found herself very hungry in the first hours of the day so we stopped in Carson, 14 miles east, and got some breakfast sandwiches on a bisquit which hit the spot nicely. Then, Gina the owner pulled out some fresh buns from the oven. Yay! Fresh bread so we got those too. Simple pleasures.
The wind was out of the south/southeast today so Marcee faced a headwind for most of the day. We switched riders in Flasher which also put us in the Central Time Zone. The road became Hwy 6 and headed north which gave me a tailwind for the last 20 or so miles. It was nice.
People have been very friendly. As I was driving behind Marcee one woman pulled up beside me and asked about our bike trip.
July 28 - day 33
July 28 – day 33
Start – Bowman, ND
End – Elgin, ND
Miles – Marcee (50.4), Larry (about 26) – total 76
Start time – 722am, and about 220pm
End time – 1245pm and about 530pm
Miles driven (not ridden) – 26
Weather – overcast in the 70’s (nice!)
Start – Bowman, ND
End – Elgin, ND
Miles – Marcee (50.4), Larry (about 26) – total 76
Start time – 722am, and about 220pm
End time – 1245pm and about 530pm
Miles driven (not ridden) – 26
Weather – overcast in the 70’s (nice!)
Rumble strips on the shoulder or white line serve a nice purpose to let drivers know when they are getting too far over. They are just a little tough to ride the shoulder with. This is what we found on most of the ride today. We started riding US 12 from Bowman and then drove Hwy 22 from about Reeder to the junction of Hwy22 and Hwy21 and then rode east on Hwy 21 to Elgin.
Since we were plotting out own route we were looking for help from locals. In Mott we met Owen who had biked from Arizona to California with his son. He was very gracious in taking some time to talk about route possibilities. Lanny at Olson’s food store was the one who drove us down to the Good Samaratin Nursing Home to visit with Owen.
Rancher Robert Martin who owns and runs the Flat Top Ranch stopped for a chat as we were getting ready to switch riders in Mott. Robert was born on the ranch 80 years ago. Wow. That is a different life than I know. The UPS man stopped to make a personal delivery to Robert but when he walked up to us he discovered that the package was for a different Martin.
We decided to get a motel in Elgin and found the Crossroads Motel run by Pam and Paul to be very suitable. For under $50 we got a clean room with wifi and of course a bed which we really appreciated! This motel came at the recommendation of Brad at the grocery store in New Leipzig 7 miles west.
July 27 - day 32
July 27 – day 32
Start – 22 miles west of Baker, MT on Hwy 12
End – Bowman, ND
Miles – 69 Larry
Start time – 725am
End time – 423pm
Miles driven (not ridden) – 26
Start – 22 miles west of Baker, MT on Hwy 12
End – Bowman, ND
Miles – 69 Larry
Start time – 725am
End time – 423pm
Miles driven (not ridden) – 26
Today we entered our 5th state! (Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and now North Dakota). Good riding with light traffic today. As it turns out we traveled the Yellowstone Trail. I wish I had a picture but there was a yellow with black lettering sign that said Yellowstone Trail that we saw in Baker.
Our first North Dakota town was Marmath. I really find these small towns interesting. There are not a lot of shops anymore. We did stop for a break at the Marmath mini-mart and café. We learned that all places that were habitable were occupied because of oil development.
We camped in the Bowman Lions Club park which was free and very nice.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
July 26 - Day 31
July 26 - Day 31
Start - Forsyth, MT
End - 30 miles east of Miles City, MT
Miles - Marcee (21.9), Larry (33.1) total 55
Start time - 656am, 130pm
End time - 918am, 453pm
Miles driven about 25 (skipped the interstate)
Starting temp - 69
Ending temp - 91
Today we rode into Miles City and spent several hours at the bike shop - Pedal Power Sports. The owner, Miles and his helper, Derek, were very helpful and spent about 2 hours with us. I had been experiencing some "rubbing or friction" on my front end that I could not identify and our front fenders were bent. Miles fixed the fenders, and pumped up our tires to 100psi. I could only get it to about 70. It makes a nice difference.
As important as anything Miles spoke to us about our planned route through Williston, ND. Northwestern North Dakota is heavy into oil exploration which as Miles described it turned a 30 minute commute out of Miles City into 1 hour and 45 minutes with bumper to bumper truck traffic. No thank you. We decided to take Hwy 12 through Baker, MT which would take us through Southwestern, ND. We rode thirty miles past Miles City and then drove back to spend the night.
Start - Forsyth, MT
End - 30 miles east of Miles City, MT
Miles - Marcee (21.9), Larry (33.1) total 55
Start time - 656am, 130pm
End time - 918am, 453pm
Miles driven about 25 (skipped the interstate)
Starting temp - 69
Ending temp - 91
Today we rode into Miles City and spent several hours at the bike shop - Pedal Power Sports. The owner, Miles and his helper, Derek, were very helpful and spent about 2 hours with us. I had been experiencing some "rubbing or friction" on my front end that I could not identify and our front fenders were bent. Miles fixed the fenders, and pumped up our tires to 100psi. I could only get it to about 70. It makes a nice difference.
As important as anything Miles spoke to us about our planned route through Williston, ND. Northwestern North Dakota is heavy into oil exploration which as Miles described it turned a 30 minute commute out of Miles City into 1 hour and 45 minutes with bumper to bumper truck traffic. No thank you. We decided to take Hwy 12 through Baker, MT which would take us through Southwestern, ND. We rode thirty miles past Miles City and then drove back to spend the night.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
July 25 - day 30
July 25 - day 30
Start - Waco, MT (13 miles past Pompey's Pillar as we could not find the frontage road)
End - Forsyth, MT
Miles - 76 (Marcee 45.3, Larry 21.8)
Start time - 753am, 100pm
End - 1245pm, 430pm
Today's route followed the Yellowstone River. This was the hottest day so far. By the time we stopped for the day the temperature read 101 degrees. We had a nice late lunch and nap in Forsyth. and then continued on just a mile or two past when we quit for the day.
Start - Waco, MT (13 miles past Pompey's Pillar as we could not find the frontage road)
End - Forsyth, MT
Miles - 76 (Marcee 45.3, Larry 21.8)
Start time - 753am, 100pm
End - 1245pm, 430pm
Today's route followed the Yellowstone River. This was the hottest day so far. By the time we stopped for the day the temperature read 101 degrees. We had a nice late lunch and nap in Forsyth. and then continued on just a mile or two past when we quit for the day.
July 24 - Day 29
July 24 - Day 29
Start - Columbus, MT
End - Pompeys Pillar, MT
Miles - 64 miles
Start time - 637am, 327pm
End time - 930am, 548pm
Marcee rode from Columbus to the New Life Church in Billings (37.8 miles) and I rode from the Heights in Billings to Pompeys Pillar (26.4 miles). It was cool to start the day 55 degrees and hot when we finished up at Pompeys Pillar 94 degrees.
I had called ahead and spoke to Pastor Mark at the New Life Church in Billings to let him know about where we had made it on our bicycling trip and he offered us a chance to share what we were doing with the congregation and receive an offering for drilling water wells. Thank you Pastor Mark! Thank you also to all who gave us a warm welcome upon our arrival and encouraged us. Also, thank you to Danny and Laurie for praying for us!
After we left the New Life Church we drove through town (about 15 miles) to the Heights area of Billings. We spent a little time at Pompeys Pillar. It was "Clark Day" so there was no entrance fee. William Clark etched his name in the rock on Pompey's Pillar on July 25, 1806. We hiked up to the etching and to the top of the Pillar which was fun.
We spent the night back in Billings.
Start - Columbus, MT
End - Pompeys Pillar, MT
Miles - 64 miles
Start time - 637am, 327pm
End time - 930am, 548pm
Marcee rode from Columbus to the New Life Church in Billings (37.8 miles) and I rode from the Heights in Billings to Pompeys Pillar (26.4 miles). It was cool to start the day 55 degrees and hot when we finished up at Pompeys Pillar 94 degrees.
I had called ahead and spoke to Pastor Mark at the New Life Church in Billings to let him know about where we had made it on our bicycling trip and he offered us a chance to share what we were doing with the congregation and receive an offering for drilling water wells. Thank you Pastor Mark! Thank you also to all who gave us a warm welcome upon our arrival and encouraged us. Also, thank you to Danny and Laurie for praying for us!
After we left the New Life Church we drove through town (about 15 miles) to the Heights area of Billings. We spent a little time at Pompeys Pillar. It was "Clark Day" so there was no entrance fee. William Clark etched his name in the rock on Pompey's Pillar on July 25, 1806. We hiked up to the etching and to the top of the Pillar which was fun.
We spent the night back in Billings.
July 23 - Day 28
July 23 - Day 28
Start - Exit 354 on I90 in Montana near Big Timber, MT
End - Columbus, MT
Miles - 47
Start time - 113pm
End time - 607pm
We spent the previous night at Marc Hanna's house at Lake and then drove to Gardiner to have breakfast at the Town Cafe (thank you for treating Tom). Next it was on to Livingston where we visited with Sharon and Dan Rhodes. One last trip to our storage in Livingston and then we were ready to set out on the road. We decided to skip riding on the Interstate so the place where we started worked out well in avoiding the interstate and saved us from taking the bikes up and down one extra time.
Riding was good. Had a tailwind for the first 20 miles which was nice. We ended up camping in our vehicle in Columbus.
Start - Exit 354 on I90 in Montana near Big Timber, MT
End - Columbus, MT
Miles - 47
Start time - 113pm
End time - 607pm
We spent the previous night at Marc Hanna's house at Lake and then drove to Gardiner to have breakfast at the Town Cafe (thank you for treating Tom). Next it was on to Livingston where we visited with Sharon and Dan Rhodes. One last trip to our storage in Livingston and then we were ready to set out on the road. We decided to skip riding on the Interstate so the place where we started worked out well in avoiding the interstate and saved us from taking the bikes up and down one extra time.
Riding was good. Had a tailwind for the first 20 miles which was nice. We ended up camping in our vehicle in Columbus.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
July 22 - day 27
July 22 - day 27
Start - Bozeman Library
End - Livingston Pamida
Miles - 31
Start time -1149am
End time - 316pm
We drove over to Livingston in the morning to pickup our friend Marc who brought his bike to ride with us for the day.
We skipped the ride from Costco where we had ended to the Library (about 4 miles). We headed out along Rouse in Bozeman which after a couple of miles turned into Bridger Road which we followed for about 8 miles and then we turned right on to Jackson Creek Road which we followed for another 8 miles. Jackson Creek Road intersects with a frontage road for Interstate 90. We rode up to Bozeman Pass on the frontage road and then coasted for about 11 miles down to Livingston. It was great! The scenery was beautiful, especially along Jackson Creek Road. It was nice to have company and for Marcee and I to be able to ride together which we had not done since Stevenson, Washington. Thank you for riding with us Marc!
After the ride we headed back to pickup our vehicle in Bozeman, have some food at Pita Pit and stop at REI where we ran into Tom and Katie Woods. After that we headed to Arch Park in Gardiner where there was a reception for Doug and Sandra and a birthday party for Doug (50). It was nice to visit with friends there. We spent the night with Marc and Lake.
Start - Bozeman Library
End - Livingston Pamida
Miles - 31
Start time -1149am
End time - 316pm
We drove over to Livingston in the morning to pickup our friend Marc who brought his bike to ride with us for the day.
We skipped the ride from Costco where we had ended to the Library (about 4 miles). We headed out along Rouse in Bozeman which after a couple of miles turned into Bridger Road which we followed for about 8 miles and then we turned right on to Jackson Creek Road which we followed for another 8 miles. Jackson Creek Road intersects with a frontage road for Interstate 90. We rode up to Bozeman Pass on the frontage road and then coasted for about 11 miles down to Livingston. It was great! The scenery was beautiful, especially along Jackson Creek Road. It was nice to have company and for Marcee and I to be able to ride together which we had not done since Stevenson, Washington. Thank you for riding with us Marc!
After the ride we headed back to pickup our vehicle in Bozeman, have some food at Pita Pit and stop at REI where we ran into Tom and Katie Woods. After that we headed to Arch Park in Gardiner where there was a reception for Doug and Sandra and a birthday party for Doug (50). It was nice to visit with friends there. We spent the night with Marc and Lake.
July 21 - day 26
July 21 - day 26
Today was a rest day in Bozeman, MT. We got up early and were guests with Dr. Jahner on the Mark Allen show on KMMS 1450 - the interview is here http://kmmsam.com/guests-you-might-have-missed-on-the-mark-allen-show/. After that we spent quite a bit of time at the Bozeman Library updating pictures to the computer which we had picked up from Livingston earlier in the day. In the evening we used a gift card for dinner at Old Chicago in Bozeman
Today was a rest day in Bozeman, MT. We got up early and were guests with Dr. Jahner on the Mark Allen show on KMMS 1450 - the interview is here http://kmmsam.com/guests-you-might-have-missed-on-the-mark-allen-show/. After that we spent quite a bit of time at the Bozeman Library updating pictures to the computer which we had picked up from Livingston earlier in the day. In the evening we used a gift card for dinner at Old Chicago in Bozeman
Monday, July 25, 2011
July 20 - day 25
July 20 - day 25
Start - Whitehall, MT
End - Bozeman, MT
Miles - 70
Start time 806am
End time 450pm
It was 56 degrees when Marcee started pedaling this morning. It gradually warmed up to about 80. The day started out with a beautiful ride along the Jefferson River and Jefferson River Canyon. We made a short stop at the Lewis and Clark Caverns Visitor Center and then continued east. We had lunch in Three Forks at the grocery store where we met Jenny Brown and her Granddaughter Selena they expressed interest in our trip and said they would pray for us which we appreciate. There was a tailwind for most of the day so Marcee was able to get in a lot of miles.
When we got to Manhattan we met a local cyclist, Nick, who said that he bikes from Bozeman to Manhatttan regularly. Our ACA map directed us south of the freeway to take Amsterdam and Churchill Roads. Nick recommended Dry Creek road to Belgrade which was great. Traffic was very light and the road was in good shape. Scenery the whole day was mountains, blue skies and rural landscapes for most of the day.
When we got to Bozeman Marcee stopped riding at Costco and we went in and had dinner. While there Suzann Langford from Yellowstone stopped by and visited and then Alex and Sarah Castelli joined us. Felt like we were home again.
After dinner we stopped over and visited our chiropractor and friend Dr. Spence Jahner. Dr. Jahner gave us adjustments and then invited us to stay over at his place which we very much appreciated. Thank you Dr. Jahner and Val. He also said that he is a guest each Thursday morning on 1450 KMMS. He invited us to join him and talk about what we are doing to raise money for water wells. We took him up on the offer. It was fun. Dr. Jahner asked me the questions and Marcee spoke as well. Mark Allen the host said that he would post the interview online www.kmmsam.com along with our blog information.
This was a great day and an answer to prayer as far as the people we spoke to and the chance to go on the radioa. I cannot remember doing fundraising in the past and it is an area I was needing some help in.
Start - Whitehall, MT
End - Bozeman, MT
Miles - 70
Start time 806am
End time 450pm
It was 56 degrees when Marcee started pedaling this morning. It gradually warmed up to about 80. The day started out with a beautiful ride along the Jefferson River and Jefferson River Canyon. We made a short stop at the Lewis and Clark Caverns Visitor Center and then continued east. We had lunch in Three Forks at the grocery store where we met Jenny Brown and her Granddaughter Selena they expressed interest in our trip and said they would pray for us which we appreciate. There was a tailwind for most of the day so Marcee was able to get in a lot of miles.
When we got to Manhattan we met a local cyclist, Nick, who said that he bikes from Bozeman to Manhatttan regularly. Our ACA map directed us south of the freeway to take Amsterdam and Churchill Roads. Nick recommended Dry Creek road to Belgrade which was great. Traffic was very light and the road was in good shape. Scenery the whole day was mountains, blue skies and rural landscapes for most of the day.
When we got to Bozeman Marcee stopped riding at Costco and we went in and had dinner. While there Suzann Langford from Yellowstone stopped by and visited and then Alex and Sarah Castelli joined us. Felt like we were home again.
After dinner we stopped over and visited our chiropractor and friend Dr. Spence Jahner. Dr. Jahner gave us adjustments and then invited us to stay over at his place which we very much appreciated. Thank you Dr. Jahner and Val. He also said that he is a guest each Thursday morning on 1450 KMMS. He invited us to join him and talk about what we are doing to raise money for water wells. We took him up on the offer. It was fun. Dr. Jahner asked me the questions and Marcee spoke as well. Mark Allen the host said that he would post the interview online www.kmmsam.com along with our blog information.
This was a great day and an answer to prayer as far as the people we spoke to and the chance to go on the radioa. I cannot remember doing fundraising in the past and it is an area I was needing some help in.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Tuesday July 19 - Day 24 Jackson to Whitehall
Tuesday July 19 - Day 24
Start - Jackson, MT
End - Whitehall, MT
Miles - 103
Start time - 832am
End time - 730am
The day started with a one mile climb into the wind up Big Hole Pass at 7400ft. It was hard but I was smiling and praising God because he provides my strength and protection. There are a lot less pleasureable things I could be doing than riding even up a tough hill. The view of Big Hole Valley at the top was beautiful. It was also our last head wind for the day! In the past I never paid too close attention to the wind forecast when looking at the weather. Now I do every time. Winds out of the west are great! As you will see when looking at the rest of the blog we can really move with a wind at our back.
We saw five groups of westbound touring cyclists. One group was supported and raising money for cancer. One group was not wearing any shirts, except for the girl in the group. No thanks for me I would burn my belly pretty good without a shirt. I sometimes wear my longsleeve shirt for sun protection. One guy, Corey, was on a recumbent bike. He was having fun and well equipped on his bike. Recumbents, I hear, do well except they are tougher when going up hill.
This was my last day of cycling with Caleb, James and Zoe. Thank you guys if you read this blog. It was nice to meet you, and I appreciated the company on the road. It was a blessing for me.
We saw some Pronghorn just outside of Dillon. The first Yellowstone type wildlife I had seen other than deer.
We stopped for lunch in Dillon and then headed north. The plan was to ride 28 miles and stay in Twin Bridges. We had the wind at our back from just south of Dillon all the way to Twin Bridges. It was great. In a lot of sections we cruised along on the flats at close to 20mph.
Once we got to Twin it was 530pm. The wind was still out of the south and I knew that if I went the 28 extra miles to Whitehall I could use the wind to my advantage and also log my first 100 mile day. It took me 2 hours to get to Whitehall. The last 6 miles I was really tired but I made it!
We stayed at the RV park in Whitehall and had dinner in town at a cafe and got a root beer float at A&W.
One more thing - I had a close call not with a vehicle but with one of my fellow riders. When we were riding between Dillon and Twin Bridges we were going up a hill and thankfully the semi truck behind us waited to pass us until we crested the hill. I turned to my left to give him a thumbs up and then when I turned back forward I realized the rest of the group was stopping. Uh oh.... No time for breaks with both hands. I swerved right of Zoe and squeezed the break with my right hand as I skidded to a stop in the gravel. A good wake up call thankfully no harm done!
Start - Jackson, MT
End - Whitehall, MT
Miles - 103
Start time - 832am
End time - 730am
The day started with a one mile climb into the wind up Big Hole Pass at 7400ft. It was hard but I was smiling and praising God because he provides my strength and protection. There are a lot less pleasureable things I could be doing than riding even up a tough hill. The view of Big Hole Valley at the top was beautiful. It was also our last head wind for the day! In the past I never paid too close attention to the wind forecast when looking at the weather. Now I do every time. Winds out of the west are great! As you will see when looking at the rest of the blog we can really move with a wind at our back.
We saw five groups of westbound touring cyclists. One group was supported and raising money for cancer. One group was not wearing any shirts, except for the girl in the group. No thanks for me I would burn my belly pretty good without a shirt. I sometimes wear my longsleeve shirt for sun protection. One guy, Corey, was on a recumbent bike. He was having fun and well equipped on his bike. Recumbents, I hear, do well except they are tougher when going up hill.
This was my last day of cycling with Caleb, James and Zoe. Thank you guys if you read this blog. It was nice to meet you, and I appreciated the company on the road. It was a blessing for me.
We saw some Pronghorn just outside of Dillon. The first Yellowstone type wildlife I had seen other than deer.
We stopped for lunch in Dillon and then headed north. The plan was to ride 28 miles and stay in Twin Bridges. We had the wind at our back from just south of Dillon all the way to Twin Bridges. It was great. In a lot of sections we cruised along on the flats at close to 20mph.
Once we got to Twin it was 530pm. The wind was still out of the south and I knew that if I went the 28 extra miles to Whitehall I could use the wind to my advantage and also log my first 100 mile day. It took me 2 hours to get to Whitehall. The last 6 miles I was really tired but I made it!
We stayed at the RV park in Whitehall and had dinner in town at a cafe and got a root beer float at A&W.
One more thing - I had a close call not with a vehicle but with one of my fellow riders. When we were riding between Dillon and Twin Bridges we were going up a hill and thankfully the semi truck behind us waited to pass us until we crested the hill. I turned to my left to give him a thumbs up and then when I turned back forward I realized the rest of the group was stopping. Uh oh.... No time for breaks with both hands. I swerved right of Zoe and squeezed the break with my right hand as I skidded to a stop in the gravel. A good wake up call thankfully no harm done!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Monday July 18 - Day 23
Monday July 18 - Day 23
Start - Sula, MT
End - Jackson, MT
Miles - 57
Start time - about 820am
End time - about 530pm
Weather - sunny in the 80's
Sula is at an elevation of 4420. After about 6 miles we started climbing up Lost Trail Pass which is at 7014. There was road construction on the pass which made it nice for the climb as all traffic followed a pilot car. When we got to the top there was fresh oil on the road with a layer of gravel? I made the mistake of riding over it for a short period of time and found the gravel sticking to my tires. I carried my bike over the last part. The construction ended at the top of Lost Trail Pass which is right on the Idaho border. We had lunch at the top and then after lunch proceeded to climb Chief Joseph Pass elevation 7241 - really a short climb from one pass to the other.
We had a nice downhill off of Chief Joseph pass and then stopped in Wisdom, Montana for another break. Wisdom is in the Big Hole valley which is beautiful and wide open with a lot of haystacks - land of 10000 haystacks is what the sign said.
Our last 18 miles from Wisdom to Jackson was south bound which on this day meant we were riding right into a headwind. We stayed at Jackson Hot Springs Lodge which had a hot springs pool, restaurant, lounge with television and wifi and a grassy area to setup camp. More mosquitos here as well. I enjoyed the ride again with Caleb, James and Zoe.
Start - Sula, MT
End - Jackson, MT
Miles - 57
Start time - about 820am
End time - about 530pm
Weather - sunny in the 80's
Sula is at an elevation of 4420. After about 6 miles we started climbing up Lost Trail Pass which is at 7014. There was road construction on the pass which made it nice for the climb as all traffic followed a pilot car. When we got to the top there was fresh oil on the road with a layer of gravel? I made the mistake of riding over it for a short period of time and found the gravel sticking to my tires. I carried my bike over the last part. The construction ended at the top of Lost Trail Pass which is right on the Idaho border. We had lunch at the top and then after lunch proceeded to climb Chief Joseph Pass elevation 7241 - really a short climb from one pass to the other.
We had a nice downhill off of Chief Joseph pass and then stopped in Wisdom, Montana for another break. Wisdom is in the Big Hole valley which is beautiful and wide open with a lot of haystacks - land of 10000 haystacks is what the sign said.
Our last 18 miles from Wisdom to Jackson was south bound which on this day meant we were riding right into a headwind. We stayed at Jackson Hot Springs Lodge which had a hot springs pool, restaurant, lounge with television and wifi and a grassy area to setup camp. More mosquitos here as well. I enjoyed the ride again with Caleb, James and Zoe.
July 17 - day 22
Sunday July 17 - day 22
Start - Victor, MT
End - Sula, MT
Miles - 52
Start time - 9:20am
End time - 4:10pm
Weather - sunny high of about 84
Victor is about 35 miles directly south of Missoula. I started the ride with the plan to follow the East Side Highway to Hamilton. I took the two mile side road to the East Side Highway, found it not to my liking with traffic and turned around and headed back to Victor. I followed a frontage road called Meridan Road south toward Hamilton. The road was packed dirt and gravel for about 5 miles which was a bit slow to ride on but was relaxing from the lack of traffic. The whole day was biked along the Bitterroot Valley which was beautiful! Anyway after Meridian ended there was a bike path that ran intermittently for about the next 10 miles through Hamilton and about 5 miles past.
A highlight of the day was meeting three cyclists who are students at Columbia University. Caleb, from Denver, and James and Zoe (married) from Austrailia and New Zealand respectively. I rode with them Monday and Tuesday as well.
We camped at Sula, MT. The spot was nice with camper cabins, a general store a laundry and even mini-golf which we didn't partake in. They also had a kids trout pond. There were a lot of mosquitos so we found ourselves charging our electronic equipment in the laundry room.
Start - Victor, MT
End - Sula, MT
Miles - 52
Start time - 9:20am
End time - 4:10pm
Weather - sunny high of about 84
Victor is about 35 miles directly south of Missoula. I started the ride with the plan to follow the East Side Highway to Hamilton. I took the two mile side road to the East Side Highway, found it not to my liking with traffic and turned around and headed back to Victor. I followed a frontage road called Meridan Road south toward Hamilton. The road was packed dirt and gravel for about 5 miles which was a bit slow to ride on but was relaxing from the lack of traffic. The whole day was biked along the Bitterroot Valley which was beautiful! Anyway after Meridian ended there was a bike path that ran intermittently for about the next 10 miles through Hamilton and about 5 miles past.
A highlight of the day was meeting three cyclists who are students at Columbia University. Caleb, from Denver, and James and Zoe (married) from Austrailia and New Zealand respectively. I rode with them Monday and Tuesday as well.
We camped at Sula, MT. The spot was nice with camper cabins, a general store a laundry and even mini-golf which we didn't partake in. They also had a kids trout pond. There were a lot of mosquitos so we found ourselves charging our electronic equipment in the laundry room.
Monday, July 18, 2011
July 15, 16 - day 20 and 21
July 15, 16 - day 20 and 21
Rest days and driving days.
After switching out cars we headed out the east gate on our way to Billings. Marcee wanted to run the 5k but registration was closed. We watched the opening ceremonies which included guest speaker and torch lighter Jackie Joyner-Kersee. We watched the Montana Mile. Lois Ricardi won for the 5th straight time and ran about a 4:53 which broke her record from last year by 6 seconds. John Ricardi, Lois's brother finished second to Patrick Casey in the men's event. It was a fun evening. We visited with Mark and Virginia Kemp that evening and they generously allowed us to upload pictures to their laptop to post pictures to the blog. The next day they helped us try to create our business card for our bike trip. Thank you Mark and Virginia!
After that it was back to Missoula and dinner at Jon and Jackie's. Thank you!
Rest days and driving days.
After switching out cars we headed out the east gate on our way to Billings. Marcee wanted to run the 5k but registration was closed. We watched the opening ceremonies which included guest speaker and torch lighter Jackie Joyner-Kersee. We watched the Montana Mile. Lois Ricardi won for the 5th straight time and ran about a 4:53 which broke her record from last year by 6 seconds. John Ricardi, Lois's brother finished second to Patrick Casey in the men's event. It was a fun evening. We visited with Mark and Virginia Kemp that evening and they generously allowed us to upload pictures to their laptop to post pictures to the blog. The next day they helped us try to create our business card for our bike trip. Thank you Mark and Virginia!
After that it was back to Missoula and dinner at Jon and Jackie's. Thank you!
July 14 - day 19
July 14 - day 19
Start - Lolo, MT
End - Victor, MT
Miles - 25
Start time - about 9am
End time - 1212pm
Today's ride was almost exclusively on paved bike paths! Those are great. So relaxing to get off the road once in a while. We ran into some construction coming into Victor. As it turns out they are paving the road and extending the bike path at the same time. The bike path currently starts in Lolo 10 miles south of Missoula and runs almost to Victor for about 25 miles. The path picks up again about 5 miles later in Woodside and runs several miles past Hamilton.
After riding we drove East to pickup our Vibe from our friend Marc at Lake, dig through storage in Livingston and then it was off to Billings for the Big Sky State Games.
Start - Lolo, MT
End - Victor, MT
Miles - 25
Start time - about 9am
End time - 1212pm
Today's ride was almost exclusively on paved bike paths! Those are great. So relaxing to get off the road once in a while. We ran into some construction coming into Victor. As it turns out they are paving the road and extending the bike path at the same time. The bike path currently starts in Lolo 10 miles south of Missoula and runs almost to Victor for about 25 miles. The path picks up again about 5 miles later in Woodside and runs several miles past Hamilton.
After riding we drove East to pickup our Vibe from our friend Marc at Lake, dig through storage in Livingston and then it was off to Billings for the Big Sky State Games.
July 13 - day 18
July 13 - day 18
Start - Lochsa Lodge
End - Lolo, MT
Miles - 48
Start time - 749am pst
End time - 300pm mst
Today after riding about 6 miles I started climbing Lolo Pass elevation 5225. It was a nice climb over about 4 or 5 miles. The visitor center at the top is very nice and even has wifi for travelers and complimentary coffee. I saw at least four groups of touring cyclists all of them westbound. It is great to talk to other touring cyclists some want to stop others not sure about. It is hard to gauge as sometimes you or they are tired or need to make the evenings destination.
We made it to Missoula in time to visit the Adventure Cycling office. Adventure cycling is a non-profit organization dedicated to touring cyclists. They produce maps which have bicycles friendly maps and they sell gear and books as well. I highly recommend checking out their resources if you consider taking a tour.
We spent the night with Jon and Jackie in Missoula. Jon's dad and my dad were best friends and we have known each other since we were kids. It was good to see them and we very much appreciate their hospitality!
Start - Lochsa Lodge
End - Lolo, MT
Miles - 48
Start time - 749am pst
End time - 300pm mst
Today after riding about 6 miles I started climbing Lolo Pass elevation 5225. It was a nice climb over about 4 or 5 miles. The visitor center at the top is very nice and even has wifi for travelers and complimentary coffee. I saw at least four groups of touring cyclists all of them westbound. It is great to talk to other touring cyclists some want to stop others not sure about. It is hard to gauge as sometimes you or they are tired or need to make the evenings destination.
We made it to Missoula in time to visit the Adventure Cycling office. Adventure cycling is a non-profit organization dedicated to touring cyclists. They produce maps which have bicycles friendly maps and they sell gear and books as well. I highly recommend checking out their resources if you consider taking a tour.
We spent the night with Jon and Jackie in Missoula. Jon's dad and my dad were best friends and we have known each other since we were kids. It was good to see them and we very much appreciate their hospitality!
Pictures
Sorry about the randomness of pictures. We are having our laptop sent to us next Friday so I hope to update and upload pictures thereafter. For now I will keep up with the journaling. Thank you fro checking the blog! Larry and Marcee.
Friday, July 15, 2011
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