Day 32

Well it was my really big ride today. More out of necessity than a planned century, (biker term for 100 miles). I wanted to get across the Great Divide Basin, which meant putting in 134 miles from Atlantic City to Rawlins, WY. The only way that I could do this was if the weather cooperated. The Basin is known for its unpredictable weather, but no snow when I got up so the weather was looking up. I got going at 6:30 to help give me some time. I wanted to get going at 5:30, but my body refused to get up to the 4:40 alarm. About 10 miles into my ride a guy originally from Slovakia, now living in New York, caught up with me. I chatted and rode with him for about 5 miles, but then we came to a hill and he left me in the dust. One, because he was considerably lighter, and two, he looked like he was pretty hardcore. The weather turned out to be perfect for riding. Little to no wind, cooler temps, even the clouds were puffy and perfect looking. The Great Divide Basin was pretty interesting. There is pretty much no water. It is called the Great Divide Basin because there are mountains all around it and no water flows into or out of it. It is essentially high desert. I saw antelope, no trees, and a lot of sage. I felt pretty good even after mile 100. The wind cooperated so I went a little faster than I had planned on. I averaged a little better than 10 miles an hour, but by the time I got about 15 miles outside of Rawlins I was ready to be done. I finally got to an Econolodge and checked in. I think I passed 5 motels that were closed. This side of Rawlins looks a little dicey, but the motel was cheep. These last two days were some pretty big testers for me.

Day 31

I wanted to do 80 miles from Pinedale to Atlantic City. The day started out very good. I got going at a decent time and had a big breakfast at a cafe. At about mile 60 I rode for about 1.5 miles along the continental divide. Really cool views, but that is when the wind started. There was a pretty good storm just to the north of me and I got to ride into the winds it produced. The temperature also started to plummet. I haven't had too many bad weather days, but this one definitely turned out to be a bad one. I went through South Pass City, which was a old gold mining city. A pretty lame tourist attraction. You can buy the old mercantile that is currently a knick/knack shop for $135,000 if anybody is interested. Then I continued on the last 4 miles to Atlantic City. It started to rain, but it felt like hail because it was blowing so hard. Finally Atlantic City appeared at the bottom of the hill. There even was a rainbow right behind the city! It was like it was saying, "Food and shelter right here!" "It's better than gold!" One of the guys at the bar that I ate at said that it was supposed to snow that night and the temperature was in the high 30's. I decided to get a cabin that the bar also had. I did not want to get snowed on. It turned out to be only $40 because it hadn't been cleaned from the last guest. I did not care, and it really was quite clean. There were three beds and two hadn't been slept in. It worked out quite well.

Day 30

Well I didn't do any biking today. I'm resting up for the two big rides coming up. About the only thing of interest that happened today was some pointers given to me by a couple of bikers, (motorcycles). They advised me on the virtues of packing a gun and how terrible Mexico was. I also had a burger with a couple of drunks from Utah.

Day 29

I decided I was going to make up for my day of and go 80 miles from Dubois to Pindale, WY. The first 30 miles took a long time because I was climbing most of the time. I reached my highest elevation yet of 9,700 feet. I finally got through the mountains and stopped at a little cafe for supper. After I got done there I continued on to Pinedale. The last 30 miles wizzed by. It was mostly pavement, downhill, and I had a little tailwind. The first 30 miles too me 5 hours and the last 30 took me less than 2. I got some good views going up the mountain, but it was pretty slow going. Sorry that I can't update my blog everyday. I just don't have the internet access. I finally got it at the Pinedale Public Library. As a bonus I got to see a grown man sporting a rat tail.

Day 28

I decided to spend one more night at this place. They did my laundry and I had good food, so why not. Just before I went to bed these two other bikers showed up that were biking the Trans-America route. It turned out that his name was Lars Larson. I probably can count the number of Lars's I have run into in my life on one hand, so that was pretty wild.

Day 27

Today I went from the bad campground to a little outside Dubois, WY. There was a bunch of road construction while I was going up this pass so i got to ride in the pilot car for about 6 miles. The pilot car driver said that some people get really mad because they can't bike the pass, but I was totally fine with it. After the pass it started to rain a little bit so i stopped at this little bar and had lunch. I also got to witness some Wyoming entertainment. There was a steer that they put in this pen that was marked into a grid. Then you would buy a square for $3 and hope that the steep would take a poop in your square. I think it took about 2 hours for it to happen and my square was not the lucky one, but it was funny to watch these kids from New York feed this steer. I ended up staying at this place that this couple has adapted to host bikers. I got to sleep in the garage on a cot out of the rain. It was really nice not to have to mess with my tent in the rain.

Day 26

Today turned out to be quite the picture day. I got up early and took a little hike up to a waterfall. I had to laugh at people and their hiking gear. I probably can't talk since I look a little silly with all my biking gear. Hiking boots, fancy wool socks, some had shorts, hiking poles, one guy even had a mosquito net that completely covered his entire head. What is with these hiking poles? Everybody had them. I can understand if you going up Everest or Kilimanjaro, but a 1o mile hike? Hopefully they kept everybody steady while, um, walking.

The hike was definitely worth it and I got some cool pictures. Then I continued on and stopped at a cafe with another incredible view. I only went a little over 30 miles and then I set up camp. The campground turned out to be pretty interesting. It turned out to be heavy grizzly country and a trailhead for a lot of horseback riding. The campground host told me to put all my stuff in the bear box, but she also informed me that there was a dead horse about 300 yards from the campground. I didn't run into any grizzly's that night, but it was quite noisy with all those horses. There was a really annoying guitar player that I sortof wished a grizzly would have come and got though. So a good start to the day, but the campground was a bit of a letdown. The only good thing about that place was they had nice, big and sturdy bear boxes.

Day 25

I continued my tour of the Tetons and took a detour down the "Jackson Spur." I decided not to go all the way to Jackson because a 80 mile detour adds up on a bike. I am camping at Jenny Lake which is quite the tourist spot. Hot and crowded is the best way to describe it. The camping spot I have is pretty cool though, with the Tetons right behind me. I went a little further down to Moose, WY and had dinner. It is also where I found some internet access. I think this porch has the best view yet. I am going to try and hike up to a waterfall tomorrow moring and hopefully miss the crowds and heat. It was only about 20 miles to Jenny Lake from Colter Bay. When I got there I really wanted to take a nap, but that is also pretty much impossible when you are camping. Too hot, and too many bugs for that to work. But I'm not complaining because I have these awesome mountains right behind me.

Day 24

I decide to take a day off and enjoy the Tetons a little bit. I had some numbness in my left hand when I woke up this morning. So I think a day off is in order regardless. There was another biker from Minnesota that took the campsite next to me and she said that when she took days off all she wanted to do was eat and sleep. That turned out to be quite true. I took a cruise on Jackson lake and about halfway through the hum of the engine put me to sleep. I felt a little bad for the tour guide, but I guess it probably happens quite a bit. I also enjoyed the Breakfest Buffet at Colter Bay. I gorged myself two days in a row.

Day 23

After playing 9 holes of golf I ventured out with Colter Bay, Wyoming as my goal. The score of my round of golf was terrible, but it was fun to mix it up a little bit. When I got about 10 miles from Colter Bay there was some road construction that had a flagman. I talked to the flagman for a bit and then when it was time to go he said over the radio, "a guy on a bike is your last vehicle." So that made me laugh a bit.

I got to Colter Bay a little late, probably around 8:30 and the campground was "Full." I ran into some other bikers doing the Trans America route and the said to go look around because there were some Hiker/Biker sites that were open. Sure enough I got an open spot and it all worked out. I also had a beer with a guy at the site next to me. He was orginally from the Czech Republic, but now lived in St. Louis. He was doing some touring on his BMW motorcycle. Zdenik was his name, "Z" for short. Kindof a funny guy. Maybe it was just because I had a hard time understanding him. I also passed the 1,000 mile mark in my trip.

Day 22

Today I went about 45 miles for Macks Inn, Idaho to Ashton, Idaho. I stayed at a golf course that also had a place for campers. A bit of an odd combination if you ask me, but it worked out well. i got to watch Baseball Tonight and sit inside for awhile. Being outside 24/7 takes its toll on a peroan. Just going into a convenience store to a buy a Gatorade seems like luxury sometimes.

I had my first views of the Grand Tetons, so I really enjoyed that. Riding along with the Tetons in front of me made the ride seem esay, even if it was at the end of the day. Canola, wheat, and potato fields, made a pretty cool foreground for the soaring, rugged peaks of the Tetons.

Day 21

I left Lima MT and hoped to make it into Idaho. I followed some thunderstorms the whole day, but I never got rained on. I did 87 miles and made it to Macks Inn, Idaho. As soon as I crossed into Idaho I got treated to some more mountains. The past three or four days in Montana I have seen a lot of rangeland and cattle. So to see some bigger mountains was a nice change of scenery. Not a real eventful day, just cattle and wind. Idaho made it a good end to the day. Montana was pretty, but pretty hard as well. It feels good to have a full state behind me.

Day 20

I left Grant, MT with a full belly. I got 3 eggs, 2 waffles, and bacon. It got me 3o miles before I had to stop and eat. It is amazing what a lot of food and a good nights sleep does for me. The ride was my second favorite after the Seely Lake ride with that cool singletrack. Towards the end of the ride the road went into a canyon with a stream running beside the road. I had an excellent tailwind for a little bit so I didn't pedal for about 7 miles as I was going downhill. I've had a couple of flats the past two days. I didn't get the piece of wire out of the tire the first time, so it took about 50 miles and then the other tube went flat. I found the piece of wire so I should be good now. I got to Lima and i was beat. Gabe, I got another motel because this route is fricken hard. Not only do I not like sleeping with the Grizzly's and rattle snakes, but sleeping in a tent for days on end makes me feel like a homeless man, and probably smell like one too. Having no shower, pooping in nasty outhouses and barren wasteland, all you have to do is add copious amounts of whiskey and Voila! homeless... Plus there are plenty of more days ahead to sleep in that dang tent.

Thanks for the encouraging comments. It helps more than you know.

Day 19

I started out from just north of Polaris, MT today. The two-holer outhouse was pretty nasty, plus the flies and mosquito's at the campsite had voracious appetites. It was free, but not very pleasant. It ended up getting pretty hot, so I stopped in Grant, MT. I wanted to get something to eat. There was a restaurant on my map, but it looked like it had been closed for about 5 years. Some people across the way started to wave me over to their house. So I rode over and I ended up spending the night at their place. Paul, Uncle Bill, and Barb took good care of me. I went fishing with Paul. After 2 1/2 weeks of bike riding, riding in a car almost felt like I was flying. When we got back we had a hearty meal of ribs, meatloaf, vegetables, and salad. Barb and Uncle Bill had a gotten a little loaded when Paul and I were fishing. It made for a funny dinner, and the stories Uncle Bill had were pretty good. Riding out a hurricane on an aircraft carrier during the Korean conflict was my favorite. The hot shower was great after 3 days without one, and the bed was excellent. This country is pretty wild, but I have run into some really great people.

Day 18

Today was another pretty good day. I got eggs and sausage with the boys from Pennsylvania. That was a welcome break from yogurt and granola. The morning started out well. I had a pretty good climb for about 3 miles, but I was treated with a great view and a got a pretty cool picture. The downhill after that picture was unbelievably steep. I was riding my bike for a little ways and then I had to get off and walk it down. After awhile my hand almost started to cramp up it was getting so tired from holding the brake.

I stopped for a burger in Wise River MT. Some of the patrons asked me where I was going. I said Mexico and one guy thought it was pretty cool and another girl asked, "Why?" I ask myself that very same question more than you think. Then I started out on about a 30 mile climb that was slow, gradual, and pretty boring. It was scenic so it was pretty, but it was quite the grind. I just never seemed to go anywhere. The downhill after I finished the climb was pretty cool though. The pavement was pretty new so the ride was smooth and I got a top speed of 43 mph. So that was pretty fun. I stopped and camped at this free little place. The lady warned my about the outhouse and it did turn out to be an experience.

Day 17

Today was a bit of a grind. I did about 65 miles and passed the 700 mile mark. Pavement seems to get boring and today I did about 20 miles of it. I got my bike serviced in Butte. It turned out that the guy who worked on my bike has a brother in the Tour de France. Levi Leipheimer. Levi was currently 4th when I was there. So that was kinda cool. Then I continued on past Butte to a campground that was pretty far away from it all. The only other people that were there were a couple of farm boys from Pennsylvania. They invited me over to their campsite and we BS'ed, drank Keystone Light, listened to country music, and watched the campfire. It was a pretty good end to the day.

Day 16

Well today was better. It was a little overcast to start with, but it ended up only being a little sprinkly for the first couple hours and then it cleared off and was pretty nice weather to ride in. On my way out of Helena I passed a kid who wsa doing some trail riding on his mountain bike. He was nice enough to to ride for about 5 miles up the mountain out of Helena. He had also done some touring in South America, so it was cool to be able to talk to someone about their adventures while riding. Thanks Aaron.

I must say that this climb was probably the hardest climb yet. I climbed a little over 3000 feet and there were 2 or so miles at the top that were crazy ridiculous. Constant tree roots, rock gardens that I need to think up another name for, more like rock hell, and the steepness of the grade, up and down, was unreal. Wicked hard is all I can say about that climb. Then when I came into Basin I ran into a lady that told me to come camp at their house up the road about a mile. Tom and Cathy were very nice people. I even got a shower and a cold beer. So both a good start and good end to the day.

Day 15

Well today proved to be by far the most difficult day I have had yet. First, I loathe wilderness camping. I don't know if I'm scared of the bears or Unabomber wannabes or what, but I can't stand it. I would much rather be around civilization. I couldn't leave fast enough. It rained overnight so it was a little miserable packing up everything, everything was dry except for my tent, but still not fun. The morning weather was nice for riding, but about 2 hours later it started to rain again. I waited it out for a little bit, but then it lightened up a bit so I tried it out again. The roads had turned quite muddy and it was quite frustrating trying to keep my bike upright. Eventually, I got to Helena, but I was so close to renting a car and calling it quits. It tooks some phone calls to home, but they convinced me to keep trying. So i got a motel and will try and get some better sleep than last night. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

P.S. I like the comments. Keep 'em coming.

Day 14

I wanted to cover a few miles today, since I had not gone very far yesterday. I did a total of 61 miles from Ovando MT to somewhere between Lincoln and Helena over two passes. The one thing that might be better than the descent from the top of the pass is the pine smell coming down the mountain. I don't notice the smell so much at the bottom, but up top it is great. Tide still has a ways to go before they perfect that smell. Next time you have Mountain Fresh scent for laundry detergent don't believe it until you have been up in the mountains of Montana.

Going up the second one, Stemple Pass, was pretty challenging. The map said, "next 4.4 miles are extremely steep uphill, but they lead through fascinating country with several stream crossings." The stream crossings were pretty fun. It was cool to ride through water calf high. The other thing I noticed were all these log cabins that had long been abandonded. I think most of them were from people going west back in the day and trying to mine precious metals. All I could think about when I saw all these cabins was, Unabomber. I looked it up to see where Ted Kaczynski's cabin was located and it was Lincoln, MT. Pretty much exactly were Stemple pass is. The country is definitely wild and remote, as I'm sure Ted liked it. Me not so much. Camping in this country is a little wild for my taste.

Day 13

I almost got to go water skiing this morning. The campsite had two parking spaces and since I wasn't using them a lady came over and asked if she could park their boat there. Then she asked I water skied and I could come along in the morning if I wanted to. Well they put the boat in the water and something went wrong and it wouldn't run. So that was a little bit of a bummer. I only did about 33 miles today. For whatever reason I felt a little wussy. There are some pretty big climbs coming up so I'll try and rest up. I am camping in this sleepy little town called Ovando MT. Population 71. I had a rancher drive by and stop and ask me if I needed anything. The conversation went something like this. Rancher: You need anything? Me: No, I should be good. Rancher: Water? Me: Nope. Rancher: Food? Me: Nope. Pause... Rancher: A woman? Me and Rancher: Laughter... I get a free little spot here with a water hydrant close by and a port-a-potty. What else do you need? Internet too!! It is wild some the places where you can get Internet. No cell phone service, but I can steal someones wireless. And on top of all that luxury I can enjoy a pretty awesome sunset.

Day 12

Well this turned out to be my favorite ride to date. At about mile 23 there was a really cool lake about 1/2 mile off the road. The map said it was, "a wonderful place for a lunch and a swim." I did just that and had lunch and a swim. The swim was a little chilly, but quite invigorating. While I ate lunch there were a couple of loons making that cool sound that I hear on the Minnesota lottery commercials. There was a deer taking a drink from the lake, and overall just a great little break. After that it was a pretty big climb up to about 6600 feet, but the views were well worth the effort. On the way down there was this super gnarly singletrack trail for about 5 miles. The mountain side was right next to me and my panniers were scraping the trail brush as I went through. When I got back on the main road I could feel my arms and legs again. I guess i was quite tense going through that trail, but it was awesome. Finally I had an entire day that seemed to go good. No stupid swollen eye, no riding through the Black forest with bears coming to eat me, good food, (thanks to my grocery store stop before I left), some spectacular scenery and cool singletrack. Now some hot tea with a lot of honey to cap off the day. I think I might have discovered something I lost from my childhood. I used to drown my Cheerios with honey in the morning before school, and now I am going to drown my tea with a bunch of honey.