Stop to Stop: Missoula, MT to Lascha Lodge in Powell, ID

Underway: 7:45 am    Off Bike: 1:45 pm    Ride Time: 5:00 hrs    Stayed At: Campsite
Miles Traveled: 58.3    Total Miles: 1,447.8    Weather: Sunny, calm

First Things First: First time in Idaho; First time in Pacific Time Zone

Mile to Mile: Somehow the ingredients came together today for the perfect biking day.

Ingredients:

• Sunny blue skies with puffy white clouds added for flavor
• Low humidity
• Light to calm winds
• Limited traffic
• Windy mountain road
• Easy upstream climb, short grind to the pass and fast race to the finish
• Stunning scenery with a hint of pine

Mix together for five hours at between 78 and 82 degrees taking frequent breaks to take pictures and sample the recipe as it gets better and better with age. Enjoy!

Today was the reason why bicycle touring can become addictive. You work hard for days like today and want to savor them. I left Missoula, fueled by homemade banana bread (thanks Cindy) and Bigga Pizza for breakfast and started south and west following the Lolo River upstream. The grade was so easy that I could peddle at a consistent 12-14 mph paralleling this beautiful, blue stream rushing it’s way past me downhill to Missoula. The last four mile climb to the top of Lolo Pass wasn’t even that bad since I knew, on the other side, I could expect an exciting 6 mile ride down a windy road following the Lascha River downhill towards the Pacific Coast.

I quit early to stay at the beautiful Lascha Lodge – they let bicyclists camp for free behind their little store. Plus, except for a couple camping spots, the next place for services is 66 miles down the road. As I am writing this, a light breeze is keeping me cool in the shade, I am surrounded by pine trees and I can’t wait to have a leisurely dinner at the lodge tonight. The only thing better is if I could share this day with someone- the Lascha Lodge is only a 25 hour drive straight thru dear. Should I stay an extra day and wait for you?

In Passing: Lolo, Fort Fizzle Site, Telephone Butte, Bear Creek, Bitterroot Mountains, Rocky Point, Parachute Hill Road

Stop to Stop: Campsite 15 West of Ovando to Missoula, MT

Underway: 6:45 am   Off Bike: 10:30 am    Ride Time: 3:27 hrs    Stayed At: House
Miles Traveled:45.4     Total Miles: 1,389.5      Weather: Sunny, tailwind

First Things First: First warm shower host; First flat tire; First care package (thanks – lucky I got a flat before I got the package or I might wonder about a connection).

Mile to Mile: What an amazing day. It has taken me 39 years to get to Missoula and the Adventure Cycling Headquarters and it was everything I had hoped it would be. What a great group of people. This is a sample of how a (busy) day in the life of a cyclist can be…

• Got out of the sleeping bag into the cold (38 degree) morning air, cooked oatmeal and hot chocolate, broke camp, packed up ant hit the road by 6:45 am.
• Followed the river and wind downhill into Mssoula stopping frequently to take pictures and visit with numerous bikers heading north to Alaska or east to Virginia.
• Arrived at Adventure Cycling, got my picture taken for the wall, had an ice cream and pop, got a tour of the offices, bought a T-shirt, plugged in my gadgets to charge, met a young guy traveling east bound on the TranAm and got a lead on a place to stay.
• Started off to pick up my package and noticed I had a flat – a small piece of wire from a shredded tire had punctured the tube. Easy fix in their shady backyard courtyard but I had to take everything off.

• Left everything there and rode 3 miles down to the PO and get my much anticipated care package. Thanks for the great treats! They will inspire me over the next few passes.
• Stopped at a random bike shop on the way back and decided to have my chain and rear gear cluster replaced – less than 20 minutes and $52 later I have piece of mind and smooth shifting gears.
• Stopped at highly recommended Bigga Pizza and feasted on an excellent pepperoni and onion pie – just enough left for breakfast.
• Called Bruce who is the Warm Shower host and he said it would be fine if I stayed the night. (Thanks Bruce).

• Returned to HQ to get my picture taken potentially for something they are working on for the 40th Anniversay of the TransAmerica Trail next year and pack up my stuff. I got my bike weighed – I’m 10 lbs heavier than when I started…Hmmm…I wonder why that is?
• I road off a couple miles to my home for the night, met Beacon who is traveling west bound on a trip to Seattle, took a shower, blogged, went out to a coffee shop with Beacon and headed home to plan tomorrow, repack, lay out my sleeping bag and crash for the night.
Just another really special daon Mike’ Great Bike Adventure…..

Stop to Stop: Jordan, MT to Hill Oasis Ranch

Underway: 6:55 am    Off Bike: 12:30 pm  n Ride Time: 4:13 hrs    Stayed At: Ranch B&B
Miles Traveled: 52.8    Total Miles: 933     Weather: Sunny, warm with NE breeze

First Things First: First antelope race; First trees in Montana; First B&B rest stop.

Mile to Mile: Today was planned as a “short” 53 mile day to the Hill Ranch Oasis B&B – they allow cyclists. Actually they love to have them. After a late start around 6:55 am, bright sunshine with clear blue sky’s greeted me. And a gentle NE breeze to help me along and kept me cool. What a gift – lets peddle.

The terrain quickly changed from the steep uphills and short downhills to long gradual climbs with long, amazing downhills. My terminal velocity (and when I started braking) was 30.2 mph. Things happen fast at 30 mph so I am trying to keep it in the 26-28 mph range. But it is a blast watching the scenery (and miles) fly by.

Speaking of things speeding by. As I was accelerating down another glorious hill I was startled by movement on the other side of the road. It’s…a…big…xz!?…antelope. Less than 20 feet away racing me down the hill. I was going 20mph and he hardly looked like he was trotting. He crossed the road in front of me and ran along the fence line looking for an opening. After a few minutes I stopped to get the camera out hoping he would stop. He found an opening finally and headed off across the range. It was worth the entire day of brutal headwinds the other day just to get here to see that.

The miles ticked by quickly and I soon found myself at the only civilization before the B&B – Sand Springs – where, even though I was going 20 mph, I stopped to take a break and re- sunscreen. I used the Internet at the convenience store to send a couple messages home and happily hit the road again.

It’s amazing how fast things can change at only 12 mph. I was cranking up a hill and looked up and saw…TREES! Pine trees! Lots of them. I am now in the Montana of my dreams. The sight and smell almost brought tears to my eyes. I hope it lasts for a while.

The turn off to the Hill Ranch B&B was at the end of a two mile downhill stretch and I soon found out why it has “Hill” in its name. The steepest hill yet laid between me and relaxation so I cranked up almost losing traction and soon found myself, sweaty and tired, meeting Delores, the owner and her son Kevin and wife Gala. I get to sleep in a real bed tonight. And have pork BBQ. And do nothing in cool air conditioned comfort.

Dinner was amazing. Great conversation. I felt part of the family. Hey Grandama A – she has a blue plate collection just like yours, the same kinds of carved chairs and knows the difference between ebleskivers and pancakse. I’m beginning to really like this Big Sky Country.

In Passing: Dugout Coulée, Rattlesnake Butte, Castle Butte, Sand Springs, Big Dry Creek

Stop to Stop: Circle, MT to Jordan, MT

Underway: 6:30 am    Off Bike: 3:30 pm    Ride Time: 6:20 hrs    Stayed At: Park
Miles Traveled: 69.1    Total Miles: 880.2    Weather: Sunny, hot and dry

First Things First: First rattle snake (road kill); First sunburn – missed a couple of critical spots with the sunscreen.

Mile to Mile: Today was a work day – it’s all about the miles. The scenery is beautiful but there is a lot of it so I need to keep moving when conditions are good. After the painful wind yesterday, I decided to improve my odds and leave really early when it is cooler and less windy. I was gone by 6:30 am even though I took the time to make hot chocolate and scrambled eggs. There is something satisfying to have 25+miles in the bank before 9 am.

The terrain started changing from flat , broad grasslands to more hills and valleys with a few cows roaming around trying to find something to eat. I started seeing lots of sagebrush and some type of yucca plant. Mostly just vast expanses of dry grassland in all directions. The changes made for some interesting riding – lonely but interesting. It’s hard to meet people zooming by at 70 mph. This is some of the most rural areas in the country. From Jordon, it is at least 70 miles in any direction to another “town”. The only break today was a brand new wayside rest ,in the middle of nowhere, at about mile 31. A real Oasis with AC, cold water and clean bathrooms.

I finally rolled into Jordon a tired, hungry, sun-baked and grubby old man. I had a nice cold drink at the gas station – feeling a little better. Found the grocery store and stocked up – things are looking up. Noticed the town pool (lots of kids running around in swimsuits) and had a free shower – life is getting good. Found the town park and set up my tent in a shady spot. What more is there you ask. A lot more actually. I stopped by the sheriffs office to ask about camping and met Amari – the under-sheriff here. She said camping was not a problem and she even let me use her phone to call home to arrange a mail drop and to arrange a stop at a ranch tomorrow. Thank you Amari – you made my day. My day ended like every day from now on will (if I can find them again) with a f’real strawberry-banana smoothie from the grocery store. Life is good in Jordon, MT.

Stop to Stop: Glendive, ND to Circle, ND

Underway: 8:30 am    Off Bike: 4:30 pm    Ride Time: 6:00 hrs    Stayed At: Park
Miles Traveled: 50.6    Total Miles: 811.1     Weather: Sunny, warn and …WINDY

First Things First: First track stop shower; First soul crushing day.

Mile to Mile: Today was planned to be an easy day. I wanted to rest my knees a little, get done early and relax a little. The “towns” are a long way apart and most have limited or no service so you have to plan carefully. I was up at 6:30 am but fiddled with important tasks (remember – easy day) and was finally leaving the nearby Albertson’s grocery store at 8:30 am restocked and ready for anything. For a while I thought, “this is going to be easy”. Sunny, warm, calm winds and straight, flat road. What a deal. Well, Montana had some news for me. My luck with the wind finally ran out. After an easy first hour, I started feeling it. Flat tire? No. Brakes rubbing? Am I dragging a boat behind this thing? Nope. Oh, the roaring, hot, dry, in-my-face wind must be the problem.

I was ready to collapse by mile 20. I had already finished half my water and I still had 30 mostly uphill and all upwind miles to go. Lindsay, the “town” I collapsed into had no services (or people as far as I could tell. The only building not in danger of collapsing or blowing away was the post office where I filled my bottles with crappy but wet water. I found a little shade by a decrepit old building and made lunch to see if I could re- energize myself. After much agony, I decided to keep going – tomorrow could be worse. I played mind games all the way to Circle. I counted 600 pedal strokes – about a mile at my sometimes pathetic 6 mph. I counted 1/10 of a mile markers…another mile. Soon I got into the right frame of mind and just pedaled. I was thrilled to see a 10 every once in a while on the speedo. Woohoo. I finally raced into Circle at 11 mph and stopped at the first gas station – the Cenex – I came to and had a big gulp and enjoyed a little AC for a while.

My luck and mood changed in an instant. This station has a beautiful bathroom with a washer/dryer and shower. Better than most we saw on our entire sailing trip. How much is a shower please? Best $5 I have ever spent. I was refreshed, cooled down, rehydrated and even found where the town park is where I can stay for free. Wind, what wind. As I write this, I am at a picnic table, in the shade with a now gentle breeze keeping the bugs away. I’m full, my clothes are rinsed out and almost dry, my electronics are charging and I’m happy again. What a day.

Stop to Stop: Medora, ND to Glendive, ND

Underway: 8:30 am    Off Bike: 3:45 pm    Ride Time: 6:09 hrs.   Stayed At: Park
Miles Traveled: 69.4    Total Miles: 760.5 Weather: Partly Sunny, 70’s

First Things First: First overnight thunderstorm; First wet tent.

Mile to Mile: first came the lightning, then came the thunder (it sure sounds louder and more ominous in the hills and canyons) and then came the rain. Light at first and then heavier after each crack of thunder. It stormed steady from about 11 pm to 3 am. I would doze a little, hear a crack of thunder and check for leaks. Surprisingly my $29 Walmart tent held up amazingly well. I think I was lucky there was no wind though or I might be telling a different story. Even with over 2” of rain, nothing leaked in…from the top anyways.

The problem started in one corner. I noticed the foot of the sleeping bag was wet. Ohoh! I just thought it leaked a little around the zipper. Little did I know but my campsite was in the flood zone. A little later, I felt water in a different corner. And then, while feeling around my air mattress the bottom of the tent felt a little funny – kind of like a water bed. That’s not good! I finally forced myself up at about 5:30 am. I was still dry on the mattress – but all around the tent was 2” of water. I waded outside and carried all my bags up to the covered deck by the office and assessed the situation. Luckily, the place I had stored my bags that night happened to be above water by an inch so the only things wet in the tent were my sheet, the end of the sleeping bag and a couple stuff sacks. Plus the shirt, shorts and socks I had left out to dry were now wetter than when they were hung up.

I decided to hang out until 7 am when the office and laundry room opened even though it was light out and I could have been pedaling. The time came and no one showed up. I then realized that a guy the day before had told me it was mountain time here. Crap. My phone was still on MN time. Another hour to waste. I cleaned my bike, reorganized a little, put the tent on a table so it could dry, had cereal for breakfast and finally was able to get all my stuff dry. Three free coffees and a few quarters later, I packed up and was on my way.

The ride to Glendive made the nightmare of the night before fade quickly. Gentle rolling hills, beautiful scenery, a small wind assist and absolutely no traffic made for fast miles. I didn’t see one car for the first hour. – 16 miles with the whole road to myself. Even when I had to ride on the freeway for short distances, traffic was light. It was kind of amazing to, even though I was riding way over on the edge of an 8’ shoulder, almost all trucks and most cars still moved into the fast lane when passing. What a gift. Thank you all for that courtesy.

I was excited to pass into Montana – MONTANA – early afternoon. Amazing. I finally arrived in Glendive fairly early for a 70 mile day. I found the beautiful Jaycees Park, adjusted my brakes, cleaned and lubed the chain, adjusted some spokes to true the rear wheel a little, made dinner (oatmeal), set up the tent, filled water bottles, planned for tomorrow and collapsed into bed at about 9:30 pm. All in all, another great and somewhat bizarre day.

Stop to Stop: Richardton to Medora, ND

Underway: 7:30 am Off Bike: 5:00 pm Ride Time: 6:03 hrs Stayed At: Campsite
Miles Traveled: 72.5 Total Miles: 691.1 Weather: Sunny, SE breeze

First Things First: First time zone change – gained an hour – now on Mountain Time: First 5 mile + downhill –wheee!

Mile to Mile: After a steep climb up and out of the campground, I made good progress toward Medora. It was finally a warm day. It was supposed to be a pretty easy 60 mile day but I decided to stop before Medora to avoid the tourist rush on a Friday – just not feeling it. Well I found a spot to camp along a Forest Service road in some nice rocky scenery. After setting up though, it was hot and I didn’t have any phone service. Also, it got noisy after awhile – it sounded like a bunch of dirt bikes. To make a long story short I bailed on this campsite and headed toward Medora. By the way, the dirt bikes were a bunch of cows let loose to graze. On my way out they blocked the entire road.

The change in terrain here was amazing. As I exited the freeway by the Painted Rock Info Center, the Badlands of ND were just there. Like a mini Grand Canyon.

Thankfully, after my detours and adventures it was a quick 5+ mile coast down the freeway to Medora. I skipped the famous western musical – surprisingly today was the season opener – had a cheap buffet, found a decent campsite near the Missouri River, set up camp (again), took a shower and did some blogging to catch up. I’m planning a relatively short day to Beach, MT – can you believe it…Montana! Should be another great adventure – one day at a time. Happy National Donut Day (I did celebrate at the Donut Hole in Dickinson).

Stop to Stop: Bismarck, ND to near Richardton, ND

Underway: 8:00 am    Off Bike: 5:15 pm    Ride Time: 6:47 hrs    Stayed At: Campsite
Miles Traveled: 84.5    Total Miles: 618.6    Weather: Overcast, cool, light NE wind

First Things First: First town – New Salem – with music piped through downtown (country of course): first hot chocolate and slushy in the same day.

Mile to Mile: My goal today was Glen Ullin, ND about 56 miles down the road – a nice gentle day. I got a great start fueled by breakfast ala Rachael of scrambled eggs with mushrooms and onions, toast, banana and strawberries. The real breakfast of champions. (Thanks for everything Rachael). The ride through downtown Bismarck went fast – it happened to be mostly downhill. In no time I was done with civilization and back into the wilds of ND. The countryside was beautiful. The riding was easy with easy ups and fast downs. The terrain changed gradually and I soon saw my first buttes in western ND – a taste of things to come in the badlands area ahead.

I am pleasantly surprised at how well my body has adapted to it’s new reality. The nightly leg cramps are gone, my shoulders and arms are getting stronger, my sore foot from before the trip is almost back to normal and the feeling in my fingers has started to return. Pretty good for an old guy.

With proper fuel and perfect riding conditions, I was in Glen Ullin way too early in the afternoon to stop now. So I had a snack and rested for a little while and decided to go onto Hebron – they have free camping in the town park. Well, conditions were even better with a little better wind assist so I recalculated and decided to aim for the Schnell Recreational Area near Richardton. The park is a BLM managed park with 6 huge campsites – only $5 per night. I was still flying – in a slushy fueled burst – at sometimes 20-25 mph on flat road right up to the park entrance. I figure the more miles I do under good conditions today, the less I have to do under poor conditions some other day. I was glad to be done and a lot closer to Medora, ND where there are some fun things to do and only a short hop to my next goal – Montana. Can you believe that? It seems like I just left yesterday. That must mean I’m having fun, right?

Stop to Stop: Hazelton, ND to Bismarck, ND

Underway: 8:30 am    Off Bike: 2:40 pm    Ride Time: 4:39 hrs    Stayed At: Home
Miles Traveled: 45.6      Total Miles:     Weather: Overcast with N wind, cool

First Things First: First time staying with a friend. First time washing clothes.

Mile to Mile: Today was a hard slog for several reasons it felt like I had the brakes on all day. First, I didn’t eat enough to give me the proper energy. Second, the route had me fighting serious cold headwinds at least half the day. Third, there were hills – lots of them – with few decent downhills as a reward. I had to pedal down some hills just to maintain momentum. It’s hard to enjoy the scenery when you’re just trying to get there.

I did meet another biker couple – Dave and Ann from the Pacific NW – early in the day. I looked up and they were out in front of me waiting on my side of the road. It’s such a rare event that most people make a special effort to connect. They are going cross country two weeks at a time supported by a friend driving a camper. If you want to do it, there is a way. They gave me some good trail info – take the gravel road out of New Salem (it’s beautiful) and the only restaurant in Richardton just closed. Good things to know.

My goal today was to get to the home of some friends from college of my daughter Sarah and her boy friend Jake – Rachael and Ryan – who lucky for me live in Bismark. It’s interesting to note that this is the biggest city I will go through – population 70,000 – until San Francisco. Crazy. I did not like the return to civilization though – at least riding through It. Lots of noise, traffic, trucks and impatient people. I survived but I will take the middle of no where any day.

It was a relief to finally get to Rachael and Ryan’s Spa and Resort fairly early in the afternoon. I can relax now. Oh wait…I have a few items on my to do list: write today’s blog, upload blogs x 8, upload pics, get adapter to upload pics, wash clothes, charge everything, shower, reorganize bags, plan tomorrow, plan next few days, check email, call Cindy, eat dinner, fix windscreen cook it, repack bags, buy groceries, check weather and sleep. With a lot of help from Rachael. She drove me around doing errands, let me use the washer dryer and even let me multitask while at dinner at Sickies Biker Bar (excellent dinner and lots of bikers – I’m sure I fit right in). Thanks for all the help and hospitality – it was fun to finally meet you.

I finally collapsed into a nice warm bed about 11:15 and didn’t wake up until 6:30 am when my phone beeped after receiving a text from Cindy. Thanks Dear, I was getting up anyway. Another day to remember on the road again.

Stop to Stop: Little Yellowstone Park to Gackle, SD

Underway: 7:30 am   Off Bike: 2:50 pm    Ride Time: 5:15 hrs    Stayed At: House
Miles Traveled: 65.2      Total Miles: 425.5      Weather: Partly cloudy, SSE wind, 75+

First Things First: First time having to backtrack to find something that blew off (the map) when a semi went by and I didn’t notice for a mile or so: First time staying at someone’s house I just met while in town.

Mile to Mile: After the coyotes woke me up this morning – a little creepy when you are alone – I actually made my first batch of outmeal, packed and headed for Gackle, ND about 60 miles straight west.. It was still cool and overcast with a SSE breeze giving me a little boost. The terrain is mostly flat with an occasional uphill to another plateau and lots of pothole lakes and ponds mixed in with thousands of acres of farmland. It’s stark but pretty in it’s own way. And lonesome. The only services on the main route were at a little coop store in the middle of no where.

With nothing else to occupy my mind – not even any interesting trash – I started playing games with the wind. She can be beautiful as she dances through the tall grass in ever changing patterns but she also has a dark side. She would try to tip me over with her 20 mph gusts. I would swerve and lean the other way to try to stay upright. It was a tie. I survived and the wind kept blowing to her hearts content. Although tiring, at least I got a little boost once in a while and it wasn’t a headwind. You know the wind is strong when there are white caps on the duck ponds.

I made it to Gackle, ate a hamburger combo and shake at the Tastee Freeze and went looking for a place to stay. There is the Honey Hub – a hostel for cyclists – but no one was there. Someone named Jason at Dani’s Bar supposedly puts people up but he isn’t around right now. There is an old RV Park but that just didn’t sound right. I lucked out though and chatted with a guy mowing the lawn next to the Tastee Freeze. To make a long story short, he invited me to camp out in air conditioned comfort for the night.

Jay lives in Fargo but has this house in Gackle as a hunting and fishing shack. The walls are covered with stuffed birds and deer, the shower is hot and the AC is cold. He fed me one of the best fried fish dinners I’ve ever had (Andy’s Seasoning – Red), we shared some great conversation and went on an amazing tour of the surrounding countryside (which changed my view of SD forever). Talk about amazing – thanks for the hospitality, fresh crappie dinner (and breakfast) and great stories. If you are ever going through Minneapolis, be sure to look us up. Another day to write home about on Mike’s Great Bike Adventure.