Still in Montana: From Darby to Missoula (September 9-11, 2012)

Sunrise over Darby MT

Rivers and railroad tracks parallel our route to Missoula MT

I picked up a huge screw in my rear tire which had to be unscrewed with my swiss army knife .

Old home entering into the town of Corvallis Montana.

Pata is served a HUGE cinnabon...

And away she goes on a cinnabon mission...

Riding the river all the way into Missoula MT

Hot rod for sale on a used car lot.

We reach Adventure Cycling's offices in Missoula MT

Just about everyone here at AC commutes by bike

Bicycle handlebars make great door handles at Adventure Cycling's offices.

It's all about the touring bike in AC's offices.

There is free ice cream, drinks, places to rest and plenty of touring cycling history here.

Early cycling pioneers from back in the day.

They rode lightly loaded back in the day.

Family of four on this machine.

On the river trail is this bear statue.

A fellow touring cyclist, Jason, and all round nice guy! 

Ride the Divide (September 8, 2012)

Totem pole in Wisdom Montana

Pata rolling out of Wisdom MT early on a cold morning.

Leg warmers come off by the side of the road.

It's going to be a hot one today!

Dave and Brigitte who are traveling from Alaska to South America.

We make the top of Chief Joseph Pass.

We ride the Divide! Thin air up here!

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Continental Divide. It's a climb!

Let us rest awhile up here.

Coming down the pass was a blast. To our left "Welcome to Idaho"

Yes, that descent was fun!

Do you have a treat for me?

An apple, sugar cube, anything??

Lazy Bear Ranch

Burned out trees in the background would appear a lot on the hillsides.

Another Video of Pata Riding

I still think it is remarkable that David can ride one handed and take video of me riding, zooming in and changing the view.  Thinking about that process is as interesting to me as the video itself.

Cleanliness IS Next to Godliness: Bike Maintenance on the Road

Tina waiting for David to finish cleaning her front wheel.

David is in charge of bike maintenance and he is rather fastidious.  This of course is a good thing as a clean bike runs better and the components last longer – there is nothing worse than grit in the drive train wearing it out like sandpaper on soft wood.  As we meet other touring cyclists, more than one has commented on the cleanliness of the bicycles and we have noticed that many don’t really take care of their bikes much.

But we are on the road and one might wonder how he does such a good job.  First, he carries tools for the task – a small container of rubbing alcohol used as a solvent, a few rags, fresh lube for the chain, and a pump.  We also carry other tools for fixing things too, but these are the necessary items for basic maintenance.  Every other day or so he cleans the chain, puts on fresh lube and pumps up the tires.  However, there are times when the bikes need a REAL cleaning.

For instance, imagine the state of the bikes after the day we were stuck in the rain and the mud.  They were a mess.  We did have a chance to hose them off but that just got off the top layer of muck.  That night we stayed in a dumpy motel room, but it had one really nice feature.  It had a bathroom that was large and had a vinyl floor (actually it looked like it hadn’t been touched since 1950 or so).  That evening, while I was at the laundry mat washing all the muddy clothes, David took apart the bikes and washed them in the tub.  After he was done they looked new again – literally. 

In general we both take good care of bicycles – however, being on the road offers new challenges to the process.  I am lucky to have David taking good care of “Tina” as she has taken me over 3300 miles with very few issues and none related to lack of maintenance.  After all, these machines are our lives right now and take care of them we must.  As David says, “Whatever conveys you – take care of it.”

Big Passes in Montana: from Dillon to Jackson and then to Wisdom (September 6 & 7, 2012)

We left Dillon and started upward.

The horse notes our pedal-by.

Stopping to answer the call of nature.

The way we came.

The black and brown horses watched us closely.

Climbing the Big Hole Pass and passing Go.

Ever upward the road goes.

At the top of Big Hole Pass, where the oxygen is thin.

Pata makes it to the top!

She rode, she saw, she conquered. 

Time to rest a bit...climbing is hard work.

Hooray for reaching the top.

Like many signs in Montana, this one is full of bullet holes.

We actually had two passes that day: Badge Pass and then Big Hole Pass.  After Badger Pass there was a delicious downhill and David hit 42 MPH and even I hit 41 MPH -- the fastest I have ever traveled on a bicycle.  It was fun as there was no traffic to speak of and the road was good.

We stayed in Jackson, MT in a tiny cabin at the Jackson Hot Springs Lodge.  It was warm and I was thankful to indoors.

Mountain lion in Jackson Hot Spring Lodge.

Heads of state.

It is freezing out the morning of our departure from Jackson.

A very large bird nesting on top of a pole...leaving Jackson MT on our way to Wisdom Montana.

Pondering the Continental Divide climb tomorrow... 

We then went an easy 18 miles to Wisdom, MT where I was expecting a package at the post office.  (It came that afternoon.)  We are off to ride over the continental divide tomorrow. (YIKES!)