Montana---"I was determined to stay out of them buffalo robes. Three young and healthy women with no man for who knows how long. The very idea kinda shrunk me like a spider on a hot stove."

When I woke up it was light enough to see that my tent had water droplets all over the netting. I felt the top of my sleeping bag...wet. There were gray, low hanging clouds and they were the culprit, but I didn't care...I had had a wonderful night's sleep. It is amazing how good you can feel when you sleep well. It was, however, cold. We were at 6600', so I put on tights, an extra layer, and socks.


Karen and I rode north along Hebgen Lake and we loved it. We saw osprey, beaver dams, and deer. Yes, there was some climbing, but riding along the Madison River made any climbing worthwhile. I ride in the Pacific NW year round...and believe me when I say that I have ridden in some miserable conditions. But I would ride all of those days all over again to be able to ride a day like today.









I voted that we should have breakfast when we got to Ennis. The vote was unanimous. And in case you were wondering...the town is pronounced as a rhyme for tennis...there are two n's and no...it doesn't rhyme with that. We know that, because we asked the waitress at the Ennis Cafe. The pancakes were delicious, and they just happened to have cinnamon rolls that she said were just as delicious. One "to go" please.





Laura hopped on her bike after breakfast to ride with me and was treated to a nice, long climb. The terrain changed during the day...in the morning we were in trees along the river, with rock outcroppings and later at the foot of the Tobacco Root Mountains that reminded me of Eastern Oregon.


I finished the day with 100.2 miles, an average of 14.7 and 2525' of elevation gain.

Our route had taken us north on Highway 287 through Harrison and then west on Highway 2 to I-90. I had told Karen that we would be going through Missoula. She thought we should stop at Adventure Cycling...their headquarters is there. Their mission? "To inspire and encourage people of all ages to travel by bicycle." She got on her phone and found out that today they were celebrating the Open House of their newly renovated and expanded facility. Party. Serendipity. We were excited to take part and found Adventure Cycling's story and photos phenomenal.








Laura bought maps and a jersey. (We may be planning another adventure...). Karen and I became members. We met other touring cyclists and got our picture taken for their "Wall of Fame". Thank you, Ted, for all that you do as an employee for AC...you are an amiable ambassador for them.

We had to drive another 30 miles or so to get to our overnight stop at Lolo Hot Springs Resort. I kept looking at the terrain on the drive from Missoula to Lolo thinking...this...looks like home...it reminds me of the East Fork of the Lewis River.

Tomorrow we will ride Idaho, and it is going to feel like a rest day to me.

maybe you can't...because you won't...