Coasting UpHill

I had the blessing of riding through part of Yellowstone NP on day 21 of my ride. Day 20 was a hard day on the legs so I planned on taking my time and relaxing during the ride. The beauty of the park is hard to describe. I also had a perfect day! Blue skys…

It was bound to happen… Yep when I spent time planning this trip, looking at maps and weather, reading info about this part of the TransAmerica Trail, watching videos,  I knew there was a good chance for lots of days with headwinds.  So far I have had snow, hail, rain, clouds, and sun.  I have…

While getting coffee in a Wisdom MT convienence store  a couple days ago we meant an older guy Who was sitting at a small table. It kind of looked like he spent most of his mornings there. He goes by the name of “Badger Bob “. He’s a lifelong resident of the area and a…

One of the verses I have been spending time as I ride is 2 Timothy 4:7 ESV “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  While I know Paul is writing to Timothy that he expects his (Paul’s) life to be over soon and is encouraging Timothy……

Yep this was another day to cross a mountain pass.  This would be my highest elevation while cycling.  I had other days with more total climbing but I now started to notice the elevation impacts on breathing.  We started at 3820’ in the morning and crossed the pass at 7,267’. It’s good training for the…

For the most part it was an easy day.  We rode from our Warm Showers Hosts home (more on this below) to another hosts home in Darby MT on a paved bike route.  We did have about 14 miles on a back road that provided some awesome views of the Bitterroot Mountains.   Other than…

After 15 days of riding there are some things I have learned I thought I would share… Mountains look bigger on the map and in the distance but once you start up them it’s not so bad. Take breaks and keep going. Subaru drivers are the most courteous when passing cyclists. So far, as a…

The distance between Lowell, ID and Missoula, MT was a bit too much for one day as it also includes a mountain pass that is over 5100’ above sea level. So we decided to break up the distance and do 65 miles of gradual climbing and stay at Lochsa Lodge.  We would be riding beside…

13 days into the ride life has become an interesting routine. It is simplistic in some ways with basic goals like eating enough calories, riding enough miles, dealing with sun, rain, elevation gain, elevation loss, and wind. Also where can I sleep at the end of the day, where can I get water and how…

Living  out of the saddlebags on my bike and refilling with food and water along the way has given me a greater appreciation for those who settled this land. I almost feel like an explorer.  Except, they didn’t have smooth roads, coffee shops, motels or campsites when they arrived, laundry facilities or well made maps.…