Where does the time go? It's been a beautiful ride these days, with a day off in Missoula, Montana (July 4th) and now a day off in Helena (July 7th) at my friends' Reed and Dody's place. I said goodbye to Tom and Stephanie as they headed back to California yesterday in their van and I'll say good bye to Cathy tomorrow (July 8th) as I head out now on my own, self-contained, with all my gear and four panniers. It's been great!
Here's the recap of what's transpired since the last post.
We left tiny Stanley, population 67, with its 290 days of frost per year. Including the morning of June 29th when we woke up to leave!
We say goodbye to the beautiful Sawtooth Mountains as well.
We arrive in Challis, where we stay at another motel with a soft, warm bed. When we arrive Cathy checks her phone messages (we don't have much cell service except in the small towns). She has a message from someone from the Sunbeam Cafe who says that someone has found my wallet and turned it in at the cafe. We were never in the cafe. They decided since no one came to claim it to take it to the Stanley Police Dept/City Hall. I didn't even know my wallet was missing! Checking my handlebar bag I find that it's not there. Apparently it fell out of my open handlebar bag when I stopped at that dam on the Salmon River to tour around. Someone apparently found it (plus my extra phone battery, notepad and sleeves to my windbreaker) and took it to Sunbeam Cafe. So I called that woman and she said they took everything to the police station in Stanley (some 58 miles back). I called the Police station/city hall and talked to Cari who said yes she had it. So from there I decided the next day I would figure out how to get it back.
In Challis the next morning we had a great breakfast and espressos/cappucini at the Tea Cup Cafe, a very nice place in a very small town (the county seat) but wondered how they managed to stay open in a town of only a thousand people.
There I asked the waitress if there was a UPS location/drop box in town and she told me to see Gary at Kimble Oil, where they could do the UPS. Long story short, after breakfast I go to see Gary at Kimble Oil and after explaining my convoluted story asked if he could do up a label for UPS to pick up my package (wallet, etc) to ship from Stanley to Missoula where we'll be on July 3 and 4 at the Ham fpton Inn. He was a bit confused at first but said that Myla, the UPS lady was just outside loading up a shipment to go on the next leg of the route and I should talk to her. Long story short, I found Myla outside, explained my predicament and she told me that she was going to Stanley and would pick up my package there but to tell Gary to do up a label for Stanley to Missoula and also I should call Cari at City Hall in Stanley and let her know that Myla was coming to pick up the package and to have it ready for her. Also that the package would be trucked to Salmon, Idaho where it would be put on overnight air freight to Missoula and should arrive by the afternoon of July 3. Long story short, I go in and tell Gary, he does up the label, tells me about the time he lost his wallet in Thailand and 6 weeks later his wallet shows up in the mail back in the states with everything in it. I take the label back to Myla and thank her profusely her help. Being relatively assured I'll see my wallet, my drivers license, credit cards and money in Missoula, we go back to the Motel to prepare to depart by bike to North Fork.
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Getting our gear out of the van for the day's ride.
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| Still a dry, rocky terrain. |
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| Yes, give up drugs and alcohol and you may get to kiss a fish. |
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| Just beautiful, stark terrain around every turn. |
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| Another bit of Americana. Where we stopped for lunch at a city park in Salmon, Idaho, the Salmon High School students decorated the walls of the latrine with various trout and salmon. Only in America. |
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| The route we were following were part of the Lewis and Clark expedition trail in 1805 following the acquisition of the territory through the Louisiana Purchase. |
Upon arrival in North Fork, Cathy offers me part of her huckleberry ice cream cone which is delicious after a long hot 80 mile ride. Despite leaving Challis at 10 am we still manage to get to North Fork by 5 pm.
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| Our rooms at the Village at North Fork |
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| Maxing and relaxing with our Black Butte Porter and Moose Drool Ale, although I know the kids don't say that anymore. |
Day 18 - July 2: North Fork, ID to Darby, Montana
Days mileage: 57.6 miles
Distance since Pacific Coast: 894.9 miles
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| Breakfast at the Village Restaurant at North Fork |
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| Getting set to depart |
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| Don't ask me what this strange bit of Americana mailbox is supposed to represent. |
In order to cross into Montana we had to climb over Lost Trail Pass at the border at an elevation of 7,014 feet. And we did!
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| Reaching the summit. |
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| Reaching the summit. |
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| Did they have to put a black bear's ass on the Welcome to Montana sign? |
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| At the Visitors Center between Idaho and Montana, denoting the 7,014 feet elevation |
On the road into Montana.
We finally arrive in Darby, Montana and find that our motel is a real dive run by some very nice and very interesting couple. Upon first inspection the rooms that we were supposed to get were really dark, dismal and dirty but when we hinted about changing motels they offered us upgrades to 2 renovated rooms with king size beds which were acceptable. It turned out to not be such a bad stay, although the walls were thin and Cathy could hear everyone snoring in adjacent room and below us. I slept like a baby however.
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| In front of the Darby Budget Motel. That's my bike and flag on the upstairs balcony. |
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| Enjoying a post ride snack-athon, a daily ritual. |
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| That evening we had a great dinner at the Blue Joint restaurant. And met 2 other touring bikers, father and son, going across from Oregon to Rhode Island on 2 recumbent bikes. |
Day 19 - July 3: Darby, MT to Missoula, MT
Days mileage: 70 miles
Distance since Pacific Coast: 964.9 miles
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| Getting ready to ride after breakfast at Debs Restaurant in downtown Darby. Sign in the bathroom reads "I like to come in here. It's the only place I know what I'm doing." |
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| Reaching Missoula, Montana! |
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| We visit the Adventure Cycling Association HQ and are put on their Wall of Fame. |
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| In front of the Adventure Cycling Assoc. HQ |
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And having a great dinner with our good friends Reed (whom I've known since 1966) and his lovely wife Dody at the Iron Horse Restaurant in Missoula. Great dinner!
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Oh and guess what????
My package was at the Hotel when I arrived! And my wallet with my drivers license, credit cards and all my money ($51) was intact. And my sleeves and extra phone battery! It's nice to know there are honest people in the world still! I am so lucky.
Day 20 - July 4: Rest day in Missoula, MT
Days mileage: 0
Distance since Pacific Coast: 964.9 miles
We spend a nice leisurely 4th of July in Missoula, stocking up on provisions at REI and the grocery store, having a nice lunch with Reed and Dody at a Vietnamese restaurant and another nice dinner at the Montana Club, across from our Hampton Inn. A great and restful day.
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| Reed turned 60 years old recently and has trouble remembering which one is his wife. |
Day 21 - July 4: Missoula, MT to Lincoln, MT
Days mileage: 83.9 miles
Distance since Pacific Coast: 1048.8 miles: I surpass 1,000 miles!
We have a breakfast at the Hampton Inn with Reed and Dody.
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| And breakfast before we take off. |
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| Tom and Stephanie sporting their secret jerseys for the first time. Nice. |
35 miles east of Missoula I surpass the 1,000 mile milestone! It's a great feeling.
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| My odometer reading 1000 miles (1,600 km) |
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| Tom and Steph at their 1,000 mile milestone. Awww. |
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| On the way, we stop in Ovando to have lunch at Trixi's with Reed and Dody and a moose. The bison burger was very tasty. |
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| Entrance to Trixi's. |
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| Our rooms at the Lincoln Hotel were very western, and the hotel was all log cabinish. |
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| Hanging out and shooting the breeze on the porch of the Lincoln Hotel. |
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| Not really sure what we were doing in this photo before our dinner in Lincoln. |
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| July 5th is Reed and Dody's 17th wedding anniversary and we got to spend it with them and a nice dinner in Lincoln. |
Day 21 - July 6: Lincoln, MT to Helena, MT
Days mileage: 56.3 miles
Distance since Pacific Coast: 1,105.1 miles
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| Getting ready to leave Lincoln |
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| On the road again, I just can't wait to get on the road again... |
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| Beautiful vistas approaching the Continental Divide. |
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| We make it up and over the Continental Divide at Fleshers Pass! |
We wend our way down the long steep descent and across an expansive valley until we finally arrive in Helena and make our way to Reed/Dody's apartment where we shower and are welcomed with a wonderful grilled salmon lunch. MMmmmmm!
But unfortunately I now had to say good bye to my good friends Tom and Stephanie who must drive back to Martinez, California and enjoy their granddaughter's 3rd birthday. I will miss their companionship, their laughs, Tom's technical expertise and Steph's team photography. I hope to share the road with them again sometime soon.
I will take a rest day on July 7th and then continue on my own as I will say goodbye to my angel Cathy too who will fly back to Madison on Wednesday. I will miss her greatly and her warm smile, and continuous supply of water and snacks. Now I must carry all my gear and venture forth solo. Wish me luck!
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Happy Trails to all!
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