Tag: Montana

NR15: ACA Headquarters, Missoula MT

I slowly wake this morning, fully up around 6:30AM. It’s just too nice laying there in my tent. Salmon Lake S.P. is one great stopover for cylists – don’t miss it. We make our way south 7 miles to the nearest restaurant. Cold this morning, but not as bad as the previous 2 days. Still, the heavy gloves stay on for most of the spin. Unfortunately, the Stoney’s Lounge restaurant does not open until noon, so we must resort to the adjacent c-store for coffee and stale nibbles. We’ve run into a fair number of closed businessses this tour so

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NR14: Salmon Lake S. P.

Cold this morning! My lousy tent position created a slanted and lumpy floor last night. I kept ending up in a side corner and woke up very early, still yawning. It surprised me to find Phil and Jack up and packing at 6:30AM. Alas, we find the nearby Swan Lake Cafe closed and for sale. There is a general store slated to open at 8AM, but Jack and Phil don’t want to wait for it. A Starbucks doubleshot works out OK for my breakfast, and while I fiddle with it Jack and Phil take off. They seem impatient this morning

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NR13: NW Montana

Wow – sure is cold this morning. Might even be pushing into the 30s! I’d hoped we were all done with that. The condensation on my tent walls turns my hands into frozen blocks rolling it up. Around 7AM we roll out to a nearby general store. The wind chill on our hands made it all the more wicked. In chatting with the proprietor, we applaud the great bike lane in this section of US2, and he indicates that area businesses have ponied up the money for it over many years. Jack and I have been discussing today’s route. Our

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NR12: Logan Pass

Up at 6, and we’re all ready to go by 7. We’ve had something like 14 hours of luxurious sleep, and I think we’re keyed up to get riding. This route up Logan Pass is an anticipated treat for all of us. Jack and I had estimated today’s ride to be 36 miles while planning way back in Sparwood, but somehow we flubbed. It’ll be more like 55. At least it’s some consolation that we’re actually going up the pass the “easy” way, from the east. Should be around 2500′ climb for us, but it would be 3500′ from the

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NR11: Entrance to Glacier NP

Phil’s snoring solidly this morning around 5AM. That guy was tired! And I probably did the same! He finally stops and I go back to sleep until 7:30AM. I’m actually a little sore from the ride yesterday but not too bad. With no wifi, I mindlessly watch the one channel on TV: Sesame Street. The three of us convene for breakfast across the street at the cafe here in Babb. As planned a few days ago in Sparwood, the ride today is a scant 10 miles to Glacier National Park, and thus we’ll get in some rest. We need it! We’ll start

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NR10: Bison Liason

I unzip the tent fly early this morning to see a deer strolling by our site. Jack’s immune to them since they’re always in his back yard, but I still get a thrill.  Maybe he thinks javelina are neat. Phil is unusually still asleep this morning as Jack and I are folding up tents, but minutes later he’s out, dressed, and folding his own.  That guy moves fast. Our maps suggest there are few provisions out on the route today, so our first stop is a c-store. We head south out of town on 6. A tiny tailwind aids our

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