Missoula is HUGE, especially in comparison to all the other little towns we've been in where there is only one street and its called Main. Any population over a couple hundred is now a booming metropolis! Missoula is also home to the Adventure Cycling Association headquarters (they make the trail that we are on now and print the maps and are pretty awesome), and so we stopped by to say hi. It was so cool! They have pictures and stories of other people who have embarked on crazy biking journeys, and even some of the bikes that they rode! It was neat to see the evolution of the group and of the riders over time. Some things are totally different (like the gear of the riders and the kinds of bikes they ride) and other things never change (like the mosquitos in Wyoming and the nice people in Kansas). It really makes me feel connected to the biking community, and part of something greater. I am part of living history! It was so exciting.
We are currently in Idaho, and it is absolutely stunning. We have been roughly following Lewis and Clark's trail through this part of the country, which is super cool. We even visited the only known site that they camped at. It's crazy to think that we are seeing pretty much exactly what they saw 200 years ago! And what they saw was SO beautiful. The road is very scenic; we have been following the rivers that cut through the huge rocky land. They are incredibly clear at times, so that you can see the colored rocks at the bottoms, and swift and powerful at other times, the water foaming white over the jagged rocks. Sometimes when it is super hot outside, I find a good spot and get off my bike and jump in! The cool water is a refreshing break.
Today was one of the most rewarding and beautiful days we have had in a while. We had been climbing for probably 20 miles, and the road just kept going up and up and up, painfully gradual and hot, and when we finally reached the top (you always know it because you start to see warnings for 7% grades and signs reminding trucks to check their brakes; I love those signs!) the rocky walls open up to the most indescribably fantastic view of all of Idaho I've ever seen! You could see the textured terrain for miles and miles. I zoomed down the mountain, 45 miles an hour, my head turning every which way to try to take in as much of the world as I could. I live for those downhills; they never fail to leave me in awe of the immense beauty that the world has to offer.
The count right now I think is 5 flats, 3 tubes, one broken pedal (I had to pedal with one foot for three days so dont be surprised if next time you see me one of my legs is bigger than the other!) and one very sore tushy. And 300 milkshakes! (The best ones are the Huckleberry ones; if you ever come across one I highly suggest you don't pass up the opportunity for a taste sensation that will rock your tongue.) We have crossed the continental divide 7 times, and also have crossed all the time zones (we crossed back into mountain time for a few days but will be crossing back again tomorrow I think). We have ridden across Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, and Idaho. We've battled the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Great Plains, and the Rockies (the Cascades to come!). We've biked through rain, hail, thunderstorms, and heat waves of over a hundred degrees. We have about 8 or 9 days left in the trip, and will be in Oregon tomorrow! I have such mixed feelings about the trip ending. I am so proud to have taken on this adventure, and so sad to see it end (and nervous to have to go back to "real life" and responsibility!) but also so excited for everything ahead in store for me!
Becca
