Weird mix of cringe and good today

The cringe: It started out cold and rainy. Yep, we were prepared, and yes, it was sorta inevitable, but that doesn’t make it fun. We were all wearing rain gear and warm clothes as we slogged through the mud up the first hill.

But then it got worse. Bike traffic was being diverted from the normal route because of a nearby wildfire. And the authorities suggested alternate route was undecipherable by at least four grown men, including a doctor and a guy who works in transportation for a living. We managed to find a way, and it turned out that it took us to a couple of happy accidents.

Accident number one was that we met up again with the cyclists from DC, Bill and Giselle (sorry if I’m butchering that spelling 🙁 ). We had been leapfrogging around them over the last couple of days, but as we were all scratching our heads about the best route to take, we decided to bike together for a while. They really are great folks, and we all paced together into Helena.

Accident number two is that we ended up on the highway, and we really kind of needed it. We were all kind of beat from a couple of days of hard travel, weather, etc. With the six of us, we were able to keep up a good pace without too much effort, and ended up in Helena with plenty of time for a good meal and some much needed rest.

I put on the miles today and linked up with most of the other guys, Greg McFarland, Dean and Chris. My brother, Greg Smith, is still waiting to get clearance from his doctor so he can join us, but he assures me his collarbone is on the mend and he already has a full range of motion.

Today was the least scenic of all the days so far. I was forced to hit the main roads, instead of the beautiful back roads, in an all-out effort to catch up with my comrades. Still, I continue to meet wonderful people and stop at great stores. My lunch was at a gas station with ribs and fresh fruit (the plumbs were excellent). And to think I thought I’d be stuck with jerky and slushies.

Finally back to civilization. Sort of. A local firefighter offered to help me out when I got stuck in a major lightning storm. Really saved my bacon. I got the spare room at his place and then back on the road in the morning. A big plus, a diner the next morning with the largest “scramble” I’ve ever seen. Thank goodness I’m burning tons of calories cycling!

One critical thing about today, I finally put in some miles! Nearly 80. The other guys have been worried that I wouldn’t make the rendezvous, and I love a challenge.

Second day with no cell or internet service. Slept in a tent again tonight on the lawn of a hostel in Polebridge MT. Great very tiny town, with a Saloon, a general store and…. and… that’s about it. Did more miles today, but still not enough to make the meetup point in Seeley up. Let’s hope I pour on the speed in days 3 and 4.

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Left late today, very late, but it was still great. Only about 25 miles, but got a chance to camp out, hang a bear bag, and generally have a good time.

Sunday was a travel day, a bike build day, and a get everything together day before the big ride.