30 June Wednesday Harlem, MT – Malta, MT

Starting Point: Harlem, MT
Ending Point: Malta, MT
Via: Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, Dodson, Wagner
Mileage: 47.5
Time: 4:17
Mph: 11.1
Terrain: flat
Vertical climbing: 87 feet – almost perfectly flat!
Temperature High: 82
Temperature Low: 71
Lunch: PB&J sandwich, turkey/cheese sandwich, banana
Dinner: restaurant
Weather: cloudy, some tailwind
Lodging: Edgewater Inn
Cumulative Mileage: 1,023
Miles to Go: 3,377
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days completed: 24 including 2 rest days (27%)
Distance Completed: 23%
Days to Go: 64

This video is of a bird seen just west of Malta, Montana. There is another bird in the video that can't be seen, but can be heard. It is flying around not far from my bike in what seems to be a warning mode. In about 5 different wetland areas today there were these birds who would get upset that I was passing by. Any help identifying this bird would be helpful!!

    
Here is a still picture of that same bird.


Yesterday evening should well have been a warning about the state of mosquitoes in this part of Montana. One thing I couldn’t write about last night was how voracious they were. At one point in the evening a very strong wind came up and it seemed to threaten to bring a storm with it. It seemed like a good idea to go and sit on a bench just outside the closed library in order to do a blog posting. Things were fine as long as the wind was blowing. As it stopped, mosquitoes came out in swarms and were trying to get to my hands and face, so I couldn’t type properly. After typing every word, a swat was necessary to try and chase them away.
     Today was a battle with them from the second I stepped out of the tent. During the ride I thought that if I could ride fast enough it would be possible to escape them. No such luck. It became necessary to wear long pants, a bug net over my helmet and a jacket that has so far proven impervious to mosquitoes. Fortunately it wasn’t 90 degrees out.
     In the evening we were scheduled to eat at a restaurant and I went bicycling into town to locate it. I made the mistake of asking a couple walking their dog where The Hitchin’ Post was. They didn’t know, but what they did want to know was how my recumbent was to ride. Further I told them that I was biking across the country. This all meant that they had a bunch of questions. It also meant that my legs were exposed and any mosquito within a quarter of a mile was headed my way. It was absolutely necessary to get moving because I was being swarmed.
     Tomorrow will be much the same I fear.

29 June Tuesday Havre, MT – Harlem, MT

Starting Point: Havre, MT
Ending Point: Harlem, MT
Via: Chinook, Zurich
Mileage: 44.4   
Time: 4:59
Mph: 8.9
Terrain: mostly flat
Vertical climbing: 213 feet (it’s getting to the point of such flatness that it’s almost not worth reporting)
Temperature High: 94
Temperature Low: 82
Lunch: PB&J sandwich, smoothie
Dinner: sautéed chicken breast with potatoes and veggies, salad, watermelon
Weather: brightly sunny, headwind
Lodging: Harlem Town Park
Cumulative Mileage: 976
Miles to Go: 3,424
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days completed: 23 including 2 rest days (26%)
Distance Completed: 22%
Days to Go: 65

     The temperature was already over 80° at 8:15 when we rolled onto Route 2 East for the next adventure. As I rolled along what was left of the main street in town, I fruitlessly searched for a coffee place to get some caffeinated iced drink to begin the day. It was “only” 20 miles to the next town and I thought it wouldn’t be at all difficult to wait until then. I hadn’t counted on the inevitable presence of headwinds. We were making such good progress until today.
     By the time I got to Chinook I was fairly well depleted – exhausted and thirsty. Bikini Coffee was right where I had remembered it from 2007 and it was still owned by the same friendly woman. The name of the little coffee shop is misleading: there isn’t nor were there ever any bikinis visible. Rolling into the little parking lot brought back strong positive memories of the last time as I rolled in with Kevin and Bruce. I wondered where they were right at that time of the morning.
     It was way too hot to have any sort of hot coffee drink and I was hoping that a smoothie with fruit might be a better idea.
     The terrain of the ride changed again today. As we left Havre, we rode along the Milk River and instead of finding huge tracts of grasslands with views far into the distance we saw many tree stands sprouting up. Beyond the tree stands were the endless flat plains, but along this stretch the trees that broke up the monotony of the view were prominent.
     When the temperature gets this hot, my primary focus is getting to the end of the ride, getting out of the sun and getting cooled off. At one point along the way there were some interesting looking birds that seemed to be preparing to dive-bomb me. They had long beaks and my guess was that they were either Marbled Godwits or American Avocets. I really did want to take a photo, but it was too hot to stop. This is the “down-side” to bicycling in extreme heat. I’m banking on the idea that there will be more of them elsewhere.
     In Harlem there were enough cyclists assembled together in the same place to call the location a tent city. In a brief conversation with Mitch, who is bicycling across the US with his son to Connecticut, I remarked that it was just like Woodstock except that there was no music. Mitch added, “And no mud.” And my last addition, “yeah, and no drugs.” We agreed that except for those things this was just like Woodstock.
     At the campground were two guys, Sean and Dave, who were bicycling across the US to the East Coast as well and raising awareness of the importance of organ donation. Two days ago in Chester a guy, Derrick, had given me a green wristband to wear that says, “Donate Life.” That wristband was given to Derrick by Sean. He expressed great approval of my wearing it.
Harlem is a very small town (population: 848 according to Adventure Cycling) and everything, except the supermarket, closes at 4pm. So to seek shelter from the heat and be able to have at least the remote possibility of having a coherent thought I set up my computer desk on top of a washer in the Laundromat across the street from where we are camping.
     I’m seriously considering leaving extremely early tomorrow to try and avoid the heat of the day.

Date: 28 June Monday Chester, MT – Havre, MT

Starting Point: Chester, MT
Ending Point: Havre, MT
Via: Joplin, Inverness, Rudyard, Hingham, Gildford, Kremlin
Mileage: 64.4   
Time: 5:08
Mph: 12.5
Terrain: mostly flat with a good bunch of small hills
Vertical climbing: 573 feet
Temperature High: 88
Temperature Low: 65
Lunch: PB&J sandwich
Dinner: sautéed chicken breast in sherry sauce, tomato and cucumber salad, rice pudding and chocolate pudding
Weather: brightly sunny, some tailwind
Lodging: Montana State University Northern Dorms
Cumulative Mileage: 931
Miles to Go: 3,469
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days completed: 22 including 2 rest days (25%)
Distance Completed: 21%
Days to Go: 66

     Today is my day to cook with Andrew, so I bypassed any side trips to museums and the like. I did stop in two taverns to get a diet Coke to cool off. Since there was less wind today the sun was much hotter. All reports say that tomorrow will be hotter still.


Those mountains in the distance that I mentioned on a different dayactually have a name that I found out today: Sweet Grass Mountains. Compare this view with the previous one.

     Staying in the dormitories is relatively comfortable though down the hall are students in for basketball and football training. They play their music rather loud and their doors are open. As you might imagine, they’re not playing Verdi.


A town upcoming in the distance. You can just make out the water towers.


     Both Andrew and I were called upon to exceed our usual efforts in cooking. The kitchen was filthy. There were dirty dishes piled up in the sink. All surfaces had food remnants on them. The fridge had food from the Pleistocene Era. The floor, which was unfortunately carpeted, had stains and food everywhere. The trash can was overflowing with what looked like some sort of new life form evolving and just about ready to leap out. So Andrew put in a superhuman effort to make the facility useful for us without having to worry about whether we contract salmonella. To be fair, I have to admit that the situation reminded me of my own college days though not with any sense of nostalgia.

27 June Sunday Cut Bank, MT – Chester, MT

Starting Point: Cut Bank, MT
Ending Point: Chester, MT
Via: Ethridge, Shelby, Dunkirk, Devon, Galata, Lothair
Mileage: 67.4   
Time: 5:28
Mph: 12.3
Terrain: mostly flat with some hills
Vertical climbing: 519 feet
Temperature High: 84
Temperature Low: 64
Lunch: cheese sandwich, hash browns, toast, banana
Dinner: Frito Pie with Chili, salad, pie
Weather: brightly sunny, some tailwind
Lodging: Town Park
Cumulative Mileage: 867
Miles to Go: 3,533
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days completed: 21 including 2 rest days (24%)
Days to Go: 67

     Today started pretty much like yesterday ended. There was a gentle tailwind that was possibly gentler than yesterday’s. I was hoping that, since it was Sunday morning, there wouldn’t be much traffic.


On the left is a photo of our campground in Glacier National Park. Dan and Dan are onlookers as the old woodsman from Maine plies his trade of hot dog roasting


That was a vain hope as it turned out. Route 2 in this part of Montana follows the railroad mile for mile. Plenty of freight trains passed by and I saw only 1 passenger train.

     Every few miles I would check behind me to see if the mountains were still visible. 


The view to the north of Route 2.


As we got furtheraway from Cut Bank, they became fainter of course.
     I did stop in Shelby because I saw 2 bicycles in front of the only open restaurant in town. It was a bit early for the second breakfast ritual so a simple order of hash browns seemed sensible. The server was extremely busy so she never brought silverware for me. At one point she finally came over and saw that there was a set right in front of Giovanni. She asked me if I would like to use that set. To further encourage me she continued, “See, he hasn’t even spit on it.” That was the deciding factor for sure and thus I had silverware.

     As we progressed eastward, the views of the distant land expanded. It seemed like we could see 30-40 miles in any direction. This character of the plains can be boring in a car, but it is striking on a bicycle. The limit of view or the horizon was at least 2 hours away for me. Along the way to the horizon there was plenty to see: wheat fields, grassy fields, purple flowers, various birds, grain elevators, trains, and distant mountains to the north. Every town has at least 1 grain elevator. Most of them have water towers with the town name embossed on it. There were some grain elevators that looked fairly ancient; these were made of view.

     By the time I got to Galata, it was time for lunch. It was also time to find some shade to get out of the burning sun. The shade I found wasn’t much better than that which I found in Minnesota beside a stop sign. This shade was provided by the gas pump at a closed gas station. There were about 6 inches of refreshing shade.
     About 15 miles outside of Chester, Joe caught up to me. By this time I was almost out of water so to pass the time and forget a bit about thirst and since we both had had our fill for today of distant views and waving grain we had an impromptu French lesson.     We went over some of the more common irregular French verbs in the present tense. The miles just melted away as we wrestled with form and spelling. Tomorrow will be the quiz.

     By the time I arrived in Chelsea, the bank thermometer said that it was 88°. The sun was bright and intense. There was a supermarket in town that was open. It had a “15% discount on everything” sign out front. So I purchased 3 drinks and proceeded to drink one of them at a table set up in the store. The owner asked if there was anything else I needed; I mentioned that one hour in the walk-in freezer would be nice. As I sat there drinking my sport drink, he came over with 2 soft-serve ice cream cones and said, “This should cool you off.”



Joe, our indefatigable leader, putting up with way more than any leader should at breakfast

26 June Saturday East Glacier, MT – Cut Bank, MT

Starting Point: East Glacier, MT
Ending Point: Cut Bank, MT
Via: Browning
Mileage: 47.2   
Time: 3:22
Mph: 14
Terrain: mostly flat and generally downhill from East Glacier
Vertical climbing: 681 feet
Temperature High: 77
Temperature Low: 55
Lunch: ham& cheese sandwich, pear
Dinner: Chicken Wraps with veggies
Weather: brightly sunny, tail wind
Lodging: Riverview RV Park & Campground
Cumulative Mileage: 799
Miles to Go: 3,601
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days completed: 20 including 2 rest days (23%)
Days to Go: 68

    


Our hardy group of adventurers on the way out of Glacier National Park.    


This is the first day that riding felt easy. A tail wind definitely helps and a general downhill trend completes the helpful duet. Since the beginning of the ride I’ve been able to raise $31,610 on the road which puts me at $1,954 away from my $250,000 goal for my 15 years of fund-raising.     &nbspThe generosity of people on the road is striking and inspirational. They’ve given not just pledges, but food, places to stay, water and just all-around friendliness and helpfulness. They’ve given not just to me but to virtually all the members of our group in one way or another. So all of this combined makes for a very positive attitude on my part.
     Remember: pledging happens at http://pledgejohn.lungne.org

     Today’s ride was very rapid and with every mile the mountains gradually disappeared and what were left were wheat fields and other cultivated areas that were of indeterminate crop. Some vague tiny mountains appeared in the distance. Beef cattle and horses were pretty much the only visible animals. Some marshy areas had birds that were not happy as I biked through. A couple did buzz my head quite closely.

Last clear view of the Rockies.

     Today almost feels like a rest day since it went by so quickly. Tomorrow we get back on track with the regularly planned route. We are 2 days ahead of schedule right now, so we’re banking those for a rainy day.


The Oncoming Prairie

25 June Friday Essex, MT – East Glacier, MT

Starting Point: Essex, MT
Ending Point: East Glacier, MT
Via:
Mileage: 35.3   
Time: 4:06
Mph: 8.6
Terrain: mountainous with one pass (Mariahs Pass 5,254)
Vertical climbing: 1,482 feet
Temperature High: 74
Temperature Low: 62
Lunch: cheese/hummus and PB&J sandwiches, apple
Dinner:
Weather: sunny
Lodging: Y Lazy-R Campground
Cumulative Mileage: 752
Miles to Go: 3,648
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days to Go: 69

Our hosts at the RV Park prepared for us a fine breakfast buffet of breakfast burritos, coffee, cereal and fruit. This was an especially wonderful gift seeing as there was no food to buy at the store the previous evening. Today would be our last “official” day in the Rocky Mountains. Already the prairie is very visible to the east; there were even a few spots along the way down from the pass where the aroma of sage was detectible.

The Middle Fork of the Flathead River with Mountain view

The last time I passed this way I never knew about the mountain goat viewing spot. Finding them made me wish I had brought really good binoculars. Realistically, however, that would be even more weight. So the pictures I was able to will be as close as I (and you, by extension) can get.

Even though the East Glacier area seems much less visited than the western part, it is still stunningly beautiful with the road snaking through narrow mountain gaps.


The Middle Fork of the Flathead River runs alongside

and snakes along as well.



Mariahs Pass View


We’re coming to the end of our shorter days and will be back on the normal 50-70 miles days beginning the day after tomorrow from Cut Bank, MT. Personally it is encouraging that we’re done with mountains and passes for a while.

24 June Thursday Apgar, Glacier National Park – Essex, MT

Starting Point: Apgar Glacier National Park, MT
Ending Point: Essex, MT
Via: West Glacier
Mileage: 29   
Time: 3:45
Mph: 7.7
Terrain: mountainous
Vertical climbing: 1,225 feet
Temperature High: 73
Temperature Low: 65
Lunch: avocado/cheese/hummus sandwich
Dinner: ravioli, huckleberry pie
Weather: sunny
Lodging: Glacier Haven RV Park
Cumulative Mileage: 717
Miles to Go: 3,683
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days to Go: 70

     As expected, when we awoke there would be no announcement, no reveille and 21-gun salute to let us know that Logan Pass was open. We won’t go into Canada until about August 12th now. It’s not that the eastern part of the national park isn’t lovely, it is. It’s just that we wanted strongly to be able to get a rest day in Waterton and enjoy all that that little town has to offer. We went almost as far as Essex where we stayed in a new RV park.
     Going along Route 2 East one gets an alternate view of the high peaks of Glacier National Park. There is a fairly high river running in the same direction of the highway.

The wildlife I was able to see was most likely an elk. From a distance it saw me approaching and, as always, as I dismounted the bike to get out the camera, it scampered or rather bounded back into the woods.


In the lap of luxury at Glacier Haven Campground in Essex, MT



     The road runs through a fairly deep valley and thus there are mountains hovering over covered with pine trees of several types. River rafting busses were busy shuttling clients and rafts back and forth on the road. At around 1pm I stopped at a bar to get my customary diet Coke and eat lunch. There were 3 motorcyclists outside the bar who watched as I pulled up. As I was passing them to get inside, one proposed the idea that I must get really good mileage. These days my answer I is a little understated: I said that I get 75 miles/sandwich. It’s really more like 40.
     The RV Park where we stayed and the café alongside is run by a family with 3 generations sharing all the various jobs. The children help out during meals taking dessert and coffee orders, bussing tables and just looking cute in general. The huckleberry pie does rival, admittedly, the berry pies of Moody’s Diner of Waldoboro, ME.

     The walls of the café were covered with elk heads, deer heads, lynx (in entirety), a bear skin and other trophies successfully hunted by Randy, the owner. He had plenty of stories about his hunting experiences. He seemed to especially enjoy the one where he came face to face with a grizzly bear.  As the son relates it, the bear saw his dad and the bear saw the pepper spray and just hightailed it out of there.


Pinnacle View along the way up to the secret outlook which we didn't reach. Joe tried after dinner and came upon a mountain lion running away from him fortunately.


There were stories about he and a ranger worked with rubber bullets and loud noises to hassle a mama grizzly enough so that she would run anytime she saw a human. He described how we could get to a really excellent vantage point to get a view of a huge waterfall. The directions were a little vague but I tried both walking there and cycling there with Andrew. In the first case I had to get back to camp because it looked like it was going to rain. In the second, we ran out of time. Randy, the hunter, warned me to not go alone. “When you’re out there hunting, you’re being hunted, too.” So around every bend I expected either a rabid moose or a really angry bear to come running by. The woods were quiet though.
     Dinner with Randy and Julie was very much a home-style affair with burgers for the carnivores and spinach/mozzarella ravioli for the vegetarian (me). It was the best ravioli I’ve had in a while. We all had wonderful huckleberry lemonade that looked more like a marguerita without the alcohol.
Though our distance today was miniscule, we had another chance to enjoy our second-to-last day in the Rockies before moving on to the vast prairies.

23 June Wednesday West Glacier, MT – Apgar, Glacier National Park

Starting Point: West Glacier, MT
Ending Point: Apgar, Glacier National Park
Via:
Mileage: 5.4
Time: :37
Mph: 8.8
Terrain: flat and downhill
Vertical climbing: 42 feet
Temperature High: 70
Temperature Low: 60
Lunch: veggie wrap, fries
Dinner: beans & turkey franks, salad, s’mores
Weather: sunny
Lodging: Apgar Glacier National Park Campground
Cumulative Mileage: 688
Miles to Go: 3,712
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days to Go: 71

     Today is basically an unscheduled rest day with a chance to walk around the park a little, sleep, write, read, sleep and do nothing. That is what my agenda looks like anyway. Our campsite is in the National Park with close proximity to Lake McDonald and Apgar Visitor Center.


A visitor to our campsite. I'll wager a gray Jay and await verification from my bird expert.

     This just in: after nearly two weeks of checking and pleading with the park rangers to let us cross over Logan Pass, we won't be allowed to do so. The pass is still closed so we will go toward Essex tomorrow then on to East Glacier and Cut Bank. This will cut out Waterton Park which is extremely disappointing and Cardston (the home of Faye Raye of King Kong fame).


Lake McDonald with the ever elusive Logan Pass nearby.

22 June Tuesday Whitefish, MT – West Glacier, MT

Starting Point: Whitefish, MT
Ending Point: West Glacier, MT
Via: Columbia Falls
Mileage: 28.9   
Time: 3:17
Mph: 8.8
Terrain: hilly
Vertical climbing: 739 feet
Temperature High: 72
Temperature Low: 57
Lunch: cheese and hummus sandwich, tomato, cherries, dried fruit
Dinner: tacos, chocolate cake
Weather: sunny   
Lodging: Glacier Campground
Cumulative Mileage: 683
Miles to Go: 3,718
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days to Go: 72

     Knowing ahead of time that a day is going to be makes that day seem so much shorter. The group had all agreed at dinner last evening that we would leave later today. This would give us a chance to get to the last bike shop for a while, go to the post office, relax at a café, and so forth. My goal was to catch up on 4 days of blogging and posting. I’m still optimistic that there is more stuff I can mail home to lighten my load.

     We have been checking for days with the National Park Service to see if Logan Pass was open so that we could continue our route to Waterton Park in Alberta. Our plan is to get as close as possible to Logan Pass so that we can get up early enough to start bicycling at sunrise. This would give us the opportunity to be at the top in time for the park’s curfew for bicycles. They can’t be on the way up between 11am and 4pm. We’re still awaiting word about the pass.


Our first view of what we were missing in the rain

     Today’s weather is such a stark contrast to that of yesterday. Sunny and warm with not much wind were the highlights. The side road to West Glacier is much more bike-friendly than the main drag. The road is so filled with RVs, cars, shuttles, busses and trucks that we bicyclists are driven away.
     This short day and tomorrow should give me the requisite energy to make it up the pass in good time if we get the chance.

21 June Monday Eureka, MT – Whitefish, MT

Starting Point: Eureka, MT
Ending Point: Whitefish, MT
Via: Trigo
Mileage: 28.9   
Time: 4:10
Mph: 6.9
Terrain: mountainous
Vertical climbing: 1,300 feet
Temperature High: 55
Temperature Low: 47
Lunch: PB&J sandwich, pea soup
Dinner: rice and veggies, homemade cheesecake and rhubarb torte
Weather: rain, heavy at times
Lodging: Downtowner Hotel
Cumulative Mileage: 654
Miles to Go: 3,746
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days to Go: 73

     Almost immediately after exiting the campground and following the official ACA map to Whitefish, I found the road to begin ascending in a most inhuman fashion. The other two times leaving Eureka we stayed on the main road and it was challenging without a doubt, but this back road was much worse. Further along the way there were a couple of cattle grates to cross to add to the fun.
By the time I got to Fortine (rhymes with more-fine) the rain had done its job helping me get hypothermic again, so I thought that it might be possible to find a laundromat in town to get everything dried off. The postmaster at the not-to-tiny post office said there was one in Trigo just a few miles away. I discovered, upon returning to my bike, that I had a flat tire. I walked out of the center of “town” to get on the main road to see about catching a ride with someone. As I walked out of town, I recognized a small building that had been a restaurant and ice cream stand across the street. There were no identifying signs but there were people inside so I walked over to check if there was anything to eat. The main person there related that it was not open yet but should be in a week’s time. He asked if there was anything he could help me do. The list I gave to him was fairly long. It included fixing a flat, providing hot food and giving me a ride to Whitefish. He was willing and happy to help with the flat. That was probably the best part. When I get hypothermic my hands don’t function very well as they get frozen. So we worked on finding the puncture. I couldn’t find the spare tube so I was forced to repair the damaged one. At least as of this writing, the air is still in it.
     They were setting up the place as a new business called On the Fly which would replace the business that was there before. This new owner had some stories about the previous one. It seemed that he had never been inspected and had been working under the “radar” for many years. It wasn’t until the Town Manager stopped by and noticed how filthy the place was and asked if the store was legal. It also came to light that the previous owner had a penchant for closing the store anytime he accumulated $20. Rumor had it that he would then go to the nearest casino and gamble with it.
     The store had a microwave and it was a very happy turn of events that I was able to use the dehydrated pea soup mixture (that I had just started carrying this morning) and make warm soup to warm me up from the inside out.

     According to them, there was no place to dry clothes in Trigo, so I was happy that I hadn't plodded all that distance.



Kate Cunningham, our inimitable co-leader, leaves today to lead another tour for Adventure Cycling. Out thanks goes out to her as do our good wishes.



     Finally everything was in place for me to leave and he offered to drive me to Trigo where he needed to buy some metal parts. With the rain as it was, I wasn’t going to turn him down. We hurtled past the destination of which he had spoken and he said he would drop me off the Stillwater Bar. I gleefully agreed. That put me within 14 miles of Whitefish.

     In the evening we had a friend of Joe’s, Laurie, cook for us. She made an out-of-this-world cheesecake with Oreo crust. Today was the day that Kate, our co-leader helping Joe get started was to leave to go lead her own tour.


A Celebratory Indoor Dinner with Laurie Presiding

20 June Sunday Libby, MT – Eureka, MT

Starting Point: Libby, MT
Ending Point: Eureka, MT
Via: Rexford
Mileage: 72
Time: 10:46
Mph: 6.7
Terrain: mountainous
Vertical climbing: 2,320 feet
Temperature High: 65
Temperature Low: 52
Lunch: cheese and hummus sandwich, PB&J sandwich, dried fruit
Dinner: vegetable stew
Weather: partly cloudy, then T-storms
Lodging: Riverside Park
Cumulative Mileage: 625
Miles to Go: 3,775
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days to Go: 74

     I knew this day would be long due to both distance and terrain. I hadn’t expected to be on the road for 12 hours, however! In the morning I was struggling to get out of camp by 8am with the hope that that would have had a positive effect on my arrival time in camp. That turned out to be in vain.

     The highlight of day, of course, is Libby Dam and Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway. You might notice the strange sound of the name which might tempt one to think that it is a First Peoples’ word. It’s actually the result of a naming contest from when the dam was being constructed combining Kootenai, Canada and USA. It is a vast lake with roads that follow the shoreline closely on both sides.
     In our daily map meeting we discussed the feasibility of riding on the east vs. the west side. According to the Adventure Cycling maps, the west side was hillier and 5 miles farther. The debate outcome was a so-called “no-brainer” for me. Enough hills already and I sure didn’t really need more miles.
The east side was no picnic either. There were incessant climbs which, as usual, proved my undoing. There was one point at which I was so exhausted that I was practically falling off the bike because of falling asleep. I finally decided to stop and rest for a bit. I pulled over in a turnout, took out my sandwich container (a 2-compartment Tupperware™), turned it over, put it on the ground and lie down using it as a pillow and fell asleep for about 20 minutes on the asphalt. That helped a good bit. Not long after waking up as I was riding along, I spotted a deer up ahead. When I caught up to it, it was already half-hidden in the trees along the side of the road. With it was an added bonus: another deer. As I rolled by extremely slowly (it was an uphill -- what a surprise), they just stood and stared at me. So I thought that if I could just stop the bike and dismount quietly I could get their picture. No sooner had I stopped when the next I saw of them were their white tails bobbing up and down running away.
     There were no services or no water after Libby Dam so the only hope of sustenance was in greater metropolitan Rexford (pop. 151). After the west side road rejoined the east side there was still a substantial distance to go before that town. It was at that point that the thunderstorms started. At first there was only distant thunder, but it didn’t take long for sky-filling lightning bolts to appear. That situation is one that I’ve never fully solved. It would make no sense to stop out here in the middle of nowhere to wait out an indeterminately long storm, but it is also very unsafe to be biking when there is lightning. At one point, Dolores passed me. She was about ½a half mile ahead of me when a lightning bolt appeared. I would have sworn that it was headed for her. But she is still with us as am I.
     Arriving in Rexford, I recognized the place (Mariner’s Haven) where we camped in 2004 and wondered why we hadn’t stopped here. I was out of water and food basically so I had to find the “center” of town to see if something would be open on Sunday evening.
     There was one place: some steakhouse. As I walked in there were a younger man and a woman sitting at a table I was passing. He asked how the riding was. We had a brief conversation and he warned me that the menu was pretty much hamburgers, steak, fried steak, sirloin steak, hot dogs and prawns. He also warned me to not bother asking for a menu as the only things available were the above-mentioned carnivore delights. I was able to have a pile (literally) of curly fries. The service was a little under par (probably in the -3 star range): I had to ask for a napkin (I was brought a pile of paper towels), I had to request a glass for “pop” and I had to request a fork.
     After eating as much as I could stomach, I went back outside and had further conversations with the two younger people. We agreed that the place was a vegetarian’s nightmare. When I told them that I ended up eating curly fries, the guy, Mike, said I could have eaten theirs. They were both very friendly and warm. What lacked for physical nutrition in the steakhouse was more than made up for in the fine conversation we had. The woman with Mike expressed a great liking for the fish sock on one of my flag poles.
     With a warm belly, filled water bottles and a refreshed spirit I was able to manage the rest of the way to Eureka. There were no more thunderstorms at least.

19 June Saturday Heron, MT – Libby, MT

Starting Point: Heron, MT
Ending Point: Libby, MT
Via: Troy
Mileage: 51.4   
Time: 6:27
Mph: 8
Terrain: hilly
Vertical climbing: 811 feet
Temperature High: 84
Temperature Low: 55
Lunch: cheese and turkey sandwich, BBQ beans, cole slaw
Dinner: rice with veggies
Weather: sunny
Lodging: 2 Bit RV Park
Cumulative Mileage: 553
Miles to Go: 3,847
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days to Go: 75

     It was a long ride along the Bull River from Heron. This road was nestled in between two mountains chains it seemed. The most impressive of these were the snow-capped Cabinet Mountains which were visible for miles. There were a lot of wet lands that would have been perfect habitat for moose or elk, but I saw none. As I was approaching the “official” scenic overlook for the Cabinet Mountains, I saw a pick-up truck with a guy using binoculars and though that maybe he had discovered some worthwhile sighting. I asked him if had and he related that he saw nothing there, but a couple miles further down the road and off a side-road about a mile he had seen 3 moose. I found what I thought was the side-road to which he was referring and went down it a ways. The only wildlife I heard, though I never actually SAW any, were some invisible dogs by house hidden by dense trees.

     Much further along the way we were to turn on Route 2 which would lead us into Libby. About half-way from Heron to that turn-off there was a bar/restaurant/casino celebrating its 25th anniversary aptly named “The Half-Way House”.  It was the same place I remember in that the lights were turned down low and the décor was a mixture of old-timey doodads and cowboy/cowgirl Western collectibles, like steer skulls.

The stark difference in 2010 from the other 2 times I passed this way was that smoking was not allowed inside. I was ecstatic to be able to stand around inside absorbing the conversations around me without having to struggle for each breath. As in Maine, though, there was the usual gauntlet of smokers just outside the front door that one had to negotiate to enter the building. Several of them were curious about my “rig” and I told the story about biking across the country for the fourth time for the Lung Association. They considered it humorous that here I was pedaling from coast to coast for ALA and here they were smoking like chimneys.
     Inside I thought it might be a healthy choice to supplement my meager sandwich with some local BBQ beans and cole slaw. I asked the bartender for these items and she said I’d have to go out back to get them. I had to meander through some poorly lit passageways and shed areas to find the giant 55-gallon drum barbecuing steak, chicken and beans. There were local “boys” busily drinking beer (at 11:30am) hanging around at the bar by the BBQ pit. It took them some effort to locate the woman responsible for serving me these side orders. In the meantime, they wanted to know about my bike ride. They kept pressing me to have steak. Their comment was, “What? No meat?!” I had to give some answer that would satisfy their curiosity and still protect my dietary needs. It seemed to ease their minds that I had some turkey in my lunch container back over in my bicycle trailer.
     Further along a stop at the Kootenai River and Falls was necessary.  By this time it was quite hot out on the road and the cooling falls wouldn’t have provided very welcome cooling air. Before trudging down the trail and over the railroad bridge I needed a snack and a cooling drink. Fortunately there was someone selling mementoes and “pop” at the right temperature. Right next to the little kiosk was the only picnic table in sight and even though there was already a person sitting there, I plunked myself down with impunity. As always, the person had seen my bike and wanted to know what I was up to. It turned out that she had just retired from being a teacher in Anacortes, WA and she thought it striking that I would have just left from there on bicycle. After the refreshing fizziness of my drink I went down to the falls.

     They were unusually powerful and high. There was a really cute couple there for whom I offered to take their photo together. On the way back to my bike, I passed that same couple and I asked them where they were headed. When they said that they would being going to Whitefish, I mentioned that I would be there in two days. They said they would save me some food. As they drove off in the RV, I was tempted to catch a ride. But there weren’t that many miles left before Libby.

18 June Friday Sandpoint, ID – Heron, MT

Starting Point: Sandpoint, ID
Ending Point: Heron, MT
Via: Hope, East Hope, Clark Fork
Mileage: 47.4   
Time: 5:12
Mph: 9.1
Terrain: relatively flat
Vertical climbing: 1,054 feet
Temperature High: 65
Temperature Low: 50
Lunch: cheese and hummus sandwich, clam chowder, peanuts, banana
Dinner: fettuccine alfredo (note: I DID cook this.), fresh-baked bread and salad
Weather: partly cloudy
Lodging: Cabinet Gorge RV Park
Cumulative Mileage: 501
Miles to Go: 3,899
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days to Go: 76

     After enjoying a fine rest, recuperation and restorative deep pressure massage therapy in Sandpoint, I was ready to continue on. The day was calm and clear with good sunshine and few hills. We rode along the Lake Pend Oreille for miles – this was a beautiful scene with mountains and blue sky as the back drop.


Osprey Sighting Along Lake Pend Oreille. This time I'm sure it's an osprey!

The highlight of the town of Hope has twice before been the café/bakery. The great disappointment of the day was that the café was closed. Supposedly we arrived in Hope an hour before opening time. I even stopped next door in the Town Office to see if they might know something about whether someone might show up before the official time. They didn’t. I’ve stopped there before and the pastries and coffee were wonderful.


The View of Lake Pend Oreille along Route 200


According to some sources this small grouping of towns was actually a trio Hope - East Hope - Beyond Hope. I never located the third town; there was an RV park called by that name.
     Today was Dolores’ and my turn to cook and fortunately it was a relatively short and easy day. I was able to get into camp not much after the deadline. We were able to eat dinner at 6:10 – only 10 minutes late! The lady at the store was extremely pleased that we were shopping for 10 people. After Dolores and I were done shopping, one might have thought a horde of locusts had flown through the shelves.
     I had remembered from previous stays at our campground that there was a hard-to-find trail that led down to the river with a fine vista over the surrounding mountains. During the night there were several trains (a theme we will soon come to dread) that passed by on the tracks running next to the river. I awoke wishing I had camped down at the shore to see them. I’m sure the local cougars would have relished that idea too.

16 June Wednesday Cusick, WA – Sandpoint, ID

Starting Point: Cusick, WA
Ending Point: Sandpoint, ID
Via: Usk, Newport(ID), Old Town, Priest River, and Sagle
Mileage: 55   
Time: 7:07
Mph: 7.7
Terrain: hilly
Vertical climbing: 2,350 feet
Temperature High: 55
Temperature Low: 43
Lunch: cheese and turkey sandwich, energy gel, hot cocoa, peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Dinner: tomato soup, fettuchine alfredo (note: we did NOT cook this. Our leader wisely had us go out!)
Weather: rain, heavy at times
Lodging: La Quinta
Cumulative Mileage: 454
Miles to Go: 3,946
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days to Go: 77

     Today was the worst conditions in which we have ridden. The rain started pretty much immediately after finishing breakfast. I hauled all my gear, bike and trailer into a sheltered spot just inside a barn so that I could load stuff and stay dry. That worked fine, but down the road about 5 miles into the ride I got a flat tire and spent plenty of time getting wet by the side of the road.

     As in past trips, I rolled into Newport soaking wet and cold. Right after crossing the bridge into Oldtown, ID I stopped at a gas station to get some warm drink in me. Hot cocoa fulfilled its duty. I had bought an egg and cheese English muffin which I put into the microwave. Either it was bad to start with or I overcooked it, but half of it was hard, tasteless and virtually inedible. In a word, it was disgusting. Even though it was raining and the calories might have helped had I been able to chew the item, I reverted to my friend, the peanut butter and jam sandwich.
     As the miles wore on it became clearer to me that I would be late to go shopping for dinner. It was a joyous moment when Joe called me to tell me that there had been a change of plans: we would not be camping as previously discussed, but we would stay in an actual hotel. It was still miles to go before Sandpoint, but my spirits were lifted despite the rain, cold and fog.
     Tomorrow would be a well-earned rest day that would give me a chance to get current on this blog and keep you, my readers, appraised of the ride. As it turned out, I was able, too, to find a massage therapist to assist me with me with my pained legs and lower back. This was a God-send, indeed.

15 June Tuesday Colville, WA – Cusick, WA

Starting Point: Colville, WA
Ending Point: Cusick, WA
Via: Ione
Mileage: 40.1   
Time: 5:20
Mph: 7.5 (first 16 miles in a time of 3:37 4.4 mph)
Terrain: mountainous, 1 pass – Tiger Pass (3,250 feet)
Vertical climbing(note NEW term): 2,350 feet
Temperature High: 67
Temperature Low: 53
Lunch: cheese and turkey sandwich, peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Dinner: Noodles and veggies, tortellini, salad, chocolate chip cookie
Weather: partly cloudy
Lodging: Pend Oreille County Fairgrounds
Cumulative Mileage: 399
Miles to Go: about 4,001
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days to Go: 79

It turned out that I was seriously mistaken about the “ease” of today’s ride. I had a distorted mental image of the shape of the ride.

It was much longer than I thought. Once I got on the plateau that was Tiger Pass, the forest seemed to go on forever. At one point I came upon a car that had pulled off the road to wait for me to arrive. A guy, Ron, wanted to know how far I was riding. As always, I made a plug for the American Lung Association and he expressed very strong support for what I was doing. He went on to share personal stories about family had died or been affected by tobacco and lung disease. It was a wonderful surprise to find this connection in what was really the middle of nowhere. After we parted ways, the forest seemed to be less blasé and uninteresting. My effort of all the pedaling seemed to diminish as I thought about the impact of what I was doing.

One of the more unusual sculptures we have seen in our traverse thus far

The countryside just outside Colville


Finally I got down off the pass and I rediscovered what I had forgotten from 3 years ago: there was a stiff headwind would be present for the entire distance of 28 miles to go. Just then I got a call from Dean. He and Chris had been shopping in Ione when they met an Australian couple, Tony and Charne (pronounced Sha-Na) driving an RV around. Dean wanted to know if I wanted Tony to stop by where I was and take my trailer so I could get in sooner. The mathematics of that calculation wasn’t difficult. With 28 miles to go and going 7.7 mph, it would take about 3:41; this would make my arrival in camp at 9:10.

When they arrived not long after the phone call, they helped put my trailer in the RV. Then they proceeded to put my bike in as well. Tony then said that I would have to figure out how to get myself to the campground since there was no more room in the vehicle. It became clear that he had very wry sense of humor. We were driven the rest of the way by these two extremely generous people. Eventually not only did they share their company, their food and their wit with us, but the next morning, Tony handed me a pledge and wished me luck with my two kinds of pedaling. It took me a second to get the pun --- Pedaling/Peddling (as in fund-raising). Remember it hadn't been that long since waking up. What was most striking as we were being driven in the comfort of an RV was the length of time it took to get to camp. It seemed much longer than 28 miles.

Tony had been a general in the Australian army. Since he and I were two peas in a pod in regards to humor, as we were waiting for dinner, I asked him what position was a higher rank: Major-General or General. He related that it was the former. I informed him that I was a Major-General. He wanted to know where. Only people in Brunswick would have known that I had been the Major-General in Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert and Sullivan) a couple of years ago! He enjoyed that idea quite a bit. They joined us for our map meeting after dinner. With the combination of his and my senses of humor, the meeting was livelier than usual.

On the Way to Tiger Pass

14 June Monday Republic, WA – Colville, WA

Starting Point: Republic, WA
Ending Point: Colville, WA
Via: Kettle Falls
Mileage: 53.8   
Time: 7:04
Mph: 7.6 (first 16 miles in a time of 3:37 4.4 mph)
Terrain: mountainous, 1 pass – Sherman Pass (5,575 feet)
Vertical gain: 2,869 feet
Temperature High: 65
Temperature Low: 50
Lunch: cheese sandwich, peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Dinner: rice and beans, bean salad, chocolate chip cookie
Weather: overcast
Lodging: Stevens County Fairgrounds
Cumulative Mileage: 359
Miles to Go: about 4,041
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days to Go: 80

     So I don’t forget about an item that was brought to my attention, I need to issue a correction. You might recall that I went out on a limb to claim having sighted an immature eagle. I received a cautionary note via email titled “I’m not sure I agree with your police work there…” For any film buffs out there, that is a quote from Fargo, a Coen Brothers film. In any case, before I digress too far… This cautionary note was sent by my wife who is also my bird resource. She knows them way better than I do. The bird was actually an osprey.

On the way up Sherman Pass Part 1


     “Yet another day for another pass” should be the sub-title for today. They’re not over yet. As we departed the fairgrounds we began the inescapable upward climb to the top of Sherman Pass.


On the way up Sherman Pass Part 2

 A mile or two out there was a warning sign flashing that instructed motorists to tune to 1530 AM for important information. Just beyond that was a work crew and it seemed sensible to check with one of them. He said he didn’t know about any hazards, but that the sign had been flashing for months.
     The only hazards that I did come upon were a couple of deer running across the road and there was a mysterious animal too far ahead to identify. It was dark brown and furry. It was thin at one end then it got bigger in the middle and it was thin again at the other end. No, not a bear. Not a raccoon. I welcome any educated guesses.

     This pass was the one I remembered from the other times; there were huge tracts of burned-out trees.


There was still a long way to go to full recovery, but it was clear that the forest was growing back slowly.

     Along the way on my side of the road, there was a street sweeper machine working away cleaning the shoulder. This was probably the first vehicle that I was able to pass. Some of the other riders and I played hop-scotch all the way to the top. I was looking forward to eating my sandwiches there when I came upon the same mom, daughter and daughter’s friend from other days. They had already arrived at the top. They were cooking up a soup and rice mixture. As I munched on my simple fare, the aroma of the soup wafted toward me and, at least at the molecular level, I was able to enjoy their dish as well.

    


Looking back down the road to Sherman Pass. This gives a sense of the kind of climbing we've been doing for 7 days.

At the pass with friends(Erica and Shawna[sp]). This would be our last meeting since they're now going on a different route.


The Columbia River and Roosevelt Lake lie at the bottom of the pass by Kettle Falls. My initial plan was to stop in Kettle Falls because it seemed like I had actually made good time getting this far. Not too long after passing a paper mill, my chain broke as I was riding up yet another hill. That took care of all the time I had stored up.

     It was delightful to be able to finally arrive at the fairgrounds in Colville, though. The other times when I had been here, the place was devoid of all activity except for bicyclists coming through. This time, however, there was a baseball game going on with all the liveliness and high-spirited sentiments expressed by the cheering fans. We camped right next to a rodeo ring (I think that is the correct word) where there were horses galloping around and riders, some with flags and some without. There were unseen people practicing both the Canadian and United States national anthems. They were practicing for some big event coming up this weekend.
     Dusty left us to go back home to change his luggage setup. He had been pulling a Bob Trailer but it wasn’t working well for him at all. He’ll rejoin us in Whitefish, MT.
     The next morning seemed like it would be an easy crossing over Tiger Pass so I took my time at a café in the morning. One of the baristas talked to both Joe and me. Because we were bicycling across the US, she said that “we were her heroes.” It certainly makes the effort feel worthwhile when it inspires others.

13 June Sunday Tonasket, WA – Republic, WA

Starting Point: Tonasket, WA
Ending Point: Republic, WA
Via: Wauconda
Mileage: 43.1   
Time: 6:48
Mph: 6.3
Terrain: mountainous, 1 pass – Wauconda Pass (4,310 feet)
Vertical gain: 1,952 feet
Temperature High: 78
Temperature Low: 72
Lunch: cheese and jelly sandwich
Dinner: chicken and veggie burritos, cinnamon rolls
Weather: bright sun
Lodging: Ferry Fairgrounds
Cumulative Mileage: 305
Miles to Go: about 4,095
Projected Distance: 4,400
Days to Go: 81

     At the beginning of the day it seemed like the weather was going to be as hot as yesterday. Fortunately it wasn’t. It was still hot enough to give me “hot foot.” The first 32.5 miles were pretty much uphill. Every mile was making me fume about the civil engineers who designed these roads. I was dreaming at times about either a rails-to-trails path to go on with no hill or a bicycle with electric assist. It’s always shocking to find terrain that goes uphill for so long. This is especially true when thinking about the terrain in Maine.

     Five miles outside of town there were petro glyphs that our 2004 leader had managed to photograph. Today for some reason, I never found them. Admittedly the primary cause was the interminable uphill leaving town that forced me to concentrate on rolling rather than stopping.



Yet another pass. Only 2 more before we leave the challenging state of Washington.



In Wauconda there is a store just before the actual pass. In both 2004 and 2007, it was open for business. Today was Sunday and the store had just acquired new owners. So, even though I was counting greatly on it being open so I could find water, it was closed and dark. This was sorely disappointing. After arriving in camp, it became apparent that many people had been counting on buying something at that store.
     Coming down from Wauconda Pass, I came upon 2 riders, Don and Ginny, who were also doing the Northern Tier route on their own. We more or less rode into town together to find that virtually everything was closed. It was a fine discovery to find one restaurant open. There I was able to restart my national cole slaw quality survey.
     Our campground was right next to a lovely loudly flowing stream.

12 June Saturday Winthrop, WA – Tonasket, WA

Starting Point: Winthrop, WA
Ending Point: Tonasket, WA
Via: Twisp, Okanogan, Omak, and Riverside
Mileage: 71.1   
Time: 8:04
Mph: 8.8
Terrain: mountainous, 1 pass – Loup Loup Pass (4,020 feet)
Vertical gain: 2,778 feet
Temperature High: 87 on thermometer in Tonasket, certainly over 95 on the blacktop where we were bicycling)
Temperature Low: 49
Lunch: hummus sandwich, peanuts
Dinner: pasta, veggies and ice cream
Weather: intensely bright sun
Lodging: Shannon’s Ice Cream Parlor lawn
Cumulative Mileage: 262
Miles to Go: about 4,138
Projected Distance: 4,400

     The terrain is as dry as I remember it. Sage is everywhere and its scent is omnipresent. The hills are barren and rocky. The hills are alive with the sound of quails calling to each other from one hill to the next. It is always worrisome to me when the weather gets this hot. The greatest challenge has been to not run out of water before the end of the day. When we’re out in the middle of nowhere there isn’t any easy option to find water.


Bird Displeased with my Presence in its realm.

Today I was very fortunate, though, because of a mother who is driving a vehicle for her daughter and her daughter’s friend. The two young women are biking across the country on our route more or less and the mom is helping them in this first really difficult part. In any case, she gave me water at the top of Loup Loup Pass.


I'm going out on a limb here to claim that this is an immature eaglet that I spotted near Okanogan

     In Okanogan and Omak there was a distinct Mexican presence. There are apple orchards and the Mexicans are there to help harvest just like in Maine. There was even a Mexican store with all things Hispanic for sale.


Another distinct sense I got was a widespread abject poverty. There was a lot of property that looked abandoned or run-down. Most store fronts were empty.


Arid Okanogan. 85 on thermometers. 100 6 inches above the blacktop where this rider's feet reside while pedaling!

The only time when it was possible to cool down before the end was in the small town of Riverside. There is an antique store there with a shaded porch. They had ice cream for sale as well.


Quail

This bicycle seen at the refreshing spot in Riverside reminds me that I can be grateful that I'm not riding THAT one across the US.

Another Bird Sighting in Riverside

11 June Friday Winthrop - Rest Day

Our Mexican dinner at Carlos 1800

A simple but filling affair with wild singing for anyone with a birthday.

Chris celebrated his 65th birthday today and he got to wear the celebratory sombrero and he got to wear also the cake icing.

On the way back to the campground, the sunset was rather spectacular. It's really clear just how different the climate and vegetation are east of the Cascades.

10 June Thursday Newhalem, WA – Winthrop, WA

Starting Point: Newhalem, WA
Ending Point: Winthrop, WA
Via: Mazama
Mileage: 65
Time: 8:41
Mph: 7.5 (The first 32.5 miles were at the blistering pace of 5 mph)
Terrain: mountainous – 2 passes Rainy Pass (4,855 feet) and Washington Pass (5,477 feet)
Vertical gain: 3,755 feet
Temperature High: 53
Temperature Low: 45
Lunch: peanut butter and jelly sandwich (2x) + a very late veggie burrito at the Mazama Store
Dinner: pizza
Weather: rain showers
Lodging: KOA Campground
Cumulative Mileage: 191
Miles to Go: about 4,209
Projected Distance: 4,400

     It’s funny how one can forget the really difficult parts of an expedition ride after 3 years. The ride up Rainy Pass seemed to go on forever and I just couldn’t get beyond 3-4 mph in general. One of our riders ended up walking most of the hills which meant walking most of the day.

Diablo Lake

    

On the Way to Rainy Pass

As we ascended the mountain road, the temperature got colder and there were a fair number of showers. By the time I arrived that the first pass (6 hours after starting) it was difficult to stay warm. I had run out of water, but fortunately a couple drove up and were happy to share the extra water they had.

     The Rig and The Rider


There was snow at the top of both passes – it wasn’t on the road but all along the sides. That couple I mentioned had a very cute black lab dog that got out of the car and was rolling around on its back with great fervor.



This reminded me of the two college-age women from 3 years who stopped their car at the same spot and were also rolling around on their backs in the snow. They had bikinis. The dog was cute, but not THAT cute!

   


Rainy Pass Visitor -- Canadian Jay

The descent into Mazama was as I remembered – all downhill for 20 miles more or less. Fortunately the store in that town was open even though I walked through the door at 6:05, they were willing and happy to make me a coffee and provide me with a fine veggie burrito. This gave me enough energy to go the last 20 miles into Winthrop.