:: shift7 ::

:: north/south adventure ::

montana: day 05, tue 2 sep
sula - dillon

stats:
103.7 @ 15.9 = 6:29:33, max 48.5, trip total: 416

eats:
peach yogurt shake, banana & peanut butter sandwich, cheetos, strawberry breakfast bar, m&m cookies, oreos, triscuits, 2 fat boy ice cream bars, power bar, sprees, more oreos, DQ cookie dough blizzard, pizza

sleep:
Super 8 Motel, $29

thoughts:
the biggest day of the trip so far, by far. i feel like this is the beginning. the anticipation, the anxiety, the desire that allows you to forget the normal things.

but wait it was cold- surprise, surprise! i got up to look over at the thermometer- 39 degrees. my choice to sleep out under the stars made for a cold night. an amazing view - i kept the rain fly off the tent, which means i'm basically in a mosquito net, without any solid panels to obstruct the view or keep the warmth in. the ice on the car was just one indication that it probably dropped below freezing.

the ducks (yes, ducks!) and the wild dogs howling (they're wild in my imagination) and the squirrels all had fun getting us up this morning. so it was up and out- everyone was quick to get ready knowing the day ahead was filled with climbs and long distances.

we started right away (right out of the campsite) with the first climb- about 2750 feet in about 14 miles. if there was ever a way to slow down your average riding speed- this would be the way. my feet were frozen, eyes watering, muscles cold and stiff- in shock, stomach full of peanut butter. it sucked- in a fun kind of way. regardless, it got warmer fast- that happens when you have to get up the hill, so i started to shed the layers. and by the time we were at the top it was right out sweaty. this climb by the way was the perfect opportunity to use a special "hill climb" mix by ivan. scott kept me on pace, or maybe on his pace- we rode together all day pulling each other by drafting and pretending like we had a lot more to give than we did.

so we crossed the continental divide, took our photo opps and... well, traditionally (and i'm not sure what tradition) you're supposed to piss on the divide- so it will flow into the atlantic and the pacific. ok, it sounds a bit more childish now, but when you just climbed for close to two hours steadily and your on top of the world, on one side is idaho and the other montana (we touched idaho but turned back into montana), its pretty cool. scott seems to be a reasonable guy and he did it too. and who could resist?

the descent was a gift- fast at first and then gradual into the huge valley of 'big hole'. fast riding and little to slow you down. it was refreshing after struggling all morning. plus it added some much needed miles to make up the 100+ for the day. there's only so much daylight you can get.
big hole clip

then the town of wisdom and jackson were really just a point to stop and take a breather- there wasn't much there but there was even less after jackson- 45 miles of nothing. sure the scenery is great but the essentials are missing- no DQ until dillon. that's a long stretch of biking, but add two passes in there and then the fact that we'd already done 60 miles. those legs were gonna work for it. so i got two fat boys- ice cream sandwiches (fatter than your normal variety). i thought about getting something more nutritious but there was no payoff in that. this had to last me!
jackson clip

the second pass of the day was straight up - no turns, no joke. it was like a ramp from hell, no deviation. at this point it was hot- about 85 degrees. i chose to remember how cold it was this morning. somehow it didn't really translate into being glad it was this hot. but without humidity it was nothing to complain about- it was a good day.

the flat tire came at a perfect resting spot. any spot would have been nice, maybe one with shade? no shade- not from big hole to dillon. not one tree on the side of the road, not a telephone pole to hide behind. it was barren and harsh in a natural way. but it was an easy fix- some strand of cable or metal that poked through and poked me as i was trying to get it out.

after that it was getting late in the day - there was no more time, so we rode like fire into dillon, raising our average speed for the day. it was a long day- there was no misrepresentation about it at all. we got exactly what we planned. it's always easier on paper.

ok, so i might as well say it now. the landscapes are miserable confined into a photo- it's so hard to try and show something that is 360 degrees- smells crisp- is so quiet you can scream and it sinks into the ground- the shades of distance get dropped in the translation- the scale- the detail at your feet. sorry. you need to see it.