:: shift7 ::

:: north/south adventure ::

montana: day 07, thu 4 sep
ennis - west yellowstone

stats:
43.0 @ 13.9= 3:05:40, max 28.2, trip total: 531
[designated driver = 32]

eats:
peanut butter and jelly sandwich, 2 strawberry cereal bars, snickers, powerbar, chocolate chip cookies, DQ cookie dough blizzard, cheeseburger, potato salad, moose drool beer

sleep:
Grizzly RV camping, $6

thoughts:
the wind just kept coming at us. help me! i looked forward to every truck that passed south bound (same direction) to give a small reprieve from the mentally agonizing wind. it was so annoying that i even heard thomas say a couple choice expressions- "fu5kin' wind!" you gotta understand, i've never heard him says things like this before. but it was mentioned by all- it seemed to affect everyone.

it was also a steady climb all day long with a couple large hills and some minor down hills-- and with the wind factor, many times we were pedaling on the way down and not even getting the benefit of a relaxing descent.
long windy road clip

after about half the day i took over on "driver duty" - something none of us really look forward to, but its the necessary evil. scott had the first half of the day. and for as torturous as i thought it was going to be there was a pleasant side to it. you can pump the music, step on the gas, sit on a foam seat bigger than your ass, and go 75mph uphill into the wind. and it was nice to see it from a different perspective. but in the end it still sucked.

the second half of the day rose out of the valley and hiked up along earthquake lake (a lake that was formed after the quake of '59 tumbled half a mountain of rock to create a natural damn). it was an awesome sight. the old tree trunks still shooting out of the water as a clear reminder of what might have been there.

and then the ride followed another long lake with rolling hills and less wind. the sun behind us.
thomas and scott clip

then the last 8 miles into town were none to exciting. but the DQ (our meeting place anytime there is one in town) in west yellowstone was a perfect cap to the day.

last night i slept out in my sleeping bag with no tent. it was cool but not as cold as it has been and it was clear all around. you could see forever. tonight seems like it will be just as nice. no need for the tent. and no need to setup and pack up.

tomorrow is a long day with a ton of sites to see- the wyoming border and all of yellowstone park- i can easily see it as a dawn to dusk type of day. crossing the continental divide at least two times, dealing with traffic (RVs mainly, with great drivers... right), and snapping off a couple shots here and there. better rest up.