Mecca ... (August 4, 2009)

After the somewhat tedious stay at the KOA zoo, I started Monday with a visit to the Adventure Cycling Assoc.'s office in Missoula. Adventure Cycling is the premier organization for touring bicyclist. I stopped in to see if there are any suggested routes to Bozeman, which is not on any of the established maps.

I had a very informative discussion with the gentleman who organizes the tours ... he gave me a suggested route that would get me off of Interstate 90 and on to various back roads. His description of these back roads included such comments as "some climbing", "meandering/rolling hills", and other such pleasantly harmless sounding phrases.

I found that my mindset and body told me that a preference for fast travel was preferred. The thing about these back roads is that there is generally a lack of safe bike lanes, and the rolling hills/climbs are quite hard after awhile. I opted to stay on I-90.

Two days of long rides (Monday: 60 miles to Drummond, MT; Tuesday: 78 miles to Butte, MT) were very difficult days. Lots of wind ... either a headwind or a sidewind (which amounts to the same thing as a headwind). Other than the noise, riding on an Interstate is probably easier than riding the back roads ... the emergency lane along the Interstate is about 12' wide, so I can ride a good distance from the traffic lanes.

Quite often there is a frontage road running parallel with the Interstate. These roads are not continuous, but they do provide a less hectic riding alternative to the Interstate. I finally decided to get off of the Interstate and on to the frontage road about 10 miles north of Anaconda. This road provided 10 miles of less stressful riding ... except for one thing ... at the end of the ten miles you have to take a 5 mile detour to get back onto I-90 (less than half a mile from the start of the detour). Ouch. Fortunately, after the detour, the road turned to the east, which then allowed me to enjoy a tailwind. It was still 20 miles into Butte, but the tailwind was appreciated.

I am heading to Bozeman to visit Jennifer Hermesmeyer, and her husband and daughter. I rode with Jen when she lived in Tucson ... she was one of the "terrific threesome" young ladies who I met through the Leukemia Society's Team-in-Training program (the other two being Heather Fowler and Marcie Seery). It will be good to see Jen.

After Bozeman, I will be heading down to Yellowstone Park. At that point I will be making a decision as to if I continue east, or make a right-hand turn and return to Arizona.

Even though life continues to be good, I am getting tired.