Montana is for Badasses

I got that the title of this post from a t-shirt I saw in a gift shop in St. Regis Montana. We were in St. Regis last night doing laundry, 15 miles away from our overnight in Superior, because the Superior laundromat is closed on Mondays. Go figure. We have 38 cyclists now, so laundry is quite an ordeal. The laundromat was part of a conglomerate corporation that included a tow-lot, junkyard, parts store, and of course the laundry. They had 8 machines we overloaded, so breakers were tripping, machines were malfunctioning, and we were putting soaking wet clothes with soap still on them into dryers just to get the job "done" so we could get back for dinner provided by Superior United Methodist Church. After dinner we took the clothes that were still wet and hung them out on a fence to dry.

Brett, drying laundry. He's an engineer.

You'd have to be a different
kind of ass to pay $24.95 for
this.

 We're in Kellogg Idaho. We got here after the last 50 miles of Montana, and 20 more after the line. It seems like we've been riding through Montana forever, and I've been a bad-ass since Iowa. "Enough about your butt!" some readers might think. Sorry. It's just a common topic of conversation when you get 30-some of your closest strangers together and ride across the country. Young, old, male, female; "how's yer butt?" is a conversation starter. After that you might get more intimate with a question like "what color is your pee?"

Today's ride was an adventure, for sure. Some last minute changes to the route included an additional climb through the woods on virtually untraveled roads. For a climb it was most pleasant, since the trees kept things cool and we were able to use the road at our leisure, riding alongside able to carry on conversations. Eventually we had to hit Interstate 90, for through the mountains the roads are very limited. That included a harrowing construction zone as well, with two lane opposing traffic with less than 2 feet of shoulder up against concrete barriers. Tom Weber blocked traffic for us as four of us traversed, but the rest were left to on their own, and fortunately there were no mishaps.

The climb to Lookout Pass was long and rather warm. Either there was no wind, or it was traveling our direction at our speed. Going up I realized I wasn't feeling any altitude fatigue, which seemed odd for we were going over a pass, but at the top found that it is only 4,710 feet and I'm used to that elevation now. I was expecting over 6k feet, not having reviewed the provided information the day before. I don't always check conditions, for I've found it more interesting to just discover my way instead of worrying about what it entails. No worries ever changed anything.

Road conditions downhill weren't the best for speed. Under good conditions 50+ mph would be easily attained, but I decided to keep my speed under 40. It was a good thing, for I hit one joint in the road that crushed my tire against my rim, pinching my tube. I didn't know it when it happened, but decided to stop after the severe jarring to inspect my wheel. It flattened as I was stopped.  Thanks, God.

Repairs made I head down the road, gingerly. The thing about a quick change roadside is that I don't always trust the inflation, especially when using CO2 cartridges. Not a big deal on flat terrain, but on this hill speed was an issue still, so I kept my speed reasonable. All went well, and I was able to take in more of the scenery. That has been my approach this ride. Last year I was big on speed, but this year I'm taking it a lot easier, and enjoying it more. The only thing speed gains one is first choice of sleeping quarters at the destination.

More soothing than Gold Bond!

The Coeur D'Alene River runs through this area, and that is where the railways, now trails, follow. The water is clear, cool, and swift; too tempting to avoid near day's end. Others opted to just soak their feet, but I dunked my Montana Badass for a thorough cooling. With the remaining miles downhill there wasn't much sitting or pedaling, so I enjoyed further cooling as I rode side-saddle.

I showered, and napped. I'm not a napper, but today I just went to sleep for a couple of hours. We are here to work with the local Fuller Center for Housing covenant partner who has arranged a work day tomorrow, as well as our lodging at the local school, and meals provided by St. Rita's Catholic Church. Ah, a workday; a day out of the saddle! We have two of those this week, and I don't mind taking our time through Idaho. This was my favorite state last  year, and we're taking a circuitous path through it this week. Time to go to bed- an adventure tonight, for the air handling system just shut down automatically for the night. Maybe I'll sleep outside.