Bike Trip #3 - MT -> MO - 2021

Bike Trip #3 Kalispell, MT - St Louis, MO, 6-16-2021--7-29-2021

Day 1, Wedn, 6/16/2021

Flying to Charlotte, NC, then to Kalispell, MT

10.3 Miles (10.3 total)

Weight: 169.8

Not feeling super confident about this one! Just got my bike off Facebook Marketplace about a month ago, only rode it to school and back three or four times, and didn't try putting anything on it other than the back rack. I was super distracted with recording, editing, and scheduling my podcast episode releases for all summer. Could've made some better choices here...

Woke up 5:25am, left at 6:00am for our flight to NC. Arrived with a little over an hour to spare and got to Glacier Park International Airport around 2:30pm (2 hours behind EST). Put the bikes together, left the airport around 5:30pm, and rode to the hotel in Kalispell. Walked to Pizza Hut for dinner, then the grocery store for breakfast and to pick up some other things.

So far, Montana has been beautiful. You can see mountains everywhere you look, though the roads today were flat and super nice to ride on, no pot holes. I'm writing this at 9:30pm, and Google says sunset is 9:40pm.

Day 2, Thur, 6/17

Kalispell, MT

9.6 Miles (19.9 total)

Slept super well! We rode around town, then went to Walmart and REI for more supplies. I didn't have a pillow and ended up getting a Baby Shark kids pillow… but it should work. We got milkshakes for lunch at Norm's Soda Fountain, watched John Wick on TV, then went to an Italian restaurant for dinner.

Day 3, Fri, 6/18

Kalispell, MT

36.4 Miles (56.3 total)

We checked out Whitefish today. Started the morning riding 17 miles to Whitefish for a delicious breakfast, then another mile to Whitefish Lake for a 2-hour kayak ride. It was another really nice town, with a bunch of small shops downtown. Both Whitefish and Kalispell look really modern, lots of stores, everything you could need. We stopped at Chick-Fil-A for a shake on the way back. Then we stopped at Walmart, just to see if they had travel pillows in stock (they were out of stock yesterday). They did… So I bought another pillow for the trip. We relaxed and did some laundry, then hit up Norm's again for dinner. Hoping to get to bed early for our long day tomorrow!

Day 4, Sat, 6/19

Kalispell, MT - Condon

69.8 Miles (126.1 total)

What a way to start… Our first actual day of riding and we do almost 70 miles... I'm exhausted right now. The ride was good though. Not a lot of hills, and not a lot around either. We stopped at a gas station around mile 30 for some Gatorade. But after that, there was nothing for the next 35 miles. Then we stopped at the mini-mart after those 35 for some milk and to pick up things for dinner at the campsite tonight (tortillas, ham, and cheese). After setting up the tents, showering, washing some clothes, eating dinner, and getting things prepped for tomorrow, it was 7:30 and we chilled in our tents for a bit. Not a lot to do when you're camping, especially with nothing around and no wifi. It drizzled a little too, drops here and there, but it's supposed to rain tomorrow morning and most of the day, so it'll be a wet start.

We left this morning at 8:30am (after stopping at Sykes Diner for breakfast) and got to the campsite at 4:30pm. Pretty good timing! A couple other things about Montana: There's mountains everywhere you look. So much higher than what you see on the horizon in PA. A couple have snow on them too. There's white puffs in the air as well. They look like the tops of dandelions kind of, but they float in the air, and sometimes there's so many we try and look away so they don't get in our faces too much. Think we saw something like it in Europe… Huckleberry is really big around here. Every store you go in, there's a huckleberry section: jelly beans, syrup, chocolate, tea, candy, everything! Have yet to try it though…

Day 5, Sun, 6/20

Condon, MT - Greenough

51.7 Miles (177.8 total)

Heard rain throughout the night, but it stopped when we were ready to pack up the tents. Still had to pack things up wet, but it was nice not having to do it in the rain. Really cool dense fog/clouds covering the base of the mountains this morning. It was cloudy and chilly today - I debated getting my rain jacket out once or twice during the ride. But the ride itself went really well! Left around 8:40am and got to our cabin around 2:50. Felt like good riding, and felt like there were a good bit of downhills too.

Another thing to note: we rode almost entirely on highways today and yesterday, and there are so many RV's. Every couple vehicles that pass us is an RV. At least they're traveling and not parked at some campsite like we saw a lot last year.

Day 6, Mon, 6/21

Greenough, MT - Lolo (Missoula)

41.2 Miles (219 total)

When we started this morning, it was in the upper 40's. Chilly. So I started with two shirts on, which was the right move because at the start of our ride, we went uphill ¼ mile, then downhill for 8.5 miles. My Wahoo GPS said we went up 65 ft, then down 600. It was chilly, especially with the wind, but a great way to start. Around 30 miles we got to Missoula and stopped at Adventure Cycling headquarters! They gave us a quick tour, free drinks and ice cream bars, then took our picture to hang on the wall of bike tourers passing by. Next we stopped for lunch, then more ice cream at Big Dipper. Missoula was a cute town. Not nearly as big as Kalispell, but looked like it had a bunch of trendy spots and was super bike friendly. From there, we got on a trail and rode the last 10 miles to our hotel in Lolo. We were on the second floor and there were no elevators, so we had to carry our bags, then bikes up to the room. We went to a laundromat, grocery store, Subway, looked at the route ahead and a hill Dad is dreading two days from now, and called it a day.

Day 7, Tues, 6/22

Lolo, MT - Darby

53.2 Miles (272.2 total)

Nice, flat riding today! Left at 8:25am and got to Darby at 2:30pm. The day started off comfortably cool. About 1.5 hours in, my back rack lost a bolt, but the base luckily wasn't stuck in the bike, so we were able to put a new one in and continue on our way. By the last two hours, it was in the upper 80's/low 90's, and we were drinking a lot. We got a small bite at Burger King and lots of refills for our water bottles. When we got to the place we'd be camping, the owner had a hostel situation for only $10 extra per person, so we hopped on that and were thankful to have AC. Then we walked down the street to see the center of town (which was only one street, less than half a mile), went to the grocery store to pick up dinner, and headed back to our spot.

Some more things I've noticed: trucks are everywhere. The ride tomorrow was supposed to include a kinda dangerous hill - on the highway, steep, and no shoulder. Dad asked the lady in charge of the campground if she knew someone with a truck we could pay to take us up the hill, and of course, she had one. Dad felt bad about putting her out though, so he asked the manager of the grocery store if he had any employees who were going to be off tomorrow we could ask, and sure enough, he got some kid with a truck to take us. There are mountains surrounding us on ALL sides, many with a bit of snow at the peaks. Wondering when we're going to have to suffer up one of those… There are casinos in every town (Lucky Lil's), all of them really small, about the size of a small gas station. Haven't been on one yet, but I'm curious… We've seen a lot of archways as well in front of driveways and businesses, just three pieces of wood usually - one on each side and a piece on top connecting them. Reminds us of the archways you see in China, just much less ornate. And just today, I saw dandelions as big as my fist! And some rodent that was a mix of a squirrel and chipmunk - the size was in-between, the color of the squirrel, the tail of a chipmunk, and lived in the ground (found out it's called a ground squirrel).

Day 8, Wedn, 6/23

Darby, MT - Wisdom

26.5 Miles (298.7 total)

Easy riding today! We left our hostel spot around 11:00am when the kid from the grocery store picked us up. He drove us about 27 miles, Dad paid him $40, and we continued on our way. It was probably a good thing we got that ride. We went uphill for a long time - miles. And parts had little to no shoulder. After getting dropped off, we climbed for maybe half a mile before going down for at least 5 miles, hitting a high of 35 mph. There was road work being done, so most of our ride to Wisdom was smooth sailing on pretty fresh pavement. The town is bare - one road, no side streets, two restaurants, and a grocery store about the size of a gas station - population 96. Don't know how any businesses that rely on people coming in stay in business out here. We got to our campsite and were immediately swarmed with mosquitoes, sometimes smacking two or three off with a single blow. We walked into town after setting up the tents, showering, and laundry, got some bug spray and a quick snack, and came back to the campground until dinner later.

Day 9, Thur, 6/24

Wisdom, MT - Dillon

66.8 Miles (365.5 total)

We were worried about today. We haven't had a day this long since the first day, which was really hard. And there was nothing in between Wisdom and Dillon, so no food/drink pit stops. We packed up the tents and went to the cafe in town for bagel sandwiches. The lady inside told us there was one town in-between - Jackson, about 18 miles away - and we could get something there. That boosted our spirits. We took a break around 12 miles and were immediately swarmed by mosquitoes again. We left in a hurry, but before we did, some cows had come over and walked up to the fence, looking at us. I would've liked to pet one, but the mosquitoes were bad and we hightailed it outta there. Also, before we left, a guy in a truck stopped, asked if we were alright, and offered us ice cold water! Super nice. Our next stop was Jackson. I thought Wisdom was bad… Jackson was worse. Even smaller, maybe two blocks in total. But we got a Gatorade there, went on our way and saw no other signs of civilization until mile 60. We had two big hills today - the first big climbs we've had all trip. It was slow going up, with a couple breaks in there. But wow, did we fly down the other sides. Downhill for miles! We hit 44.6 mph! During our breaks, we ate bacon and cheddar stuffed sausage, which the bag said was fully cooked, so we felt safe just bringing it along. We left at 8:20am and got to Dillon at 2:50pm, carried our bikes up to the second floor again, and got McDonald's for dinner.

Two other things about Montana: we've seen a lot of places/farms that seem to be watering their grass. Acres of land, no crops, don't even see a house nearby, the grass is already 2 ft tall, but they're still watering it. And everyone in an RV seems to be fishing. The people we've talked to mostly just mention that.

Day 10, Fri, 6/25

Dillon, MT - Virginia City

57.1 Miles (422.6 total)

Slept well and we were on the road by 8:30am. Almost immediately we met another tourer, Ken, heading the same place we were! We talked briefly, then split up until we saw him again around the halfway point in Twin Bridges. After that, we rode the rest of the way to Virginia City together. The last 7 miles, the wind was fighting us, and it was slow going. I think I was in a lower gear than going up the hills yesterday. But we eventually got to Virginia City. It looked like it was out of the 1800's, but for some reason, this was a tourist spot. We climbed up a tough mile (at least) to the campground, set up the tents, and all three of us walked almost a mile down to town again. We were going to check out the museum and other stuff, but for some reason, everything closed early. We got a delicious pizza, walked around a little, and walked up the hill back to camp to start wrapping things up for the night.

Day 11, Sat, 6/26

Virginia City, MT - Cameron

52.5 Miles (475.1 total)

We were on the road by 7:40am, (still traveling with Ken) making our way uphill for 2.5 miles. It took us 40 minutes. After that, we had an awesome downhill, and we did the next 10 miles in 40 minutes. We stopped in Ennis for breakfast, then continued on our way. Another day of crazy wind, but this time, it was with us! We made great time to the Driftwaters Resort to camp. On the way, we bumped into two other people touring, and we've seen others. Haven't seen this many people touring before in the US! They had a restaurant on site, which was nice because there was nothing around for miles. All three of us had dinner and started winding down for the night.

Montana has had crazy weather. Twice the weather app said no rain, but it drizzled for an hour or two. We've talked to other people who said this time last year, it was snowing. Hoping not to run into that!

Day 12, Sun, 6/27

Cameron, MT - West Yellowstone

33.9 Miles (509 total)

We were cold waking up! Was supposed to be in the low 50's, but pretty sure it started in the low 40's. All three of us packed up and left the campground for breakfast at Campfire Resort 11 miles away. It came recommended from the other tourers we met yesterday - the woman said they had the biggest and best pancakes she's ever had. On the way, Ken broke a spoke. We were pretty worried, but he made it to Yellowstone with us and got to a bike shop. The pancakes were huge, and really good! We each only had one, a side of bacon, and I had an egg. Between the two of us, the bill came out to $44. Too much for breakfast, but it hit the spot and we tried it. The next 23 miles flew by and we were in West Yellowstone by 12:30pm! Really touristy, but nice to be back in civilization! We said goodbye to Ken at the bike shop, made our way to the hotel, and walked around town before checking in. We were pretty worried for the next three days - camping in Yellowstone, food, and bears. But we think we have it figured out, so we'll see how it goes!

Day 13, Mon, 6/28

West Yellowstone, MT - Yellowstone, WY

34.8 Miles (543.8 total)

We were in no rush this morning since we knew we didn't have far to go, so we slept in, looked at stocks, got McDonald's for breakfast, and headed out. We didn't fill all our bottles, since it was a short day and we knew there were rest stops along the way. The line of cars was already looking pretty long as we rode to the park entrance. We were pretty happy to be on bikes and skip the line. We tried to ride through the entrance, but were stopped and told we had to wait in line like everyone else. Dad asked someone up front if we could get in quick, and luckily, they let us. That would've been a long wait, and as bikers, we've never had to wait in these lines before, like country borders in Europe - we were always allowed up front. But we got in and started our ride. It was a good bit until there was interesting stuff to see, but the park was beautiful - trees, big clear streams, huge rocks and mountains - just gorgeous. We saw a whole bunch of thermal ponds with crazy colors, a couple geysers, and one bison a good ways off! At the rest stops, we noticed there was no running water, only bathrooms. We were in trouble. The closest place with running water was a little over 6 miles away up a steep hill, so when we got to the campsite next to a lake, we used the water filtration thing we never used before. We filtered the water twice before drinking it, so hopefully, we're ok, even though the water still tastes like lake. Before we arrived, we saw two other bikers leaving. The guy had camped here during the spring, and said he woke up surrounded by bison. We were hoping that wouldn't happen to us, but there was a bunch of bison poop on the site. We got to the campsite around 5:30pm, but with no wifi or service, we couldn't do much. We set up the tents, put the food and hygiene stuff in the bear locker, filtered water, and settled in by 7:00pm. We also took our first wet wipes wash. And we couldn't wash our clothes, so we'll be wearing the same stuff tomorrow.

Grand prismatic spring, from level and from above.

Day 14, Tues, 6/29

Yellowstone, WY - Outside Yellowstone South Entrance

51.3 Miles (595.1 total)

Woke up freezing again, but no bison, so that was good. We started a fire, just to warm up. And I didn't get a lot of sleep last night - I was too busy listening for something that could be a bear or bison nearby. We rode a couple miles down the road to the Old Faithful Lodge, where we immediately rinsed bottles, drank water, and brushed our teeth. After that, we got breakfast at the deli and we made our way outside to see Old Faithful and walk the trail. At that point, it was hot. Riding out of the campsite near the Grand Prismatic spring, we passed people in winter coats and warm pants. But now, it was way too hot for that. It changes quick around here. We got to Old Faithful around 9: 25am, and other people said the Rangers expected it to go off around 9:30am, so we waited around. A huge crowd had gathered by then, and it didn't go off until a little after 10:00am, but it was something to see. After it erupted, we walked a couple miles around the trail to see the other thermal hot springs in the area, then made our way back to the lodge, got a candy bar and Gatorade, and started the ride. Two big hills today - lots of breaks on the way up. But some really nice downhills too. We stopped at the first mini-mart we came to so we could fill up on water, but they were all out. Yellowstone needs to work on their water system to keep people hydrated better. But the place 2 miles down the road had a bottle filler at the water fountain, so I filled up. Something about today and yesterday just sapped my energy. Maybe it's the starting and stopping and walking, maybe it's the sun, but these last two days have hurt a little. Gonna try to eat and drink more. We got to Flagg Ranch and just hoped they had a spot open. No tent spots, but they let us set up at an RV site! This was awesome because they had electricity, water, bathrooms, showers, laundry, and food across the street. If this didn't work, we would've had to use a US Forest Service site, which was free, first come first serve, but had nothing. We set up the tents, showered (which felt great, first time in two days), and got laundry ready since we wore the same stuff two days in a row. We were told there was wifi across the street, which was exciting because we haven't had service or wifi for awhile! The connection was crap though, didn't work, so we still couldn't connect with anyone, check weather, or look at the route ahead. Eventually, we gave up and called it a night.

Day 15, Wedn, 6/30

Yellowstone South Entrance, WY - Colter Bay

23.6 Miles (618.7 total)

Woke up freezing again at 4:20am, so I put on some clothes and tried to go back to sleep. But around 5:45am, more people started using the bathrooms nearby, and I couldn't sleep with the door slamming, so I started packing everything up so I could wait in the lodge across the street, warm up, and see if I could get wifi. It still didn't really work, but we got breakfast and hot chocolate there and headed out. Little bit of climbing at the beginning there, but overall, easy riding today! We got to Colter Bay after just 18 miles, and again, just hoped they had a spot open - they only have 10 hiker/biker spots, first come first serve. Luckily, they did! We set up the tents again and went to the store picnic area for wifi, which actually worked! And that's about it for riding today. We were thinking about going to Jenny Lake for a better look at the Grand Tetons, but that would've added another 42 miles, and we're doing 65 tomorrow, so we decided to take it easy and stay here. There's a store, restaurant, swimming area, boat marina, WIFI, everything! The Grand Tetons are incredible - they almost don't look real, like a green screen or something. We chilled at the marina for a bit, then headed back to the tents because it looked like rain and we heard thunder. We finished setting up, had dinner, and I took a quick wash in the spigot, and luckily, the rain passed us. We talked to another tourer, Kurt, and he showed us pictures of the mountains, large rocks, and snow he was riding through. Crazy. Not long after that, we called it a night.

 

Day 16, Thur, 7/1

Colter Bay, WY - Dubois

67 Miles (685.7 total)

Woke up freezing again, and had trouble getting to sleep again after, but I think I slept well beforehand. We rushed to pack everything up so we could head to the cafe for breakfast and to get warm. The ride was crazy today. We rode 18 miles, then the climb started. At the start of the climb, there was a light up sign that said, "Bears close to road. Stay in vehicle." Since we would be going slowly uphill, we were a little nervous. My eyes were checking out the side of the road the whole way up. For the climb, we rode up another 18 miles, ~3000 ft, in 3 hours. It was rough! Three miles from the top, we heard thunder. Two miles, it started to drizzle. And one mile from the top, we put on rain gear. Just in time too, because it started to drizzle more. Then we had an awesome downhill. It was raining and a little cold, but it was well deserved. About 10 miles from the end, the wind started fighting us. But we made it! It's another small town, no chains anywhere (usually how I determine if a town has stuff going on), but should be some stuff to see. And we have service and wifi again! Things are looking back to normal. And we have a rest day tomorrow! Excited for that!

Day 17, Fri, 7/2

Dubois, WY

0.7 Miles (686.4 total)

REST DAY! Woke up warm and rested. We got breakfast, went to the World's Largest Jackalope Exhibit, hopped in the hot tub, got ice cream, and went to the library for better wifi. After that, we went back to the room, watched Aliens on TV, and went to dinner.

Day 18, Sat, 7/3

Dubois, WY - Lander

77.2 Miles (763.6 total)

Got started at 8:00am today. Wanted to start early because we knew it'd be a long day, easily 8 hours, so we were hoping to get there by 4:00pm. The day before, we stacked up on food because we knew we'd need to eat and get energy. But the ride was amazing! We started with the wind, and we crushed 30 miles in 1.5 hours! The next little bit was slower, but we got to Lander by 2:30pm! On the way, we passed at least 12 other tourers going in the opposite direction and another guy who was doing a bike race to DC! Again, crazy landscape. We can see bare land, almost rolling-hills desert for miles, snow capped mountains on the horizon, plenty of sun in one direction, and somewhere else getting rain. Apparently, July 4th is a big deal on Lander. Many people told us we had to stay an extra night - they set up chairs on the sidewalk the day before, there's a parade, they are allowed to shoot off fireworks from 10:00am to midnight, and everyone in the area shoots off their own. And getting to Lander was a breath of fresh air. There were chain places again! A McDonald's (which I hadn't seen since West Yellowstone), a Safeway, and more! Chains = civilization and basic comforts. We stayed with our first Warm Showers host, Mark and Judy! They were amazing and so much fun to talk to. We talked sudoku, kenken, logic puzzles, triathlons, all kinds of stuff! We made homemade pizzas for dinner, had ice cream for dessert, and called it a (late) night.

Day 19, Sun, 7/4

Lander, WY - Jeffrey City

60.4 Miles (824 total)

Mark and Judy made us eggs, potatoes, and bacon for breakfast, and then we were on our way. It was tough going today. Mostly uphill, and the wind put up a little fight once we got over the worst of the hills (6 miles up). It was the hottest day yet too. We had breakfast on the back patio this morning, 7:30ish, and it was already 60. By the time we got to Jeffrey City, it was really hot. And nothing in between these places. Mile 40 there was a rest stop with bathrooms and water fountains. But other than that, no stores, gas stations, or even a lick of shade. Just more rolling hills with not a lot going on. Wyoming has had the most unique landscapes I've ever seen. It's got Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, different colored layered rocks (see 7/1), big red rocks (7/3), rocks jutting out of the ground like waves… just really unique. Jeffrey City is a ghost town - this place is smaller and definitely worse off than Jackson. All the buildings look abandoned and cheaply made. The motel we're at has a bunch of rooms that are trashed on one side, and a For Sale sign by the office. It's a dump, but we're just thankful to have beds after today. We got dinner at the only diner in "town." The place didn't even have a sign or an "Open" thing in the window. You wouldn't even think it was functioning if you drove by. There was just a bar and three tables, bunch of empty, crushed soda boxes on the floor, and the place hadn't been cleaned in months - dustiest floor I've ever seen, especially in a restaurant. The only person working there was the owner/bartender/cook, and she made us a tasty, big, cheap dinner.

Another thing about this area - lot of RV parks. We see them a lot off the side of the road. It's a big thing out here.

Day 20, Mon, 7/5

Jeffrey City, WY - Rawlins

70.8 Miles (894.8 total)

Started with breakfast in the diner we ate at yesterday. No lights on or anything out front, but luckily, it was open. We sat at our same table from dinner, and the salt I put on my fries was still there. We started the ride strong this morning! Had the wind with us and went 20 miles in 1.5 hours! The next 20 miles went a little slower… Wind started fighting us, there was a hill, and it started to lightly rain for some of it. We stopped at a gas station around mile 23, and because it was the only thing around for miles, the gas was over $1 more per gallon. The rest of the way was a little better. The wind was everywhere - we'd be going 20 mph for a couple minutes, then back down to 10. One major hill, but it wasn't that bad. We got to Rawlins and stopped in the store. I checked the weather and it said no rain. When we exited a couple minutes later, it was drizzling, and the radar showed a storm heading our way. We got to a bank and took cover just in time - it started to downpour, and there was thunder and lightning. We stopped for dinner when it let up, then headed to the campsite. Not long after we set up tents, 20+ mph winds started. We scrambled to get everything secure. Then, during laundry, the check-in girl stopped in and told us someone cancelled on a cabin, which we could have. We scrambled to tear everything down in the wind and light rain, move to the cabin, and pack everything up. Crazy couple hours!

Day 21, Tues, 7/6

Rawlins, WY - Riverside

63 Miles (957.8 total)

Had good riding today! Was mostly uneventful, but the wind was in our favor. Helped a little, but just glad it wasn't against us - it doesn't have to be going fast to hurt. We were worried about riding on Interstate 80 today, but they were finishing up some roadwork on a couple miles of it, and we got it all to ourself! Freshly paved, two lane highway just for us. At dinner, we met a couple (Mark and Pat) doing the Trans Am and talked to them for a good bit about touring and our journeys. They were super nice and told us about a pie place in Granby and a hotel with breakfasts and bike rates in Kansas.

A lot of the cars and RVs we pass have bikes on them, so that's pretty cool. And there doesn't seem to be mountains in every direction any more! Lots of big hills still in most directions, but we're also over 7000 ft up, so that might change how high things seem around us. Don't know if I've mentioned it yet, but DaBrim is DaBomb! Gives a lot of sun protection and stays on well! Never going to do another tour without it! Lastly, The population of Riverside is 57. That makes this, Wisdom, Jackson, and Jeffrey City all towns with less than 100 people, and those are just the ones I remember...

Day 22, Wedn, 7/7

Riverside, WY - Walden, CO

48.8 Miles (1006.6 total)

First day in Colorado! And immediately, the road got worse. This whole time we've had great riding on smooth roads with plenty of shoulder, often enough for both of us to ride side by side. But literally the moment you crossed the "Welcome to Colorado" sign, the shoulder basically disappeared, and the road got bumpy. We went to the grocery store to pick up breakfast and bumped into Mark and Pat one last time. Was looking forward to a short day today, first day under 60 in awhile, but it was not… Left at 8:20am and arrived at 2:50pm - 6.5 hours for almost 50 miles. The wind was fighting us 95% of the time today, and it slowed us down. That can really hurt your spirit. We even tried to hitch a ride once or twice. We did pass nine other tourers today going the opposite direction, which was really cool. Our route follows part of the Trans Am, a route across America, so we've bumped into a couple other tourers doing that. Always cool to see other tourers on the road. We had dinner with two others making camp in Walden tonight, Mike and Brian. They were doing the Trans Am, and this was their first tour. This was also Mark and Pat's first too. Super ambitious for the first time! We swapped stories, talked about the road ahead, and had a good time eating dinner together. They said they had headwind today too! Crazy… our groups going opposite directions, both having headwind. Love the people you meet on the road!

Another thing I've noticed is that your distance from things can be super deceiving. You can see things coming up, like a town or a hill, but it can still be miles away. We were excited to see and get to our town a couple times, but still has 20-30 min of riding to do to actually get there. Throws ya for a loop.

Day 23, Thur, 7/8

Walden, CO - Granby

59.4 Miles (1066 total)

Much better riding today! After our big hill today and the one tomorrow, we should be done with the big climbs! We saw the wind wasn't going to be in our favor again, so we got up at 5:30am for an early start to beat the worst of it, which is always in the afternoon. The hill wasn't as bad as we thought it'd be! After we got to the top, the wind hit us on the downhill. We had some pedaling to do, but at least it was on the down and not the up. One big hill tomorrow, and it should be mostly downhill from there!

Day 24, Fri, 7/9

Granby, CO - Idaho Springs

56.1 Miles (1122.1 total)

Another early day to try and beat the wind. Today was supposed to be a lot like yesterday - 31 up, 22 down. But the uphill today was the highest we've done, and hopefully the last big hill of the trip! Over those 31 up, we climbed 3890 ft and hit an elevation of 11,300 ft above sea level. It got noticably cooler up there, and it took 5 hours to get there. The way down to a fraction of the time. On the way down, we stopped in Empire for some shakes, and they were nothing like we've had before. Magnificent. Looking forward to a rest day tomorrow and the rest of the trip being mostly downhill!

Another thing - they seem to always put us in the room furthest from the office/where the wifi router is. In most of the places we've been, we get weak connection, or a connection that keeps dropping. It's annoying, to say the least.

Day 25, Sat, 7/10

Idaho Springs, CO

1.6 Miles (1123.7 total)

REST DAY. Went for a walk, watched a movie on TV, took the bikes to a shop to pump up the tires but the pump didn't work, watched more TV, and got Colorado style pizza for dinner. It was yummy, just ordered a size too small. Went back to the room and watched more TV. This is how you do a rest day.

Day 26, Sun, 7/11

Idaho Springs, CO - Denver (Heather Gardens)

51.5 Miles (1175.2 total)

Really nice riding today! Had two hills, but nothing bad, and awesome downhills on the other sides. On the way was the Red Rocks Amphitheater! Amazing and unique scenery. Not long after leaving, we picked up a trail that took us the whole way to our hotel. Really nice day!

Also, they're really into breakfast burritos, these last three states. Diners, fast food chains, everywhere has a breakfast burrito for the morning.

Day 27, Mon, 7/12

Denver, CO - Strasburg

34.7 Miles (1209.9 total)

Good, short, uneventful riding today. Nothing that stood out, but we left late from our hotel and made great time to the campsite. Next couple days are on our minds - we're going 60 miles tomorrow and it doesn't look like we're passing anywhere to get food or drinks. See how it goes!

Day 28, Tues, 7/13

Strasburg, CO - Anton

60.1 Miles (1270 total)

We started the morning by making our way to the gas station for breakfast - a premade sandwich and apple danish. We started early again (waking up at 5:30am) because the weather app last night said 10-16 mph wind blowing north all day. And it was dead on. We were going straight east, so it didn't help us, but it did slow us down a little, especially on the downhills. We almost didn't make a single turn today, but we did make just one. Other than that, straight east all day. It was a boring ride, and annoying at times with the wind. There's also biting flies out here. Not horseflies, but regular flies that bite. Not as painful as a sting, but a tad painful and annoying. And the mountains are gone! Granted the last day or two has been really hazy, but the horizon is now flat!

I got my first flat today. A rock had pierced the tire, which is hard to do on these Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires. You could see a pretty decent dent where the rock had been. We put some duct tape on the inside of the tire where the rock had punctured, though we couldn't even see the puncture from the inside. We put in one of the spare tubes, and so far so good.

We didn't pass a single place to stop the entire 60 miles - a handful of houses, couple farms, but nowhere to get food or drinks. Anton has a store, but it's the size of a gas station, and a couple items were expired. But we got cold drinks, snacks, and breakfast for tomorrow, so we were happy. The campsite we're at didn't even have a sign out front, but we pulled up and talked to the owner, who was incredibly generous. She made us dinner and we ate with her husband and daughter. Then she said if the wind gets too bad, we can go in one of the open motel rooms. Super nice people. 

Day 29, Wedn, 7/14

Anton, CO - Stratton

61.8 Miles (1331.8 total)

Last day in Colorado! Today was a lot like yesterday - windy, but this time blowing south. Luckily, we were heading south today! After a solid 36 miles east, we headed south and picked up the speed a little. Today we were supposed to ask the police for a place to camp once we got to Stratton, but a hotel had opened last month that wasn't there when Dad was first booking, so we got a hotel! 

Day 30, Thur, 7/15

Stratton, CO - Goodland, KS

49.1 Miles (1380.9 total)

New state! Didn't set an alarm, but was still up at 6:30am. Had a quick bite in the room, then hit the road. Winds were supposed to be blowing 7-8mph west, but they weren't bad today! We made great time getting to Goodland. So far, the roads in Kansas are 100% better than Colorado. Smooth riding today. We thought we were changing timezones today, but apparently, we're not just yet. The line is about 20 miles east of us (as the motel front desk person said). But we're so close, even our phones already changed times.

Still no shade on the side of the road anywhere. Ever since we left Yellowstone, there hasn't been a tree by the side of the road, or an overpass, or anything. Unless we stop at a gas station, we don't get shade. The last three days of riding have been pretty overcast, so that's been nice. There's a heatwave moving across the country, places getting record heat, but we've been getting lucky so far!

Day 31, Fri, 7/16

Goodland, KS - Hoxie

71.5 Miles (1452.4 total)

Was not looking forward to today. Weather app said it would be hot with winds blowing southwest at 15mph. And at this point, we're headed almost straight east. But it was a pretty good day! There was dense fog until about noon - at some points, the sun was completely blocked out. That helped keep things relatively cool. And the wind wasn't terrible. Didn't help us, but didn't hurt too bad. And there was barely any climbing today, pretty darn flat. We left around 7:45am and got to Hoxie a little after 3:00pm, and we're officially in the Central timezones now. We got dinner and I got a chicken fried steak sandwich, which has been on the menu everywhere, so I thought I had to try it. Turns out I didn't need to. 

Day 32, Sat, 7/17

Hoxie, KS - Plainville

68.6 Miles (1521 total)

Started off well, but today kinda sucked. Winds blowing northwest today as we continue to go southeast. One of the reasons I was excited for this trip was the wind. It usually blows west to east across the US, so I was expecting a lot of help. So far, it feels like it's hurt more. Last year, going from PA to MO, we didn't have bad wind, and I thought we got lucky. Maybe whoever said the wind normally goes east across the US is a big fat liar… But today we started with sun and it got hot - upper 80's/low 90's. We covered the first 30 miles in 3 hours, which is pretty normal for us. But the last 40 took us almost 5. The wind picked up and slowed us down. And the constant rolling hills didn't help either. Contrary to popular opinion, Kansas is NOT flat.

I think I might have mentioned this last year with Indiana and Illinois, but in Kansas as well, all side roads are dirt roads, with only letters and numbers for names. If the GPS says go off the highway onto a side/dirt road, we don't. 

Still seeing a lot of dead birds too. Saw them in the last one or two states as well, just dead birds on the side of the road, not even crushed by a car or anything.

Kansas is still doing well for roads though! Colorado was definitely the worst. Only good riding there was the trail around Denver, but the roads were not fun.

Day 33, Sun, 7/18

Plainville, KS - Lincoln

68.5 Miles (1589.5 total)

Officially passed Bike Trip #2 in terms of mileage! Today kinda sucked again. It was cloudy though, which was nice. Yesterday was the only day in the past four or five where we actually got sun. Clouds mean cooler temperatures, which is nice. But the wind… gosh darn it. Against us for the first 46 miles. Fighting it like we do can really damper your spirits. Our first stop was at 36 at a gas station, which was closed. That was a bummer. By then the clouds had gotten pretty dark, and we felt drops every now and then. Our next stop was at 46, so we tried to pick it up a little. The whole time, drops came down slowly more often, until we pulled into the gas station at 46 right as it really got started. Really great timing. We stayed there for an hour while we split a pizza and talked to a bunch of locals who asked about our trip. By then, the rain had pretty much stopped and the wind died down, so the last 20 to Lincoln went smoothly. We checked the weather channel that night, and other parts of Kansas got hail and 60 mph winds. Sounded like we got lucky!

We've continued to pass through small, sad towns. Always a couple abandoned houses and shops. Don't know why people stay out here.

Day 34, Mon, 7/19

Lincoln, KS - Salina

49.1 Miles (1638.6 total)

Easy day into a rest day! Light wind, but nothing bad. Salina looked like a happening place when we got there! Saw at least three McDonald's. They have a bike shop here, so I picked up a brand new tire and tube, just in case the hole in the back got worse. When we went to dinner on the main strip later, we saw nobody out, and it was quiet. Nothing else to report today.

Day 35, Tues, 7/20

Salina, KS

16.5 Miles (1655.1 total)

REST DAY! Went to the laundromat, then I went to the bike shop to pick up a thinner tube. After that, headed into town which for a magnet, then back to the laundromat, and the motel not long after that. We looked at the route for tomorrow and saw it's actually going to be a little over 80 miles… Not good. Dad tried calling a couple U-Haul places for a truck to rent, but we couldn't swing it. The rest of the day was spent in the room, getting dinner, and hoping tomorrow will be better than we think…

Day 36, Wedn, 7/21

Salina, KS - Council Grove

77.5 Miles (1732.6 total)

Was worried about today. Thought we were going to do 80 miles. But it turned out ok! Wind wasn't with us, but it was low for most of the ride. We stopped at a gas station at mile 42 for a snack and Subway at 52 for lunch. Other than that, uneventful day, pretty good riding! 

Day 37, Thur, 7/22

Council Grove, KS - Ottawa

71.1 Miles (1803.7 total)

Last day in Kansas! And excited to leave. The roads have been great, but there hasn't been anything to see, and we got no help from the wind our entire time here. The last day or two, we've finally rode through and have been able to stop in spots with shade though, so that's been nice! Other than that, pretty easy riding. Rolling hills, lots of sun, stops for food and drink. We were actually supposed to camp today and yesterday, but yesterday we thought we were doing 80+, so we got a hotel. And today was supposed to be a 55 mile day, but we did extra to get somewhere with a hotel. We're looking at the route ahead and might be changing things around to end a day early! 

Day 38, Fri, 7/23

Ottawa, KS - Adrian, MO

69.6 Miles (1873.3 total)

Out of Kansas and in Missouri! Closing stretch here! 

Good day of riding, not very hard, but it's getting hot. Mid-90's today. Nothing to see except rolling hills, farmland, the usual. We were chased by a dog today. He came pretty close, so we yelled at him, tried to scare him away. He left pretty quick, but still came to close for comfort.

Today was supposed to be a mid-40 mile day, but there was absolutely nothing to do in the town of Drexel - the library was closed and we were going to ask the police for a place to stay. So we went further to Adrian. Was still going to have to ask the police for a place to stay, but they had an open library we could at least chill in for a couple hours first and use the wifi. Turns out when we got there, the library was being renovated, so that was a bust. And the only hotel in town had no running water or electricity, so that's something. We got refreshments at a Casey's general store/gas station and sat outside that for a good bit, charging stuff and using their wifi. Basically how we spent the rest of the day. Later we went to the campsite the police had told us we could go, and were pleasantly surprised to find electricity and running water! We took a shower using the hose and called it a night. Right now I'm just sweating in my tent.

Day 39, Sat, 7/24

Adrian, MO - Clinton

40.7 Miles (1914 total)

Slept ok in the tent last night. Got up at 6:00am and was at Casey's for breakfast by 7:00am. It was a short ride today, but we still wanted to leave early to beat the heat, which we dodged the worst of today. We got to Clinton before 11:00am, but we were sweating good already. The motel wasn't ready for us, so we went to the library to hang for awhile. After we got things ready at the motel, we went to a buffet for dinner, watched some Olympics, and called it a night.

Day 40, Sun, 7/25

Clinton, MO - Pilot Grove

64.7 Miles (1978.7 total)

Officially passed the EuroVelo 6 from bike trip #1 in terms of mileage, making this my longest ever!

We started the Katy Trail today! This will take us the whole way to St Charles, which is less than 30 miles away from Pat's house. It was supposed to be another hot one, but there was a chance of rain in the morning and afternoon, so it got super cloudy, which cooled things off. And we didn't get rained on - got lucky twice! But the trail really slowed us down, and Dad's ankle is hurting pretty good, so that didn't help. We were on the bikes for over 8 hours today, which might be a record for us, but one we'd like to avoid again if possible. Other than that, no wind, so that worked out. The Katy trail is a nice trail! All off road, passes through a couple towns, and is pretty decent in terms of smoothness. Some of the trails on the EuroVelo 6 were pretty rocky, made it feel like you were riding a jackhammer. This was much smoother, though we were constantly looking out for things to avoid, like large branches, walnuts, and larger stones. Wasn't smooth all the time, but this is pretty good as far as an unpaved trail goes.

We were supposed to camp again tonight (and the previous night), but the heat and long hours on the bike convinced us to get a B+B for tonight. Jerry was our host, and he was great. Always had a story to share, and more than accommodating. He made us dinner, let us use his dryer, and told stories about driving bikers around the trail or the store. Just a really good guy. And I'm always thankful to have a bed. Dad actually just booked hotels for the rest of the trip! That means his ankle has been really hurting him, but I'm thankful we'll have beds and AC.

Water towers have been our sign that we're near the end of our ride that day. Most of the time, they're near a town, and they're the highest things around. So when we know we're about 4 miles away, we start looking for the water tower to lead us to the end.

Day 41, Mon, 7/26

Pilot Grove, MO - Jefferson City

59.9 Miles (2038.6 total)

Another milestone - first time passing 2000 miles!

We ditched the trail today for the road, saving us 10 miles and we hoped some time. The riding was smoother, but the roads brought back hills. And today we saw some of the steepest grades we've seen all trip! On at least three separate occasions, we hit 10-12% grades. The hills weren't nearly as high as before, just short and steep sections. And they all happened in the last 10 miles… Ouch.

We went to Perkin's for dinner, and apparently Mondays you get a free slice of pie! Good way to end the day!

Day 42, Tues, 7/27

Jefferson City, MO - Hermann

50.7 Miles (2089.3 total)

Got Perkin's for breakfast and met up with the trail after 5 miles. Easy, flat riding today on the trail and road. Only two places to stop today, one of which was a restaurant. But being on the trail, they knew bikers would stop in and had Gatorade and ice cream available for purchase. There was also a campsite we passed with a fridge with stuff inside and a place to put money for whatever you take. Other than that, nothing to report from the ride.

Hermann seems like a nice place. Cute shops for souvenirs, candy, chocolate, and restaurants. We were excited to try a pizza place for dinner, but for some reason, it's closed on Tuesdays… Always a couple places that seem closed on random days.

Less than 100 miles to go now! Looking forward to being done!

Day 43, Wedn, 7/28

Hermann, MO - St. Charles

65.8 Miles (2155.1 total)

Left at 7:30am for our last long day! We were on the trail all day today, so we got really dusty and ate some dirt every time we took a drink. Nothing else to report about the ride. Just nice, flat trail. 

We got to St. Charles, showered, and Mom and Pat picked us up for dinner and ice cream. Nice change of pace, seeing family and being back in civilization. After they dropped us off, we gave them most of our bags, easily losing half the weight on the bike. Excited for a quick, easy ride tomorrow! Also, the wind tomorrow, the last day, for the first time in weeks, is going east at 10-12mph… The first time we've gotten help in a long time, and it's on our shortest day. Better be easy!

Day 44, Thur, 7/29

St. Charles, MO - St. Louis

26.2 Miles (2181.3 total)

Weight: 162.4

THE LAST DAY! Slept in until 7:00am, got breakfast at the hotel, packed up what little we had, and hit the road. Still wanted to get started relatively early since this was supposed to be the hottest day yet, with St. Louis hitting 100 degrees in the afternoon. Not far before Pat's house, we crossed a bridge and saw part of the Arch in the far distance. Nice thing to see to signify the end. 

We got to Pat's and Mom was there, waiting for us with chocolate milk and cookies. Nice to be done!