A New Riding Family

To Lee Creek Camp, Montana -- 40.6 miles, 15.5 mph, 1200 ft

For the first time in ages, especially for a riding day, I didn't feel the normal pressure to get on the road this morning. The new members of the crew -- April, Kevin, Kirk, Sue, and Laurie -- were sound asleep at 6:30. They were still working on California time and had had very long days to get to Missoula. As a result, that gave me time to wander down the block for a cup of coffee.

Since none of the Eugene gang had been to the Adventure Cycling office on Saturday, that was our first stop. Maxton, took our pictures and also offered to weigh the bikes. The Green tandem (and gear) weighed in at a considerable121 lb, which means with Kylie and me the total rig is about 335 lbs. Meg's and Dex's steed weighed in at 104 lbs, though they were missing much of the food they would normally be hauling.

The gold tandem, ready to be weighed

About 15 miles out of Missoula, just as we turned onto Hwy 12, we stopped at the Travelers’ Rest visitor’s center.  This happends to be where Lewis and Clark stopped in September of 1805 during their westward journey and again in June of 1806 on their way back east. Interestingly, what took Lewis and Clark five months to traverse, Fort Mandan (near Dickinson, ND) to Traveler’s Rest here in western Montana, we’ve completed on bikes and modern roads in a mere six weeks.

On the way up the early, gentle slope of Lolo Pass, the temperature climbed into the 90's. We gladly soaked our heads in the nearby river as we continued up to the Lee Creek campground. We’d already planned to meet Laurie there, so she could spend the day exploring and hiking.

Lolo Peak

Cooling off in the river

It was great to have a bigger group to ride with today. Just knowing we're not in it alone is a big help. Moreover, Laurie’s camper proved to be a godsend when a thunderstorm rolled in during dinner. We all huddled in, thankful for some solid walls and a warm meal -- one big happy family.

One big happy family