The Emerald City

To Missoula, Montana -- 53.6 miles, 14.9 mph, 1200 ft -- Sat-Sun, June 24-25

We made it!  Missoula, the "Emerald City," as Meg puts it, has been the major goal for us since Minnesota! I am suddenly way more exhausted than I figure I have any right to be, especially based on yesterday’s relatively easy ride. Even with a few hills, we had a net 1500 ft descent, which allowed us to average an unheard of 14.9 mph over the 54 miles into Missoula!

The Adventure Cycling staff that we were camping with were very kind and offered us breakfast with the rest of the tour group. Forget bagels and peanut butter, we had eggs, bacon, hot and cold cereal, fruit, juice, and coffee! Awesome. Of course, we are not the quickest bunch getting out of Dodge, but we still got out onto the road at a respectable hour, and it was a beautiful day. Pine covered hillsides and the rapidly flowing Blackfoot River followed us all the way into town. We were making such good time that we didn't take a serious break until the Adventure Cycling lunch stop in Milltown, just ten miles from Missoula.

Although, I've followed Adventure Cycling maps for thousands of miles -- along the TransAmerica trail, east to west in ‘97, along the Continental Divide north to south on mountain bikes in ‘01 with Meg, and from Baton Rouge to Pensacola with April in 2002 -- I had never stopped in at their office in Missoula. Laurie, one of the staff members, showed us around and gave us the history of the organization that was started by a husband and wife in the seventies. Their first major undertaking was to plan out a bicycling route across the US from Astoria, Washington to Yorktown, Virginia to celebrate the US Bicentennial in 1976.  The non-profit has grown significantly over the years, and, now, with scores of employees, it continues it's mission of developing bicycle routes, publishing maps, distributing a monthly magazine (The Adventure Cyclist), guiding bike tours, and advocating for better and safer cycling.

Us in the Co-Motion advertisement in Adventure Cyclist

While we were waiting around at the office, Arlen, one of the ACA staff that we’d met the day before, asked if we had a place to stay. We were planning to stay at the Missoula KOA where we would meet April, Kevin, and their friends, Kirk and Sue the next day. However, his offer to stay at his place was too good to pass up. Arlen mentioned having a seven and nine year-old at home, which sweetened the deal, so we cancelled our Saturday reservation at the KOA and followed Arlen on his bike to his home a few miles away.

Arlen and his wife, Shawn, had moved to Montana five years earlier after meeting in Massachusetts. They are both involved in bike tours and active Warm Showers hosts. We were amazed to hear of the cross-country, fund raising trips Arlen had organized and led with teenagers years ago. Currently, Shawn organizes and caters her own fully supported bike tours while Arlen is responsible for all Adventure Cycling Association tours. The bottom line here is they are absolutely fantastic folks, wonderful hosts who are big hearted and inviting. And, Shawn is an incredible cook.

Seven year old Shaylee ready for camp

Arlen, Shawn, Dallas and Shaylee

Arlen and Shawn's foster kids, Shaylee and Dallas, were instant playmates for Dex and Kylie. Within an hour of our arrival, they were all whisked away for a swim party at the public pool. Suffice it to say, we were a little sad to leave the next morning.

Nevertheless, this was the big day. The day we would meet up with our new riding partners for the next two weeks -- April, Kevin, Kirk, and Sue, plus another friend of the four, Laurie, who would be joining us in her new camper for the first few days.

April and crew

Our long distant rides with April go a ways back. Decades ago, in 1996, April and I did our first tour together riding over the Labor Day weekend from San Jose to San Luis Obispo. She, her mom, and sister met Meg and me in Wyoming during the summer of '01 and rode with us across the high desert for a few days along the Great Divide mountain bike ride. When April rode across the country in 2002 along the Southern Tier route, Meg joined her through the giant state of Texas, while I met her in Baton Rouge and rode along until Pensacola. Finally, both Kevin and April joined us in '05 for an eight day, self supported, "shake down" ride over what turned out to be an absolutely scorching Fourth of July week riding from Spokane, up into Canada, and back down through Idaho.

Our Nepal hiking partner, Kevin

New friends, Kirk and Sue

Laurie with Dex

Theoretically, we could have started riding today, but the Hoornaert's are always happy to take advantage of those elusive rest days. Instead, we filled the day with some last minute shopping and bike prep while Dex and Kylie did the important stuff -- mini golf, swimming, and recumbent trike riding.

Laurie's brand new camper

Kylie sporting a biker tan