Leaving the Big City Behind
I got some much needed rest in Missoula but left wishing I had seen some more of the city. I stayed at the Econo Lodge and it felt like pure luxury. When I walked in from being out on Saturday there was a young, heavyset guy behind the counter with short red hair standing straight up and a very long, bushy beard. He looked like he was ready to run away to join the Amish. When he saw me come in he exclaimed “He’s got the look!” I wasn’t sure what kind of greeting that was.
Many people might have taken this guy, Michael, to be some kind of smart aleck, but he was quite funny and also very knowledgeable about the area and weather patterns. He’s getting ready to move back to Oregon and join his father in the insurance business, which sounds like a good fit for him. There have been several personalities who I wish I would have gotten a picture of on this trip. If only for the beard, this guy was one of them. As I left yesterday, his parting words were “Be safe and be seen, Dan!”
(Writing this having a breakfast of oatmeal at the Red Rooster Bakery in Hamilton. Please Please Me by The Beatles playing right now. Sounds as good as ever. …and now some Tom Petty.)
The ride into Hamilton was not the best as far as scenery, but it did offer two things; perfect weather and a bike path on the side of the highway all the way into Hamilton.
Along the way I ended up passing the Houston Space Center. Looks like funding for NASA has really dried up.
A bit later down the road I saw a cyclist ahead of me. As I approached and said hello I realized it was Anja, a solo female traveler from Belgium I had met at the Adventure Cycling headquarters on Friday. She’s probably 27. I give her credit. Her bike was really, really, loaded. 132 pounds (60 kilos)!
We talked about her trip. She started in San Francisco and is ending in Yellowstone. She said things have been great, with the exception of the beginning. She was in a restaurant in San Francisco, after having arrived just a few days before. Her bike was locked up outside and even then she checked on it several times. However, when she left the restaurant she discovered that the bike was no longer there. Some (fill in your own description) had stolen it that quickly.
It was locked up with a cable lock and had another more secure lock attached to the rear wheel which makes it unrideable. But these thieves who know what they are doing can cut through the cable in no time, carry it to a vehicle and then deal with the other lock later.
This is far more likely to happen in a big city than a small town, but it’s a reminder not to get comfortable with leaving your bike unattended and sit where you can see it. But you can’t watch the bike all the time, and to a certain degree if someone really wants your bike and knows what they are doing, they can get it.
I felt incredibly bad for Anja. Her boyfriend in Belgium took up a collection from family and friends and they replaced her bike with the same kind. Her trip has been smooth since then but what a start.
There is a couple here in Hamilton listed on the Adventure Cycling map who let you camp in their backyard and offer you a great dinner. Their son had biked the Trans Am and apparently they like meeting and talking with cyclists passing through. And with all that said, I wasn’t able to reach them. In any event, upon arriving in town after the 51 mile ride there were forest fires nearby and with it a smoky haze that was not pleasant at all to ride in or be out in. So I got a room at the cheapest hotel in town, Deffy’s, complete with rabbits running around the place this morning.
Today it’s a very short 30-plus mile ride to the town of Sula which is at the base of yet another big climb to the top of Chief Josph Pass tomorrow.
The Beatles on the radio… They’ll follow you everywhere. Love this day’s post!