Day 8 - July 5th - Thompson Falls, MT to Missoula, MT
| Route Distance: | 101 | Average Speed: | 15.1 | |
| Total Distance: | 572 | Maximum Speed: | 42.0 | |
| Riding Distance: | 102.4 | Elevation Gain: | 2959' | |
| Riding Time: | 6:44 |
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| Picture
Notes: Riding along Clark Fork River A wild Montana Jackelope Washing yesterday's dirt off of the bike Click here for more pictures from today |
| We have completed our first century of the trip, and what a day it was!
We arose extra early (4:30 am Mountain time) and got everything packed up.
I had my first flat of the trip, a tiny piece of wire from a truck tire that
caused a slow leak overnight, which was quickly repaired during breakfast. We left the school around 6:30 am with the temperatures in the low 50's,
quite a difference from past mornings. The skies were cloudy but the sun
peeked over the ridge tops to the east. As the day wore on and we rode up
the Clark Fork River valley (Clark Fork River is a tributary of the Columbia
River), the clouds slowly burned off and the temperature rose so we could
take off our jackets and long sleeves. Even though there was a net gain in
elevation throughout the day, we made excellent time; it seems like we're
really starting to get in better shape. The only part of the day that was
not enjoyable was an approximately 20 mile stretch close to the end, where
the shoulder of the road went to almost non-existent, and the high speed
traffic coming home from the 3-day weekend was difficult to deal with.
Outside of this stress, though, the ride was fun. The last 15 miles or so
were mostly downhill into Missoula, and we rode through town to the
University of Montana. Bruce and I stopped on the way in at a car wash (see
the 3rd picture above) to wash the dirt and mud that accumulated yesterday
on our bikes - $1.75 and both bikes were clean within 5 minutes! We're staying in one of the dorms on the University of Montana campus. After arrival we dried out our tents, got cleaned up, did some laundry, then went to the dining hall around the corner for a filling dinner. We walked into town for homemade ice cream at the Big Dipper, then walked a bit farther and enjoyed some of the local beverages at the Iron Horse Bar & Grill. All in all a fine day, and my first century in over 15 years! I suspect I'll sleep well tonight, and am looking forward to another day of rest tomorrow. |