Day 10 - July 7th - Missoula, MT to Avon, MT
| Route Distance: | 99 | Average Speed: | 15.0 | |
| Total Distance: | 671 | Maximum Speed: | 36.1 | |
| Riding Distance: | 99.7 | Elevation Gain: | 3382' | |
| Riding Time: | 6:37 |
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| Picture
Notes: Typical lunch on the road Wonder Bread boys One big bovine Click here for more pictures from today |
| Got a late start this morning as the cafeteria didn't open until 7:00
am. It started to rain as we ate and we rode out of Missoula into steadily
worsening rain. Luckily I had decided to wear my rain jacket, so kept my
body relatively warm and dry, although my feet were very cold and wet. At
the rest stop around mile 24 the gear truck was available, and as my bag was
near the back I could get out my Gore-tex socks, which made the rest of the
rain much more palatable. Riders were getting flat tires left and right due
to the wet roads, although luckily I avoided one. The rain continued off and
on past the halfway point, and then the tailwinds kicked up, the clouds
parted, and the weather finally warmed. The remainder of the ride was beautiful with a great 15-20 mph tailwind (sometimes crosswind as the road turned), which allowed us to make great time. The second half of the day was through some of the most desolate country I've ever ridden through, nothing but barbed wire fences, a few ranch houses, sheep and cattle, and little else. But what incredible sights! We rolled into a small camping area outside of Avon, MT (population 50) around 4:30 pm and setup tents in a brisk wind, getting entertained as several unsecured tents were picked up by the wind and rolled across the field. A quick shower was followed by bike cleanup, then a delicious dinner catered by a local restaurant - roast beef and mashed potatoes, veggies, and incredible pie. Today's flat count for the group set a record - 24! We actually try not to refer to them as flats, but instead as "an inadvertent loss of tire pressure that shall not be named", or "an adverse pneumatic event", or even "a wardrobe malfunction". One of our riders, John Collins, tempted the Flat Gods this afternoon by stating that he hadn't seen many flats since the morning, and wouldn't you know his back tire was flat when he went back to his bike a minute later. My diet on the road is getting consistent - PB&J sandwiches, bananas, cashews, GU gel and Red Bull. It keeps me going and given the number of calories that I'm burning I'm not too worried about gaining weight or getting out of shape. The challenge when I get home will be to go back to normal eating. |