This should be the route I'll be following...

Tuesday 25 August 2009

Tuesday....calm before the hill

Just sneaking onto to Chris's laptop while breakfast is consumed...
It's been impossible to get on a computer since Friday - day off Saturday, libraries shut sun and mon. Well past Missoula now, about to go up a big hill onto Riggins, Idaho, subject to the weather not melting us. 'Us' is still the full posse - Chris and Chris, Aaron and Shaz, and the TransAm boys, Chris, Mike and Callum. So it's now a bit like a school trip but we have to work hard. It is a good laugh though...very entertaining.
We got to Missoula, hung around at the Adventure Cycling offices (the organisation that publishes the maps we follow) and went off and found a beach by the rver to cool off as it was up to 100 degrees (I have no idea where the degree symbol is on this computer). I love the fact you can go swim in the rivers here (well, perhaps not in Kentucky) and you don't die of some nasty disease afterwards. There was a highway over the river which the young locals were throwing themselves off, doing increasingly daft jumps...it peaked with one lad stood on the roof of a quickly moving jeep throwing himself off as it went over the centre of the bridge. It may have been stupid but it did look impressive. As we were leaving we overheard a couple of voluptuous young ladies realising they had to attend the same probation office - they were like re-uniting best friends...ahhh.
Aaron and Shaz were staying elsewhere so the rest of us hired a car and headed up to Glacier National Park for the day off. It was stunning, a beautiful place. The glaciers were a bit thin on the ground, as you may expect in this day and age, but the scenery was amazing. Huge mountains, big valleys, lakes etc...well cool. On the way we saw a black bear, so I guess I can come home now...damn. It was a bit scared of us and was up a tree in no time, so the climbing a tree option of what to do when a bear attacks is off the list. We also saw big horn sheep, wild goats, marmot....
Got back from Glacier late, had to pay extra for the car, and hadn't eaten and just got to all the restaurants as they had closed. The drive-throughs wouldn't serve us as we didn't have a car and wouldn't count the bikes...tossers.
Need to get organised....

2 comments:

  1. Re: the river swimming, it's probably best not to watch a TV programme called "Medical Invesigations" until you get home - we don't want it to go spoiling you romantic idyll :0)

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  2. Dear Super Matt, we are back on line now after many summer distractions - what does voluptuous mean ? Daddy says it means eye catching ! Me and Niamh were hanging out at Harvey's today. Mandy looked after us realy well, although she took us for a walk and didnt take out coats and we got soaked ! It was pretty cool. Niamh also managed to jam her scooter in a pothole and flew through the air like a fat chicken. She didnt half make a noise when she landed. I was really kind to her, I was hoping I might get a treat as a reward. Your bike ride sounds cool. I like the bike for three. We did a ride on Sunday, the Fallowfield Loop. It was tough, 12 miles. If you like, when you come back, I'll show you had help you, I know it is a long way for an old bloke like you. Keep peddling.

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