Goodbye Zoo Town

Sad to have to go. I must say though that my sister, Amy and I fit in a lot of things in such a short amount of time. Couple of farmers markets, UFC with wings, big hike and a float down the river. Missoula is a great little town. Plenty of going on but not so big where things get lost in the shuffle.







There are plenty of great things to find at both the farmers markets as well as antique stores. We did have fun looking around at all the old stuff.
















The hikes are beautiful and having some local Jerky along really helped keep us fueled.
















We even caught a little SeaCat (sorry, little joke) during our float





Well it’s off to the mines this Monday morning for Amy and Audra and I’ve got to pack up the bike and roll toward Lolo’s Hwy 12 which is supposed to be and epic ride. Next update in Boise!

Missoula!

I am now relaxing in Missoula. Ahhhhhh. My body is tapped. I started in Madison and get my bikes few rattled away bolts replaced at the hardware store. Then got fueled up at the Running Bear Pancake House. This place is a must and the Pancake sandwich is great. Also got great caffeine at Free Heel and Wheel again. From there I went North to Quake Lake and Ennis. The Ennis Café is also a great stop. Mighty nice people there.





Some new friends from IMBA!


























I was motivated to get some miles in for whatever reason and got to the camp where I was going to stay a bit early that was just off Rock Creek. Amazing country out there and the bike loved it too. Saw my first bear, long horn sheep and mountain goats on the ride.











Looking at the GPS I decided to go all the way to Missoula to see my sis instead of camping. I was very happy I did and great to see and catch up with her and her partner.










My new goggles!

A real update!

Well it’s great to be at a campground that has any sort of a cell signal. I’m in Montana now just coming from the Tetons via Yellowstone. It is truly amazing country out here. Every other moment I want to take more pictures. But if I did that my 2+week trip would turn into months.

So the last REAL update I gave was back in Utah. Well that night I spent at Moosehorn Lake at over 10k. It was cold at night and funny how this guy from SoCal who should be in shape is very winded up there. As always I am rushing to put up my tent because a thunderstorm always seems to be approaching. That was the last night I had to deal with that. Here are some shots of the days after Zion up to that night. Thanks again Kelly, you rock!

















































Because of the big day the following day I didn’t sleep well but also got an early start. Went up to Kemmerer and ran into a great guy at the gas station. He’s an oil man and when I told him my route he wished he was going with. From there I went to LaBarge and Labarge Rd is where the adventure started. It would be over 100 miles of off road to Alpine. The road conditions were great and traveled between 20 and 60mph. Even with my loaded down pack. I did have my 661 gear on and the SPOT on hand. ;) Things went sideways when I got 60mi in where LaBarge Rd meets Greys River Rd. I had picked the one week out of the year when the Forest Service would shut it down to build a bridge. FYI FOR 2010! GREY’S RIVER RD WILL BE CLOSED. I talked with Ms. Lusty (true name) from the Forest Service and she said I could give it a shot to forage my way across. I did ask that if I got into a spot of trouble if they could help. The said yes. With the huge equipment they had I knew I was getting across one way or another. I picked a tight and small route. The water crossing wasn’t bad but the bushes and mud were near impossible. I did it on my own steam and from unpacking to rolling again on the other side it was an hour to go 30ft. I felt on top of the world and couldn’t thank Lusty enough. Thanks again btw!































From there I went to alpine and the road was a little bumpy but great traveling and if you ever get a chance don’t miss this road.

I got to the Tetons and relaxed by the lake. Met Brad from Backroads travels and he hooked me up with some food. THANKS BRO! I got 2 meals out of that Thai food. Swapped cycling stories and the Tetons are beautiful as always.

This morning I took a relaxing start and went North to Yellowstone. Just amazing. Got caught up with my wife and friends now that I have cell coverage! Man I miss my wife. Can’t wait to see here at Burning Man. I’ll let the photos explain my time spent in Yellowstone. More time is needed here too.

At camp in Montana just outside the park I found a nice spot and took a swim in the warm river next to it. Nice little floats. Beats a shower any day. I also have to say thanks for the great coffee from the girls at Feel Heal and Wheel and also my camp hosts here who hooked me up with a cotter pin that will be a quick shot fix for the missing bolt on my side stand. Almost lost the bike because of that. Really everyone I’ve met on this trip has really wanted to help in any way. Thank you all!



































After this I won’t have an update for a day or two. Gotta say that having my SPOT is great and know my wife and best friends are looking out for me with the Tracker.


Side note from this morning, I got a pinch bolt for my front axle from the hardware store and great coffee from Free Heel and Wheel and breakfast from Bears Pancake House here is Madison to start my day. The IMBA CREW is way cool to0. Woo Hoo!