Libby, Montana

All is well. A short recap from the last few days since leaving Cut Bank.

Cut Bank to Glacier National Park (GNP): Between Cut Bank and GNP I peddled through Browning MT. On an Indian Reservation, Browning is a rough town. As luck would have it I arrived 1 hour before a pow-wow. The streets were filled by locals riding horses bare-back. Sometimes running down the streets the horses seemed scared from all of the traffic. It was a sight to see. From Browning I started my up-hill trek to GNP. After the flatlands of North Dakota and Eastern Montana...The foothills of the Rockies were a welcome sight. The steeper the climbs the less wind there was. I've always welcomed hills to wind...This trip has not changed my mind. The views of the Rockies were breathtaking. Many of the climbs were tough but I stopped several times to take photos. Before entering GNP there was a 6 mile ride down hill. Downhill is good. I camped in GNP at Rising Sun...About 5 miles into the Park. Each time I visit GNP I am more and more impressed with the scenery. If you've never visited GNP...It is a must.

GNP to Columbia Falls: Most of this day was spent climbing the Going-to-the-Sun-Road. Climbing the East side of Logan Pass was easier than I thought. There are many turn-offs on the "road" and I took advantage of them by taking pictures. All will be impressed by the pictures. The weather was grand. When I started the climb it was cool. A few miles in I took off my jacket and was very comfortable wearing shorts and a short sleeve jersey. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and no wind. A little more than half way up the road it went to one lane as there was an avalanche a couple weeks ago. Many of the cyclists that I met traveling East were disappointed that the "Road" was closed because of the avalanche. While passing the avalanche area there was a wall of snow to my right. I had a very uneasy feeling as I read a sign that said "snow is unstable". When I reached the top I had a quick snack with a guy named Tucker who I met the night before. He started his trek in Maine and will be finishing in Seattle. The down portion of the ride was glorious...Twelve miles down with a 6% grade. The road has several curves and bends. I tried to keep it under 40 mph but it was difficult. I stopped 4 different times to rest my wrists as breaking was a chore. Each time I stopped by rims were hot to the touch. The ride down was very fun. Although the down portion took much less time than the up portion I managed to get in some good photos. I finished the day outside of the park in Columbia Falls were I camped at an RV park.

Yesterday...Columbia Falls to Eureka Mt: Met up with Tucker at a bike shop in Whitefish. My bike needed some minor attention. We started the 52 mile trek to Eureka a little after 1pm. About 10 miles into the ride we were greeted with a 20 minute thunderstorm. After the rain the sun came out and the temp reached the low 90s. There were clouds ahead of us so we both decided make the remainder of the ride as quick as possible. We reached Eureka around 530pm and set up our tents in the city park about 10 minutes before the next rainstorm arrived. Hwy 93 that stretched from Whitefish to Eureka was a scenic ride but paled in comparison to the day before. The hwy will be remembered most for the uncountable number of logging trucks that rocked passed us all afternoon long.

Today...Eureka to Libby MT: About 7 miles west of Eureka we came upon Lake Koocanusa. The lake is massive. It stretches over 70 miles and the route today followed over 50 miles of it. It was beautiful. Up and down the lake's bluffs each turn and bend brought with it an impressive view. Many pictures were taken. Seventeen miles from Libby is Libby Dam. The dam holds back the water of Koocanusa and forms the Kootenia River. I fished the Kootenia a few years ago for an afternoon. It's a mighty river.

Talked to a few cyclists this afternoon that started in Anacortes WA 7 and 8 days ago. I can begin to taste the finish line.

After 45 days...Current stats:
Route miles complete: 3615.5
Miles peddled: 3371.86
Miles ahead of schedule: 699.5
Days ahead schedule: 10.7
Curses directed at myself for having to purchase a third tent..118...The story later.

Jamie