Day 86 - 9/1/16 Orofino, ID to Pomeroy, WA

I have officially made it through all the landlocked states that separate the East from the West coast.  It's truly exciting to be in Washington, not just because weed is legal here

– that certainly helps but, knowing the ocean is on the other side of this state is uplifting as all Hell.  I'm about 300 miles from Ben's place in Portland, my number

1 stop before I continue to the coast to deposit my bag of East coast sand.  I think I can be there by this time next week.

Day 85 - 8/31/16 Lowell Campground to Orofino, ID

Last night was the last night all 5 of us would be together.  At Kooskia, the next town, the rest of the gang went South while I stayed North with a couple other cyclists that rolled into the campground after dark.  We had a fire and marvelled at the beautiful day of riding we all experienced; we waded in the river and drank from it and fell asleep beneath the stars that were above the haze of smoke in the sky.  

The temperature was too good this morning; we were all up early without freezing and shivering over our breakfasts.  Rides like yesterday are good to do with other people because you can talk about it afterward and still feel the excitement like when the embers from the campfire are still smoldering in the morning.  

The 7 of us, including Rachel and Brendan who came in late last night, headed for kooskia where our gang would split up.  But not before we all stuffed our faces with eggs and pancakes and some of us with butter in our coffee.  In Kooskia, the Lochsa River splits in 2 directions, the Clearwater River goes North while the South Fork goes in the obvious direction.  

So I took the Clearwater with Rachel and Brendan while Matt, Wally, Dave, and Marion took the South Fork with hopes we'd all see each other again, now knowing the mysterious ways of the road.  Rachel and Brendan needed to make it to Lewiston today in attempts to meet an encroaching deadline; I, on the other hand stopped just after 50 miles here in Orofino, back in civilization, back on my own to hammer out the last weeks of my ride.

Day 84 - 8/30/16 Powell Campground to Lowell Campground, ID

Coffee is back in my life in a wonderful way despite my extreme commitment to kicking caffeine before I left on this trip.  Caffeine actually does an incredible job giving relief to sore leg muscles.  Dammit, I may just be a lifer but, I think I'm okay with that.  There was a lodge at rhe campground so once the 3 of us got packed up, we went on the hunt for that good, hot, black stuff.  

We found it no problem and also learned Dave and Marion were at the same campsite, we just didn't see them last night and they had already woke up and hit the road.  At one point on this trip I would have been an early riser and left with them without a cup of the good stuff but, I must be hanging out with the wrong crowd.  Inside the lodge, Wally was looking for butter to put in his coffee – that dood is Bill Nye and Rambo on 2 wheels – something about the fat getting caffeine to the brain quicker than normal, I don't know but I trust him.  

With no butter around we all got wired up as best we could and hit the road with Matt assuring us that we won't need to pedal today.  His statement was slightly hyperbolic but, no completely off the mark.  We rode along for 70 miles on the gentlest downhill ride of all our lives.  Yes, we all pedaled but, we rolled along with incredible ease at 17 mph for about 4 hours; I couldn't have dreamed a more perfect ride.  

We followed along the Lochsa River the entire way, a neverending chain of 'S' curves revealing wide, beautiful views of the water with layers of mountains above masked in hazy blue-green atmosphere from a distant forest fire that filled the air with aroma.  

Not once did this pattern of curves seem redundant; I nearly convinced myself I had died earlier on and this blissful ride was some sort of manifestation of heaven, like this was my tunnel of white light leading to the next plane, this series of neverending, always changing visions of natural wonder flying into my eyes like a universe being sucked into black holes.  But, at some point, the pattern broke and the 3 of us found Dave and Marion outside of the first restaurant we had seen in 100 miles.  

The 5 of us continued down the magic road another couple of miles to the campground which was right on the lovely Lochsa River.  Assured I was still on Earth, alive and well, I struggled to get on with the daily rituals that don't involve having a bike between my legs.

Day 83 - 8/29/16 Missoula, MT to Powell Campground, ID

I met a lot of people in Missoula; a lot of people that are heading in the same direction as me: West.  We all stayed at the same house in town and I was excited to have some company for the next couple days.  After starting the day with coffee and bagels with Hannah, I met Wally and Matt at the Adventure Cycling Association building, the company that publishes the magazine about bike touring, the reason why so many people go out and ride across the country; these people have been mapping it out for 40 years now.  Can I have a job, please?  

Matt, Wally and myself didn't hit the road til 12:00pm; Marion and his son, David left Missoula around 9:00am, another couple of East to West riders on the TransAm route.  The ride was nothing to write home about, flat, windy mountain roads, typical beautiful Montana, a little on the hot side.  We made it to Lolo Pass by 5:00pm, the leak of the "climb" (we really only went uphill for the last few miles).  

At the top, we crossed into Idaho as well as Pacific Time, a beautiful moment for us all.  From this point on, the next 70 miles or so were downhill so we didn't hesitate too long to roll down the other side of the pass 10 miles to the campground, enjoyinng the sites of a brand new state to all our eyes.

Day 82 - 8/28/16 Missoula, MT - Day Off

The back door is left wide open all day and is closed but not locked at night, just like all the other doors that lead into this shared space.  A laminated booklet hangs by the door informing any travelers what kinds of facilities are available and where to find them in the house and what kind of behavior is expected.  There's a drum set and a baby grand in the living room among all the bicycles from all the cyclists stopping through.  

A spiral staircase leads to the second floor – I wonder how old this house is or what it looked like before it became this haven for touring cyclists.  Today, in the afternoon I lay on one of the couches in the sun room.  The owner is actually here today but, no one else.  He's nice but not very talkative, a person might feel uncomfortable not chatting it up with their host but, I can tell he wants me to feel at home, not like he's doing me this grand favor; so I kick my feet up and doze off or read or whatever I'm capable of on this lazy Sunday afternoon.  

This morning I took my bike out for coffee, donuts, and errands, playing some jazz loudly from the speaker I carry on my handlebars.  

The sun was shining and the early morning air was nice and cool on my skin and didn't heat up until I got back to the house.  Missoula is a wonderful city, I'm already planning on coming back, maybe even live in this house for a week, who knows.

Day 81 - 8/27/16 Drummond to Missoula, MT

Today has been one of those days where the universe just wants to tell me everything is good, keep doing what you're doing.  At the beginning of this trip I never planned on going through Montana, let alone make it as far North as Missoula but, here I am.  I've heard the name many times from a Jimmy Buffet song and it always rang out in my head a little longer than other cities he sings about.  But still, that's not what brought me here.  

I guess it just became part of the route somehow along the way.  When I got downtown I wanted to find a bookstore which I did.  I had some books in mind but failed to find any of them.  I did buy a book though, one called Ceremony which I was introduced to back in Buffalo, NY.  I had forgotten about it until the title jumped out at me on the shelf.  

The description appealed to me in Buffalo but, since riding through many Indian Reservations and seeing handfuls of these people drinking their lives away and looking for cheap pleasures, the synopsis struck a new chord: "A young American Indian's search for meaning to his life leads him back to his past traditions..."  So I bought it, I'll let you know how it is.  Outside the bookstore was a beautiful girl with a box full of hats and scarves and mittens and she was just sitting there knitting and smiling in the shade.  

She asked if I needed a hat for the Winter and I told her I'm hiding from the snow this year but I ended up buying one for my niece back home.  I asked her where I should get some lunch and she promptly split her salad with me – fresh greens from the farmers market.  After sitting for some time, learning about Sarah's and her fiancée's time biking and hitchhiking from West Virginia and their wedding coming up in 2 weeks, I realized my bike, a Trek 820, red, is parked right next to an identical red 820.  Never seen another bike like mine, sure enough, there's one right next to it.  In the next half hour I learned the place we're sitting outside of has incredibly cheap water bottles, the stainless steel kind that I've been wanting.  

Purchasing a couple I learn the place also sells donuts, exactly what I'd be looking for next.  So I bought a couple and ate them with Sarah and her fiancée, Richie and then some old guy came out of nowhere and started playing the most beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace on a saw.  Everything was blooming in front of me.  But I finally left for the Warm Showers home I'd be staying in.  On the back door is a 10 page packet with all the information on staying here: how to use the washer and dryer, where the shower is, who actually lives here (no one was home) and beyond that, lots of reassurance that anything goes here, just be respectful.  Easy enough.  Mi casa, su casa is what it all boiled down to.

Day 80 - 8/26/16 Deer Lodge to Drummond, MT

Today was a nice ride, nice and easy, just over 35 miles and my legs are feeling good.  Drummond's city park includes a baseball field, playground, and a campground for tents and RVs with water and electric hookups – it's always a nice surprise to come across a park like this where you know no one will bother you throughout the night and you don't have to dig a hole to shit in.  

I ride to Missoula tomorrow and I plan on taking I-90 for nearly half of the 55 mile ride.  I checked with the highway department and they told me it's fine as long as I don't interfere with traffic; I do not plan on interfering with cara moving 70 mph faster than me.  I haven't had to ride on the interstates yet but I don't feel like riding 30 miles on some neglected dirt road, I've been there and did that and fell off a bridge in the process.  

After Missoula the rest of my ride will most likely be on paved roads which is an exciting thought.  I'm really looking forward to upgrading my bicycle, I'm finally beginning to hate riding with a backpack.  To all the people that have questioned my decision to wear this thing on my ride, you were right, it sucks – the extra sweat, the added weight pushing down on my ass, it's just another handle for gravity to grab onto and pull while I'm going uphill.  I am living and learning quite a bit.  

I'm glad today went so smoothly, the last 2 days were rather bleak, having to get a ride and rest for an extra day.  I'm not going to let the pressures of the weather effect this trip anymore, I just gotta take it day by day and if I need a day of rest, I'm gonna take it.