Day 8!

Thompson Falls, MT to Missoula, MT - 104.4 miles, 8:14

Today was supposed to be just as hot as yesterday, and since we had further to go, this cyclist skipped the free breakfast and got on the road at 5:30 am. It was nice and cool, so I was able to ride pretty quickly. Besides getting me to my destination that much quicker, the mosquitos don't seem to fly as fast as I can ride, so I was able to avoid them. Douglas (from Camas) was not so lucky. He got a flat tire early on, and was literally covered with mosquitos while he was changing the flat. He is now known as Mosquito Guy.

Several of us stopped for breakfast in Paradise, about 30 miles down the road. Yes, I was in Paradise for awhile today.

I think I've discovered a new law of physics. The new law is: with increasing temperatures, my miles per hour drop drastically. I'm still working on the equation . . .

I didn't get as many photos today, since much of the road today was without any shoulder, right next to drivers going 70 mph. I spent a lot of time just looking at the white line!


The most interesting part of today's ride was meeting and talking with John, from Fairbanks. He's not part of our Big Ride group, but he was doing his own even bigger ride. He left Fairbanks 36 days ago on bike, and is heading to Colorado for a family reunion. Not only is he carrying all his gear, but he's got a trailer on the back for his dog! He said he's never done anything like this before, but he definitely wants to do it again. Very inspiring.

Now, we're staying in dorms at the U of Montana, and tomorrow is a rest day! I hope it's as good as my rest day in Spokane. That might be difficult . . .