Day Fifty-eight (88 miles, 2709.8 total): How Much Does That Weigh Again?

RING! RING! RI-- I find my phone and shut of the incessant ringing. 6:00AM. I groan and unhappily pull myself out of my sleeping bag into into the morning air. It's a cool, dark, brisk morning. Not a ray of sun is penetrating the infinite veil of grey. Ella marches around me as I take down camp and pack up the panniers. After quickly getting ready for the day, I load Ella up into her Captains Chair and we set off down the road. I know it's going to be a long day, so oatmeal isn't going to cut it and I pull into McDonald's. Once I had gorged myself on a McGriddle and Mocha, I lazily hopped back onto the bike and pedaled on down the highway.

A heavy presence in the air told me rain was coming, so I rode on as fast as I could to avoid being caught in a storm. My morning was spent racing through the winding highway in hopes of out running any chance of rain. My efforts proved fruitless, as the rain came shuddering down. I pulled over and slip the rain covers over my panniers, Ella's cover over her basket, and finally slipped on my own rain gear. The rain continued to sputter on and off as I bolted down the road. I had a wide shoulder, wind to my back and barely an ounce of traffic to bother me. Late into the morning, the sun finally began to slowly break through the dark mass of clouds. A few more miles, I had finally reached the break in the weather and packed away my rain gear.

The roads are littered with debris; glass, metal, tires, plastic, trash, and other collections of waste. I watched every move of my bike crisscrossing the field of garbage in hopes of avoiding a flat tire. The piles of glass, stray bits of metal, and shredded tires seemed to never end. The day was growing hotter and hotter as I pushed on through the desert hills. I had to keep Ella cool by pouring water on her as I pushed on. Ella would always shake out after I poured water on her and she would effectively create a cool mist.

About 20 miles outside of Missoula, the winds betrayed me and flipped around. I had to work twice as hard to keep any speed I did have. On and on, I kept pedaling toward my destination in the now brutal heat of the afternoon. The sun beat down on me, cooking my back and heating the road. No amount of water could rid me of the searing heat. I created a sun shield for Ella, trying my best to keep her cool. Exhausted, dehydrated, and hungry, I pushed on in hopes of ice cold water and shade in Missoula.

Five miles from my destination, a hiss reached my ears, then my bike began to rumble. My tube had popped in the heat of the day and the debris filled roads probably didn't help either. Annoyed I clambered off my bike, unloaded my gear, and proceeded to deal with the problem. My tire had a long piece of metal buried deep into the rubber. I pulled out the culprit and swiftly installed a new tube. Once my tire was pumped and ready to go, I hauled myself back onto the bike and struggled on against the wind and the heat. Over half an hour later, I finally reached Missoula.

My first stop was the Adventure Cycling Association Headquarters. The old Church styled building was shining in a new coat of white paint, on the corner of a beautiful, green old town street. The staff was more than welcoming when I walked in. They allowed Ella to come in and gave us a full tour of the entire building. We had our picture taken and added to the wall of cyclists who had passed through. After the tour, I hung out in the Cyclist's Lounge, where I enjoyed ice cold water and ice cream. The Co-Founder came out and interviewed me on my trip, before taking us out to the back of the building to take a few black & white film photos of me. He has been working on this project for forty years and will be releasing a book next year in honor of the 40th anniversary of the TransAm Bike Route.

After take photos, they had me guess the weight of my bike, before weighing the whole rig on a hook. I guessed a reasonable 85lbs when I lifted my bike up into the air. Boy, was I wrong! After seeing the shocked look on everyone's face, they told me my bike weighed a whopping 131lbs! One Hundred and Thirty One Pounds! That's insane! I knew I was carrying a lot, but not that much!

Before I left, I picked up a few maps for the West Coast in the ACA store. My next order of business was finding a place to stay for the evening. After searching and asking around, I realized there were no places to camp anywhere near Missoula for a reasonable price. I ended up using a cyclist discount and staying at the Bel-Air Hotel, a cheap motel in the center of town. After sneaking Ella into the hotel and settling in, I took my unloaded bike and went to pick up some Subway. Thank goodness for Subway gift cards and all who send them to me, I am so grateful! Back in my room for the evening, I devoured my sandwich and relaxed. The rest of the evening was spent writing and uploading my photos from the previous week. By 11:00PM, I was absolutely exhausted and finally crashed for the night. Thank you all of your support on our trip and we hope you continue to follow us as we head into Idaho.