Days 53, 54, 55 (64.8 miles miles, 2440.01 total): A Few Days With My Best Buddy

RING! RING! RI-- I slap my phone off the bedside table and immediately get to packing. Ella is circling my legs as I tip toe back and forth with my panniers. I packed the night before so it doesn't take long to get ready for the day. I step out into the cool morning air and load my bags onto the bike. Ella is excited to go for a ride, so I finally lift her into her Captains Chair and we set off down the road. It's all downhill into Gardiner so I take my time and stop for pictures. When I get into the town of Mammoth, herds of elk are roaming the streets. It was pretty cool to be so close to them as they played together. While I watched, more people came onto the streets and the elk started to move back up the mountain.

I finally decided to move on and ride down the rest of the valley into Gardiner. When I pull into town, my best friend is waiting for me. Grady takes me to breakfast before we somehow manage to jam my bike and all of my gear into a Honda Civic. Soon we are off and headed for Paradise Valley. Five miles up a spine shaking dirt road, we finally arrive at the luxurious Mountain Sky Guest Ranch. Grady introduces me to all of his new co-workers and friends at the ranch. It's great to meet so many new people and have the time to hang out with them. Being on the road, you meet so many people, but only in passing.

The next few days, my best friend takes me around the valley and shows me a ton of new things. We went to the river, explored a few towns, went camping, spent time with friends, and just had a lot of fun. Seeing my best friend has been one of the highlights of my trip. Between school, vacations, and work, I don't get to see my friends very often, so I make the most of it when I can. When the weekend had finally come to a close, Grady got up early and drove me all the way to Bozeman. I honestly don't think I could ask for a better friend. He is as true as they come and there need to be more people like him in the world. After dropping me off at a bike shop, we said goodbye and Grady headed back to the ranch and I went to get my bike repaired. Thanks for a great weekend buddy!