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Colorado...it's great to be back!

Another week flies by, but how glad I am to be back in Colorado. The final day in Wyoming from Rawlins was yet more struggle, but since then things have been brilliant! The day out of Rawlins started slowly. We had caught wind of a road closure on route during that day with terrible mud conditions along the way. It meant we would only be able to ride the stretch after 5pm when they finished work, so the morning was spent waiting in the very odd town of Rawlins. Seems a shame it had to be there rather than somewhere nicer, so it was good to get going when we did in the early afternoon. The late leaving time meant another problem. The start of the afternoon thunderstorms. Just shy of our main mountain climb for the day a huge storm rolled in from behind us. With thunder and lightning all around us it didn't seem ideal having to climb up to higher ground, but with the distance left for the day we didn't have much choice. Finding the truck at the top was perfect giving us a chance to all jump in and get a little shelter. What we didn't know was what the rain had done to the road conditions a few miles further on! The clay based mud made for a torrid time. Just as I thought the day was going to finish well we hit it with 3 miles to Aspen Alley camp. Instead, those final few miles took me the best part of an hour with numerous stops to try and unclog my bike and pushing it through the worst sections. Being a small guy, means a small frame and little clearance around the tyres so the mud would just build up in seconds. The frustration finally subsided as Ralph, Drew and I made it to camp well into the dark. Another long day of hating Wyoming it seems. The only thing keeping spirits high the following day was knowing we were going to make it to Steamboat Springs for our double rest day. Never has the idea of taking a couple of days off seemed so inviting after 18 straight days on the bike. Knowing we would also be in Colorado was a big boost. A fairly unspectacular day ended with a big team push for the final 20 miles on the road into town. The reward was a great night at the local bar watching some live music (apparently a famous country band, not that I was to know). It was nice for us to be able to really enjoy a town knowing there was no need to ride the next day, and we certainly did. The rest days consisted of picking up bike parts from a great bike shop in town. They hooked me up with a new wheel which could be a life saver soon since I managed to bend the rim and buckle it too. A trip to the springs a little out of town was a big plus. Letting the legs relax for a few hours in the heat was revitalising. Other than that it was mainly spent relaxing in the hammock trying to do as little as possible. A team cook out the final evening was a nice finish to a great time in Steamboat. Since then the last 4 days have been spectacular! The riding still hasn't been easy, but the views have certainly reverted back to the Rockies I had been excited for. After leaving the deserts of the Basin behind, we were back to 11,000+ft mountains all around and lush green trees. The downside has been the repeated afternoon thunder storms rolling through, which we seem incapable of missing. Riding out of Steamboat and civilisation was a struggle, but once we did it was worth it. You know Colorado is great when every town you come through has its on bike paths and trail networks. The ride out on the bike path was brilliant and soon we headed back out into the mountains. The destination of Radium was enticing with the potential of more hot springs. What we hadn't prepared for was the businesses of the beginning of labour day weekend. The ride included one of the best descents of the trip down to camp. The rain storm coming through the valley tried hard to ruin it, but the twisty gravel was too fun to be ruined by the cold. Arriving to a full campsite of people out for the weekend was surprising but a nice change. We managed to find out about the natural hot springs near by and after an hour of walking around in the dark we eventually found them with the help of a fellow camper. The perfect way to end the day soaking in the springs! Further storms the next day really did ruin what was to be a great decent into Silverthorne. After a long climb we were all excited to bomb down into town ready to get Chipotle! But it wasn't to be, in fact it was probably the worst decent of my life. Completely wrapped up, the rain was so hard it felt like hail hitting our faces and the wind gusting so strongly it was hard to stay out of the path of the traffic behind. I never been so pleased to get to the bottom and out of the rain before. In hindsight we should probably have waited it out at the top, but that would probably have been equally as miserable. 2 hours spent in Chipotle to dry off and eat some much needed food was our saving grace and the final few miles on the bike path to Frisco was a lot of fun. I had actually ridden the same section on the Transam going the other way so it was nice to be in familiar territory. The bike path continued all the way to Breckenridge the next morning which has certainly been one of the highlights of Colorado so far. On an intentionally short day, we were able to relax in the ski town for much of the day. The first port of call was of course Ollie's Bar & Grill for some grub and a few drinks. Returning to Breckenridge was awesome, knowing where to walk around and where the cool shops were was nice. If it wasn't so busy with tourists it would seem like the perfect town to live. Leaving Breckenridge seemed a shame, but knowing we were heading into Salida two days later eased things a little. The climb out of town was built up to be a toughie with 3,000ft in elevation and a very rockie surface. Turned out to be anything but and in fact was probably one of the nicest climbs of the whole trip. A steady grade with brilliant views over the Breckenridge ski mountain made for some great climbing. The top of Boreas Pass was at 11,482ft, our highest of the trip and our 16th crossing of the divide! Finally to Salida and our rest day. The ride in included a surprisingly steep climb, probably the steepest since Montana, which had us all on our knees. But thankfully it was followed up with a great decent all the way into town. The views of the 14ers (14,000ft mountains) all around us put huge smiles on our faces before racing down the twisty but open decent. Arriving at the hostel ready for another rest day was excellent and the evening spent watching the first Monday night college football game at the bar was a nice change. Salida is also on the Western Express route so it was cool to be back here having passed through in 2013. I liked it then so I'm sure I will love it with a whole day to spend here. Now to the final stretch. 13 days till Mexico!

Wyoming and the Great Basin

What a stretch this has been! Since last time I wrote in Ashton, Idaho, things have changed considerably. We have already ridden into and nearly all the way through Wyoming and are only a days ride away from cross into Colorado. We've also had our first fight with poor weather, but more positively the winds seemed to have turned in our favour (at least for a bit). Around 20 miles outside of Ashton we rolled into Wyoming, passing yet another sign with bullet holes through it. Spirits were high after a fun evening spent at the local bar, with a particularly odd owner. Even so the riding was tough going with loose gravel covering the climbs. Our first sights of the Tetons kept the drive alive and knowing we would be camping at the foot of them that evening was particularly exciting. I would still say the Tetons were one of my favourite locations during 2012 and they didn't disappoint the second time round. With a back drop of storm clouds, the Eastern side of the Tetons was looking spectacular. We had to have a quick stop at the lake for the all important photo along the base of the mountain range. It was however a bit of a shock to ride back into the tourist areas of the National Parks. Having spent the entire day alone on the dirt road, riding the final stretch on the road with RVs flying by wasn't much fun. Camp was equally busy, but still nice to be by the lake. The next day started oh so well, but apparently not as it meant to carry on. Another 15 miles of road with glorious views of the snow capped Tetons led us to Buffalo Cafe at the foot of Togwotee Pass. As we arrived for our second breakfast, the storm clouds were all around. It was fairly inevitable at that point that we would get wet, it was just a matter of how badly. It turned out very badly indeed. The climb started once onto the dirt and thankfully hadn't become too wet to pass. The maps did warn us that the route was impassable when wet and I could see why with deep thick mud already starting to build up. The end of the mud road popped out at a snow mobile resort just before joining the highway and thankfully they had a warm petrol station/store to warm up and get some snacks. The young guy behind the till did warn us the poor weather was meant to continue all day and with a further 9 miles of the climb to go, the last thing we wanted was to leave. Putting on wet clothes is never fun and this just added to our misery. Having briefly stopped with Pete and the truck at the top of the pass it was time to do the dreaded cold decent. I've never not wanted to a decent so badly and even wrapped up in my full winter gear there was no way I could get away from the cold. Thankfully we found a store open near the bottom and they convinced the adjacent bar to make some food an hour earlier than normal just for us. A bowl of chilli has never tasted so good. In this period of trying to wait out the worst of the storm, we also had to decide if we were going to make it all the way to Union Pass to camp. Thankfully there were a number of others which were shorter to choose from and we ended up riding till dusk and picking the nearest spot. The weather had improved for the ride but hell did it rain hard over night! Waking up to a soaking wet tent and blue skies was a little strange it has to be said. Thankfully with the nice morning weather, the sun was already beating down so everything dried out before we really wanted to hit the road. With some extra miles to catch up, we now had an 80+ mile day which started with some tough climbing. Things seemed to be going well until the final stretch on the road. The truck had another flat (caused on the final stretch of gravel), count was then up to 4. Then Pete's free hub decided to seize up and Ralph broke a spoke within the same mile. The wind was finally in our favour though so it just became a slog to get to Pinedale. Getting to town and finding the only campsite around had shut down also wasn't ideal. Everything seemed to hit us that day, so getting a cabin at the motel was a nice way to forget the day. The Great Basin was next up! By this point I've been struggling. Both mentally and physically, after a couple of days of toughing out the miles, my head was wavering and the rest days in Colorado seemed far away. Seeing friends back home enjoying themselves, while you are sweating your way through the dusty deserts of Wyoming, isn't exactly the best thing for moral. From past experience I've often found the middle of trips like this the hardest. You are neither at an exciting start, nor riding towards the finish line. The days all link into one and you don't feel like things are moving forward at any great pace. But, somewhere inside there is still the drive to move on, each day at a time. I really wanted to enjoy the Great Basin. Wyoming always had a black mark from my previous trip with some poor roads, but I had hoped that would change being in the dirt. It's hard to ignore the vast scale of the basin. Photos just simply don't do it justice. The first 80 mile stretch took us to a tiny town of population 37 called Atlantic City. The old gold mines near by were the only reason it existed and quite frankly I'm not sure how it has still survived. Mentally, this was one of my hardest days. Seeing the road wind out in front of you for 10s of miles with both incredible and soul destroying. Having your head down also plays havoc with you physically, with the searing heat everything seemed to hurt. Making it to the bar in town that we were camping out front of was a relief but also frustrating having not been able to really enjoy the last few days. It's amazing what one phone call can do, but to be able to hear from friends and the girlfriend the following morning made a massive difference. You can feel very isolated (even in a group) on a trip like this so it was nice just to hear stories from the festivals back home and what else is happening in the world. In less than 2 hours I went from not really enjoying riding my bike to loving every second. I was able to take in and enjoy the vast nothingness of our surroundings. Out of town, the trees disappeared and you really did feel like you were in the middle of nowhere. The legs also began to feel better which was a nice change. That evening was spent watching the moon rise at a small reservoir in the desert with a fire going. We met 3 more self supporters, all riding independently, who also managed to make it to camp with us the previous few nights, so it was great to hear new stories. That then finally leads onto today, which may just be the quickest day of the trip. Other than our 14th crossing of the continental divide, it was a smooth flat day coming off the dirt after 15 miles and crushing into Rawlins on the road for the following 40 miles. Once again the wind was mostly behind us for the morning, but as always just as you think the day is going to be an easy one, it ends up biting you in the arse. The final 9 mile stretch was with one of the strongest cross winds I've ever experienced. Luckily Dan and I were riding together at this point and we were able to take it in turns to take the flack of the beating. More worrying was the possibility of getting blown into traffic but we made into town safe and by 1 30 in the afternoon. Plenty of time to relax for once. Two days of riding left now and we are into Colorado for our double rest day in Steamboat. It seems the whole team are relying on it, not least the truck with the need of some tyre patches (it had a 5th flat yesterday). Fingers crossed the winds turn back in our favour as we ride out of town tomorrow. We've heard of some road closures on tomorrow's route so may involve so late riding to be able to get through when they stop work. We will have to see what happens.

The days keep tumbling!

As we roll into our third week, I've finally found some time to reflect on what as been a spectacular 2nd week. Currently sat in the laundry mat, we have had the rare luxury of arriving in a town at a reasonable hour to relax and regroup. Annoying it seems my last blog post around Day 10 never posted, so I will try my best to recap the last week. All we seem to have done is ride, eat and sleep (oh and time for the odd beer), hence why there haven't been more posts recently. Since it has been a while, I've already forgotten the specifics, so for this post it will just be highlights and lowlights. Montana was a beautiful, all be it long state and I loved almost every minute. The scenery has been great throughout including the last few days as we started to ride into the open basins of Southern Montana. It was nice to have a change from the tree lined roads that weaved up the mountains which we'd had for the previous few weeks. The open basins have meant much less climbing, which was more than welcomed by the team. At the same time, this change in environment also meant a change in civilisation, with riding becoming considerably more remote and the towns we passed becoming ever smaller. Camps were harder to find, meaning bigger riding days and more basic living. The creeks and rivers to wash in seemed to be the only constant of the trip. If you haven't seen, the north west is under serious attack from forest fires. The day out of Big Fork, it was reported 44 new fires had started over night during a thunder storm. A similar story has continued as we have come south which has been sad to see. Thankfully we have only had one closure on route, leading to a few road miles, but the biggest issue has been the smoke. With these fires raging throughout, especially in Eastern Glacier National Park, the smoke haze has massively restricted visibility to the far distance, which has spoilt views considerably. Our maps have a number of notes and points saying to look out for this mountain range or that which we simply haven't been able to see. Even so the scenery has been brilliant, but we just don't know what we are missing out on. We've had our first bear siting of the trip! I wouldn't know exactly what climb it was on, since they all roll into one, but a small black bear got a little freaked out by us and had a run across our path. No cubs around so it wasn't being aggressive but it was nice to finally spot one. That seemed to be the beginning of a number of interactions with wildlife. There was an overly friendly deer in Lincoln that had clearly been fed by the local campers. It walked up to us at a rest stop and want a piece or Ralph's apple. It seemed so tame you could pet it. One evening we camped in a field of lamas, of which one was very friendly and wanted to get in the back of the truck. Pete and I found a set of perfect looking horses that came over to say hi as we stopped on the road side. They even decided to come with us as we began riding off until they spotted some more interesting grass. Finally in the town of Macks Inn yesterday, a moose had a wander through the centre to scare the kids down by the water. I was fairly confused at first, being on the phone to your girlfriend to then find people running down the street wasn't exactly calming. The moose ended up walking directly behind the building I was at so managed to catch a picture before he decided to demolish a bush in the front garden of someone's house. Other than that it has mainly been about the birds on route. Dan is a bird expert (it's his profession) which has been cool to find out about the Eagles we've seen and all sorts of other birds. One thing that has surprised me about the trip so far is the number of people we've met along the way. For some reason I assumed there were far fewer people riding this route to the previous ones I have, especially being later in the season, but I couldn't be more wrong. In the last week alone which ridden with 3 European ladies, 2 from the Netherlands and one from Belgium. They were cool and met us again in Helena for drinks in the evening. It's nice for us to be able to help out others on route so we also offered for them to stay in the apartment we were at that night. The last few days we have been with a New Zealand couple who were really nice. They were heading off for a detour to Yellowstone today which I was jealous of. Then there have been at least 3 other pairs of Americans riding the same direction as us. Then countless numbers of others riding North. Having come out of the mountains and into the basins was meant to make things easier, but it doesn't seem to have happened that way. Before our last two days which were shorter, we had 4 seriously tough back to back days starting from Helena onwards. Granted, the first of those was probably our own doing, but even so we've been struggling. Helena had a number of great breweries and Cassie, Bike the U.S for MS programme director and friend of ours, came to join us so we had to celebrate. That lead to a slooow morning with a long breakfast at the cafe. With little motivation and two flats for Drew on the first climb out of town it was already showing signs of a tough day. That lead to our first late finish with darkness approaching. Then the next we had the issues of headwinds. It's usually pot luck which way the wind is going in the basins, but the next few days only seemed to come from the south west and straight into our miserable faces. What should have been a simple day became a 70 mile slog and this was the day leading into a 105 mile day! Well it was meant to be 105 miles, until we realised our maths error mid way through the day and it was actually 114. Surprisingly we were up and out early but it was still a 14 hour day with 10 hours of saddle time. I don't think I've ever ridden from dusk to dusk so it was an adventure. A freezing start had me wrapped up in every layer I owned like I was back in an English winter. But once we thawed out things improved a little. Things were going smoothly till we got to mile 90 which was a brutal climb over the divide. It wasn't long, but very steep and a loose surface. Somehow I managed to struggle up it but others couldn't and had to push. It probably wouldn't have been that bad if our legs weren't screaming from the previous 3 days and 90 miles. When we got there we also found our truck had a flat tyre, the second in as many days (a third was to come 2 days later). Making it to camp that evening at 9pm felt like such relief and achievement, but also shock from the day and shear disbelief at how people can race this route! The last few days have been a little easier. The flatter roads has helped and the winds have been more favourable. The mileage has also shortened since more towns are around. Excitingly we are now into Idaho having crossed the continental divide for the 7th time yesterday. As great as Montana was, I think we were all ready for a change and move on into another state. We head on into Wyoming tomorrow as things start to stretch out again with longer days and less in between them. The legs are feeling stronger now after some rest so hopefully we can power on to Colorado ready for a rest day in Steamboat Springs. It can't come soon enough. If you want to see where we are exactly, check out the link below to the tracker I have on me. Get stalking... https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=e55f55c0d77f29ddd

Day 4 to 6 - one word, hot!

So I know I was complaining about the cold in the last post, but I'm definitely complaining about the heat for this one! After dropping in elevation to Fernie, the last few days have involved riding through temperatures touching 40C And trust me, that hasn't exactly been fun. It turned out day 4 wasn't as bad as first thought. After a great evening spent at the brewery and dinner with one of the brewers, it was time to set off for what we thought was an 80 mile day. Turns out we had our maths wrong and it was more like 70 which gave us an immediate boost. It seemed much of the day was on paved roads too, but the gravel sections were exhausting in the dry heat and dusty conditions. Having just got over my cold, the dust wasn't exactly helping my cough much. Near the end of the day we also crossed over into the U.S. I got pulled over at the board...turned out it was just to do the standard paper work...but for some that got me pretty nervous. A beer was needed at duty free on the other side to relax for the last 8 miles to Eureka. Eureka was a weird little boarder town. I had actually been there in 2012 when on the Northern Tier, but didn't seem to recognise the town much other than the library. Thankfully there was a nice creek next to the town park we were staying at to cool and clean off. The night was also a strange one with what seemed like the whole towns worth of teenagers deciding to use the park as their site for the start of some 'pub crawl'...not that there were many bars in town. I wasn't sorry to say goodbye to Eureka and start what was going to be a big day to Red Meadow Lake. It consisted of two mountain passes and over 65 miles in the heat. Whitefish pass started nicely with a steady grade, but like most passes the end kicked up and the gravel became looser. We were in the heart of grizzly country up there which helped to kick us up the mountain. The descent was pretty wild with drop offs to the right and rock walls to the left, but with a bit of care we all made it down. On the way we seemed to end up in a Death Valley, where all the trees had been killed by an invasive beetle. With no shade, we weren't hanging around there for long. The second climb of the day was the real tough one! Having just had an excellent rest stop by a river running off Glacier National Park, none of us exactly wanted to get rolling. The views of Glacier had been incredible all day, despite the slight haze caused by the current fire on the East side of the park. An 11 mile climb to end the day wasn't ideal, but we all seemed to be cruising right up until the last 2.5 miles. Having spent a little under an hour to get to that point, those last miles took 30 minutes alone where the grade ramped up and after every turn the climb seemed to continue straight up. With my knees close to blowing up, I found myself creating the climb to a large expanses of crystal clear water! Red Meadow Lake. I have never before been so excited to run into a lake of cold water. Even in the evening light, temperatures were still high and having just ridden up my own temperature was through the roof. The camp spot there was stunning and I had to put up my hammock to just sit back and take it all in. Pretty sure it's the most beautiful spot I've ever camped, but I'm starting to think we may have others on route. Day 6 started with the rewards from the previous evenings climb. 10 miles of almost straight downhill made the day start very nicely indeed. Whitefish town was waiting for us at 30 miles and we weren't hanging around to get there. This was another town I had been to in 2012. In fact I had to hitchhike there with my rear wheel then having just broken a spoke and buckled the wheel. We dropped into the bike shop to find my name in the tourers' book from that day which was cool to see. After a long lunch, mostly spent with everyone contacting the outside world after a few days with no service, we were in no state to actually want to leave. The heat and wind had picked up and we still had a 45 mile stretch to go to Big Fork which none of us were excited for. This turned out to be my worst stretch of the trip so far. Low on water and energy, the sun and wind were really beating me up. Thankfully we found a small library in the middle of nowhere where we managed to get to refill is nice cold water. That helped to get me through to Big Fork but only just. A few celebratory drinks and food and we all were ready to head to the hotel. The campsite we had planned to be at had been full and the backups didn't seem to exist anymore, so a motel was our only choice...not that we were complaining. With little energy left we all crashed more than ready for the following rest day. Thankfully today has consisted of nothing other than doing laundry, food shopping and calling back home. The sun is back out after a cloudy and humid start to the day, so it's time to enjoy the pool for the afternoon! First week done, is that all?!

#biketheusforms #greatdivide

Quite the adventure

I don't even know where to start with these first 3 days. I feel like I've already experienced everything there is to have on this trip, but I already know there's so much more to come. Setting off from the touristy town of Banff, was both hugely exciting but also daunting, leaving proper civilisation behind. Under the eyes of the Banff Springs Hotel, we lined up for the classic team photo and set off into the wilderness. It didn't take long to realise the day wasn't exactly going to plan. The first mechanical came within the first mile with a loose cable for Drew. With plenty of ups and downs, it took us till noon to get 15 miles. Due to a mix up with campgrounds, our day had already become a 70 miler or else we had to figure something out. By the first car stop of the day it was clear there was no way that was happening! Having said that, the scenery for day 1 was simply incredible. Riding lakeside for much of the day was exhausting on the eyes with mountain ranges to constantly ogle at. We had a bit of everything with gravel roads, flowing fast single track and rooty tricky climbing. The day ended at around 45 miles at a picnic area. It wasn't exactly legal to camp there, but we had simply run out of options and sunlight to do anything else. After a quick hike into the trees, we pitched our tents in the dark and settled down, while Dan drove off to find somewhere for the car to park which wouldn't be seen. The views the next morning were well worth the effort. However the freezing cold temperatures weren't exactly welcome. It took till around 8 30 for the sun to reach our side of the valley and until then I was wearing what felt like every piece of clothing I had. Once we thawed out, the riding became nice with more open gravel roads. Day 2 did end up being a big day for us all though. Due to the shorter day 1, it became a 60+ miler with our first crossing of the continental divide. After a couple of excruciatingly steep climbs, we made it to the top of Elk Pass. That in itself turned out to be a let down with no sign and simply a metal gate to get through, but none the less it was our first crossing. After that the general trend was meant to be downhill to Elkford. Didn't exactly turn out that way. The gravel road seemed to relentlessly climb and fall without letting up. Most people were struggling for food and morale. Seeing the car with 8 miles to go was the life line needed to get everyone to camp. Even so, arriving in town involved sitting in a pizza restaurant in dead silence realising just how tough this trip is going to be. Drew was even head in hands after what had been a pretty shocking day. After an early night and nice lie in, day 3 started with surprisingly high sprints. That was largely to do with the low mileage for the day, but also that one of the gravel roads we were meant to take was washed out. Our options were to wade through waste deep water, or ride the main road to Fernie. As much fun as getting soaked and carrying your bike above your head sounds, route 3 was the better option. That led to a nice 42 mile paved day, which was a godsend for all! The rest allowed the legs to recover and the mind to relax. One stop at Sparwood to see the largest single engine truck in the world and then we were on into Fernie. It turned out to be a really cool town! We stopped off at the brewery, at the guys there were incredible. They gave us a tour of the site and a couple of free VIP beers (cans straight off the line before the lids are crimped into place). One of the guys there even came out for dinner in town and showed us the best spots. Great night after what had been a tough start to the trip for all. Tomorrow is back to a big day. 80 miles, all be it with some paved roads, with climbing too. We will also be saying goodbye to Canada as we cross the border heading towards Eurika, Montana. Fingers crossed all goes well and we aren't in the saddle for excruciatingly long.

So I've officially made it to Banff. The journey seemed too easy, but the world revolves around driving here so I shouldn't be surprised. Picked up Drew from the airport yesterday morning and we drove the 1hr 30 to Banff. First bit of kindness came at the Banff National Park border. We were meant to buy a $20 car permit, but we managed to convince the young boarder man that we would drop off the car as soon as we got there and he waved us through. I wouldn't call it a straight lie, but we were only 12 hours late on that. It didn't take much walking around town and chatting with locals to work out Banff is a cool place. With the mountains in the backdrop, the small but busy resort town is filled with great outdoor stores and restaurants. Surprisingly lacking in bike shops, but we sought them out too. Once at camp, the bikes were built ready for a little roll around on the local trails. Our excuse was to test them out and make sure nothing was broken. Having sat on a plane for the previous day, the legs weren't feeling great but hopefully that'll change tomorrow once we set off. Reid, rider 3 of 4, showed up and joined us at camp late on. With one more day off before the rise it seemed rude not to ride into town for the evening and see what the night life was like. A short walk along the Main Street we found our sleeves at the Banff Avenue Brewing Company. Another sign of kindness was when we couldn't find the door and a bus driver stops, gets out and shows us the right way. Turns out everyone struggles to find it, not just us pesky tourists. The evening was spent finding out more about the guys I will be riding with for the next 2 months, and drinking from 32oz glasses. That volume means nothing to me either, but they were big! Waking up this morning to glorious sunshine and birds singing was a nice change from the sound of rain on the tent like the last 2 weeks. Pete and Dan, our leaders, arrived around noon and it's been a matter of buy final things ready to ride tomorrow. Most importantly that included some bear spray, but hopefully I won't be needing that! Orientation coming up next then it's time to go first thing tomorrow morning! Definitely excited but certainly a little apprehensive. Once we get on the trails I'm sure that will all change, but we will have to wait and see.

#biketheusforms #greatdivide

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