Powell to MIssoula: Time for Phase 2

Hey look, I'm on a real keyboard for only the 3rd time on this trip - yet I don't have much time to type because I am enjoying my very first Warm Showers host, Ethel, and Louis, another of her guests from Missouri who is biking the Trans Am East to West.

Last night in Powell was fun, seven different cyclists showed up, most of whom were biking separately and just met that day or days prior. I'm not camping with any of them tonight in Missoula, however, as I had set up my Warm Showers host earlier and we are going separate ways after Missoula anyhow.  Most of them are continuing on the Tran Am towards Yellowstone, but I am heading east following a trail blazed by Karen, MinWah, and Ariel in 2007.  This is new terrain for me, as I did not ride this part of the trip with them in 2007 because I went to a wedding in Iowa.  I hear it is hilly.  It's certainly new, which is new for me this trip.  Mentally it will be much harder, as I will rely on locals for terrain information and town information: "Is this dot on the map really there? Is there drinkable water there?  Is the a pass between here and there?" - which can be sort of unreliable coming from car drivers.  I'm actually looking forward to the type of riding again, the Adventure Cycling maps are sort of too cozy to stay on for too long.

The climb up the pass this morning was relatively easy, 13 miles of not-too-steep grade, nothing like White Bird hill for comparison.  At the top I had free coffee at the visitor center and chatted with Mihai and Louise who were biking the Trans Am east to west and are from London.  It's going to be weird to leave the Adventure Cycling route tomorrow and likely not see any more bike tourists.  The way down the pass into Missoula was supposed to be a breeze - and it was - sort off.  It's 40 miles of downhill, but this was another of those "the downhill isn't very steep and the 16 mph headwind (steady, not gusts) will bring you to a stop" type of downhills.  I worked much harder going down the pass than I did climbing it, riding full-out just to maintain 12-14 mph down the hill.  To put that in perspective, in calm wind I go about 18 mph in the flats and should have been cruising an easy 24ish mph down this hill. This was silly.

In Missoula I visited the Adventure Cycling headquarters were they took my picture (as they always do) and then took some more modely photos of me juggling and balancing a bike on my face to possibly use in their magazine (which they don't always do.)  Good times.  I was able to get a few other errands done in town too - fixed my pump and bottle cage, mailed home some old maps and stuff that I don't need anymore, and grabbed a replacement lightweight sarong to replace the one I stupidly sent home.  I was unable to find things to repair and waterproof the bottom of my tent, however.  Oh well, I can get by.

Ethel, my host, has been great. She's bike toured all over the US and Europe, and is very experienced.  She hosts a lot of people through Warm Showers and has been hosted many times as well. She cooked a great dinner for us (some kind of yummy curry thing) and provided us with warm showers, beds, map advice, and company.  This is my first Warm Showers experience and it will be hard to beat.  I wish I had time to take a day off in Missoula - "The Eugene of the West" -  but I simply don't.  However, some quick math shows that I only have to shave one day off my original plan to make RAGBRAI, so I may not have to go as crazy as I thought.  I have a few days before I get out over the continental divide and out of the mountains, but the forecast is for crazy heat and headwinds.  Blah.  I'll take it easy with 60-70 miles days until I'm on the plains I think and then re-evaluate.

Cheers! ILYI