Last night, I felt stranded in a car during a snowstorm. Jordan had set the air conditioning at 63 degrees, blowing hard all night. I woke up at 3:30 AM, unable to breathe due to congestion. I turned off the air conditioning at 5:00 AM and started cleaning and packing.
Jordan slept until 7:30 AM, when I began packing. He was tired after two 100-plus-mile days and was getting ready to go. I replaced the chain on my bicycle, which had over 1,500 miles of wear. He had a solid breakfast of pizza, a bagel with cream cheese, and leftover salmon. I was pleased he fueled well to start the day.
We discussed route options and decided he’d leave the hotel and ride through Missoula to Lolo, where there’s a 51-mile bike trail. We’d rather ride safer roads than risk what we experienced yesterday. The forecast is hotter, so we’d prefer earlier, cooler hours.
The ride out of Missoula was nice, with dedicated bicycle routes and a slight grade. An extensive shoulder followed an on-street bike lane. He reached Solo without issue. The temperature rose several degrees every hour, reaching the 80s by noon. Jordan slowed down and drank a lot of fluids.
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I decided to ride back to meet him halfway. I parked at Victor, MT, and headed toward Solo on the trail. Less than three-quarters of a mile in, I hit a significant edge on the bridge path and blew both tires. I called Jordan to warn him. He needed a bunny hop over the edge, possibly due to my weight. I was looking forward to the ride, but I will repair the tires instead. While repairing, I saw a young man and a woman touring.
Jordan reached Victor, MT, just before 1:00 PM, looking sun-whipped and tired. He rested in the air-conditioned car for 15 minutes. I suggested we pack it in for the day and try again later due to the heat. Jordan pursued the two touring bicyclists I mentioned. After 12 miles, we arrived at Super 1 Food at the same time. They’re college graduates riding the entire 4,228.5-mile Transamerica trail They’ve been on the ride for 21 days and expect to be on it for another 50 days or more.
The temperature soared above 100 degrees, and the sun’s intensity was intense at 3,000 feet. Amazingly, Jordan survived the heat. Before Sula, the road was once again dangerous. We loaded the bike and drove a few miles. Jordan made it to the State line!
The fun rides began with mostly descents. He sped, going 42 MPH in a 25 MPH curve down the mountain. As a father, I cringed and sweated. As a 28-year-old, he wanted to do it again! I saw some deer, which distracted me.
He was thrilled by the 20-degree drop in temperature by 7:00 PM and continued riding. I set up the car for the night and met him. While driving, I thought I’d forgotten something. When I found him, I suggested I check, but he kept riding. The mountain weather worsened. Just before meeting him outside Wisdom, MT, lightning struck 60 feet away, frightening him. I was his only release valve.
We quickly loaded the bike as the rain began to fall. There was no phone service in the middle of nowhere. We drove a few miles to Wisdom, MT, and found a great restaurant, The Crossing at Feddy’s. Remarkably, it manages to survive financially despite its remote location. The staff said they get many visitors like us.
Upon arriving at the park at approximately 9:15 PM, we were prepared to rest. The park was well-maintained and operated on a donation basis. Notably, it featured an outhouse. It was a remarkable gem, and we discovered two exceptional secrets of Wisdom, Montana. Are there more such gems to discover?
He has averaged 103 miles a day for the first three days!
Ride (first 75.8 miles) Summary:
- 75.8 miles – 4:39:21
- Speed: Average 16.3 MPH, Maximum 33.3 MPH
- Cadence: Average 76 RPM; Maximum 101 RPM
- Heart rate: Average 117 BPM; Maximum 157 BPM
- Ascent 1,722 feet and descent 744 feet
TOTAL FOR THE DAY:
- 120.6 miles
- 6 hours 39 minutes 28 seconds
- 18.09 MPH
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