db(L)o(G): July 2010

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Internet has been infrequent and slow, so to make a long story short...

We just reached Malta, MT which is a big benchmark for us because it means we're out of the mountains and we should have a tail wind, should being emphasized. Getting up here from Bozeman proved to be some of the most challenging riding with a 25mph + side wind, hot weather, no water sources and the worst mosquitoes I've ever encountered by far. We took some time in Bozeman which was a really cool town and we stayed with some amainzgly awesome people (longtime friend of Tessa's padre). Yellowstone was amazing and at the same time really lame. Too many people/cars/rv's and seeing wildlife kind of felt like being at a zoo. Once we got off the beaten path (ie the path which you can't drive your car on) we saw few people, hung out with bison and soaked in some hot springs. I'll let the photo's do the rest of the talking.

welcome to northern Montana

open roads

we slept at this church, here's what it looked like in 1914 when it was built

more wheat

you know the wind is strong when you see these things

Chris sett off a grease fire as atoken of our

appreciation to our hosts Cindy and Tom

heres where I slept my first night in Bozeman,

I will live in on of these some day.

Danger! hot springs will scald your children

Ringling, MT

no wonder they took there show on the road

playing Bocce with Tom, our newly adopted unlce

first mechanical.....

Chris broke his fram climbing a hill in Yellowstone

the next day he was on a Surly LHT. "No Problem."

really cool rock formations in north Yellowstone

fun descent

riding along the Tetons, leaving Jackson, WY.

river + hot springs = awesome

crossing the divide, most of the big mountains are behind us

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Rest Day Ride

Chris, Brendon, and I didn't get enough of the gnarly descent so we road up the old highway (which had much more spectacular views) and then back down highway 22. As we climbed up we past several single track trail heads, very tempting. Living here, it would be hard to exhaust the riding options. I beat yesterdays record by one mile an hour (52.1 MPH).

Right now we are in Wilson, WY staying with Walt, a guy we hardly met yesterday who is on Warm Showers. Although we met him through the friendly folks at Wilson Backcountry Sports, a shop that our new friend Brian (from Ketchum) told us to check out. We've been experiencing 6 degrees of separation, maybe even less. The mountain biking community has been kind to us and the flow continues to be strong. Walt leads trail building in the area, acting as the liaison between the US Forest Service and local trail advocacy organizations. When we met him yesterday he was having lunch with a crew of prison inmates who had been working for 3 weeks on a new trail. They completed in 3 weeks what a normal volunteer crew can complete in a season. Walt, used to having bike touring folks at his house, took off for the weekend and left us his house. The kindness and trust we've been experiencing ceases to amaze me, but reassures me that there are more good people than bad out there.

Have a great 4th!!!

We ride at night

Hot weather has led us to alter our riding schedules the last several days. After sunset the air is the perfect temperature for riding, you can push hard without breaking a sweat. Cruising along old country highways watching shooting stars pass overhead, and gazing at the silhouettes of mountains is a refreshing experience. Riding your bike without having to worry about cars or RV's barelling by is an altogether different feel. We've been logging miles in the morning, taking a long rest during high heat, riding some more, eating dinner and then riding 'til we tire out and sleeping. Idaho, like much of the West is crazy about its irrigation. To the point where it is hard not to consider the lurking crisis we're heading towards at rapid speed. It is easy enough to joke about, as we're woken up in the middle of the night soaked by poorly installed sprinklers in a public park. But as we ride, day after day, passing by yet another alfalfa farm in the desert, tended to by massive tractors, dependent on large quantities of pesticides and herbicides, and irrigation pivots, the reality of our broken food system is unavoidable. For practical purposes, as well as a change of pace, I have thrown my food ethic out the window. Riding everyday means eating a lot, and in the interest of making our money last we're on the quest for cheap energy. Needless to say I have eaten my share of Snickers bars (roughly 2-3 a day). Rolling up to a grocery store after 60 + miles feels like a speed addict pulling into Fresno (sorry Fresno). We search for the sale tags, 2 for 1 specials and day olds. It has become a skill, a science. We know when Albertsons discounts their doughnuts. We know Safeway is offering buy 2 get two free on candy bars. There is a pleasure in indulging this way, but we understand that it is because we are riding the shit out of our bikes that we can eat crappy food and not suffer the consequences. And at the same time we are supporting the bad guys, contributing to the large decentralized food system we despise. If nothing else this makes more apparent the changes we need to make. In Victor, ID on our way up to Teton Pass we rolled by The Grand Teton Brewery who was having a benefit for a local food collective that has a youth farm program for elementary kids. They gave us a big bag of fresh organic greens (which have been hard to come by in these parts). This proved to be a shinning beacon amidst the factory farms and CAFOS. It is these instances that provide a positive light to a somewhat distressing situation. Short story long, this makes me appreciate the work that has is being done to improve the way we eat such as CSA's, local food circles, farm to school programs and food pantries. Enough downer Derek..... here's some photo's. Also I've linked Brendon and Ted's blogs so you can see and read about the trip from their perspectives.