Day 70 Ennis to Dillon

Today we started with the hill known locally as the ten mile hill, average 7 percent gradient all tbe way up. Fandabidosa. I knew there would be a price to be paid for yesterday.
A short descent into Virginia city checked by real cowboys driving real cows up the road, gave me the opportunity to feast on a tri stack of hotcakes laced with butter and maple syrup, my new favourite cycling food. Alas the third stack  defeated me.
Along this part of Montana there are lots of old mining towns which have been restored quite authentically to attract the tourist. Thereafter the day was a long gradual  tiring climb with headwinds and the threat of a storm that somehow I managed to avoid. On arrival at camp I was greeted by Joel who immediately thrust a beer from his local micro brewery into my hand. What a fine fellow!
Dinner table conversation revolved mainly around the topic of Greg's butt and whether I should publish on the blog the photo  of it that Dara sent me.

Miles Today  72
Total          3555

Day 69 West Yellowstone to Ennis

Last night we had a close encounter with a Grizzly bear. About 3AM Joel heard a noise by the garbage, looked out of bis tent and there it was. The reaction of the campsite staff the next morni.g was a rather unconcerned 'Oh not again'. Joel by the way is Cathy's  nephew who lives locally and will be ridiing with us for a few days. I am beginning to wonder if he is really an Englishman in disguise as unlike most Americans he understands me first take most of the time and has a  pretty dry sense of bumour which I like. In fact he would make a good Greg replacement especially if he were to grow a beard.

The ride today was a cinch. Downhill all the way with a tailwind through the big open spaces  and beautiful scenery of Montana. I averaged 15.2 mph which for me is not bad loaded up. Elsewhere Ellen has become a Tour De France addict and has a girlie crush on one of the Schleck brothers even though they are without facial growth. Rumour has it that she has a poster on the wall of her tent.

After our little detour in Yellowstone it was good to be back on the route proper today.

Miles Today  71
Total           3483

Day 68 Yellowstone Loop Part 2

After a very heavy thunderstorm last night we woke up to a very soggy campsite. We started the day with two modest ascents up to the Great  Divide then a massive ten mile descent to Old Faithful. 

It fires off roughly every 96 minutes and I luckily arrived to join the crowds ten minutes before lift off. The heavens then opened and the last 30 miles of the day on a very busy road were unpleasant to say the least. It was so cold that I could not turn on my Dell to take photographs as it operates by a heat sensitive screen.

Great thing  about the weather here though is that when it strikes it tends to be ferocious but when it stops the sun comes out and you dry off very quickly.

Unfortunately Dolo had a spot of bother  with the weather today. She was badly affected by the cold, fell off her bike, got disorientated and was delivered to the campsite by ambulance.

However she swiftly recovered and didn't miss her regular Mcdonalds ice  cream fix, after a telling off from our leader about the importance of wearing watetproofs when it's cold and raining.

Miles Today 51
Total          3407

Day 67 Yellowstone Park Loop Part 1

As I suspected this park is something special. Hot springs, geysers, elk, moose,  bison, bears, snow capped peaks, it's got the blooming lot, apart from PIE!  From a cycling perspective it was a long hard day and no wonder as it was all between 7500' and 8000'.

Hope the photos bring it over. Tomorrow we pass by Old Faithful.

Miles Today 71
Total         3353