Day 78 Grangeville to Riggans

After a prompt start today to continue the hill from yesterday and a superb latte in the cafe bya the town park I realised 4 miles down the road that I had forgotten to pay for it. So as the State line was still some way off I thought I had better go back and pay to avoid the possibility of arrest by the Highway Patrol and possible deportation.

Then somehow managed to miss the turn off to the scenic bit and ended up staying on US95 for the first half of the ride. However this had its compensations as the route was full of historical interest on the Nez Pearce Indians combined with a superb 10 mile descent. Bad news for Cathy and Ellen though as they were waiting for me at the top of the hill on the scenic bit.

Eventually they caught me up and found me eating Hucleberry pie and Ice cream in a delightful little roadside emporium just before Riggans. Great campsite by the river today.

Miles Today 49
Total         3993

Day 77 Lowell to Grangeville

I popped my head out of the tent at 6AM to find that nearly everyone had gone. However
Ellen and Kelly were still atound so we all, including Dolo took a leisurely breakfast at 6 30AM in the cafe across the road from the campsite. Today's ride was only 48 miles with a tough climb back up into the clouds at the end but we saw  no good reason to rush.

As we passed through the Nez Pearce Indian reservation we called into the library in the town of Kooksie. On the wall was this amazing 3D plasticised poster (taken with a lentiltastic lens according to Art expert Ellen) for recruitment to the National Guard. Somehow I managed to generate sufficient charm to persuade the very nice (but camera shy) lady behind the desk to try and get me a copy. After sevetal telephone calls without success she decided that even though she liked it herself she would let me have the offiice copy, for wbich I am very grateful. Thank you, it's now posted to the UK.

Thereaftet we bumped into Zac and West, did the hill ( Ellen did it twice for fun ) and I was also overtaken by Zac at a very high speed and then West at a slightly less high speed, but I dont care cos I am a RECREATIONAL CYCLIST and speed sucks.

Tonight we are back to the delights of camp food.

Miles Today 50
Total          3942

Day 76 Powell to Lowell (Guest Blogger Hadley)

Today's ride looked like this: ~~~~~~ (top view - twisty road paralleling the Lochse river).

Rob got a flat.  This was especially crappy since he only just bought new tires a couple of days ago - grrr!  But the crappy situation was made much less crappy because Rob allowed me, while he put a new tube in, to use his brand new and cherished  MINI TRANGIA STOVE to boil up water to make us a cup of hot peppermint tea.  The TRANGIA STOVE works like a charm... and a midday, roadside cup of tea is a very fine thing indeed.

I polled a number of group members on some of the thoughts they were thinking as they rode today.  Several said they were admiring the colours and sound of the river, and the pleasant sensation of a slow but steady downhill ride.  Dolores was hatching plans to seek out a guidebook to help her identify the "botanical gems" that line the road.  Kelly was thinking back to one particular epic and challenging 80+ mile ride in Kentucky.  David was focusing on riding as safely as possible, after a scary encounter with an aggressive truck.  And Rob revealed that he was thinking 90% mischevious thoughts and 10% thoughts about the trees.  I asked him if there was any mixing of the two kinds of thoughts (leading to mischevious thoughts about trees) but he firmly responded that NO, he keeps the two very separate in his mind.

Now Rob is using his TRANGIA STOVE to boil up water once again, providing bedtime tea and coffee for a number of us. 

*** special and non-biking-related note! ***  Congratulations to Mr. Vince Johnson for placing third in the super-challenging 16km "Seek the Peak" run up Grouse Mountain in Vancouver!!!  Rah!!!

Miles Today  66
Total          3891

Day 75 Missoula to Powell

There was a mysterious incident in the motel room last night. For some reason in the early hours of the morning Jack appeared to be playing the Trumpet Voluntaty through his nostrils, or was he playing his harmonica, or was he just snoring!. Most unusual as he normally  sleeps like a baby.

So after scrambling for the ear plugs I woke up at 6AM to find that Jack was already on his way despite his strange nocturnal activities. So I crawled out of bed shortly afterwards for a 7 30AM
rendez-vous with the girls at Mcdonalds, where we filled our bellies with their fine breakfast fayre  before we headed out west towards the Lolo pass  on the final leg of the Transam ride.We now have only 833 miles before we hit the Pacific Coast.

The ride was a steady  46 mile ascent into the wind up to the Lolo pass at 5235' small beer compared to our previous accomplishments. Then a rapid 12 mile descent into camp at which point the heavens opened.

But the main story of the day is that Ellen is back. With her usual grace and poise she stormed up the Lolo pass in her psychedelic  dress and new shiny black pants without any vehicular assistance to reclaim her position as Queen of the mountains.

Qurstioned about the othet day Hadley said "I dont know what happened. It was a big mistake and it will never happen again"

Miles Today 58
Total          3810

Day 74 Rest day in Missoula

Ah the luxury of a lie in and not having to cycle. If only my leg muscles could remembet how to walk . . . You think I am joking?

Today we were hosted by the Adventure Cycling Association at their HQ in Missoula and after a tour around the building looking at all the memorabilia since the first Transam ride in 1976 they laid on a barbeque in the very pleasant 98F sunshine. We also met Ellen's mum who dtove all the way down from Calgary on crutches to see her daughtet brfore she jets off to Korea for a teaching post at the end of the tour. Tough ladies, the Hadleys!

I could not resist indulging in some retail thetapy and purchased a Ttansam cycling shirt ( 79$ ouch), a pair of transam 76 socks and 2 new Continental Contact Sport slick tyres. After 2 more punctures I have binned the Schwalbe XR's.

Had my first ever haircut in the USA and rounded off the day with a Japanesr meal with Ellen, her Mum and a few of the crowd. We also enjoyed the company of Zac and West who we keep bumping into en route. Two good guys that we like.

But the most exciting news of the day has to be the return of KELLY so we are back up to 14.

Oh and I had ice cream and coffee at Mcdonalds as my nightcap.

Miles Today 0

Day 73 Darby to Missoula

Yesterday we arrived in Darby on Loggers Day. Basically this means that really hard looking men that usually chop down trees do thinks like log rolling and the lumbetjack equivelant of boules. That is chopping down trees and making them land within inches of a can of WD40. Enough said I think.

So today after nine very tough days on the road we had a straigbtforward seventy miles through the  breathtakingly beautiful landscape of Montana into Missoula where we have a much appreciated layover day, before we turn left and head for the Pacific.

As the campsite was miles out of town I have opted to share a motel room in the centre with Jack for a couple of nights. It is supposed to be a rest day aftet all and as the temperature forecast for tomorrow is 98F I didn't fancy all the cycling backwards and forwards.

On the subject of Greg's butt I have had a bid of ten pounds NOT to publish. A good starting point but clearly not enough!

Miles Today 72
Total         3752

Day 72 Jackson to Darby . . . A day of mourning

Today July 16th 2011 is a black day in the history of the Trans America cycle ride.

Ellen 'Iron Woman' Hadley, Queen of the Appalacians, First lady of the Ozarks, Conqueror of the Rockies, Eater of peach rings and Friend of the turtle has sadly lost her way.

She has now become Ellen ' I prefer to ride up hills in a nice car'  Hadley.

As a mark of respect to her former glory no pictures of today's ride will be published other than the most recent picture of the Ellen that we know and love, may she come back to us soon.

Ellen 'the unstoppable hill climbing machine' Hadley

1979 - 2011 Lest we forget.

Friends have rrquested that flowers should not be sent but donations can be made to Shelterbox, the Disaster Relief charity through this blog.

Miles Today 75
Total         3680