May 20, 2002

distances in km.

May 20

Oh my heck!

I got started at 8:00 am and rode 15 Miles south from my home for the night in Shelley Lake to the hwy 200 junction. I had two choices – either west on 200 to Missoula (60 km) or east on 200 to the 141 which takes me south to the interstate 90 and then to Deer Lodge (150 km). The route to Missoula would mean a moderate ride to Deer Lodge tomorrow.

The logical choice would be right to Missoula so I went left.

12 solid hours of cranking the trike into a relentless headwind. To make it even worse – all 33 Miles of hwy 141 was desolate! Nothing but cattle.

So I ran out of water half way. Like the inattentive bozo that I can be at times, I wasn’t closely watching my distance and water consumption. I thought I was almost at the junction when I guzzled the last bit of my 4th and last water bottle. Then a sign caused me to more accurately assess my situation: “Half Way Creek”.

Two hours later I fell apart. My attempts to get a drink from vehicles weren’t working – they all thought I was waving at them. I tried to approach a ranch house, but the dogs saw me. I got back to the trike just in time and scrambled away at the day’s top speed with two dogs snapping at my rear wheels.

By my calculations using my average speed of just over 13-km per hour into the head wind, I figured I would be another 3 hours on the 144 before reaching Avon – the town at the junction. So I tried to call Helen with my cell phone thinking that she might be able to provide me with some kind words of encouragement to get me to Avon. Not home, not at her Cell. I’m really alone here…

Then things went real bad and I don’t want to talk about it. So I said to myself “self: suck it up you big baby”. So sucked down my emergency Red Bull and charged forth. That stuff’s amazing – I’m adding to my Ironman special needs bag.

I stopped at a cafeteria in Avon and immediately dumped two pitchers of water down my throat. After my grilled cheese and fries and 23 root beers, I bravely hit the road again for an estimated 3 hours to Deer Lodge.

Sweet Interstate! The i90 is made for triathlon touring man! My shoulder was so wide I could have towed a king size bed behind me. I’ll have to work on that for next time.

I’m carb loading now at the B&B family restaurant with my deep fried mozzarella sticks.

Tomorrow – a moderate day to Bozeman.

A pretty scenic!

A not so pretty scenic!

Every cyclists favorite sign

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