Bishop Bike Adventure Day 29 July 29, 2010

Tim and Laurie, our hosts for the past two days, provided us transportation from Williston to Minot, North Dakota, knocking out 125 miles of our bike trip. Given the oil exploration boom in this area, accommodations are very difficult to come by and the route is overrun by fast moving oil industry equipment and vehicles. We experienced some of this upon entering the State two days ago and, based upon the advice of Tim and Laurie, decided to accept their offer to transport us out of the oil producing area. As a result, Laurie took us to Minot today.

After having a lunch with Laurie, we ventured 60 miles east to Rugby, where the next available accommodations were. The travel was a bit more difficult than expected due to an atypical wind direction, out of the south, and some construction that made a portion of the trip on a heavily traveled road burdensome. Nevertheless, we arrived in Rugby late in the day to heavily overcast skies. Thundershowers occurred after we arrived at the motel.

As you can see from the accompanying photo, Rugby claims to be the geographic center of North America, which suggests that we are about halfway through our trip. However, based upon mileage readings, we are not yet halfway, but we are indeed approaching it.

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 28 July 28, 2010

Today was a day to rest and recuperate while visiting with friends in Northwestern North Dakota. We also did some minor maintenance on our bikes. Debbie and I received a taste of the cattle ranching lifestyle. We both agree that it demands a lot of work from a farm family, but has a wholesomeness about it that is refreshing. One of the fringe benefits of working on a farm is that you get to ride a four-wheeler, as demonstrated by Laurie in this photo!

We received a tour of the town of 300, which boasts a grocery store, garage, furniture store, gift shop, and general store. As you might imagine, it is a setting where everyone knows everyone else and there is high trust in others. We were appreciative of the wonderful hospitality shown to us by Tim and Laurie. Pictured here are Debbie and Laurie.

We were even entertained by a couple of border collies--what nice dogs. They are energetic and industrious dogs and as Laurie put it, they love to please. They apparently even do tricks as shown in this photo! This is Abby demonstrating how she can fly. We ended the day with a bonfire.

Part of the attractiveness of life on the farm is working in such a beautiful setting. The picture below speaks for itself.

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 27 July 27, 2010

After nearly two weeks, we have finally passed through Montana, with many thoughts and memories as we enter the central time zone and North Dakota. We now find ourselves in oil producing country. We were welcomed here by Tim and Laurie, cattle ranchers who live north of the high line. Laurie and Debbie go back to the 80’s in Colorado--both are teachers.

During the day, we were prompted to take an alternative route that would help us avoid some hills and traffic. Once on this route, Debbie lost the nozzle to her Camelbak, which threw us into a state of organized panic. A Camelbak is one of our best assets as it allows us to hydrate continuously while biking. What was most interesting was that just as we had accepted the loss, such as we had done several days ago with the bolt and washer holding on her rear rack, we miraculously located the proverbial needle in the haystack. So our only loss was a small amount of time.

While on that road, we became Good Samaritans by loaning a cell phone to a Native American whose vehicle had become disabled. He was walking three miles back to his house with a small child in tow. He was very appreciative and we parted as friends.

The accompanying picture of a white cross was a common feature on the roads of Montana. These “markers” are posted where highway fatalities occurred, a sober reminder of the danger of high speeds and inattention.

Once into North Dakota, the oil exploration activity became readily apparent. We saw an operating well beside the road and felt the breeze from many of the oil service vehicles speeding by. We ate supper in Williston, and shortly thereafter rendez-voused on Highway 2 with Tim and Laurie, who took the time to show us some oil operations and family land before taking us to their home. Oil activity in this area occurred in the 1980’s until the price of oil cratered. It has been running at breakneck speed in recent years, with the number of operating wells soon to eclipse the count in the 80’s. Technology improvements are also allowing the wells to be drilled much more efficiently than in the past.

As we traversed the fields, the North Dakota sunset was beautiful. The landscape was then marked by everlasting flames burning off the natural gas by-product of the oil pumping process. The flames dotted the horizon amid fields of grain.

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 26 July 26, 2010

Several days ago in Great Falls, we were contemplating our route out of Montana amid sparse services and long, long stretches between those. Having now traveled much of the chosen route, we could not have known just how remote and sparse the services would be. And the route not selected is apparently more remote than the route chosen! Because of some feedback that we received, we charted a course that would put us into motels each night. This route required the achievement of reasonable mileage goals for each night. We also booked reservations in advance. Today, the importance of this planning became most apparent.

We have been traveling in and out of Indian Reservations. This morning, we called a motel and booked their last room for tonight. There are virtually no accommodations for many miles to the east and there are thunderstorms predicted for this evening. One of our early stops today was in a small Indian village. As we entered the village, a Good Samaritan on a motorcycle, who found us outside of a store that had been closed, let us know where there was a new store in town. As we spent some time at this new store, the people were very friendly and curious of our journey. One Native American lady asked us where we were headed for the evening, and when we told her, she recommended that we travel further. When she found out that we had a room booked and at which motel, she said that we would be OK. When I asked her why she expressed such caution, she said that there was gang activity in most all of the towns along the route on the Reservation. That got our attention, but there was no turning back at this point, so we proceeded down the road with a bit more urgency, wanting to beat both the threatening weather and darkness.

Fifty miles into our trip, we stopped for some food. When we spoke with the proprietor, he asked us where we were going, and again, he sounded the same type of caution that the other lady had. When I queried him, he said that this was a bad town and that there had been three people killed there last week. I described to him the motel reservation, and he said that we would be OK but cautioned about where we should move and where we should not. He also recommended a nearby restaurant for our supper. We again proceeded with urgency for both of the above stated reasons, as we had heard some emergency weather warnings on the radio at lunch.

The traffic on our way did not show the same level of courtesy to which we had become accustomed from Montanans. As we approached the town, we saw a junkyard that would seem symbolic of the human conditions that we found in this very sparsely populated area. The junkyard had a façade that was totally inadequate to hide the ugliness behind it. If you look at the accompanying picture closely enough, you will notice a horse wandering through the junkyard, this much like the dogs wandering the streets and the other disorder that seemed to rule the area. When we arrived in town, we checked into the motel immediately. Those who managed the motel indicated that this was not a happy area, that there was a lot of teen suicide and domestic abuse. They debunked the notion of gang activity in town, but did think that gang activity may exist in the town where we had stopped for lunch. I shared with them that we are promoting the Hopeline as part of our biking adventure. They sounded interested in this and felt that it could be a good resource for the locals, if their apathy would not prevent them from calling.

There is a feeling of oppression in this area, perhaps a result of alcoholism, domestic issues, poverty, and lack of purpose. Debbie and I are both saddened by this. We ate supper and were going to distribute some Hopeline cards to a local church, but did not feel safe walking the short distance to it. We are back in our safe haven prepared to pray for these people and this area. It is a sad note on which to leave such a beautiful state. Given our itinerary for the past several days, neither of us think it by happenstance that God has put us here this evening. Please pray for the people in this area.

Tomorrow, we will process out of Montana and into North Dakota, where we will meet up with a friend of Debbie’s named Laurie. Laurie and her husband have agreed to help us through the oil exploration area of Western North Dakota.

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 25 July 25, 2010

The Sabbath is always sacred to us, whether we supplement our rest with any biking or not! Finding a church in the towns we spend Saturday nights has been an answer to prayer each week we have been on the road. Malta was our destination Saturday and we asked about services when we checked into the Maltana Motel. We knew we needed to put some miles in today so we wanted to find an early service. Most churches are on summer schedules but we did find a wonderful Lutheran Church that started at 9am. Most of the folks there were older and therefore full of wisdom which we tapped into regarding the Eastern Montana territory, its roads, services, etc. They had a fellowship after the service where we enjoyed lots of breakfast goodies before we had to check out and hit the road.

We left around 11 am and the temperature at that point registered at 88 degrees. As we traveled east and stopped in the small town of Saco around 2:30 the temperature was obviously sizzling. Further east in Hinsdale, where we stopped for supper at 5:30, the temperature on the bank marquis showed 100 degrees, reminiscent of a few weeks ago in Idaho. Although that sounds hot, we’ve found that the western heat lacks humidity and is more tolerable as long as we are hydrating well. We were happy with the tail wind and the flat road, leaving us calm, cool and collected!

At one stop, we caught the newspaper headline about the killer grasshoppers that were destroying crops in Eastern Montana. We found that hard to believe since all we saw on the road were grasshoppers! If they were eating the crops, they must have taken a road trip on Sunday because they hopped around us all day long! We did our part to eradiate a few with our bike tires.

Throughout the day, we heard trains rolling by, mostly east to west. One conductor tooted his horn at both of us as we rode alongside the tracks. There is something comforting about the chug of the train, the predictability of the train tracks and the long, steady transit of cargo across the country. We’ve noticed that the railroad is alive and well in the west, unlike what we see back east. When we biked along the Columbia River gorge in Oregon and Washington, the freight trains were a regular feature and moved in rapid secession. In Montana, Route 2, the ‘hi-line,” parallels the railroad. Here we’ve also noticed Amtrak trains interspersed amongst the longer freight trains. Not only do the trains bring a sense of nostalgia, there is also something sad about the many small towns that they now pass by on their way west. Once vibrant towns are now marked by old buildings in disrepair, some boarded up, and dwindling populations. And by the way, Route 2 mentioned above is the same U.S. Route 2 that ends in Tim’s hometown of Houlton, Maine!

As we neared the end of our riding today, we came upon this reminder of our nation’s history: the slaughter of buffalos that roamed the high plains we’ve been riding upon. These plains offer seemingly endless views. As we were riding, we both agreed that it would be difficult to explain to someone else what these looked like. The saying “you had to be there” seems most relevant.

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 24 July 24, 2010

This is our 18th day of biking and even though we are getting in shape, our bikes are not! Debbie was riding along enjoying the sunshine and the quiet plains when suddenly she heard a thud from behind. Tim was riding behind her when he shouted, “STOP!” Finally she did and the whole back rack had swiveled backwards taking the panniers with it, which had crashed to the pavement! Debbie thought she had blown out her tire, but instead it was a loose screw required to hold the rack to the bike frame. We pulled off the road as Tim searched the area for the needed screw and washer. We have the same Trek 520’s, but our bikes have some notable differences. Tim’s back rack is secured with 2 screws- I just have one holding my rack. While we were on the side of the road, a Good Samaritan pulled over and asked if we needed help. He drove back to his garage and came back with a variety of tools and screws. But while he was gone, Tim fixed the problem and we were all set, although the right rear pannier now has two pinholes. Tim found the missing screw on the shoulder of the road after having used one from his bike, so we now have a spare in hand. We are learning that having a screw loose can cause all kinds of problems. Wouldn’t you agree?

We went almost 90 miles today and had gotten an early start, riding 20 miles from Havre to Chinook where we stopped for a great breakfast. Downtown Chinook is pictured here, apparently one of several ghost towns in the making that we have seen as we traverse the "hi-line". The road has flattened out and the wind has died down. We are getting in the groove of riding more miles each day, especially when the wind is behind us or non-existent! It is so cool to be out riding long, straight stretches, with little effort, giving the feeling like it is just you and the road.

We arrived in mosquito infested Malta where we stopped at DQ after dinner. They gave us our ice cream treats and then lent us a bottle of OFF bug spray, which we gladly accepted. On our way home from DQ, the trucks were out spraying the streets of Malta to quell the little critters!

Eastern Montana has some beautiful rolling hills and lots and lots of farmland where the deer and the antelope play, or played as the case may be. Today, we seldom heard a discouraging word and the skies were not cloudy all day!

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 23 July 23, 2010

In life, as in biking, some days are better than others! Today seemed to be a struggle for a variety of reasons. We ventured out under ominous skies and struggled with a cross wind, high speed traffic, and challenging rumble strips all day long. Tim got to try out his rain gear and, even though it didn’t rain, found out that the pants are indeed waterproof. All of the sweat generated stayed well within the confines of the pants, as evidenced when they were removed as skies cleared later in the day. Debbie caught this on camera! But satisfaction came at the end of the day when we realized that we eclipsed 1,000 miles for our trip. (For a full listing of trip mileage and destinations, see trip log link to the right of the blog.)

The wind was curious today. It was blowing from WSW and we were primarily traveling NNE. We traveled on route 87, which took some angles in which we received a boost from the wind, making a big difference due to its strength, and other angles in which the wind became problematic. The road had rumble strips along certain stretches, with shoulders that varied in width. Although rumble strips are meant as a safety feature, they can be very hazardous for bicycles if they are not designed properly. Sometimes, rumble strips have no break in them, which would allow a biker to get off the road without crossing the strip to create more space from traffic approaching from behind. Sometimes the strips are placed on a roadway with inadequate shoulders, which effectively places the bicyclist on the roadway except in an emergency. When the strips are placed on roads with wide shoulders, this can help the bicyclist by creating a boundary between him and the traffic, but often the shoulder upon which the bicycle rides is gritty, putting the tires and brakes at risk. We experienced all of these today. Throw in high speed traffic, some of which are large trucks and oversized farm equipment, and you have a recipe for a stressful day of riding. The cross winds are altered by the force of a large vehicle passing nearby, making balancing a heavily loaded bicycle more challenging. Rumble strips in Washington state were placed in the middle of the road, making the bicyclist’s job easier. In general, most of the traffic was respectful to us and created ample space when they were able. We have found that most of the locals typically are concerned about our safety, which creates a nice feeling when we are out on the road.

Yesterday, we ordered another map from Adventure Cycling, due to our change in travel plans, and had it shipped to a motel in Havre, MT, which we booked in advance in anticipation of our arrival there today. Since we booked the motel sight unseen and got a very cheap rate, we both became concerned about the condition of the motel where we would be staying. Our fears were realized as we ended up on the seedy side of town in a rundown motel. However, we both agreed that it could have been much worse, and we made it out alive, to bike another day!

Deb Descends on Fort Benton

Bishop Bike Adventure Days 21-22 July 21-22, 2010

Another day of rest in Great Falls has provided sufficient relief to move on, so we ventured out today, Thursday. Great Falls was a good place to be detained and we enjoyed our time there, despite chomping at the bit to hit the road. We headed north today to catch onto what the locals call “the high line.” This is one of two ways around the Missouri River watershed, the one with the most services and traffic. When we reach Highway 2, we will then connect with Adventure Cycling’s “Northern Tier” route, which will see us all the way into New England. Eastern Montana is very sparsely populated and from what we understand reasonably flat, like the plains states. We anticipate a six-day trip to North Dakota as we need to cover in excess of 400 miles.

Since we were at a clinic this morning for a follow-up visit, we got a late start and have traveled 55 miles to Fort Benton. Today’s ride was along a sparsely traveled road through farmland. Again the visuals were beautiful. We had a nice tail wind and found the ride to be a great release, especially returning to the road after several days off. Tomorrow should bring us the rest of the way to the “high line.”

We have found Fort Benton to be a very interesting place, despite its population of only 1,500 residents. The downtown is restored and documented with a series of plaques and statues commemorating the town’s history, which draws from the early settling of the West via the Missouri River. Because there were falls upriver, Fort Benton was a stopping point for various watercraft, including steamboats from the Mississippi. The downtown building facades appears wild west, as you can see. The town claims to be the birthplace of Montana.

While eating supper at the local dairy bar, we looked across the street at the Missouri River and noticed the rainbow shown in the accompanying photo. Later, we crossed the Missouri on a footbridge and noticed some deer grazing on the other side of the river. Some girls pointed out that we were being pursued across the bridge by a raccoon. Once discovered, the raccoon scrambled for safety under the bridge structure, and we were more alert as we crossed back to Main Street.

Bishop Bike Adventure Days 19-20 July 19-20, 2010

We’ve stayed in Great Falls longer than expected to tend to bike and butt repairs. The bike shop needed some time to change out our brakes and true the wheels. Carrying heavy loads and coasting and braking down long grades take a toll on touring bikes. The local bike shop repaired these on Monday and also counseled us on bike seat and glove alternatives to address health issues caused by protracted riding. We have developed sore butts as alluded to in an earlier blog and have used the time to allow them to heal. Debbie has a particularly sore spot that we had a local medical clinic check out. They have prescribed some medication to accelerate the healing process. In the meantime, we’ve enjoyed our stay in Great Falls. Tim rode down the River Trail along the Missouri River and recorded the video below. The photos show the Black Eagle and Rainbow dams. The City has several miles of bike path along the River where the locals and tourists alike can enjoy the scenery. We have also taken advantage of the time off to get longer rest. This has felt good after 15 consecutive days of riding. We both feel that our legs have gotten stronger with the early ride training, which will come in handy over the flat plains riding yet to come. Part of the time off has also been used to review the path ahead. North Dakota is experiencing a boom in oil exploration, which has caused an overbooking of accommodations. This has caused us to look beyond the one-day/two-day type of planning that governed our trip thus far. Big Agnes remains at the ready!

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 18 July 18, 2010

Today we took a much needed and anticipated day off. We attended church at Fairview Baptist Church in Great Falls, MT, where a guest evangelist preacher gave the sermon, with several young people responding with decisions for Christ. It is always encouraging to witness a new spiritual birth and realize the impact that decision will have in years to come. We found the people at this church, and those in Great Falls generally, extremely friendly and welcoming. The church has a chorus that they sing every Sunday, the focus of which is to uplift our armed services personnel. Great Falls has a military base of 3,000-odd people. The 75-year-old pastor has served at this church for 44 years and has been married for 54 years.

We are now at a city park writing this. It seems appropriate to give a medical report during this break. As you might imagine, we have both experienced some discomfort on our hind ends. The number of hours on the bikes could not suggest otherwise. We both purchased new bike shorts that offer better padding to supplement what we already had. The day off should help us on this “end.”

Other than that, the medical report is very encouraging. Tim has had no neck pain at all, after having herniated a disc last summer. We have both had some modest sun burning, which reminds us daily where to apply sun protection. We have both also had some numbness and tingling in our fingers, this the typical result of hand pressure after many miles of riding. We have learned to vary our hand positions while riding to alleviate this pressure, and thus the numbness.

After another visit to a bike shop tomorrow morning, we will be heading to more remote areas of Eastern Montana. Realize that we may be out of touch due to the skimpier services and long distances between them.

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 17 July 17, 2010

The feel of our journey changed today with the crossing of the Continental Divide at Roger’s Pass. It is hard to believe that we are now on the eastern side of the Rockies, and as the long day’s ride continued into Great Falls, MT, the mountains of the west grew smaller and smaller. We found ourselves in “Prime Beef Country,” where the expanses of land grew and the enveloping hills shrunk and faded into the distance.

Close examination of the left side of the picture below shows Debbie coasting down the eastern side of the pass. Once over the Divide, we also found the temperature lower and the wind came into our face, what we believe to be contrary to the typical wind patterns. The headwind provided for a more difficult ride. We discovered new meaning to “interval training” as we found ourselves going up 200 feet and going down 200 feet, seemingly time and time again until the rolling hills became lower in height and further between in distance, a roller coaster sort of terrain on roads with rumble strips that were not biker friendly. So after an 88-mile day, we bid good-bye to the Rockies and look forward to our first day of rest tomorrow.

We were joined for part of this ride by a biker/lawyer from Bozeman named Jason, shown here riding with Debbie. He was on a road bike and we conversed for several miles before his schedule moved him on. It is always interesting to get a local perspective on things. He, as most, was supportive of and intrigued by our adventure.

We arrived in Great Falls around 9:00. We found ourselves scouting the locals at Dairy Queen for accommodations close to services and churches. After a few referrals, we landed at the Quality Inn downtown. Great Falls is comparable in size to Missoula, at about 60,000. The streets are grid-like, with numbered avenues in one direction and streets in the other. We will learn more tomorrow. Good night from Montana!

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 16 July 16, 2010

The more miles we pedal, the more adventures we have! Today on our way to Lincoln MT we met some very interesting folks along with the sighting of two bald eagles in the clear Montana sky! This was one of our best days yet! The wind was on our backs, making our 75-mile trip a breeze. Add in breathtaking scenery, and it made for an unforgettable day.

The eagles soaring in the sky were amazing. They were a testimony to going with the current, not pushing against circumstances in life, but using the current conditions to reach new heights. They soared with such ease and beauty, Tim and I just stopped and gazed at our country’s symbol in the sky (as we tried to capture them with our cameras too! Adjacent you see Debbie‘s photography displayed.) Most importantly, these birds were a symbolic reminder of waiting upon the Lord as evidenced in Isaiah 40:31. This has been a key verse to us, which we highlighted at our wedding reception.

During one of our rest stops on the side of the road today, a man pulled up next to us to ask us about touring. He was a petroleum engineer from Alabama, and had a place in MT where he comes every summer. He wanted to know all kinds of things about touring because he and his daughter were considering biking across America. He was very open and friendly, a good indicator of with whom to share the information about the Hopeline. We love sharing about the Hopeline with teens who could benefit from its services, or people who would like to become Hope Coaches or support the Hopeline ministry financially.

During a rest stop near the end of another hot day, when our only remaining water was warm, we noticed a man approaching from his RV. He offered us two bottles of COLD water that we gladly accepted! He was from Calgary, Alberta and was returning home from a vacation in Oregon. We had another nice conversation with an interesting man.


The scenery, as shown here, was perhaps the best that we had seen yet. We traveled along the Blackfoot River, a bastion for fishing and rafting, and were surrounded in the distance by grand mountain ranges, some sprinkled and some splashed with evergreen trees, against a backdrop of deep blue sky and open space, all coming together in the Master Architect’s impression of “The Big Sky.”

We arrived in Lincoln MT around 7pm and found ourselves at the Sportsman Motel for the night. Our room had plenty of space for the bikes with THREE double beds in it and a fireplace! From our experience thus far, everything is big in Montana. We have not had any problem with parking our bikes right inside our motel rooms each and every night and thankfully we have always found accommodations on the first floor so that we don’t have to lift our loaded bikes up flights of stairs after a long days ride!

New blog pages

Please note that there are trip log and wedding album pages available to the right. Also, the guest book has been altered to accept comments. Please feel free to register your name there. We hope that you enjoy these pages.

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 15 July 15, 2010

Today was a light riding day, mostly downhill. We passed by Lolo Peak, which is the snow-capped mountain in the picture, before arriving in Missoula, MT where we ran some errands, the most important of which was to take the bikes to a bike shop and have them checked over. They checked out well with only a few minor adjustments. We also did laundry (the conventional way) and replenished groceries.

We did not fully appreciate until starting our trip that a bicycle trip of this nature is more than simply pedaling away. Much of it is about time management and scheduling. For example, each day requires similar repetitive tasks that take time. As discussed previously, there are personal hygiene requirements to make sure that bike clothes do not cause sores. We have electronic devices that need recharging on a regular basis. Because we have two bikes with 5 storage sacks each, with each storage sack containing multiple storage (in order to both organize our possessions and minimize the capacity requirements through compression), we find ourselves daily packing and unpacking to locate needed items for living. We also have a requirement to prepare water bottles, some with special energy drink mixes. We each are using three water bottles plus a “Camelbak” that holds 70 ounces. We originally thought this might be overkill, but have discovered quite the opposite--we would have been sunk without this capacity. We also need to manage our sleep and nutrition. Throw in camping setup and breakdown, and the time requirement increases. We are biking anywhere from 4 hours to 9 hours per day. And we are trying to keep family and friends informed. So we are still learning to manage these areas and have developed more respect for them. OK--what can we say? It’s a hard life but somebody has to do it! It continues to be a very enjoyable and blessed experience.

We were blessed upon check-in at our motel, the Ponderosa Lodge, by the proprietor who is running a ministry with his wife to help people going through divorce. When he learned about the Hopeline, he took special interest and blessed us with a discounted rate.

Missoula seems like a very nice city--clean, neat, with friendly people. Several noticed our bikes and took special interest in our trip. The city is very bicycle friendly with routes and lanes to accommodate them. Its population is around 60,000 people. The University of Montana is located here.

Tomorrow, we are headed to more remote areas. We expect to log enough miles to land us at another motel by the end of the day.

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 14 July 14, 2010

Well, we woke up to a cold morning and a damp tent. Since we could see our breath, we whipped out the oatmeal and hot chocolate for breakfast! Dressed in our polar fleece outfits, we did begin to warm up. It took us 4 hours to get out of our campsite. I think it was a little procrastination on Debbie’s part, anticipating a 2,800 foot ride up hill! Once again we rode along a gorgeous river that wound through evergreen trees as we went higher and higher up towards Lolo Pass. If you look closely, you may see someone you know riding along the road! Thankfully we stopped in Powell ID for a delicious lunch at the Lochsa Lodge before tackling the toughest part of the climb. Tim is pictured here on the porch of the Lodge. We saw about ten deer along the roadside in the latter part of the day‘s ride. Too bad we were in our uphill stretch and were unable to grab our cameras! Incidentally, Debbie hammered up the steep ascent with flying colors, notwithstanding her earlier concerns.

We made it to Montana but not quite to Missoula as planned. We pulled into Lolo Hot Springs Lodge at 8:30 but realized that the time had changed and we had entered the mountain timezone! We had a late night dinner and met up with the 6 teens and their leader we met last night at the campground. They are a group of cyclists from a student hostelling organization who started in Oregon and are headed back to Portsmouth NH in 47 days. Hopefully we will be able to keep up with them- even though there is a 35 year age difference between us and them!

The lodge owner told us {before we could go elsewhere} that there is a bear that hangs around our room as well as three moose, some deer and a wolf that have been spotted on the property. He assured us that they were more scared of us than we should be of them! I guess we will sleep tight tonight!

Lastly, we would like to thank you for your comments and e-mails, which have provided great encouragement to us.

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 13 July 13, 2010

We now find ourselves in wilderness after a 55-mile ride to a campground at the start of a long steep ascent out of Idaho through the Lolo pass. We’ve learned how to use the “jet boil” and had some freeze dried beef stroganoff tonight--very good meal under the circumstances. Our camp setup time is also improving.

The picture of Debbie's bike is posted for the benefit of Debbie’s sister Ayme, who Debbie knows will be thinking that we are the Clampetts on bicycles. We spoke earlier of the need to do “daily laundry”--here you are looking at Debbie’s clothesline tethered to her rear rack and panniers.

Today’s ride ran adjacent to a mountain stream that was fed by many smaller ones, located in the Clearwater National Forest. The scenery was beautiful and the weather much more forgiving. It could now be cooler as we head into higher altitudes and as the weather in general has broken away from the heat wave.

On our journey today, we spoke with a retired college professor from Iowa State who indulges himself in what he called primitive camping. I was trying to glean techniques from him to protect us from wildlife if we’re in a situation of isolation. He said that he has never had encounters in his campsite, but has run across 3 cougars and one grizzly on the trail. He’s been camping on remote trails in the Clearwater National Forest, for 45 straight days. He has a “bucket list” that he is working on before he “kicks it.” He was a very nice man who was intrigued by our journey--said he wanted to do something like this but waited until he was too old and fat!

The road that we traveled today, US Route 12 and a designated Scenic Byway by the Feds, does not have the greatest shoulder on it, and it will get narrower tomorrow as we approach the pass. It is very winding and has large trucks on it, so we’re not quite sure what to expect. Climbing with a lot of weight on the bike is more difficult because the bike is not as easy to control at slow speeds. We spoke with a bike guide in the camp tonight, and he assures us that it is more of what we already experienced today, but a bit more difficult with the climb. We are aiming for good rest and a possible destination tomorrow of Missoula, Montana. We’re told that it is all downhill to Missoula, albeit for 40 miles!

Since the road that we are now traveling is part of the National Park system, there is no cell coverage. So we find ourselves technologically disconnected! That’s not always a bad thing!

Video of descent

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 12 July 12, 2010

This morning, we awoke to the sunrise--another beautiful day. We tore down camp and left to finish the climb to Winchester. Later in the day, we found great beauty in some country roads that were encapsulated with unripened wheat fields flowing in the strong wind as if waves in the ocean. While moving through these fields, we were booking it thanks to a strong tail wind, and gradually declining altitude. We note that Idaho's description of its roads that are in "rough" condition would not warrant any mention back east. When we hit a strong descent into Kamiah, where we are overnighting at the Lewis and Clark Resort, we again found ourselves riding the brakes for miles. Supper at the Pizza Factory (“we toss ‘em, they’re awesome”) is providing a restocking of needed carbs and calories.

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 11 July 11, 2010

This morning we attended Grace Reformed Church in Clarkston, thanks to a late night referral from a Walmart employee named Mike. We arrived a bit late after breakfast and listened to a layman, a police officer, provide the message. After the service ended, we were surrounded by most friendly folks, who invited us to dinner as well as the coffee time post-service. Since we needed to check out of the hotel, we declined.

We headed out intending a relaxing recovery ride after yesterday’s long haul. Our bodies were tired and the heat was again intense. Since we got a late start, we moved slowly into Idaho and rested before firming up our itinerary. Services were sparse. When we ate supper at Donald’s in Lapwai, the temperature read 100 degrees at 5:21. We got some conflicting advice from some locals. We decided to bike toward a campground at the end of a very long climb. This proved to be more than daylight would allow. The climb was in excess of 2,000 feet, and we witnessed an incredible sunset in the western sky at high altitude--just not high enough to reach camping services.
We made it to 3,600 feet, but the campground is around 4,000. So here we lay, at midnight in Big Agnes, our cool tent. Since we are still learning the camping routine, our setup took about 90 minutes. But as we sit and look into the star-filled sky, we can only be amazed at God’s creation. It is beautiful out here. The temperature is perfect, we are hunkered down for the night, and life is good. We have a private, secluded perch that protects us from man and beast. We sign off now, as we need to work on our constellations! Wow!

Bishop Bike Adventure Day 10 July 10, 2010

Wow! What a day. First, although still in the 90’s, there was some cloud cover and a nice tailing breeze that helped us along our 96-mile trip today. There were three incredible descents. The first was about 500 feet, the second 1,100 feet, and the last 1,900 feet, this last one over 12 miles long. How amazing to coast, apply brakes, and still carry 38 mph down the road! On one of the descents, Tim hit 41 mph.

Early in the day, we took a side road from Walla Walla to Waitsburg. What a beautiful stretch of road, ushered by golden fields of wheat among the rolling hills, as the accompanying photo attests. To make matters even better, there was virtually no traffic and the wind was behind us. Today was in stark contrast to several days ago--what a difference when the wind fills your sail from behind rather than head-on--must be a few sermons in this! We also thought it appropriate to go through a town named “waits”-burg, as those of you who attended our wedding might surmise!

We met a busload of youth and their chaperone/counselors in Dayton, where we stopped for lunch. They were returning from a week long church camp trip in Montana. We engaged some of the adults and shared thehopeline.com with them. One of the chaperones had not heard of Dawson McAllister, while another, a missionary on leave from Mexico, said, “Dawson McAllister? He’s the youth pastor for America!" He was very intrigued by the material that we shared and was wondering whether he could hopecoach in another country. He was going to check out the website. In general, we found that most of the people who we spoke with today were very friendly, interested, and supportive.

We ended the day in Clarkston, WA at a nice Quality Inn Motel, conducive to our late hour shopping spree at Super Walmart and our Sunday morning walk to a local church service. Incidentally, when we pulled in around 8:30, the bank thermometer was still reading 95 degrees. We continue to be amazed that these are not unusual temperatures for these areas during this time of the year. Clarkston is just the other side of the Snake River, which separates Washington from Idaho. This last photo is of the Snake River just after the last long descent referred to above. Its sister city on the Idaho side of the river is Lewiston; thus Lewis and Clark live on today.

Our biking Garmin likes to equate the mileage and altitude to calories consumed. Today, based on the 96 miles traveled and the 2,500 feet climbed, it figured that we each needed to consume 4,200 calories, this without knowing the weight that we are carrying on the bikes. Rest assured that we have been consuming plenty of food and fluids to provide the necessary fuel and replenishment!

We tried to sample some videos today, and are trying to download one to the blog. We hope you are able to enjoy it.