"Amazing Grace"

I am currently writing this from the Sandpoint, ID public library. Idaho, who ever would have thought I would end up on my bicycle in Northern Idaho?

Getting to Idaho was quite the adventure. After our couple of days of a tailwind, we returned to our normal pattern of battling the winds. Montana also thought it would be fun to throw some mosquitoes at us too, just to liven things up a bit. For any of you that know me well, you can appreciate how much I hated the mosquitoes. People would suggest outdoor activities and I would say, "One word: mosquitoes."

The wind and mosquitoes all occurred during an 11 day stretch on our bikes in which we covered 900 miles. I'm pretty sure I've never done anything other than eat and sleep for 11 days straight, let alone bike every day. I won't give you a play-by-play of all 11 days, but I will go over some of the highlights...

The ride into Cutbank, MT was quite possibly one of the most unique/terrifying experiences of my life. The day started off pretty standard, and then we got to lunch and things took a drastic turn for the worse. After lunch the winds started to pick up (steady at 25 mph, gusts up to 45) and I had a nervous break down thinking I wasn't going to be able to make it. The winds were so strong, and were a combination of cross/headwind, you had to get off your bike at points to make sure you didn't get blown off the road. A few riders actually had to get picked up because they didn't feel safe on the road. The gust that follows a semi on that windy of a day is so intense. After some of the panic subsided, I decided I would in fact make it, it was just going to take a lot longer. For any of you bikers out there, just imagine how painful it would be to pedal as hard as you can and only go 7-10 mph for 40 miles. Everyone made it safe and sound, though, so it just turns into another wonderful bike and build story.

The day after Cutbank was one of my favorite ride days so far. We decided to get up earlier that morning to try and beat the wind, but it turns out the wind doesn't ever stop, so we had wind again. It didn't really matter that it was windy, though, because we could finally see the Rockies and we knew that we were going to be biking through them very shortly. It was so cool to have the mountains start off as a jagged black line in the distance when we started, and to be among them when the day was over. Once we finally got to them and started climbing, I was on an adrenaline high the entire time. It felt so wonderful to know that we had made it to the mountains and were going to climb them; I never would have thought I would be able to do it. I didn't even think about getting off and walking, and that was huge for me. Aside from the physical aspect of it, the views and scenery were amazing as well.

After all of the climbing, we ended up at St. Mary's lake where we camped for the evening. This was a special treat for me because I got to meet up with Sarah Hamilton, a friend from high school that is working out there for the summer. It was very surreal to have biked to western Montana and to be able to meet up with an old friend; I loved it. She also provided me with a hot shower, so thanks, Sarah!

The next day was the day all of us had been waiting for: Going to the Sun Road. This day has been the most talked about on our trip, and I was so anxious I thought I was going to puke. Going to the Sun Road is an 18 mile climb up to Logan Pass, with some of the most gorgeous scenery you have ever seen along the way. I was afraid of not being able to climb it all, but little did I know that would be the least of my troubles. The first half of the climb was fine and there were wonderful photo opps, but right around mid-morning the heavens decided to open up on us and create quite the situation.

So, there we were, having climbed 18 miles in the rain, at the top of a mountain where it was 45 degrees without the windchill, rainy, and windy. I was miserable. After some debate, and the fact that I was wearing shorts and sandals, several of us decided to take a shuttle to the bottom of the mountain. When we got to the bottom, we were the talk of the mountain because people could not believe we were out in that weather biking; it was crazy. I was too cold to ride the rest of the way into Whitefish, so I rode in the van for the first time and it was pretty heartbreaking. I know I made the right decision in terms of safety, but I really wish I wouldn't have had too.

After the experience that was Glacier, we ended in Whitefish where we had our last build day. From Whitefish we headed to Eureka, Libby, and now Sandpoint. The last three days have been some of the prettiest rides we have had. Last night a bunch of us saw the Spokane Symphony do a tribute to Benny Goodman at the local festival. We all sat out on a tarp, had some wine, and enjoyed each other's company and some quality music.