Thursday September 25, 2014, 55 miles (88 km) – Total so far: 5,488 miles (8,831 km)
The touring season is coming to a close. The longer you ride into September and October in the Colorado mountains, the more likely you are to encounter periods of snow and cold temperatures. The upside of September and October, however, is that there are periods of stable, clear and warm weather between cold fronts. Those days are glorious. And I’m in the middle of a string of them. The downside to September and October, though, is the mornings are cold, regardless. This morning reinforces this anecdote. When I crawl out of the warmth of my bag, I immediately shiver. There is frost on the tent, and wispy layers of moisture create a haze of cold, clamminess along the river. Read more →
Wednesday September 24, 2014, 74 miles (120 km) – Total so far: 5,433 miles (8,743 km)
In the darkness and silence of pre-dawn, I roll over to turn off my watch alarm. Then I squint into the light of my iPod to check the NWS weather forecast for Trail Ridge Road. I want to see if they have changed their minds about today’s forecast since last night’s suggestion that it was going to be “Clear. Winds west 5-10 mph.” What? I blink and look again. No way. Get out. I look again. Current conditions: 25F, wind calm. Forecast: ‘Clear. Winds light and variable, becoming southwest 5-10mph after 12 pm’. Wow! Patience is not always rewarded, but it was this time. Let’s get this party started! Read more →
Friday September 26, 2014, 96 miles (154 km) – Total so far: 5,583 miles (8,986 km)
Should there be a ceremonial way to start the last day on a tour? It seems like there should, but it’s too early for me to figure something out. I just can’t get my brain to do more than the standard routine at 6 am. All I can do is just get down to business. Business today will include a morning climb to 11,318 foot Fremont Pass.
The day begins with the unceremonious 6 am start in total darkness. It doesn’t seem that long ago that first light was at 4.40 am! Where has the summer gone? Yeah, I know, it has slipped away underneath the tread of my tires as I pedalled to and fro around Montana. I wonder if it is easy for anyone to relinquish the long days of summer and the freedom of a tour. It certainly has never been for me. Read more →
An object in motion tends to stay in motion. Ending a bike tour is a little bit like suddenly stopping from high speed – you inadvertently perform an ‘endo’ and go flying forward over the handlebars into a crashing heap. The transition from riding every day to not riding at all feels like all of the oxygen has been sucked out of the air. Your body just doesn’t know what to do. It’s like the life-sustaining activity has suddenly ceased, so what the heck do we do now? Read more →
The author finishes the tour, heads home back to ‘normal’ life, and you wonder what their final thoughts were about the recent tour and what they are planning next. So down below I’ve tried pull together some ride stats and highlights for this tour. Then, to satisfy any curiosities about future rides, I answer the two questions I most frequently received on the road about my post-tour plans.
Some ride statistics and accomplishments
We ended up riding 5583 miles on this trip. These miles included 20 mountain passes or summits. We crossed the Continental Divide six times. We spent 2800 miles and 64 days in Montana.
I set a new personal speed record of 46.3 mph. I also set a new personal daily distance record of 130 miles from Thermopolis to Casper, Wyoming.
On 54 days we rode 51 or more miles; 53 days we rode 50 miles are less. This included: 7 days where we rode more than 100 miles; 6 days we rode 91-100 miles; and, 7 days of 80-90 miles. On 24 days we rode nowhere at all – either waiting out weather, going to museums, visiting friends or going hiking, etc.
Black line shows our path around MT and ID.
Top 5 ride highlights
I enjoyed many different things on this tour, and I, of course, loved all of my time in Wyoming again. However, if I had to choose a Top 5 Highlights List, this would be it, in no particular order:
1) The day I went kayaking on the Niobrara River near Valentine, NE and then rode 60 miles through the Sandhills in the afternoon/evening. Like my friend Wayne, I’m a big fan of Cherry County and could easily live there given the right circumstances.
2) The first night in Montana camped all alone in absolute silence in the middle-of-nowhere among incredibly diverse and blooming prairie plants, after 104 scenic miles riding through the Black Hills and High Plains.
3) Riding Beartooth Pass and Trail Ridge Road – both are roads that strike fear in the heart of many touring cyclists because of the big elevation gains, long climbs, and time spent exposed above treeline. I’m proud to have these under my belt – to do both of them on the same tour is pretty darn cool.
4) Riding around southwest Montana – particularly the Pioneer Scenic Byway and the Big Hole. There were relatively few people (so much of Montana felt crowded), the mountains had complex geology to behold, there were 10,000 foot peaks to view, and I really felt in the touring groove through this section.
5) Riding down through Central Montana from Havre to Red Lodge. There was very interesting geology and cultural history to indulge in, and it was one of the few places in Montana where the riding was pleasant and the traffic generally light and courteous. I did big mileage days through here and felt so fit, physically and mentally.
In the future, why don’t you tour in other countries besides America?
As long as I live in Australia, and my parents are still alive, my bike tours will be in America. If I’m going to purchase an international flight somewhere, it will be to go home and visit family before and after a tour. Once my parents have passed away, then I will certainly expand my touring horizons. Because I like mountainous areas, and my main touring interest is in landforms (geomorphology), the places I most want to tour overseas are places where I’m interested in the geology and/or mountainous landscape. While I enjoy learning about local history and culture along the way, I see that as bonus; it would not be what determined my touring choices.
Therefore, the two top international destinations on my touring list are: 1) Patagonia and the Andes in South America; and, 2) A tour of the ‘Stans and some time in Mongolia. There are other places I’d like to tour, but those will be a good start. I would also like to ride down from Alaska through Canada at some point, too. More than a couple experienced tourers have suggested that I would love that experience.
