Nerd Em's Adventures
Helena is one of those towns whose downtown oozes history. The chaotic street layout that began as the old paths to prospecting holes and mineral loads tells a story of luck and chance. This is not a planned city like Great Falls with its grid streets. This is a town that sprung up from fortune seekers that had one very lucky day. Read more
Today happens in two parts.
PART I: The Rant
Okay, the next paragraph will read a little like an algebra story problem, but it is not, so please don’t abandon me yet (however, if you like algebra story problems, please add times, distances and vehicles as you see fit, e.g. if a car travelling 80 mph heading north on 287 meets a truck travelling 55 mph heading south, and a touring cyclist travelling 12 mph is in between….). But I digress…. Read more
“Well, Verne. Good morning. Ready to go, are you”?
In the faint light of pre-dawn, I can see Verne right next to my sleeping bag, standing, looking at me. Normally, I stick Verne and Kermit up top in the tent’s mesh gear loft before I go to sleep. They rest up there with my sunglasses and headlamp. I must have forgotten to put them up there last night. But how he has gotten to be standing right next to my sleeping bag, arms half-raised and goofy grin greeting me as I first open my eyes, I do not know. Perhaps I do not want to know.
“Okay, little turtle, let’s get going”. Read more
Up at 4.40 am and on the road at 5.15 am. There is an 80 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon, so I’d like to get to at least Divide Bridge Campground before the weather comes in. That’s the plan anyway. Read more
Sometimes it’s so quiet outside the tent in the morning, you wonder if the world will still be there when you unzip the fly. There was thunder and rain through the night, but it is almost totally silent now. I can’t even hear the river. Aaahhh… it is so peaceful and quiet. That is not something Montana has served up recently on the ride. Read more
The sun wakes me early. The gurgle and tumble of the creek is a soothing white noise… that puts me straight back to sleep. I manage to sleep in until 9 am. A sign at the fee box says that there is a bear active in the campground, but no sniffing around the tent or animals tripping over guylines woke me through the night. Read more
What is a typical day on the road? Is it a day of eat, drink, ride and sleep where each of those is done in some varying amount? Is a typical day one where you ride an average distance and are carried there by your normal riding routines? Is there ever a typical day? Is every day a typical day? Read more
I have no idea why anyone would pay for colonic irrigation when they could just come drink the waters at Clark Canyon Reservoir. If you want to do a detox program, just use the water here. Normally, I hit the toilet last thing before I pedal off for the day. Today, it is the first thing I do. Everything is under control, but I’m wondering how long I can ration the city water left in my Camelback and the 16 ounce Gatorade in my water bottle holder.
The road gently climbs and falls as it curves around the upper reaches of the reservoir. The temperature is cool and refreshing. The air is dry and crisp. It’s a great morning to go for a ride. Read more
Today is my 20th high school reunion. I wish I could go. I had the good fortune to attend The Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics and Humanities my final two years of high school. It is a public, residential boarding school for juniors and seniors on the Ball State University campus in Muncie, Indiana. Students live in one of the dorms and take accelerated high school courses that are on a collegiate level.
Attending ‘the Academy’ was an incredible experience for me. Read more
The canyon is narrow and still in shadow. The rocks on the slopes look sharp and chunky. The river responsible for all of the erosion runs right next to the road. Trees grow on the river embankments in arched and reaching shapes. In some sections, the canyon is narrow enough that there is only room for the river and the road. Read more