We made it to Montana! Finally we hit the west and are only 3 weeks away from Vancouver!! We still have so much to look forward to, namely Glacier National Park in less than a week, but also multiple mountain passes in Washington that are bound to be some of the most picturesque spots of our trip. Eastern Montana has been flat and windy so far which makes me really crave the mountains. Yesterday we rode into Glasgow in the most windy conditions we have experienced yet. It was at the point where Steph and I were cracking up while descending a hill at 10 mph..while pedaling. On a day where you could have cried it was so tortuous to ride we worked hard to find the positive aspects of a headwind. They are as follows:
1. Your hair is never in your face- not even a little tickle on your neck.
2. There is no reason to feel silly for stopping every 10 miles on the dot for a rest.
And 3. Lunch tastes like the greatest meal you've ever had.
Wind conditions have SUCH an impact on a ride. Yesterday it was killer, but a couple days before while riding into Williston we picked up an amazing tailwind that swept us at a consistent above 25 mph pace. It was so effortless! That day ended with our entire team circled around a donated Dairy Queen ice cream cake devouring it bite by bite until it was all gone. The image of us all crowded on a gym floor, forks in hand is absolutely priceless.
Its also been a week of cultural activity along our route! On sunday we rode through an Indian reservation to Wolf Point just in time for their annual traditional Pow Wow. Unfortunately we were asked not to record the ceremony but I'm glad we got a peak into the Native American traditions! Plus, their outfits and headdresses were super cool.
After our taste of the Pow Wow we ended up at a local carnival and rodeo in Glasgow the following night. It was so fun and different from the east coast- I can hardly explain the events or the scoring of them but they are definitely entertaining. The rodeo announcer gave a nice shout out to Bike and Build, our cause, and our 30-strong attendance.
Although the rodeo was so fitting of Montana, the biggest news from our new state is that tonight we begin our process of allocating our fundraised money towards affordable housing programs. We have received a couple dozen grant applications from programs across the country, so as a group we will read them and discuss how we are going to donate our money. It's an incredibly exciting process for us to be so closely involved with. Thank you again to all my sponsors and I look forward to updating you with the progress of our grant approvals!
We've now completed day 6 of our 11 day riding streak in Montana with 4 more days untill Glacier! Let's hope for less headwind so our legs will be warmed up nicely for the ROCKIES!!!
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Elizabeth--you are amazing! 116 miles in one day? I could barely get Hollis & Jackson to do 10 on the Cape Cod bike trail. Apparently the wind does not always co-operate with your blog name. Did you get the crazy heat wave we all experienced a few weeks back? We got your post-card--so thoughtful of you! Glad you are having this amazing experience. Much love, Aunt Jane
ReplyDelete