somewhatspontaneous2025

[somewhatspontaneous2025]

Day 50 - 51

On Thursday, after a night in a not particularly noteworthy Washington state park, we made our way to Portland to have coffee with Natalie, one of Sally’s dear friends from Carrboro. We met her in her neighborhood and caught up on what’s been happening since we last saw her over a year ago. It also gave us a chance to see neighborhoods other than downtown Portland. Natalie lives in a neat place!

Me, Natalie, and Diane.

From there, we hustled down I-5, through the middle of Oregon to get to our next spot for the night. We rolled into our KOA only to find out that it used to be a drive-in theater! They show movies for the kids every night at dusk. This night, the movie was Ice Age. We watched from afar while we cleaned up after dinner.

Campground for the night.

Friday we continued on I-5 for another 75 miles finally switching to Hwy 199 at Grants Pass, OR. We stopped to check out the town. It has a cute and vibrant downtown that was quite busy when we arrived around lunch time. Interestingly, the motto is “It’s the climate”. Hopefully that will hold true for a long time. Although, they were anticipating a heat way over the next few days.

Grants Pass.

Our next stop was Hiouchi Visitor Center in Redwood National and State Park. There we learned about hikes and the best redwood viewing. We also learned that in the 1820’s the federal government told California that they wanted their state parks with redwoods to establish a national park. California refused and they come to a compromise… a joint national and state park.

From there, we walked across the road to Stout’s Grove, 44 donated acres (by the wife of a lumber baron) plus more. The trees were spectacular. More abundant than Muir Woods, if my memory serves me correctly.

Pic 1

Pic 2

Knock knock!

How can you possibly extinguish a fire among these big trees with this tiny fire hydrant?

Camp for the next couple days was in a campground near the mouth of the Klamath River. Nice place. Family focused. Otherwise quiet.

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Day 47 - 49

After Sequim, on Day 47, Diane and I caught the ferry to Vancouver Island. We had lunch in Victoria after clearing customs. The town was jumping with tourists on British Columbia Day. Interestingly, the locals didn’t know it was BC Day. Regardless, the beautiful day was enjoyed by all.

Vitoria, BC!

The ride to Juan De Fuca Provincial Park where we were camping brought us through Victoria and then along the Juan De Fuca Strait. In town was your typical urban scene. Along the strait, the road twisted and climbed then dropped with the landscape. The views, at times, were of the Olympic Peninsula in the USA. We drove along wooded hills and through small towns, Sooke being the largest with restaurants and grocery stores and more. Homes sat above the strait overlooking the water.

As we went further away from Victoria and Sooke to its west, the road got twistier and more bumpy. Little did we know that it was even worse when we would head to Port Renfrew the next day!

Our campground was nicely laid out and our site was sufficiently private. China Beach was about a mile and 260 stairs below us. We set out shortly after arriving hoping to see some sea mammals and more than anything, just enjoy the view. The beach was both sandy and rocky with lots of old driftwood. It might have been about 100 feet from the water’s edge to the thick forest and steep hills that made up the backdrop.

China Beach.

On Tuesday, we drove the windy, bumpy, hilly road out to Port Renfrew. We wanted to see the tidal pools at Botany Bay and Botanical Beach. We arrived around 9am and had a couple hours until high tide. Again, we were also hoping there’d be some sea mammals active in the area. Orcas and dolphins were not uncommon.

Well, the tidal pools offered up some sea life… starfish, small crabs, purple and green anemones, and more. As the tide started to come in we did see harbor seals basking on rocks about 50 yards out to sea.

Tidal pools.

Tidal pool life.

USA across the water.

Zoom to see seals!

We had lunch at a food truck, Haliwoods, which sold only fish and chips. We went with the Halibut and the Salmon. Both very good but we over ordered.

Fish & Chips.

Back at camp, we took another walk to our beach. Just because we could. Cloud cover had rolled in and it cooled off quite a bit. We got rain overnight, probably our first in two weeks.

Banana Slug. 6 inches long.

Wednesday, Day 49, we woke up to rain. We ate a quick breakfast, packed and headed to Victoria. By the time we got there, the sun was out. We walked through town, especially the Chinatown area, had lunch at a Korean place, then waited in line for the ferry.

Gates to Chinatown.

Back in the U.S., we took 101 south along Dabob Bay and Hood Canal. It was basically one long body of water with land on both sides. After a while I realized that the poles we were seeing in the water were anchors for oyster farming. Unfortunately, all oyster shacks and restaurants that we saw were closed. Truly a bummer. On the positive side, the scenery was beautiful as the wind put whitecaps on the water and the sun reflected off the waves. Forests lined both sides of the bay and small fishing hamlets popped up every few miles.

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Day 45 - 46

We got on the road early on Saturday in the hopes of doing a couple errands before we headed to our friends Ross and Suzanne. First stop was Target for a couple things then the Habitat Restore to get a picture for the folks back home. Next we tried to find a car wash but had no luck so we just headed over to Edmonds to catch the ferry. Finding the line was a little difficult but when we did, we hoped we wouldn’t have to wait more than an hour.

Huge Restore.

While slowly advancing in line, some jerk jumped into a briefly opened spot, cutting ahead of 30 or more cars. The person they pulled in-front of knocked on their window to point out their mistake. The driver pleaded no knowledge of how the system works because she was from Canada. She stayed in line. Thirty minutes later we got up to the ticket booth and they were pulled out of line by a traffic cop. One of the drivers they cut off called in to report them. The cop told them to go to the back of the line… 30 mins plus an hour is what a 5 minute advantage cost them. Karma’s a bitch.

Overall, our wait was less than an hour and we got to see all that excitement. Once off the ferry, we drove on to Port Gamble, a national historic landmark, and had lunch and strolled town. Lunch was a fabulous Mortadella and Burrata with arugula, apricot mostarda, garlic mayo on toasted kaiser bun plus Potato Chips with pecorino and herbs served warm!

Yum!

The town is a mix of turn of the century building filled with shops and restaurants. They are what remains of the town that was build around a sawmill that was in operation from 1853 until 1995. While the mill is gone, the town gives you a sense of what lumber towns were like in their heyday.

A little bit of Port Gamble.

Just a few miles later, we arrive at Ross & Suzanne’s place in Sequim. They have a wonderful home, beautifully decorated, with a fabulous garden in a very nice neighborhood in the hills above town. It was fantastic to see them. It’s been 25 years. The last time we were together they had a farm on the Big Island and we brought Sally & Jane to visit. Since then, they’ve move from there back to California, up to the Seattle area, and then out to Sequim. Like us, they’re aging well, having not slowed down at all. Outside of work, they’re aging well live to travel! We certainly understand that and can’t wait until they visit us in NC!

Me, Ross, Suzanne, Diane

While visiting, we got to see a bit of Sequim including the waterfront and lighthouse, the marina, a couple enjoyable restaurants, and lavender farms. It just so happens that we missed the annual lavender festival by a week. Sequim just so happens to be the lavender growing capital of the USA!

Lavender farm!

More lavender.

At the Sequim marina

[somewhatspontaneous2025]

Day 43 - Day 44

Thursday was a bit of a travel day. We descended out of The Park through a number of small towns to find our way to Whidbey Island and Deception Pass State Park. As we got closer to our destination we saw the waters and islands above Seattle, Padilla Bay, Skagit Bay, Puget Sound, Orcas Island, San Juan Island, and more.

We stopped in Anacortes to resupply the van and for lunch. Diane had the best seafood soup ever at the Union Tavern. The town was cute with blocks of shops and restaurants. They were preparing for an Art Festival which would cram the town with tourists for two days.

Having seen enough, we drove the 25 minutes to Deception Pass and our campground. The state park sits below the Deception Pass Bridge and has a few miles of coastline. This gave us the chance to look for rocks and shells and to take a few pictures. Later we would come back to get sunset pictures.

Deception Pass Bridge in background

Orcas and San Juan Islands in far distance

As the sun goes down on another wonderful day

Beautiful!

On Friday morning, Day 44, Diane walked and I ran around the State Park. After showering, we went back to the beach to listen to the surf and feel the cool sea air.

During my run

We stopped in Coupeville for lunch at a seaside bar on the main drag. The town was cute with shops and a busy waterfront commercial area. The homes in town included several Victorians, beautifully painted in multiple colors. A delicious brownie, moist and fudgie, from the Little Red Hen Bakery topped off our visit.

Zoom to see the snow capped Mt Baker

Cute town

Don’t you want to live here!

Relaxing while Diane window shops

Dinner was at the Red Cork Bistro., a ferry ride away in Everett. We really enjoyed the staff. They worked so well together and genuinely enjoyed working there. The food was quite good as well. Diane enjoyed tender clams while I had a delicious wild boar cannelloni.

Our overnight was in a hotel so we could do laundry, really scrub the dirt off our bodies, clean the van, and sleep in a real bed.

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Day 41 - Day 42

Our second day in camp we decided to keep the hiking at lower elevations. Thunder Know Trail took us to an overlook above Diablo Lake. Along the way we meet a group from the Netherlands that had come together for a 20 day trip around the Pacific Northwest. None knew each other before meeting at the airport. They all seemed to be enjoying the trip and each other.

Cool Hemlock Forest

On our was up

Diablo Lake

Views from the Knob

Arctic Frost!

Later in camp, we walked on of the nearby trail to the river. As we got closer to the water, the forest was filled with old growth trees, moss, and ferns much like a rain forest. The air was cool and the river cold.

Mossy and cool

Big, big trees

On Wednesday, our 42nd day, we stayed close to camp. Diane looked for birds while I jogged. Later we sat by the river where we saw a couple kayaker and a single raft making their way down river. While there we saw several harlequin ducks swimming upstream looking for food. At one point, it almost looked like they were running across the water.

Running among the big trees

While by the river, a Virginia woman and her daughter came by to take pictures. It just so happens that we met them at the Grand Coulee Dam a few days ago when I commented on the mom’s OBX shirt. It was good to hear that they were having a good time. Not surprising, their next destination, Anacortes, was ours as well.

Down by the Skagit River

Oh deer!

[somewhatspontaneous2025]

Day 39 - Day 40

We weren’t in a rush today to drive for 4 hours. We knew we wouldn’t be hiking until tomorrow so we decided to take our time getting out of town. We started with breakfast at a patisserie near the hotel. By the time we got there, they were already running low on pastries. That wasn’t an issue for us, we wanted a real sit down breakfast and relaxing cups of coffee and tea. After, we headed to the grocery store to get a few items for the next several days of camping.

Once on the road, we saw that the Grand Coulee Dam was on our route. That seemed like a good place to have lunch and check out an air conditioned visitor’s center. The road to the dam was basically a straight line for 20 miles. Back in the 30s when the dam was built, they acquired any land they needed. It obviously made sense to build in straight lines. Not so straight was the treatment of the Indian tribes that owned the land. They basically got screwed out of their land, fisheries, and way of life.

10 more miles to the dam.

The dam is quite impressive. It supplies power to 4.2 million homes. As you approach it from Roosevelt Lake, you can barely tell it’s there. Driving around to the front, you see the massive structure including its power plants.

Zoom to find Diane in the pic.

We followed the Columbia River for quite some time. The landscape ultimately changed from dry sage with wide views to hemlock and fir forest in tighter canyons. We camped for the night in Winthrop. We thought we saw the town but didn’t until we crossed the river the following morning. It was cute, vibrant in a 500 population sort of way, and would have been worth a walk through. However, we needed to get to a trailhead.

As we climbed up to Washington Pass, Diane commented on how she expected to see more sharp peaks above tree line with snow. That expectation was fulfilled as we climber the pass. The Cascades revealed themselves as we climbed higher. Over the pass, we saw more and more peaks. We arrived at the trailhead to find many other cars but plenty of parking. We knew it was a popular trail, described as difficult but doable and popular because it offered bragging rights to those who took it on.

First real views of the peaks in the Cascades!

Maple Heather Pass trail was a toughie but the views made it worth every agonizing step. On the way day, we took a detour to Lake Anne and saw a couple sooty grouse which made the extra mile worth it.

Lake Anne as we climbed

On our way up.

View from Heather Pass

Below Maple Pass

Sooty grouse

Lake Anne with Heather Pass above.

Camp was 45 miles west past Ross Lake, Diablo Lake, and Gorge Lake. All offering more spectacular views. Interestingly, the lakes funnel wind up the valley so I was concerned that our campsite would be windy. Fortunately, it wasn’t. We were is a lush hemlock and pine forest near the Skagit River, below the dams that create the lakes I previously mentioned.

Ross Lake

[somewhatspontaneous2025]

Day 36 - 38

Thursday morning, Day 36, we had breakfast in Stanley, 10 miles up the road. Neat town. Much more active than I expected. Several restaurants, bars, and places for music. The rest of the day was travel. We went through a few canyons that obviously experienced harsh winters. The roads were pot holed and there were many rock slides and rock barriers. Avalanche warning signs were frequent.

Poorly placed mountain top homes in Stanley.

Our overnight was spent in a 3 vehicle “rv park” on the other side of Grangeville, ID. We loved the shade and the fact that there were dozens of quail running around. Even being under the airport runway wasn’t an issue. We only heard and saw 2 small jets take off a couple hundred feet above us!

Quail!

Friday, our 37th day, took us into Washington and ultimately Spokane. It’s interesting how you can recognize when you’ve gone from one State into another. For miles we drove through rolling hills of winter wheat in Idaho. The fields stretched to the hilltops. The area was populated but sparsely. Once in Washington, again we drove through miles of winter wheat. However, the area was a little more populated and appeared newer and better kept. Buildings had brighter paint, homes were newer, roads were better. Even the wheat seamed to be a more vivid golden color.

Golden hills for as far as the eye can see.

Miles of winter wheat.

Once in Spokane, we settled into the Davenport Grand Hotel near the river. Downtown was vibrant. We ate at a fantastic restaurant, Wiley’s. The American fare was delicious and the staff and owner were excellent! Drinks at Cease and Desist put a wrap on the evening.

Saturday was our chance to explore a little more. I went for a run along the river and crossed over to the Gonzaga Campus. I can see the draw for students. The campus was nicely laid out with newer buildings and plenty of student housing. All just a walk away from a vibrant downtown. Diane walked along the river, getting views of the falls and other sights along the way. Lunch was at a restaurant overlooking the falls and then we slow walked back, exploring more of town. The Looff Carousel, built in 1909, was operating so Diane caught a ride. What fun!

Lower Falls

Music Pavilion

Upper Falls

Loft Carousel

After dinner we sat on the hotel terrace watching the sun go down. By 8:30 we were ready to crash. Ultimately, we saw the sun set from our room over an hour later.

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Day 33 - 35

Monday, our 33rd day, was a travel day. We went south through Jackson following the Snake River into Idaho. We had to cross 100 miles of sage desert to get to the Sawtooths. We were surprised when we realized that we had already driven Route 20 from Idaho Falls to the northwest. A few years ago we had camped at Craters of the Moon National Monument. It is along Rt 20. This time we decided to stop at the Experimental Breeder Reactor I Museum. EBR-I was the first breeder reactor to generate electricity, proving it could be done.

Experimental Breeder Reactor I

Yikes!

Our evening was spent in an RV park outside of Ketchum (Sun Valley). Nothing notable about that. Ketchum was an upscale ski town with lots of shops and a silly amount of construction. Perhaps there was more to it but we didn’t care to explore.

Tuesday, our 34th day, first involved us finding a campground in the Sawtooth Mountains near Stanley. The drive up Rt 75 was spectacular. We climbed over a pass and the sawtooth mountains smacked us in the face.

Zoom to see the mountains.

We crossed over a two foot wide creek as we read its name on a sign… Salmon River. I know we will see it as a raging torrent in a few days as we got down stream.

We found a first-come first-served spot in Mountain View CG near Redfish Lake. We staked our claim on the spot and headed off for a hike on the Redfish Lake Creek Trail to Bench Lakes. We climbed above Redfish Lake for 3 miles, admiring the views of the lake to the east and Sawtooths to the west. Along the way we walked through a recent burn area, giving the forest an eerie look and silence.

Into the wilderness!

Huge burn area.

Redfish Lake.

We walked to the first and second of 5 Bench Lakes. Again, amazingly beautiful! Along the way, Diane added several lifers to her birding list. I also got to see one of my favorite birds, the Western Tanager.

Second Bench Lake.

The following day we hiked a parallel trail, the Fishhook Creek Trail. The reward was fabulous views of the mountains over a small pond. We hiked another half mile in the hopes of getting to a clearing to get a close up view of the mountains but it wasn’t enough.

Views on Fishhook Trail

Our turnaround point.

We quickly returned from our hike to shower and then enjoy the views from Redfish Lodge, a popular resort spot for non-campers and campers alike. We talked to two women who gave us ideas about North Cascades hikes then sat inside and talked to a woman who was on her first overnight backpacking trip. She and her husband had already done 47 miles and were adding another 30 to wrap up the trip.

Beers at the lodge.

[somewhatspontaneous2025]

Day 28 - 32

Wednesday, July 16th… While I was wrapping up our GDMBR Section 2 ride Diane and Jane were driving down from Bozeman to meet me in Jackson. They took the scenic route through Yellowstone unfortunately experiencing all that Yellowstone has to offer during the Summer… traffic, construction, and large crowds. But all is not bad, it’s a place filled with wonderful sights and worth a little hassle. On their way into Grand Teton NP they saw a large herd of bison which always makes the ride worth it.

It’s a wrap.. another bikepacking trip done

We all connected at the Golden Eagle Inn in Jackson. It’s an old motel but it’s in great shape. David (riding partner) and I were staying there while Diane and Jane camped at Gros Ventre a campgrounds. It’s a long story.

So good to see you!

We all wound up at the Silver Dollar Saloon for a cocktail. Jose (my other riding partner) and his family met us there as well. To make things easy we all ate dinner there too. After, we walked around town to find ice cream then wrapped it up for the night.

Thursday was a work day, sort of. It was also Diane’s birthday. David and I met Jose and his family for breakfast then officially wrapped up the bike trip with hugs goodbye. David and I went back to the hotel to clean bikes and gear. That was a significant undertaking considering the fact that it rained on our last night on the bikes.

Diane and Jane, on the other hand, got up early and road the shuttle boat across Jenny Lake to hike on the other side. They hiked 6.6 miles for Diane’s birthday then added 2.5 miles when they hiked back around the lake rather than take the boat. Along the way, they saw 3 moose and few marmots!

Jane and Diane on the west side of Jenny Lake. Great hike day!

Worn out, they joined us at the hotel, showered, and then we all went out for dinner including Jane’s boyfriend Connor! Later we met the sons of one of David’s friends. Coincidentally, they were within Jane and Connor’s circle of friends! Small world.

David, Diane and me. Celebrating Diane’s birthday!

And in the small world category, if you’ve been reading this blog and my bike blog, you’d find it funny that the endurance athletes that we met on our penultimate day of riding have also been tracking Mike Miller and Chris Kalberg as they pedal across the USA. One of the ladies coached the first female rider in that group to reach the finish!

Friday through Monday, Diane and I transitioned to Gros Ventre Campgrounds. Jane and Conner joined us for the weekend. We enjoyed hiking Taggart Lake where we got caught in a thunderstorm and then, the next day, Phelps Lake via the Death Canyon Trail where we got caught in a thunderstorm, and then Christian Pond Trail where Diane stayed dry. Perhaps Jane brought the rain!

Taggart Lake before the rain.

Post hike, post rain beers with a view.

Me, Diane, Connor, and Jane with Phelps Lake in the background.

Me and Diane with Phelps Lake.

Death Canyon behind me.

On Christian Pond Trail.

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Day 14 - on to the next adventure

Jane went to the gym at 5:50am, returning by 7:15am. The early activity motivated me to get rolling as well. Showered, packed, and hungry we went out for breakfast before I headed to Missoula.

I didn’t leave immediately, having a few house cleaning and van packing chores to do. One the way back to Jane’s apartment, I was lucky enough to see a Sandhill Crane in the field across from her place! Hopefully they will still be here when Diane arrives in town in a couple weeks.

Sandhill Crane.

In Missoula I picked up Ed and David who will be riding with me for the next two weeks. With that said, I’ll blog about that trip under a different title.

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Day 13 - punishing those sore legs

Often, when you do a hard workout, it’s not the day after but it’s two days later when you really feel it. So why did I think it was a good idea yesterday evening when Jane suggested we climb the M Trail the hard way up and then run down?

Well we did just that at 6:30 this morning. We gained 800’ of elevation in a half mile and then gave it all back over 1.5 miles on the way back down. The air had a little chill, the sky was blue, and a light breeze cooled us off. It really was a great way to start the day. Although my quads have been sore all day.

Bozeman in the distance

I spent the rest of the day relaxing and packing for the start of my bike trip in 3 days. I think I have everything I need, and then some.

In the evening, we enjoyed a quiet dinner at home. After doing the dishes, we… watched the last three episodes of Hacks, Season 1.

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Day 10, 11, & 12 - Diane and Sally enjoy tropical climates

Since I was out of town, Diane decided to head to Puerto Rico with Sally for a long weekend.

Enjoyed a room with a view of the ocean!

Making their way around town!

They did a guided tour in the rain forest. It included the chance to slide down a water fall and jump off a cliff! They toured Old San Juan which was rich in history. They ate at excellent restaurants and had a piña colada at the place that invented them.

piña colada!

Oh what delicious things should she have for dinner?

Breakfasts were pretty good too!

Had cocktails and snacks at Identidad, a cocktail bar that has been open for 11 months and just won a James Beard award. The owner explained that their inside joke is that the quiet but happening neighborhood that it’s in is like the Upper East Side in New York. Home sweet home for Sally!

James Beard Award winner.

Hanging out in the Upper East Side section of town.

Early morning on the beach.

After sliding down the natural water slide in the El Yunque National Forest. Made some friends on the hike who shared their White Claw stash with Diane and Sally.

Diane outside the Castillo San Felipe del Morro National Historic Site. They were excited to learn that they could get in using the National Parks pass!

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Days 11 & 12 - up and down, snow and sun, all fun

Day 11, Saturday, was our big day this weekend. Jane and I took our time getting out of the house, having been in no hurry to start our hike. We drove about an hour down to BigSky to checkout some of the trails that we will be running in September as part of The Rut race.

As we arrived in the parking lot, most people were getting their biking gear ready. You can buy a lift ticket, ride the chair up and then roll down on your bike. They rate the trails: beginner, intermediate, expert. You pick your course based on your ability or pain threshold. Watching the riders, it looked like a blast!

However, we were there to climb and descend under our own power, perhaps running part of the way. We found the start of the trail after a brief discussion with a guy at the info booth. He let us know that one of the trails we wanted to hike was closed due to snow. With that info we set off.

Early on into our climb.

We climbed for about the first 4 miles starting at around 7,200’ and topping out at 9,350’. The trail was a mix of smooth and rocky single track through trees, some gravel roads, and some barely distinguishable trail over talus.

Jane on the talus just as the trail gets difficult.

Me, somewhere.

It was interesting to see that we were the lone hikers on that part of the mountain. While we did see a couple work trucks and a handful of mountain bikers, we were generally alone. It really made for a perfect day with a moderate breeze, blue sky, and the occasional puffy cloud.

Flowers at 9,200’ feet

As we neared the apex of our climb, I was able to take a video of the trail that was closed. It just so happened to be one that we will be running in September. I know that this snow will be gone by then. Hopefully, no new snow will replace it until the Fall!

Audio on for my description of the Rut route on this small portion of the course

As we dropped down, we jogged the trail to get a feel for the race. Fortunately, none of what we’re were on was steep. Along the way, we did encounter a couple more hikers. It was good to know people were interested in putting in the effort rather than just looking up from the bar or coffee shop at the base.

Jane running towards the bottom

All-in-all, a good 3 hour hike of 8-ish miles. From there it was off to home alongside the Gallatin River through the beautiful canyon that connects BigSky to Bozeman. We saw many rafters and kayakers working the river.

After showering, we walked to the nearby Outlaw Brewing for beer and pizza. Once at home, we binge watched Hacks and crashed early.

Day 12, Sunday, was all about relaxing. We had a late breakfast at The Western Cafe and late afternoon beers with Margo and other friends at MAP. We sat with views of a local swimming hole and the mountains beyond.

Found a shady spot to watch the sunbathers and the mountains

We discussed great bike routes and places to visit along the way. A mom in the group, Sue, talked about pedaling across the USA alone in the 80s. Her daughter was surprised by some of the stories which she had never heard. You could see the excitement in Sue’s eyes as she reminisced. Later Jane mentioned to me that Sue will be undergoing Chemotherapy this week, so I’m glad we got the chance to help her keep her mind on other things.

Sunday dinner included halibut that was caught a couple weeks ago in Alaska by Jane’s boss. We added sautéd veggies and rice pilaf to make a delicious meal.

We ended the evening with… more Hacks.

What fun!

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Day 10 - gonna stop at that roadside mill we’ve passed several times before

Parked under the wrong tree last night.

Pulled out of camp before 7 so I could run errands locally. I needed to stop at Big Timber Bakery, which Jane recommended, for breakfast and apple turnovers. The place had a steady flow of regulars. Most of whom looked at me like I was obviously from out of town in my running shoes, shorts, and a tee shirt. Next time I needed to wear wranglers or Lee jeans, work boots, and a flannel shirt plus a trucker’s hat.

After, I needed to stop at The Fort, a gas station, convenience store, gift shop, gun shop, fishing store. I bet they had $1M in inventory in guns alone. And their meat stick selection exceeded anything I’ve ever seen. I stayed out of the gift shop considering how overwhelmed I already was.

Finally, I visited the Greycliff Mill which sits beside US 90 and we’ve passed every time we’ve come to Montana. I strolled around checking out the Cheese Cave, leather shop, weaver, and green house. All were very nicely kept and… touristy. In the restaurant, I ran into Mike who was having breakfast before continuing his ride east.

Sorry, no pictures of any of that stuff.

Outside I met another gent who was on a quad recumbent bike. He was heading west to finish his final leg of a coast-to-coast ride that he has been doing in stages. We discussed his trip and my upcoming trip on the Divide. I enlightened him to the idea of doing the Great Divide route in stages as well.

Riders often pedal for charity as did this gent.

Zoom to see the Crazy Mountains

Zoom to see the Absaroka Mountains

Jane videos me in the van driving by her office. What timing!

Once in Bozeman I wanted to accomplish a couple things before having lunch with Jane. I needed to go to REI for a few supplies and go to a car wash to scrub the bird poop and bugs off the van.

At REI, I saw a few more bikepackers. Since I always try to strike up a conversation with fellow cyclists, I waited a few minutes after shopping. I wanted to see if these gents were part of Mike Miller’s crew. Also, one of the cyclists looked familiar. Sure enough, not only did I know one of them from North Carolina but he was also one of Mike’s crew! Chris Kalbert had participated in several of our annual Mountain Training Camps. He’s local to us in NC and decided to escape for the summer by riding across the country! Small world.

Random encounter with NC friend!

The day wrapped with a Charle Crockett concert outside of Livingston in a neat outdoor venue. It had a summer camp vibe and held about a thousand people. Jane, her friend Sarah Beth, and I went for the show. They both knew quite a few people there. Proof that even though Bozeman has grown ridiculously, it’s still a small town.

Storm brewing before the concert.

SB and Jane under a double rainbow

Charlie Crockett

All-in-all, a heck of a lot of fun!

[somewhatspontaneous2025]

Day 9 - how to get to wherever I might be going.

Spontaneity. I kinda know how far I want to go and I know I don’t want to do it on another major highway. Fortunately, the secondary roads in Wyoming and Montana tend to have 70 mph speed limits!

I decided to take a route via Shoshone, through the Wind River Canyon, past Thermopolis, and into Lovell to camp in a city park.

Two lane Rt 20 rather than 4 lane US 25.

The 90 miles between Casper and Shoshone were stark. For the most part, it was arid range land for as far as the eye could see. After heading north at Shoshone, I began to see the Boysen Reservoir which ran for about 12 miles. The reservoir feeds the Big Horn River which cuts through the Wind River Canyon.

I did see a few hoodoos in all that starkness.

Zoom to see a small section of Boysen Lake. Interestingly, no boats were on it.

The canyon was quite spectacular. Its high walls rose hundreds of feet above the river. In some places, you could see the various rock layers. In others, grass and shrubs flowed down toward the river.

Zoom to better see the start of the canyon.

Multiple tunnels.

Inside the canyon.

The river flowed quickly but didn’t have the roaring rapids that I saw in other rivers in Colorado. Probably because its flow was dam controlled. Popping out of the canyon, it irrigated rich farmland for miles and miles.

Rich farmland north of the canyon.

Interesting, I saw signs that gave the estimated age of a few of the rock layers as I left the canyon and approached Thermopolis. I missed what type of rocks there were but saw 175-275 million years old. That’s in part why there’s a dinosaur center in the town. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find it easily so I rolled on.

Red stone is 175-275 million years old.

Just outside of town I stopped at an overlook that was above Hot Springs State Park. The hot springs, through the millennium, have leached minerals to produce a rock flow into the Big Horn River. They were formed much like the mineral deposits at Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone.

Hot Springs above the river leaching minerals to form white rock flows.

Bypassing Lovell where I originally intended to camp in a city park, I moved on to Big Timber, MT. Somehow, Montana looked different once I crossed from Wyoming. It just seemed more green and busier. There were more active farms and ranches and more towns in a shorter distance.

When I arrived at where I was camping in Big Timber, I introduced myself to a cross country cyclist who had just checked in. Needless to say, I was curious to hear his story and share info. As he rolled off to set up his tent, I rolled down the road for a six pack of beer. I knew from experience that he would appreciate a few cold beers and some salty chips.

Mike Miller from Phoenix had started with 8 others in Seattle 10 days prior. He separated from the group as he focused on reaching Chicago by mid July while the others had no firm commitments. He was ahead of them by at least 2 days. Riding alone was hard work for him and I could sense his apprehension. He expects the others will catch up with him when he lays over in Chicago for a family function. Regardless, he was focused on finishing in DC and was pushing forward.

Later I met another gent, Pete from Virginia, when I realized I was parked in his camping spot. Pete had been DOGEd from his IT Security job and was just traveling around the country to clear his head. His 1990 VW Westfalia Camper Van had been serving him well as long as he stayed off of steep, high mountain passes.

All in all, an interesting evening.

[somewhatspontaneous2025]

Days 7 & 8 - finally a bike ride and thunder road

Day 7 started out lazy. I had an easy breakfast in the hotel and a nice cup of tea. By 10am, I had found a 40+ mile local gravel ride via Ride With GPS and I rolled out onto the course.

My bike route.

The route ended up being a mix of pavement , gravel road, bike path, and neighborhood roads. It was totally sufficient for my needs. The climbing was modest but I still struggled due to the elevation. I’m not yet acclimated to being a mile high. Hopefully that will come soon because all of our riding will be at elevation over the next few weeks.

Zoom to see mountains.

Perhaps a 3 footer. Don’t think it was a rattle snake.

The Denver area is full of physically active people. I was surprised at the number of walkers, runner, and cyclists that I saw while riding. Don’t those people have jobs!

Regardless, it’s obvious what attracts people to the area… the opportunity to do all those things in a beautiful setting. I rode around blue lakes and a reservoir as well as through green pastureland and farms. All with a view of the Rocky Mountain foothills with snow capped peaks beyond.

Day 7 ended quietly.

Day 8 was a packing and driving day. Pleasantly, the van was ready a little after 9am. That meant picking it up and then returning to the hotel to repack it for travel. By 12:45pm I was on the road driving towards Wyoming and thunderstorms.

One cool thing about the West is that you can see the weather coming. I don’t recall if I was still in Colorado or had just entered Wyoming when the rain began. It was light at first and then quite heavy but not so heavy that you couldn’t see the road ahead. Once car flashers went on and I noticed cars and trucks pulled over, I knew something was up. Fortunately for me, I was just a few minutes behind the hail that forced those vehicles to the shoulder.

You can certainly see this front coming in!

After an extended period of driving 50 in a 75 zone, things got more interesting. A hail storm minutes before left at least an inch of the white stuff covering the roadway. I found myself driving down the tracks of previous cars while the fast lane remained covered.

Couldn’t capture the fully covered road. I needed both hands on the sheet!

On the positive side, the storms only lasted for about an hour of my drive. Ultimately, I arrived at a campgrounds with the sun shining and a red-sky sunset. Sleep came easily after the stress of driving.

Sunset beyond the dumpsters!

[somewhatspontaneous2025]

Day 6 - down from the mountain.

When I woke up this morning the temps were somewhere in the 30s. Now for most of us North Carolinians, that sounds absolutely terrible. On the other hand, if you’re reading this on June 23rd (temp 95 in Hillsborough) you’re thinking: “I could live with that”. Anyway, it’s only taken a couple days for me to feel acclimated to the temps. I left the van in shorts and a jacket and felt fine. The sun was bright and intense. The temps easily rose ten degrees an hour until I rolled out of Grand Lake around 9am.

My destination for the day was Boulder/Longmont. I could easily have driven back the way I came which included a high mountain pass with a twisty descent. I could have gone back via Rocky Mountain NP and into Estes Park but that would have cost me $30 to get into the Park and then included a twisty climb to about 11,000’ and a twisty descent down the other side. Finally, I decided on a flatter route that was a little longer but it took me places I’d never been.

Sadly I only took one picture. At one point I was driving beside Green Mountain Reservoir and could see sawtoothed peaks soaring above it. Cottonwood Peak, Piney Peak, Eagle’s Nest, Mt Powell, and Peak C to name a few. Google those landmarks for pictures.

Some of the peaks mentioned above.

While driving East on 70, I saw numerous rafters floating the river that ran along side of the Highway. Closer to my destination, I drove through Clear Creek Canyon. Again, Google it for pictures. Regardless, the canyon offered a variety of activities including: walking, hiking, and biking on the greenway over the river, rock climbing, fishing, rafting, kayaking, and more! Right next to Golden and just a few miles outside of Denver, I sure the Canyon draws big crowds of nature lovers.

Once at the hotel, I quickly unloaded the van then dropped it off at Geotrek for a few upgrades. After, I enjoyed dinner at a Tiki Bar. Most notably was the Spam Musubi, kinda like spam sushi. It needed more spam flavor although my mouth was dry from too much salt all night long.

Back at the hotel, I mindlessly watched TV until I feel asleep. I wouldn’t be going out the see the stars at 3am.

Cheers,