Crusty Cassette

27 Jun 03: 48.1 miles, 4:48 riding time, Williston, ND to Culbertson, MT .

Williston turned out to be the Mosquito Capital of the trip so far! I feel like one big welt after a night in their city park! Walk through the park and clouds of mosquitos arise out of the grass! Until this experience I've had a bite to two to deal with all the time, now finding any one through the others is a challenge. About 10 miles out of Williston we met 5 Adventure Cycling tourists doing the Northern Tier and enjoyed 5 to 10 minutes of roadside chat. In Bainville, MT, where we had lunch, we talked to the other 5, and talking to other tourists is always a highlight. Here in Culbertson as I arrived at the city park, two other tourists: Tom and Dick arrived at the same time. Harry (really) had planned to ride with them, but had some scheduling problem so wasn't there! We had dinner and breakfast together. Pam, David's wife, arrived today to drive along somewhat and see David in the evenings.

28 Jun 03: 61.3 miles, 5:32 riding time from Culbertson, MT to Wolf Point, MT Chris and I left Culbertson without David today as he joined the other four of us late. He had Pam drive in front of him and drafted off the van in order to catch up! Later that day we met 5 girls who had just been graduated from college this spring and were celebrating with a cross country tour. We were fighting a headwind of 5 to 10 MPH and asked them about the wind. The replied "wind hasn't really been a factor on our tour". That's good for a laugh! With no experience touring and little as cyclists, they apparently haven't noticed the mild tail wind they've been enjoying since deparing Anacortes! Nonetheless, we really enjoyed their youthful enthusiasm coupled with their growing knowledge of touring.

Customer service in Wolf Point isn't very high. I ordered the local equivilant of a blizzard from the local ice cream store and said I wanted chocolate in it. The waitress informed me that the owner was "very strict that no chocolate was to be put in the blizzards"! I thought the waitress was joking and treated it that way, but she pointed out a sign on the wall! I guess I should have thought to order a chocolate shake and a cup of ground heath bar chips on the side! Wonder if there was a "rule" against this? We had dinner a few minutes before 5:00, and David was told he couldn't have his choice until after 5:00, so he ordered something else. Then he ordered dessert a few minutes after 5:00 and was told it was too late for desserts! Really, this actually did happen. The look on his face caused us many laughs and ended his teasing me about the chocolate in my blizzard!

29 Jun 03: 59.0 miles in 4:30 riding time Wolf Point, MT to Glasglow MT Pam fixed our breakfast so we wouldn't have to ride back the 1.5 miles to town (small route deviations are a big deal to Chris and David!). David left late again this morning- the effect of having his wife around- otherwise he's first out of camp. Chris and I missed the small town of Oswego and our rightful first break, but I did notice Frazer 0.8 flat miles off route. Chris wasn't sure it was worth the ride in. When we got into town, we couldn't find the store. We talked to two wise old Indians for a while, and asked where the store was. After 5 to 10 minutes of converstation, they asked if we were a father son combination greating insulting Chris! Of course I'm still having fun with that.

Just outside Nashua we met another couple doing the Northern Tier. He says her favorite thing in the tour is talking to other tourists, so we talked alongside our bikes for a good 10 minutes. They gave a hearty recommendation to the little ice cream store and cafe in Nashua where we had a big roast beef dinner (followed by ice cream) in the middle of the day's ride! Finally, the headwinds which have been hitting us for day broke and this afternoon the wind switched to a eastern wind, but I was in camp by 1:00; something I don't like in small towns even if I'm not missing a tailwind!

30 Jun 03 75 miles in 4:55 riding time Glasglow, MT to Malta, MT No mosquitoes in Glasglow- finally a break from them though passing cyclists keep warning us, and I warn them of Williston! Chris mailed home 4.5 pounds of goods today (pots, pans, and stove) which he's only used once. We had a 5 to 10 MPH TAILWIND today until about noon when the winds seemed to reverse, and we're back to the normal (for this area) wind out of the west. We were in Malta by 1:00. There are so few choices of towns in eastern Montana that we couldn't extend the ride unless we added nearly 40 miles, and Chris vetoed that after the wind reversed. Here in Malta we finally caught up with Aaron, a 76 year old cyclist doing the Lewis-Clark route we've been chasing for days. Because of the heat he took a day off here in Malta. Chris decided at the last minuted (because of the 90 degree mid-day heat) to get a motel room, so I'm camping with Aaron tonight.

A century seemed less and less like a good idea to me this morning. A strange pull in my glutes after climbing Winchester yesterday and a draggy feeling in my legs left me wondering if I hadn't pushed to far again.

When I had to kick on the air-conditioning at 8 this morning, I thought of climbing Troy grade at about 11am. Not a good plan. Fortunately Chris arrived saying he wouldn't mind if I didn't want a century today. Mumbled something about crawling under his garage to plumb in the photo lab. I told him crawling under a building didn't sound so bad. I'd let him know at Kendrick.

Mike Warnock came out of hiding to join us. Mike, as always, likes to ride hard. My tired legs gave me just enough to keep up all the way to Web Ridge. If Chris is cruel, what are we to make of Mike who, in the name of not making us wait for him, hammers up Web Ridge and then doesn't even stop at let us take a drink.

We caught him and even managed to get him to stop at Lapwai but once past Arrow Bridge, Mike turned on the afterburners. Chris let him play but I was shocked to here Mike urging Chris to go faster at Spalding bridge. That's like throwing fuel on a fire. Tail wind or not, I figured I was in for it.

Even Chris shrugged his shoulders when Mike failed to take the first frontage road. He joined us for the rest and pulled us across Memorial bridge where he left us for home.

Chris need about 30 more miles to earn a 200 mile week, so we agreed to do Evans and Asotin Creek. Sounded good to me at the time. My legs weren't complaining on the main roads. We ate at Taco Time, watered up at the confluence and headed out with a tail wind for Evans. No, tail wind up Evans though and Chris had to ask if I was having trouble? Yes!

We've ridden Asotin Creek so many times on ice cream rides, that I expected it might be cooler. There seems to be some difference between 2 in the afternoon and 7 at night.

I thought I'd call Linda for a ride from the boat launch. That would save me climbing Critchfield. But what good is there in carrying a cell phone for emergencies if the sag team isn't home? I ended up letting Chris ride on while I faced Critchfield. I dried the sweat from my brow, took the last couple of swallows of the 90degree water in my bottle, found granny gear and started up. Strange to think only last week I had felt strong enough to hammer this hill after a full century, while today I would gladly have accepted a ride. 12 minutes instead of the 8 I have been doing. Still I got an 80 miler in.

Wonder how the Ukiah century people did? Wendy, Dave, Bruce, Pam, Nikki and Debbie drove to Ukiah, Oregon after Winchester yesterday to ride a century today. Hope the weather was cooler in Oregon.

Wendy, blog this ride. Okay? You can do it with email. Just address your blog to crustycassette-site@free-conversant.com. Be sure to enter as the first line of your blog these words: addToWeblog News. That's all there is to it. If you have pictures, send them to me and I'll post them in a gallery.

So responsibility is an ugly word. I told Lance I'd sweep the gravel from the the corner about a mile up the Winchester grade. My plan was to leave home about 6:30, have that corner swept and then lounge about the start line for 40 minutes with lots of time to take care of annoying little things like pinning on a number or remembering to put on sun-screen (ow--we did 80 miles today!).

The best laid plans, of coures, go oft astray. Half way up Tammany it ocurred to me that while I had loaded my bike and gear last night, I hadn't put my cyclocomputer on the bike. Look out little birds feeding on the Tammany road, Daddy's got to get home. Can't ride without a computer.

Linda also had a rough start. She wasn't sure where Culdesac was and how to get to the start line. When she got there, she found no restrooms open. No fault of Debbie and Lance who had confirmed the community center would be open. Alas, it was not. Linda, I've told you drinking coffee first thing in the morning is a bad habit. Worse, she drove to the Thunderbird to use the bathroom instead of riding. That meant a return trip through the start formation since the ISP had decided to show up and we were back at the grain terminals. All very confusing.

But thank you to the ISP for clearing that highway for us. And thanks to Lance and Debbie for managing this rolling chaos.

The Mountain Trembled Apparently Craig decided he didn't want to risk another flat this week. He was a no show. Last year he flatted on this course and he flatted last week. Perhaps you should stay with the centuries, Craig. I don't remember you ever having a flat on those.

I managed to take 14 minutes off my tiem for this course last year. That is amazing to me as I felt this hill beat me twice today. About 3/4ths the way up, I found myself dropping back. You know the feeling. Instead of feeling those wheels spinning under you, you find that each turn is a grind--or is that crank. Later on top near 13 miles, I kept praying for the top of the hill. Didn't make it to the top before I once again had to break rhythm and struggle up.

This was Linda's first Bite the Bullet. While she had not planned to ride to Nez Perce with me, she had saved enough that she joined Dave and me for the extended ride. I immediately felt a pull in the backs of my thighs and knew I had done too much. It remains to be seen how I will fair with Chris on our century tomorrow. Linda cooked right along on the way out and the three of us enjoyed an excellent lunch at the Nez Perce Hotel Dining Room.

The return trip, we knew, would be more difficult. There is a modest, but long climb back to Craigmont. Linda did fine until just about Craigmont. Then her legs began to argue with the decision to make this an 80 mile day. It was a good decision, because this was exactly the kind of day we'll be riding on Bike Idaho in a couple of weeks.

A milkshake at the
Highland cafe in Winchester made the difference. She arrived, hot, tired, but pleased at Culdesac.

This was not the usual quiet ride that Steve takes us on. Turns out a Harley Rally was holding a Poker run today. 650 Harleys! Most of them passed us either coming or going to Nez Perce or going down the Old Winchester Grade. . Dave wanted to trade his bike for a hog.

What did Crank have at the Highland Cafe? A picture is worth a thousand words.

So, a day that started a little roughly, ended quite happily. Now, if I can just get up and do it again tomorrow!

No rain in sight, no wind! What's wrong with this picture?

Nothing!

Matt Wyen disappeared up the hill in 50 minutes and 57 seconds for first place. Only Bruce Carroll had a chance of seeing Matt. Bruce finished second in 55 minutes and 14 seconds. These short races just don't give Bruce time to warm up. Didn't even have breakfast before this ride.

Chris finished 5, tieing, I believe, his previous best finish. I didn't get to ask him if 58 minutes and 12 seconds was a better time than his previous first place finish. I'll check the Trib for your name Chris.

Lance abernathy finished 7th in 60 minutes and 29 secs.

Allison was having an off day when I passed her--a very off day if I could pass her. Still she was the first woman in 69 minutes and 32 seconds.

And of course in a category all his own, Cliff took the recliner, um-recumbent, division in 76 minutes and 27 seconds.

For more pictures from the day visit the Galleries. Complete Results are posted at the Twin Rivers Cyclist web site.