As we left Grangeville, we were preparing to say goodbye to our second state. Overall, we left Idaho with very fond memories: all of the beautiful scenery, the friendly people, and the triumph of conquering Hell’s Canyon. We stayed in Lochsa Lodge that night and celebrated the “end of an era” with a real dinner inside the Lodge’s restaurant. That night, I was so excited not only because we were about to enter Montana, or because the next day was our rest day. I was excited because in Missoula, MT across Lolo Pass I knew my dad was visiting us! And I was so happy to be able to see him.
In Missoula, we had a great rest day. We got massages, stayed at the new Residence Inn and got to eat actual, tasty food! Not to mention some great ice cream. Before we left Missoula, we got our tire pressure checked and new chains from a bike shop in town. Needless to say, we left Missoula feeling fresh.
The next couple days, however, were like a fever dream. We took countless breaks, felt so lethargic, and even heard a woman at McDonalds get upset because she ordered a “cheeseburger NO burger” and they couldn’t get it right.
After that, we headed to Wisdom, MT and did 3,300 ft in one go! I was feeling notably grumpy that day and then as soon as we got to the top of the pass, it all just melted away.
We ended the week in Bannack, MT. Bannack will definitely go down in the list of the coolest places I’ve ever been to. The town was actually abandoned in the late 1800s and made into a state park. It remains one of the most intact ghost towns in the United States. It felt like we stepped through a time machine and were transported into these people’s lives.
A Funny Moment of the Week: I really think the “Cheeseburger — No Burger” takes the cake for me. I really thought this lady was joking, but as soon as I saw her face I realized this was a very serious matter for her.
What We’ve Learned: The enchantment of the trip comes and goes. There are some days where we look around and marvel at the beauty of the country and feel enamored with the world around us and this journey (real hippie stuff). But there also are days (albeit few) where we feel like all we want to do is lay down and watch TV and never look at our bikes again. And that’s ok. You don’t have to be completely starry-eyed all the time for this adventure to be worth it. But every time you heave and push and pant your way to the top of a real mountain, or even a mental one, you get to a point where you just look up and realize, “Ah, so that’s why this is all worth it.”