Day 15/16 - Joplin to Harlem (Montana, not NYC) to Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs

Thanks to all who have been following our blog.  I had a chance to look at the stats for our site and we've had almost 4000 page views.  Yet, we think our viewership may be waning so we've decided to spice up our blog with a limerick.  I'm sure this will only increase our readership; maybe we'll go viral.

There once was a gal from Montana.
She eats a daily banana.
With the wind at her back,
She takes up the slack,
and unfurls her bright red bandana.

For your viewing and listening pleasure, we also recorded it while riding.

Finally, this was a wind in our face kind of day.  Yesterday was a nice tail wind that helped push us 94 miles.  Today we made around 65 and at the 60 mile mark, we hit our first 1000 miles.

We're staying at Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs and spent the last few hours soaking our weary bones. We highly recommend this place off highway 2 in northern, central Montana.  Check out their Facebook page.

Don't forget to visit joytotheworldfoundation.org.  Tell 'em Epic2 sent you.

Day 14 - Cut Bank to Joplin

Fairly uneventful ride today so I'll take a moment to suggest you support two very worthy causes. We are trying to raise a total of $4025 representing the 4025 miles we are riding across the country.  See the pic below for the websites and how to give. Mention Epic 2 when you give. These two organizations are places in Thailand and Burma that support the education of children. Fosters have been visiting them for ten years.

joytotheworldfoundation.org

asiafrontieroutreach.com

We're riding through amber waves of grain on long flat roads. Today we met Mel dumping his wheat into a small pit so the auger can take it up into metal tanks. We also saw some wheat stored in huge piles on the ground indicating that there is a surplus. Mel said the price of wheat was down to the very low price of $2.68 a bushel. 

The ride today went very well. We rode 50 miles by noon and ended up in Joplin making it a 79 mile day. 

Day 13 - St Marys to Cut Bank

After our jaunt up north through Glacier, we headed a bit south to rejoin Hwy 20. Here's one last picture of Bill conquering the Going to the Sun Road.

Last night we bid goodbye to Rhett and Noah who planned from the beginning to ride as far as Logan Pass. You've seen them in yesterday's summit picture. Then this morning we said goodbye to Tom's wife Sharon who was a great help as the driver of a sag vehicle between stops in the Mountains. She provided water and lunch in several very remote locations. THANK YOU SHARON. 

Noah left, Rhett on the right, sons of Steve and Terry.

This morning we had quite a climb out of St Marys to the plains of Montana. So we say good by to the mountains we have been riding through the last 12 days and enter the Great Plains of Montana and North Dakota. This is the beginning of Big Sky country. 

We had lunch in Browning and headed 30 miles west to Cut Bank named for the steep cliff west of town where we suppose buffalo may have been run over the cliff by the Indians as a way of hunting them. Within walking distance from our campground at the top of the cliff is a steel sculpture of Christ next to a wooden cross. 

Thunderstorms are predicted tonight. So even in camp we may have some excitement. 

Day 12 - Apgar to St. Marys

Well we did it. We rode to Logan Pass.

The ride is really beyond explanation. To see such an incredible part of creation slowly on a bicycle is hard to describe. 

So, I'll just show you pictures. 

Day 11 - Whitefish to Glacier

WE RODE OUR BICYCLES FROM DECEPTION PASS IN WASHINGTON TO GLACIER NATIONAL PARK IN MONTANA. This is what Terry Foster said when this picture was taken. That's 688 miles on a bike.

Tomorrow we head up to Logan Pass on the Going to the Sun Highway. Just follow the arrow. 

Campsite in GNP.

Day 9/10 - Libby to Eureka to Whitefish

The ride to Eureka (81 miles) was breathtaking in two regards. First, we rode past Libby dam along Koocanusa Reservoir.  The name Koocanusa comes from the Kootenay river being damned to create the resulting lake which is almost 100 miles long and goes all the way into Canada.

The dam lookout.

Who is this handsome couple above the Reservoir?

Secondly it was breathtaking because it took our breath away as we peddled up and down rolling hills through the pine forest - climbing over 7000 feet total for the day. 

Here's a pic of the group from yesterday morning. 

Then today, well simply put, the rains came.  Here we are about half way to Whitefish in the RV enjoying pancakes compliments of Terry Foster. 

Day 7/8 - Rest Day and Sandpoint to Libby, Montana

We had a great rest day on Sunday. I suppose you could call it a Sabbath.  In late afternoon and early evening Rhett's friend took us out on the lake in his boat. It was great fun watching wake surfing in such a beautiful setting. 

Rhett wake surfing.

Noah walking on the water!

Today it was "On the Road Again" to begin our second week of cycling. We went 93 miles to Libby, Montana. We rode along crystal clear lakes and rivers, through green meadows and ate pecan caramel buns and sandwiches piled high with sliced turkey. It was also in the 80's, about 10 degrees cooler. All in all it was probably one of the best days so far.

We're in Montana!