Big Ride Day 12

Photos from Day 12

Everyone in camp has been looking forward to getting over the Continental Divide because, as we all joked, it would be "all downhill from there!" Well, finally the day had arrived. Actually, there was a good deal of nervousness going around too due to the various stories floating around camp about what it would be like at "the pass." Last year, the weather was terrible -- blowing snow and freezing cold temperatures -- so much so that the route was actually closed for part of the day. The weather was shaping up to be exactly the same for us this year and given that we have not experienced cold weather up to this point, the camp was buzzing with discussion over what to wear and what to take in preparation. For their part, the staff was trying to "scare" people into taking as much cold weather gear as possible in order to avoid any hypothermia or other problems.

I was a little restless sleeping due to the anticipation of the "big day." I woke up several times and could hear the rain pounding on my tent. The staff had told us that due to a cold front that was about to hit, the earlier we could get over the pass, the better. I therefore planned to get up around 4:30 AM to start preparing and get an early start. When I woke up, I heard the rain still falling and decided to sleep a little while longer. Then, it seemed to let up and I rushed to get everything packed up during the respite. As I packed, I was trying to decide what to take and what to wear for the ascent. It didn't feel too cold in camp but the word from the pass was that the temperature was 38-40 degrees and raining. I finally got everything packed up and settled on what gear to wear and then it started raining again. I threw my gear in the truck and went to breakfast. Miraculously, while I was at breakfast, the rain cleared up and the sun came out! It was like a godsend. Even at the pass, the weather was clearing up. I hurried to get out of camp while the getting was good! I changed my mind several more times about what gear I should take before finally hauling my butt out. On the way out, I met my folks on the side of the road and we said our good-byes. Then it was time for the ascent! The weather was getting nicer and nicer and I actually stripped off a bunch of my clothing on the way up. The climb was easy and didn't really give me (or my knees) much trouble. At the top, we celebrated and took pictures, then bundled up for the chilly descent. I was pretty happy to have all the gear I had brought after that because it was pretty cold. The hill was long and at about an 8% grade so we had great fun going down. At the bottom were Helena and the checkpoint.

After the checkpoint, we cruised out of Helena on a slight downgrade with the wind at our backs and loved it! It was shaping to be one of the easiest days of the ride instead of one of the most difficult. But as fickle as the weather is here, that soon changed as more thunderstorms cropped up and the tailwind turned into an energy-sapping headwind. The last ten miles were tough but we finally cruised into camp at a respectable 12:30 (due to the short mileage and tailwind).

Because we got to camp so early, we actually had to find a place to eat lunch. After setting up tents, just about everyone hit this little pizza joint right near camp. They were really overwhelmed! I guess they weren't expecting a bunch of hungry bikers in the middle of the afternoon. It was fun to have an afternoon free to hang out and relax. After lunch, I iced my knees, took a shower, cleaned up my bike, and then got ready for dinner. Dinner was great once again -- chicken and all kinds of salad and side dishes and then desert. One thing I've noticed about the dinners we've been getting is that we haven't had very much pasta or salad, two things that I expected to get every night.

After dinner, I was actually able to access the Internet through the library of the school we're staying at tonight. It was fun to be able to send out e-mail after today's hard ride. And now, I'm catching up with my journal!

This page modified November 25, 2000