I know we told you all that we were planning to average 60 mile/day, but 50 to 60 is more reasonable now that we're doing it.
We woke up to rain, so we ate breakfast in the lodge to watch the weather. We did get a break in the rain, so we got everything packed up and put on our rain gear. It was pretty cool, but we were going to be climbing. It's hard to decide what to wear sometimes. We had a gradual climbing for about 10 miles, then the 'big' climb for 4, and it was drizzly most of the way. Narrow winding road, not much shoulder, and more big trucks than I really cared for. Dave always seems to zip up the road, so I always lose sight of him quickly. It was a good ride, though, and I reached the pass (5,235 ft.) feeling really good...and soggy, and a bit chilly. There was an exhibit about the area and Lewis and Clark. Their route took them a bit north of the road, and there's a mountain bike/hiking trail which is much more challenging. We changed in preparation for the nearly 30 mile downhill ride.
I was really glad to get to Lolo, and Dave was waiting for me at the McDonald's. He was sitting with another cross-country cyclist, Brian, from North Carolina. He's riding by himself east to west, and he was very happy to have someone talk to. He said he had tailwinds riding across Kansas, and made it in 4 days.
We intended to ride the 10 miles to Missoula, but right as we headed out, a big squall hit and we turned around and checked into the nearest motel. It worked out..we did laundry and I got to watch TV about the Brexit vote. What a shock!
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