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Monday 24 September 2007
Leaving Fernie on a frosty, foggy zero degree morning we began our days ride towards the USA in the cold. Following the river meant that the fog was at its thickest and that the sun was taking it time to burn it off, the lack of vision ahead causing us to stop put a rear flasher on to just assist the traffic as it came up behind us.
Despite the fog and lack of a decent shoulder on the road we were making good progress until Joanne had a puncture courtesy of a large piece of glass that had managed to penetrate the tire and the extra thick tube. Repairing the puncture in a roadside turnout was a cold experience, the temperature still at zero degrees and the draft created by the traffic, particularly the trucks adding to our discomfort. Andy turned up just as we were putting it all back together and and after a short chat moved on agreeing to meet us in Elko.
Moving away from the river and with the fog starting to clear we were riding through a valley full of the beautiful 
autumn colours we have come to enjoy. Coming round a corner we came to a short tunnel through the rocky outcrop and being passed by a large truck just as we were about to enter the tunnel added to the excitement. A small climb and and before long we arrived at the small town of Elko. Stopping at the service station come local store for a coffee and final chat with Andy we enjoyed the sun which had decided to come out from behind the clouds. Sitting chatting with Andy we soaked up the first real sunshine in a week, its warmth so welcoming and nice as it brought warmth to every part of our bodies.
Heading off after photos and wishing each other a safe trip we descended a large hill and as Andy waved and continued on towards Vancouver, we turned off onto Highway 93 and the USA. Almost immediately after we had changed direction the scenery and the road changed. Gone were the autumn colours and in came the dark green colours of the pine trees, gone was the small, bad surfaced, rumble strip shoulder and in came a smooth road with a nice shoulder, and the conditions remained all the way to the border.
Border crossings into the USA are always an interesting event, and this crossing was no different. So after 
having to convince the authorities that we had no intention of remaining in the USA; that we had a legitimate reason to enter the USA; that we were people of good standing; that we had the time and money to be long term cycle tourists; and that our other entries into the US were for legitimate reasons (as if in transit to Canada wasn't a legitimate reason!), we were charged $6 each to have a new I94 Immigration form produced and we were on our way.
There was some uncertainty over our entry this time as we have been handing in our I94 Immigration forms each time we leave the US for over a month (as their website says to), but apparently that is causing some problems because we should be keeping them right up until the expiry date, regardless of our location, rather than handing them in and starting the 6 months entry into the country again when we re-enter. Apparently our lifestyle of touring, living on our own money, not working and enjoying life doesn't quite fit into any boxes that the government says we must fit into, and therefore, we might be an immigration risk because we might want to to stay and of course get a job - little do they know that is the last thing we want to do. So, with all that in mind, we have some interesting times ahead if we are to complete this trip the way we desire to. So, with having to be out of the US by 23 March 08 we will have to get a wriggle on if we are to stay in the warm weather and get to the Atlantic Ocean.
As soon as we left the border area we were on a narrow shoulder less road leading into a dry, treeless Montana, 
a countryside that is home to the rancher and the cowboy and where there is no place for trees. Thankfully traffic was light and we arrived in Eureka some 14 kilometres after the border and went to the motel the border guard recommended, but the motel manager gave us the impression that we were interrupting his afternoon and he just wanted to sell me a room so we moved onto better location where we got ourselves a room and kitchenette for same price as the other motel and some personality from the person serving us. It had been a long days ride and we were just looking for an easy solution to end the day so that we could regroup and be ready to enjoy the 6 months we have to enjoy in America.
Today's Stats
From: Fernie. British Columbia, Canada
To: Eureka. Montana USA
Ride Time:
5 hrs 11 min's
Distance:
80.09 km's
Av Speed:
15.4 km/h
Max Speed:
66.5 km/h
Max
Altitude:
932 m
Av Climb: 3 %
Max Climb: 11 %
Weather:
Camp Location:
N: 48°54'14.7"
W: 115°03'29.4"
Tuesday 25 September 2007
After yesterdays big day in the saddle, interesting time at the US Border and then change in landscape we awoke this morning to an overcast day and a wind as cool as the reception we got at the border. A late start on the road courtesy of needing to obtain a few things in town did nothing to help with our covering some distance towards Whitefish.
Riding up out of town we were battling a cold headwind and some hills, a rude shock after yesterdays easier than expected terrain, added to which the scenery was not that interesting and we sort of slogged along, almost aimlessly and without purpose, Joanne struggling with legs that didn't want to work and me wondering if we have enough in us to make the Atlantic via the points we want to visit in 6 months.
Stopping for lunch overlooking Murphy Lake we sat on the trikes enjoying a hot chocolate and our normal peanut butter on crackers lunch, the wind still cold and going through, not around us. Lunch over we began working on getting to Spring Creek where we had noticed there was a campground in the State Forest. Passing alongside Murphy Lake we noticed that the colour was a beautiful emerald courtesy of glacial silt and contrasting beautifully against the yellows of the autumn leaves along the shore.
The road narrowed off and even riding as close to the inside as possible was not enough for some truckers, the majority however smart enough to realise that we had no room and were giving them what we could. Arriving at a small creek we found what was left of a fresh carcass of a large animal all over the road and right next to a track into the bush. A notice board down the track a wooden table making us believe that we had found the non signposted Spring Creek camp. Further into the track there appeared to be someone set up but with the road just 50m away and covered in blood and the mashed remains of the animal still there we decided that that type of environment was a neon sign to a bear saying - FOOD!, so we moved on.
With the weather starting to look like it was going to rain on our day we checked the map on the computer and decided to investigate a possible campground at Upper Stillwater Lake. Stopping to talk to some locals confirmed that there was somewhere to camp, down the dirt road, over the bridge, over the railway line and up a hill. Two kilometres later, that is what we found, a trailhead area where we set up camp, just 200m up the gravel road hill that reminded us of the Dalton Highway, from the Stillwater lake. Setting up camp just in time the rain and hail came in while we sat in the tent glad to have finished today's ride.
Today's Stats
From: Eureka. Montana USA
To: Stillwater Lake 40 km's N of Whitefish.
Ride Time:
4 hrs 28 min's
Distance:
52.5 km's
Av Speed:
11.7 km/h
Max Speed:
40 km/h
Max
Altitude:
1019 m
Av Climb: 3 %
Max Climb: 15 %
Weather: Overcast. 6-13 deg C. Rain.
Camp Location:
N: 48°36'30.3"
W: 114°39'55.9"
Wednesday 26 September 2007
A minus 1 degree C morning greeted us as we came out of our warm and cosy tent this morning, the coldest morning we have had on the trip thus far. The remains of last nights rain had turned to ice and shaking it off of the tent resulted in small white blocks on the ground that resembled broken glass. Packing up and riding the two kilometres back to the highway we surprised a white tail deer on the side of the bumpy dirt track we were riding on before crossing the railway and then the wooden bridge over the still and steam filled river.
Back on the highway the traffic was back to its normal pace, the drivers of vehicles seemingly looking out of their windows in pity as they rode along in warmth and we remained in the cold, riding with a number of layers on and trying to cover every bit of exposed skin, the morning air exceptionally cold. Not much in the way of wildlife of late but we have been seeing more and more dead skunks on the road, only one however fitting the line in the song that says "there's a dead skunk in the middle of the road - stink'n to high heaven".
Riding up the hills into Whitefish we arrived in town into a real vehicular hub, full of people out doing their thing, heavy semi-trailer trucks hauling wood chips, large log carrying trucks and all manner of vehicles and all wrestling the other through the intersections and traffic lights in the middle of town. We turned off and out of the traffic mayhem and via shop fronts that look like they should be in a western movie, went directly to the railway station where we aimed to tackle the Amtrak staff about getting our trikes onto the train so as to jump across to Portland Oregon and gain a bit of a weather window - but guess what?
Hoping to be able to talk to the baggage manager we were only able to talk to the man selling the tickets and his response was more of "its all too hard". So we went around the merry go round with questions and solutions - such as.
Him: All bikes must be in a box - Amtrak Policy
Me: But the Amtrak Website says that items like ours can go if the train has tie down facilities.
Him: Well, this one doesn't and besides, you need to have it in a box.
Me: So if we can box them you will take them?
Him: Nope, because they weigh too much and we can't tie them down.
Me: So what is in this baggage car?
Him: Nothing, just baggage.
Me: So how is the baggage secured?
Him: It is stacked so it won't move.
Me: So if we boxed these, left the wheels out of the bottom and put the brakes on and stacked them with other stuff around them then none of it would move.
Him: Nope, they are too big. A bike box is about 8 inches wide and these are not - unless you can break them down.
Me: Well, they are rigid and don't break down, so there is nothing we can do to get these on the train?
Him: I dunno, let me ask a few people.
He then proceeded to phone two people and in his conversation, gave them the answers he wanted - "they are so large and heavy and don't go in a box so we don't take this type of thing, do we?". In the end he just told me that they wouldn't take the trikes and that was that - so much for everything being possible in the USA! Funny thing is that when we phoned Amtrak from Calgary we got a similar type of refrain and being here hoping to talk to the baggage man didn't help us because they are obviously on minimum manning and totally locked into the Amtrak policy manual. What would have helped however would have been a description of the baggage facilities on each train on the Amtrak website, because that would have answered our question before we even left. So, what now? More planning and some decisions tonight after some chores this afternoon.
Leaving the station rather dejected and annoyed we rode back to the tourist information centre and organised a cheap and cheerful motel room. The motel kitchenette is large enough to get our trikes inside so we did that, enjoyed a shower and then walked a few blocks to the supermarket for some supplies and while Joanne went to the laundromat I did some trike maintenance.
Much discussion and pouring over maps and the like was the task for the evening and that was what we did. More discussion on the trip and what will become of it. Will we be able to reach the Atlantic Ocean and thereby complete the 3 Oceans on 3 Wheels odyssey before our visa runs out or will we have to leave the country and then come back to complete it? More than ever we are realising that the weather, our desire to see certain parts of the country, our immigration status and remaining money are now all up in the air like a jugglers balls and anyone of them could bring us undone.
Today's Stats
From: Stillwater Lake 40 km's N of Whitefish.
To: Whitefish
Ride Time:
3 hrs 11 min's
Distance:
42.9
km's
Av Speed:
13.4 km/h
Max Speed:
44 km/h
Max
Altitude:
992 m
Av Climb: 3 %
Max Climb: 8 %
Weather: -1-18 deg C.
Overcast then sunny.
Camp Location:
N: 48°24'14.1"
W: 114°20'03.5"
Thursday 27 September 2007
Leaving our nice warm and comfortable motel room to a 3 degree C morning we rode out of town through some very heavy traffic as Whitefish came to life and started its day. Four lanes of traffic with a centre turning lane sure makes a lot of noise, especially when you are riding along and sitting just 6" off the ground. The horrendous traffic noise continued for over 6 kilometres out of town and then settled down to a blast every now and then as traffic light regulated traffic gained momentum on the open road.
Passing through some road work areas we soon arrived in Kalispell, a large regional town of up to 10,000 people so it has all the facilities that one could want. Looking for the tourist information centre we pulled up in a parking lot and began to investigate our map, only to find that we were parked opposite our desired location. Obtaining some good information on the road ahead we rode out of town, stopping only to pick up some supplies at a supermarket. Further down the road there was some cheap fun with the local sparrow population as hundreds lined up along the powerline, a clap of the hands sending them swirling off in large groups only to sit back on the line further down, another hand clap sending them off again into a large black swarm swirling around and making various shapes in the sky.
Riding towards Polsen we stopped at Somers where we boiled the billy and enjoyed lunch while sitting in the car park of the boat ramp, watching the ducks and other water birds as they went about their day on the still, flat water of the lake. After lunch we were were following alongside Flathead Lake, home to many small settlements with nice homes perched on every vantage point along the lakes shore, the road rising and falling as we went and making our legs work overtime. Looking back over the lake we could see the mountains in the background but covered in haze from the sun which blocked most of the features and turning them into silhouettes against a big blue Montana sky.
With the chance of free camping along this part of the road almost impossible we arrived at the West Shore State Park where we were relieved of $15 in exchange for permission to camp and so set up camp within a short distance to the lake and amongst the pine trees and other autumn coloured trees.
Today's Stats
From: Whitefish.
To: West Shore State Park Campground
Ride Time:
4 hrs 6 min's
Distance:
62.8
km's
Av Speed:
15.3 km/h
Max Speed:
47.6 km/h
Max
Altitude:
996 m
Av Climb: 2 %
Max Climb: 8 %
Weather: 3-18 deg C.
Overcast then sunny.
Camp Location:
N: 47°56'54.3"
W: 114°11'24.7"
Friday 28 September 2007
Four other campers and ourselves enjoyed a pleasant night in the campground, the toils of the day disappearing as the night wore on. Waking to a reasonably warm 5 degrees and a dry tent. The road continued to follow Flathead Lake although not directly along the shore.
Climbing was today's workout and it continued all day ensuring that we were bathed in a lather of sweat, our legs straining and our lungs working overtime. The road wound its way around the lake and it was interesting to be riding and looking over at where we had been riding an hour before, and then the road turned up, and up we went, spending over an hour climbing, each turn in the road providing another view of the hill ahead. Finally deciding to stop for lunch on a gravel turnout we were joined by a man who introduced himself as Lynn. He was riding the 16 miles from Big Arm to Polsen for lunch at the Senior Citizens club and had plenty of interesting advice and stories of rides through Montana, Oregon and California. Lynn moved on, we ate lunch and then climbed the last of the "8 sweet ones"as Lynn described them before topping out as we passed through more small farmlets and homes on acreage's.
With the mountains filling the view ahead we came to a nice fast and long downhill run into town, the view of the 
mountains, town and the lake ahead making for a very pleasant view. Arriving in town we went to the library and managed to print out some paperwork for home before posting it back to Australia for processing. Then, as we had passed the campground on the way down the hill (and were not about to ride back up) and with the possibility of rain tonight we found the local cheap and cheerful motel and booked in.
Joanne went for a look in the supermarket while I replied to some emails and researched the trip ahead. Joanne came back and the rain began to fall. The news showed that the whole area is going to be wet for the next few days, so it looks like we will be back into the wet weather routine again.
Today's Stats
From: West Shore State Park Campground
To: Polson
Ride Time:
4 hrs 5 min's
Distance:
53.8 km's
Av Speed:
13.1 km/h
Max Speed:
69.4 km/h
Max
Altitude:
1089 m
Av Climb: 2 %
Max Climb: 9 %
Weather: 5-23 deg C.
Overcast then sunny.
Camp Location:
N: 47°41'33.5"
W: 114°08'54.6"
Saturday 29 September 2007
Leaving our warm and comfortable room we hit the road this morning in cold windy conditions and with the heavens looking like they were going to rain on our day. Along climb out of town and before we into some flatter country. A nice wide paved pathway running alongside the road looked inviting but not knowing where it went meant that we stayed on the road for a bit. Atop the Polson hill we noticed the paved track again so decided to take it and see what happened. The smooth, traffic free track was a real pleasure to ride on but unfortunately ran out just as we were starting to enjoy it.
Flat boring countryside with small settlements along the way made for rather mundane riding until the roadwork's commenced and we were forced to pedal the gauntlet between the traffic and the detour cones. Thankfully the traffic was obeying the speed limit and that meant that they had plenty of time to see us, thus ensuring that we all got through safely.
More uninteresting riding past the National Wildlife Reserve but with the Mission Mountains along the side of us, freshly powdered with snow and looking very much like a cake with a light dusting of icing sugar. Arriving in 
Ronan we took a toilet break in McDonalds followed by an egg, bacon and cheese biscuit (scone). Riding on and on with only the snow covered mountains to entertain us the cold wind blowing off of them was keeping the place chilled and us rugged up in a few layers of clothes we arrived in the small town of St Ignatius which sits among the land of the Indian Reservation. Eating lunch in the supermarket car park we tried to find out about camping and/or accommodation, but there was none to be had, so we rode out of town, noticing a cheap and cheerful motel with room for $39. With only 44 km's under the wheels and another 66 odd to Missoula we decided to continue on and see if the next few places had anything. Free camping around here is totally impossible as the open prairie land has fences right up to the road and nothing even remotely possible as far as a campsite.
A long fast descent to the junction of highways 93 and 200 saw us arrive in the small location of Ravalli, a small community of a few houses and nothing much else to speak of, except a climb out of town again. Leveling out after leaving town we began to follow the railway and were enjoying the easier grades that came with it. Off in the distance the mountains were again showing a light dusting of snow as approached Arlee with legs that were rather tired, each small climb enough to make the muscles tighten and hurt and granny gear to get another workout.
Arriving in near Arlee we passed the campground and began looking for something else a few kilometres further on in town. Arriving at the other end of town we asked in the deli for information on accommodation only to be told that there was none for another 17 miles, 6 of which were up hill! So, with legs and motivation that would not make that distance we reluctantly rode back to the campground where we set up camp and cheered ourselves up with a coffee, biscuits, almonds and smarties. The good thing about the ride today is that although we did not intend to ride this far, we have less to ride tomorrow.
Today's Stats
From: Polson
To: Arlee
Ride Time:
5 hrs 30 min's
Distance:
72.5
km's
Av Speed:
13.1 km/h
Max Speed:
57.5 km/h
Max
Altitude:
1007 m
Av Climb: 2 %
Max Climb: 8 %
Weather: 6-21 deg C.
Overcast then sunny. Cold wind.
Camp Location:
N: 47°10'38.4"
W: 114°05'50.9"
Sunday 30 September 2007
We were so tired last night that we just cooked a quick meal and hit the hay. Waking refreshed this morning we dragged some of our clothes into the sleeping bag with us to warm up while we slept in for a bit and gave the sun time to get up. Eventually we got out of the tent and began our day in cool 1 degree weather.
With blue sky overhead we rode back through town and commenced the long climb that we had been told of yesterday. Leaving town we were riding uphill and through open farmland, a sign on the side of one building saying "Welcome Home Sgt Steve Miller- Thank You for Serving our Country". There is as much in the way of visible signs of support for those in the Military here in the US as there are American Flags visible. ALmost every store we have been in there has been a board full of pictures and commentaries of local boys serving overseas or who have died in service, above the board the words are always the same - Freedom is Not Free.
Eventually arriving at the summit of the 20 kilometre hill we began what we thought was a descent - at least it 
looked like that, but in fact it was another one of those backward hills, where it looks downhill but is actually uphill. More and more dead skunks on the side of the road and even a dead wolf. We rode a few more kilometres with the cold wind in our faces, stinging our cheeks and making our eyes water before we came to the actual downhill that was a 6% grade and went for a few kilometres. So after all that climbing it was time to let the trikes have their head, hang one, grit the teeth and go hurtling down the road hoping that the road will be smooth and with no surprises that might send one into the ditch or worse across the road into another vehicle, the wind continuing to blast the skin and make the eyes water despite wearing sunglasses.
Descending out of the hills into brown, rain starved plains we were among some very nice expensive homes on acreage, their halloween pumpkins and scarecrows at the gateways in preparation for halloween. Arriving at I90, the interstate highway, we turned into a truck stop and enjoyed some typical American diner fare - a drivers combo consisting of ham, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, potato fritter, toast and rather than coffee we opted for a huckleberry shake - yum! Lunch over we rode into town, found a cheap and cheerful motel, booked in and that was that.
Today's Stats
From: Arlee
To: Missoula
Ride Time:
3 hrs 32 min's
Distance:
44.30
km's
Av Speed:
12.5 km/h
Max Speed:
60.50 km/h
Max
Altitude:
1184 m
Av Climb: 2 %
Max Climb: 8 %
Weather: 1-15 deg C.
Overcast then sunny. Cold wind.
Camp Location:
N: 46°52'35.9"
W: 114°00'36.2"