To the Capital of our Fourth Largest State
Ho Hum another day another Century Ride. I felt really good after the rest day bit apprehensive after looking at the work to be done over the next week as we work our way across the great state of Montana. I’m happy to report that we arrived uneventfully in the capital, Helena. I’m happy to report that the sun, wind and temperature all were in our corner throughout the day and the miles, all 116 of them, flew by. Well at least without too much agony! We were also joined by some family visitors all of which were very nice and respectful to the group. Kind of like when one is at a party and listens to a guest pontificate on why the earth is flat. That’s the kind of look we usually get. I am happy to report that most seemed to think that their relatives were not purposefully being harmed by the other riders as all appeared at least reasonably well.
Kudos though to Mark’s son, Luke. He rode with us the entire route without any assistance and Mark, Dan, and I rode his wheel without remorse. For those of you who are currently confused with the terminology, this phrase means he did all of the work at the front of our pace line . He is not only a strong rider but also intelligent and has great social skills. I’m not just saying this just because he pulled our pace line for about 100 miles either! If one met his parents Mark and Randi you would agree that the apple did not fall far from the tree.
As is typical the big climb came near the end, after 100 miles. It wasn’t as bad as some, or perhaps I’m just getting accustomed to this kind of abuse. Some photos and then an extremely fast descent. Ron, who will be the first to tell you that he is not the fastest rider, put up some speeds over 50 mph on the descent. Lynn passed me like I was going uphill with an obviously well practiced tuck. As we entered Helena, were were greeted by an aerial brigade of helicopters swaying buckets of water towards a fire in the hills just south of town. Impressive how they swooped into the river valley to fill their buckets and head back to the smoke. Being so close to the capital probably made fire mitigation a top priority for the fire brigade.
Tomorrow is our biggest day and will put us over 1000 miles when finished! Wish us and our sit bones the best of luck! Destination Bozeman.
| Distance (miles) | Elevation Climbed (feet) | Calories Burned |
|---|---|---|
| 880 | 39,484 | 30,201 |
| Fitness | Fatigue | Form | TSS Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| 109 | 186 | -62 | 309 |
4 responses to “Day 12 Missoula to Helena”
Paul Lillis says:
August 29 , 2022 at 12:52 pm
Across the continental divide!! So it’s all downhill from here.
David A Baer says:
August 29 , 2022 at 4:19 pm
Sorry for the late start on the blog, but I was overwhelmed by how much riding in miles you had put in already. Just thinking about it makes my butt hurt. You guys are really doing an awesome job. I would be more than happy to drive the van for you. So far you have been doing an amazing job, keep it up.
brb5280 says:
September 5 , 2022 at 11:59 am
Thanks David. Yes the butt seems to be what most everyone complains about. Thanks for your words of encouragement!
Wanderings 