Closer ...

Team CDMBR,

I felt like a real adventure biker yesterday as I stopped at the King Sooper’s and bought a pint of chocolate milk and a Slim Jim. Getting the proteins I need to build up muscles!

Wha???

I’m now in Polaris, Montana … with respect to inverting the maps. Within the next couple days I still have to invert the final map, traversing the rest of the route up to the border. No real surprises in yesterday’s inversion except that, finally, the route got off road and proceeded on a rail trail. There was a lot more riding on pavement which is just a reflection of the remoteness of the trail in spots: the only passable roads are the main highways.

I tried to correlate the fires in Montana with the route I’m taking and it looks OK … for the moment. If I get up there and cannot proceed because of the fires that will just be part of the adventure. Maybe I could volunteer and become a smoke jumper.

“My back is too bad to dig those trenches or cut down trees, but I can use that torch thingy to start back fires …”

My bike is in the best shape it has ever been in years. It is a real pleasure to ride. Just can’t ride in the 5^th rear gear with any force. I followed the route I will take to Eldora, my first day’s destination, for ½ hour then returned home, getting in a bit over 12 miles of riding. I want the exercise, but don’t want to overdo it this close to departure.

  

Tent remains a no show. REI “estimated” that it would arrive today. If it does not arrive this weekend, we’ll have to scrub Monday’s launch. That’s OK as I can spend more time working on the maps.

Things that remain to do:

·         Finish packing, including familiarizing myself with the tent

·         Pick up the Spot™. Plan is to leave here around noon today, as loaded up as much as possible, and ride over to Matt’s and back as a shakedown cruise.

·         Finish mapping. I have probably 6 hours of map inversion then 3-4 hours of mapping specific sections into the GPS. There may not be enough time in the day for this …

·         Domestic chores to prep the house here. Mow lawn, vacuum, etc.

T-2

JK