Big Sky to Bozeman, Montana. June 14, 2024.
OK, so maybe I’m embellishing a bit. But it was in the ballpark.
The good folks at Freeheel and Wheel were spot on, the road was terrible. Everything they said, plus potholes and a 3-mile stretch of scarified or grooved pavement. I was on the road by 6 AM, but there was an almost continuous stream of uphill traffic. So common at fancy resort areas, the workers can never afford to live there, so they need to commute every morning.
So yeah, I was “scare-ified”. But not much. I had the equipment and skills I needed. Downhill traffic was relatively light, I mostly had a tailwind, and I never got a sense that the passing motorists were upset with me, I impeded their progress hardly at all. Curiously, one guy going uphill felt the need to give me a good long beep, so helpful.
There was a moose in the river right next to me, but I didn’t dare stop for a picture. The scenery remained surpassingly beautiful, when I was able to look up. Most of the ordeal was over in two hours, just one last 3 mile stretch of construction, not dangerous, but obligating me to push my bike through rough dirt and barricades. Then I was abruptly in the suburban sprawl of a sizable city, able to unclench my hands from the handlebars, and score a fantastic frittata at Feed Café. Maddie at the Comfort Inn checked me in at 11 AM, and I caught a two hour nap.
So unlike the Melancholy Dane, I survived my indecisiveness. Probably a dumb decision, but I feel pretty good about it. I had a patient who summered in Bozeman and offered me a place to stay, but he moved back to Connecticut. That resident of mine (now a cardiologist) who grew up here hasn’t gotten back to me about what to see in this college town. Just as well. I have a route to plan, and a Celtics game to watch.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me…
Distance 43 miles, 1,824 total. Time 5 hours with stops. Elevation gain 588 feet
©️ 2024 Scott Luria
The Ends of the Earth 