Biking, Day 9: 7/25/2009

Day 9: Helena, MT to Bozeman, MT
Distance: 110 miles (should have been 94)
Route: MT Route 12/287, continue on 287, cut down Frontage Road East to Bozeman (missed that turn...)
Lodging: Fairfield Inn and Suites, $45/night via Priceline

I let myself sleep in until 6am today. I know, decadent. I had a hard time sleeping last night, woke up a bunch of times and even stayed up and did some mapping on my computer.
I got on my bike around 7am and realized it was a Saturday morning - not much traffic. I was tired, sore. Decided to take it easy today. After all, 94 miles should feel easier than the 125 of yesterday.
The morning was beautiful again and I rode out of Helena on Route 12E/287S. The first 30 miles were pretty easy. I stopped once to stretch and got to Townsend, MT for my morning coffee break around 945am. I had coffee and a snack and talked to mom on the phone. There was some headwind, so the ride wasn't going too quickly.
After my break in Townsend, I continued on 287S toward Three Forks. It started getting ridiculously hot. This is why I start biking at 6am. The weather has been in the mid-90s during the peak heat of the day. The view of the mountains was gorgeous, though.
I got to Three Forks and stopped for some water and a snack. I looked at my phone GPS and realized I had missed my turnoff to Bozeman. Bullocks. I asked the woman who worked at the gas station how to get to Frontage Road. She told me and I headed out.
I followed the woman's directions and was about ten miles outside of town when I looked at my GPS and realized I had turned the wrong direction. She had given me the correct directions to Frontage Road, but I failed to tell her I wanted to go toward Bozeman. So, instead of 20 miles left, I had 40. I was exhausted. I can't fully articulate how hard mentally it is to ride so far and realize a mistake like this.
I passed another biker and asked him if I was now going the right way. he was riding around looking for the course for a Tri he was doing the following day. He pointed me in the right direction and showed me a little shortcut. I was hot, tired, and irritated. I told him if his short cut was wrong, I would come find him. Probably not the best representation of Western Hospitality.
I rode on and got to the road I had been looking for - frontage road. I road for a few miles then stopped to fill my tires with air. It was so hot, I can't even explain. I was so mad at myself for taking the wrong turn. My body is really starting to break down a bit.
Which brings me to some commentary on this adventure. I have had a lot of people tell me they wish they were joining me, wish I had told them I was doing this, etc. I am definitely having a great adventure, but it is full of ups and downs. Riding 100+ miles a day is not easy. Navigating parts of the country that you have never been is not easy. Dealing with being outside all day in the heat and not knowing when there will be a little convenient store is not easy. This is truly not for everyone. My body is in a lot of pain from the muscle aches, to pure exhaustion, to sunburn, to chaffing in unfortunate places. I have kept my cool most of the time, but have had huge moments of frustration. And no one to share them with. Doing this alone, navigating, being fully responsible whether you get lost, can't change a tire, etc is tiring. Mentally, i have had a lot of ups and downs. While this is an adventure, it is also a challenge. And something really isnt a challenge unless it is hard. This is hard. Some parts of days I feel like I just can't make my bike go anymore. But I have to because I don't have a back up plan for the day - there's no vehicle following me, usually no little towns in between destinations with motels, etc. Ok, enough of that.
I rode through a few little towns in the last 30 miles to Bozeman - Manhattan, MT, where I procured a diet coke from a pop machine, another stop for water. Finally, I started pulling into Bozeman. Just as I was rolling in, so was a ridiculous hail storm. I took a picture and when i started riding again the wind had gotten so intense that I could barely pedal anymore, I was almost getting knocked off my bike. Luckily, my hotel was like a mile away.
I got to my hotel, checked in, ordered Mexican, talked to the parents, and went to bed. I decided I would take the next day, Sunday, easy - either go to Livingston, MT about 30 miles away from Bozeman or go to somewhere in between Gardiner, at the north entrance to Yellowstone, and Livingston.