Montana : Back to the Mothership

Posted on July 29, 2010 by anthonycaferro

So I’m back in Big Sky Country. Spending the night camped out in Libby, in the backyard of my hosts Keith and Jan. They are great and hooked up an amazing meal. It’s amazing to be back in Montana. The landscape is breathtaking.The mountains are physically, mentally and spiritually invigorating. Despite being utterly exhausted, I feel the exact opposite of horrible.

I did 96 miles in 96 degree heat. And it was far from flat, they call them “hills” our here but Buffalo doesn’t have hills like these. I rode about 12 hours so figure the low mph if u want. And I probably drank three or four gallons of water. Saw another bald eagle and several now ubiquitous deer. Props go out to The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and A Tribe Called Quest on today’s rotation. Shouts also to Billy Drease for advocating chocolate in the trail mix, it took me a couple years but today I have seen the light.

Mega wilderness coming up so it might be a few days before I get another update in…..

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spokane to Sandpoint

Posted on July 28, 2010 by anthonycaferro

Day one. 94 miles. I considered rounding the block a few times to get that century in, but then realized this is only day one. I’m certainly rubberlegged.

Saw one deer, two bald eagles and countless road kill. Ate peanut butter, drank coffee. Rakim, Led Zeppelin and The Black Keys provided enjoyment along my route.

Sandpoint is beautiful, I came in from the south over a very long bridge that gave me the full view. But this town of 6,000+ has no camping and no hostel, so I’m spending the night at the house of my very gracious host Paula. There is also a couple from Chicago staying here as well, and they are on the same route ad I am for the next few days.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Fear and Loathing

Posted on July 27, 2010 by anthonycaferro

Ironically my proposed spiritual journey on bike begins with a four hour layover in, of all places, Las Vegas. Nothing against sin and the whole city constructed for it, I’m just not amused by general gluttony, gambling or the dumb high electric bill. Plus no sign of Benicio Del Toro, Johnny Depp, bats, or their often cited bottle of ether.

My “checked baggage” – a box with my tent, some gear and my back wheel in it – sat on a cart within my sight at the airport the entire time. 4 hours of layover/delay and I kept a keen eye on it. At times I found myself narrating it in safely back in my possession, in a poor imitation of Depp’s amazing job in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas… (“He just wanted to not have any busted spokes or missing tools….”)

Once back on the ground in Spokane, I waited for quite a while for that box to come out on the conveyor belt. It never did. After 20 minutes of zero movement, I gave up and slowly made my way over to the office to file the missing luggage report… And there it was, on its own conveyor belt for “oversized luggage” the whole time….Yes!

In the end it all worked out. Bike had no damage, wheel had no damage, no one discovered any ether or anything like that. I’m packed up and ready to roll, just need something I haven’t had in three days – a full nights sleep.

Posted in on the road | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment