Bill's Web Lodge

Last night I set a new milestone in my mid life racing career come back. This also marks the point at which I have recovered from my stint at the time trial circus where I specialized in head stands and top tube pummel horse. My ankle still looks like a big spud and I still take naps but my form and power on the bike has returned (unless grilling braughts at lunch are a new form of secret performance).

Now for the chest beating! I climbed University Mountain in 27:17.5 at an average of 169 BPM. Keep in mind I am ten steps from a retirement home at 42 years of glorious age.  In my stud days I could say that 179 was my anaerobic threshold. The climb is 1,500 vertical feet in 3.69 miles, a recepie for putting on the hurt. Here is the map ==> http://tinyurl.com/6pqt57

Now I am leaving town! I must go underground before the US Government finds out about my special powers. I will be hiding out at Painted Rocks Lake, camping, and riding epic single track in the Bitterroot. I am planning on taking a couple dudes and riding Blue Joint, Porcupine Ridge, and other trails near the Lost Trail area.

Have a great weekend and keep the tread in the dirt!

My friend Paul and I have been back for a few days now but I am finally getting to uploading the video and photos.  It was truly an epic trip and we rode pretty much all the trails at the Galena Lodge.  We discovered that we only touched the tip of the sword though as there are so many opportunities to ride new trails in the Galena Valley that it would take someone three years riding pretty much all the time to cover them all.  A return trip is needed I am afraid.

• Photo (not many)
• Video (on youtube)

Media

• Natasha Westphal ^new
• Photo Gallery
• Video
• Off The Grind Video

Last night I did Leg 11 and Leg 12 to CP 12 (Swinging Bridge).  I took some shots for my Photo Gallery  and for the map and even started a page. I left late and got home around 10 so I am dead tired today. Turns out Leg 12 is 11.7 miles and all downhill.  I can not believe all the hairpin corners on the Woody Mountain Downhill (backwards).  The swinging bridge was much more scary that I remember.  Specially with the high water.  I saw the bear that belongs to the tracks that the Thursday Night Ride saw last weekend.  My first bear sighting for 2008.

It is sunny out and in the 70s finally and it looks like the snow will melt before my friend Paul arrives for his visit to Missoula.This weekend I was out "training" for his term here. We will be camping and biking a lot so that is what I did. After pre riding a race course at the Discovery Ski Area it was evident that the weekend was a wash so I showed up at my friend Garland's cabin door looking for adventure. First, though, I had to wait for him to get back from fishing!