Author: Bill

It is pouring here as I sit at the Break Espresso. Even so, the Missoulians are still walking the Farmers Markets and the downtown seen is still going strong . The soaking rain is coming down steady and the air is fresh but cool. Actually it feels nice. What does not feel nice is bad news and that is what I got when I visited the Montana Cycling website. The results are up for the Cow Pie Classique. It is not good! It is pouring here as I sit at the Break Espresso. Even so, the Missoulians are still walking the Farmers Markets and the downtown seen is still going strong . The soaking rain is coming down steady and the air is fresh but cool. Actually it feels nice. What does not feel nice is bad news and that is what I got when I visited the Montana Cycling website. The results are up for the Cow Pie Classique. It is not good!

I did not do well. Sure I got first; but I just found out there was one person in that age group. So lets look at overall. In all experts I got 7th out of 8 finishers. What this means is that I did not do well. In fact I absolutely stink. I am fat and washed out! I had better stop whining and make a decision to get serious with training or just freaking quit racing and enjoy the ride.

I am switching jobs and at the moment very stressed. I hope to post pictures of the races when I can get to them. You know I am having a hard time catching up and making the job transition. How stressful! And then I must be punished for such a bad finish. TBD!

Last weekend went very well. I performed very well with friends and family looking on and won the expert 40+ race. That is all distant memory but I would like to thank everyone that participated last week.

I stayed at my friend Cory’s place so thanks to that I didn’t have to camp out in a rattlesnake den. The Brown Family for racing because if it were not for them I wouldn’t of gotten into racing this year (hard to motivate when you go to races alone). The Browns are diverse. One member is the best water bottle technician on the circuit, one the best tennis shoe racer, the snake whisperer keeping the snakes off the course, and finally the cheerleader and co pilot who kept me awake for the big drive home. I thank Grandma, Uncles Bob & Bill, and Aunt Cindy for cheering and coming to see me. I am grateful.Last weekend went very well. I performed very well with friends and family looking on and won the expert 40+ race. That is all distant memory but I would like to thank everyone that participated last week.

Just gave my online ride diary and the 2006 race list a lil’ refresh. So, last night was pretty cool – had the weekly virtual chat sesh with the fam, my mom and sister popped in. And hey, tomorrow’s all about catching up with the Thursday Night Crew for another epic ride.

Last night’s digital hangout was lit, with the usual crew dropping by. For those who bailed… seriously, guys? Hosting these chats feels like I’m throwing a party where my so-called pals and fam ghost me. After two years and countless invites, barely a handful have swung by. A tad frustrating, but hey, venting’s gotta happen somewhere, right? And work’s been a beast, not totally my fault though. Settling into a new gig takes a sec – it’s not like you can just hop on a bike and start snagging trophies. Well, unless you’re some kind of prodigy, which, spoiler alert, I’m not.

Up next: Thursday Night’s Ride. It’s the “Treasure Ride” with a BBQ to wrap it up. Makes me wonder how the host would feel if it turned into a solo party. That’s my weekly reality with these chats.

Don’t get it twisted – the loyal few who do show up mean the world to me. Maybe it’s on me, though. Perhaps it’s about how I let it all get to me. Who’s keen to hang with Mr. Moody? Guess I’m riding solo more often than not. But hey, got a new bike, so there’s that silver lining. Work’s a mess, and I’m half expecting to hit rock bottom soon, but at least I’ve got my rides. After a long day, there’s nothing like hitting the road to clear my head.

I haven’t been on line for a while due to the stresses of a new job and what is worse … that I have not been able to ride my new bike as well. What a shame, at times I get excited and think wow, new bike. I can not tell you how long it has been to ride a rig that isn’t on the verge of breaking and killing me.

My beloved Aunt Paula has cancer and I have been thinking about her. The earth would never get rid of someone so important as Aunt P. It is people like her that makes so much hope in so many lives. I speak from experience and I remember all the kids that lived with her (including myself) when things were tough in their own lives. She makes such a difference to so many.

My new job has me stressed … so that is that.

This weekend is going to be extremely warm and sunny. In Missoula that means 70s and sun for about 70 percent of the day. So I hope to go mountain biking on the new rig on Saturday and possibly a big road bike ride on Sunday. I am still looking for a way to Butte.

After a extremely stressful week trying to tie things up at MARS Stout I am ready for something new and what better than a new ride. Next week I start a new job and put together my new bike but first it is play time … ah, training time. Today I will be dreaming that I am leading ”The Tour“ and at the same time climbing 4 mountain passes while I ride out of the Big Hole to Dillon and then back. [ see map ]

I plan to leave from just outside of Jackson Montana and ride to near Dillon Montana and return. I will go over Big Hole and Badger Passes twice in my journeys. The total mileage should be 92 miles and the climbing will be a modest 6,200 ft. It will be a long day in the Hole and water may be a problem, I will be taking my filter.

I should be able to get out of Missoula by noon and arrive at my launch around 3pm. The ride should be 6 hours or under but I will plan for 7, which will get me back to the car around 10pm just after sunset. The ride home should be interesting as I keep an eye out for animals on the road. If things get too intense I will sleep in the car.

Tomorrow I have a ride planned with my buds at noon so the ride will go on!

Hold your horses, naysayers, because this ain’t no misspelling! This is To Helena and Back, a tale of sweat, steel, and maybe, just maybe, a hint of adventure that’ll blow your socks off faster than a Montana windstorm.

Last Saturday, fueled by pure grit and a questionable amount of coffee, I parked my trusty steed at Rodgers Pass. The mission? Conquer Helena and back, baby! And conquer I did, not once, not twice, but thrice traversing the mighty Continental Divide. Five hours of pure cycling bliss (or maybe pain, depending on who you ask) saw me summiting that bad boy three times!

April may be over, but my cycling spirit knows no calendar boundaries. This month, I racked up a whopping 790 miles, bringing my yearly total to a staggering 1,277! That’s right, I’ve already climbed Everest (virtually, on my bike, of course) several times over this year, with 64,000 feet conquered in April alone and a grand total of 80,000 for the year so far.

But wait, there’s more! After conquering the Divide, I spun down into a well-deserved rest period with some awesome friends at Larry Creek Loop and Lolo Ride. Because even cycling superheroes need a recharge sometimes.

Now, speaking of recharging, my last week at MARS is upon me. And let’s just say I’m leaving on a high note (pun intended). Tonight, I’m tweaking a little trek I dreamed up… something my friends are already buzzing about with a cryptic “Hey, I have an extra…” message. Let’s just say it involves pushing boundaries and exploring uncharted territory (both metaphorical and maybe, just maybe, physical).

So buckle up, folks, because the adventure isn’t over just yet. This Hell-bent cyclist is just getting started! Stay tuned for updates on my final work hurrah, the mystery trek details, and who knows, maybe even a glimpse into what that “extra d…” could possibly mean. Until then, keep exploring, keep pushing limits, and remember, sometimes the best journeys are the ones that take you to unexpected places (both on and off the map). ‍

4th mountain pass bike ride this weekend. New route, Rodgers Pass to Helena and back, 85 miles, 6,000 feet climb. Moving jobs from MARS Stout to Univision Computers in two weeks. More software specific, better salary, no overtime, weekends free.

Hoping to start ride early Saturday. Hottest day of the year, possible rain in the evening and Sunday. Longest ride this year. Feeling weathered, but that’s good, right?

Off to work now, then Thursday Night Ride with buddies. Enjoy the sun this weekend!

The future looks bright with three rides planned from now into the weekend. Tonight is the Thursday Night Ride with my buddies and this weekend starts with my Pintler Road Ride 2006. To end out the weekend the Deer Creek Sneak MTB Ride is planned for Sunday.

Tonight is the third ride this season and I expect to see a huge turnout die to the best weather we have seen so far this year. I plan to start early and do some riding beforehand. All in all I am hoping to spend at least three hours in the saddle tonight.

The Pintler Road Ride is this weeks big ride. So far I am going by myself and the route can be viewed by clicking on the image in this blog. The route goes over Pintler Pass twice and up to No Name Pass just south of Anaconda. Ill be challenged a little by the distance which should be around 83 miles but the big challenge will be the 7,000 feet of climbing thrown in due to the pass climbs. I am getting excited blogging this story. I love riding the passes, part of the reason I moved back to Montana.

To ease the sore muscles I plan to meet up with some friends for this year’s Deer Creek Sneak which will run on Sunday. It is a small ride but a ride were we all meet up after a long winter. Last year I had to take my road bike because I did not have a working mountain bike. I broke down numerous times. Lets hope this year is different.

Well it is off to work as I count down the minutes till I am out in the sun and the dirt riding the trails where I belong.

It has finally happened … the long awaited sunshine has arrived. How long it will last is uncertain but I am sure we only have limited time before it starts to snow again. I just got back from lunch where I sat in the sun and even took a little nap. I dreamed about last nights On-line Meeting and Tomorrows Thursday Night Ride. It felt nice and I can still feel the heat on my skin.

Tonight I am on the road bike but tomorrow is the Thursday Night Ride where we are going to ride in the Mount Jumbo area. I plan to leave from work and ride a while before I meet up with my buddies.

Last night we held our On-Line Meeting here at the lodge and the usual suspects showed up. I guess there is no big news except for the usual tornadoes in the mid west and the usual “how did you Easter go” palaver.

Well it is back to work I guess where I am working on the new MontanaVacation site.

Sunday I embarked on a ride that would take me from Sula to Wisdom and then back. The ride would of involved climbing over Lost Trail Pass and Chief Joseph Pass twice. I planned it last Sunday at a time when I thought I would get the best weather. For that reason I know I will never make it in the forecast business because what I got was a blizzard.

As I took off from the car in Sula I was on dry roads but as I reached the chain up area at the base of the climb up the pass it started to rain. The temperatures were in the 40s but I figured that at some elevation the rain would become snow and I could stay half way dry and warm. It was a huge climb and indeed the rain turned to snow. Then wind and more snow! When I reached the top of Lost Trail Pass I immediately went for Chief Joseph Pass which was only another 2 miles to the East.

Once on top of Chief Joseph I stopped for a snack break and an assessment of the road conditions. I noticed on the last mile that the snow was starting to stick to the road. I took only a 5 minute break and in that time the roads started to really fill in with snow so I decided that it was too dangerous to continue down into the big hole because I could not see the road. One pot hole or rock and I could disable the bike and get stranded in a stow storm.

I headed back to the car disgusted that the ride would only be a 35 miler and just over two hours. “Where is the challenge”, I thought. The challenge hit me in the face as I descended to the Lost Trail Pass. The temperatures had plummeted and my face instantly froze and all the moving parts on my bike that were wet instantly froze. It was such a cold wind it hurt and I was amazed how cold it had gotten. On top of that the snow was really filling in on the roads and I was thinking that my decision to turn around was very very appropriate.

I tried to descend the pass to the valley floor but the biter cold was freezing me so bad I could not hold control over the bike. My back break had worn off due to excessive braking in the gritty wet slosh muck I was descending through. I was shivering so violently I almost lost control of the bike and thought at times that a spoke was broken. I could not feel my arms or understand how they were holding me off my bike let alone squeezing the breaks. Almost a hundred feet from the bottom I started to think I was in trouble with my body temperature. I had stopped at least 12 times to try and warm my hands. I finally made the bottom.

I was on the verge of hypothermia so I put the bike into the big ring and started to press the pace in an attempt to produce some much needed energy and in turn warmth. By the time I reached the car I felt that I was out of danger but as I was driving back home I sneezed … the spray was ice cold. I stuck my finger in my mouth and it felt cold. I drove back home with the heated seats full bore and the heaters going full blast. After a long hot shower the ordeal was over. The ride was everything I had hoped for … grueling!

Next week I am headed out to Phillipsburgh to ride the Pintler Pass and then to the No Name Pass and back. I sure hope it is warm because I don't think my bike can handle any more abuse I gave it this last weekend.

I am getting out of town late today and it is because I just got done doing taxes. Can you believe that I owe the government $300.00 and the state $60.00. I have no hope of paying that off when I am already starving from week to week just trying to get in some cycling. I decided that if I “accidentally” get hit by a big semi truck then that will be all right by me. Better than going to prison and not being able to cycle. Sounds drastic … well I am feeling drastic. Ok so now to where I am going, Sula to Wisdom.

So I hope to get out of here by 2 pm. And get to Sula around 4. The ride will last until 9 if conditions are not so good but I hope to beat the darkness and do the ride in 4 hours. I will bust my ass but if conditions warrant I will have to cut the ride short. It is supposed to be snowy and cold on the pass.

• Date: April 16, 2006
• Distance: 80 miles RT
• Max El: 7,256 ft
• Climb El: 7,545 ft
• Est. Tm: 5 to 6 hours
• Map: [click here]

After checking the weather where I found out the temperature at 40 degrees and probability of measurable snow accumulation at 80% the entire ride will probably not happen. I do expect to get out of town for the sake of getting out of town and suffering on a climb anyway. Maybe Ill just do the pass. Who Knows! When I make it back Ill post details.

There are two interesting posts today, one at the Lodge and the other over at NewWest Missoula.

The first article “Can Missoula's Mountain Bikers and the Forest Service Get Along?” is on a looming issue here in Missoula between Mountain Bikers and The Forest Service.

“For many MBM members, the final straw came when a group volunteered to do trail restoration work by hand on Woods Gulch trail, a popular trail in the Rattlesnake area. After the work was completed, Forest Service officials brought in an excavator last fall to install a small wooden bridge