Rose Pedals . . .: Hello, Montana!

Friday, July 12, 2013
Day 6 - Sandpoint, Idaho to Thompson Falls, Montana
85 miles
2,574 feet of climbing

Our 22 hours in Idaho would end this morning as we head east toward Montana. Today would be our last short, easy-ish day of riding for a while, with only 85 miles ahead of us and not a great deal of climbing.

Woke up to chilly temperatures this morning - I'd guess it was in the lower 50s. Art & I started the ride wearing our jackets, and it was a good 15 miles before I warmed up enough to take mine off. The miles went fast today, as we rode in pace lines for much of the day. The climbing today consisted of gently rolling hills - nothing steep. We had exceptionally beautiful scenery along the way. Much of our route was along gorgeous Lake Pend Oreille, which is huge. To our left were the Cabinet Mountains, and then toward the end of our ride, we crossed the Clark Fork River. Because it would be such an early day, we had our lunch stop at the end of the ride in the parking lot of our hotel - the Rim Rock Lodge. Today, the crew grilled burgers (and veggie burgers) for us, complete with caramelized onions and all the fixings.

Did you know Montana is the fourth largest state, but is only 44th in population?

The name "Montana" is derived from the Spanish word for "mountain" (montaña). So, I guess we'll be doing some significant climbing while we're here. Legs - you better be ready! : )

Today was yet another fantastic day of riding. Art, Tim & I walked into town and had dinner at a local diner. Then we walked back, and we hung around the fire pit at the hotel with the PAC Tour crew and some of the other riders roasting marshmallows and having s'mores amidst the view of the Clark Fork River. A fun way to end the day.

Tomorrow, we head to Missoula!