Today’s ride was probably the easiest 75 miles of this tour – mostly downhill, with no wind or – better yet, a tailwind – the whole way!
The most interesting feature of today’s ride was that it goes through an area that was transformed by a major earthquake in 1959, and I’d never heard of it! Every couple miles, near Hebgen Lake, there is a sign that talks about this harrowing – and deadly – earthquake, and how the upheaval changed the landscape. I am still kind of shocked I had never heard about it!
Anyway, it was good to be back on the bike. I hope there are no more forced “rest” days! I am so paranoid about my wallet now! 😁
Big Sky in “Big Sky Country.” Sorry 😁Grayling Arm of Hebgen Lake.Madison RiverEarthquake Lake, formed during the 1959 earthquake. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1959_Hebgen_Lake_earthquakeAn unusual, but very welcome, species of tree!Hervé – definitely the most adventurous bike tourist I’ve run into. He is heading from Vancouver, BC to Mexico. He has no electronic devices, not even a mobile phone, and uses a single highway map for navigation. He’s toured tens of thousands of kilometers in Africa, South America and Europe. He’s French, and used to play professional basketball in some form, but spent 15 years coaching basketball in Martinique.
He talked about liberty being a responsibility, and we shared stories of how we’d overcome problems. When I told him about my lost wallet, he told me about the time he lost his wallet in southern Africa (maybe Botswana), and had no money, no passport and credit card, and the nearest town was 40 KM of really hilly and rough gravel away. He wasn’t able to convey his solution to this problem (English isn’t first language, and I speak no French), but we agreed that difficulties we overcome become our favorite stories. He wasn’t condescending, but it was clear he felt that using a cell phone (or, in my case, a satellite communicator) to help me out of a jam wasn’t living up to his idea of liberty.
He is an amazing guy, and I could have talked to him for hours!
My first tool find of the day!Moses (left) and Oscar (right) are not really riding together, but they keep bumping into each other. I was talking to Moses when Oscar rode up. Moses is from Portland, and I forget where he’s headed – maybe Pennsylvania? Oscar is from Arizona, and is headed to Florida. It didn’t hit me until later that Oscar is wearing leather work gloves and a cowboy hat – how cool!My second tool find. I figured it was being used as a “roach clip,” but one of my astute Facebook friends pointed out I am in fly-fishing country. Another, a surgeon, said this was a needle-puller with integrated scissors. I love it when social media solves mysteries.My third tool find. I mailed all three home today. That wrench was just too heavy to carry for several days! A couple people thought it looked like a baby dragon, and one said a seahorse!
