Ride Overview, Day 51

Mileage: 56.3

Elevation: 2,389’

Points of Interest: BA & P Hill Trail, Copperway Regional Trail, Silver Lake, Moose Lodge, Philipsburg Creamery, Adventure Cycling Association

Quote(s) of the Day 

“The first group had a big lead on us… they can keep it.” - Kavin

“We should steal Wilson.” - Joey, about the adorable dog we met outside a convenience store

“Maaike just silently takes care of me, and I silently add her to my will.” - Riddhima

Tales of the Trail, Day 51

Before departing from Butte, we had to settle some real business here on the team, and that of course is finding out who can create and throw the best paper airplane. As we were paired off by chore partners, your team journalists are happy to report that our very standard looking paper airplanes were the way to go — while we weren’t able to out-perform Mechanical Engineer Logan’s top tier plane, we were able to fly farther than some of our teammates who chose to just crumble their paper into a ball and throw it as far as possible (shoutout to our social media team). We’re happy that our performance was at least somewhat better than our abysmal showing in the water-chugging competition.

We started off the day on the incredibly scenic BA & P Trail that runs through Butte, before taking a very short stretch on the interstate to our first rest stop. With this day being a much briefer one, we enjoyed a shorter morning stretch on fairly comfortable roads before our first break, which was quickly followed by a stop at a nearby McDonalds to cash in on some more breakfast deals within the app (we are truly this fast food chain’s biggest fans). We rode through the small town of Anaconda and saw some deer following us along the side of the road! The casualness of wildlife just being present in small towns still hasn’t really sunk in, but is getting a little more normalized as we venture further West.

Our second rest stop brought us the adorable and very friendly dog named Wilson at a small store nearby Wraith Hill and a nice lake. We enjoyed some cold beverages and ice cream with a lakeside view, and appreciated having a slower and easier day into Philipsburg. After some very technical descending, we reached the town itself and were very pleasantly surprised by its lively downtown and homemade ice cream. The small town gave us a lot to explore, and we enjoyed spending some time there before reaching a sudden and welcome change in our stayover arrangements for the night.

You see, we were initially scheduled to camp at an RV Park in Phillipsburg that night. While this sounds doable, the team had been dreading this stayover for weeks due to its complete lack of bathrooms. Fortunately, Jeff and Laurie came to our rescue. After meeting the team at a restaurant in town, they generously offered for us to stay at their guest house for the night. We gratefully accepted, and made our way up to their abode in the breathtaking Montana countryside. Not only did they give us a place to sleep, but they also donated a delicious dinner and breakfast. 

As we settled into our unplanned stayover, we could not stop marveling at the sheer beauty of our surroundings and the generosity of our hosts. The guest house was located on sweeping acres of green hills, with snow-capped mountains in the distance and small streams running throughout. Most of all, we were in awe of the opportunity we had been given to experience the country in yet another way. This ride doesn’t let us be bored for long. 

Speaking of experiencing things in new ways, our hosts’ generosity did not end there. As the day came to a close, Jeff gave the team a tour of the property on his squad of ATVs. It was hard to control our excitement as we hopped on the thrillingly unfamiliar vehicles. Once we got to actually riding, some of us did not stop grinning even for a second (except to prevent dust kicked up by the ATVs’ wheels from getting into our mouths). 

We laughed and whooped uncontrollably at the utter novelty of what we were doing. Many of us had never ridden vehicles like ATVs before, nor had we done it in a setting as unique as this one. The views were incredible.  We rode against the backdrop of a brilliant and vivid sunrise through tall, grassy fields and muddy puddles, both terrain that the four-wheelers overcame with an ease that our bicycles – as much as we love them – could never replicate. 

Jeff gave us a thorough and interesting look into the upkeep it takes to maintain land as sizable as his. As we lay our eyes on the very cows he talked about herding or the hand-dug irrigation channels whose history he recounted, we were learning about another side of the country we live in through a uniquely hands-on manner. 

Once our ATV tours were over (some of us had gone for a second round) and we profusely showered a multitude of “thank you”’s on Jeff, we retired to bed nestled in the nature of Montana. 

Ride Overview, Day 52-53

Mileage: 0

Elevation: 0’

Points of Interest: Missoula Bicycle Works, Hellgate Cyclery, Big Dipper Ice Cream, Frugal’s, Butterfly Herbs, Five on Black

Quote of the Day

Tales of the Trail, Day 52-53

Due to an unsafe AQI, the team shuttled the entirety of Day 52. We didn’t mind too much though, as this meant we got an early start on our rest day in Missoula the next day. So, we diligently went about our routine of loading and unloading the van and making our way to the next stop on our route. 

Once we got to our lovely stayover at Atonement Lutheran Church, we were welcomed warmly by our hosts with dinner. It seems the universe was still in our favor, because we were also treated to a spectacular magic show from the one and only Evan Disney. Somewhat of a celebrity within our organization, Evan Disney has been blowing the minds of I4Kers since 2022. Did we mention he brought a snake named Bo? Yeah. ‘Nuff said. 

From there, the team parted ways to go out into Missoula’s downtown for some karaoke (cut to Kavin effortlessly rapping the entirety of “euphoria” by Kendrick Lamar) or stay in and watch “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” (cut to Olivia, Maaike, Neal, Joey, Logan, and Riddhima likening a quest to take back your kingdom from a fire-breathing dragon to doing I4K). 

The next day started off bittersweet. We are deeply saddened to say goodbye to Dylan, who unfortunately has to leave the ride on account of an unexpected injury. While we did not want his time with the team to end this way, we are also glad he is able to take the time to rest and recover as needed. 

Following our farewell, the team passed the time downtown or running errands (thank you to Emma’s mom for donating snacks from Costco!) before our big event of the day – white water rafting on the Alberton Gorge. A huge shout out to the guides of the Montana Raft Company, Jane and Grace, who kept us safe during the experience. We could not have enjoyed the scenic views or bumpy rapids of the river without their expert oversight. 

Much to no one’s surprise, a couple of us took a good-natured tumble into the river. Thankfully, we were left unscathed and, if anything, refreshed by the coolness of the water and the fun of the river’s currents. Overall, the team had a great time Sunday strollin’ (as one of our guides Jane likes to call the act of gently paddling) through the picturesque waters of Montana. 

Hungry from the upper-body exercise our our water adventure, we chowed down on yet another generously donated dinner from our hosts, went out for some ice cream after, and then winded down in preparation for a long 90-mile day tomorrow.  

All in all, we are still processing the amount of generosity we have experienced over these past few days and in the grand scheme of the ride. Words can not express how thankful we are. 

Cyclist’s Corner

Today’s Rider: Anthony DiRico

How are you feeling today?

Today was white water rafting day in Montana, and it was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had on this trip so far. I am very refreshed, two days of no biking has done lots for recovery for my body. I’ve gotten sleep, I’ve been eating really well, and mentally I’m doing good!

Which chore have you been doing for the team during the ride? Can you share your process doing this chore?

My chore partner is Joey, and we are responsible for water jugs and PB & J. However, I am allergic to peanut butter! So I take the water jugs, and Joey does the PB & J. Water jugs is actually really important, because without water, it’s quite difficult to bike! So every night I’ll take the four water jugs that are in the car and make sure they’re full of water. If there are any leaks, which there have been at times, I will try and tape it up and replace the valves so that they work. I start doing this at night time now, because the morning is very hectic, and it’s just easier to do ahead of time. 

What’s the best food you’ve eaten on the ride so far?

Maybe this is because of the recency effect, but I had some of the best barbecue. It was a Texas brisket sandwich that I ate a couple of days ago, it was the most random stop. We weren’t even supposed to stop there, but Jack had to go to the bathroom, so they pulled off into a gas station, and I saw this bakery and barbecue sign. I was like “that’s a weird combination!” But I pulled up, and the vibes were just perfect. There were Montana license plates all over… It was $12 for a brisket sandwich, with the most delicious Texas barbecue sauce. I loved it. No one else got to have it on the team, so that made it feel a little extra special. 

Do you have a favorite team memory?

On Olivia’s birthday, we went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant, and when we were there, we realized that was the first time that as a team we’ve all been at a restaurant eating together. Which is crazy, because we’ve been with each other for fifty days, and not once have we all gone out for a meal. So it was kind of special that we were celebrating our ride leader’s birthday. The food was freaking phenomenal — I’m half Mexican, so I love Mexican food. And yeah, it was just good vibes. 

Is there anything you’ve learned during the ride that you didn’t expect?

I feel like I spend a lot of time trying to find happiness and fulfillment in my life, and my teammates have done a really good job of showing me that being present in the moment is one of the best ways to do that. When you’re on the bike and you’re really just focused on the challenge at hand, you’re not thinking about all of the worries of your future, or thinking back to different events from the past. You’re really just locked in in the moment, and that has done a lot for me, and just [I’ve just been] happier recently because of that.

What’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get home?

First thing I’m gonna do when I get home is pack, because I’m going on a little vacation! I’m gonna go lay on a beach somewhere for a couple of days before I start my full time job!

(A reminder that any unfamiliar terms can be found in our handy I4K dictionary.)