PAC Tour 2021 - Day 8 Missoula to Butte, MT

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Today started out great with cool temperatures and a fast pace...our legs were feeling good.  First 17 miles on frontage backroads and then a turn onto I90 for the next 17 miles.  We only get on Interstates if there are no other reasonable options....and it is allowed for bikes.  The main issue/problem with riding on the shoulders of Interstates for bikes is the debris on them. Rocks, pebbles, sand, broken glass are bad enough but the worst is bits of wire from typically from blown truck tires.  So when you bits of tire rubber on the shoulders, there’s usually bits of wire around as the tires are “steel belted”.  And about 12 miles riding on I90 I got a rear flat from a tiny (1/4 inch) of wire that went through my tire and punctured my inner tube.  With Mike and Indy Mike’s help we removed the tire, replaced the inner tube with a new one (it’s not worth trying to patch the hole...takes too long) and put the tire back on.  This whole process is supposed to take about 7 or 8 minutes, except we had a very difficult time putting the tire back on.  This was primarily due to the fact that my wheels are tubeless tires compatible and the tolerances are very tight.  In other words it takes a lot of hand strength to fold the tire back onto the wheel.  With big Mike’s help, I finally got the tire back on and manually pumped up (with my mini-pump) the tube/tire...or so I thought.  Got going and there was a pronounced wobble/bump from my rear wheel.  We stopped and found that the tire hadn’t fully seated to the wheel and it would require more inflation.  Already putting in 30 minutes, I pulled out my CO2 cartridge and blasted the contents into the tube and we were good to go.

But by now, instead of being at near the front of all readers we were behind nearly everyone, which is an comfortable feeling, especially if another flat would occur. So we were amongst the last riders into the rest stops and lunch for the remainder of the day

Other than this section and another 3 mile section, the route was on frontage and small 2 lane highways. An interesting rest stop was a metal sculpture store/museum and lunch was near Phillipsburg, a popular old West town.  After lunch we had a big climb that took us to a big lake...Georgetown before heading down to Anaconda...a former copper mining site but now a huge Superfund cleanup site.  And the temperatures got hot....well into the 90’s. Going into Butte, after 5 or miles on I90, we were on small roads and finally a bike path.  Both were some of the worst roads/paths I’ve ridden.  The issue is cracks in the pavement, both by design and by nature...frost heaves.  These cracks are at least an inch wide to sometimes 6 inches wide, which just pound one’s 3 contact points on the bike....one’s hands, feet, and butt.  After a long hot day it’s not fun!

We ended at the outskirts of town at a Super 8 and had my favorite dinner on these bike rides at the Perkins restaurant across the street.  My favorite dinner?   Breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns and pancakes.  The combination satisfies my salt/sigar cravings, it’s typically enough food, it’s easily digested and easy to sleep on, and it’s fast and reasonably priced....particularly at Denny’s...Grand Slam breakfast...can’t be beat.

Mike’s contribution to the blog.....

Lon Halderman hates bike wheels: last 10 miles to get off I90 highway were on the worst frost heave asphalt of our lives, the road the bike path. It was a constant jarring and wheel pounding hourish. The vote was next time back on the highway (9ft shoulder, safe enough, clean). Someone complained to Lon about it and his response was it was just because we were hot and tired... 

We're in Trump Country. Apparently, all those signs w/ American flags and "Truth Matters" are not directed at, you know, knowing the truth (I had to ask to find out).

Yay me (Mike): finished with Tom again for 4th time (of 8... Day 1 was fine, Day 2 I got dropped on Washington Pass, Day 3 was ignominious ride in van in heat, Day 4 into Spokane, Day 5 into Sandpoint, Day 6 I hung back to get Ned into St Regis, Day 7 was mechanical with freewheel and another ride in van, Day 8 today was full steam ahead to the end of day into Butte. Full day means 8 hours in the saddle with Tom so more opportunities for his gentle riding hints (USE YOUR MIRROR!) and admonitions (YOUR OTHER LEFT!). 

On first NorCon in 2010 I tracked road kill, on this trip we aren't seeing as much (?) but we are smelling a lot more of it. Parfum de Cerf Morte has been a theme.

Ah PACtour, where else is human biology so enthusiastically shared? I peed at EVERY food stop said someone at breakfast. (Editors note I.e. me/Tom...TMI!)

There are no atheists in foxholes. Or on PACtour:

It's only 90 degrees in Butte!

Thank God

That was a great tailwind those 20 miles.

What a blessing

Another NorCon 2010 flashback... Back then Tom and I were in small minority with red flashing tail lights. On Ridge of Rockies tour in 2011, Tom and Don and I were the red-light brigade. This year almost every rider has one; our mornings start with a line of little red twinkles spread out to the horizon (or next corner), and navigation is easier if you're following a winking light in the distance. Now if we could get everyone using a mirror it'd be good next step (per above, having one doesn't equal using one but it's a start).

2 riders joined today for 5 days (!) of riding, they will be gone in Sheridan... won't even know their names before they leave, still working through the people already here. How many Johns and Mikes can there be on one trip?

PACTour next thought is 8 days done and not a glance at a TV. Always something to clean, to prepare, to organize to check. Day 9 tomorrow, should be easy but nothing is easy over 100 degrees...