day 12/13/14/15

day 12 started really well. a big breakfast in wisdom, fueled a really great morning ride. then came the flat and the thunderstorm. i packed up my camera and put on my rain jacket and was ready to tough it out to dillon. but all I could think about was the lightning around me and that i was well over 6000 feet above sea level. as i tried to calculate the chance of getting struck by lightning, i noticed my bike slowing down again. another flat. that did it for me. my thumb came out, and margo and tanner helped me finish my final 20 miles or so. my second car ride through a thunderstorm. once in dillon, i took my bike to the shop for a much needed checkup.

day 13 was my first rest day. zero miles, but hours of television and internet. it was a much needed rest day. i can't remember the last time i spent so much time in bed, but it felt great to do absolutely nothing.

day 14 was a fantastic day. left dillon and stopped at the library in the small town of twin bridges to use the restroom. as i came out of the restroom, i noticed someone looking at my bike outside. i've stopped locking my bike at this point, figuring it would take a great deal of effort for someone to try to ride away with my bike and all my gear. but still, the big city side of me was suspicious. the stranger walked in and introduced himself, and inquired about my bike. a fellow bike enthusiast! he told me all about his cycling days, and then took me outside to show me his amazing bianchi! he then asked if my hands hurt. my big city side lied, of course, and i said i was fine, even though my hands had been going numb for a couple of days now when i maintain one hand position for too long. he said he had just the solution. he helped me cover my handlebar grips with pipe foam insulation and fixed it with electrical tape. wow. the numbness disappeared, and my hands will be eternally grateful to robert for helping out. ironically, the week before the start of my trip, my dad had suggested the same solution. i only had to travel 3000 miles by plane and close to 800 by bike to realize that my dad was right all along. after 82 miles, i coasted into a desolate campsite in cameron, MT, just 59 miles short of yellowstone.

i awoke on day 15 to 50 degree weather and rain. not a pleasant way to wake up from a tent. after packing up quickly, i headed out for yellowstone. i stopped in a fishing supply lodge to warm up, change out of my drenched socks, and eat a light breakfast. and just as i left, the clouds parted, the sun came out, the temperature rose about 20 degrees, and a beautiful mountain range appeared just to the east of me as i rode toward yellowstone. it was feeling like another awesome day, until the flats returned with a vengeance. i didn't get new tires in dillon, because they didn't have the right size, but they had expressed confidence that i would be fine until i got into yellowstone, where i could get some new tires. didn't happen. three flats later, frustration levels at a high, i was fortunate to catch a ride into west yellowstone and change my tires. I'm hoping these will get me to the midwest.

over two weeks now on the road, and all i keep thinking about lately is sprinting through kansas and missouri to get back to my wife and family. this trip has been amazing so far, but i'm definitely missing home. maybe it was the rest day, or maybe it's being in west yellowstone surrounded by families on vacation. not exactly sure. many people wondered how i was going to handle the physical aspect of this trip. the mental stamina required far exceeds the physical toll all these miles have taken. yet, with each passing day, the sights and places i pass become even more spectacular, and i get closer and closer to reaching my goal.