We are finally in Missoula, Montana! It’s been a long slog, but we’re finally past the Great Plains and into the massive grandeur of the Rocky Mountains. Thanks to everyone who’s sent us packages and given us places to stay – we couldn’t have gotten this far without you!

At this point, we’ve reached a junction in our journey. Our route to Olympia from here is uncertain, but we’ll be taking the Lolo Pass to Kooskia, Idaho, and hopefully figuring it out from there. Enjoy the photos – might be a while until the next post!

The roads went on and on through North Dakota…

We didn’t quite enjoy our welcome into Montana – 8 miles of construction!

Our good friends, the Four Bears, invited us into their house to let us use their washing machine and eat lunch in Poplar, Montana. Tielure serenades in gratitude.

The daily stretch routine!

We made some new friends, Pat and Jay, in Wolf Point. You can follow their trip at A Touring Spokesman(see right). Here he prepare for an oncoming Montana storm.

Tielure dutifully fixing a second, third, and fourth flat tire.

The Sleeping Buffalo Hot Springs. A tragic establishment, where the cashier glowered at you and clutched an airsoft gun while the owner sat large and froglike, selling two year old cereal to unwitting travelers. Terrible, terrible, terrible!

The bibs!

The hot tub at Sleeping Buffalo.

Due to some minor design issues, one of Tielure’s panniers no longer hooks onto his bike. Do we fret and worry? No! Problem solved with a bit of rope and some zip ties. (The moral: Avoid Banjo Brothers bike gear at all costs!)

Henry and Cori, two tandem riders we met in Malta, MT. You can follow their trip at Tandem Tales (see right).

Parting with our friends in Havre, MT. Good luck, guys!

The start of the Rockies!

An abandoned grain silo. Note the McMansions in the background.

On the banks of the Missouri!

Christer after a bad fall.

Our digs in Great Falls, MT. We stayed overnight in a Pastor’s extra trailer thanks to some networking men down at the homeless shelter.

Our ride to Roger’s Pass!

Unfortunately, Christer got a bad flat and couldn’t make it through the pass with us. He missed a good ride – the Rocky Mountains at 5610 feet are pretty beautiful!

Our digs at the DNR office in Lincoln, MT.

Discussing the finer points of a biker’s diet on the most beautiful ride of the trip!

At the Adventure Cycling Association headquarters in Missoula, MT. These folks are great – free ice cream and a tour of the offices! They’re responsible for making the infamous ACA maps – some of the most helpful bicycling maps available!

Waking up outside of Missoula at a newfound friends house!

Genevieve was our host, and accommodated us with a campfire and cold beer.

Our friend John demonstrating the complex art of Llama luring.

Tielure giving us a modern dance lesson.