Where's Joe?
Montana, Eastern Idaho, Wyoming
Stage 4 of the Journey: May 31 - June 26
Montana
May 31
Joe faced another day of "incredible" headwinds and only rode 37 miles. Hmm, maybe "only" is not quite the correct word. How about this: Joe rode a heroic 37 miles against incredible headwinds to St. Mary, Montana. That's better. He returned to the United States and is staying with a gentleman he met on his trip 38 years ago. He has been riding through the Blackfoot Indian Reservation.
June 1
It took heavy rains to finally convince Joe to take a Rest Day. He has not taken one for a while and as we all know, he has been doing some hard riding. I don't know about you, but just reading about some of his days wears me out.
June 2
In a cool, often heavy, all-day rain Joe rode 57 miles through East and West Glacier Park. It is fabulous country but he said, "I'm soaked to the bone." He visited Columbia Falls and made it to Kalispell for the night.
June 3
Another all-day rain. Joe said, "It's incredible I can still do this." The road was under construction for the last two miles into Polson. No asphalt. All mud. Joe had to push his bicycle. He almost thinks a lot of the cars intentionally hit the puddles to splash him. He was completely, totally, absolutely, covered with mud when he pulled into a hotel. They graciously provided him with a garden hose. Rained so hard that although he could see Flathead Lake as he rode around it, he could not see the surrounding mountains. He rode 55 miles today.
June 4
Finally, a beautiful rain-free day! Joe pedaled 70 miles to Missoula. On the way, he stopped at a local Fireman's Pancake Breakfast. One of the firemen said he had something he wanted to show Joe and would it be OK if he bicycled with him a while? Twenty-five miles later they pulled into the lovely St. Ignatius Catholic Mission Church, built in 1841. The fireman, a well known local singer, treated Joe to a solo performance of the great hymn, "Amazing Grace." Hey Joe, here is the rest of us, thinking of you, joining in on the third verse: "Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home."
Fireman, family man, and singer- John Dresen
June 5
Joe is taking the day off to hang around Missoula. He has an appointment with the "Adventure Cyclist" organization, headquartered in Missoula, on Monday.
June 6
Joe had his interview with "Adventure Cyclist" and had a great time. They are going to follow his journey and feature him in some upcoming publications. He rode 50 miles to Drummond. Sprinkles, but no real rain.
June 7
Today, Joe pedaled 73.75 miles from Drummond to Butte. A nice day's ride.
June 8
Joe rode a leisurely 32 miles from Butte to Whitehall, a "pretty little Western town with wheat fields below and mountains above." He dodged several rainstorms and crossed the Continental Divide for the third time.
June 9
Joe followed the Jefferson River out of Whitehall. When Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery reached (and named) the Jefferson, the water level was so low they had to drag their boats rather than paddle. Joe pedaled 57 miles to Virginia City.
June 10
In 1967, Virginia City made Joe an honorary member of the Virginia City Vigilantes. This time, they renewed his membership. Joe spent the evening at the Virginia City Opera House. He left town and pedaled up the Ennis Pass. He then enjoyed the eleven mile coast down the hill. Cattle country. He rode 51 miles to Earthquake Lake.
Idaho
June 11
Joe turned 62 today. Happy Birthday, Joe! What you are doing is truly awesome! To celebrate, he rode 72 miles from Earthquake Lake, Montana, to Ashton, Idaho.
June 12
Torrential rain. Joe decided to take the day off and get some rest.
June 13
Joe rode 44 miles to Driggs. On the way, he passed his 3,000th mile of the trip. He is on the west side of the Teton Pass.
Wyoming
June 14
Joe pedaled from Driggs, ID, to Jackson Hole, WY. In between is the Teton Pass. The Teton Pass is the steepest continuous paved road in the United States. A 10% grade on both sides. Folks, that's steep. In fact, illegal everywhere else. The locals told Joe there was no way he could ride up it. He told them he rode it in 1967 when it was unpaved and a 12% grade and he had every intention of riding it again. They didn't think so. But he did. All the way to the top without stopping. Joe said that going down the other side was kind of tricky. It is so steep that if you don't carefully control your speed your bicycle can go way, way too fast. This was Joe's thirteenth mountain pass, so far.
June 15, 16
Some of Joe's family from Eastern Kentucky have met him in Jackson Hole for a visit . He is truly delighted. They are going to hang out for a few days and see the incredible sights this part of the world has to offer. Joe will get back on the road on Saturday. His son-in-law, Parnell, will ride with him for a couple of days.
June 17
Joe and Parnell, rode their bicycles from Jackson Hole to Grand Teton National Park. The rest of the family followed in the cars.
Kentucky Girls!
June 18
Joe and Parnell left the Grand Teton National Park and pedaled to Yellowstone National Park. They, and the rest of the family, stayed in a place called the "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone." On their ride, they saw plenty of elk and moose. On a couple of occasions, they put their bikes in the cars and took side trips with the family. Joe measures his mileage by his bicycle odometer only. Car and ferry miles don't count.
Elk herd
June 19
Joe and Parnell rode across the Buffalo Bill Cody Scenic Byway along the Shoshone River. It was Parnell's final day of keeping Joe company. Thanks, Parnell! They arrived that evening in Cody.
June 20
Joe said a tearful farewell to Barbara and family who headed back home to Kentucky. It was wonderful to see them and hard to see them go. Joe tried to find our friend Bobby Bridger. Bobby, a descendant of legendary mountain man, Jim Bridger, is an artist, musician, historian and singer of mountain tales. The UK Appalachian Center and the Appalachian Heritage Alliance brought Bobby to numerous schools in Eastern Kentucky last winter. Alas, Joe couldn't find Bobby's summer tipi. Joe, on his own again, rode almost 60 miles to Greybull. It was the hottest day of riding so far- 97 degrees.
June 21
First day of summer. One of the hardest days so far. Joe rode uphill for 30 miles, much of it a 5% grade. Eight hours of riding uphill. He began the day at 3,700 feet above sea level and ended on the top of Granite Pass at 9,034 feet. That's over a mile of vertical elevation. The temperature was 95 degrees. He had to rest many times. People stopped their cars to check on him three times. He drank 1/2 gallon of Gatorade and 1/2 gallon of water.
Bighorn Mountains
June 22
Joe spent the night in the Bighorn Mountains at 8500 feet above sea level. He had a long coast downhill in the morning. He rode 54 miles to Sheridan where he looked up a friend he made on the 1967 trip.
June 23
Joe spent the day with his friend. They went to the site of the Battle of the Little Big Horn where Colonel George Custer lost famously to the Sioux and Cheyenne in 1876.
Battle of the Little Bighorn
June 24
Before leaving Sheridan, Joe went to the doctor to get some help fighting a cold that has been bothering him. He then rode 37 miles to Buffalo. Thankfully, it was not as hot as it had been the last few days. He hopes to do some writing this evening to catch us up on his "Stories from the Road."
June 25
Joe pedaled the rolling Wyoming prairie for 74 miles to Gillette. Due to plentiful rainfall, the prairie is greener than it has been for fifteen years. Joe saw large herds of antelope. He was granted special permission by the Wyoming State Police to ride on Interstate 90 for part of the day. Classroom teachers have asked Joe to gather information and take pictures on various subjects to share with their students. Joe continues to do this. It is important to remember that this trip is an educational adventure to show our students that they can set and attain lofty goals for themselves through hard work and dedication. It is also, of course, to share with them the beauty and wonder of our magnificent country.
Devil's Tower
June 26
Joe left the prairie and headed up into the Black Hills. Fortunately, the temperature dropped to a reasonable 78 degrees. He passed the Devils Tower National Monument. The Devils Tower is the core of an ancient volcano. It entered the mainstream of public awareness as the mountain in the science fiction movie "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." Since it cost almost thirty dollars to get into the park, he just took some pictures and pedaled on by. He bicycled 71 miles today and stayed in Hulett.