When I got up, I took my time packing up and had breakfast at the hotel buffet. They had cook-yourself waffles, and somehow mine got stuck in the waffle maker. They didn't have any of that non-stick spray. I tore it up pretty well getting it out, but ate it anyhow, and appreciated having it instead of my instant oatmeal in camp.

I checked out and asked about roads that would get me out of town without backtracking south as I would need to do to follow the ACA map. I thought I had a good route chosen, and left. Shortly out of the hotel, I was riding on the road shoulder and noticed that there was a bike path parallel to the road. At the next driveway cut I moved onto the path, and stopped the next cyclist I saw to ask how far the path goes. "All the way to Missoula!" Good news! I stayed on the bike path and skipped the Eastside Highway. Before long I was thinking about a restroom, and also thinking it really should be a room since there was a lot of traffic and not much in the way of hiding places. I stopped in Victor to find the service station shut down and the laundromat unattended and without restrooms, and went on. In Stevensville, I went into a Subway restaurant, used the facilities, and then purchased a breakfast sandwich. It was pretty good, but then I saw from the advertisement on the wall that it would have been cheaper for me to buy the same sandwich with a drink than just the sandwich! I had really just wanted some ice water, but it reminded me of how much things can be screwed up if you do more than just pedal your bicycle!

Then I went on the Florence and Lolo. By the time I arrived in Lolo, it was hot and I was ready for another cold drink and a short break. I went into a convenience store and bought an iced tea, and chatted with the cashier. She said she thought cyclists who ride into Missoula were crazy. I asked why, and she talked about the highway traffic and the shoulder. "But I thought there was a bike path all the way?" "No...It ends right here." And sure enough, when I went back outside, the bike path ended and I had to ride the highway. It really wasn't too bad. The shoulder is wide, but the traffic moves fast. There is a bit of an uphill stretch where the shoulder narrows a bit and you ride right next to the barrier. That's a little unnerving as there is no "escape route" from an errant car, but it is brief. Before I knew it, I was cruising into Missoula. I switched maps to see the route to the ACA office, and rode through town.

I received a nice, friendly greeting in the ACA office. I signed the register of touring cyclists, had my picture taken for the famous wall of cyclists, and received a nice bandanna that was given to everyone who cycled into the office...this year. Then I went into the lounge to cool off and have a cold drink and ice cream, and log onto their computer. I had tried to contact a warmshowers host in Missoula a few days previously, but had not heard back. Just as I got into my e-mail, I had a response that they were otherwise occupied. I was able to get onto the Warmshowers site on the computer (which works much better than it does on my cell phone) and contact another potential host. Ethel MacDonald answered her phone right away and said she could accommodate me. I spent a little more time on the computer, checking on frequent flier tickets on United that could get me home, and then went on to meet Ethel.

Ethel is a 71 year old woman who frequently does bike tours on her own in Europe and occasionally in the U.S. She relies on Warmshowers hosts when she is travelling and likes to reciprocate when she is home. She has a nice bedroom set up in her cool basement. She rarely uses her car, and is politically involved. I want to be like Ethel! I enjoyed meeting her and her son Joe. Even the dog Ellie was friendly as can be, giving my sweaty legs a tongue bath before I showered.

Stats
dist 50.63
odo 6732.3
Max 23.5
Av 11.1

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