Day 79: Whitefish, MT to Eureka, MT

July 30, 2008

59.31 Miles, 4:31:06 Ride Time, 13.12 Average Speed, 33.82 Maximum Speed

I was extremely tired this morning. Was it the higher altitude the last couple of days? The climb over Logan Pass? A Red Bull hangover? In any case, I had to move on from the yuppie haven Whitefish, where I would be financially broken if I stayed another day.

I took fuller advantage of the continental breakfast than I ever have before, in a valiant effort to get my money's worth out of the hotel. I wasn't even that hungry; I felt like I might be experiencing the beginnings of a cold, something I haven't had in seven years.

After seven bowls of Lucky Charms, multiple donuts, and several concerned looks from the hotel staff, I went back to my room, got my stuff together in slow motion, and rode out of town. Rather than stop for what would probably be a $30 breakfast in Whitefish, I stopped at a convenience store on the edge of town and bought a bunch of snacks. Taped to the counter was a sign stating that the store had to "card" anyone buying beer unless they were 90 years old. "90?" I had to ask the girl: "Is that a joke? I mean, really, 90 years old?" She seemed in no mood for jocularity; "Yes, we have to be very careful." Well. That is playing it safe, I suppose.

It was cool and cloudy all morning. Much of the day I was on US 93, a shoulderless two-lane that I had heard bad things about; apparently it was notorious for the log trucks that are never fun to "share the road" with. I was pleasantly surprised by their absence, however. I asked about it later, and a local guy told me that the logging business was in serious decline this year. The dying industry is bad news for the local economy, but a win for me, anyway.

I got off US 93 at Fortine (pop. 169) and stopped at a little place for peanut butter pie and homemade chocolate milk. As I rode away I felt better - Was it the pie? Had the Red Bull left my system? Had I put enough miles between Whitefish and me? In any case, after the stop at the pleasant stop in Fortine, it seemed like a different day.

The last fifteen miles was a very nice ride on back roads - Meadow Creek Road, Barnaby Lake Road, Tobacco Road. I was surprised to meet the first Eastbounder I'd seen in a while - Bruce, who was riding from Washington home to Maine.

I arrived in Eureka (pop. 1,017) to find two other cyclists already camped in the city park. They were Terrie and Tom, getting ready to start the Great Divide mountain bike route the next day. The mostly shadeless park wasn't very appealing, and it cost $5, but after the Whitefish fiasco I was now on a budget. Terrie and Tom warned me that the bathroom/shower in the park was "pretty bad," and I soon discovered that yes, it was among the grungiest I have ever seen. The light in the place was extremely dim (do they make 20 watt bulbs?), but that was probably an advantage. I don't think I'd want to see what I was standing in, in this case.

Eureka seemed like a nice little town (the city park bathroom notwithstanding), and after riding around checking things out, I stopped at a promising-looking cafe. At first I thought I'd made a mistake - the place was fancier than I had expected, and the waitress sniffed a little at me when I told her that I would be having Diet Pepsi, not wine, with my meal.

The spaghetti and meatballs and bread were great, though - and shockingly reasonably priced for a place that obviously catered to people for whom wine was a big, big deal. A table of rich middle aged preppies were sitting at a table near mine, and I was amused/irritated as I listened to a multiple-facelifted blond woman discuss politics: "Oh, the people who don't have much money seem so unhappy now, I'm afraid that whats-his-name - Obolama? Might be elected President." I was tempted to dump my spaghetti all over her empty head, but it was too delicious to waste.

By the time I finished dinner, it was getting late, so I rode back to the town park, which was located alarmingly close to the potentially noisy train tracks.

Today's ride: 59 miles (95 km)
Total: 5,768 miles (9,283 km)

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