When one tour ends, we feel our best and there's a false sense that you can pick up where you left off for the next tour. It's been 6 months since the end of the Northern Tier tour. Being back on loaded bikes was a rude awakening. Yet also reassuring that we can still ride, and the bikes did fine on the trail.

This weekend ride was a good exercise for us to remember that on the Divide we will need to be flexible. We are reminded that while we have a destination for the day that depending upon conditions, plans may need to adjust and change. 

Patrick's Achilles tendon flared up just as the start of the Northern Tier tour. A WS host in Sandpoint ID gave him advice about using a green scrub pad placed in the heel of the shoe that worked in relieving the pain. We will add this to our checklist as he was feeling it again on this ride. Day 14: Sandpoint ID to Sam Owen Campground MT - Racpat Northern Tier 2021 - CycleBlaze

Since we had given our breakfast food to Jon, we did not have our oatmeal for first breakfast. Rachel will now add soup, oatmeal and coffee to emergency meal that she carries on the bottom of a back pannier.

This was a great training ride.