0720 - A day off - Rejuvenation? Or Last Hurrah?

July 20, 2022

0720 - A day off

Life needs livin'

I CAME TO MISSOULA a day sooner than I originally planned, for reasons I enumerated yesterday. It's been a nice, relaxed day.

After seeing Ian and Dan off I walked the 3/4 of a mile to the Lemon Laundromat and took care of the week's worth of nasty clothing that's been fermenting gradually in my panniers. I only had to physically subdue a few items, and only resorted to the brickbat for one of them.

That done it was time to pack up and leave the Shady Spruce Hostel to run some errands.

A trip to REI netted me most, but not all, of the items on my "need to get" list. Windbreaker, new gloves, replacements for the end-of-life sandals I started with, and a restock of backpacker meals so I'll have things to eat at campsites along the way. I struck out on a replacement pump (my Road Morph is just about dead) and a restock of inner tubes, but there are several other shops in town where I can try my luck.

After a leisurely lunch at Bagels on Broadway, where I got caught up on journal posts from the past few days, I headed back over to the Adventure Cycling Association. I wanted to get several more photos (check) and also position myself to run across Chris "Chris Cross America" George and his wife Dani, whose CycleBlaze journal I've been following since its inception (check).

Adventure Cycling Association HQ is in a stylish, attractive building on the edge of downtown Missoula.

Chris George and his wife Dani stopped in at ACA. I called him by name when he walked in and explained to the people that he owes me money. He looked quite perplexed for a moment. :)

Once again, I doff my helmet to everyone here at ACA. They're warmly welcoming (I've used that phrase, or variations of it, a LOT in this journal, and that's a Good Thing) and clearly love what they do. It reminds me in many ways of the early years of my career (thanks again for that, Janie and Dana and Kevin and Tom), where being in the office was just plain fun.

June Siple's bike from the Hemisphere Tour; this was the only bike to make the entire trek. It hangs in the place of honor, right at the entry to the space.

A general view of the front office area. There are scads of photos and lots of cycling memorabilia all around the place.

This bike crossed Africa from north to south. There are extra water tanks fitted to the rear.

A hand-built triplet, made by a fellow who wanted to ride with his two daughters.

This Panaracer has a story too, of course. I just don't recall now what it is.

The first bike to ride what ultimately became the BikeCentennial and later the TransAm Trail.

Looks fun, doesn't it? Stuck in the mud on an unfinished road in British Columbia. Thanks, I'll pass.

The courtyard is also a great place to hang out and socialize. Most, if not all, of the ACA folks bike to work and this is their parking lot.

Emma is an ACA person, my Warm Showers host for tonight, and also knows my acquaintance John Pickett. It's a small world in general, and the world of touring cyclists is even smaller.

Upstairs office space is roomy and well lit.

I've seen these signs on Afton Mountain in Virginia, among other places. Cool!

Later I'll head for the barber (my attempt at self-barbering yesterday was a near complete failure) and check the other bike shops to see if I can complete the shopping list, before heading to Emma's for the evening. I could get to like zero days, I think.

Carrying your work to extremes. Or maybe it's bringing your passion to work.

A flag flown by a Dutch couple who rode across the U.S. in 2002 to show their solidarity and support of the U.S. in the aftermath 9/11.

A few words about Missoula are in order. It's an incredibly bike- and pedestrian-friendly town. Motorists will stop at the far side of an intersection if they so much as see you standing on the corner, and wait patiently for you to cross the street.

There are bike lanes all over the place, and they see a great deal of use. (Not surprisingly, it appears that nearly ALL of the ACA staff commute by bike, at least in the summer. Their bikes are all in the secured courtyard and comprise a mix of mountain, modern road, and some vintage road models.)

A rack full of mountain bikes, all of which belong to the ACA team.

A venerable Trek, dating to the early or mid 1980's, if not earlier. Awesome.

There are many ways to send a message. I found this crosswalk, on the corner where ACA sits, to be one of the more creative. It's called, fittingly, the "Pride Walk".

Downtown Missoula has a range of boutiques, restaurants, cafes, and bars so there seems always to be something going on. I've been told that tourism here is on the upswing, and that's easy to believe. There's obviously a fairish amount of money on hand.

Except for what I expect are long, dark, hard winters this would be a place I could see myself enjoying on a long-term basis. But it's glorious in the mid-summer.

My trips to the local bike shops proved fruitless- I got skunked on the items I was looking for. But lo and behold! When I returned to ACA HQ just before closing time to connect with Emma, a chance conversation with one of the other staffers netted me a brand-new Road Morph pump (ACA have a few on hand for sale), an item I desperately needed given the rotten run of luck I've had with tires. That gave me a sense of well-being I'd been lacking up to that point.

Emma and I enjoyed dinner at a local ramen restaurant, and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know her better and sharing some of my story. I can only hope she is similarly pleased with the exchange.

And now, dear readers, it's time for me to go to bed since tomorrow I am back on the road.

Today's ride: 9 miles (14 km)
Total: 711 miles (1,144 km)

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Comment on this entry	Comment	6

Dani MooreGreat to meet you today, Keith! We were indeed perplexed when Chris was greeted by name upon entering the ACA headquarters.
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2 years ago

Keith AdamsTo Dani MooreIt was nice seeing the two of you as well.
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2 years ago

William OstremI'm enjoying the journal, Keith! Two questions:

1. What led you to take the mountainous route through Idaho to Missoula and not the flat route through Boise and then east? Was it for the scenery and adventure?

2. How are you typing your entries? Do you have a keyboard?
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2 years ago

Dana PalmerOur office was indeed fun! Volleyball, biking, ultimate frisbee, 5:01, etc. We worked hard (ugh - proposals) and we played hard. And many of us ended up married to each other 😆
I’m enjoying this journal of your journey! Keep on pedaling!
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2 years ago

Keith AdamsTo William OstremHi Bill

The ACA route map takes you to Missoula. Also, I spoke with someone who lives in Boise and they recommended staying farther north and at higher elevation due to the heat down south.

I'm using a Bluetooth keyboard. It's small, light, and waaaaaasy better than the soft keyboard on the phone.
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2 years ago

Keith AdamsTo Dana Palmer"The most fun per unit time."
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2 years ago