Blowin' in the Wind

As we rode from Harvey to Carrington, ND, we had the pleasure of having a 20-30 mph tailwind with clear blue skies. I saw a small herd of bison running in a paceline, but they were running "against the wind". I know that is a Bob Seeger song, yet it sounded good. Even the hawks had a difficult time flying into the wind. The previous two days, we had the thrill of out running a couple of thunderstorms. We watched one storm stay in line with us, but it was several miles south of us. It was cool to watch the storm move across the prairie.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to see the amazing countryside and meet and interact with people in all the little towns we go through. Many people are amazed and somewhat envious of our abilities to get on the bike day after day.
It is difficult to feed 24 people at one setting in some of these small towns. We have eaten at a Senior's community center, a truck stop, bowling alley, casino, and tonight we are going to eat at a golf club. The food has been pretty good and generally the breakfasts have been buffets, with lots of oatmeal. During the day, we go through several bunches of bananas and granola bars, cookies, and Gatorade.
We've had a couple easy days, so Dave and I cleaned alot of bikes for people yesterday. We have also changed many flat tires, especially yesterday. I think we had10-12 flats.

Rolling Hills of North Dakota

We are now in our 4th state and 3rd time zone. Contrary to the below picture, roads have improved in North Dakota. They are actually using asphalt, BFA (butt friendly asphalt), instead of chip and seal. The rolling hills are truly reminiscent of the Tuscan region of Italy, but the oilfield and construction semis and lack of friendly Italian villas, quickly brings me back to the US. The fields are green and lush and ND 1904 rolls over hill after hill.
Yesterday, we visited the confluence of the Yellowstone and Missouri rivers and they are quite impressive, and higher than normal, due to all the rain. We did experience an afternoon thunderstorm firsthand and I went out and brought a few people in to the motel in the van.
Today, we are staying in the 4 Bears Casino and Lodge, outside of New Town, ND. We will be in Minot tomorrow night.
The guests on this trip are very well educated, athletic, have a good sense of humor and are very generous and are fun to be around. What a positive experience this has been and continues to be.
Dennis

10 days in Montana

Ho Hum, just another day in Paradise!
While we started in Montana experiencing a great deal of rain, it has since cleared up and been nice riding West to East. We have traveled all the way across the state on US Highway 2. This highway has seen better days, even though the state has tried to upgrade the road, they have done so with varying grades of chip and seal. Let me tell you, the rougher grades are rough on the seat. Mile markers are now up to 600+ miles
We spent 2 glorious nights in Glacier Park Lodge. (Top two photos) It was built in 1913 by the Great Northern Railroad. The beams are 40 feet high Douglas firs, railroaded to Glacier from Oregon. While it was rainy and cold(38) outstide, the huge fireplace was toasty inside and all were glad we were not riding.
The past couple of days have been generally flat and this been just as majestic, in its own special way. Today, people set new PR's for 100+ miles, as the day was sunny and an everpresent tail wind of about 15-20 mph. Some folks completed the trip in just over 4 hours. What a Day! What a Day!
For a more lengthy report of our travels, please go to the Crazy Guy on a Bike link, in the top right hand corner.

Glacier Experiences

We are now on the Great Plains. Having left the wonder of the Glacier National Park, we will now grind our way across Montana and North Dakota. I had the opportunity to ride about 2/3 of Going to the Sky Road and it was Marvelous, Magnificent, and Majestic! The mountains, lakes, rivers, and glacier action is truly amazing!
Upon leaving East Glacier, we quickly left the Rocky Mountains and are now in Shelby, MT. We had a nice little tail wind, so it made the 70 miles go pretty easy.
My thoughts are with my family as they are together and celebrating the life of Bill Hughes.
Thanks for some wonderful friends, Rand and JoAnn, who were there for my family. I am so blessed and grateful to have a supportive family and wonderful friends. Thanks also to people who have sent their condolences! I am doing well and enjoying my adventure!
Love you,
Dennis

Dedication

The ride today was in memory of William J. Hughes. My ride today from Priest River, ID to Libby, MT began with a heavy heart, as Uncle Bill died last night from complications from pneumonia. Uncle Bill was a pilot, social worker, politican, and lobbyist and was a person who enjoyed being in the air and on the water. To me, he was always looking for ways to increase his effectiveness and his impact on the world around him. He encouraged me try and do things I might be hesitant to try.
As I rode along side the Ponderay River and Lake Pend Oreille in Idaho, I saw several eagles soaring over the water and thought about and focused on Bill. As he is making the transition from the Physical world to the Spiritual realm, I believe he was with the eagles soaring above me in such a beautiful and magnicifent setting.
I ended the ride with my Spirit uplifted as I truly believe Uncle Bill is Soaring with the eagles.
Thank you Bill Hughes, your memory and legacy will live forever!

The Journey Begins

Hello, The above group met last Sat and drove 4 hours to Neah Bay. On Sunday we transported everyone to the Pacific Ocean and were blessed by a Native American leader.
We have now crossed the state of Washington and are in Idaho. The Cascades were beautiful and with all the waterfalls, I now understand how the Cascades were named. We had been rained on 4 of 5 days. We were able to make it through Idaho in one day.
The scenery has been magnificient and the passes challenging, while not much higher than Denver altitude wise.
The group is persistently determined to ride as many miles as possible. They are strong riders with a great deal of knowledge and expertise. Most have ridden with Timberline in the past.
I had the great fortune to see cousins, Rick Lentini in Seattle and Steve and Julie Lentini in Colville as they came up from Spokane. It was great to see all three and get a little more caught up.
Most days begin early, around 6:30 or 7 with breakfast and then loading up the two trailers with luggage and putting food and water in the van for guests as they ride across the countryside. Dave Holt and I share the responsibilities of driving one van and split the time on the bike. as the day winds down, we make sure all the riders are in at the motel or hotel, we unload luggage, work on bikes as needed, have dinner with everyone and usually go to bed early, at least it seems early, as it is still light in the Pacific Northwest.

How I arrived at this position

Hello Friends and Family,
I wanted to share how I was able to attain such a perfect position for the summer. My life has made some significant turns over the past several months, and it turns out I am receiving what I have asked for both positively and negatively. I was clear in my mind I didn't want to be in my last position, and that came to pass. I also put it out there where I wanted to be and that too has come to fruition.
I have learned a great deal about myself and how the Universe manifests what is desired. Over the past 7-8 months, I've worked hard to get to a point in which I now have a opportunity to reach my dreams and goals. Through the assistance of my family, friends, Master Mind group, therapist, and spiritual development, I have grown in many positive ways and now feel like I am a butterfly and completely whole, complete, and fulfilled. Meditation and becoming aware of the Oneness of all people and Spiritual Being has led to manifestation and magnificence. I am so excited to have the chance to ride my bicycle and experience the thrill of riding with incredible people as I travel the US. Thank you all for your support and encouragement!