I'm in Montana already! When I left Forest Grove over 3 weeks ago, Missoula seemed worlds away. It's satisfying to know that if you wake up every day and pedal, you really do get somewhere.
My host here in Missoula is Nick Engelfried, a good friend and Pacific alum who's now a grad student at the university here, studying Environmental Writing. He's an inspiration to me: he doesn't own a car,and has even found a way to get from his apartment in Missoula to the surrounding wilderness areas for backpacking trips. By bike, of course! He wears his camping backpack, and pedals the distance in 40 minutes. Once there, he embarks on a 1-3 night backpacking trip and returns to the parking lot to pedal home. Now that's what I call awesome!
This city has proven refreshingly hospitable to cyclists, with well-marked bike lanes, racks, and routes. (It's also home to the organization that created the Transam Bicycle Route that I've been following. If you're riding one of their routes and stop into their office, they give you free icecream and take your picture to add to the wall. I stopped in today, along with Joey & Jess, and discovered there are at least 12 other women who have toured solo this year. Woot!
Luckily enough, I managed to get a last-minute interview with the ACA marketing director. It's the first thing I've done so far to truly work on the academic side of my Senior Presentation, and it felt great! She was incredibly helpful, interested, and directed me to some good resources. Thank goodness for knowledgeable people who have the time to chat with folks like me.
Heading back on the road tomorrow, and wishing you all the best!
Glad u are finding so many good people to help u out on your journey. Never been to Montana except maybe when we drove from Idaho to Wyoming to see Uncle Phil... Anyway make friends and stay safe sis.
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