Stage 20 - Jordan to Glendive, MT - June 13, Thursday

FYI: The blog covers Thursday’s activities although the day of posting is Saturday morning.

THE NORSEMAN’S PASSAGE …

The Norseman’s Passage is a journey with many ‘layers’. The epic climbs. The amazing scenery. Historic memorials. Incredible food. The people we meet. Our companionship. All reasonably expected. The diverse and wonderful accommodations have been a nice surprise. Credit to Architect David and his incredible research skills.

Fellman’s Motel in Jordan is at best described as nondescript from the outside. Yet ... our room is a delight. Clean. Simply appointed. Accommodating bathroom. Effective A/C. Beds firm. I slept well.

We eat breakfast at The Summit Corral. The owner is outside grilling pigs for the weekend’s Centennial Celebration. He recently moved to Jordan. His hometown had grown from 300 to 7,000 and he needed to get away from big city life. His wife, he says, is still adjusting. The nearest Walmart is 80+ miles away. Earlier in Montana, we passed a billboard advertising a grocery store 78 miles away. Distances and availability take on new meaning in rural America.

TODAY’S RIDE: A GOOD DAY TURNS BAD …

The weather is hot and sunny and getting hotter. Temps reach the mid to high 80s during the day.

Today’s final destination is 117 miles away. We plan on riding as much as we can; I’m excited. We calculate our approach re hydration and nutrition. I’m comfortable I will have enough food and calories for the trip. We know there is a rest stop about 40 miles in. That’s a stretch for my water needs so I decide to carry three water bottles (the additional one in my middle back pocket). On a hot day, I consume three to four bottles about every two hours. I sweat like an open spigot.

I’m looking forward to the day. For the first time, I am not intimidated by the thought of going 100+ miles. I know I have it in me. I’ve been tested these past 20 days and met the challenge. Ahh, a little arrogance setting in maybe? My over-confidence among other factors will spell my doom later today. In the morning, though, what awaits me has not yet been learned.

Off we go. We ride together for a while. Soon I find myself alone not sure exactly where or how I left David. I’m unaccustomed to riding in groups and the etiquette is a mystery to me. Decoding social norms has always been difficult to impossible for me. It’s part of being ADD. That doesn’t reduce the frustration that accompanies being in the dark about things so obvious to others. I wouldn’t trade being ADD for anything but I still get annoyed at the difficulties imposed. I try and keep view of David on the hilltops behind me. Keeping another rider in your “line of sight” is one way to make sure all is well.

MY DOWNFALL …

The day is hot. There is little to no shade.

The route appeared relatively flat but is instead a constant series of long slow descents and long slow ascents. I’m either romping downhill or slogging up one. It is harder than I thought. I started out strong, the result of my enthusiasm and eagerness. I have a habit of pushing too hard too early in a ride and today is no exception. I reason my effort fits well with the route I envisioned. I don’t realize the effect the constant ups and downs is having on me.

I run low on water and start rationing my intake. I ponder hydration alternatives and see none. There are no services. The few homes are actually ranches well set back from the road; the settings uninviting. The assumptions I made, pure guesses, are turning out all wrong. The only water I have is what I am carrying unless I do something drastic.

My lower back is hurting. Last summer I injured my erector spinae muscles and lost 2-4 weeks of cycling. I do exercises regularly to strengthen and stretch the involved muscle groups. I worry regularly about a flare-up; the cycling posture exacerbates these muscles and I have been working hard and long in pedaling positions that aggravate my erector spinae muscles. Now they are hurting and I start getting nervous about ‘why’. I decide to move the water bottle (which has been empty) to a side pocket so it is not pressing on my back muscles. It seems to help.

An oasis appears. The rest stop. It is an amazing place. A nice building. Clean. Great restrooms (well, I speak only for the men’s room). Air conditioned!!! Water fountains!!! Nice benches outside. Trees. Shade. I drink and drink. I take off my shoes to let my feet stretch out and air. I lie on one of the outdoor benches (I am the only one there) and do my back stretches. David arrives a few minutes after me. We catch up. He set a much smarter pace than I but the day’s heat is undiscriminating and he’s as happy with the rest stop as I.

THE END OF MY RIDE …

I resume my ride. I’m about ten miles past the rest stop and worrying again about water. I only filled two bottles before leaving; I am not putting any additional weight on my back. With the heat and my sweat spigot full on, I am consuming my limited water supply. I don’t know when I will see Judy and Sonya again; I know the details were shared but I don’t remember. Concerns about my back stop me from using the cycling postures which are most efficient and deliver my best performance. The rolling hills continue. I have already climbed almost 2,500 feet. That’s stout for 40+ miles. This is not flat stage. There is no shade on the route. Aaargh … so many decisions and actions that are not working out. I’m frustrated.

The van approaches! Saviors! I pedal to where Judy and Sonya are waiting. David is there as well. I have already decided I have had enough. I am upset at myself. I am disappointed in how the ride turned out. This is the first day I feel defeated. The promise of what I expected make the disappointment's reality even harder to stomach. I load my bike on the van and declare I am done, at least till lunch.

REGROUPING …

Lunch is excellent. I continue to be amazed at David’s ability to find incredible stops in small out of the way towns in settings one wouldn’t even notice. Our restaurant of choice has “lunch” in its name; and unlike yesterday, they are open and doing a thriving business. The store, and I regret not remembering their full name, is great. Its like a trip back in time in some respects. I enjoy my sub; my chocolate milk shake is divine. We talk about the day and what we have learned. David joins us. Jonah will resume riding and the two of them will complete the rest of the route.

I go to Glendive in the van. I need to regroup. I need to do laundry. Terri would laugh: I decline when Judy volunteers to do my clothes with theirs. I tell her doing laundry is therapy.

Later on, we have a wonderful dinner. David and Jonah arrive for the main meal after we’ve had appetizers. Jonah and maintenance had an interesting encounter but us Norseman keep confidences. The mood at dinner is relaxed. We tell stories and laugh. It is a good ending to the first day I felt I let myself down. I am glad to be with my fellow Norseman (including Judy and Sonya, as Norseman is gender neutral! - just saying).