There had been rain in the night, and we woke to low clouds on the mountains. So we knew we were in for different weather today. 

But first, here are some photos from last night of the damned dam, and the 50ft high, snakey concrete fish ladder.

   
 
We had steaks and beer on a deck overlooking the river, watching the deer and the herons. The only thing spoiling the tranquilty were the huge, honking freight trains rolling through about 50 feet away. We counted 123 wagons on one of them. Again, the locals were very friendly and we were offered the use of a nearby fishing cabin. Sadly we had already checked in to our motel. 

After a quick breakfast at the 24hr gas station we were away early, heading up valley. Except it wasn’t really up at all. We didn’t gain any height in 65 miles of riding. The river just sits there quietly. Not a place for kayaking or rafting. Its because of the Missoula flood erosion. And this had also scoured the valley sides, so we cycled under huge crags. Side valleys played havoc with the wind direction. One minute we had a good tail wind and were purring along at 25mph, and the next minute it was in our face and we were doing 13. 

Entering Plains a train came past us – for what seemed like an eternity.

  
We also passed through Paradise, though we agreed that it left quite a lot to be desired. The owners of the fishing cabin drove past and wound down the window for a chat. Just like the tdf team cars – but no magic spanner.

  
Soon after Paradise the rain started, so no more photos I am afraid. After the 65 flat miles we stopped for brunch at the Bison cafe before the only (very gentle) climb of the day. I loved ordering a Huckleberry Short Stack with 2 eggs over easy. And I’ve nearly got the accent!

The Bison cafe is fairly near the National Bison Reserve. Sadly, this is one attraction where road bikes are a serious disadvantage. The idea is to drive miles of dirt track from an already remote visitor centre, over steeply rolling hills, looking for the beasties. And anyway, it was raining, so the bison were probably sulking. We stayed in the cafe. I am sure there are bison photos on the internet somewhere.

Fuelled by eggs and pancakes we flew up the hill in steady rain, and on to Missoula. This last section had much more traffic and we were riding a broad, but very dirty shoulder. The Continental 4000 tyres that we put on proved brilliant, coping even in the wet with bits of lumber, huge quantities of sharp grit, broken glass and assorted animal bones. The only thing they cant handle is the spiky wire from the shredded sidewalls of truck tires. So after one puncture each in good weather earlier in the trip, we were weaving furiously to avoid shreds of tire so as not to puncture in the rain. Running downhill to Missoula we actually kept pace with a train for several miles.

Our second day over 100 miles was done soon after 2pm, so we are off exploring soon. And a day off the bikes tomorrow.