Yes, we're still on Highway 12

Day 11: Woke up in Kamiah, ID and rode to Powell Junction, ID. It was 95 miles surrounded by trees as we followed the Clearwater River through the Idaho forests. It was a VERY long day with my personal max speed reaching only 29 mph. So, yes, the ride was long... but we made it! We made it to the Lochsa Lodge in Powell which was kinda like a log cabin camp/resort. It was well taken care of and there was an excellent restaurant right there where we had dinner. I had the country fried steak and Andrew had the roast beef. Both dishes were amazing! Later, I caught some down time with Chadd from UW watching some movies on his laptop. After that we got some huckleberry ice cream at the restaurant. The waiter gave us four scoops for the price of three! Some guys stayed up by the campfire but I was too tired. I got into bed early.
Day 12: Even though I got a good amount of sleep (IN A BED), I was still tired and my muscles felt tight. I'm not a big fan of that area of Idaho. There are scary old men and no cell/internet service. After a slow 8 mile ride to the stretching point, I felt better. I guess just preparing myself for the 4-5 mile climb. My group of three averaged 7-8 mph up Lolo Pass. We had all been told it was going to be a tough climb but at the summit, I had never been so happy for all of the stinking hills there are in Washington that I had been training on. It was tough, don't get me wrong, but after a few gulps out of the water bottle, I was fine and ready to go. After a photo op. at the summit sign reading the elevation

and the "Welcome to Montana" sign, we froze flying down the back side of the mountain. After that steep descent, it was mostly down hill til about 8 miles out of Missoula, MT. My group was cruising between 19 and 25mph for most of the ride. With the change to Mountain Time, we had less than an hour to get ready for a lunch with Adventure Cycling, the organization who creates cycling routes throughout the U.S. We got a good meal and some cool history on the organization. Plus, this cool sticker that says "I ride, therefore I Trans-Am." I took a shower and nap after lunch and prepared for an interesting and rewarding friendship visit/dinner at Opportunities Resources, an assisted living home for some people with pretty severe disabilities. Communication was hard at times and limited, but they were very excited to see us, that's for sure. We had some great tacos and chocolate cream pie for dessert, which I love! Missoula's definitely cooler than the isolated places we stayed in in Idaho. After dinner, I played a two on two game of basketball in the gym here at Hellsgate High School. Later, we enjoyed some nightlife at the Iron Horse. We've got a dayoff today, much needed before our six days of cycling which are awaiting. So, today, it's blog updating, laundry, a team meeting, and basically relaxation. Giving my butt and legs some time to rest. I having trouble keep track of places and days and it seems like it's already been so long, it blows my mind to think that there's still two months left. When we get a better connection, we throw some more pictures on here. Thanks for stopping by!