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Our objective today was only 35 miles to Livingston Montana. We heard good things about Livingston. Cari suggested we visit the highly rated Gateway to Yellowstone museum (it’s closed on Mondays). I envisioned a nice dinner in a cozy, historic downtown… it’s not much more impressive than Deer Lodge. But, it’s our home for the night, though it nearly wasn’t…

We arrived in Livingston just after 2pm. As we rolled into town, Lecy proposed we take advantage of the favorable tailwind and cruise another 20 miles down the road. I hate to be a slavish taskmaster to the plan, but when we dallied in our Bozeman departure this morning I thought we were all on the same page: today was a consecutive recovery day, even though we were spending 35 miles on the bike. To be greeted with a proposal to put in additional miles and prolong our day seemed like the exact opposite of that motive.

We quickly rolled into and through downtown Livingston, then Geeto yelled out, “Beer?” and we circled back to the Fainting Goat Pub. We sat at the bar and commenced a debate. Lecy: “”Let’s take advantage of this tailwind and get 20 more miles down the road.” Geeto: “I don’t care. Find us another hotel 20 miles on.” Me: “I vote strongly to stay in Livingston.” We consulted maps and apps; we went back to the old debate of Apple Maps vs Ride with GPS recommendations. We seemingly agreed that the predominant suggested route would put us on a 36-mile journey that includes 12 miles of gravel road. Again, the debate ensued. Me: “I don’t want to go another mile further. I don’t want to ride on gravel roads this afternoon or the I-90 alternative.” Lecy: “I just think we should take advantage of favorable conditions and put miles in the bank when they’re given to us.” Geeto (to our bartender Zoe): “Pour us three shots of tequila.”

So, here we are, enjoying a longish and relaxingish night in Livingston. Another recovery day will be good before 6 potentially challenging days to Bismarck. And, a shower tonight will be nice as we have plans for camping the next 3 nights (and maybe the first absence of morning porcelain). I can’t say I enjoyed the tequila, but I appreciated Geeto’s inclination to hold to the plan tonight (though 20 more effortless miles would be appreciated).

It was a nice day of riding. Though it was also surprisingly difficult after what seemed like a week off in Big Sky. We had a few climbs as we finish our departure from the Rockies. One climb up Kelly Canyon was 3.5 miles long with some 9% grade – it felt as difficult as Pipestone Pass. After we crossed Bozeman Pass on the I-90 frontage road, it was all downhill to Livingston.

On the road, we stopped for lunch after our long climb in Kelly Canyon. Halfway through our PBJs, a solo traveler (Jim) was riding uphill from the east. He started in D,C. and his destination is La Push WA (NW of Seattle). We compared notes of our 1/3rd journey vs his 2/3rds. Jim’s from Cincinnati and is charting his own route, and it seems we’re only overlapping for 200-300 miles in Montana. Mad respect for Jim on his post-retirement solo journey; and crazy that we happened upon one another at the apex of a difficult climb in the middle of nowhere.

Also of note today.. a new Pilgrim land speed record of 40.9 MPH. Fueled by PBJ and a massive downhill, we had enough confidence in our abilities, our steeds, and the roads to go over 40 on a bike. I don’t imagine we’ll see another spot to repeat this feat as things start to flatten out towards the east.

As we head towards eastern Montana and North Dakota, Geeto suggests we mix up some pemmican to take with us. It’s a mixture of bison brain, bone marrow grease and dried berries. This is a high calorie food that can last unrefrigerated for 2-5 years. However, it seems we need to dry this in the sun for days to arrive at the consistency we need for travel. So, we’ll have to forgo the 4-6,000 years-old recipe for more trail mix and PBJ, though blueberry bison brain sounds delish.

We had a lovely eclectic rib dinner at Montana’s Rib and Chop House. When was the last time you sank your teeth into a slab of ribs hearing Devo singing Whip It? Or when was the last time you heard Whip It at any restaurant at any time? The food was excellent and we ate enough for six; we should be well fueled for a 6,000 calorie day tomorrow.

I forgot to mention last night… I FaceTimed with my son Isaac. I was very excited to see him; he’s legitimately happy I’m still alive. I should’ve gotten a screen shot of him like I did my daughters. But, because I didn’t doesn’t mean I love him less. It’s funny though when you have multiple kids how the relationship differs with each of them (though as they’re all unique individuals I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised). I think Isaac and I have much better conversations across the billiards table then we have over the airwaves, but it was uplifting to see him and hear his voice.

Tomorrow, we have 75 miles planned to a park along the Yellowstone River in Columbus MT. Here’s a Ride w/GPS map, though this isn’t exactly what we plan to execute. Tomorrow, after two miles departure from Livingston, we’re on to I-90 for 4 miles to avoid the 14-mile southern loop to the south. We feel 4 miles of interstate is better than this 14 mile diversion or 12 miles of gravel road. Day 17: Livingston to Columbus

I’m going to offer two songs again for the playlist. The first in recognition that we’re rolling on to more miles on the bike after what seems an impossible task. Rollin’ On, The second is maybe a nod to our hotel room. We’ve yet to share a bed on this adventure, though the hotel world is really built for even numbers. Twice now we’ve been able to claim unique hotel rooms built for three individuals. The little pigs. Three stooges. Three bears. Three blind mice… I think of us as the three pilgrims, or maybe: Three Free Amigos.

Note 1: In yesterday’s blog, I mentioned Lecy’s niece being the primary actor in an artificial porcine insemination program. Apparently, that’s Cari’s niece; Lecy’s relatives should stop wondering. And… that’s what happens when I try to blog and participate in conversations simultaneously.

Note 2: Geeto really has one job on this journey, check and maintain tire pressure. Outside of that, he doesn’t have any other redemptive capabilities or qualities that we’ve been able to exploit. Sure, he can save our lives if we suffer a heart attack or choke on a hot dog, but we don’t plan to need those services. So, when Geeto checked my tire pressure tonight and lost the valve stem cover… it caused some question of his skills in this one job. Then, he showed he’s willing to go above and beyond tonight as he went rear over tiddly-winks to find and rescue that lost valve stem cover.

Note 3: I really appreciate folks following the blog. And I enjoy the comments though I have been limited in response. I know my mom, sisters, Katie, Lisa, Penny and others are following along on our journey, and at times I think I can feel your support. I was really happy today seeing the devotion that Merilee puts in as she plots our daily plans and prays for us! Thanks Merilee!