Head Winds!

Head winds, mountains, and daylight continue to be the main obstacles. We have also met the first person on the trip that really wanted to help but had no idea what the hell he was talking about. There were flags right next to us that were clearly blowing straight at us. This guy left that spot, wondered off into some tress and landscaping, came back and determined the wind would magically shift its direction in our favor in about 30 miles. Well, he was wrong and the day continued to suck. We still managed to get 106 miles, but it wasn't pretty. I can honestly say this is the first time on the trip that I did not want to ride my bike.

Other CrossCountry Riders
We have now seen 4 riders going the opposite direction. The guy today was somewhat of a surprise because we are off any organized route. We only talked to one couple that were our age or little younger. They seemed to be in good spirits. They started in New York and probably had less than a week to go. It's always fun to see other riders, and I hope we run into some going our direction. We started super late, so maybe they will start to pop up in Kentucky when we catch up.

Polka Dot Jersey
Dave locked up the mountain points with another stunning defeat of his nearest competitor. Despite three vicious attacks up the pass west of Helena, Dave counter-attacked and even laughed at my futile attempt to make the race close. Current Standings: (1) DP - 66; (2) JJ - 50 (still a podium finish)

Green Jersey
JJ - 4 new points for a beautiful Llama early in today's ride. However, minus two points for a dropping my bike and forgetting to pick up my water bottle that fell out of its holster.

Current Standings
DP - 23
JJ - 18

GC
JJ - 69:13, 853 miles
DP - +0.00