Monday, July 18th
One of the toughest things on this trip has not been the cycling but deciding when not to cycle. Knowing when to stop, take time off the bike, and maybe just do nothing. When you have a schedule to keep, or at least a place to be by a certain point, any time off the bike not spent inching forward, however slowly, can feel like wasted time.
Today I was torn between staying in the park another night, or leaving and continuing West. In the end, I left. Right now, as I write this in a Montana campground around 45 miles from where I was this morning, swatting at mosquitos, i’m regretting that slightly. But perhaps it would always have been hard to leave. Reaching Yellowstone seemed like a huge milestone for me, even though I have somewhere in the region of 1000 miles to go. It just felt like a landmark, in part due to the sheer size of it, but also the fact I had to cross mountains to get there, not to mention the 13 or 14 states beyond them. 
Now feels like the beginning of the end at least. I can’t help but count down the days until my flight and try and map these to the land I’ve yet to traverse. I’m doing ok for time really, but I suppose i’m reluctant to take my feet off my pedals until I can believe I can smell the sea.
So leaving Yellowstone today was difficult, i’ve realised, because leaving was accepting that this trip will end.
After the bear talk and the storm I actually slept very well and woke early and fresh. I spent some time in the morning chatting with Edward, my camping neighbour from the Netherlands. He was the one who almost convinced me to stay, after extending his stay to two nights. I found it harder to justify with my time constraints, and the fact that i’d seen just about everything I wanted to.
But I was in an indecisive frame of mind. First I cycled out toward the West entrance gate, then went back on myself after a couple of miles, then I turned back again. All in all 10 miles of indecision and wasted energy, but it enabled me to finally listen to the new Radiohead album in full at least.
When I did finally leave the park I found myself in the small touristy town of West Yellowstone. This entrance to the park was a totally different experience to the quiet North East entrance I entered through.
Unashamedly I headed straight to the McDonalds. There was no service in the park on my phone and I needed to get online for a bit. And drink a milkshake. And eat 10 chicken nuggets.
I had the ACA Transamerica route saved on my phone, so could follow this up to Missoula, which would be my next landmark, and possibly where i’d reconnect with the guys i’d cycled with last week.
I was in two minds about cycling with them all the way to the end, for a couple of reasons 1) I think they are intending on taking the interstate a lot of the time, which doesn’t appeal to me 2) When I cycled with them before although the company was great it no longer felt like my trip, it was a little like I was just a passenger on theirs. When people stopped to talk to us it was all about their mission, and my story kind of fell to the side. I liked the guys a lot, and none of this was their fault, but I did prefer going it alone in some ways. Ideally we can cycle together for a bit, then I might split off to take a more scenic route to the end. Either way, Missoula promises to be a cool little town from what everyone has said, and will also provide a much needed rest day, maybe two.
After leaving McDonalds I headed for the supermarket. Given the proximity to the park things were still overpriced, though a little less so than inside. I wasn’t sure what exactly lied ahead in the next few days so filled a bag with a few days provisions.
I was back in Montana. A tiny sign notified me off this fact just before leaving the park. I’d crossed back and forth between Wyoming and Montana three or four times in the last few days, but now i’d be in Montana until I hit Idaho for a short distance before Washington.
I tried to put the confusion of the morning behind me. I put on some music and sped put of town with the wind behind me. I was vaguely aiming for Beaver Creek, somewhere around 25 miles away.
Montana seemed to have more trees than anywhere else, and a clear mountain sky. The air felt fresh here. I’d miss being in the mountains, but I had some climbs ahead before I descended the Rockies.
After clearing the town I followed the Madison River, a beautiful ride with a view green mountains across the water and ahead as the road curved around the mountain. I dropped in altitude a little and enjoyed the downhills as I’d developed a severe pain in my right calf. I put this down to fatigue, took an industrial strength Ibuprofen from a packet I bought in Guatemala, and battled on through the wind and the small climbs which eventually lead to Beaver Creek where there was a National Forest campground.
The campground was on a hill, raised above Earthquake Lake below. I’m curious how it got that name. It’s relatively early for me but with the pain in my leg and the general confusion of the day, i’m happy to call it a day and start again tomorrow.
I study my map. I’ll aim for Virginia City, 62 miles away. There doesn’t seem to be much in-between. I look at the very end of my route, around the Seattle / Vancouver area, and wonder how it will feel to be there. There’s a campsite at the very tip of Seattle which might make a good ‘end’ point, before heading into Vancouver. But i’m getting ahead of myself.
A guy comes to collect my money as i’m stashing my food into the bear proof box. He has a limp and informs me that the mountain behind us has the highest concentration of grizzly bears in the state. A comforting thought to take to bed.
Map