I Hate Mosquitoes

 

 Reflecting on a great week of riding before the last ride: our dear friend Jim, the dish pit guru.

There a quite a few things in life that I really don't like, few that I hate.  But I hate mosquitoes.  But they love me!  I don't care how much mosquito goo I slather on my body, how much sagebrush I hang around the tent, or how many times I slap and swat, they get me.  The mosquitoes at Three Forks really loved me.  Tony and the guys sprayed the grass underneath the big top to deter them from visiting us at dinner.  We covered ourselves with bug goo and long sleeves.  The masses of mosquitoes prevailed.  As soon as the tribe gathered for the last supper, the swarms emerged from the surrounding areas making for a short eating time and a hurried up map meeting.  The tribe invented a new dance: the mosquito dance.  Swat, slap, wave, eat.  Swat, slap, wave, eat.  They were really cute. These mosquitoes were quick little buggers.  I have about 16 chomps.

We spent the morning exploring the farmer's market in Butte and visiting a great quilt shop in Whitehall.  I visited the quilt shop: Jack and Jim went for a coke.  The tribe had their water stop right across the street from us, and got to visit the Whitehall farmer's market while they were there.

After the ride up the pass most of the day was downhill for the tribe.  They wheeled into camp and enjoyed an afternoon of socializing.  Many new friendships have been made on this tour.  A few, new to bicycle touring, were excited to plan a trip for next year.  One rider commented that she would love to do another tour next year, but was sad that it wouldn't be the same group of people!  But, you could get me and Jack!

Dinner tonight was a romaine salad, fettuccini with red sauce with three little pigs, (three kinds of sausage), pesto with roasted peppers and greek olives, orzo with a garlic cream sauce, fresh green beans, feta and parmesan cheeses, dolmas, and Angel food cake with home canned peaches for dessert.  The peaches were a great hit.  A jar even got used as a prize at the map meeting.  These were peaches that we procured from Grand Junction, Colorado last year.  Yummm.

Tony led the final map meeting and Joe presented the awards for the ride.  Miss Congeniality was awarded to our new tribe member, Netzy, for being such a great, caring, addition to our clan.  We love you Netzy!

Tomorrow will be up and out early.  On to the final destination of Bozeman then on to home.  A short 36 miles after a long week of riding.  This was a great tour for everyone through some gorgeous parts of the Big Sky Country.

We broke camp at 8:00 and headed home.  We stopped in Kellogg for the night and lo and behold what did we find at the hotel we chose?  A parking lot filled with every recumbent you can imagine.  A club ride and they are setting up their bbq and bar in front of our room.  Now we know how the guests at our campgrounds feel! We also bumped into two of our riders from the Utah tour in the restaurant at the base of the gondola.  They are here riding the trails with friends from Bellingham.  It's a small world!

We are home for two weeks then on to Cycle the Gorge.  It's almost full: but there are still a couple of slots open if you want to join us for another great ride.  Happy trails!

Post Note: We are home and I just opened my latest addition of the ACA magazine.  Do you know what was featured?  The TaterTOT ride in Kellogg, Idaho.  What's the chance that we would show up the same day as the 2011 ride?  Pretty funny.  And those Velomobile things are really cool looking.  I guess they're really fast!  I dubbed some of the trikes "bug bikes".  They were green and looked like little mosquitoes!  Too much fun!