I bargained. I got angry. I fell into depression. We gathered, rode, and I healed.

153.16 miles and 22,648 vertical feet of climbing in 21 hours and 16 minutes.

Thanks Sten for having my bottles always full and preparing Marcy's ashes for every leg. Thanks you for staying awake all night and taking the journey with me. 

Thanks Ronnie for starting the journey with me and then being there all night long.

Thanks to Dave for sharing the first part of the trip with me. Thanks for the beer and the wisdom of long distance riding.

Thanks Rich and Marta for taking the journey and when exhausted decided to stay the night and see me finish my pancakes the next day. 

Thanks Jim for taking the journey and all your spirit in the grand loop of Missoula, I appreciate the enthusiasm, brother of the map.

Thank you Garland for the great rides this year and taking on the adventure in front of me blazing the way.  Thanks for being there the next morning with your son to welcome me back home.

Larry, you rode 80 plus miles and I thank you for all the great meet ups out on the trail.

We did it, what an epic adventure. What a vision quest.  Thanks!

I have been fatigued lately and I wanted to take it easy. I took a few warm up laps and discovered I am way out of practice dismounting my bike and getting back on. No problem, I would just go easy.

At the gun I let the entire field go. As I looked up I noticed that the pace at the front was not that fast and if I would of been on top of my game and didn't have a 24 hour ride coming up, I feel I would of been  up there.  Soon I got into a rhythm.

So I picked racers off one at a time and worked my way to upper mid pack and was going pretty good. A rider crashed and I waited till he got back on, he was doing well and was a good pacing partner.  Then it happened!

I came around a gravel corner, deep just plowed gravel, and my front tire washed out.  I went down hard and drove my knee into the ground.  I crashed hard onto my shoulder and I hurt my back so bad it took me quite a while to get going ( a long time).  I don't know how I finished but I did.

So now the RMVQ is questionable but at the very least I will support my friends and we will have a good weekend anyway.  I am real bummed I may not be able to ride.  I will Keep ice, clean it up and asses in the morning.  Good Night!