Day 10 Tuesday, July 3

A most unusual day! We woke up to rain showers, but our technology told us that we could ride later in the morning. So we took our time and enjoyed the sights of Coram, MT - a bar that sold breakfast.

Sun! Get the bike loaded! Get dressed! Stop to get gas! Rain..... We sat at the gas station for about half an hour. We could have put on rain suits, but that is always a commitment to a rainy day.

The sun came out again, and we decided to risk it. So we travelled north , dancing in and out of raindrops, toward Eureka where we planned to take take route 37 down along the beautiful Kootenai River to Libby, MT.

At Eureka, the "road less travelled" called to Jules and we veered off the highway to climb over the mountain instead of around it! It started out as a memorable paved road with switchbacks and amazing scenery. There was not another car on the road and very few houses. Then there was gravel and two choices of roads. We got off the bike and were deciding which dirt road to take when a pick-up pulled up out of nowhere with at least four dogs in the front seat slobbering all over a large man with a red, white and blue mohawk! He came out of the truck. Out where we were, a big guy that looks like this could be intimidating, and I have to be honest, the song from "Deliverance" was playing in my head. But he was an instant friend. He told us that there were still snow drifts on the road we wanted to take and maybe we couldn't get through. He blamed his hairdo on his grandsons. The people you meet.....

So we went back to Eureka, tried to get to Libby the way everybody else does and the wind and the rain drove us back to a motel in town where we are holed up now. The weather map is showing patches of snow close to where we sleep tonight. Tomorrow is another adventure.

Out here, on the bike, weather takes on a greater meaning. You learn to read the sky and when the story ends in 60 mph winds, thunder, lightening, and torrential rain,(or maybe snow) it's time to close the book.