Lookout Pass
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 at 1:16PM Sometimes you just have to suck it up. After spending several days in Wallace, Idaho due to illness, we realized that I had no choice and had to ride yesterday. I was feeling better but in no shape to take on the ride to Missoula. With the forecast calling for thunderstorms in Wallace for the next three days it was either suck it up and ride or risk being stuck there until the weekend. As I said before, winter is approaching fast in this part of the world so I knew that I didn’t have much of a choice.
I ate a few peanut butter crackers, all I could manage to keep down, and headed out. The first 13 miles were all up hill to Lookout Pass and the Montana border.
Not feeling well and with no real food in my stomach I really struggled. It took me nearly 2 hours to get to the top (1:40 to be exact). Drained from the climb and previous days of being sick, I wasn’t paying attention on the decent. Bad idea. I was coasting at about 35mph and still trying to catch my breath when I looked up to see a giant piece of frost heave just ahead. For those of you who don’t know, frost heaves are sections of road that have been broken apart or forced up during the winter months. To the left was a big crater; road bikes aren’t meant to take on bumps, much less a huge hole in the road. To the right of that was a large piece of cement that had been pushed up to form a ramp. Road bikes also aren’t meant to get air born. In an instant both scenarios play out in my head, both of them end with me being catapulted into the air at a high rate of speed. With no time to stop and no time to debate I chose the ramp, at 35mph it shot me straight up into the air. I can only imagine what this must have looked like to the cars that were passing by, six foot seven dude jumping his road bike while descending Lookout Pass. I have no idea how high I was or how far I flew, I can only tell you that I had enough time mid air to consider the fact that when I landed I was probably looking at a wheel failure and a serious crash. Much to my surprise I landed it and continued descending.
The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful, just grinding out mile after mile knowing that I had to make it to Missoula. Considering how long it took me to ride the first 13 miles I made really good time the rest of the way, getting to Missoula just before sundown. We have some stuff to take care of here in town, but I may get on the bike today and try to get a few miles in before the storms that they are calling for hit.
9-7
108.24 miles
16mph average
37.8mph max
6:46:10 ride time
Reader Comments (2)
I guess all those crazy ramps you built with your brother's when you were younger finally paid off, I'm sure you took the ramp like a pro. Too bad the boys weren't there to see how far you flew!
I bet you looked like one of those circus bears with the tiny hat riding a tricycle! ;) be safe bro.