Buccs/Bucks on Bikes: Wednesday, June 30 - Day 17 - 83 Miles

Today was a fairly tough day. We were in the saddle (aka sitting on a bike seat) for about 5 hours and 45 minutes, and most of that time we were working pretty hard. I say that because some time you are descending and some time you have a tailwind. Today we climbed a lot...even though it was gradual for the majority of the time...it was still work. The rest of the day seemed to have a strong headwind, nearly stopping us in our tracks a couple of times.

Early on in the day, we passed through two really cool towns, Nevada City and Virginia City. They both looked like they had some things Kim and the kids would enjoy....so they did just that...more on that from Kim later. For now, I will just say we rode a while today without the support from our support van.

The day's route took us on SR 287 and US 287. The roads weren't bad, but there was NOTHING and I mean NOTHING for long stretches of road. Again, not good without the support from the support van.

We eventually made it to our campground just past Quake Lake, a lake that was formed by an earthquake in 1959. Here is more info on the lake:

On August 17, 1959 an earthquake in the Madison Canyon River Area, near West Yellowstone, formed Quake Lake. The earthquake created a massive landslide of about 80 million tons of rock, which stopped the flow of the Madison River in the Madison River Canyon gorge. The landslide caused 28 deaths, flooding and about $11 million in damage to the forests and highways in the area. The lake measures six miles long, one-third of a mile wide, and 190 feet deep.

Anyway, we are staying at a campground near this lake and heard the rumors of storms in the area. We have to do a little more preparation for sleep since we are in bear country. Getting all food into the closed van (with Kim and the kids, ha!) and out of our tents is one of the rules of camping in this area. I am not interested in visitors in the night...Bobby doesn't seem to care too much...but, Kyle and I are getting everything out of our tent.

(Enter Kim) Okay.....a couple of things. As I read the above entry, I decided I needed to clarify a thing or two. The "support van" was otherwise occupied today for a very good reason. To begin, Steve told me today to "take my time" and enjoy the sights. So we did! But, we got a lot more than we bargained for, let me tell you! To make a long story very short, Nevada City and Virginia City are only 1.5 miles apart. Nevada City is an old "Ghost Town" and Virginia City is populated (like 150 people!) But they are very unique western towns with a small railroad inbetween the two that many tourists, such as the kids and I, often ride back and forth. Well......the ride from NC to VC went flawlessly, and we had a great time taking in the sites in VC. On the return trip, however, it was a slightly different experience. First of all, Nathan, Anna, and I were the only 3 passengers among the 50+ preschoolers and their chaperones. Fun. And secondly, about 100 yards into the ride, over the top of a small bridge and stream, the train DERAILED! Yes...that's right! It derailed. So, I found myself helping to unload 3,4, and 5 year olds from a train, off of the bridge, and into a nearby field. By the time this situation was remedied (which involved a shuttle AND a refund!), I was a little behind on the whole "support van" thing! Makes them appreciate me for all I do, huh???? Enjoy the pictures below!