Salt Lake City, Utah
October 6, 2014

Dear Family & Friends:

Here is my report for the last two days.

Billings, Montana  to Butte, Montana (October 4)

I didn’t make a lot of forward progress on this ride. I enjoyed clear skies and a bright sun, and I was even able to remove my gloves.  But, the wind really slowed me down. For most of the ride, I was battling headwinds of over 30-miles per hour. Without a windshield for protection, this makes for a very tough and tiring ride. But, I’m not complaining because I had relief from the bitter cold and rain.

The other reason for my slow progress on this day is that I pulled into Bozeman for lunch. The Stanford/Notre Dame football game was on television, and I couldn’t leave until halftime.

For the next segment of the ride, I will jump on Highway 15 South, which will take me through Idaho, Utah and Nevada into California.

Butte, Montana to Salt Lake City, Utah (October 5)

This was a “Triple Zero” weather day-0 wind, 0 rain & 0 cold. Triple Zero days and the spectacular countryside were created by God just for bikers. This was a fun ride into Salt Lake City. I made fantastic progress because of the good weather. I exited Montana and blasted through Idaho, almost without stopping. All along the way, I layered down with the clothing and lathered my face with sunblock. Next thing you know, I’ll be complaining about the heat. I’m loving it.

One problem: as I head further South, I encounter more traffic. The bucolic countryside is replaced by congested freeways. This is not fun. I’m hoping the ride tomorrow will be more open and less stressful once I get out of Salt Lake City.

I hope to reach Las Vegas on October 6 and arrive home on October 7.
Bill

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