Day 4 July 9/14 Libby, Montana 1,200 kms

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Today was a perfect day on the bikes, and hopefully indicative of what the rest of the trip will be like. It's extremely refreshing having no agenda or itinerary or timeframe in which to get somewhere. After a short run this morning, we were on the road by 9 heading from Grand Forks to the Cascade US Border Crossing on Highway 395 into Washington State. Today was about taking breaks when we felt like it, and as many times as we felt like it. The weather topped out at 37 degrees, but seemed manageable with all jacket vents open, a wet bandana around the neck, a swap back into my smaller leather hiking boots and vented summer gloves. I used the mister bottle several times on my face, neck and legs, and also drank all 2 litres of water in the camelback by the middle of the afternoon.

We followed route 395 south to Colville. We stopped for a break to soak in the scenery along the Columbia River. There is, for me, a secure grounding element of riding alongside any river, particularly the Columbia which holds so many experiences and special memories for us. I almost added a bike drop story to today, as I turned around through the trees in order to stop and take some photos. These darn dualsports are so top heavy, particularly when full of fuel. Once past Colville, we turned left and headed east on Highway 20 and onto Highway 2 for the remainder of the day. This was the route we were unable to ride last year due to snowed out mountain passes. We thought about our friend John Hills a lot today. He rode this route all the way across to Sault St. Marie a couple of years ago. What a great road for bicycle riding - wide, well maintained with adequate shoulders and stunning scenery that surprises you with something unique at every turn. Another break happened at Pend Oreille Native Centre, shortly before crossing over into Idaho.

A first for us today was a nap in the shade on the grass by the Albeni Falls dam in Idaho. I don't know if it was ants crawling on me or someone's snoring that woke me up after a 30 minute power nap. Feeling fully refreshed, we were back in the saddle with a loose destination somewhere in Montana.

Montana's scenery is so Montana. Rugged mountains, vibrant green evergreens, opal coloured rivers, cascading waterfalls, and wildlife. Once again, we had to come to a sudden halt in the middle of the highway. No, not for me to bare my breasts to the whole world again, although I did at one point on the highway watch a hornet stroll across my visor in slo mo, before it dropped off downwards somewhere other than, I prayed, my shirt. Sorry, I digress. With a line of traffic behind us, coming to a full stop was a bit of a worry, but the alternative was to ride over two very young bambi's ignoring their mother's instructions on how to cross a road safely. They just stood there, shellshocked. A quick pip of my horn sent one in one direction, the other in the opposite direction, then both back towards each other to where they had been on the road 5 seconds earlier, prompting Mum to also stroll out into the road, give them what for, and leap into the verge with both in tow. It was an adorable moment.

Friends recently asked us how much we plan in advance as far as kms to travel per day, hotel accommodations etc. Even last year, we didn't plan anything ahead other than looking quickly at the map the night before to get a general idea what towns and hotels searched in expedia were within a 300 to 500 km range in the direction we were heading. We never booked accommodation more a couple of hours beforehand. Once the butts start to complain, we typically try to find a McDonalds to use their wifi in order to book a hotel for the night, or we just walk into a place that looks reasonable and ask for the best seniors or triple A or "it's our anniversary" rate. Tonight, we did that here in Libby, Montana at the Venture Inn. It can only get better. Or not. Welcome to small town USA! Dinner at the pub next door, write the blog, look briefly at the map for tomorrow, long sleep break.

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