Day 9

Ahhhh!  A day off and a hotel bed to sleep in.  I slept for 9.5 hours last night.  I can't remember the last time I slept that long.  I fell asleep at 9 pm--terrible company for my friend and son who had drove out to see me.

I woke up  before them and was able to get my laundry done in the hotel.  When everyone got up we went out in search of a new bike chain (as recommended by Allen, the mechanic).  I put a new chain and rear cassette on the bike less than 1000 miles ago, but apparently, it had streched to the limit.  The cassette appeared to still be good, but the 10-speed gear is so thin that it wore out already.  Part of the problem is that I'm a big rider, plus I'm standing (mashing) the pedals because my butt is sore. 

We bought a new chain and a backup mirror (plus more chamois butter) at the REI in Missoula.  We found Allen, the ride mechanic, at the University and he replaced the chain.  Allen is a great guy and I really appreciated him working on our rest day.

Tony, Dana, and I took a hike up part of the Rattlesnake Wilderness Area.  We only went up about mile to a saddle with a great view of Missoula.   My legs weren't completely wore out and the hike felt good.  We got caught in a rain/hail/thunderstorm on the ridge and spent some time huddled under a big fir.

We finished the day in a Mexican restaurant housed in a log cabin.  Many restaurants in Montana display lots of dead animal heads on the walls.  We joked that you didn't need a menu--just point.