Katie MacDonald - Bike the US for MS
Day 59 - July 25 - Libby, MT to Sandpoint, ID - 96.5miWhen my alarm went off at 4:50am, it was still dark out, so I turned it off and woke up 20 minutes later. I got ready to go, and headed out with Frank at around 6:30am. Around 10mi into the day, Theresa caught up to us and told us about a waterfall that was coming up along the route that we could hike to. We decided to go for it, and took a short hike into the woods to see the falls. It was totally worth it - absolutely gorgeous. According to Theresa, they filmed part of the movie The Revenant here. The ride was beautiful today, with trees, rocky cliffs, and the river along the road. Shortly before R2, Frank and I came across some big horned sheep grazing on the side of the road. Apparently Chandler, who was about 5-10 minutes behind us, somehow completely missed them, even though people who came in after him said they were still there. I got a sandwich and a piece of pecan pie for lunch, and felt uncomfortably full for the next little while. We crossed into Idaho a little while after the rest stop, and was immediately greeted by a downhill caution sign that said “6% grade next 1.5mi”. What a great welcome to Idaho! We also crossed into our last timezone, Pacific time, which is pretty crazy. It was so hot that Frank and I had to stop at a gas station before the rest stop to fill our water bottles. Shortly after that, we came across the turn we were supposed to take, found out it was all gravel, and decided to stick to the main highway. Turns out this was the right decision, and the route leaders had sent out a tweet telling us to do this, although we didn’t get the message until later. We got ice cream at R3, and then had less than 20mi to go into Sandpoint. We are staying at the Sandpoint West Sportsman Club for the next two nights, and it is incredible. We have almost full use of the facilities, which include saunas, squash courts, a pool, workout equipment, and, my personal favourite, a hydromassage machine. After exploring the club, Vikki, Frank, Julia, and I went for Thai food for dinner, and then ice cream for dessert. We also stopped by the beach on our way back to the club. Back at the club, I played squash with some of the guys, and even gave racquetball a try. We are sleeping in one of the squash courts tonight, which is definitely a first for the trip! Day 60 - July 26 - Sandpoint, ID - Rest DayOur last rest day! It is so weird to think that the trip is almost over. Yesterday we entered our last time zone, today is our last rest day, and tomorrow we get to our last map and our last state. So crazy. A bunch of us went out for breakfast at Panhandler Pies, where I got a breakfast sandwich and an apple cinnamon roll. Delicious! After breakfast, Frank and I went to the bike shop, where I picked up a new chain to replace my stretched one. Then it was on to the laundromat, as per usual on a rest day. After getting our errands done, Frank and I grabbed some pizza for lunch, and then I hung out at camp for most of the afternoon. I finally booked my flight home, which was nice to get done. I even joined some of the guys for a workout (focusing on anything but legs). Frank, Jen, and I grabbed dinner at a brewpub in the evening, and then went back to Panhandler Pies for dessert. After dinner, I watched some Netflix, and participated in a racquetball tournament with Eddie, Chandler, and Stefan. Day 61 - July 27 - Sandpoint, ID to Newport, WA - 36.1miHad a decent sleep in today, and woke up at 8am to get packed up. Frank, Jen, Julia, Vikki, and I biked down to the water to grab breakfast at Trinity @ City Beach. One of the best breakfasts of the trip! Just as we pulled in to the restaurant, a man walking out saw my BTUSFMS jersey and asked about it. Turns out, he is from Alberta and his wife has MS. He thanked us for what we are doing, and it was very touching getting to meet him. The ride today was short, but fairly hilly. At one point, I heard a dog barking and said to Frank and Julia "I don't like the sound of that!". Frank, thinking I was talking about the noise his bike was making, replied "it'll stop as soon as I shift gears". We made it to Newport, and I got a picture with the Washington state sign. Can't believe this is our last state! After the picture, I joined Chandler, Frank, Jen, and Vikki at a coffee drive through place and got a milkshake. We then went to the Riverside Restaurant to grab lunch before heading over to the church. After picking out my room for the night - a private one, all to myself, with the solar system painted on the wall - I got changed into my bathing suit and a bunch of us went down to the river for a swim. The water was cold, but refreshing on such a hot day. We also got to play fetch with a dog named Ruby, who wandered up to us at the beach. When her owners came for her a while later, she didn't want to leave! They literally had to drag her away. Back at the church I rinsed off with a spigot shower, and then we headed to the Mexican restaurant for dinner. Hung out at the church after dinner, and then went to the grocery store because I realized I was out of Clif bars. Met up with Alison there, and we walked back together, talking about how crazy it is that the trip is almost over.
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katie macdonald
Summer 2016, I biked 4,295 miles, coast to coast across the USA to raise money and awareness for MS. March 2017, I biked self-contained from San Francisco to San Diego with my friend Carissa. August 2017 I connected the dots and biked from Seattle to San Francisco. Summer 2018 I am heading to the UK! Follow my journey here! Miles biked for MS:
6,800.13
Updated August 27, 2018 Archives
January 2019
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