We entered the US through Roosville MT after stating our day in the beautiful little town of Fernie BC. Fernie is well known for lots of snow in winters providing wonderful downhill and backcountry skiing. I’ve long wanted to see it. Mountains provide a big draw for me. We covered more than 70 miles of rough tote roads, gravel roads and pavement in a day that reached over 90 degrees by the afternoon. Eureka meant that I could put away my Canadian money and pull out American dollars. I loved my time in Canada as always but look forward to the rest of this bike ride.

A couple of days ago I was looking down at my GPS which is mounted on the handlebars of my bike knowing there was a left turn coming up. My front tire drifted just a few inches to the right and dropped down into the shoulder grabbing the lip of the asphalt. It was new asphalt which was 3-4 inches higher than the old shoulder. The bike stopped right now and down I went. It was a minor fall which really had no consequences physically. A couple of scrapes on my knee.

Biking can be a dangerous sport. Many of my friends have had serious accidents. Vehicle drivers don’t always see you. They are looking for vehicles like their own. Distracted drivers texting are a real menace to those of us on the shoulder.  RV’s and trucks can blow you off the road. Through no fault of their own. It’s just simple physics. Rough roads, loose gravel roads and single track trails are full of hazards that can lead to bad falls and very bad results. Does that mean you don’t ride? Of course not. Bikers like me need to drive defensively. Stay on the shoulders or at least as far to the right as you can. Don’t ride two or three abreast on a road shared with cars. Obey all laws just like vehicles. Pay attention.

In the thousands of miles I’ve biked in all kinds of surfaces, countries, and situations I’ve only been hurt once. I flew over my handlebars in a remote part of Bolivia and dislocated my shoulder. I hope I can always say that.

Tomorrow we head into remote country and won’t have any connections for a couple of days. We’ve been told by other cyclists we’ve met that it is very scenic. I’m looking forward to it.