Happy Birthday, Brett!

Over the course of our 2 month trip we each have the pleasure of celebrating a birthday. First up was myself, as today, the 23rd of August, I turn the big two-nine. As anyone with a late-August birthday knows, it’s an awkard time of the year to be born. You’re usually one of the oldest, or youngest, kids in your class. I happen to be the former, and my parent’s achieved this feat by making me repeat kindergarten twice.  Departing from last night’s camp we cruised down the Swan Valley on a premium blend of pre-mixed margaritas, Cheeze-its and pepperoni-and-cheese sandwiches until reaching the day’s major obstacle of Richmond Peak. The route took us off the usual forest service roads (which have become the norm) and onto some spectacular, and quite rugged, singletrack. Once up the peak we were rewarded with the best riding of our trip to date – a blistering downhill through a beautiful alpine basin in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. I couldn’t have asked for a better gift. Despite the real possibility of running into a grizzly around every corner (we passed several piles of skat) we made it down safely to this evening’s final destination of Seeley Lake, MT. To top off the day’s celebration we headed to Seeley’s finest, the Lindey’s Steakhouse, where we stuffed ourselves full of prime sirloin. Later, we visited the Filling Station where we threw back some beers and endured Seeley’s worst karaoke.