You Just Don't Stop

You Just Don’t Stop

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There’s this road in the Elkhorn mountains that goes from Winston Montana to Townsend. We’ve seen it on maps but shied away from riding it because it climbs 3200 feet into the sky. We’ve also avoided it because it’s 20 miles one way and logistics means taking two cars.

Yesterday we did it.

We put one car at the Townsend end of the road and the other near Winston. We hopped on our bikes and headed…….up and up and up.

We saw a couple of people but that’s it. It was spectacular. The ride was also SUPER HARD. I mean we were riding up and up for hours and the road on the Winston end is horrible. It’s big rocks and gravel which makes the incline that much worse. 20 miles took us 4 hours to complete.

There were moments going up we had to walk our bikes you just couldn’t get traction. But we never stopped or turned around. Both are not options.

At the top you look out over the valley into Canyon Ferry Reservoir.

There is something about taking a challenge and not backing down.

When you’re in the wilderness you understand there is no one to call because you have no cell service. In the wilderness you are alone. In the wilderness you find out just how strong you really are.

I said to Kathy the other day “these are the moments we will talk about in our even older years.” We won’t think about that new couch or the other furniture we acquired in our lifetime. We will remember the moments grinding up hills and seeing things people who stay on the highway never get to see.

The last three years taught us in order to gain control of our life we must push harder than ever before. You can’t wait for permission or until it’s safe, you bulldoze your way through life or it will flatten you.

I believe we are headed into more rocky times. We as people will be challenged to get along and go along or…..NOT. There will be times when we are out of breath. We will have times when the road is too steep, too rocky and unmanageable, but we will manage. And remember, don’t stop. Keep your head up, say no, move forward and don’t worry what the world has to say about it.

Wilderness is a tough place but it’s also a place where you see what you are made of.