Welcome to Oregon!

I am happily writing this post from a welcome center on the Oregon state line! All I need to do now is follow the Columbia River to the coast... about 300 more miles. I have to be brief as I still have about 50 miles to do this afternoon.

There are entirely too many highlights and stories during the last week to share on this blog. I met some great (random) people in Missoula, Montana, who let me crash on their floor after we all had a BBQ with some of their friends. Missoula is an awesome city too by the way- bikes and Barack fans everywhere. I had a big climb up to Lolo Pass through the wilderness of the Bitterroot Mountains- I traveled about 100 miles in Idaho before reaching the first town. It is has been ridiculously hot the last couple days... yesterday I did 117 miles through southeastern Washington and I saw a bank thermometer at 5:21pm that read 98 degrees.

I wish I could upload a picture or two, because the Forrest Gump beard and hair is in full swing. After being in Glacier for a week, I shocked myself when I looked in a mirror... I thought I was looking at a movie star for a second.

On a sad note, I have encountered my first major bicycle problem. My rear rim has sprung a few cracks, a couple spokes starting to pull out of the rim. One of the first things that went through my mind was the question: What would Forrest do? If the sole of his shoe started to break away during his run, would he stop and get a new shoe or just keep going? He would keep going. And I have decided to keep going. This trip is deeper than the bike itself... we are trying to arouse the consciousness of America... a busted rim cannot slow us down, especially with only 300 miles to go.

Hopefully I can write again- with pictures- from Portland in a few days. If I cannot, I imagine it might be because of the inherent inefficiencies of a square wheel.