I returned to Kalispell/Columbia Falls, MT on Fri., 6-28 following my trip home on 6-19. It was wonderful to see some great old friends at my law school reunion and to be with our granddaughter Tilly on her fourth birthday on Monday.

I enjoyed being back home, but the whole time I was away I was very much aware I had important unfinished business here in Montana. I got back to work yesterday, Sat., 6-29, for a short ride (12 miles) to Whitefish (pop. 6,357) from my hotel in Columbia Falls.

I picked up my bike from the A7 Bike Shop in Columbia Falls on Friday. It had received a full tune-up there, thanks to Travis, one of the owners, and Martin, who did most of the work. I took their photo when I stopped by the shop again on my way out of town yesterday.

The tune-up included a new rear wheel for my bike. As you can see in the picture below, there were hairline cracks around several spokes in the wheel, which was around 30 years old (as old as the bike) and was showing signs of fatigue due to its age, the miles, and the weight I was carrying on the bike.

Here is the view along Hwy 2 in Columbia Falls on Friday. The rainy weather I had before my departure on 6-19 had mostly cleared, and I heard that the Going-to-the-Sun Road over the Continental Divide (north of Marias Pass, which I had taken) had finally been plowed and was open to traffic as of last Saturday (6-22).

I was on backroads for most of the trip to Whitefish yesterday, where I was riding through areas that were either heavily wooded, or that looked like this.

Here is the Whitefish River, which runs through downtown Whitefish.

Depicted below is a sign I saw on my way to Whitefish. You might think this sign would be of some comfort, but it was not, for two reasons. First, I hadn’t been aware that shooting was permitted over the several miles of road that I had just traveled. Second, shortly after seeing this sign, I realized that I had missed a turn about a mile before and needed to backtrack in order to be headed in the right direction. Thankfully, no one was shooting at me along the way.

Speaking of hazards in this part of the country, I’ve always been fond of the adage “what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger,” but as this sign on Walker’s Cottage (where I’ve been staying in Whitefish) reminds us, there are some absolutes that should also be taken into account.

Travis at A7 Cycles had recommended a restaurant in Whitefish owned by Adam Becker, a friend of his who is originally from Philadelphia and worked in a number of high-end restaurants and patisseries in various places in the U.S. and abroad before recently opening his restaurant here. I ate there last night and really enjoyed the food, which is inspired by Mediterranean and Levantine fare but that also incorporates local products and traditions. The name of the restaurant, Beldi, comes from a Moroccan term referring to something handcrafted or made in a traditional way. According to Adam, it is also a term suggesting something with imperfections that help to evoke the beauty in it.

I talked to Adam for a few minutes when he was able to take a break from his duties in the kitchen.

Can you guess the ingredients of a dessert I had called Nougat Glace? Here is what it looks like:

The ingredients include figs, cherries, pistachio, candied citrus, pine nut crema, and poached apples. The dessert was great but may be difficult to replicate at home.

Today, Sunday, 6-30, is the one-year anniversary of this bike adventure. One year ago today, I dipped my tire in the Atlantic Ocean in Bar Harbor, Maine, and I am hoping to be able to do the same in the Pacific Ocean about three weeks from now. I am taking the day off today, but tomorrow will start on a route that will take me through Olney (pop. 191), Stryker (pop. 26), and Eureka, MT (pop. 1,037) this week. I hope to be able to take a day off in Eureka on Thurs., 7-4, to celebrate Independence Day before a 69-mile ride to Libby, MT (pop. 2,628) on Friday. I should be in Idaho by this coming weekend.

My Chief Navigator Trudi has been working hard to find accommodations and food options for me across some remote stretches in this northwest corner of Montana–something that can be quite a challenge, especially now that the tourist season is heating up. As always, her efforts are much appreciated!