TD14: Day 7 to Day 9 (Or, Here Comes the Sun)

by Andy Amick on June 22, 2014

in Bikepacking, Dreams, Personal, Tour Divide 2014

Tour Divide 2014 guest post by Kristi.

Day 7 through 9 update, and I feel that (my favorite) Beatle George Harrison sums it up best:

Little darling, it’s been a long, cold lonely winter.
Little darling, it feels like years since it’s been here.

Here comes the sun.
Here comes the sun, and I say, it’s all right.

After six days of almost constant cold, wet riding… Finally! Here comes the sun, and it’s all right – the weather is much improved. Andy is staying dry and can actually enjoy the beautiful scenery as he continues on his Tour Divide journey. He even invokes a favorite Tommy Boy quote to begin his Day 9 call in. Without further ado, Allons-y!

Tour Divide Day 7: Helena to Wise River
134 miles

19 June 2014

Andy was finally able to enjoy some time in the great outdoors. The weather was much improved, and he spent his first night sleeping under the stars. Unfortunately he did not post any Day 7 pictures, although I’m sure he has tons on his phone.

1. Andy gives an update from Basin.
http://mtbcast.com/site2/2014/06/19/mtbcast-td14-andy-amick-called-in-from-basin/

Tour Divide Day 8: Wise River to (just shy of) Luna
119 miles
20 June 2014

Day 8 has been Andy’s toughest day so far. It turns out, he hasn’t been sleeping well, and that lack of sleep finally caught up with him today. He pushed through, and while he didn’t get quite the mileage he was hoping for, 119 miles is not too shabby if you ask me. He stopped early in the hopes for a better night’s sleep.

1. Andy gives an update on the road from Polaris.
http://mtbcast.com/site2/2014/06/20/mtbcast-td14-andy-amick-called-in-from-polaris/

2. “Tour Divide day 8 – top of sheep creek divide on a day with wide open “big sky” Montana views #tourdivide”

3. Andy and Singlespeed Alice at Montana High Country Lodge, in Polaris, Montana, posted to the bikepacking.net forum by Russ Kipp.

Andy and Singlespeed Alice at Montana High Country Lodge

Andy and Singlespeed Alice at Montana High Country Lodge

Tour Divide Day 9: (Almost) Lima to Warm River, Idaho
152 miles
21 June 2014

What a difference 8 hours of sleep and a nice hot breakfast makes! You can hear so much more energy in Andy’s voice on his call in, and his excitement about out-racing the storm. And of course the total mileage for the day – wow! He enjoyed a beautiful day, following his dream on a bike.

Andy hit several milestones today: he passed the 1,000 mile mark on the route, and after almost a full week in Montana, he made it across the border into Idaho.

1. Queue up the Tommy Boy: Andy calls in from near Island Park.
http://mtbcast.com/site2/2014/06/21/mtbcast-td14-andy-amick-called-in-from-near-island-park/#t=1:28.659

2. “Tour Divide day 9 – This is the Montana I was expecting – outside of Lima on my way to breakfast#tourdivide”

3. Bonus Image! For those of you wanting to see what Andy’s first hot breakfast on the TD was, here’s the picture I got via text message. I think he was hungry.

Andy_Day9Breakfast

Andy’s first hot breakfast – I think he was hungry.

About Andy Amick
A little bit nutty in general, a lotta bit nutty about bikes. Each of his boys received a bike helmet for their first birthday and the three of them have been biking together ever since.

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