Lowering Expectations (Jerry's post)

Several  days ago, we experienced rain for the first time, really, just before we got to Missoula.  I think the combination of the rain, and cold, heavy traffic conditions, and overall fatigue had an impact on me, and the next morning, I decided not to ride with Jack and Jeff as they headed south from Missoula.  So I slept in and joined Sue for the daily routine she has been following of grocery shopping, catching up with the riders, and searching for a campsite for the night.  It was hard to come to grips with the fact that I was not going to ride every mile of the trip, but I think it will be for the best if I can accept my limitations.  Anyway, Sue and I had an enjoyable day, and got a site at Sula.  There was a storm coming over the mountains, so we elected to get one of their small camper cabins for the night, since we had just dried out from the rain the previous few days.  The next morning I decided again not to start with Jack and Jeff, and  Sue and I caught up with them later in Wisdom where we had coffee and breakfast.  They had just come over Chief Joseph Pass which was our first crossing of the Continental Divide, and a major climb that I had avoided.  After breakfast, I decided to ride the rest of the day with them to our destination in Dillon.  So I wound up doing about 55, they did a little over a hundred.  Today the plan was for 70 to Ennis, and I felt up to the ride so left with them, and all went well.  Except, of  course, for the last 10 miles when Jeff and I got caught in a sleep/hail storm on top of the final pass before town, and we had to us our Lifeline - Sue came and rescued us.  (see Jeff's post below)  Anyway, the time off helped a lot, and that may be the pattern for the coming weeks.  If I need an extra day off, I will ride with Sue and hopefully be able to rejoin the ride later or the next day.  This is a bit of a disappointment to me, of course.  When I did the Appalachian Trail a few years ago, I was pretty committed to walking every step of the Trail, and I did it.  I had hoped to do the same here, but the situation is quite a bit different.  Tomorrow we will ride to Yellowstone, which is of course always a delight.  Hopefully we will see buffalo and elk and moose, and hopefully they will not find us threatening.  I'm not sure what the outcome would be of a race with a buffalo.