WHITEFISH, MT
DAY 55 JULY 21 36.9 MILES
If the wind is not against you, it is not blowing.
James E Starrs
When we rolled into Whitefish shortly before noon, we had a strong feeling that the ride was downhill nearly all of the way. However, after checking the bicycle computer, it was found that the elevation was only 190 feet lower than that of Apgar. Over a distance of 36 miles, that is negligible. It could be that we were energized by the short distance but more likely that anything was a piece of cake after yesterday's ride.
Whitefish is a quaint little resort town of 6,500 with many shops, bars and restaurants. It is situated on a lake containing many whitefish and also is adjacent to a popular ski area. There are 45 hotels, motels and lodges but only one in the downtown area. I booked the last available room the The Downtowner hotel shortly after lunch and they placed the "No Vacancy" sign in the window as I left to pick up my luggage.
This is huckleberry country. They advertise huckleberry pancakes, muffins, pies, ice cream, and anything else in which huckleberries can be inserted. Of course, huckleberries are available in quarts and flats. The huckleberry is slightly smaller than a blueberry and has more of a reddish blue than the blueberry. They are very tasty, though, and I must admit to a couple of pieces of huckleberry pie--so far.
Around 7 pm, one of our team leaders texted me that we were meeting at Casey's to celebrate our arrival in Whitefish. A few minutes later, I climbed the flights of stairs to a 3rd floor open air restaurant. High above the street, it had an excellent view of the ski mountain and nearly everything else. Business must have been particularly good today because they were out of half of the items on the menu. I settled for a hamburger.
After 15 consecutive days of riding, tomorrow is a well earned day of rest. I certainly need it!
Tip: Because wind usually increases during the day, plan a morning ride so your route takes you into a gentle breeze that becomes a brisk tailwind on the return--but good luck with that.
