Day 19 Bozeman, Montana

Today was extremely cool.  The scenery just keeps getting better and better. To start the day off, I had my first crew stop next to a valley.  When the cyclists started arriving, we had a fun time jamming to music and having a dance party.  When the first pace line left, they got about 100 yards away and I noticed they stopped.  They were yelling at me but I could not tell what they were saying so I started running towards them.  I got closer and closer and then noticed that they were pointing to something on the ground.  When I got close enough to realize what it was, a part of me jumped – it was a snake.  It was clearly not moving, but nothing appeared to be wrong with it.  One of the guys kicked it and there was no response, so we concluded it was dead.  One of my friends from texas experience snakes all the time and did not have any problem picking it up, so he carried it on his bike back to my crew stop where we planned on messing with people.  We put it in people’s faces and watched them react to it, and then we really wanted to mess with the next pace line to arrive.  We coiled it up just before the van and came up with a plan.  When they were spotted in the distance, I went to the other side of the road to “take a picture.”  The riders always see me about to take a picture, so they get in a pose or flex or something to make them look cool.  The first guy in the pace line decided to give me a thumbs up and look at me, so when he turned back to look at the road, the snake was about a foot away.  He yelled SNAKE and swerved just barely missing it.  The second guy is deathly afraid of snakes, so he screamed and swerved and keeled over and fell.  The third guy just casually ran over it.  If we would have taped it, the situation would have looked like a skit it worked out so perfectly.  We like to have fun with what little we have, and the little this time was a dead snake.

We got our first glimpse of real canyons today as well.  As we approached the canyon, it looked as if Moses had already been through and spread the mountain in two like the Red Sea.  I am not sure how else to describe it except absolutely gorgeous.  The weather was perfect – not too windy, not too hot, and cloudless.  The day was full of music, dancing, amazing scenery, and ended with a great meal by the local Lion’s Club. 

Funny story, and he would kill me if he knew I told y’all this.  At dinner, one of my friends from Purdue said he did not feel good and his stomach hurt.  This is while we were eating.  After we finished, he had his head down on the table and looked miserable.  He disappeared for awhile (I think he went to the bathroom, not sure), and when he came back, it was time to take the team picture.  After the picture while we were still in formation, I went around the team to get a better angle to take a picture of the t-shirt presentation to the sponsor.  I approached him and asked him if he was okay.  The following is the dialogue that followed.

Me: You alright?

Him: No.

Me: Do you need to go to the bathroom?

Him: Yes.

Me: Are you gonna make it to the bathroom?

Him: No.

Me: You need to go outside then (there was a door outside on the other side of the room)

Him: Will you come with me?

When he said that, I took off towards the door to open it for him to go out there.  When I got there, I went to turn the handle and put my shoulder into the door to open it quicker.  The door was locked and my shoulder just banged into the door.  I really thought he was going to get sick all over my back.  Luckily I got it open and got him outside.  Inside, I could hear the entire team cracking up at the whole scene unfolding in front of them because our Project Manager had just thanked them for the incredible food and how wonderful it was.  That was a very memorable moment of the trip that we will remember for a very long time.  Sorry to those of you who that may have made sick! But I thought it was hilarious.