Paul Howard

Hello, this is Paul.  I'm in Flagg ranch with Per, Trevor and Steve. Per's hurt his knee a bit but we've all made it here in pretty good time this morning.  Hopefully we'll get of the the top of Togwatee today.

Quick message for Thomas and Freddie - they need to call the Fat Controller because when we were riding down the railway line in Idaho yesterday the conditions were really very poor.  He really needs to sort the track out.  Oh..and Per was Percy, Trevor was James and Stephen was Henry and I was Toby.  Bye for now.

Hello, it's Paul calling in from...where are we?......Island Park....Mack's Inn kind of place....Sawtell Resort.  We're at the crossing of the Highway... whatever the highway number is.  Anyway, we've done about 85 miles from Lima this morning, it's about half three now so we're making good progress.  we're going to have dinner here and then crack on.  Maybe try and get to the end of the railroad section tonight  or maybe a bit further if we can.  So that's what we're up to.  Good riding now after Lima so you can pass that on to those wo are still coming.  It's all fine.  No Mud.  Everything rideable, this far at least.

Message to Molly, Benjamin, Thomas and Freddie....  I saw a real cowboy today!  But he wasn't shooting at anybody Benjamin so no shooting at the boys in the garden.  But he was herding cows and riding a horse and he was wearing a hat...so a proper cowboy.  I took a picture so you can see him when I get back.

Message for Alan next door.... sorry the Plumpton rockies got the better of you.  I wish you a fast recovery and if I ever recover from finishing this, which I hope to do, then maybe we can have a ride together when I get back once your leg is better.  That's it from Sawtell Resort.  Bye for now.

Hello, one more message from Paul here in Lima.  Just 2 things...firstly I forgot to say in my earlier message that we should say hello to Cricket.   Hope she's going well...hope she had a good day today and I'm sorry we couldn't...we didn't have the courage to come out with her.  We needed our day's rest...we feel a lot better for it but I hope she's done well and tell her we're going to keep riding so if she needs more company we're just always coming along.

Secondly, we've just seen Pete Basinger who apparently set off from Banff, he didn't say when, and who came over the pass today into Lima and said that the mud had dried an awful lot compared to how it had been yesterday.  He saw all our footprints and everything but could ride most of it, sat down for a bit and I think he rode most of it, over the pass anyway.  So if anybody is following, maybe things have improved a bit and maybe that will give you some encouragement.   We're hoping the same effect has happened on the road down south out of Lima and thereafter so we can actually do some cycling tomorrow. 

So that's it for now...I've just realised that Lima where Paddington Bear might live is also just away from another famous English children's television character - Dillon - from the Magic Roundabout...and magic roundabout is something I feel I'm on at the moment.  We're all heading off early, me, Per, Stephen and Trevor, at least as far as Mack's Inn tomorrow, further if we can.  Bye

Hello, this is Paul calling in from Lima.  For those from the UK, it's "lye"-ma not "lee"-ma so there's no Paddington Bear here.

For Molly, yes I'll be home before your next wobbly tooth falls out so mummy doesn't have to deal with it; for Benjy, yes of course I'll play football but you'd better watch out as I'll be pretty good when I get back; and for Thomas and Freddie, yes those troublesome trucks were mighty troublesome [referring to the occasion on day 3 or 4 where he and his fellow cyclist had to carry their bikes over a train that was blocking the trail], I nearly had to call the Fat Controller (the ones near Corbin that is).

And for everybody else who has left me messages and e-mails, thanks very much.  It's a real source of encouragement and motivation and I'm sorry I haven't managed to reply individually as I've only had a chance to check up on things for the first time today but it's really appreciated and it does actually help as I'm riding along, or not riding along in the mud as we have been, to think that people are taking the time to watch and so once again thanks very much.

Just to recap, yesterday was ....well, you know....we covered a good distance but it was such gruelling work coming over the pass into Lima...the mud was really atrocious.  You just had to push your bike and then the wheels would lock up and then you couldn't even push it so you had to clean it and then you had to go on again etc...repeat several dozen times over the top...and then a descent that was almost as hard work as going up the other side....oh, and a bit of Scottish weather thrown in - maybe 40 degrees and lashing rain for a good couple of hours on the descent just to sweeten it up.  Read more »

Hello, i'm calling from Lima.  where I'm here with Per, Trevor, Steve and Cricket, who got in here early yesterday afternoon. 

The route over from Elkhorn Hot Springs, first to Grant was a section of very very muddy road that caused Jacob's deraillieur to break.....

CUT OFF

Hello everybody.  this is Paul Howard calling in from Elkhorn Hot Springs.  I'm here with Steve McGuire.  We got here after a very long and very wet day today.  We came in from Butte.  My, we had a lot of rain.  But good you know, a good distance covered but it's taken it's toll, sapped our energy a bit I guess.  But we've found some good food and good accommodation here so that will help.  Overnight, we'll decide whether it would be wise weather-wise to be pushing on tomorrow or maybe sort of holding up until maybe conditions improve. 

We didn't encounter really tough trail conditions if people are interested in that.  It's just the weather that made it rough.  The first bit out of Butte, the first crossing of the continental divide was, well, the trail conditions were kind of slippery - not thick mud but enough to make you lose traction every now and then so it was a bit wearing. 

And then Fleecer Ridge was okay - you could probably ride up the North side in normal conditions but there's no hope of doing that because it's all too wet.  Coming down the other side was okay and then nothing particularly demanding after that.  Obviously it's pavement coming into Elkhorn here so that's been okay.  It's just the weather conditions that have taken their toll .  Hope everyone is alright.  But you know we're still alive and we're still singing!

So there is life on the Tour Divide! Finally after nearly five days (well I think it is five days) of riding I've rolled into Butte this eveningand bumped into Steve "on-fire" McQuire from Iowa. I think he's from Iowa not Idaho. No, that's where we're going tomorrow - Idaho. Iowa. And that's good news because when I got to the "Outdoors Man" - the famous live highways professional sports and bike shop here in Butte, I thought they'd gone through. I thought I'd missed some people by about an hour but there was no way you were going to get me out of Butte today after getting lost coming over from Helena; but no Steve's here and he's a tough guy because he's slept out rough and lost more sleep than I intend to do for the whole of the rest of the race. We've come to the conclusion that we both need to be tough, and a bit smart as well, so we're staying here tonight and hope to hit Lima in a couple of days time via Elk Court Hot Springs. A tough, tough route today - at least the first bit from Helena to Basin. Got lost up there; probably wasted about an hour but fortunately it was in the middle of the day and so at least I knew I had time on my side. The day before that though to Helena from Ovando was probably the most beautiful so far and the most enjoyable riding as well. So things going a bit better. Going to sleep well tonight and stick in some more long days. So that's it. Bye for now.

Hello!!! uhh Paul Howard checking in here from Ovando still in Montana just uhh an explanation of my short day yesterday, set off from Whitefish and only got as far as Swan lake which was just over about 60 miles. Uhh probably from not eating enough these past few days because of a dicky tummy. And even though I ate nicely and well yesterday in the morning and at lunchtime I kind of ran out of energy by the afternoon. I was also a bit fed up of getting into places late and then setting off late. I'm gonna try to catch up on sleep and have had a short day. Trying to get into a different routine of setting off early which has worked so far cus I’ve now made it another 100 miles from Swan lake through to Ovando and that was nice, tough going over Richmond peak and frankly it’s nice to get out of all those trees. Two other quick things, update on physical ailments - not to bad, slightly soar knees, bit of saddlesore gotta tell my youngest Thomas and Freddie to get on with that potty training as I'll need that nappy cream! Seeing as though there are no other Tour Divide riders around if anybody wants to come ride with me tomorrow im off on route to Helena and then the next day probably to Butte so if you can find the route out everyone knows me in the green Mr Cycles top. All subjects of conversation considered... Leeds United football (that's soccer to the Americans), Montana trees, more Montana trees anything else?…that’s it talk to ya soon bye!

Hello everybody. Paul Howard calling in from Whitefish. It's 8.00am on Tuesday 16th. The sun is shining and I'm enjoying breakfast for the first time in three days. It doesn't look too hilly today and I intend to have an easier day, after two tough days, trying to get to Holland Lake or camp at Holland Lodge but if I'm a little short it won't matter. Yesterday wasn't too bad - 10.5 hours from Eureka. The climb up to Red Meadow Lake was fantastic and it was a beautiful spot. The day before was frustrating as well as tough. Frustrating because it was 114 miles not 104 miles to Roosville and we were told to "just gain" 9 of those which was 3,500' to 4,500' of Golton Pass. Also when it says "hike a bike" it doesn't say you're likely to lose your bike in the river, break your gear changer or break your ankle especially after 30+ other riders have gone through and churned up the shalely ground. Also Cabin Pass was only briefly mentioned. Its all very well taking on an adventure and taking on the unknowns but most of the rest of it isn't quite unknown and frankly when there is a revision the reroute could be better described. Still a jacuzzi at this wonderful hotel, has made me feel a lot better.

Hello it's Paul Howard here calling in from Elkford where it's some time after 1.30. A bit of a slow start yesterday just stopped at at Bolton Creek then headed out to Elkford this morning doing reasonably well, heading off to Sparwood tonight and then hopefully over into US border tomorrow.   Seen a bear, seen a moose, seen lots of rabbits with white socks on.  Seen eagles, an elk and some deer - Gosh, what more could you ask for.  And none of them have been at all interested in me which is even more reassuring.