DAY 7 – Lima to Warm River (104miles)

In the morning I go to the garage for supplies and then head over to the diner. I see a bike outside the diner I recognise and it takes me a second to realise its Josh. It’s great to see him and we eat breakfast together. He pulled a 150 yesterday to get here and bivvied up outside the motel late. I feel bad for dropping him before but nothing is said. After all it is a race.

Bruce, Matt and I head on out for the day and leave Josh taking advantage of Matt’s motel room to get cleaned up, at which point Ashley rolls into town. We see him across the motel parking lot before he sees us and give him a loud cheer. He’s had an early start to get here. We can’t hang around so leave Josh and Ashley at the motel with our room keys.

The route today is fairly flat passing through fields of cattle and mosquito infested creeks. Temperatures are high and there is no shade until Lakeview Wildlife Refuge where we stock up on water. Fifteen miles later at Red Rock RV and Camping park we take a short rest on some soft cut grass and enjoy as ice cream and drinks. I want to fall asleep. Finally today the route leaves Montana and crosses into Idaho. I seem to have been in Montana forever so my spirits are buoyed by this, and I’d also heard people say, ‘make it out of Montana and you’ll be okay’.

Big Springs is a little GDR oasis with restaurant, store, and a Subway. After eating at the restaurant Bruce and I head on and Matt goes to call his girlfriend. He catches up minutes later with news that he saw Josh at Subway as he was leaving. The three of us set off down the sandy, washboarded old railway and eventually stop at Warm River to camp up as the daylight fades. It sounds lovely but is mosquito central. They had been bad on the trail to here so you have to keep moving, but are swarming around me now at dusk near the river. Its full waterproofs and hood on for protection. Josh rocks up in the dark just before bed time and bivvies up next to us.