Bob Barnes, who cycled to all 50 state capitals in the United States in a single year, had to stop twice when riding through the states of Montana and Idaho.
Barnes, 52, of Syracuse, New York, said to Fox News Digital while he was still in Montana, “The wind doesn’t stop.” You just need to take it on a mile at a time.
Barnes added that it was “just outrageously windy every day.” Demoralizing wind begins to blow.
He acknowledged how much and why he appreciated the view as he pedalled ahead.
On June 12, Barnes arrived in Helena, Montana, the 45th capital on his journey. On June 23, he arrived in Boise, Idaho, the 46th capital. Here is what else he witnessed throughout his epic trek across the United States, as well as what he learned about these two mountainous states.
Montana is a Treasure State
Barnes left for Montana on June 4 and within a few days of getting there, he misplaced his phone while he was at a rest area.
Barnes informed his fans three times a day on Facebook that he was eating lunch at the rest area when he heard thunder and noticed a storm approaching.
He made the quick choice to try to flee the storm.
But he realised he didn’t have his phone with him after travelling just a quarter of a mile down the highway.
Barnes searched the rest spot again for his phone but was unsuccessful.
He claimed that his only option was to re-enter the highway and continue driving.
Barnes described his ride that evening as being “a horrible night.” It was chilly and damp. He kept going, “I was relieved to discover my wallet. I had confidence that I would resolve the issue eventually.”
Barnes was able to locate a Verizon store and get a new phone with the assistance of a post office employee just outside of Billings, Montana. He needed $1,100 to cover the cost of the phone he misplaced.
Barnes claimed that the expense of all the lost or damaged phones added up to an unanticipated financial hardship for him throughout the cycling trip.
“It cost me $40,000 between the three phones I’ve used on this trip and the digital camera I departed with,” Barnes claimed. That was a huge success.
He added, “It’s all part of the adventure. That being said, it was my fault I lost the phone. I was trying to outrun a storm.”
Overall, Barnes said he enjoyed riding through Montana, particularly for the views, which were the best he’d ever seen.
“The scenery is spectacular,” he said. “It doesn’t get old. It’s amazing.”
One of his favorite places in Montana was the town of Livingston, which he visited on June 10.
“It was just a really comfortable, inviting town,” Barnes said. “And it looked really nice. It had a certain feel to it.”
In town, Barnes found a campsite. The woman who ran the camp let him stay for just $20 for the night. He said he and the woman became friends and she even gave him some elk jerky to try.
“It was very salty,” Barnes said of the treat — which he’d never tried before.
“It did have a certain taste to it, different than beef jerky,” Barnes added. “I ate the whole thing. It was really good.”
On June 13, Barnes stayed the night in Elliston, Montana. Barnes made the choice to spend the day in town the following morning due to the strong winds and chilly weather.
Barnes remarked, “I can handle it if it’s one or the other, but when it gets like that, I kind of get terrified. “You can easily become hypothermic since you cannot escape [the cold and wind].”
Barnes spent a lot of his time at Elliston planning and getting ready for his ride, which he referred to as his “homework.”
Barnes claimed, “I spent six hours sitting at the restaurant next door [to the motel] talking to the bartender. “I also completed a lot of homework. In that small community, I established myself.”
I’ll always remember that town, Barnes continued. It was a uniquely Montanan experience.
