After a few days on the road biking through the beautiful Montana
wilderness and countryside I had finally arrived in highly anticipated Missoula
a few days ago. The morning I had made my way into this amazing town
was by far the most cold and bitter conditions I have dealt with on the
trip. According to my iPhone Weather Channel app the temperature in Ovando
was a whopping 26 degrees and sure enough everything was frozen and or
covered in frost when I crawled out of my sleeping bag. When this
happens there is nothing you can do besides make hot coffee, get the
fire going and pack up camp. Once the sun rises over the tree line the
temperature begins to rise and the absolute beauty and vastness of the
state of Montana sets in. The 50 mile ride from Ovando to Missoula
kept a smile on my face from ear to ear and this was by far one of my
favorite days on the bike. If you spend a few days in the wilderness
out here in Montana you will know exactly why they refer to this place
as "big sky country".

I arrived in Missoula and I was very excited about my stay. I have actually been to Missoula
on prior road trips and I had a good idea as to what to expect.
Beautiful mountains, outdoorsy and athletic people and locals who are
passionate about protecting our environment, sustainability and buying
local. I was also glad to see that my extended network was now back in
motion when a friend of a friend had put me in touch with my host Jen
who not only works for the USA Ski and Snowboard Association and loves
outdoor activities... but is also a tremendous host and was willing to
take me in for a few days.

This trip to Missoula
was jam packed with a minor league baseball game, bike riding around
town, bike repairs (new wheel and tires for Caitlin) and my favorite
activity when I roll into a town... the farmers market. Missoula
has one of the best markets in the country and I was extremely
impressed with the diversity within the tightly knit local community
and the vendors who were taking various raw and potential waste
materials and turning them into great and creative purchases for
customers IE: taking old boots and license plates and creating bird
houses or taking bits and pieces of old throw away clothing and
creating skirts for the girls to enjoy in this warm weather. These are
just a .few small acts of environmental stewardship I witnessed while
in town. The people here in Missoula
just "get it" and they understand the importance of reducing and
reusing and most importantly they are very passionate about protecting
the beautiful landscape in which they use for recreation and personal
enjoyment.

On a side note I was very pleased to see that Anvil Knitwear had sent
me a care package full of their Eco friendly line of products in which
I was lucky enough to distribute to children in the Missoula
area through the YMCA after school program. For more information on
Anvil Knitwear Products and Philosophy please visit http://www.anvilknitwear.com/

At the end of the day I really have taken a shine to Missoula
and I hope this place enjoyed my arrival as much as I enjoyed my stay.
Do not be surprised if you find me here spending more quality time
sooner than later. Missoula... I will miss you.