Date 14^th August

Big Timber to Billings

Distance 136km

 We had a very early start today, up at 5.45. The owners of the Burnt Out Lodge put on a massive breakfast for us. As usual I was the 1^st one up doing my normal 1000 press ups and sit ups before breakfast started! After breakfast I noticed I had a front wheel puncture, Leonard was seen leaving the scene with a knife but still maintains his innocence. Donal dropped us into Big Timber for 7 o’clock. The Burnt Out Lodge was over 8miles into the wilderness on dirt roads so we had to get dropped into the local town.

 After getting soaked to the skin the day before we were hoping for an improvement in the weather today! Although it was very cloudy there was no sign of rain. We hit the road at a hard pace completing the 1^st 50km in less than an 1hour and 30mins with William “ Contidor” Kerwin leading from the front, followed by Eoin “ Big Mac and cheese” McNamara With Mark “Louie Armstrong” Leonard screaming “your killing us on these hills Kerwin!!”

 We stopped off at Colombus for some food and a short break. We were back on the I 90 on the way to Billings. I was sick and tired of the I 90 with the juggernauts flying by us so I persuaded Macker and Leonard a different road to Billings – The road less travelled!  This added a few extra km to the journey, well more than a few extra km’s. It seemed to be going in a completely different direction to Billings but after promising “ it swings in”! we eventually arrived back on the I 90 and went on our way and this is where the fun really began!

Leonard got the 1^st puncture of the day and from there it went from bad to worse! We got a total of 10 punctures between the 3 of us! At one point we had to persuade Macker not to throw the bike out in front of one of the lorries and get the train to Billings!

 We eventually arrived at Billings at around 2 o’clock to a great welcome from Shell Mann the manager of the Boothill Inn. She gave us goody bags with T-shirts and bottles of Guinness which went down a treat! Eoin and Donal drove back to Butte for the Irish festival and myself and Leonard flew the flag for COA in Billings!