Confused.Com – Day 18

Rest Day – Thursday 5th June

We’re are now cycling through Idaho where generally speaking, the Northern part is on the Pacific Time Zone and the Southern part is on the Mountain Time Zone.

When we reach Lolo, we will officially move from the Pacific Time Zone to Mountain Time Zone and our watches and gadgets will move one hour ahead automatically. Straightforward, one might think but apparently not!

We learn that there appears to be a degree of choice over which time zone local businesses use. Lochsa, where we are currently staying is in the Pacific Time Zone but the lodge that we are staying at uses Mountain Time Zone. Our watches and gadgets don’t recognise this change so still show Pacific Time Zone, one hour behind the time used in the resort. The result was that today’s schedule looked something like this.

Breakfast at 7am in the cafe that doesn’t open until 8am

Visit the American Cycling Association headquarters in Missoula at 10.00am for a 9am appointment. Leave at 9.45am, fifteen minutes before we arrive.

John, Jim and Caroline spend a couple of hours horse-riding from 12-1pm while Paul, Denise and I spend an hour in the hot springs 12-2pm.

We meet John who is cycling East to Seattle solo and spend a couple of hours in his company. He is staying overnight at the hot springs, whereas we have an hour to drive until we reach our lodgings at Lochsa for a second night, so we will all reach our destinations at the same time……

Paula and Julia set off from the UK at 8am as we arrive at the hot springs and Marianne and Steve leave Boston at the same time, four hours earlier.

Confused yet?

By tomorrow, late afternoon ‘sometime’ we should all meet in Lolo and spend the next few days cycling together.