On July 9, Jeff awoke looking forward to completing his cycling journey in Montana, and ready to begin the Trans America Trail Route in Idaho. The plan was to visit the Adventure Cycling office in Missoula (the originators of the Trans America Trail), to let them know he is three quarters through the ride with only about 900 miles to go of the 4,200 mile trek. The finish line was in sight. However, life sometimes makes other plans. Over the past several days, Jeff was having vision problems. He decided to lay over a day in Missoula and get things checked out. Thank goodness for this, as he was diagnosed with a detached retina and had surgery the same day. This is a very serious situation, especially for a man who makes his living with his eyes. So Jeff’s health now takes precedence and per doctor’s orders, Jeff will not be getting back on the bike for a few weeks. The good news is that for all the rural communities Jeff has been cycling through, Missoula has excellent medical facilities and two of the five retinal surgeons in the whole State of Montana. The prognosis is good and when Jeff recovers, he will certainly be making plans for how he will complete the remaining miles of the Quest for the West. Thank you all for following Jeff’s journey, and we will keep you posted when it resumes.
