Day 13 - Running for the Border - 76 miles

“Meet us where the pavement ends” was our request to Kathy for today. We had 43 miles of dirt and the last big pass to climb before we would see her. It was a crisp morning with a long, sweeping down hill before the climb so we were trying to enjoying every moment of being cool. This was one of the most scenic sections of the ride. We were directly west of Glacier National Park for miles and few people were on the road today. 

When I saw three people stooped over in the woods with buckets, I had to stop. I asked one gentleman if he was picking huckleberries and he barely looked up and didn’t answer. He had the look of a serious berry picker so I walked closer and introduced myself as a blueberry picker from Minnesota and said I had always wanted to see a Huckleberry. Once he knew I wasn’t going to “steal” his patch, he invited me into the area he was picking, showed me the plants and offered me a few berries. He said he was from Wisconsin but his hands didn’t stop picking and he didn’t have time to chitchat. I hope he filled his bucket and someday I hope to come back and pick. 

We reached the spot where the dirt ends and there rest of the ride is 30 miles of pavement. We were feeling good so we decided to run for the border. We inhaled some Pringles and Skittles and we were off to finish this adventure. The next ten miles were downhill, on a paved road, along a creek with tall pines. What a welcome stretch after some really hard days. The last 10 miles out of Eureka is when the Montana heat kicked in. I was trying to remember how cold I was back in February during the deep freeze but that wasn’t helping. 

Finally we reached the border and Joel rolled up to the 4 guards and asked if we could take a picture. I am sure they got a good laugh at my happy dance photos but it was time to celebrate. 

Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement and a special shout out to my sister Kathy for being a part of this adventure.

Joel will crunch the numbers and have a follow up post.

 

Day 12- Red Meadow Campground - 68 miles

I am standing in a cold alpine lake easing my sore calf muscles. The lake is crystal clear and a calm blue green color.  The fish are jumping and I am listening to a fellow divide rider sing John Prine songs and play the ukulele and harmonica. It is a magical place and a wonderful reward for today’s effort. We had another big, hot climb to get here. 

There are several groups of Divide Riders here and all are heading south so they have just begun and we are close to end. Since we arrived later in the afternoon we did not get the lakeside, picnic table spot but everyone is friendly and sharing stories. We are amazed at the amount of gear some people have and today I was eyeing up the camp chairs. Oh well, soon I will have lots of time to sit in a chair. 

Most of the ride today was through the suburbs of Whitefish and then along the lake. Since it is a July Saturday, there was more car traffic than we have seen on this trip. On the rocky uphills, I have been picking my line up the hill so it was a little harder to just stay right and tough it out.

Wildlife sightings today were lots of young bucks. One was on the street corner kn Whitefish browsing on an Apple tree.

 

Day 11 - a few miles north of Swan River - 44 miles

603 miles done, 135 to go

I felt really depleted yesterday evening so I asked Joel for a rest or easy day. Our “easy” day started with a 5 mile, 1900 foot climb and we finished at 1pm with a total of 44 miles. I guess the easy part was the downhill and the paved road that came after the hill climbing. The bonus was a car ride to Big Fork for a fantastic egg scramble, hash browns and homemade Gluten free toast and jam.  I was going to take a picture of the food when it arrived but the service was slow and we were so hungry the plates were licked clean before I remembered. Kathy said we are eating like wolves!

We are back at the Swan Lake Campground tonight, showered and hanging out on their porch.  It is nice to have shade, table and chairs, fresh water, laundry and a place to recharge the phones.

Day 10– Part Two

2100 foot climb in 6 miles, 75 miles total

Going north of Seeley Lake we were in the Lolo National Forest that was ravaged by forest fires in 2017. It was kind of eerie to see the large, burned pines standing in front of the hazy mountains. The green of the forest floor and the pink fireweed helped cheer up the scene. It was a quiet morning and we were in bear country so we wanted to make some noise. I thought I should sing since that is an irritating sound to humans and I started with “Roll out the Barrel” in honor of my Dad. I didn’t remember much so I moved on to “Nikolina” a Norwegian song that is a favorite of Ron, my father-in-law. Joel hummed a few bars but neither of us remembered the lyrics. Then I was in to saying words that start with the letter B. We quickly went through Bear, Bug, Bag, Berries, Bikini, etc and after 1/2 hour or so Joel won with Boston Baked Beans. 

Fortunately we didn’t see or hear a bear but a new challenge was upon me. Singletrack, uphill, with an exposed ridge. It was not a pleasant section for me but I made it through the “Chasm of Death”and later we had two really nice sections of singletrack through the wildflowers that were very enjoyable.

 

Day 10– Fatty Creek, just south of Swan Lake - 75 Miles

I am tired. That was a long, hot, hard day. I have never been so happy to see Kathy. She picked us up at and found a great camp site with a hot shower and a restaurant nearby. 

Day 9 - Seeley Lake - 68 miles

Wow, wow, wow is what I thought as we came around a turn this morning. The Helena and Lolo National Parks are so beautiful. 

The road to Huckleberry Pass was paved with turquoise and purple rock and it mesmerized me for the four miles of uphill. A few months ago Diana R. with the Ski and Tea group mentioned that turquoise pairs well with purple and here Mother Nature laid it out  for us to see. That made me start thinking of thinking of purple mountains and the song America the Beautiful and it was just a pleasant ride to the top. 

After 38 miles we landed at the Stray Bullet cafe in Orvando and had an awesome turkey sandwich with gluten free bread and mixed green salad. This was the first restaurant that was fully staffed. Many places have reduced hours or are closed a few days due to staffing shortages. We waited until 7am for the cafe to open this morning so we got a later start than normal. Today we had all three meals at restaurants so we are nourished. 

The afternoon temps reached 94 degrees and we had another hill to climb in the sun. The roads were wide and in good shape with very little ATV or truck traffic. Montana drivers are courteous and give us lots of room and slow down to keep the dust cloud at a minimum. 

I think this was the prettiest section so far and would recommend it if someone wanted to do just 1-2 days of this route. 

Wildlife sighting— lots of deer. No Bear and we are grateful for that. 

 

Day 8 - Lincoln - 59 miles

We are half way to the border and we have averaged 53 miles a day. My goal before we started was 45-50 a day so we are doing a bit better. 

We had two climbs today with a nice decent starting and ending the day. We had a soft rainfall this morning but we were grateful for the cooler temps. It seemed like everything was working in slo-mo this morning but we kept pedaling and made the summits. By the time we reached the edge of town, everything hurt but after a hot shower, hot meal and some ice cream I feel much better. 

Thanks for all the alerts about the bear attack In Orvando. We intentionally planned two big days so we could camp in Lincoln instead. Orvando is 38 miles up the road so we can have our lunch break there and meet Kathy in Seeley Lake at the end of the day. 

Joel is a much faster and better rider than I so the great equalizer has been the gear and food. Joel is carrying all the weight and I just have the lunch snacks, sunscreen, etc. it is so unusual for me to be able to pedal side by side. We did lighten the load a bit today but we still want to be safe and have the tent and food just in case we can’t reach the meeting spot with Kathy. I have never biked in the mountains so I have not been sure about climbing and distances. 

Wildlife sighting today: Western Tanager and a Yellow Bellied Sapsucker 

Kathy secured us a nice camping spot next to the brook so we are enjoying a pleasant evening.

 

Day 7 Moose Creek Campground west of Helena - 72 miles

We had a hearty breakfast at the hotel of cheese omelets, hash browns and turkey sausages while chatting with another Divide rider.  

It was 7:30 before we started and had a climb up to the historic downtown and all the old brick buildings. The climbing continued as we left town and it was a long, slow grind on legs that really just wanted to rest another day.  We had a nice decent into the little town of Basin where Kathy meet us for our lunch break. 

Two German cyclists rolled up and asked about food options in Basin since the cafe across the street had a “closed on Monday’s “ sign posted. We are finding some restaurants have shortened their hours or days due to lack of employees. These guys were traveling light and had planned on food in Basin and didn’t have a back up plan. We gave them water, tortillas, cheese, Fritos and Pringles to help get them to Helena. Joel has shared many stories of “Trail Angels” that have given him food or water along the way so we were happy to share. 

Kathy was once again our Trail Angel and drove to Helena to get a replacement for our water filter that is working at 50%. After the errands she headed to the Moose Creek Campground and we expected to see her tomorrow morning. 

We had another hot climb out of Basin but it was Lava Mountain that was the real test today.  It was 4 miles for Diane and 2 miles for Joel of more technical mountain biking. There were large boulders, tree roots, downed trees and washed out gullies to ride through. I rode what I could and pushed the bike downhill but I finally made my way through that. 

At that point, I just wanted to get to the campground and most of the way was now downhill. Our wildlife sighting of the day was a Moose that was standing in a patch of Fireweed with one of the pink flowers dangling from his mouth like a cigar. How special to see a Moose on the way to Moose Creek Campground. 

We were tired and hungry when we arrived at the campsite and so very happy that Kathy had secured a good spot with a picnic table. 

Tomorrow will be another big day with a couple more peaks to climb. 

Week one is done!

 

Thudbuster Envy

 We have been meeting southbound Divide riders almost every day. The first few days we saw over 25+ riders and a 1/3 were women. There was only one women that was in the 50+ age group.

Many of the riders complimented our Thudbuster. It is a shock absorbing seat post that make this ride so much smoother. Joel had one on both rides and after our spring shakedown ride realized my bike needed one to make this as comfortable as possible. 

Bikes and supplies are still in short supply and we were not finding one for me. We walked into the Start Line Inn and Bike shop in Cable, Wi after a group ride and Mike and Elizabeth had one in stock. Just wanted to give them a big THANK YOU since it has made a difference. 

If you are planning on doing this ride, do yourself a favor and order one now. 

Day 6 Butte - 18 miles

We had a nice relaxing morning drinking coffee, tea and finishing the cheesecake. Loki was hunting squirrels and Monica spotted two Elk on the hill behind our campsite. The sky was hazy and the sun was red due to some wildfires. So far our route is clear. 

Monica joined us for the 8.75 mile decent and then we said goodbye to her and Judd and had an easy ride into Butte.  Warm showers, laundry, hot food and grocery shopping are all on the list. 

The first six days have certainly made me appreciate shade, picnic tables, water and showers. 

Looks like the next few days we will have more climbing so I am enjoying this big, soft bed, air conditioning and doing nothing.

 

 

Day 5 Fleecer Ridge - 47 miles

Whew! Glad today’s riding is over. It was the toughest day so far with rocky sections, Fleecer Ridge and then more climbing. 

Judd, Monica and their dog Loki met us in Wise River. Judd biked with us up and over the ridge and then Monica joined us for the other climb. Judd biked most of the 2010 ride with Joel but since he joined in a little south of here he hadn’t had the pleasure of Fleecer. It is 2100 feet of elevation gain and half of it was a hike-a-bike climb for all. As Monica said, I got to use some different muscles pushing the bike instead of pedaling. 

After a nice lunch break with cold sparkling water from Judd, we soon approached Cruly Gulch and the climb up to our campsite. It was long, dusty, hot ride but it was nice to have company. It was one of those climbs where you hope you are approaching the top but you turn a corner and see how much more there is and then there is more after that. It was a maximum effort day. 

Our wildlife sighting of the day was a Badger. We have lived in the Badger state of Wisconsin now for 6 months but had to come to Montana to see one. 

Judd and Monica made our post ride time special by letting us use their van shower, soap, and towels. They had fresh strawberries, avocado, tomato and greens from the garden. The fresh veggies really elevated the classic beans and rice dinner. 

Kathy supplied the finishing touch with two Sara Lee strawberry cheesecakes. My mantra today on the tough up hill was cheesecake, cheesecake.  It was a good motivator. 

We are camped at the Highland Trail Head which is also on the Continental Divide Hiking Trail. We saw a few hikers and I was happy to be biking instead of hiking today.

 

Day 4 to Pettingill campground - 48 miles

It was cool this morning when we rolled out at 6:40 am. We stopped at the Bannack Cemetery, Polaris Post office, and the Grasshopper Inn. Joel had stopped there 2010 and 2014 and we were hoping to get a 2nd breakfast of eggs and hash browns. However, new owners took over last year and it is now a Bed & Breakfast with no restaurant service.  The owners were super nice and made us bowls of fruit and granola. 

Our route is on the Pioneer Mountains Scenic Byway which is paved but  we needed to climb 1600 feet. It was my first mountain climb and decent and it was worth the effort. On this stretch of road we traded sage brush for pine forest and it is so beautiful. We stopped at the Lupine Rest area to soak in the view. 

We are camping at the Pettengill Campground and we have a site under tall pines and next to the creek. Joel camped in the same site when he rode southbound in 2010. A jump in the creek was a must and now we are off to dinner in Wise River.  It seemed luxurious to take our time today, stop and see all the sites.

Day 3 to Bannack State Park - 48 Miles

We woke up to a beautiful sunrise and had a little climb followed by an easy day of riding. We were in high, arrid country that Lewis and Clark crossed on the same date in 1806.  

As we are riding, Joel will point out things from his previous trips. We were close to an intersection and I thought it was strange that he stopped under this scraggly tree. He said it would be our last shady spot for 15 miles and later I was grateful that he knew to stop there. We had decided to stop at Bannack State Park since there is a Ghost Town to tour. It has over 25 historical buildings and gives you a good sense of an 1862 mining town.  

I want to stop in Butte to do laundry, shower, and have a meal in a restaurant.  We decided to break the distance into 3 days instead of 2 big days so we can ride into town Sunday morning and have time to do our chores and relax.

Bannack State Park - 48 miles

 

 

Mountain Goats - 68 miles

We woke up at 5:30 am to the sounds of Sand hill cranes, geese and cows. We were on the bike when it was still cool, overcast and comfortable. 

After 33 miles we rolled into Lima and found Kathy at the RV park where she camped overnight.  She had jugs of water ready and we started the resupply for the next couple of days. The check valve on the water filter needed to be fixed and we rearranged gear to add more water bottles. We headed over to the gas station and loaded up on sweet and salty treats and some sandwiches for lunch.  

The sun was out when we left town on a paved, 8 mile frontage road with a slight downhill and a real tailwind. It was a treat to go fast for a little while. We turned into a canyon and the heat started to build.  We were following a creek and I remembered the advice a Ranger at the Grand  Canyon gave me about using the water to cool down. We stopped and waded into the creek, rinsed out our shirts and headband and instantly felt the cool relief. 

Of course, the clouds moved in and the wind picked up but it was still pleasant when Joel spotted the mountain goats.  Later in the afternoon I got to experience my first summer rainstorm with strong wind. We threw on the rain gear and waited for the storm to pass. We went to the next camping area that had a spring with nice cold water. We are  the only ones here tonight. Tomorrow I have a big pass to climb. 

 

Biking with Bluebirds and Butterflies - 53 Miles

Wow, what a great first day. After camping near Warm River Monday night, we loaded the car and headed to Island Park. We had a good view of the Teton Mountains and stopped at the Lower and Upper Mesa falls. Kathy said having waterfall mist hit your face before 7am is a good way to start the day. Joel and I got on the bikes at 8:30 and Kathy ( Diane’s sister) drove the Prius. The logistics of this whole adventure became so much easier when Kathy offered to drop us off, resupply us a few times along the way and pick us up at the end. The morning was beautiful with busy Bluebirds flying in and out of their houses, loads of butterflies that would rise up and circle around us and fly alongside. The mountains, sagebrush, and abundant wildflowers added to the spectacular vistas. Red Rock Pass was my first mountain pass but not too much in elevation gain so it was easy. It is also the border between Idaho and Montana so it was time to do a happy dance.  Kathy’s timing was perfect and she arrived to take pictures. Lunch was at the campground at Red Rock Wildlife Refuge and Kathy met us there. The Trumpeter Swans were out on the lake and we biked past a nesting area. Kathy headed out on her own adventure and we continued biking under the hot sun. After 53 miles we stopped at a bridge to get water and make camp. We are in a valley of pasture land and the cows are mooing but there is not a tree around. The only shade was behind a large sign so that is our rest spot. The swallows and hawks are entertaining us tonight.

Mack’s Inn ID