A few people have been in touch asking where we are, where we’ve been & how the whole adventure fits together.
We started in Seattle, Washington on 30th April & the map at the bottom covers our journey up to & including our ferry trip across Lake Michigan on 29th July. We’ve already moved again since then!!
We’ve made a few changes to our original plan along the way – we originally planned to cross the Cascade Mountains via Washington Pass on US20. Concrete to Washington Pass is 80 miles on US20. However, because Washington Pass was still closed due to snow, we detoured via Stevens Pass on US2 – Concrete to Washington Pass was 325 miles!
We’d planned to visit Canada, but a combination of Covid Rules at the time & being unable to get the necessary paperwork meant it didn’t happen. We went on a Tour of Montana instead & visited Glacier National Park, Lincoln & Helena.
We arrived in West Yellowstone at least 2 weeks earlier than originally planned. This coincided with Yellowstone National Park being closed due to flooding. I took a rare photo of West Yellowstone Entrance with no-one in shot! Our revised plan took us back into Idaho, where we visited the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway & then into Wyoming where we experienced the jewel in the crown that is Grand Teton National Park.
Our detour via Grand Teton National Park resulted in us arriving at Yellowstone National Park on the day it re-opened. There was a 4 mile queue of cars waiting to get in as we cycled past everyone on the hard should, until I got our first p*nct*re of the adventure! We crossed the continental divide in Yellowstone & visited the amazing thermals at West Thumb on our longest ride of the trip – just over 104 miles from Grant Village into Cody.
The remainder of the route from Cody to Minneapolis was as planned. However, a number of people we met as we headed East said we should ride in Wisconsin if at all possible. We’ve taken their advice & detoured across Wisconsin (instead of heading though Iowa & Illinois), but as I haven’t yet blogged about it, I’ll not give too much away!
We took the ferry across Lake Michigan & have spent the last 3 days following the shoreline South towards Indiana. Blogs on the ferry crossing & our journey South are also pending. I have a rest day on Wednesday, so hopefully I’ll catch up a bit then!
To date we’ve ridden on 69 days out of a possible 90 days & in that time we’ve travelled 4,116 miles & climbed 157,403 feet. The table below shows a bit more information about where we’ve been & for how long.
The numbers in the table are based on the actual routes we rode each day & include all the small detours we took for photo opportunities &/or coffee stops, slight mistakes in routing & general faffing about! The climbing figures in the table are based on what my Wahoo recorded on each ride (it slightly understates those numbers).
State
Time Spent (In Days)
Days Ridden
Miles Ridden
Feet Climbed
Washington
19
16
912
44,318
Idaho
5
4
157
6,775
Montana
28
20
1,238
46,512
Wyoming
11
9
581
25,397
South Dakota
15
11
653
23,654
Minnesota
6
4
240
5,328
Wisconsin
7
5
335
5,419
Totals
91
69
4,116
157,403
If there’s anything else you’d like me to include, just drop me a message – I’ve already been asked to do something about my favourite beers & cakes!!
Hey, Hey, Hey, we’re off to see Yogi at Yellowstone. Oh, no we’re not! Sunday 12th to Tuesday 14th June
Sunday 12th June – Helena to Three Forks
After a couple of rest days, we were looking forward to a 3 day block of riding which would take us to Yellowstone National Park to see Yogi Bear, Booboo & Ranger Smith. We were up & on the road under overcast skies by 9.15am, for what on paper looked to be a straightforward day – gradual climbing most of the day with a couple of small downhills.
Before we’d even left town we passed a docile deer nibbling on a boundary hedge of a house – it can’t have been 5 yards away from us & to begin with I thought Sean was joking when he said “Deer Alert!” & as a result I missed my opportunity for another deer close-up. We soon picked up Highway 287, which was going to be our road for the next 3 days. We were surrounded by big mountains, with the railroad off to our right & big, cloudy skies overhead. There was also a wind that was beginning to pick up some momentum & it was blowing across us & into our faces!
A combination of cross-headwind & a small incline results in slow progress for me – I realised this when I deliberately let Sean ride off the front so I could get a photo, then had to work really hard to get back in his wheel! The road was quite busy with RV’s making their way towards Yellowstone & one poor deer found himself on the wrong side of the road. We watched vehicles speeding past until the deer spotted a gap & sprinted across the road, fleeing into the wide open spaces.
After about 10 miles we hit a 4 mile patch of rough gravel laid on mud, as the main carriageway was being resurfaced – we bumped & rattled along, making progress as fast we could, with cars & RV’s impatiently passing us.
We were still very much in ranching & cattle country, as the long, straight road stretched into the distance. For about an hour the scenery hardly seemed to change at all (good practice for when we hit Mid-USA), until we stopped at a Historic Marker to learn about the town of Winston. It now has a population of less than 100, but in the 1860’s & 70’s it was big enough to have its own newspaper, as well as 7 saloons – this was at the height of the gold rush. Having topped up my knowledge banks, I grabbed a photo of the moose statue made of metal & wood!
We started a long, shallow descent & had to pedal, so we knew for certain that the wind was picking up & that we were going to be working hard for the remainder of the ride. As we descended, we could see Canyon Ferry Lake getting even nearer. The lake is the third largest body of water in Montana, with 76 miles of shoreline & was created when a hydro-electric dam was built between 1949 & 1954. It’s a popular recreation site, offering fishing, boating, hiking, camping & swimming opportunities as well as having a wetland & wildlife conservation area.
The Missouri river is the longest in the USA at 2,341 miles & the source of water for Canyon Ferry Lake. It’s considered the main artery for the Great Plains, supporting exploration, growing of food, trade & transportation – we hope to pass 2 of its 3 tributaries later in the week.
About 3 miles after crossing the Missouri, we spotted a Historical Site sign that took us about a mile down a gravel track & took us right to the riverbank. York was a black slave to William Clark & was integral to the success of the Corp of Discovery – we were looking across to York Islands, one of two places in Montana which were named after him. Clark spent 5 years trying to negotiate York’s freedom from slavery, but he remained a black man living in a world of segregation.
As we looked over to York Islands, above us a chevron of Canada Geese were practicing their aerobatic manoeuvres – they kept splitting into small strings, then re-forming into a long line again. After heavy rains & late snow melts in the Rocky Mountains, the Missouri was looking full to overflowing.
As we continued towards Townsend, we passed a small resort complex on our right, which offered wedding, christening & elopement ceremonies! Their post box at the end of their drive was an exact replica of their chapel. Our coffee stop today didn’t warrant a photo – lukewarm, stewed coffee & a processed muffin – not every day is gourmet cake day!!
Leaving Townsend behind, we continued on an arrow straight road with a gusting cross-headwind from the right – this wasn’t good news, because as we reached Toston it became a full on headwind. We struggled to maintain 10 mph on the flat & when the road gradually rose, our speed dropped correspondingly!!! I foolishly stopped to take a photo of Sean against a mountain backdrop & a combination of the headwind, gradual climb & tiredness meant it took me 3 miles to get onto his back wheel again!
As we crested the long drag, we could make out Three Forks way off in the distance, but at least it was downhill! You may be able to make out the headlights of the cars coming up the hill towards us – it was only about 4pm, but it was already getting murky & that’s when we both realised that although the headwind was tough, rain would have been way worse! This was the closest we could get to saying “What an epic day out!”. Tomorrow’s another day & hopefully the wind will have calmed down & it will still be dry.
Stage Stats – 66 miles, 1,667 feet of climbing. Gradually climbing all day into a character building headwind!
Monday 13th June – Three Forks to Ennis
We woke up to overcast skies & trees bending in all directions – another headwind had been delivered, but at least it wasn’t raining…….it waited until we’d had a Frosties breakfast & tasteless motel coffee before it turned up! If you’ve been taking part in my adventure for a while, my last sentence yesterday set up today’s weather!!!
Almost immediately we passed the turn-off for the town of Three Forks (we’d stayed at the Travelodge on the I-90 junction) & picked up the Jefferson river for a short while (one of the 3 tributaries to the Missouri). The early miles were rolling in nature, which combined with a headwind made getting into a rhythm more of a challenge than usual. However, it wasn’t all bad news, as we could see slightly less dark clouds in the distance & after 10 miles the rain stopped.
Within 5 minutes, mountains that had been hiding in the clouds suddenly started to show themselves. At the time we were riding, it felt like the wind was always in our faces, but looking back at a few of the photos, the road wasn’t ruler straight, although the general direction was always North to South into a Southerly wind. If I’m honest, I enjoy these days, I weigh enough to be able to push through the wind & the moody skies always look dramatic on photos – it’s the wet I dislike!
As we reached Sappington, we passed signs for the Lewis & Clark Caverns National Park, but unfortunately they were too far off our route to make a detour. We crossed the Jefferson river, which I now know begins at the confluence of the Beaverhead & Big Hole rivers near Twin Bridges (all of which we passed last week). This marked the start of the first climb of the day, a 4 mile ascent to a plateau with snow-covered peaks in all directions.
There was no protection from the wind, so we were both grateful when we reached the small town of Harrison (population, 137) & spotted the Town Haul Diner, where we stopped for soup & coffee – rain & headwind makes for a cold day in the saddle!! Within its Town Limits, Harrison only has buildings east of Highway 287, as a fire in the 1920’s destroyed everything to the west of the road.
We spoke briefly to a mountain biker who was 4 months into a 6 month adventure riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike route – he was leaving just as we arrived. We would see him again later, as he was on thick tyres, a heavy bike & carrying more kit than us. As we left town, I took one final look back to the Tobacco Root mountains behind us.
The next 10 miles were among the toughest of our adventure so far, making yesterday’s headwind feel like a minor inconvenience! We took it in turns to ride on the front for no more than 2 minutes & covering about 1/4 of a mile), then tucked in to recover (we would usually be happy doing 5 minutes each & covering about a mile in that time). As fellow cyclists know, headwinds start getting into your head in a bad way – I’ve had to learn how to accept anything & everything that comes our way on this adventure & my resilience has probably improved as a result. Anyway, enough psycho-analysis for now!!
As we dropped into Norris Hot Springs our second & final climb of the day was laid out in front of us.
At 5 miles long & 900 feet it took me about an hour to complete the climb of Norris Hill – we both set our own pace on these long climbs & as you can see, Sean was some way ahead of me! The road already existed in 1864, when it was used as an extension to the Bozeman Trail, which was a short cut to the Montana gold fields from Casper, Wyoming. We’re retracing history on a daily basis & as a result of the numerous Historic Point markers, we get to see what that history is.
The view from the summit of Norris Hill was awe-inspiring (big views in all directions), exciting (a 7% descent for a mile) & disappointing (sheets of rain rolling in) all at the same time.
As we reached the valley floor, we got hit with the rain & it was heavy! Although we were only about 5 miles from Ennis Town Limits (pronounced EEEE-Niss), we got totally drenched & cold!
In spite of the rain I stopped to get a photo of the Ennis sign – this was an expensive mistake, as there were another 5 miles from here to our motel & I’d be riding them on my own. I hadn’t told Sean I was stopping & he’d carried on riding – a valuable lesson on the importance of communication, as it made the end of the ride more difficult for both of us.
Our motel turned out to be more of a cabin & we had our own room each, which enabled us to dry all of our kit overnight. However, of a shorter term priority was having some warm food (we both had a chicken focaccia sandwich & fries washed down with a Midas Crush IPA for me & a Devil’s Hump for Sean. Cheers everyone!
On a serious note, when we got back to out motel, we found out about the terrible flooding of the Northern Loop in Yellowstone National Park – I’m pleased to report there were no casualties, but there was huge damage to the roads. The National Park will be closed for the foreseeable future, so we will likely need a new plan for where we go when we get to West Yellowstone tomorrow evening.
Stage Stats – 47 miles, 3,825 feet of climbing. Going uphill most of the day with 2 proper climbs & a powerful, gusting headwind all day.
Tuesday 14th June – Ennis to West Yellowstone
We awoke to new footage of the chaos in Yellowstone National Park – large sections of the Northern Loop road have been washed away, a house tumbled into the river & the town of Gardner is under threat of flooding. I hope everyone stays safe – it’s a brutal reminder of how fast conditions can change in The Rockies.
As we had a long day ahead of us, we were on the road by 8.15am. Leaving town there was still a headwind, but it was less powerful than yesterday’s battering & although overcast, it was dry. We immediately crossed the Madison river (the second of the Missouri river’s tributaries) & ahead of us could see rain showers on both sides of the valley, as well as how far we had to ride. We would need to be lucky to stay dry!
There were imposing mountains all around us as we continued up the Madison valley & after about 15 miles the river re-appeared from a gulch below us & with it an opportunity to look down on an eagle in its eyrie – the first time I’d actually seen the inside. We were taking it in turns to ride on the front, which resulted in the morning passing quickly as the miles ticked down.
Over the next 10 miles we saw 4 long distance cyclists heading in the opposite direction (presumably previous Yellowstone plans had been scrapped). As we approached a fork in the road we could see heavy rain ahead of us, yet miraculously by the time we eventually reached the turning we were in glorious sunshine! The weather gods were clearly looking down on us!
Taking the left fork towards West Yellowstone, we were entering the Yellowstone Basin, one of the most active geological regions on the planet. In 1959 there was a huge earthquake that registered 7.5 on the Richter scale. At the time the quake was the 2nd largest in the continental USA.
We stopped at the Visitor Centre to learn more, but first a Park Ranger insisted on making us a cup of coffee, although the Visitor Centre is food & liquid free. We must have looked like a couple of very cold waifs & strays!
The quake caused an 80 million ton landslide, which formed a dam across the Madison river as it travelled down the side of Sheep Mountain at 100 miles an hour. The landslide killed 28 people who were camping along the shores of Hebgen Lake & further down the valley on the Madison river.
The earthquake caused the ground to subside by 20 feet & the fault line is visible to this day. We could see the tops of trees that had been submerged in Quake Lake more than 60 years ago. Prior to the 1959 earthquake the Madison river was cutting through the valley just like the 2 photos above – less than a month after the initial earthquake, Quake Lake extended 6 miles & had a maximum depth of 125 feet.
Upstream, the faulting caused by the earthquake forced the waters of Hebgen Lake to shift so violently that a wave crested over the dam, causing cracks & erosion. 32,000 acres of land around Hebgen Lake subsided by 10 feet – the impact of the earthquake was truly earth shattering & aftershocks of up to 6.5 on the Richter Scale were felt for several months afterwards.
The Hebgen Lake was created in 1917 by building a dam 85 feet tall & 721 feet in length across the Madison river. It stores & regulates water supplies for reservoirs further downstream, as well as generate hydro-electric power. The lake is a popular recreation destination, with fishing, boating, swimming, hiking & camping all taking place.
As Lake Hebgen receded behind us, we had almost reached our destination – just a right turn onto Highway 191 & the final 7 miles to go. You can almost see the excitement on our faces! We’d stayed dry all day – we later admitted that we’d been dreading the ride this morning as we were both convinced we were going to get soaked & then have to ride for 6 or 7 hours in the rain!
We checked-in to our room at the Dude & Round Up, then headed across the road to enjoy a huge portion of spaghetti marinara, washed down with a Hazy IPA. Tomorrow’s a rest day as we plan what to do next & where to go.
Stage Stats – 72 miles, 3,107 feet of climbing. Going uphill most of the day with 1 climb.
We always try & get a bit of rest & relaxation on our rare days off the bikes, so Helena was a real treat as for the first time on our adventure so far we had consecutive rest days. We arrived at our hotel on Last Chance Gulch (pay attention to the name!) on Thursday afternoon & decided to get a couple of tasks out the way straight away – first up was washing our 3 sets of cycling kit, followed by a visit to Safeway to buy dinner for this evening & breakfast for the next 3 days.
Our kit had completed its wash cycle by the time we returned to the laundromat, so we just needed to throw it in the dryer & wait 20 minutes. We were both flagging & on the verge of falling asleep by the time our kit was dry, so we did the only sensible thing, we headed into town for a beer! In the end I had a couple of Scepter Head IPA’s & Sean went for a couple of Cold Smoke Scotch Ales. As we chatted about our highlights of the last 6 days, we could feel our energy returning enough that we could eat our supermarket dinners!
We had a room each for our time in Helena, so we could spread out & enjoy a bit of space both physically & mentally. We met at 10am on Friday & popped to The Fire Tower coffee shop (not the be mistaken for THE Fire Tower) for a pecan & caramel pastry & latte – it felt like a real treat to be able to sit down & just watch the world pass us by, rather than needing to get back on our bikes.
Helena is the State Capital of Montana & 32,655 people live within the city limits. Prior to Europeans arriving in the early 1800’s, the Salish & Blackfeet visited the area seasonally as part of their nomadic travels.
In July 1864, the discovery of gold by “The Four Georgians” prospectors led to the founding of a mining camp along a small creek in an area called Last Chance Gulch. Within 3 months, the population had grown to 200 & by 1888 there were 50 millionaires in the city – it’s estimated that $3.6 billion of gold in today’s money was excavated between 1864 & 1888!
We decided to start our expedition by visiting the cathedral. The site was purchased for $25,000 in 1905 & the cathedral was designed in a Gothic style, based on the Votiv Church of the Sacred Heart in Vienna. Building commenced in 1908 & was consecrated in 1924, some 10 years after the first Mass was celebrated.
The stained glass windows are stunning, as they enable the outside light to flood in – these next photos were taken on an overcast morning! The lighting fixtures are of hand-carved bronze with a special lacquer finish.
There are white marble altars, statues carved from the purest Carrara marble & genuine gold leaf decorates the sanctuary, while the pews & woodwork are all done in hand-carved oak. When the cathedral was finished, it had cost $625,000 to build & decorate.
As we left the cathedral behind we headed towards the pedestrianised area of Last Chance Gulch. This follows the path of the original creek where the first gold strike was declared.
I quite like a statue, so was pleased to see I had a good selection to view. First up was “Extra, Extra” where a young newsboy is proclaiming Capital City Prospers to his passing clientele. We then met The Bullwhacker, who was responsible for cracking the whip above the heads of the cattle to keep them moving & if that failed, he shouted & cursed them to move! The whip wasn’t used to hit the animals, according to historical references. Finally, we found our friends the gold prospectors, as they sluiced & panned the deposits through the early processing machinery.
As we continued towards Fire Tower Park, we passed a memorial devoted to the 4 warships named after the city of Helena. This included a gunboat (1896 to 1932), a warship that was damaged in the Pearl Harbour attack but was repaired – she was sunk in battle in 1943, a heavy cruiser bought with Montana war bonds that served from 1945 to 1972 & finally a fast attack nuclear submarine that was commissioned in 1987 & remains in service today.
We then took a short, sharp climb up to THE Fire Tower itself – known locally as The Guardian of the Gulch. It was built in 1876 after a huge fire had destroyed downtown Helena & was manned round the clock. It was last used in 1931, with it’s location giving commanding views over Helena in every direction, it’s one of only 5 remaining in the entire USA.
Later in the day as we were exploring some of the quiet backstreets, we passed the Federal Reserve Bank, where we were tempted to go in & beg for some dollars, as the GB Pound is so weak at the moment! Not long after Sean spotted a hover of 4 chinook helicopters overhead (I only managed to get 2 in the shot) – on our way into Helena yesterday we also spotted one with equipment being carried in a cargo net. A final treat was spotting a beautifully sculpted horse in a residential garden.
In addition to all the above excitement, I managed to get my first haircut of the adventure & I also had my cycling jersey repaired. The box at the bottom of the zip had fallen off, so my zip no longer stayed zipped up – not a sight anyone should have to see!! My new friend Katelynn (from The Sewing Bee) went out of her way to sort me out, by taking my jersey home with her, buying a new zip on the way & fitting it that evening, before going away for the weekend. Katelynn, you’re an absolute star, thank you so much – hopefully you’ll read how much your kindness meant to me.
After such an action packed day, we both needed to take the weight off our feet for a little bit – somehow we found ourselves back in The Rialto Bar (neither of us know how!), so we had a few beers, then a few more & eventually left at about midnight. Friday Night Beer Club lives on! Luckily Saturday was also a rest day – my only activity was to publish a new blog!!!
Riding to Rest & Relaxation – Wednesday 8th to Thursday 9th June
Wednesday 8th June – Dillon to Whitehall (Stage 32)
We woke to overcast skies which threatened rain at some point in the morning. After a continental breakfast from the hotel, we took our time packing & set off just before 10am. We left town with a thank you for visiting message & a reminder that Dillon has an Army National Guard Recruitment office!
Route 41 is advertised at regular intervals along the road as the Auto Tourist Route & it was clearly designed by a non-cyclist! While it took us through stunning scenery, there was nowhere for cyclists to ride. Unlike every other road so far, there was no hard shoulder for large parts of the route & a couple of locals enjoyed driving closer than was necessary.
We had glorious views of the towering mountains on either side of us as we cycled towards our first Historical Point of the day – Beaverhead Rock State Park. If you look at the 3rd photo, you may be able to picture a beaver’s head as if gliding across water. Lewis & Clark passed through here on their adventures & learned that the local Indian name for the rock translated as Beaverhead.
Leaving Beaverhead Rock behind us, we found our next Historic Marker around the corner – the National Sandhill Crane Nesting Site, which had a lifelike sculpture of two cranes. We could just make out a flock of birds in the distance, although we couldn’t tell what they were. This wetland site has been rescued by Montana Department of Transportation & now boasts a diverse range of wildlife.
As we continued towards Twin Bridges, we were also fortunate enough to spot an eagle perched in a tree, as well as a couple of herons / cranes that were feeding in a nearby field. The photos aren’t great, but they’re a great reminder of seeing them.
We also passed a couple of fishing lakes along the way, with majestic mountains behind them providing a glorious backdrop. In addition to today’s ride gradually descending the Beaverhead valley, we also picked up a slight tailwind just before we entered Twin Bridges – this boded well as the remainder of our ride was due to follow the same direction. But before that, we had important business in town…..
For the first time in 4 days, we found a coffee & cake stop. The Blue Anchor Cafe delivered with a delicious piece of lemon meringue pie! As we left town, we passed the volunteer fire department & they had a tender on display & a bit further on in Silver Star there was a huge display of Rope Drive Compressor Wheels. Lloyd Harkins has been collecting all types of pre-1900 mining gear over the years & these take pride of place.
The tailwind out of town had raised our spirits & we fairly flew along the valley floor, stopping every now & then to take in the towering views all around us.
We were still in eagle country & we spotted a couple of telegraph poles where wooden pallets had been placed on the stanchion so that the eagles could build their own nests. There were plenty of creeks & rivers available so the eagles could go fishing.
The gentle descent & tailwind resulted in our ride fairly flying by – we were on the road for a little under 3 & a half hours. We made sure that we took in the huge views wherever possible as we closed in on Whitehall.
We arrived in town early, so found an espresso hut where we enjoyed a fresh coffee & cookie, before passing a Welcome sign on the way to our hotel. It was a short day in the saddle, but it still delivered on scenery, wildlife, history & lemon meringue pie!!!
Stage Stats – 56 miles, 643 feet of climbing. Gradually descending all day with a friendly tailwind!
Thursday 9th June – Whitehall to Helena (Stage 33)
The is the final day in a block of 6, as we ride from Lincoln to Helena – we then have 2 days of rest & relaxation planned! We woke up to blue skies & for the first time on our adventure we didn’t need our gilets or wind jackets as we left the hotel – woohoo.
We left Whitehall by tracking the railroad, with big views of the mountains ahead of us & beyond the Jefferson Slough to our right. We then followed the I-15 for a short time on a frontage road before our first climb of the day.
As we summited, a secret valley was laid out before us, with huge views spread out before us. As we descended, the Conrow Creek meandered backwards & forwards on the valley floor below. We both remarked that it reminded us of physical geography classes 40 plus years ago when we were taught how rivers like this formed oxbow lakes as the river finds a shorter route through soft landscape. Oh to be 16 again!!!
After about 5 miles we finally saw a little house on the prairie – although there would be more habitation further up the valley, this was the first sign of civilisation that we’d seen!
In a place so devoid of human habitation, we expected to see some wildlife & we weren’t disappointed. In addition to the eagles soaring overhead (always too far away to photograph), we also spotted two different types of deer. First up, we saw a herd of prong-horned deer & one of them took an interest in us when we stopped, as he checked us out. He soon got bored & bounded off to join his friends / family. Second up we saw a herd of white-tailed deer without prongs. Two of the 3 made eye contact, but the 3rd one quickly grew bored & walked away. A familiar experience for me!!!
In addition to the wildlife, I’m always on the lookout for interesting scenery & today it came in an unexpected form – the clouds. At times they took the form of a burrito, a caterpillar & a pair of sunglasses lenses. I probably have too much time on my hands & you probably don’t see anything but clouds……!
Being surrounded by big mountains, we also had stunning views to enjoy too. Sometimes it was the views along the arrow straight roads to the mountains in the far distance & other times it was simply enjoying the different colours on view & the way they complemented each other.
After 37 miles of gradual climbing, we reached Boulder, where we hoped to find somewhere that would serve coffee. We hit the jackpot in a huge way when we found the Elkhorn Bistro, run by Jennifer. We were welcomed with a huge smile as soon as we walked in the door & Jennifer took the time to talk to us about our adventure. She also shared a story about a few Italian long distance cyclists who were raising money for Diabetes, in recognition of a friend of theirs who had passed away – they had left her a poster of their cause, which she planned to frame & put on display in her bistro.
Jennifer recommended the homemade lemon cake with huckleberry frosted icing, then melted my heart by also offering to add some ice cream & whipped cream!!! Cake shop nirvana – Jennifer loves doing what she does as much as my friends Phily & Yas at The Old Stables in Castle Combe & the passion shines through.
Jennifer also shared a story about the tavern next door – Patrick Duffy’s (he of The Man From Atlantis & Dallas fame) parents owned The Lodge & were both murdered on 18th November 1986, when two teenagers committed an armed robbery. Kenneth Miller & Sean Wentz were both convicted of the murders & sentenced to 75 years in jail.
Leaving our new friend behind, we again tracked the I-15 for a couple of miles – as we were riding along we saw a small hawk like bird attack a far larger eagle. The hawk had 4 or 5 attempts the harry & harass the eagle, who didn’t seem to know what to do. I wish I could have got some video or stills, but it all happened too quick.
As we turned away from the I-15, we realised that the steep gravel road we’d been admiring from afar was our way out of the valley!
The video below probably articulates how difficult I was finding the climb (this was my 4th attempt, as the other 3 resulted in me having to abort the video so I could concentrate on staying upright!!! The climb maxed out at 13% & the gravel alternated between hard-packed (easy to get purchase & stay upright) & sandy (almost impossible to get grip & stay upright). It was a great little adventure, but not one I’m in a hurry to repeat.
At the summit of the climb we stopped, admired the view & talked about the importance of giving each other plenty of room for the gravel descent – there was a casualty, but not the one either of us was expecting! As I descended, my trail mix pack bounced out of my rucksack pocket, hit the gravel & split open. Luckily most of it remained in the pack, but some was left behind as a treat for the wildlife – it had M&M’s in it too 😦
Sean overtook me while I sorted out my trail mix fiasco, but once we reached the tarmac I was able to catch up again & enjoy the remainder of the descent into Clancy.
Clancy was a mere 10 miles from Helena, but it was by far the toughest section, as we hit a stiff headwind that required us to pedal on the downhill sections! We stopped very briefly to talk to a couple of cyclists who were following the Great Divide mountain bike route. They had a schedule to reach somewhere 40 miles past Helena, so we wished each other safe travels & went our separate ways.
We arrived at the Budget Inn Express (our home for the next 3 nights) at about 3.30. We headed off to get our laundry done & also buy breakfast for the next 3 mornings – by this point we were both almost falling asleep on our feet, so did what any self respecting person would do, we found The Rialto Bar where we had a couple of liveners as we chatted about the last 6 days of riding. Thirsty Thursday beer club lives on!
Stage Stats – 69 miles, 2,562 feet of climbing. Gradually climbing for the first 45 miles, then a slow descent into Helena. Glorious sunshine all day!
Gav's Cycling Adventures 