Chapter 3 – Great Divide Route - days 15 to 27

After some detouring in Glacier we are back on the Great Divide route and finally started to add up kilometers (still early to think in miles). Days are passing quickly and we are already at km 1206. The route is tiring and harder than we though. On a few days we did more than we could handle and the legs were starting to complain, but overall we are getting stronger and we are learning lessons. We are also getting used to the usual routine: breakfast and packing up in the morning, long day cycle, and once arrived in a place it's shower, get food, cook, set up camp, early night sleep.

Montana's landscapes are not as dramatic as Canada, but the country is beautiful, with its green and gentle hills, and maybe too many woods...most of the route has been going through forests so that the views have been obscured most of the time. But, good places, people and experiences abounded here too. We have also met a few racers and fellow cyclists, our couchsurfing and warm showers hosts have been amazingly kind to us, and people along the route friendly. The weather has been on our side too. Not a single drop of rain yet, in the early afternoon it gets very hot, around 25/30 degrees but I won't certainly complain about that! I suddenly remembered what summer feels like: going around in sandals, hanging clothes to dry outside, ice cream, fresh breeze in the evening, this is life!

Here the last week on the route:

18 June – Bigfork to Holland Lake campground (110km and 1670m elevation gained)

After a day off in Bigfork we were full of energies and headed off for a big day. Along the route we met a few racers: Jim, who we would meet for the next few days, Giorgio and Riccardo from Italy and a group of 5 guys from Belgium. It was good to meet fellow cyclists and to share experiences. 

After a huge breakfast in the motel, we headed to Fernadele on the highway and then followed a good hard gravel road for 10km, and then a not so good gravel road downhill. After another flattish stretch we had some hard time climbing an unexpected hill in the midday heat. We were melting and a few miles uphill killed us. We decided to take a shortcut by the highway, passing through Condon. After 20km we finally reached the campground. 

The day was long and hilly, with an unexpected 1670m elevation gained, but we finally made it to Holland Lake Campground, beautiful spot if it was not for the mosquitoes who ate us. Stinky, dirty, tired, we had to fight with thousands of mosquitoes, set up camp and enjoy our noodles dinner. 

Holland Lake campground

19 June - Holland Lake campground to Ovando (103km and 1500m elevation gained)

This was a beautiful day and a great cycle. Still full of energies (not sure where they came from) we started another epic day. The route brought us up Richmond Pick, and from there it was a few miles on single track and a long downhill session to Seeley Lake. The views were much more enjoyable than the day before and we could spot the Grizzly Basin (no grizzly though :() and the layout of the Mission Mountains at a distance. Although I'm not a mountain biker I loved this bit, and the day route in general was really good.

Heading up to Richmond Pick

 

 

we catched up with Jim (racer)

After an abundant lunch outside the grocery store in Seeley Lake, we cycled back the 5 km to get back on trail and started another climb. The terrain condition of the fist bit were quite stony but it got better and was a pleasure to ride, and the entrance in Ovando was the cherry on the cake.
 

The village of Ovando (81 people), is the most supportive village of the Great Divide. They provide accommodation and the coffee place opens at 7am for an abundant breakfast. This is definitely a place to stop! of all the weird places we ended up sleeping, tonight was the turn of the caravan. We founded out later there was the jail option, next time will be!

Our shelter in Ovando

20 June – Ovando to Lincoln (62km and 800m elevation gained)

Today we paid for the previous two long days on the saddle. The route was not long, but the terrain was hard to digest and the legs were starting to get on strike. 

The day started well with a great cooked breakfast in the café in Ovando but it started to deteriorated as soon as we got on the saddle. 

I'm not sure if my perception of the road is biased by exhaustion, but all the 62km path condition was hell, varying from moderate to WTF. We went up and down the Huckleberry Pass, which was not too steep, but loose gravel and stones is all I remember. It was Saturday (bad cycling day!) and had to pay double attention as many not so friendly quads riders were coming up, raising lot of dust. There is obviously some tension between quad riders and cyclists in the area, but thankfully it was the only place where we experienced it. All the other drivers so far has been very nice and helpful. 

We got to Lincoln quite early and were glad to have more rest hours in a motel, but the place itself it's nothing special (no wonder the Unabomber spent some time here...).

21 June – Lincoln to Helena (95km and 860m elevation gained)

Forth day in a row on the saddle, today it took a lot of effort to get to Helena. We set off early ready for 3 passes but we could hardly manage one. The accumulation of tiredness slowed us down, and the ride was not as enjoyable. We went up the Stample Pass, and then the descent on a rocky terrain made us decide to follow the highway for the last bit. 

Finally in Helena we spoiled ourselves with an ice cream (Paul found sorbet!!) and then we went to find our Warm Shower host, John. John is an amazing guy and understand cyclists needs very well. It was a pleasure to spend time with him. He is a great cook, guitar player, and a great company. Thanks so much John for making our stay in Helena memorable!

On Stample Pass

Clean clothes!!!

Chilling out, finally

John performing

22 June – Day off

23 June – Helena to Butte (113km and 2139m elevation gained)

This day was loooooooong. We hoped the day off in Helena would give us some energy back, which it did as we climbed up the first hill very easily, but the terrain would not be on our side... It took us 12h to get to Butte! The first hill was steep but we managed to get up and down easily. The first 20miles were on good gravel and then the nightmare began. We had to push the bikes up a washed out track for 2 miles, and it took us hours to get by it.

This was the easy bit

Finally in Basin we had some food and then kept going on the highway. The first 15km were uphill so that we didn't make much progress either! Then it flattened and the last few miles into town were a screaming downhill bit. Finally in Butte at 6pm, we found out that Meghan, our Couchsurfing host, lived Uptown, which was a lot up! But that was so worth it, the view of the city from the house is really worth it. And today we are off oh yeah!

The man told us they are crazy to make the route go up those tracks, really?

Finally in Butte...icy stuff slurp!

24 June - Butte day off

We didn't do much, just stocking up food for the following days, looking for chain lube with no luck, some rest and a good walk up the hill by the house offering a beautiful view of the city and the surrounding landscape.

In the evening we went for a pub quiz night with our host and her friends and had a great time chatting with the guys and getting information on the bits to come. As it turned out, no one of the people we met in Montana are from Montana.

Quizz night with our CS host

25 June - Butte to Wise River (85km - 1050m elevation gained)

Finally a good cycling day! The first 20 km, 10 of which just to get out of town, were easy and downhill. Then we entered Thompson Park and up we went for 50 km. The first 25k were paved, and generally the condition of the gravel roads was good and it was a pleasant cycle, with great landscapes to entertain ourselves.

We then had a nice break under a highway ramp looking for some shadow in a super hot afternoon. The route wanted us to go up the Mt Fleecer, infamously known for its brutal descent. We looked at it and with no regrets we decided to follow the road instead and have an easy afternoon down to Wise River.

Angry Bird persuaded us to skip Mt Fleecer, good advice!

Turning direction at Divide the wind was now facing us and the sun was still strong, with 30 degrees. Unexpectedly we found a village with a nice pub on the way, Dewry, which was not signed in our maps. We stopped to get an icy cold Gatorade and had a good chat with Roger, the owner, who lived for a while in Italy not far from my town. That was a brilliant stop and gave us energies to get to Wise River and end the day.

Fellow Dividers who also skipped Mt Fleecer

Roger, what a character and what a refrashing break he gave us!

Huckleberry ice cream...slurp!

We camped at the Wise River Club, and found out that the owner Tom is from Balloch - Scotland. Nice to meet Scottish people along the way, this was a brilliant place to stop.

26 June - Wise River to Bannack (93km - 1000m elevation gained)

Another glorious day in the Divide, and all paved! We woke up quite late (6.10am) and had a slow start as everything was wet. The start was smooth and the first 47km was a kind climb along the Pioneer Mountains, with a steep final 8km climb. 

The road was just for ourselves (and a cute sunbathing marmot) and once we gained elevation it was like floating up and down in a vast plain, truly a beautiful feeling of peace and happiness. 

We crested the top at 11am and from there it was a quick sweet descent. We stopped in Elkhorn Hot Spring hoping to get some lunch but it was too early, so that we kept going down. The map showed a grocery shop and a pub at a 5km distance. There was not much around and we really hoped the places existed. They both did, but it was the worst meal of my life. Being vegetarian is not really popular there, I ended up eating a fried cheese sandwich which was dropping oil bbrrrrr....The can of pineapple from the store was much more palatable. Cycling the Divide means not been fussy about food.

The can of pineapple was much better than the sandwich

It was very hot and we waited until 2.30pm before hitting the road for the final 30km to Bannack State Park, the original capital of Montana which is now a ghost town. Despite the heat, that was a great place to visit, it was like breathing history. The campsite was set by the creek that was used to get gold, and we set the tent close to it, under the shadow of a tree and the ticking noise of woodpeckers, a guy even gave us a couple of beers, we must have the "Divide look" by now!

This time the woodpecker was the animal of the campsite

27 June - Bannack to Lima (85km - 300m elevation gained)

We knew the day would get hotter so that by 7am we were on the move. Ironically it was a freezing morning and we rejoiced at the first sunbeam.

Down we went for 20km on a good gravel road. It did feel the Far West with endless prairies and mountains at a distance, no wonder Montana is known as Big Open Country.

After the village of Clark (which I haven't seen), we followed the highway that goes by a dam, another wonderful spot of nature. By 12am, and after an endless 22 miles stretch of highway, we were in Dell. We had lunch there, at the Calf A, truly disgusting, I've never seen Paul so sad in front of a burger, but that was really a sad burger.

Then the final 10miles to Lima with 30 degrees heat, really too hot for cycling. We got there exhausted but we knew a day off, and a shower, were waiting for us. The Divide makes you appreciate the small pleasures of life.

28 June - Off

Uneventful day, I really did nothing but lying on bed and eating like a pig hoping it will give me energy back.

29 June - Lima to Upper lake campground (90km - 700m elevation gained)
After a rest day we were fresh and full of energies and had an early start at 6.30am, mainly to avoid the afternoon heat. By 12 we already had 80km in our legs, despite the terrain condition that did all its best to slow us down. The landscape was open and bold, inspiring but boring after a few hours.  

We had a nice break at the Lakeside Visitor Centre, in the shade of the only tree we found since we started. Unwillingly we decided to cycle the few miles to the Upper Lake campground, that the guide described as one of the best campground in the trip, thinking we would have had a nice chilled out afternoon. As soon as we got there we realised that that was not the case. This campsite is still in the number one position in the list of the worse campsites. There was no tree, only billions of mosquitoes and flies. We could see and hear them coming in a black dancing mass. The heat was fierce so that we tried to put up the tarp and get shade from it, while being eaten by the flies. Then the miracle happened. For the first time since we started the trip, finally, a thunderstorm. By 4pm the sky turned dark and the cool wind scared off all the insects. Soon a thunderstorm arrived and lasted all night. 

My advice if you pass there around, do not even think of camping there!

30 June - Upper lake campground to West Yellowstone ( 82km - 600m elevation gained)

After a stormy night we woke up early determined to get away from the mosquitoes as soon as we could. In the record time of 50 min we were ready to go. For the first time we saw the sunrise, and with it a herd of 80 or so elks crossing the road, what a beautiful start of the day.

After 20km we were on top of the Pass, and entered Idaho, which we would leave after 30km to re-enter Montana.

Getting on a paved road was a sweet change, made sweeter by the thought of a warm breakfast  that we were planning to have in Macks Inn, the first village in the map since we left Lima the day before. But, the only cafe in town was closed and we ended up eating a buttito at the gas station :(

After that it was a 22miles back the same highway 20 to get to West Yellowstone where we found the perfect campsite with no mosquitoes. The first approach to town was not encouraging though. Cars, we couldn't find anything, but after a shower and some rest we gave it another go and it was not too bad, just very touristy. 

We then said a temporary goodbye to the Great Divide over a good beer and planned our visit to Yellowstone.