Great Divide Superlatives

Favorite Campsite (remote/backcountry):

1)      next to Flathead River, BC

2)      near Indiana Pass summit, CO

3)      Desert between Cuba and Grants

Next to Flathead River, BC

Favorite Camground (developed):

1)      Merry Widow Mine and Campground, Basin, MT

2)      Lava Lodge, Wyoming- stayed in their cabin

3)      Bannack State Park, MT

Bannack State Park, MT

Favorite Lodging, non-camping:

1)      Llama Lodge

2)      Whitefish Bike Hostel

3)      Tie: Toaster House in Pie Town & Jeff Sharp’s house in Hachita

Llama Lodge, MT

Best free Lodging: Greg King’s in Breckenridge

View of Mt Quandry from Greg's porch

Favorite Towns:

1)      Whitefish, MT

2)      Salida, CO

3)   Steamboat Springs, CO

4)      Breckenridge, CO and Banff, AB

Bike Run at Whitefish Bike Hostel, MT

Best Breakfast:

1)      Atlantic City Mercantile, Atlantic City, WY

2)      Stray Bullet Café, Ovando, MT

3)      Columbine Café, Breckenridge, CO

Best Lunch:

1)      Anong’s Thai, Rawlins, WY

2)      Three Barrels Brewery, Del Norte, CO

3)      Elkford Motor Inn, Elkford, BC

Best Dinner:

1)      Ribeye at Wise River Club, MT

2)      Little Cambodia, Salida, MT

3)      tie: Red Bowl World Curry Haus, Steamboat Springs, CO & El Farolito, El Rito, NM

Cheryl and Dylan (top) and the great hospitality at Wise River Club

Favorite Brewery:

1)      Great Northern Brewery, Whitefish, MT

2)      Three Barrels Brewery, Del Norte, CO

3)      Wind River Brewery, Pinedale, WY

Favorite Climb:

1)      Richmond Peak, MT

2)      Marshall Pass, CO

3)      Pioneer Mountains Scenic Hwy, MT

4)      Tie: Elk Pass, BC/AB & Huckleberry Pass, MT'

Trail that wraps around Richmond Peak

Hardest Climb:

1)      Climb out of Abiquiu

2)      Two climbs out of Radium/Colorado River

3)      Section between Helena and Basin

4)      Climb to Brazos Ridge Overlook, NM

Colorado River Valley near Radium

Favorite Descent:

1)      Richmond Peak

2)      Conejos River from Platoro
     3)   Descent to Salida on County Rd 175

4)      Drop to Radium/Colorado River

5)      Tie: Galton Pass (until I flatted) & descent into Basin, MT

Descent along Conejos River

Prettiest Section:

1)      First 30 miles out of Banff

2)      Indiana Pass to Horca, CO

3)      Gila National Forest, NM

4)      Marshall Pass to Cochetopa to Carnero Pass

Spray Lake, Alberta

Hardest Section, non-climbing:

1)      Mud near Black Canyon Campground, Gila National Forest, NM

2)      Warm River Rail-Trail, ID

3)    Mud near Collins Park, NM

4)      Descent from Flathead Pass, BC

Backside of Flathead Pass

Scariest Moment:

1)      Running into bear on road in Montana

2)      Lightning storm in both Wyoming and New Mexico

3)      Random dude that parked and camped near me in Montana

Running from storms in Wyoming

Weirdest, Interesting or Most Random moment:

1)      Contact flew out of my eye before arriving Rawlins

2)      Being stared at by cows while eating beef jerkey

3)   Buying tamales from Roger in Del Norte, CO

4)   Attending the dance in Hachita, NM

Roger made good tamales

Section I’d was like to do over:

1)      Gila National Forest- without the rain/mud

2)      Eureka to Whitefish- getting rear tire fixed

3)      Entire Canadian section- so remote, rugged and beautiful and I flatted Galton

Best thing to wake up to:

1)    Rainbow near Middlewood Hill, WY

2)    Rain falling while in my bunk at Lava Mt Lodge, WY

3)    Anytime there were no mosquitoes in the morning

Lots to update

I thought I'd blog more, but so often I'm camping at places that don't have wifi. And service is really spotty out here in the rural west.

Saturday, July 4: Wise River, MT to Bannack State Park, 63 miles

After leaving Wise River, the day is spent on Montana HWY 73, also known as the Pioneer Scenic Hwy. It's a very pretty route with light traffic, a tough, but not grueling climb and an awesome descent into the small community around Polaris. The north side is bordered by National Forests and even has a few ghost towns that I didn't visit because they were too far off the route. The south side of the route is a valley with small communities.

I met Jeff, who's racing the Tour Divide northbound. Most of the southbound riders have already finished. Jeff was a really nice guy, we talked for a few minutes on the side of the road. He told me that he lost three days because he got hit by a falling tree in a windstorm. Hurt him but also broke his front wheel.

Had lunch with Dan and Elizabeth, who I passed on the climb. They are doing a loop from Jackson, MT and just having a good, easy time. They are only doing 30-40 miles a day. They were staying at the restaurant/inn that we dined in and I was going to bike another 17 more miles to Bannack State Park.

While stopped to check my map, this gentleman pulled over to say Hi. He owned one of the lodges that I passed and many Tour Divide racers stayed there or at least stopped in. He showed me the board that all the racers signed.

And I liked this little schoolhouse in Polaris, MT.

Bannack State Park is the home of Montana's territorial capital. It was bustling when gold was found in Grasshopper Creek. It was true Wild West, with fortune finders coming to try their luck, outlaws and bootleggers, vigilante justice and also good citizens trying to just make a living. Gold dwindled and the railroad went through nearby Dillon, so Bannack slowly faded. Today's it's a ghost town where you can walk through most of the buildings and see where dreams were made and died. And it also has a nice little campground where I watched a little girl ride a bike without training wheels for the first time.

Oh, no fireworks for me on Independence Day. Just early sleep.

Sunday, July 5: Bannack State Park to Lima, 84 miles

I was awaken early by roaring wind. It was blowing like a storm was coming in. I am assuming that was the front that is going to break the heat wave. I pack camp without losing anything. I don't even make coffee because the wind is going to make my stove so inefficient that I don't even bother. I'm riding by 7:15.

It's a long 40 miles of gradual uphill through ranch land to the Medicine Lodge-Sheep Creek Divide, which almost the halfway point of today's ride. Slow and steady and then a steep pitch before the top. Just before the top, I meet Alex and Chris. They are a father and son duo from Virginia riding for Nepal Relief. Great people and told me some things and people to look out for ahead. Check out their website.

Come down off the divide takes you through some ranches and then down into a canyon. I got rained on a little. I take a short detour off the route to a small town called Dell to have an early dinner at the Calf-A Cafe. It's a restaurant built into an old schoolhouse that the Adventure Cycling map calls "possibly Montana's most unusual restaurant". Specials are written on a chalk board in the back of the dining room. Food was home cooking and cheap.

In Lima, I camp at the RV Park/Motel for 5 bucks. Head over to the new restaurant/bar and have some corndogs and drinks. They are still renovating the restaurant that they think originally served as a brothel. When I ask how their town is pronounced, they say LI-ma. The young man tells me, "Lee-ma is in Peru". Of course...

Monday, July 6: Lima, MT to Macks Inn, ID, 85 miles

Up early again, have breakfast in the cafe across the street and talk to Ken who is 65 and riding northbound, and I'm off. Feeling great. My body is getting stronger and there are fewer huge passes to climb. I cruise the morning to Lima Reservoir, ride through the Red Rocks Lake National Wildlife Refuge and begin the climb to Red Rock Pass. Lots of grazing land. Scenic.

After the pass, I'm in Idaho! Drop down and stop for ice cream and soda at the Red Rock RV park. The park webmaster talks to me for a while. He loves Hulkbike. He tries to photograph the Tour Divide racers as they pass the park. For someone who doesn't bike, he is very knowledgeable about the Great Divide.

I had planned to camp there, but it was only 4:30 and I decided I could make more miles. I covered lots of ground and still felt great. Biked another 15 miles to Mack's Inn, a resort community for hunters, fishers and ATVers. Camped there and met Barry, a teacher from Bellingham doing the Great Divide solo and the threesome of Corey, Billy and Amy who were friends from college doing the Great Divide together. They were interesting characters. Everyone was having a good time doing the ride it seemed.

Tuesday, July 7: Macks Inn, ID to Colter Bay Village, 104 miles

It stormed over night, nice lighting display. I was up early, saw my friends at the convenience store where we were eating and stocking up. The Warm River trail is an old railroad route that was now a trail and everyone talked about how Hulk would be great in the soft volcanic sand that makes up some parts of the trail. The sand wasn't bad, it was the ATV wear that killed me. They rut the trails and create grooves where the tires leave marks. It was like riding on rumble strips. No fun fully loaded. I end up just being frustrated and taking a road to the paved road. It was about 6 additional miles to my trip but worth it to get off the trail.

There is a road called the Ashton-Flagg Ranch Rd that takes me from near Warm River across into Wyoming, skirts Yellowstone's southern border and drops me onto the main highway that connects Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. It's about 40 miles long. The first part was hard. A guy on the BMW motorcycle passes me and says hi. He recognizes the bike at Colter Bay and couldn't believe I had made it that far.

I was pushing for Colter Bay because it has a lot of conveniences right there: cheap camping ($11), grocery and restaurant (National Park pricey at both), laundry, great views of the Tetons. Also, lots of TransAmerica cyclist would be here. I camped here on my cross country ride and enjoyed it a lot. Talked to a guy, Ben, biking from Portland, OR to Portland, ME. Met a group of Boy Scouts from Chapel Hill riding coast to coast and a guy riding from Toronto to San Diego.

Wednesday, July 8: Colter Bay to Lava Mountain Lodge, 46 miles

Woke up to rain this morning. It stopped and I packed up a wet tent, one of my least favorite things to do. I rode the 11 miles to Moran where there was a care package waiting for me. Thanks Lori, John, Sydney and Katie Hart for sending the toiletries, food and letters.

Hailee and Dan, North Henderson alumni working in Yellowstone, picked me up there in Moran and we had breakfast. It was great talking and catching up.

Then begins the assault on Togwotee Pass. I stop at a convenience store and RV park where I meet Mike. From Alaska, Mike and family- there's eight of them, many adopted- are riding the Great Divide. I asked him why and he said he made the mistake of watching "Wild". He wanted for his kids to experience a bonding and soul searching experience. Mike's in his 60s and the youngest is 11, doing the Great Divide together. That's pretty neat. Mike also gave me his cell number since they have a support car and told me to call if I get stranded.

Met Ben, from Charleston, who had a Ducati in his truck bed and a custom painted Cannodale mountain bike on the hitch mount, so of course we were going to talk. I loved his toys and he loved Hulk. He even took Hulk for a ride around the parking lot.

I was having a great day. Saw some great friends, met some neat people, I was feeling good on the climb. Then it got cold. I felt raindrops. I was lucky to get to an overlook that had a bench and information board under a small roof. I was going to put on rain jacket there. Then the skies opened. And thunder boomed seemingly right on top of me. It was not the cool you off sort of rain, it was the chill you to your bones kind of rain. I was only four miles from the top.

I stood there and shivered. Mike's family was able to get rescued since they had a SAG car. I saw them drive by. I was worried about the kids in this miserable weather and was glad to see them get ahead. I stood there for 2 hours waiting for the rain to let up. By the time it did, I was cold and miserable. I finished the climb and started the descent. Froze on the way down, temperatures were in the 40s. Found Lava Mountain Lodge. There was no way I was camping tonight. I was cold and wet and the tent I rolled this morning was also wet. I got a cabin for $25. It's got no bathroom or water, but it has electricity and heat. Perfect.

Talked to Allison, from Sparwood (same town in British Columbia I camped in on the second night), who might be the most interesting person I've met. She works at one of the coal mines around Sparwood and decided to bike the Great Divide this summer. She's biking solo northbound and averaging close to 80 miles a day. She and I had the same problem in that the rain shorted our days. We were both under 50 miles, average for a lot of the riders I've talked to but way under what Allison and I were averaging.

Thursday, July 9: Lava Mountain Lodge to Pinedale, WY, 93 miles

I got a little bit of a late start this morning. It rained overnight and I didn't care because I was sleeping in my cozy little cabin. I even ran the heater. But I forced myself up and was packed and rolling by 8:30.

Just a few miles after leaving the lodge, I run into two older ladies riding the TransAmerica westbound. They were from Pennsylvania and just taking their time across the country. As soon as I turn off the highway, the climbing commences. It's okay, I like getting the climbing done early. But then there's more. You have to climb back up to the Continental Divide at Union Pass. The first 5 miles took me over an hour! 

Thought I might dodge the rain a little. Didn't happen. It was a slow and steady rain that wasn't miserable but did make for uncomfortable riding and bad roads. The roads became mud holes filled with water and were slippery. Passed a group of three doing the Divide from Jackson, WY to Steamboat Springs, CO. When I started descending from above 8,000 ft, the skies started to open up  a little and the sun peek out. But the damage was done. The roads were a mess. I had so much dirt on me, my gear, my bike. Absolute filth. I had 35 miles to Pinedale to dry out, but the dirt and grime were still there. Everything needs a cleaning-- rider, bike, bags, bottles. Fortunately, the panniers did their job and kept the wet and dirt outside, otherwise things would have been even messier.

Being Jonah

I was jubilant yesterday because as I left Fairfield I was being pushed by a hard and steady tailwind. The terrain was also mostly level, so I blasted through the first 40 miles at a 20.6 miles per hour. The ride from Carrey to Arco was more hilly so I slowed down a little, but still covered 90 miles at an 18.5 MPH clip. All because of a glorious tailwind.

Today was totally different. I cursed. The wind blew in my face and across from my left. It was brutal. I was expending enough energy just riding forward, now I had to put extra energy into keeping the bike upright and in a straight line. It was the hardest day so far. I could not keep a steady cadence. The hills were not super steep and I struggled up. On the downside of the hill, I had to pedal because the wind pushed me to a stop. I rode 17 further miles yesterday in 7 fewer minutes than it took me today.

The same wind that was such a blessing yesterday was quite the curse today. Ironically, I just read about Jonah and his predicament (Jonah 4). While he was pouting because the Lord did not destroy Ninevah, God brought him a vine to protect him from the desert sun and he was glad. The next day, God caused the vine to whither and die and Jonah was scorched by the sun and grew faint. He was angry to which the Lord said, "Do you have a right to be angry about the vine?... You have been concerned about the vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow."

And what right do I have to be concerned about the wind? In Jonah, God chose to save a city of over a hundred thousand because they repented. Jonah was upset that God did not destroy Ninevah and was angry with his dead vine. I am all pouty over something I have no control and focused on my narrow needs and wants.

Other ride notes:
- I liked Fairfield. It's the gateway to Soldier Mountain ski area. I slept in the city park. There are only two paved roads in the town: US 20 and Soldier Road (the road to Soldier Mountain).



- I went to bed early because there was nothing else to do and actually fell asleep. About 9:00, I hear people walking by the tent. Lots of people. Then I hear explosions. Fairfield, population 390, was putting on a fireworks show. It wasn't the best and brightest I ever saw. Definitely not the most professional. But it lasted a good 30-40 minutes and the small crowd gathered seemed to be having fun.

- Rode through part of Craters of the Moon National Monument. Pretty neat stuff. The geology of this area fascinates me.


- Route 20 follows Goodale's Cutoff, a side route of the Oregon Trail that was taken because trekkers west feared running into hostile natives. The landmark for Goodale's Cutoff was Big South Butte (below) which rises high above the plains and can be seen for miles.


- Arco is a cool little town. First town to be powered by nuclear energy. I got a free meal there because I gave up my table for a family. They were grateful and wanted to buy my dinner. Mountain View RV park had great rates, nice facilities and friendly owner. On the bluffs above town, there are numbers. Lots of them. The tradition, beginning in 1920, is that each graduating class climbs up there and paints their year.



- I stopped and toured the EBR-1 (Experimental Breeder Reactor-1, the first successful atomic reactor in history. It is advertised as the first peaceful use of nuclear energy. Here, atomic power was proved successful when 4 lightbulbs were lit on December 20, 1951.


- Culture shock in Idaho Falls. After being in desert, prairie and small towns for the last week, this town of 50,000 people has me itching to get back into the open. I'm excited about mountains, though not about climbing them on my bike.

Idaho

Today is July 3. I am in Mountain Home, Idaho. From Burns, Oregon, I have covered the following distances: 65, 91, 92 miles. My legs felt like jello, so I only biked 31 miles today and decided to get my legs back because I start climbing tomorrow. My goal is to spend Independence Day in Fairfield-- about 60 miles away and at 5,100 ft elevation.

The ride from Burns to Juntura on June 30 was pleasant with some intermittent challenges: Stinkingwater Pass (4800 ft) and Drinkwater Pass (4200). Juntura was like an oasis. HWY 20 is lined with these huge trees that offer shade in the desert. Appropriately, the motel/campground/cafe is called the Oasis. It's the only place to stop for food between Burns and Vale, so it stayed busy. I had a terrific conversation in the restaurant with the Clarks, who wanted to know all about my trip. They invited me to sit and we talked for a long time.






After a breakfast in Juntura, I was back on the road. The ride between Juntura and Harper was one of my favorites. It was about 35 miles that followed the North Malheur River through canyons created by the surrounding buttes. Very scenic and quite fast as a lot of it was downhill. I thought it was prettier than my time in the Cascades. In Harper, I had a sandwich and talked with an old man (who never gave me his name). I would have been out of Harper 30 minutes earlier, but the man started a new story every time I tried to leave. I turned south in Vale and followed the Oregon Trail to Kearney Pass and made it all the way to Parma where I camped in the city park right next to the replica of Ft. Boise.





I knew that yesterday was going to be a long ride. I wanted to get to Grand View. It was 90 miles. I stopped in Homedale for breakfast. The only place that the lady at the gas station said was open was the bowling alley. I was skeptical, but found the bowling alley and a little diner attached. Breakfast was delicious and everyone inside was very friendly. I think every diner either said Hi or wished me well on my journey.


I then rode the 40 miles or so to Murphy, the county seat of Owyhee County and one of the smallest county seats in the country. It's unincorporated but does house the sheriff's office and courthouse. I was really getting worried because my left leg was hurting a lot. I thought I might have injured my hamstring. Now, I believe it was just cramps, but there was some concern I might not make the 30 miles to Grand View. I also attribute it to fatigue of back to back to back tough days.



So I finally make it to Grand View. A really nice guy named John (or David-- something biblical but not Obadiah) [photo above], saw me lost and yelled, "Are you looking for the park?"
"Can I camp there?"
"Everyone else does," referring to previous bikers. He was really nice, good old western guy. Talked to him for a few minutes and then he points me towards the Lion's Club park. Before I can set up camp, all these dogs come over. They all belong to either Justin, Heather or Heather's mother. Justin invites me over, telling me that their house has an extra room, bed, bath and there is chicken cooking on the grill. Stunned, I accept. They were just moving in, so things were in a state of unpacking.

The rest of the night was fun. We ate dinner, told stories and shared our lives. I met six month Violet, who has the biggest and best eyes and an adorable smile. Happy kid. Justin told me about being in the Air Force and all the stuff he hunts. I got to see (and hold) several of his guns. Most of you know, I'm not a gun guy, but it was fun learning things. It was also neat to see another person's passion. Justin was passionate about hunting (lots of badger pelts downstairs) and guns (he works in munitions at Mountain Home Air Base). We talked into the night, I had a great sleep in a king bed and got up and went to the Y-Bar for breakfast (where you can have a beer with your omelet), played with Violet and then I got on the road.