No Longer Solo

I had a great rest day in Breckenridge. Thanks again to Greg and Jacque King for hosting me on Thursday night and Greg for being my personal valet while I was in town.

After being delayed at the Asheville Airport, my riding buddy and friend Shawn Evans arrived in Frisco via a Newark connection and a late night Uber ride from Denver International to the Frisco Holiday Inn. That's where we found him just after 10:00 AM on Friday. Greg and I loaded him up and we went and got some camp supplies. After saying thanks and farewells to Greg, Shawn and I loaded up on some great pizzas at Fatty's so we'd have plenty of fuel for Boreas Pass. For the next week, I'm going to have a partner on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route!

Shawn quickly realized that he had packed way too much for his set up and we spent about 45 minutes after lunch at the Post Office downsizing and shipping things back to Hendersonville. When we started riding, it began to rain. We found shelter at the ice rink and the rain stopped after about 10 minutes. Shawn had the challenge of landing in Colorado and starting some tough riding without any acclimatization. Fortunately, Breckenridge sits at 9,600 ft above sea level and Boreas Pass Rd follows an old narrow gauge railway, meaning the grade is never steep. And Shawn is tough. He made it like a champion.

Then it was the long descent into Como. The views were spectacular. Colorado has experienced an unusually wet summer. I was explaining to Shawn how this valley is never this green so late into the season. We stopped at the art galllery/post office in Como (gotta love small towns) where Shawn sent some cards and we admired the local artists. 

Just a little over 20 more miles to Hartsel. The dirt road we were riding on had lots of traffic so we were getting a lot of dust blown on us. Then we had to get on HWY 24. It was busy and nerve racking and the cars were traveling really fast. But we made it to Hartsel safe and tired. Found free camping behind the bar/restaurant there. Ordered burgers inside. When our food came out, they didn't bring the top half of our buns. It was weird and hilarious. Apparently the cooks left them on the grill.

Towards the end of the night, it was just me and Shawn and two cowboys in the bar. One walks over to the jukebox, Lil Wayne starts playing and the cowboys start bouncing their heads to the beat. Ah, Colorado...

In the morning, we had breakfast with a couple that were camping near us. They were biking from St Louis to Oregon, but the girl had hurt her back. So now they were trying to hitch a ride for themselves, their bikes and dog to Dillon.

Real pretty ride through some ranches and rolling hills today. You could see the Collegiate Range in the distance. A couple of short, steep climbs followed by one big one later in the day before we descended into Salida. We missed the rain, so that was a bonus. 

Salida is a great town. I'd never heard of it until I spent a night here two years ago during Bike Tour of Colorado. There's rafting and kayaking on the Arkansas River through town, mountain biking right from downtown, not too far from Monarch Ski area and it has a really cool artsy scene. Amica's is great pizza and beer but tonight we went for pho at Little Cambodia.

After spending time in Breckenridge and Salida, the towns get much smaller from here. Blog updates may be sparse the rest of the trip. Cellular connection spotty. Tomorrow we start off right away climbing up to 11,000 feet Marshall Pass. Hopefully, Shawn and I can make some good time to get him deep into New Mexico before he has to fly back home. 

I failed

I rarely set a goal that I don't reach. This tour I've been able to reach or exceed all my expected daily goals and that's felt nice. Tuesday, I did not.

I left Steamboat Springs after checking mail in the morning. It was about 10:30. My goal was Kremmling, about 80 miles away and very doable based on the mileage I was doing and the way I felt at the end of the day Monday. About 12 miles short, I quit. I just couldn't do it anymore.

The day was beautiful. The ride out of Steamboat was very nice. Lots of people road cyling, I passed about 25. The climb to Stagecoach State Park looked steep on the profile but wasn't bad at all. I met Ellen and Elmar, two travelers from Holland who've been touring for the last 22 months! They seemed to having a great time but complained about the rain they've encountered in Colorado. I warned them about Wyoming wind without being too negative. This is their website.

The climb to Lynx Pass was gradual and easy. Then the ride go tougher. After another climb to near another pass, you go through roller coaster terrain. Steep descents and steep ascents. Then it is  a long, fast drop to Radium and the Colorado River. There were two more big climbs left, less than 15 miles to Kremmling. I made it through the first and shorter climb. About a third of the way up the second one, I consulted the map, looked at the time and decided that Kremmling was not going to happen. I had about nine miles to go, it was 6:30 and I was tired. I had climbed over 6,200 ft this day.

So I made the decision to quit, to call it a day. I turned around and rode back about down the hill a short distance to a BLM Campground and river put in called Pumphouse. It was a really nice place, busy with people getting on and off the river. Nice campsite.

The next day, I finished the ride to Kremmling. It took me over 1.5 hours to ride the 8 miles or so to town, that's how steep it was. I had breakfast there in town and then began the bike to Silverthorne. The Great Divide takes you behind the Williams Range and over Ute Pass but I took the direct route, HWY 9 in order to meet up with my friends Ryan and Wendy by early afternoon. HWY 9 had some construction that I had to fight and was more traffic, but it was a pretty ride along the Blue River.

Ryan and Wendy met me a Pug Ryan's Brewery in Dillon. We unloaded my bags into their car. I was virtually weightless. Ryan rode with me to Breckenridge, a nice 18 mile ride along bike paths over Dillon Dam, through the town of Frisco and into Breckenridge. We cleaned up, ate Mexican and had a great time visiting.

On Thursday, I rested. I took my bike in for new brake pads and derailleur adjustment. Got a haircut. Strolled the town. In the afternoon, Greg King, the brother of my friend and former co-worker Lisa, picked me up. We went to pick up a care package Lisa had sent and I got to stay at their house near Hoosier Pass. Like Lisa, Greg is a great person. It sure beat staying in the hostel last night.

The Divide

So what is this Divide that I keep referring to and for which this route is named? Assuming a drop of water does not evaporate or get absorbed into the ground, the Divide separates where water will end up. Water will end up either in the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic Ocean (Gulf of Mexico) depending on what side the divide the water originates on. So far, I have crossed the Continental Divide 15 times and it's pretty neat to stand there and know that I'm standing at the watershed, that water one one side of me might flow into the Pacific via the Snake and Columbia Rivers and the other side will reach the Gulf of Mexico via the Missouri and Mississippi.

Encompassing most of Nevada, some of California and Utah, the Great Basin is one place where water doesn't drain into an ocean. It basically pools into lakes or evaporates. Another place is the Great Divide Basin in Wyoming, where the Continental Divide splits and forms a "bowl". Water will form seasonal creeks and ponds but for the most part, it evaporates. And this was the place where I spent the weekend.

The Great Divide Basin was everything I expected and some I did not. I expected it to be lonely, dry and hot.

I was actually surprised at how unlonely I was in the basin. There were lots of animals-- rabbits, antelope and the marmot I saw making a beeline at me. It ended up diving into it's burrow, startled by me. Lots of birds also, small ones and large raptors. At the campsite I chose at A&M Reservoir, one of the few water sources in the Basin, there were a set of car campers, about 8 guys who pulled up on BMW touring bikes (you can see their camp in the photo below) and two Continental Divide Trail through hikers.

The Basin was dry, though you could see the effects of the recent Wyoming rains in puddles left behind. I got water at Diagnus Well (below), which technically isn't in the Basin yet, but it was the last water source until A&M Reservoir. We take fore granted things until they are scarce. I was transferring water from one bottle to another and, while trying to swat a bug from my foot, spilled half the bottle of water. What a tragedy. Fortunately, I still had plenty of water, but I knew I wasted a precious commodity.

As for hot, I lucked out. Temps barely reached the 90s, which is pretty good for the Divide Basin. But the wind. Oh the wind. Most of Saturday morning, I lucked out with a tail wind. The afternoon was a head and cross wind. When I got to A&M Reservoir, I felt like I could go further, but it would be directly into heavy winds. These were winds strong enough to blow my bike over while it was leaning against me. I waved the white flag and camped at the lake rather than fight the winds.

It took me a day and half to make the ride from Atlantic City to Rawlins. This was one of the parts I dreaded as I prepared for the ride. It was difficult and carrying extra water sure made me slower, but it was a surreal experience being in the desolate landscape.

Other Notes:

- Hulk got a new chain and some adjustments in Pinedale. I didn't mention it before, the chain broke on the bike near Lima, nearly a week ago. I fixed it and it made it over 400 miles to the first bike shop on the route since Butte, MT. Actually, it's a hardware store that has a bike repair area in the back. The guy working on the bike said he gets lots of Great Divide riders since there's not another shop until Steamboat Springs, CO.


- Dodged rain all day Friday. Didn't start riding until after 12:00 since it was pouring in Pinedale. Locals were apologizing to me, saying it never rains this much--- they're semi-arid! Made it about 20 miles and then saw a storm to my south as I was heading east. I pedaled hard and watched it pass through where I had been (below pic). Saw the same guy on the BMW that passed me on the Ashton-Flagg Ranch Rd 3 days before. Also, met John from southern Pennsylvania. Saw another storm from afar. Tried to pedal away from it too. I missed the middle of the storm, but the edge caught me. A third was gaining on me late in the day. I huddled in a Rest Stop for 45 minutes waiting for that one to pass.

- Had breakfast in Atlantic City on Saturday with a couple of re-enactors who were there for an event at South Pass City. They were from all over but knew one another. I was bummed I wasn't going to get to see them in action and the events at South Pass.

- Met two college buddies from MIT when I was heading into the Basin.


- Apparently, where I camped at A&M Reservoir is on the Continental Divide Trail as two through hikers came rolling in about 8:30. I gave one of them my bear spray as I was out of bear country.


- Had great Thai food in Rawlins. Anong's Thai. Highly recommended if you're ever in Rawlins.

- Rode through road construction this morning in southern Wyoming. I was afraid they were going to close the road, but I got up early enough to make it through most of it.

- Three Forks Ranch, which I rode by today, is ridiculous. It's like a mini Biltmore. Their main house is huge!


- Met these three guys from Spokane. They started 3 weeks ago in NM.

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.