Day 5: Thur 6/23: 59.6 mi: 6490’ climbing

I only got up to pee once last night.  The Milky Way and stars were amazing.

Rising at 6 am and loading the bike was easy wit not having to worry about a tent.  I used the little cabin’s propane stove to make coffee, which provided comfortable heat in the little shed.  Packing, I found myself lacking anything to eat for breakfast.  Searching the provisions stocked in the shed the only thing that sounded good and was fast was Beef flavored Ramen.  Mmmmmm…. Savory and delicious.

Only after eating the ramen did I remember all the food I had stashed in my Camelback.  But none of it would have beat out the ramen.

Stepping out to use the classy outhouse I was greeted with a too perfect picture of a valley lit by the early rising sun and a herd of horses grazing right next to me.  How does this place exist and I’m not even in a movie!

Others started to wake and I slipped out through the gate at 7:15.  I have a hard team saying goodbyes.  I think its just the introvert in me being uncomfortable because I embarrassingly can’t remember names for the life of me.  I really though just don’t feel like I’m good at putting into words how much I value meeting with people and sharing this experience, in this adventure, and just being able to show up and be in this time and place.  I don’t know how to do it so it’s a copout I suppose to just get up early and disappear and just hope that I left a good impression in my time there.

The first few miles were gentle through the valley, slowly rising before the grade kicked it up once again.  Oddly, my knees did not hurt today- which was quite the surprise given yesterday’s pain.  In the early morning sun I passed a large bull who seemed to be taken right out of the story Ferdinand.  Sitting under a tree, surrounded by wild flowers, watching the rest of the cows below him in the valley.  I named him Ferdinand, but he did not respond when I called to him.

Slowly spinning higher, I passed an old mine that reminded my of the iron works by the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis.

Shortly after the mine Brent caught up to me, grinding away on his 1x Cutthroat.  We commiserated the climb and pushed onwards.  He was kind enough to slow down and wait for me at the top, where we crossed the Continental Divide at around 6500’.   Descending together, we dodged cow pies, hardened mud ruts, washed out road sections, and massive milk chocolate mud puddles.  It was not the most enjoyable descent, only last a few indeed feet before starting a short climb.  Repeat, and complete one last climb to Priest Pass.  I stopped at the base to take a stretch and sunscreen break, because Sarah yelled at me yesterday for looking toasty in the face.  Sunscreen should last for more than 80 minutes.

Near the pass I passed Brent filling his water bottles in a roadside creek, then we descended 2000’ into Helena.  The last stretch was on pavement, which felt so incredibly fast, being downhill and with a tailwind pushing us.  Sneaking up behind us were two road cyclists I had met two days ago at Ovando.  Turns out the Helena is where our routes cross and we just happened to be in the same place at the same time.

Coming into Helena was busy and loud, being the biggest town since starting in Whitefish.  We wove our way into the old school downtown area and found the Great Divide Cycles shop.  I stocked up on extra brake pads, given how hard I’d been squeezing the brakes on these miles of descents it seemed prudent to have some spares for the inevitable day they wore out.  Brent picked up some supplies also then we biked to a pizza shop down the road to gorge ourselves in the air conditioning.   We had made great time, climbing over 3000’ and covering 39 miles before 11:30 am.  We took our time eating, finally heading out of town at 1pm.

Immediately started climbing.  Like, right from the pizza place’s front door.  For 7 miles we spun, the heat of the afternoon sun beating down on us.  Brent was moving slow, hunting for water sources to fill his bottles.  But as he noticed, the landscape had changed quite a bit since our morning at the Llama Ranch, now being dominated by dry, arid hills and empty creek beds.  I kept spinning, working from shade spot to shade spot, resting, and then repeating endlessly.  For quite awhile I played leapfrog tag with a UPS driver, who I think enjoyed dusting me out every time he passed me.

The descent was fast, but 5 miles passes quickly when you are flying down good gravel.  Too fast.  Because then the climbing began again.

Repeat the above.  Seriously, all I just said, minus the UPS driver, for 2000’ more.  The winds picked up, providing relief from the heat but also usually trying to push me back down the mountain.  Climb climb climb.  This gravel was not in good shape, washboarded badly enough that I often rode on the left side of the road, which is also were all the shade rests were.  For some reason tons of traffic passed, each tossing a cloud of dust as they reinforced the washboard.

Finally at mile 20, with a total of 3281’ feet of climbing since Helena, the turn off to Park Lake Campground appeared.  Just before making the turn a gentleman heading NOBO passed and we chatted.  We exchanged beta, giving each other input of what the other could expect in the next day’s travels.   He was stoked to hear about what lay ahead.  I was not stoked for what he told me is coming tomorrow climb wise.

The campground is surprisingly nice for being out in the middle of nowhere.  Brent pulled in about 30 minutes after I.  And not too long after him Kai from Germany rolled in, accepting our invitation to join us in our campsite.  Kai had arrived late last night at the Llama Ranch, and feeling his big day yesterday he was ready to be done, just as we were.

We are already to go to bed early.  So far there have been minimal bugs and no humidity, which makes tent camping so pleasant.  The dry air is especially nice in helping my cycling-butt dry up and heal from the day’s meat grinding!

I busted out the little alcohol stove and made a gourmet dinner of garlic instant mashed potatoes with 3 day old cheese and beef sticks cut up in it.  It was delicious and now I want to fall asleep.

Tomorrow, we start the day with a small descent and then roll right into another massive climb.  If all goes well we will roll through two good sized towns, were I hope to consume thousands of unhealthy calories.