Day 6: 75 mi: 6145’ gain

Short write up for today.  

First half of the day was chill except for the Lava Mtn alternative that my gps guided me along, leaving Brent and Kai followed me despite seeing a much easier main route.  Yes, we shaved off a few miles.  But the word Mtn is a clue about how much hike-a-bike we had to do.  Besides that it was a nice morning even with a big climb to start the day.  

On the descent I saw an elk even!  This was a fun one, narrowing down into a rock walled canyon for awhile.

Rolling into the tiny I-15 exit town of Basin- not even a gas station- we found the one cafe and enjoyed a filling meal.  Then we rolled forever upwards over the next pass, dropping into Butte with 55 miles under our belts.

Kai needed some bike parts so we stopped at a shop in town along the route and we’re pretty excited about the Pita Pit next door.  We each ate a sandwich right there and got one to go.

With tailwinds and cool temps we flew down the pavement south out of Butte for 8 miles, then began our last climb of over 2,000 ft to camp.

Tonight we are camping at the pass in an informal campground/trailhead around 7350’.  The sun is shining for a few hours longer, but the wind whipped air is cold.  

Despite the big climbs today and the high mileage, my knees, legs, and butt feel relatively good.  I did some planning and this part of the route gets sparse, but I think I can make up for my lossy half day due to rain if I push it for a few days.  Here’s to thoughts of dry skies and tailwinds!

Now- bed time.  After I pack all my food and hide it in the concrete bathroom.