Lewis and Clark Campgrounds to Butte

45.46 Miles

2959' Climbing

4:07 Moving time

11.0 MPH Average Speed 

With just about two hours sleep, I managed to get my tent, sleeping bag, bedroll stowed and myself dressed for today's ride before breakfast was served. I'll admit I had help from some other riders who are more experienced (or just capable) at this camping thing. 

Breakfast was a hearty treat. See captioned pictures at bottom. I almost can't believe we're being treated so well. Todays ride will be in two parts: one will be an approach up the continental divide and down, and the other will be a short 20 miler consisting of mostly going downhill. To avoid having to negotiate downtown streets, the guides will pick us up and drive us the last hour into the city.

I found out that the rest of the riders had little sleep either because of the wind. As we waited for breakfast, the guides kept telling us the wind wold die down by the time we needed to roll (8:00). Seriously, if they remained as strong, I don't think I could keep upright on my bike. But, Alex, the guide, was right. The wind did die down substantially but still remained in our faces as we left the campgrounds behind.

The climb up to the pass was no joke. Just had to settle in and push against the wind (did I mention the wind?). But It was a great personal achievement. It makes the fourth time I've been up and over on a bike. Overall, again just really huge vistas in Big Sky country. Still just a bit disappointed with the haze still evident from the fires out west. 

After going over and down the summit we finished this leg of our cycling route, and hopped in a van for a transfer to the next leg. I may have taken a nap en route. I mean, really, two hours sleep all night? 


Pictures below are in reverse chronological order.
The day starts with bottom pictures and progresses up to here
Outside Butte Airport

SAG stop at huge municipal Park with a Viet Nam Memorial
Another big lunch cold cuts, cheeses, wraps, pita chips

This is my 4th assent of the Continental Divide by bike.
Jan is filling Water bottle, and Matt is just coming in to the summit.
This was a tough one made tougher by, yes, headwinds.

A deceptive downhill before the climb to the pass.

Hay rolls and mountains

Following a river for a spell. Really nice but those winds!

Campsite breakfast made by our guides

Loading up our plates
Sandy ad Emil


Waiting for cooks to finish

Sandy and Jan (foreground) packing up tent
New York Mary (background) doing the same

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Georgetown Lake to Maxville

Image
 24.03 Miles 400'/1940' Climbing/Descending 1:10 Moving Time 20.4 MPH Average Speed This is our second ride of the day. We actually stowed our bikes on the trailer and took about a 90 minute van ride to Georgetown Lake after lunch. This short ride was a gift! Downhill through some canyons and it just kept descending to the terminus of the ride. It was just a joyride with fantastic scenery. I did stop for one picture of a barn and some more cows in a dell then as the group whizzed by, I got back on the bike and beat then all back to the van. No, it's not a race, but I was having a perfect day and wanted to see if I could finally crack 20 mph on a ride this year. Checked the box.  We again loaded the bikes and got in the van for the final trip into Missoula for a rest day at the Holiday Inn Downtown. It's near the University of Montana and is quite the hipster town. More on my rest day tomorrow. The colors and rot of this barn just said 'take my picture' just cows...
Read more

Kickoff to Yellowstone to Glacier Parks ride

Image
 Sunday, August 1, 2021 With 4 days to go before flying out to Montana, I went to Torrington, CT to ride The Tour of the Litchfield Hills. It’s a big fundraiser for a Cancer Center in CT. The 100 mile route is listed as an extreme event. I’m only partly extreme so did the 57 mile route. Excellent course with some spicy hills. I did flat my rear tire at mile 25 (part of the challenges of everyday riding) but after I replaced the tube and got wheel back on, found that my rear disc brakes didn’t function. Decided to proceed with caution. My front disc brakes still functioned well so I kept downhill speeds “reasonable” and finished the ride without further mechanical issues. Definitely my favorite group ride of the year and made better by riding with a crew of 10 others who had come down from Springfield from my Monday night group ride.  Wednesday, August 4, 2021 Bags are packed. Nearly as much stuff as each of my three previous long distance rides. I forced myself to cull by 25% ...
Read more

Trip to Yellowstone with 3 mild hikes

Image
Too tired to expand but highlights included meeting some interesting people we'll be traveling with, Taking van for maybe 3 hour ride to Yellowstone to take some mild hikes in park seeing canyons, geysers and travertine falls. Several Bison made appearances as well as many Elk and two Bald Eagle sightings. Pictures will follow but need to figure how to transfer them from phone to this blog. More bar-b-que at dinner, got assigned a bike, and will get fitted tomorrow after breakfast before taking first ride around 10:30. Cell service? Not so much in park. Hotel in Absaroka much better. our van with bikes atop trailer Teddy Roosevelt Arch. First gate into Yellowstone Traveling into Park, many steam vents seen and more geothermic vents A rapid at Toms Point in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone View along hike of the canyon Mary taking a shot of Mary both on tour with us
Read more