Day 7 - Winnet to Jordan - rolly, polly day...

77 miles, elevation gain? Dunno, the Garmin ran outta juice... It was up the hill, down the hill, up the hill, down the hill, up the hill... you get the idea... for 77 miles.

Tonight, another public pool for a shower and camping in a public park. We've caught up with cross country Mike and met Lou, who is riding around the North West. Good connections and lots of interesting conversations!

 

Day 6 - Denton to Winnet - probably the longest riding day...

96 miles, 2800 ft. Elevation gain

From Denton we headed southeast across pretty flat lands. These turned into gently rolling hills that passed through ravines and over hills as we headed toward Lewistown, were we stopped ufor lunch.

After lunch we started a long, gradual 9 mile climb. There was a fabulous downhill reward for the effort.

The rest of the ride was gentle rollers into     Winnet.

Day 5 Fort Benton to Denton

63 miles, 2300 ft. Elevation gain

Tail wind most of the way, with one attention getting climb... about 2 miles with some 9% grades - on a 70 pound bike, that's a hill!

The fun started when we reached Denton. We were on the street outside the visitor center when Mandy came along. She told us we could camp in the city park and use the showers at the public pool there.

After we freshened up a bit and had bite to eat we went for bike ride around town. We saw some people with a wagon and two draft horses. We went over to visit and were invited for a ride around the town in the wagon. They were really nice folks and told us about the area.

Day four - Great Falls to Fort Benton

48 miles,  1600 ft. Elevation gain - blowin' into town again! About as sweet a ride as a ride can be. High 60s, high over cast, long rolling hills and so little traffic I almost forgot the phrase "car back!!!"

Besides, with the wind, we heard the traffic before we could see it.

We're in the rolling plains now, with immense fields of grain all around, no fences and lots of sky above!

Fort Benton is an historic crossroads in many ways; Lewis & Clark, the farthest inland port, gateway to the gold fields (back in the day) - a very interesting town to visit and lots of friendly, helpful folks.

Highwood, our snack stop.

Trudy, Frank and their pals Lewis, Clark, and Sacagewa.

Ft. Benton style.

Day three - August to Great Falls

67 miles, 1000 feet of climbing, 20 to 25 mile-per-hour average most of the time... A honkin' tailwind all day! We're sure glad we're not heading the other direction!

We had breakfast at Chubby's with cross-country Mike and a guy who is making a hydroelectric dam at an existing 1930 project on the Sun River. His daughter holds the record for rollerblading from San Diego to Florida.

Cross-country Mike set sail before we did so we may never see him again...

The ride flew by... We went to the Lewis and Clark interpretive center for a couple hours, then came to a wonderful KOA campground with hot tubs, hot showers kitchen facilities and live bluegrass music tonight!

Welcome bikers! The walls and ceilings inside were decorated with bras... Trudy wouldn't contribute.

Giant Springs

Home Sweet Home... for tonight.

Day 2 Ovando to Augusta

83 miles 3000 ft of climbing. Rode with Mike who is riding cross country. Weather ranged from sunshine to cloudy to thunder storms with heavy rain twice, thunder and strong cross winds with horizontal rain. Rode into Augusta soaked and tired. Stopped at a fishing and gun shop to get out of the rain and the owner Ken invited us in. While we dripped all over his floor he regaled us with his life story. Staying in a cute 1912 hotel, had he-man steak and potatoe dinner-yum. 

Day 1... Missoula to Ovando, MT

51 miles, 1100 ft... easy, peezy!

We met Steve from Salt Lake City, going to Banff... Mike from Wisconsin, riding across the country, a guy from Mich., going to the coast then south and 5 mountain bike riders going from Canada to Mexico.

Us, day 1

It was a nearly flat ride alongside the beautiful Blackfoot River, with mild temperatures and a tailwind (Yes!)

The Blackfoot river

along the way

Trudy shows Lewis the way...

We got a late start because we did a little repacking of our panniers, packed up the car and stashed it behind the hotel...

Still, when we reached Ovando, we talked about going further. Further, when we looked the maps... was another 30 miles with no campground... Nah...

So we went to lunch at the "Stray Bullet" - about 5 mountain bike riders, riding the Great Divide Trail from Canada to Mexico were there, too. Then a woman from the fishing shop next door came over with "goodie bags" of Hammer products for all of us... Turns out this 71 person town is at the confluence of several bike routes and welcomes us with open arms! 

Here are several "lodging options"

The shepards wagon... Our choice

The housegow (jail)

The teepee

Or a grassy lawn...

Nevada City to Missoula

16.5 hours plus one time zone... Zzz zzz 

Packin' our bags...

We found our packing lists on-line... 

Trudy's backpacking smart, so no cotton, use layers to adjust for temp changes, go light & keep it simple. Oh yeah, and balance the load...

Frank's packing technique is to put everything in a big pile, then sort everything into smaller bags.

Trudy is probably a little more organized...

Frank's bike... Nude!

Weighs 26 pounds...

 

I use it for commuting, so the rear rack and handlebar bag mount stay on the bike. It's a Specialized Tricross Sport and came with "mountain bike" gearing, braze-ons for racks, and 700x32 tires. I added a WTB seat and Speedplay Frog pedals.

Loaded for travel... 68-70 pounds, about 50 more than the bike I rode last weekend!

Trudy's bike, loaded, about 55-58 - her bare bike is lighter to start with.

From our trip down the coast...

This was from the Santa Rosa Cycling Club Central Coast Tour - a "warm up" for our continued Lewis and Clark self supported ride.

Testing the technolgy

It's really a balance between what will work and how much we're willing to carry - how long the batteries will hold a charge and what we want to do... I'm testing my "smart phone" now... Against a heavier mini-computer... Ounces or pounds?

Trudy's nemesis

Twisty, turnie, fast 8% downhills!

Preparation, just in case

This has been a difficult week. I am still recuperating from a groin pull and 2 fractured ribs from a bike accident at the beginning of June. My recovery (or the speed of it) will determine whether Frank and I go on our bike tour, set for June 22 driving to Missoula, MT. It looks like we'll make a last minute decision on Fri. once I get to Nevada City and meet Frank. We're packing as if to go. Friends of ours have also invited us to go rafting on the Salmon river for the same time period. Decisions, decisions! It will all depend on my groin pull cooperating....