Day 21: July 12 Sheridan City Park, MT to campgound near Ennis, MT 52 miles

Jack returns from the two-story outhouse.

Sunday, 7/12/81

Campground near Ennis, MT

Disappointing day. Couldn't find my Off last night, so couldn't sleep, so slept in late. Bret had a flat, so we left without him. Stopped at Nevada City with Jack. It's a restored town with fully furnished shops and homes and two-story outhouse. (Norm Ormbrek and I stopped here in '75(?)) At Virginia City, two miles beyond, found Rick waiting for us. He'd finally figured out we were behind him, not in front. 3.5-mile, 7% grade out of town and 7-mile descent to Madison River valley with Madison River Range alongside.

We waited in Ennis for 2 1/2 hours for Bret. He didn't show, so Jack stayed while Rick and I rode down the valley. 20-mph headwind smacked us and we headed to the nearest camp. No trees, water and river though. 60 lousy miles today.

I used “thornproof” (double-thickness) inner tubes and did not have a flat all the way from Seattle to Denver.

Nevada City.

Old railroad engine, Nevada City, MT.

The old schoolhouse.

Madison Valley & mountains.

 

Day 20: July 11 Cow pasture at Big Hole Pass, MT to Sheridan Town Park, MT 73 miles

Saturday, 7/11/81
Town Park, Sheridan MT

Building thunderhead.

Watched sunrise this morning. It hit clouds first, then alpenglow on Bitterroots, then hill on right, then hill on left, then us, so I got up. It was so cold, my feet were getting cold inside my sleeping bag.

Rode downand up to Badger Pass and down to Dillon by 10:30. 35 miiles--pretty good. Ate at Skeets Cafe, showered at Hotel Metlen, etc.

Played cat and dog with thundershowers in the 30 miles from Dillon to Twin Bridges. Thunder and lightning stabbing the ground was very dramatic. From Twin Bridges, rode 10 miles in headwind and more storms to Sheridan. Camping in Town Park with New Yorker.

We found ourselves in the position of following five miles behind one storm, watching its lightning bolts stab the earth in front of us. We dared not stop though, because there was one coming up behind us doing the very same thing. Eventually, Bret got a flat, so we all stopped under an awning on a farm and let the following storm sweep over us.

Aging barn.

Black and white storm.

Double rainbow.

Day 19: July 10 Campground near Sula, MT to cow pasture at Big Hole Pass, MT 62 miles

Friday, 7/10/81
Cow pasture at Big Hole Pass

Nez Perce Big Hole Battlefield.

Climbed Lost Trail and Chief Joseph Passes this morning and crossed Continental Divide over to Mississippi watershed.

Stopped at Big Hole battlefield where Chief joseph's tribe was attacked at dawn, yet still managed to escape with most of the people. It made me cry.

Fought swarms of mosquitoes at lunch at Wisdom.



 The village was surprise-attacked by the US Army at dawn.

Wisdom billed itself as the “mosquito and late winter capitol of Montana.” I don’t know about late winters, but they certainly lived up to the first half of their reputation. When we stopped for lunch, we were getting eaten alive by mosquitoes at noon on a 95° day with no shade. These experts recommend Off as the best defense against the bugs. I agree.



A bird.

Stopped short of planned destination tonight at Big Hole Pass, elevation 7,000 feet. Should get cold but it's very nicce, really. We're camping in a cow pasture--grass, sage brush, and cow pies. Pretty sunset. [One of Bret's and my favorite memories from the entire ride is camping in that cow pasture!]

 



Big Hole, Montana.



Jack & Bret and part of our stuff in a cow pasture.
Also see this blog's header photo.)

Day 18: July 9 Florence, MT to Sula, MT 69 miles

Thursday, 7/9/81
Campground outside Sula, MT

Early morning fog on our makeshift campsite.

Left Rick at the capsite--he was late with breakfast. Never saw him again. He probably passed us when we stopped at a donut shop.

Rick apparently passed us and spent the next two days trying I catch up with us. Every cyclist we met approaching us told us about this guy tearing along and asking if they’d seen anyone fitting our description, which of course, they hadn’t. It was laughable! The farther along we went. The farther ahead people reported seeing him! 

We wanted to cross two passes this afternoon and make 85 miles, but got too beat andwent 75 miles and camp at the bottom of the first climb.

Stopped at a taxidermist in Darby with bears, mountain lions, elk, beaver, moose, etc. It was very interesting. Also watched a guy paint a mural of nearby mountains across the street.

A Bitterroot Valley tree.



A Bitterroot Valley barn.

Bitterroot Valley scenery.

A Bitterroot Valley home.

Day 17: July 8 Missoula to Florence 17 miles

Wednesday, 7/8/81
Boat ramp, Florence, MT

We all slept in double bunks in the same room last night. We ran errands in Missoula all day, at the Post Office, the laundry, buying a shirt at Sears, groceries, etc. I left my helmet on my bike in front of the hostel and someone stole it. Very maddening. Right when we were going to leave in the afternoon. I had to fo to three bike shops to find another for $40. We only biked 20 miles to a boat launch on the Bitterroot River at Florence. No water or tables. Plenty of mosquitoes.

Day 16: July 7 Lochsa Lodge to Missoula 57 miles

Rock on Lolo Pass.

Tuesday, 7/7/81
Hostel, Missoula, MT

I changed my rear tire yesterday. The threads were showing through. Since it was new in Seattle and I haven't had a flat, I'm happy with my thornproof innertubes.

It was raining when we got up this morning, so I started a fire in the cabin's stove. The climb to the top of Lolo Pass wascold and drizzly, now flurries even and 38°. Once we topped out though, it was downhill all the way to Missoula, Montana. 

Going down the other side was fine with a very strong tailwind, but Rick thought he got hypothermia an stopped awhile. Lunch at a store with a picnic table. Zipped into Missoula by 3:30. Got my lost Traveller's Checks replaced. Stayed at hostel on upper bunk, pretty girl below. Had pizza out for dinner.


Lolo Pass rainbow

At the top of the pass, I came across Rick on the shoulder of the road, huddling under his space blanket. He said he needed to regain some body heat. I hated to leave him there, but he did eventually catch up that day.

Valley church on the descent to the Bitterroot.

 

Day 15: July 6 Syringa to Lochsa Lodge 72 miles

Lochsa River

Monday, 7/6/81
Lochsa Lodge, ID

It started raining last night so I had to crawl into Rick's tent. It stunk like Rick.

It was raining in the morning but we got going anyway. It stopped while we had breakfast in a cafe in Lowell. Then it got hot out.

Stopped at an "historic" ranger station run by a very nice couple. Rode through a huge forest fire burn from the '30s that ran for miles. Had lunch at a campground.

Rafters

A big thunderstorm hit in the afternoon. We all hid under a horse bridge and laughed and took pictures. It continued to rain, so we're staying at Lochsa Lodge in a rustic cabin. Very cozy. Bad weather predicted.

 

Here comes the storm.



Jack, Rick, & Bret cowering under a horse bridge.

That thunderstorm was most dramatic. A gray curtain of rain moved steadily forward, hiding the hills behind it. Every once in a while, a bolt of lightning would stab the ground and thunder would roll and crash around over our heads. When it was about a quarter-mile away, we stopped by a horse bridge across the river. We rushed into our rain gear and dove under the bridge just as the front hit. I couldn’t believe it! Rain was slanting under the bridge and drenching us. Thunder was crashing overhead. We had to yell to be understood. My three comrades looked so comical sitting in a row under the bridge in their flapping rain gear that I braved the storm long enough to get my camera. It was at this point that we decided to exchange addresses. The violence of the front passed in about ten minutes, then it was just steady rain the rest of the day.
 

Lochsa Lodge had a bar and a restaurant and cabins. We splurged. Then we retired to a cabin with four beds and a wood-burning stove. Such luxury!

Me too.