Days 18-19: She's a Butte!
Day 18
Today we followed one of our map's official "alternate" routes - partly to avoid some difficult terrain (we felt like we were all funned out for now with difficult terrain from yesterday) and partly because of the novelty it offered of legally riding on the interstate for a few miles.
We left Mormon Gulch campground and followed a steep gravel frontage road along I-15.
The frontage road gave way to a nice, flat old railroad grade which we continued following through the mountain passage between Basin and Butte. We even got to go through a cool old railroad tunnel labeled "No. 9, 1911" (Eric Rickert, if you're reading this, know that I thought of you. I have no idea when this railroad shut down or which one it was, but I would not be surprised if you do).
One of the few downsides to the new ecosystems we were experiencing on this side of the divide since Helena was the lack of berries we had been finding, but then...
We found a new species of rasberry! New to us on this trip, that is. Mmm...
We stopped for lunch in some of the only shade we could find that afternoon (the area north of Butte did not include many trees - just tall shrubs along the frontage road we were following). Some of our most observant and devoted readers from our East Coast trip blog three years ago may recognize the plastic square near the bottom of the photo. Could it be the same "lunch plate" that started out as a Chick-Fil-A salad lid from dinner that Mama DiGioia brought to us on our first night of our East Coast bike trip three years ago (the first night was still a short drive from Atlanta) and that we re-used throughout our East Coast trip as a lunch plate?
Yes, it is.
On the way into Butte, we crossed the continental divide while riding on I-15. We even went through an interchange to get into I-90 to go into Butte, where we did some re-supplying before heading on.
South of Butte we went into the national forest again and find a remote house with a box of bottled water for Great Divide riders! That night we climbed the divide again for the second time that day and camped at the top, where there was a vault toilet! How luxurious...
Day 19
Before leaving our camping spot on the divide, we took a short hike up a nearby hill, which was a beautiful spot for morning prayer.
Our route frequently intersects the Continental Divide Trail (shown above), which more closely follows the actual divide and probably crosses it even more but is geared more toward hikers than bikers.
Speaking of gears, we bought a spare toothbrush in Butte which we finally used to clean our nasty chains and drivetrains. My smallest gear on my rear cassette had been literally gathering dust from disuse ever since I excluded its use to try to squeeze a little more precision out of my tweaked derailleur on the lower-gear shifts (which are more crucial and which I use a lot more on this trip, anyway).
We rode through the little towns of Divide and Wise River following the Big Hole River gorge, which was GORGEous.
In Wise River we turned onto the Pioneer Mountains National Scenic Byway and headed south into some beautiful country which today had a lot of smoke blown in from distant wildfires. It was getting close to time to make camp, and while there are a lot of small campground along this byway, we kept stopping at full ones. Hoping not to play the campground hunting game until nightfall, and also hoping to stay somewhere with water and a pit toilet, we prayed for an open campsite. Well, wouldn't you know it, the next campground we came to had exactly one campsite available, and it was a beautiful one which also happened to be next to some very friendly neighbors - Maureen, Ed, and their friends Aaron, Rebecca, and their son (Rebecca and son not pictured).
They were so friendly and hospitable that they even invited us over for a huge delicious home-made dinner. We had a great time hanging out and talking about our trip and about Montana (where they all live) and also learning that Aaron Anna Rebecca are also civil engineers.
It was such a great evening and great answer to prayer.
Today we followed one of our map's official "alternate" routes - partly to avoid some difficult terrain (we felt like we were all funned out for now with difficult terrain from yesterday) and partly because of the novelty it offered of legally riding on the interstate for a few miles.
We left Mormon Gulch campground and followed a steep gravel frontage road along I-15.
The frontage road gave way to a nice, flat old railroad grade which we continued following through the mountain passage between Basin and Butte. We even got to go through a cool old railroad tunnel labeled "No. 9, 1911" (Eric Rickert, if you're reading this, know that I thought of you. I have no idea when this railroad shut down or which one it was, but I would not be surprised if you do).
One of the few downsides to the new ecosystems we were experiencing on this side of the divide since Helena was the lack of berries we had been finding, but then...
We found a new species of rasberry! New to us on this trip, that is. Mmm...
We stopped for lunch in some of the only shade we could find that afternoon (the area north of Butte did not include many trees - just tall shrubs along the frontage road we were following). Some of our most observant and devoted readers from our East Coast trip blog three years ago may recognize the plastic square near the bottom of the photo. Could it be the same "lunch plate" that started out as a Chick-Fil-A salad lid from dinner that Mama DiGioia brought to us on our first night of our East Coast bike trip three years ago (the first night was still a short drive from Atlanta) and that we re-used throughout our East Coast trip as a lunch plate?
Yes, it is.
On the way into Butte, we crossed the continental divide while riding on I-15. We even went through an interchange to get into I-90 to go into Butte, where we did some re-supplying before heading on.
South of Butte we went into the national forest again and find a remote house with a box of bottled water for Great Divide riders! That night we climbed the divide again for the second time that day and camped at the top, where there was a vault toilet! How luxurious...
Day 19
Before leaving our camping spot on the divide, we took a short hike up a nearby hill, which was a beautiful spot for morning prayer.
Our route frequently intersects the Continental Divide Trail (shown above), which more closely follows the actual divide and probably crosses it even more but is geared more toward hikers than bikers.
Speaking of gears, we bought a spare toothbrush in Butte which we finally used to clean our nasty chains and drivetrains. My smallest gear on my rear cassette had been literally gathering dust from disuse ever since I excluded its use to try to squeeze a little more precision out of my tweaked derailleur on the lower-gear shifts (which are more crucial and which I use a lot more on this trip, anyway).
We rode through the little towns of Divide and Wise River following the Big Hole River gorge, which was GORGEous.
In Wise River we turned onto the Pioneer Mountains National Scenic Byway and headed south into some beautiful country which today had a lot of smoke blown in from distant wildfires. It was getting close to time to make camp, and while there are a lot of small campground along this byway, we kept stopping at full ones. Hoping not to play the campground hunting game until nightfall, and also hoping to stay somewhere with water and a pit toilet, we prayed for an open campsite. Well, wouldn't you know it, the next campground we came to had exactly one campsite available, and it was a beautiful one which also happened to be next to some very friendly neighbors - Maureen, Ed, and their friends Aaron, Rebecca, and their son (Rebecca and son not pictured).
They were so friendly and hospitable that they even invited us over for a huge delicious home-made dinner. We had a great time hanging out and talking about our trip and about Montana (where they all live) and also learning that Aaron Anna Rebecca are also civil engineers.
It was such a great evening and great answer to prayer.
You two are going really well. Kirsten and Ari and seriously trailing in your wake....
ReplyDeleteGood to see the bike is still working...
Garth
Hmmm... an eight-speed cassette.
ReplyDelete