GDT Day 8 - Dads Creek Cabin to Lima

Sat. July 23, 2016

Start -  6800'
High pt  approx 7950'
Lo pt 6250'
End Elv 6250'
Climbing 1400'

Miles 47.3   biggest day yet
Total time 6 hrs
Ride time
Day with BOB 7
No divide crossings

Empty, empty country today

The guide books says this is some of the most remote sections of the Great Divide Route. I saw only about a half dozen vehicles in 40 miles today, a Saturday with great weather. For some, this empty country could fill a hole in your soul; For others, well, not so much ......... As for me, I was singing with Christie Moore and Luka Bloom once I submitted the Medicine Lodge Creek/Sheep Creek divide.

At the Medicine Lodge/Sheep Creek divide

Re Fueling stop

Pondering the Deep Questions
What am I going to eat when I get to the bustling burg of Lima?

After miles of empty park lands and mountains, the route headed down the Big Sheep Creek Canyon area for miles as well.

Gotta love seeing signs like this

The Road Goes Ever On and On

Entering the Big Sheep canyon

Prime camp spot on the way down

Lima Town - Camping in another  RV park not far off of I-15. Back to the backcountry for the next 5 nights.

GDT Day 7 - Bannack to Dads Creek Cabin

Fri July 23, 2016

Start - 5800'
High pt  6900'
Lo pt 5700'
End Elv 6900'
Climbing 1400'

Miles 35
Total time 5:45
Ride time 4:20
Days with BOB -6

Theme 1 for the day  - can you say head wind? What should have been a fairly mellow day turned into a grind when the tailwind changed to an  increasingly strong head wind as I started the 18 mile  climb to camp.

It was a pleasant morning with a very friendly climb over 5 miles to the Bannack.bench, following part of the Lewis and Clark Trail.

210 years ago, they traversed the sage studded plateau as well

Common Montana  gate made from lodgepole.

The other divide rider parties from Bannack (Jeff/Kyle, and Mike) left before I, and we all struggled with the wind today. I expect the steady wind was a steady 20+ mph wind at an angle with gusts up to 30, 35 or more. My typical pace on slow rising loose gravel slowed down from 4 or 5 mph to 3 mph and sometimes in the 2's. While the other two parties were ahead of me I did pass them both, but I also had an closer destination to motivate me. Mike, who had a 20+ mile longer day  planned, decided to rest and rejuvenate next to the creek and road for a couple of hours in the hope the winds would die down.
The gambit did not yield and he ended up camping with us.

Mikes setup sheltered by Dads Creek Cabin

My target was Dads Creek cabin on the Hansen livestock ranch. We had arranged to camp with the trailer there, with electric and water. It is a nice place with good views, and extremely quiet. Unfortunately our plan to relax, shower and rest was not to be.

As I saw the cabin and then pulled around the corner ( @ 2.4 mph) I could see that Glenda had not pulled the truck in the quarter mile to the cabin. Curious. I thought maybe she was uncomfortable the approach, maybe a creek crossing.  After arriving,  Glenda showed me the flat front truck tire, and told me she couldn't find the jack. She had been waiting in the hot sun and same wind I was fighting.  So off to the races. Extracting the jack for the depths of our gear, liberating the spare while the trailer was attached and changing the tire.
Back on track, we pull the trailer into the site, and after a bit of searching, no electric where described to be. Oh well, we just pull up next to the old log cabin and setup, and use that electric outlet
Once inside, out of the wind, with the cooler running, and cool drinks, we crack open a map to see where we could take the wheel. Fortunately,  we are only 50 miles from a decent sized town of Dillon MT, and rather than wait to deal with it on the morrow, we are off. We arrive a half hour before closing, and no, the tire  cannot be repaired, so we are in for a new set of front tires (KaChing). They have only one choice in stock and should be ready in a half hour.
We grab a quick Subway, and 30 minutes later we are told that no, the computer was wrong -  none are in stock. Are we staying in town? .......   Turns out that the Butte shop has them  and they can exchange them at a halfway town on I-15. Should take about 1.5.hours. DO IT!!
Got to borrow a shop truck to do our grocery shopping. They stay late on a Friday evening and get us ready to roll again, hats off to the crew at Les Schwab tires in Dillon! An hour back to camp and it is after 9 pm and over 13 hours since I started pedaling this morning. A long day, but Glenda and I both feel better with her having a wholesome truck for the morrow.

On the plus side, we did see 7 elk on the way back that we would have missed if our original plans had held.
I also saw more pronghorn during the enjoyable 1st half of the ride as well.

GDT Day 6 - Little Joe CG to Bannack State Park

Thurs July 21, 2016

Start - 6800'
High pt  7825'
Lo pt
End Elv 5800'
Climbing ~1300'

Miles 38.5
Total time 7:00 with 2 hour lunch
Ride time 4:18
Days with BOB 5

Hot day with beautiful Pioneer mountains to wake up to and to embrace on a glorious morning ride.

The day started with a stiff climb to start the 1000' ascent to teh local pass. It soon moderated and opened to several parks, with the Pioneer Mtns embracing the eastern view the whole way.

After summiting the pass, it was a ripping downhill into Polaris, passing Maverick Mountain ski area.

Today was all pavement, except for  1 to 2 miles on Old Canyon Road  that allowed me to forgo a moderate climb up the paved road. This led to a quaint row of homes along the creek. 

Made good time and Glenda and I had lunch together at the Grasshopper Inn and Saloon. Met Mike the divide biker  again, and overlapped lunch with him. Food was good, and so was the local IPA.

Off again, and arrived at Bannack State Park, a pretty well preserved ghost town. This gold rush town seems to have started the settlement of Montana, and was one the territorial capital ( for but a year). Very interesting, and the park allows patrons to walk through many of the old building, including, the Courthouse, Saloon, Methodist Church, Mason Hall, School, jail and lots of homes.

Back at the campground, there were riders doing the divide north to south, south to north, and also road riders doing the Trans Am trail two. Too many for the dedicated biker space, so we hosted 4 riders in our trailer spot. One again was Mike from WA, but also Lauren and Roger from Portland areas, and Verla( sp?) from Finland. got so good info Lauren, Roger, and Verla  as they were south to north riders. Also met Jeff and Kyle from Klamath Falls, riding north to south.

It was an enjoyable post dinner social hour