Segue -Gravel Roads

Segue - Gravel roads.

I have traveled a quite a bit of gravel again, and while I have not yet experienced the full psychological range of gravel this trip, I am reminded that one can try to negotiate with gravel, but gravel remains at best neutral, to damn passive aggressive at times. One way to think about this is as one long optimization problem, broken down into 50, 100, or 200 foot subsegments for which to find the local minima for rolling resistence and ease of pedaling. Looking for lines of lesser gravel, with smooth underlying road surface poking through the gravels rough exterior. Sometimes a futile search, and resignation of cranking continues. A joy to find a long smoothish run, which peters out all too soon. Rinse; Repeat. This can go on for miles.

Riding to Holland Lake. At 90 degrees added another vector to the optimization. The added variable is SHADE! It is notably cooler picking a line in the shade. I am riding edges more, to prolong the hide and seek with ol' Sol. When toiling up hill, with no shade, the number of optimzation segments seems to sttetch away and approach infinity. But the climb always ends. (And then weeee all the way down)

Gravel Corollary - Flotsam and Jetsam
When one is cranking along the road,  especially up hill or fatigued, you end up looking around and down regularly.  One sees all sorts of detritus from our fellow humans marking the way.  Most is trash, some inadvertent contributions, with occasional treasures along the way. A later post to cover some finds.

Aug 9-10th - Heat wave continues!

Having us a heat wave, a tropical heat wave.

Well it was about 90 degrees riding from Cedar Creek to Holland Lake on Wednesday. Next day forecast to be 96, Friday 101, Saturday only 94 before returning to the 80s on Sunday. The 90 degree day really toasted me, at least after I had my post ride beer. I was not my normal get up and get 'er done self, and went to bed very early for me. We were planning on taking another day off to explore some water fun in the Lake Seely area, but seeing the forecast, it might be 2 or 3 days before the intense heat breaks. Glad I am not on a rigid schedule as the next day (and the few after) will be the hardest climbing on this trip to date. It also reportedly heads into a fantastic alpine cirque and want to be able to enjoy that more. Glenda and I avail ourselves to the local lakes, swimming to stay cool, and canoeing down the Clearwater river/wetlands to Seely Lake on Friday.
We hike out to Holland Falls from the campground and later go visit Gus, the oldest known western larch tree, a spry 1000 years old at a 153 ft tall. Gus is in a grove of ancient larch trees, open and park like just outside of Seely Lake.
While cooling our toes in the west side of Seeley Lake, we notice a strange cloud growing over the ridge of the Swan Mtns on a cloudless day. A fire for sure. It is the Brownstone fire burning in the Bob, being monitored by the forest service as it is in a wilderness area. It's been so hot (>100 degrees today), re enforces the urge to get moving  on the route before fires shut me down.

GDR2-DAY 7 Cedar Creek to Holland Lake

GDR2-DAY 7 Cedar Creek to Holland Lake
Wednesday, Aug 8th, 2018

Start 3320
High pt  4335'
Lo pt.     3320
End Elv.  4090'
Climbing 1800'?

Miles 40.5?
Total time ~ 6:10
Ride time

Cedar Creek is a very primitive campground nestled between the Swan River and Fatty Creek. Since it has been hot and dry here I did not use the fly, to be cooler, and to absorb starlight (it's good for one completion I hear). This was my first night bike camping on this Montana segment. Between adjusting to the sleeping pad, the warmth, and dreaming of bears eating my food and biking on an empty stomach, I did not sleep too well. On the plus side, it was a moonless night and I saw many falling stars, an earlier harbinger of the Perseids perhaps. It did eventually get cool enough to use my down bag, but when I awoke, a modest dew had settled on the tent, the down bag and me. I get up to start my day and wait for the sun to dry things out before packing them away.

I meet another bike packer this morning, Chris from Belgium. He is pulling a Tour Terrain Trailer (with shock) carrying a very large Ortlieb cargo bag. First trailer I have seen this trip (I was in the distinct minority of about 10% 2 years ago on the divide). This rig looks to carry much more than the BOB I used. It connects to the bike like a tagalong, and has a dual pronged kick stand when parked. We chatted, this was his 1st night, and I am the first divide rider he has met, and he Is curious about my steed. He has 42 days to get to Steamboat,  and we discuss the road conditions from Bigfork yesterday (Chris-doable if slow; me - road conditions were pretty damn friendly, smooth, packed, not much loose gravel or potholes). One can see he is digesting the difference in assessment. He will experience a particularly rough patch getting to Seeley Lake the next day. That section has amazing views and riders either really like or dread the rough trail. I am looking forward to it with my new steed.

I don't get the earliest of starts and the route begins with an immediate climb. I catch up to Chris again at the top. He is wondering where the views are as the route has been mostly in forested areas for him so far.
We say goodbye, with an invitation to camp with us at Holland Lake.
Good long, empty downhill and rolling forest country for the next 25 miles, before I encounter my first auto of the day.
The day is getting progressively hotter, and even the most modest of inclines are now triggering my every tenth of a mile checking of progress. My tires aren't melting but I think I might be. I determine to not meter my water and drink more, there are plenty of beautiful creeks along the way to filter more. I eventually filter another couple of liters at Glacier Creek, lovely cool and refreshing water and break spot.

Eventually, closer to Holland Lake the grandeur of the Swan Mtns start to peek through the trees. The mountains are much bigger, more jagged and cliffy, with alpine peaks here and there. They are the edge of the BOB (aka Bob Marshall Wilderness) part of an extensive wilderness complex reaching up to Glacier NP  that is larger than the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem.
Again, like every day of the trip,  the air is hazy with smoke, obscuring the clarity of the Swans. The next ride switches from the Mission Mtns to the Swans. A chance to get more personal with the Swans for the next couple of days of riding.