Montana Pt. 1

Shortly before I had crossed the border into Canada, I had made a new friend also riding the same way. When he exited the gas station with a Budweiser, I knew we would get along. I quickly ran back inside and grabbed a beer to sit and drink while getting to know him. His name was TJ.

While we were laughing and talking, two other cyclists had rolled up to the gas station. I quickly realized after talking to them that these two were my WarmShowers hosts in Eureka, Latimer and Kari! They had agreed to let me and a few other cyclists stay in their house while they were taking off for a few days bikepacking. I wasn’t expecting to get to meet them so it was nice to randomly run into them. They graciously offered to let TJ stay there along with the other 4 cyclists already there so we took off and rode together to Eureka.

The ride into Eureka wasn’t anything amazing but the conversation with TJ made up for it. He and his partner had been living in a van for about two years and they spend their time traveling around and enjoying the outdoors. TJ has done many long distance adventures such as hiking the Appalachian Trail.

When we got to the house, we were greeted by some nice bikes. I immediately recognized two of them to be the same as my bike, Surly Bridge Clubs! I always love checking out other riders’ setups and hearing about their gear choices. Everyone has their own reasons for everything and it’s nice to take some ideas from others.

Inside the house we met Steven, a cyclist from Missoula, who was riding with Sandra from Germany. They had met a year ago on the Trans American Trail and are doing a section of the Great Divide together.

Also in the house were Stefanie and Niels, a couple from Belgium who are on a honeymoon trip around the world! They started in Belgium about 5 months ago and are traveling south towards South America as well, so hopefully I will get to run into them again. They promote sustainable travel and if you want to hear more about them, check out their website here.

There was also this cute cat living at the house. She always had the look of resentment on her face like she was plotting to kill me. Her only use for us was to ensure her food was placed in her dish.

Steven and Sandra taking off and riding towards Glacier National Park.

I was heading towards Whitefish. The weasel fire was causing some smoke up on the GDMBR so I decided to take a detour and ride some highway. Thankfully the shoulder was pretty good but I quickly remembered why I prefer the side roads much more. Having cars pass you frequently really ruins the enjoyment for me. The peace and quiet of the side and gravel roads are lovely.

I stayed at Lake Whitefish State Park. It has a nice biker/hiker campground for only $8 each. I always love places that have dedicated spots for cyclists. I met a Dutch cyclist, a Swiss cyclist, and another American here who I would run into randomly the next couple of days at campsites. Sadly the Swiss cyclist had to end his trip because of a bum knee, a problem I’m more than familiar with. He offloaded some of his freeze dried meals to me (which I never buy, delicious but not worth the money at all). They would be fantastic meals the next few nights.

Classic Montana views. Dry grass, hay, ranch houses, and a lovely mountain range behind it. This was taken on the ride from Whitefish to Bigfork.

A fellow cyclists turned me onto the McDonald’s app. Apparently you can get a free large fry every month so I figured why not haha. 500 or so calories for free is a nice snack break. I generally don’t like McDonald’s because it’s terrible processed food which aren’t great for the body, but a deal is a deal. I may eat there a few times here and there depending on the daily deals.

Bigfork was a lovely town and I noticed all of these beautiful houses on this small section of the lake that had some canals on it.

I only like to ride about four to five hours a day max. I prefer to spend most of my time relaxing and enjoying the area. Certain times do call for a hard push but the main focus of my trip is to travel and see new places.

Flathead lake was incredible. Some of the clearest water and such a big, beautiful lake. The campground here at the state park also had hiker/biker spots! At this campsite I would meet Fred, a German cyclist who would go on to be a very great friend of mine. We would camp together for nearly a week straight and still run into each other later on.

Mushroom fettuccine pasta was my first of the freeze dried meals from the Swiss cyclist. It was delicious!! Still won’t ever catch me buying these for myself, though.

Sunset on the lake.

Riding from Bigfork to a campground on the way to Seely lake I passed this lovely bridge in the morning sun. The day would be one of the biggest continuous climbs yet, so I had worried that it would be a challenge. I would end up crushing the climb and feeling really strong. The nearly 30 minute gravel decent was worth it.

A little frog was hanging out in the creek by the campground.

I got really lucky with this photo of a bee. It’s one of my favorites. I spent maybe 20 minutes trying to get a good shot of a bee on the flowers but this guy took off at exactly the right time.

The color of the rocks in the Swan River were really neat. I spent a while walking around looking for unique rocks and found a bunch.

Fred enjoying a nice rest on the river. We were originally camping at a creek right down the road but it wasn’t nearly as pretty as this spot. Even though this was a day use area that said no camping, we thought it wouldn’t be a problem. No one ever came by to bother us and it was like we were never there.

Pad Thai noodles. My last freeze dried meal from the Swiss man. I was very full and happy after eating this one.

Late in the afternoon a person started walking towards our campsite and it turned out to be TJ! I hadn’t seen him in a couple days so it was a wonderful surprise.

Thought this was pretty funny and made me look twice. The mailbox is really high up haha.

Some overgrown singletrack. Wasn’t too long but it was short and sweet.

Fred getting ready to take down his tent at Holland Lake. A nice free campground with water and toilets was a really nice surprise.

The next day was a nice easy ride to Seely Lake. Fred and I would end up taking a day off here as it was a nice little town. We stayed at Big Larch Campground which had massive trees that I spent a long time admiring.

The campground was also home to many families of deer. One pack had about three little baby fawns. I tried to follow them around to get a good photo of them. They were suspicious of me and I never got too close.

On my way to bathe in the lake. Showers can be rare so I tend to prefer to rinse off in a lake.

On the ride into to town I noticed a large stage getting set up and found out that a Kid Rock cover band was performing that night. Obviously I needed to go to that because I love live music, even if it’s a Kid Rock cover band. I convinced Fred to go with me and it took a lot of beer, but it was a great time. We got to meet a lot of the locals and had some really nice conversations with them.

The next afternoon was a real treat. When we returned to our campground after hanging around in town we noticed a massive group of people with bicycles next to a big UHaul and a Van. After talking to some people we found out it was the only paid supported ride of the Great Divide. Riders get to load all their gear in the UHaul and then ride town to town with minimal weight. I talked to the co owner of the company, Rob from the Netherlands, about it for a while and found it very interesting. The logistics to make something like this happen are extraordinary, which is part of the reason it costs nearly $10k per person. Even though I’m a fan of the self supported, no plan style, it’s nice there is an option for people who would like to do it a different way and everyone I met there was extremely nice.

After talking to a few people there for a bit, Rob graciously offered for Fred and I to return for dinner. When we came back we were greeted with a nice beef stew and some wine along with some great conversations from cyclists all over the world. For anyone interested to hear more about this, the website can be found here.

The last morning there was a layer of fog covering the ground that made for some very dramatic photos.

Fred hanging around in the morning before getting ready to start the ride to Ovando.

Getting to know Fred the past few camp nights was a joy. There was always something new and interesting to learn about him and his travels throughout his life. He has traveled by bike, motorcycle, foot, and hitchhiking all over the world. Back in the 70s he hitchhiked across the Sahara Desert which I found fascinating. Part of me is envious of travelers before the internet. The sense of exploration back then must have been immense.

Technology is a wonderful tool but I feel that it almost makes things too easy nowadays. I can use my phone to see exactly where I am and exactly where I’m going and I can see what is available in town. It makes it safer, yes, but sometimes safety means lack of excitement.

Fred had these cool old maps from before I was born. The photos in them remind you that you don’t need any fancy new bike or gear to do these trips. People have been doing it for decades.

A nice lake on the ride to Ovando.

Ovando was a special little town. They welcome cyclists like no other town I’ve seen yet. It is a very small town, boasting only a population of 50 but also a population of nearly 100 dogs. They have only a few stores but all you could need.

The town has plenty of options for shelter for cyclists. I stayed in this cool old sheep wagon that was converted with a bed and some storage. There was also a big teepee with two bed cots and the old jail was renovated with two beds also. Fred spent the night in jail.

The inside of the sheep wagon was quite cozy. I always enjoy a night where I don’t have to setup my tent.

One of the town dogs I ran into at the local museum.

Fred so kindly treated me to a huckleberry ice cream sandwich. I’m a sucker for most things huckleberry.

I was around exploring town and I had wondered where Fred had gone. I quickly found him inside the teepee enjoying a nice book.

This little ray of sunshine walked by in the morning and I had to take tons of photos of them of course. Enjoy.

Fred and I sadly parted ways that morning. I was planning to ride a bit further ahead as I was finally feeling strong and wanted to ride bigger and longer days. I was averaging about 35 miles so far but wanted to do more like 50-60. These miles were much slower and harder than my last tour, as this was all on gravel roads with a lot more climbing. These rides were greatly more enjoyable, though. The beauty and peacefulness were much preferred to a fast and busy paved road.

Leaving the town of Lincoln I was faced with a very hard and steep climb that would get very rocky. Thankfully I had a full belly because when I rode through Lincoln I had found a purse on the side of the road. I opened the wallet and noticed it was a local who had many punch cards for a local restaurant. I went to the restaurant and showed the manager and she had recognized the license as one of her neighbors! She was very thankful and happy to see someone do the right thing so I was offered a free meal. I was treated to a fantastic fried chicken sandwich and talked with the manger for a while. Apparently there were lots of thefts going on around town.

This section of this trail was really neat. I was surrounded by so many small and thin trees. This section was really steep and rocky and I ended up pushing my bike about three miles as it gained nearly 1500 feet of elevation. With my heavy bike and the roughness of the trail, I preferred to push it. A nice hike off the bike is always welcome with views like this. I also knew the reward that was waiting for me as soon as I reached the summit and rode the downhill to the next host…

The llama ranch is a well known place among GDMBR riders. A wonderful safe haven to eat and sleep thanks to the gracious hosts Barbara and John. They are some of the best hosts I’ve encountered yet and are a true image of kindness and spreading kindness. Their philosophy is to pass it forward and I will keep that in mind on the rest of my trip.

The camp has five cabins with multiple beds, kitchens, stocked pantries, and even wine. It truly is a magical place.

This is the cabin that I stayed in.

The attention to detail on the inside is amazing. It’s a cozy little shed turned into a house. I really hope I’m able to do something like this when I’m older for cyclists.

The ranch was home to a cute pair of pups.

The llama ranch is home to four alpacas to make it even more exciting. There used to be llamas but they have all sadly passed away. I took plenty of photos of the alpacas.

This is Slate and he is the most friendly and has the cutest face.

Making some breakfast in the morning. I had met John and Barbara late last night and Barbara quickly convinced me that I should take a day off here. I didn’t need much convincing.

I was able to feed the alpacas which was an absolute joy. I love feeding animals and I was pretty sad because these alpacas are very timid and shy. They don’t let anyone near them so petting them was not an option. Food is always the way to an animal’s heart.

Happy Slate.

Yes, I was smiling my face off.

Only two were brave enough to eat out of my hand so I poured the rest into the trough so they could all eat.

Barbara gave me some fresh tomatoes from the farm and they were delicious and refreshing.

Fred and I’s goodbye was short lived because since I stayed here another day, he was able to catch up. A CDT thru hiker named Mishap joined us also. She was finishing the last trail of her triple crown (AT, PCT, and CDT) and was a very experienced thru hiker and a wonderful person to hangout with. We all enjoyed dinner and lots of wine and conversation that night. Once the stars came out we relaxed and watched for shooting stars until the cold forced us back to the cabin.

Mishap treated us to some fantastic M&M pancakes in the morning. They were just what we needed to start our day before heading out. Fred was staying to enjoy a day off so we had to part ways once more but would soon cross paths yet again.

This is where I will end this section of Montana as this post is already too long. I again hope you enjoyed the photos and reading along. I love reading and responding to comments so if there is anything you want to know or say please feel free to write down below.