June 13th to 26th
On our first day out of Butte, following the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) heading North, we began to ride past some of the Tour Divide front runners heading south. It's wild, these folks ride from Banff to Mexico, 4418km along mostly dirt roads. The record time is 13 days! We stopped to chat with a few racers or rather, we talked with with the ones who felt like they had time to stop and converse with us. One such person was a rider from Toronto who was proudly in last place. Given that 25% of the racers have dropped out or taken alternate routes to avoid snowy mountain passes, his position was actually quite impressive. We have also been passing more and more bike tourers with the season now in full swing. It has been fun to to be a bit more social and chat with folks who are getting just as much joy out of their bicycles as we are.
Amaya relaxing in the sun at camp.
The riding along the GDMBR has taken us through lush forest, past inviting lakes, to trailheads leading to waterfalls, and right onto the front porch of the Alpaca Farm. It was 11am on June 18th when I came around the corner and found Heather's bike leaning against the fence of an idyllic farm house. I skidded to a halt and was placing my bike beside hers when her grinning face beamed at me from around the corner "They have cold drinks and they will make you a sandwich!" She called out, chilled Sprite in hand. There were a few other bikers lounging about in the shade of the porch also enjoying food and bevies. This little paradise is know as the Alpaca Farm. Not only did Barbara and her co-host John feed, hydrate us and introduce us the their Alpacas, they also offered us our pick of the cabins in the back and a cold wash using the gravity fed shower. Their only request, that we pay their kindness forward. " My stats are about 50/50" John said, "of talking people who arn't planning on staying into spending the night." It took him less than a minute to convince us.
Heather eating pancakes with the Alpacas.
It was hard to leave that lovely little oasis the following day but alas, after a pancake breakfast, we climbed on our bikes to slog up the long climb that immediately came to meet us. In retrospect, we probably should have just stayed another night. The next day was so stormy and wet, we didn't bother leaving our tent.
Appart from that one stormy day, our days have been hot and sunny. As we ride North we are getting into bigger mountains still capped with snow, fast flowing rivers, and stunning lakes that have offered a welcome reprieve from the heat. We have continued to enjoy our our audiobook “story time”, and have also enjoyed our first lake and river swims of the trip!
Heather going for a swim in Swan Lake.
The town of Ovando was another of our favorite stops. The locals are super biker friendly, and offer free lodging to cyclists in the form of the Old Jail, a Teepee and the Church Basement. Serendipitously, we ran into one of Heather's former work colleagues at the local restaurant/saloon (Thanks for dinner Shannon!)
Not everything along this stretch has been as enjoyable as the small town hospitality. I dealt with my first flat (it's really a wonder that we haven't had more before now). Heather pushed through a nasty stomach bug. We did our best to avoid the hoards of mosquitos (they have arrived!). And we have a cracked bike rim (Heather’s) and a worn out tire (mine) that we are glad made it to the Flathead Valley. Now to the bike shops for some fixin’!
Ultimately, the bikes have held up well thus far, and they will get some good TL&C while we are on our hiking section. Our trusty steeds even have names now!
Amaya and her bike: Abraxos
Heather’s bike: Ramoth, among wildflowers
We are currently taking a couple days to relax and reset in the Flathead Valley, exploring Big Fork and Whitefish, before we head into the much anticipated Glacier National Park. Hard to believe we are less than two weeks from our border crossing and that we will soon be back on Canadian soil!
Much love, Amaya