Day 18 Lincoln MT to Lama Ranch MT

The boys & I were up at 6am & sat in the nearby diner for 7am – bikes packed ready. But today I was struggling. Last night’s calorie load & another night without sleep had left me pretty rough & definitely was not ready for more food!

Wheel Inn – tent on RHS provided free accommodation

I let the guys set off without me. The owner of the Wheel Inn (where we had camped) had mentioned a bikers lodge, 22 miles on – 7 miles after the Continental Divide crossing so set this as my goal.

The 3,500 ft climb to the crossing felt tough & was very glad of the downhill – even better when I arrived at the Cycle (Lama) lodge owned by Barbra Nye & partner, John Keller. My home for the night – a quaint chalet-vey small but had absolutely everything. Warm bed, stove, food, porch, patio, etc. & set in an amazing landscape.

All offered without payment but on trust that guests will provide similar support to others – check out “Warm Showers”. Website. For my hosts it was “ 4 acres of acres of kindness in a world they otherwise can’t control”. Though this place has no name, it is often referred to as the lama ranch ( they have two).

Barbra, John & my bike

The rest of the day was spent chatting to John & other guests well into the evening. As I headed for my warm bed, I concluded that shaky start, had worked out very nicely thanks to the kindness of others.