I woke at 6am to the German couple driving away, they were off to Yellowstone NP to secure a pitch before 8am. Being Labour Day, any vacant sites (if any) would be quickly snapped up. It was very cold night, Flagg Ranch is well above 7,000ft & tent was dripping wet & no early sun available to dry it out.

My morning ride was to Colter Bay Village, within the Grand Teton National Park. The Teton’s, when viewed across Jackson Lake, were breathtaking & my picture stops did not go unnoticed. Other tourists looked at me, this curious fellow with a strange looking bike -the brave ones approached to lean more – which usually ended in posing for photograph.

During lunch I decided to leave the Divide route & head for Jackson Hole – for me the name conjured up an image of the Wild West & back to my childhood when cowboys & Indians programs dominated the TV. The route kept me in the Grand Teton NP &, as it happened, provide some of the most breathtaking views the State has to offer!

Kayla & Charlie kindly took this for me – Guys thank you for energy bars & welcome to the blog!

Jackson does not disappoint! It remains in the old western style, yet modern & has much to draw visitors from all over. It also has many bike shops so can sort out a few precautionary fixes. Jackson’s location is impressive – a wildlife sanctuary edges onto the town (where you can watch such herds of elk on their annual migration; a number of National Parks encircle the rest of the place & a ski slope.

In my search for a place to camp, I met Bomber & Amy Bryan in town, riding their bikes back home who kindly offered me their lawn to pitch my tent half a mile from town. In fact, they provided my a warm bed, a hot shower, beer, a Thai supper & great company. They live with here with their dog Ruger (named after the gun) & two cats. Their 3 children are all in 2yr university back east.

Bomber owns Jackson Hole Real Estate Ass. He tells me that such is the desire for people to live in this place, and because the NPs, prevent expansion, land & property is extremely expensive/unaffordable to most. Asked him to let me know when the market slumps.

Having clipped the corner of Idaho, by mid afternoon I had already left – arrived in Wyoming which I will not leave for some time.

Being Sunday morning, Ashton was deserted when I set off. It had the feeling of a nice working town, with few of the tourist hype of Island Park.

The welcome sign declared this place to be the largest suppliers of potato seedlings in the world – I wonder how many people know that?

People seem to have a connection with Switzerland here. Not only the houses, even the local garden centre advertised plants grown to Swiss precision. Teton Range to the east

Last Cowboy I saw in Idaho

Crossing the Divide & from ID to WY

I picked my way through tiny farm roads & tracks to return to the Divide route. It was already a hot, sunny day & the expanse of crops (no potatoes) against the backdrop of the snow capped Teton mountains made for a stunning sight. Even later on when in the national forest, there were always glimpses of where I was heading.

High up in pass after entering Wyoming – just below 8000ft.

Taken on the descent when ligh was at its best.

Quite proud of this Picture – it’s the shadow of my bike & me on a washboard road close to sunset (Mark B – I hope you approve?)

Rockefeller National Park, 10 miles from camp. Lots of burnt forests. Some of the blackened burnt stubs look like bears which kept me reaching for my bear spray all the way.

Campground was full but a German couple kindly shared their plot. Teton & nearby Yellowstone NP’s are heaving with tourists right now. Too many for me.

Today I finally said goodbye to Montana, entering Idaho at the Divide itself.

Still well above 6000 ft when day it was a cool start but soon became a perfect biking day. Surprisingly, though I’d been on the road for 27 days, the sunburn had suddenly become an issue – guess due to altitude, so decided to overdress for a few days.

At the crossing.with Dividers Sandy & Miles, from Chicago.

These guys had started at Jasper, cycled the Icefields Parkway & now are heading for Yellowstone. We had bumped into each other many time. Wish you well guys & will be checking out your adventures!

My first sight of Idaho partway down the descent from the Divide.

At the bottom of the descent I came across this impressive ranch. Shortly followed by a couple of encounters with real cowboy!

Ranchers- Father & son, Don & Handly Bird

(Check out these guys moustaches)

Even after my descent, we were still about 6,500ft. Don & his extended family were rounding up their cattle to take them to lower ground for the winter – also they had recently lost 6 to grizzlies – lots around here I’m told & advised to ensure my bear spray is to hand.

Gerdi & Jeff – support team for the 2018 GDMBR- Accompanied Tour

In my planning stage, I decided against riding the Divide with these guy because I want flexibility & to do it myself. Plus riding in a large group I believe isolated you from the locals.

More cowboys on route – what a sight!

This weekend is Labour Day weekend &, since entering Idaho, my gravel road route was crowded with people riding 4 dirt buggies at speed – leaving huge trails of dust.

The epicentre for this was a city named Island Park where they outnumber cars. As well hiring shops, people are trailering them in from all over. They often gather in packs &, I believe, with one objective- to create the greatest dust cloud possible!!

So, no fun to be had on the gravel road here so headed for Ashton, 30 miles south where I stayed the night.

On route to Ashton, I can across the Island Park Labour Day Fair. Wandering the stalls I came across these two gents, both retired but enjoy participating in the event.

Top – Robert

Bottom – Thomas Clements

(ancestors from Burton on Trent. 1650 & heading to UK next year to research more)

Today I had a nice lie in. I did not have to agree with Mick on the nice sunrise or discover how cold it was at 6:30 am. I was enjoying coffee in my warm bed, & above poread a book. It was 57 miles to my next destination but the route was not too hilly so decided on a lazy morning. I had managed to dry out my tent & sleeping bag but failed to wash riding gear so will have to smell.

The Exxon Garage is the only shop in town but, unless you like beef jerky (a whole row offers every conceivable type) the choice of food was abysmal & expensive. Not sure how the locals cope, maybe they do the 50 mile trek to Dillon.

Having called home, loaded with 3 days supplies (tortillas with cheese spread & meat, bananas (don’t like bumpy roads), plus a very large hot breakfast, I set off at noon, feeling confident that my bike would behave.

The entire ride was East & followed the Centennial Valley, an enormous & spectacular, high altitude plateau surrounded by mountains. It included arid wilderness, cattle ranchers & a wildlife reserve – all on a huge scale. I took many pictures but difficult to captured the grandeur of the place with an iPhone.

Climbing up to Lima Reservoir-20 miles beyond Lims town

A day of infinities- landscapes & roads

Upper Red Rock Lake 20 metre from my tent

Reached Upper Lake Campground at 8pm, another stunning location! Took a stroll to the lake, pitched my tent in the fading light. I wrote this blog & read my book & thought it to have been a very pleasing day. I have now completed one third of the Divide & feeling fitter by the day. What a change from the Tobermory Cabin with my swollen knee, trying to work out what possessed me to think I could do something like this!! Still a long way to go but now I’m thinking, just maybe I can!

I was already packing up when Mick came out to view the sunrise & inform me of the house rules. Margaret added another, that I needed to write in their visitors book.

Temperature was about 2C & tent was dripping with condensation or rain? Inspecting my bike, I discovered the rear tubeless tyre was nearly flat & the rim wet with sealant. An issue I was not prepared for & needed to be sorted before tomorrow’s 4 day venture into the wilds. (later on I discovered no sealant left in tube)

The days plan changed – get to Lima ASAP where there are more facilities. I discovered a 40mile route that didn’t include too much wilderness & set off – pumping my tyre every 10 miles as I went. The cold, the rain & headwind made the ride uncomfortable but not too slow.

Landscape here was a mix of arid wilderness & big remote ranches & hamlets.

Dell was the first place I came to, village 9 miles short of Lima. I stopped for coffee & to see what facilities they had to sort my problem. If the Lima option failed, the waitress at the Yesterdays Restaurant offered to drive me back north, 40 miles, all the way to the bike shop at Dillon A generous offer but would mean cycling back the following day. Fortunately, not necessary. At Lima, mechanic, Justin & I improvised a solution & a fellow cyclist kindly donated me an inner tube to keep as a spare. Looks like my bike is back in good shape.

lesson learnt – carry sealant!!

Jonnie Peats – motel & steakhouse is the meeting place for the town. Here I eat well in a great atmosphere before getting into a nice, warm bed. Tent tomorrow & the day after so must enjoy!

Other pics of this rustic town. It may look ghostly but is very much alive.

Dave, Dave & John. It was really great to chat today. Hope we can do the same next Thursday!

Bloody cold night – need to toughen up!

Even 2hrs after sunrise it remained just above freezing & the sun was behind the mountains. Need to hurry further south, I had set Grant MT, as my target – 60 miles on – including a climb well above 8000ft. What I didn’t take account of is a strong headwind & the additional effort required to cycle at high altitude. At one point I was 4 hrs into the ride & only managed 20 miles. Thank God for downhill.

There is an enjoyable pastimes to be had in studying Ranch signs.

Journeyed alone today. Hardly anyone about, those I met were heading north. Early on, I had a pleasant chat with a lady hiker walking the Divide, 5 months in. She had quit her job for this adventure & was hoping her employers would take her back. My view is they would be a fool not to. These adventures take enormous effort & require massive character. Those who complete such ventures deserve praise & be highly prized!!

It was mid afternoon when I met an inspirational lady, Betty Barns at the Polaris Grasshopper Valley.

At a good age, she owns & is sole worker of Ma Baker’s County Market. With no thought of retiring, this is the only trading post for 40 miles & has a sense of duty to serve this remote community. Before I left, as a reminder of our encounter she gifted me a small touch & a book ‘Our Daily Bread’. In return, she is in my blog.

Another north bound Divider, Matt, just before Grant

Matt has walked the Appellation Trail & many others & now likes the idea of cycling

I finally arrived at Grant at dusk & headed for the cycle only shelter-marked on the Adventure Cycling Map. Owner, Margaret, came out to meet me then promptly disappeared for the night. The next morning her husband, Mick, came out to watch the sunrise & inform me of the house rules – I can pee in the garden but definitely no pooping!

A reminder of how recent history is in Montana & how tough – In late 1883, an immigrant,Joe Maurice, arrived from Belgium to set up a homestead 15 miles up valley from Wise River. Totally isolated, he married young & scratch a living raising cattle & panning for gold. A horse kicked the sight out of one eye but he continued. During a harsh winter of 1905, his wife died of diphtheria, the following spring, his children died of typhoid.

He buried them in the grave yard (above) Despite the hardship, he remained close to his family until 1963 when his friends persuaded him to move to a nearby rest home. He died in 1967 in his 90’s.

My Escape from Butte was at 9am and headed back to the wilderness. Within 5 miles I was ringing my bear bell and climbing – though the occasional evidence of old mining ventures lingered – sometimes ugly, other times impressive purely by the scale of these early ventures.

Part

Looking back at Butte – from a safe

Wise River Cafe.

In the wilderness- attempting the perfect shot of my bike – seen better!

Met a few Dividers today riding both north & south. – generally doing sections rather than the complete ride. However, two young, super fit guys had been sponsored for the complete ride on two, spanking new bikes, courtesy of a cycle manufacturer. Even with vehicle backup & travelling super light, mechanical problems had sadly reduced their pace below mine!! Good guys & I hope to see them further down the trail.

Today’s ride was tough. 60+ miles, a headwind & 3,000 ft of climbs. 10 miles from my destination, I had a deserved break at Wise River. An unpretentious town with a store & complex owned by a Scotsman, housing a hotel, cafe & bar. My co riders stopped here the night. Keen to travel further south, I travelled a further 10+miles to my camp for the night.

Today was wet & cold, & the cloud base was so low you could almost reach up and touch it. Also, snow was forecast down to 7,000ft – below the altitude of the day’s route. So, for the second night, I remained in my least favourite place – Butte. It didn’t work out too badly – 3 days supplies obtained from a Walmart the size of three aircraft hangers, all photos taken so far safely uploaded to our home photo library (thank you Christine!), lots of FaceTime calls, a route check, & a thorough read of the Bear Safety booklet acquired from the Jefferson County Fair.

There is so much to learn about bears, where / where not to camp, what to do in case of an attack – it is impossible to remember everything, especially with the stress of such an event occurring. Maybe I should keep it to hand as a reference document for such an event. Should I choose the prescribed response for defensive bear attack when it is being predatory it would likely to be my last mistake, ever!

Breakfast at the Silver Saddle & used their wifi to upload yesterday’s blog. The 2 movies I included made for a lengthy process. I finally said goodbye to Randy & picked up the gravel road at the edge of town, south along Basin Creek to check out some gold claims.

Today’s ride was tough. The 2400 climb up to the Continental Divide crossing should have been relatively easy but a strong headwind made even the downhills hard work. Also yesterday’s sunny 25C was, today, replaced with cold & sometimes rainy.

Still working on taking a good picture of my bike

Sadly When the Gold Digging Stops – The Mess Remains

Today, I passed many rivers that had been mined & left in this sorry state. Not quite sure why – maybe considered of national importance or nobody cares enough?

Finally I got to Butte, but too late in the day to go further.

Butte has more people that Helena 34,000 & at 5,538 ft is about 2,000 ft high & therefore colder! Like many parts of the Montana, Its existence is through mining. In its hay day it was known as the richest hill on earth & was the largest city west of the Mississippi. Today it’s paying the price. The grand old houses & town buildings show a wealthy past. Some are kept well maintained, many are not. Also they are greatly outnumbered by far more modest houses & prefabs. The city is encircled by large working mines, mineral processing plants and polluted lake. For me it’s a place to pass through without exploring further.

Also, since Banff, Dividers have warned of Butte’s reputation for cycle thefts. Separating myself from my bike, locked or not, was too higher risk. Instead, I headed for the intersection of I-90 & I-15 & found myself budget hotel & kept my bike in my room – on 3rd floor!

Basin is small, 200 people; & high, 5,364 ft- so takes a while for the day to warm up. Last night Randy informed me that Jefferson County Fair was taking place in nearby Boulder. It would be like Shrewsbury Flower Show but with more pizzaz plus a rodeo. So I’d be stopping over. Randy dive me there & I would cycle back later on.

My morning was spent walking Basin’s Creek Road & it’s offshoots, absorbing the place. Even from the road, mines, kilns & dilapidated shells of buildings were visible, In the background, the hum of the I-15.

Basin – Main Road & 19th C Building with False Top Floor

USA are preparing for mid-term elections & Randy is actively supporting local democrat Bryer Herak. During the drive to Boulder, I agreed to help. My job – to walk next to the float handing out promotion stickers & sweets. It was great fun though had to keep explaining why an Englishman was in this remote place promoting Herak for Jefferson County. I’m pretty sure I was a hit & remembered as the Brit who flew over for the event. Republican float could not match that!

Our Float

Before entering the rodeo, I wandered the fair, listened to the Night Crawlers at the Gazebo (bandstand)

25c Ride for kids of all ages

The Rodeo starting ceremony was quite something. The brightly dressed Rambling Rose riders entered & trotted round the ring each – carrying the national flag whilst the compare delighting the audience with a speech as to why this beloved Montana is the very best state in the Union. Then John Wayne’s rendition -Why I Love Her (America) – check it out!! A standing ovation was given to all who had served in the armed forces ending with a beautifully sung National Anthem. The whole time, the audience loved every part and not many dry eyes!

For the next two hours I watched cattle lassoing, 16 stone men fall off horses, men & women racing around barrels against the clock. All good fun. I left before the end, exhausted by the day & I still had a 19 mile cycle, uphill back to Basin.

Hey Barrie, except for the cycle part, I think this day would have been just up your street!