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Published: August 13th 2015
Hello folks! Thanks from Fi and me for checking in with us. I understand that some of you may have tried unsuccessfully to post a comment on our last blog recently, but that this website hasn't been permitting any; sorry for that. I'm not sure what the malfunction is, but we'll try to get it sorted out.
Since our last post, we've ridden an additional 270 miles; our total to date is about 775, and about 40,000 vertical feet of climbing. Today, we're taking a partial rest day, having only ridden 20 miles, in preparation for what will be a 75+ mile day tomorrow.
Since our last post, we rode from Lima, MT to West Yellowstone, passing through tbe Centennial Mountain Range and Red Rock River area - skirting the southern Montana border with Idaho, this is remote cattle ranch country. While running away from a thunder storm, which eventually caught us, we happened across Chris and Mel Montgomery's horse ranch in the remote village of Lakeview, population ~35, including dogs. Wet and cold as we were, Chris had a warm, dry room for us, and fed us a great dinner, which we were extremely grateful for. It was
Cattle drive, Red Rock River, MT
We found ourselves on the same road as this cattle drive, going the opposite direction. Six cowboys and a bunch of cattle dogs were herding about 500 to some open grazing land.also there that we met Seth who, at age 13 and an aspiring cowboy, works at the ranch tending to the 30 or so horses used for pack trips into the mountains. Waking up at 6 a.m. each day to take care of his myriad chores, it occurred to us that he carries way more responsibility than either (or both) of us. Anyways, we enjoyed our overnight stay there and the chance to get out of the rain.
The following day found us riding through more cattle country, and coming head-to-head with about 500 cattle being driven in the opposite direction by cowboys and cattle dogs. Needless to say, the cattle won. It was pretty cool seeing that at least one aspect of the iconic West is still very much alive, and not just part of a kitschy tourist venture. I resisted the urge to ask the cowboys, "excuse me, but do you fellas stay inside when it rains?" They were all really friendly and cordial, but I have no doubt that it's a prettty tough line of work, especially during winter.
A day or two later found us near Yellowstone National Park (which we did not go
Near Lakeview, MT
Beautiful country, fantastic weather on this day's ride. into as it is currently under siege by huge RVs) and into southwestern Idaho. Locals in the area nonchalantly advised us that there were grizzly bears in the area, but didn't seem too concerned, so why should we be... right? Well, after a 25 mile stretch through remote, dirt forest roads near Yellowstone, we stopped to chat with a couple of forest service rangers that we met. They asked us where we had ridden from, to which we replied that we had ridden east from Squirrel River near Ashton, Idaho. The ranger replied, "on bikes?!" She looked at us as if I had told her that we had just ridden through downtown Kabul, and then advised us that that area which we had just ridden through is where the Yellowstone park rangers relocate 'problem grizzly bears',of which they had relocated several within the past couple of months! Okay, not just bears, but grizzly bears. And not just grizzly bears, but 'problem' grizzly bears. Less than an hour later we learned from a convenience store clerk that a hiker had been killed by a grizzly a few days prior. So now we're thoroughly freaked out by bears and don't get any
A cowboy in the making
We met Seth at Chris and Mel's Centennial Stage Stop guesthouse. At 13, he already has more responsibility and maturity than most adults we know (ourselves likely included). Saddling and taking care of horses for pack trips, his days begin much earlier than ours. sleep on the nights that we camp, which, combined with a leaky tent, have become more scare lately.
Having said that, we camped in Grand Teton National Park a couple of nights ago, where we met Mike, an engaging and easygoing army veteran and boilermaker from Ohio, riding his BMW F1150GS across country (I have a soft spot for BMW motorcycles), and Karin, an adventurous and tough cross-country cyclist from Switzerland, who is riding south along much of the same route as us, and who plans to ride through South America at about the same time as us. We all chatted by our camp fire the other night, trying not to think about bears. A couple of nights later we stayed at the KOA campground in Dubois, Wyoming, where we met several adventurous folks including Gwen and Dede, a funhearted, independent, and very generous mother-daughter duo from Sacramento, who kindly invited us into their RV for dinner and drinks. We ended up chatting with them by their RV site next to the Wind River until much past our bedtime, but had a really great time sharing stories and experiences. We've met some really interesting and adventurous people so far,
and have seen some stunningly beautiful scenery. It's been tough at times (like yesterday's 3000 ft climb up to cross tbe Rocky Mountains (again!) at 9600 ft above sea level, but it's all been worth it so far.
From Fi and me, thanks for checking in. There are a bunch more photos attached below.
- Ken
POSTSCRIPT: Since I wrote the above entry last night, we've completed a 75-mile ride today (our longest so far) through the Wind River Indian Reservation. A lot of road miles, but most of them were either on flat ground or slightly downhill. Plus, we had a monster tailwind that propelled us to speeds of 35-mph through spectacular red rock and high desert countryside. It was a great ride. The bicycle gods were smiling, or at least taking pity on us today. Most importantly, it was a bear-free day and we've now surpassed the 850-mile mark since leaving Whitefish...
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Marion
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Amazng!
You two are a true inspiration! Safe travels, M