At 8AM I left my cabin in Twin Bridges. After yesterday’s
long ride I decided to sleep longer, got up at 7AM and ate my breakfast in the
cabin. I turned south and rode for two hours in what seemed the wrong direction
for someone heading north.
I was in the Beaverhead Valley, important
historically for the rendez-vous at Beaverhead Rock in August 1805 of the Lewis & Clark
expedition with the Shoshone from whom they wished to buy horses.
There were no services on the road until after the two big climbs that constituted today's major challenges. I made sure I had plenty to eat before and stopped at McDonalds in Dillon, after 28mi of riding. I ate an egg and cheese sandwich and a joghurt. Then I cycled through the town and under the interstate highway onto Route 278, which I followed for the rest of the day. The climbs were long though neither individually gained as much elevation as the one yesterday. However, later that day, it turned out, that both climbs were very hard and exhausting due to the fact that I had to fight again a ferocious head wind.
Ascending from
the moment I left Dillon, I took about two hours to reach Badger Pass (6’759
feet = 2’060m above sea level). There was a good descent but as usual it didn't
last as long as the climb.
However, before that first descent I met Rudy, a
eastbounder, sitting in the grass, reading a book and waiting for his
colleague. It was a great opportunity to stop and chat a little bit with him. A
great and easy going TransAmer.
Then I started my descent. There were no or just very view engines to be heard, no motor vehicles or other people to be seen. I was the most of my ride alone under the big Montana sky.
After some
miles I began the second climb, which topped out at 7’400 feet (2’255m). I
found this one more demanding than the previous climb.
There was a great sweeping descent into the Big Hole Valley – IF there was no wind. There were still 30mi to ride until my final destination, and I realized, that I won’t be there before 6AM – which meant another 10hours of riding! This valley is known as the land of 10,000 haystacks and I saw one examples of the beaverslide tool used to make large haystacks. For the first time during my journey I felt the sun burning on my skin, it was a beautiful day, but I was knackered by the time I reached Jackson, which is about 18mi before Wisdom. Captain Clark investigated the hot springs there some 207 years ago. I stopped at a café for a Coke and an Ice-Cream, Afterwards, I completed the last leg to my destination, Wisdom (pop. 114). I was glad having finally arrived.
I was in the Beaverhead Valley, important
historically for the rendez-vous at Beaverhead Rock in August 1805 of the Lewis & Clark
expedition with the Shoshone from whom they wished to buy horses. There were no services on the road until after the two big climbs that constituted today's major challenges. I made sure I had plenty to eat before and stopped at McDonalds in Dillon, after 28mi of riding. I ate an egg and cheese sandwich and a joghurt. Then I cycled through the town and under the interstate highway onto Route 278, which I followed for the rest of the day. The climbs were long though neither individually gained as much elevation as the one yesterday. However, later that day, it turned out, that both climbs were very hard and exhausting due to the fact that I had to fight again a ferocious head wind.
 |
| Overlook during my first climb after Dillon |
 |
| Almost there... |
 |
| Rudy and me |
Then I started my descent. There were no or just very view engines to be heard, no motor vehicles or other people to be seen. I was the most of my ride alone under the big Montana sky.
There was a great sweeping descent into the Big Hole Valley – IF there was no wind. There were still 30mi to ride until my final destination, and I realized, that I won’t be there before 6AM – which meant another 10hours of riding! This valley is known as the land of 10,000 haystacks and I saw one examples of the beaverslide tool used to make large haystacks. For the first time during my journey I felt the sun burning on my skin, it was a beautiful day, but I was knackered by the time I reached Jackson, which is about 18mi before Wisdom. Captain Clark investigated the hot springs there some 207 years ago. I stopped at a café for a Coke and an Ice-Cream, Afterwards, I completed the last leg to my destination, Wisdom (pop. 114). I was glad having finally arrived.
Today was the end of week five, in which I cycled 671mi (1’080km),
bringing my total for the trip so far to a satisfactory 3’019mi (4’859km) or 84mi
(135km) per day.
No comments:
Post a Comment