Day 18: Whitehall to Dillon

July 26, 2024

Today is a long upstream day. I got up just before 7 and on the road just before 8 AM. The temperature was 60F and my hands got cold after a couple miles. It was the first and only time I felt cold during this tour.

Smoke was very visible, and for the first time this tour I could smell the smoke. This morning had the worst smoke of the tour. Fortunately the smoke dissipated after a couple hours as I traveled south and a south wind developed.

I was able to pedal quiet back roads for the first few miles before connecting to busier MT 55. Most of those miles retrace yesterday's route. But it looks completely different today. Yesterday was the clearest day of the tour. Today is the smokiest.

I stopped to look around the little village of Silver Star. The smoke was already looking better to the south, but it was still very smoky in other directions.

I took a photo of giant pulley wheels that were once driven by ropes to power a compressor at a mine. While I was taking the photo a guy drove by in a pickup truck and yelled What ya doin nigger? The lowest level of morons are those who advertise their moron status.

Rope drive compressor pulleys in Silver Star.

I had only a few views of the Jefferson river between Whitehall and Twin Bridges.

Smoky Jefferson river looking downstream.

Views to the east were especially smoky. I could barely see big mountains that are not far away.

Mountains faintly visible in the smoky haze.

I stopped for lunch in the attractive town of Twin Bridges. I pedaled through Twin Bridges once before in 2013 during my Florence-Missoula-Salt Lake City bike tour.

Notre Dame Catholic Church in Twin Bridges.

I had lunch at the Blue Anchor cafe. Blue Anchor is an odd name in a town that is very far from an ocean.

Twin Bridges is a charming little town with many well preserved old buildings.

In Twin Bridges I turn away from the Jefferson river and start following a tributary called Beaverhead river.

First view of Beaverhead river in Twin Bridges.

This 1901 jail cost $600 to build. Metal parts were probably the main expense.

My final segment from Twin Bridges to Dillon is on the Adventure Cycling Association TransAmerica bike route. I pedaled this segment in the opposite direction in 2013. During that trip I discovered the free cyclist campsite along the Beaverhead river 2 blocks from downtown. I stopped again to look at the campsite. I didn't see any touring cyclists on the 26 mile TransAmerica segment from Twin Bridges to Dillon.

Free cyclist campsite along the Beaverhead river in Twin Bridges. The red building has couches, kitchen, bathroom, shower.

Beaverhead river is a long tributary of the Jefferson/Missouri/Mississippi river. It originates far south of here near the Continental Divide. It's sort of a mirror of the Henry's Fork Snake river which originates on the opposite side of the divide.

About half of today's route is state highways with no shoulder. Traffic was mostly big trucks. I definitely needed to pay attention to the rearview mirror. The traffic wasn't awful but I was kind of spoiled after days on the no-traffic Frontage roads.

I stopped to look across the river at Beaverhead Rock. When the Lewis and Clark expedition passed through here in 1806, Sacajawea said she remembered this landmark from her childhood before she was abducted by a rival tribe.

Beaverhead Rock. Sacajawea said she remembered this landmark from her childhood.

A strong headwind slowed me down for the final 15 miles, but it kept me cool and blew the awful smoke away. The headwind was a small price to pay to see blue sky once again. High temperature was 88F, probably tempered by several hours of dense smoke.

Today's destination is Dillon, but I didn't actually pedal all the way into town. Instead I pedaled to my parked car 3 miles northeast of downtown, arriving at 4:50 PM. My car was extremely dusty after being parked in a dust bowl for 19 days. I quickly loaded the bike into the car and drove to my reserved hotel room in Dillon. The bike tour is finished now, but I parked my car at the hotel in Dillon and walked everywhere after that.

Tonight's home is the 1917 Andrus Hotel. The 5th and final historic lodging of this tour. All of the rooms are on the 3rd floor of the building. Most of the bottom two floors are vacant.

Tonight's home is the 1917 Andrus Hotel in Dillon, Montana.

My room is the smallest room in the 18-suite hotel. The Turret Pigeon Suite gets its name from the view of a turret out the window. My mini suite has a small kitchen. All the other suites have a full size kitchen. The $253 price is high, but the room is very deluxe and the location is perfect.

Turret Pigeon mini suite at Andrus Hotel. Has a private bath and full kitchen.

Andrus Hotel is in the middle of historic downtown Dillon. Great location. It even has a rooftop terrace! The hallways have an impressive collection of large framed historic photos.

A car show was just ending. I didn't eat at Beaverhead Brewing because they don't serve food.

In 2013 I spent the night in Dillon at a regular motel that is far from downtown. I didn't spend much time looking at downtown then, so I tried to make up for that today. Downtown Dillon has many interesting historic buildings and it's not crowded at all. It's a relatively undiscovered gem of a historic town.

Former railroad station in Dillon. Now a museum.

I had dinner at Blacktail Station Steakhouse two blocks from the hotel.

Downtown Dillon. Andrus Hotel on the right.

Dillon is the county seat of Beaverhead county. Population 4106 makes it the biggest town for many miles in this sparsely populated region.

I enjoyed discovering unique buildings such as the old stone church that is now a public library.

This former church is now a public library.

I went back out at twilight to look at the lights. I couldn't tell during the day, but at night I could see that the former Hotel Metlen has a bar on the ground floor.

I really like my photo of The Moose bar. It captures pretty much every stereotype of a Montana bar.

I especially liked the four giant lighted clocks on the courthouse tower. They display the correct time and the back lighting looks awesome.

I did it! I pedaled a big circle from Dubois, Wyoming to Dillon, Montana. The bike tour is finished now, but it will take me two days to drive home.

Distance: 56.5 miles
Average Speed: 8.8 mph
Ascent/Descent: +1290/-512 feet

Today's ride: 57 miles (92 km)
Total: 703 miles (1,131 km)

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Kathleen JonesYet another great journal, Wayne. I’m glad the smoke wasn’t as much as a problem as it could have been, mountain views excepted. But that’s the new reality of summer. And fall. And spring.

Looking forward to your next trip.
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3 months ago

George (Buddy) HallIt was fun following along. Since I've ridden in the area, I found myself looking at Google Earth to follow your route, and oftentimes I'd use the street view to locate some of the photos you took! Thanks for writing the journal.
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3 months ago