June 26, 2024
Serpentine Sweep to Stillwater
Eureka to Stillwater Getaway; Rich and Genny attack the rollers; Stillwater Scam; 3rd visit to Stillwater Bar
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We are sitting on the veranda at the Stillwater Bar as I type this. This is our 3rd visit here over a 12 year period and the only thing that appears to have changed is that they now have Wi-Fi. And it is good, strong fast Wi-Fi, much better than last night’s motel. IOWs, this place is timeless. A real dive bar with crummy food but the most picturesque location. We try to stop whenever we are in Montana.
After a tasty slow breakfast at Eureka’s Jax Diner , and some stalling, Rich and I rolled off about 10:40. According to our paperwork, the “campground host,” Barron, at our destination was only available after 3 pm so there was no hurry. Also, the weather had changed with rain chances higher in the morning, so today, later was better.
We rolled downhill through the small town of Eureka and veered right onto Tobacco Rd. The next 10 miles were rolling up and down through ranch and woodlands with very light local traffic. We saw a couple of heavily-loaded Great Divide riders going the opposite direction.
Eventually we ran into Hwy 93 and turned right. It is a 2-lane highway with speedy traffic. Most places it has a reasonable 18-24 inch shoulder and no rumble strip. A few places the shoulder disappears and the edge crumbles into gravel. For the most part the traffic was considerate and light enough that the cars could move over for us.
My Wahoo marked out 14 “climbs” today. These were gradual and highway grade, 3-6%, for the most part.
Jim and Amber hopscotched ahead of us about every 8 miles or so. Often they found a pullover at the top of one of the climbs.
We saw quite a few deer today, especially in the first 10 miles. Later on we spotted a bald Eagle. When we pulled into a gas station to use the facilities, I looked between the pumps, under the awning, across the highway and there was a nesting Osprey.
We rolled into the campground about 2:40. The turn in would have been really easy to miss without the Wahoo guidance-it was very rutted gravel.
Within a few minutes of arrival, a man came out of one of the buildings and so we said, “you must be Barron.” And he said, “No, I’m Ryan.” And he wasn’t expecting any guests today. We pulled out our paperwork that showed our confirmations. He then explained that Barron was a con artist who had been squatting on the property and booking people into the cabins and tents for two years before he had him forcibly evicted. Ryan said he has been trying to get AirBNB and VRBO to take down Barton’s listings but they still haven’t, even though Barron has been gone for a year. He is stilling scamming people even now.
We decided to stay anyway. The place is virtually empty, very rustic, very peaceful. The setting is awesome, right in Stillwater Lake. Apparently it used to be a Girl Scout camp.
So we are settled into little cabins which basically are the size of a small bedroom. The do have electricity. There is a combo shower/bathroom which is reasonably clean and functional.
Tomorrow is the last day of our combined trip. We head to Kalispell. Amber and Rich will drive home from there and Jim and I will head to Bigfork for couple days to visit my family.
Today's ride: 37 miles (60 km)
Total: 463 miles (745 km)
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