July 16, 2022
Day 85, to Twin Bridges: Over the mountain and through historic towns, to bicycle camp we go
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Saturday stats
Start: Ennis State Park/Fishing Access, Ennis, Mont.
End: Bike Camp, Twin Bridges, Mont.
The Daily Progress: 44.3 miles
Climb: 2270 feet
Descent: 2601 feet
Elevation at endpoint: 4667 feet
Ice cream flavors: Huckleberry fudge
Food expenses: $48 in Twin Bridges, $19 for breakfast in Ennis
Lodging expenses: $20 donation
Dani's daily digest
Blue got a flat in the night. Chris fixed it without uttering any curse words, which is impressive.
Our first stop of the day was On The Fly Espresso. We got coffee, biscotti, and breakfast burritos.
The ride today was pretty straightforward. We would spend the first 10 miles climbing 2000 feet, and then we would shed those 2000 feet over the next thirty miles.
The climb was fine, though it did make me regret the breakfast burrito.
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The next leg of the trip took us through Alder Gulch, which seemed like the historical origination for every old west trope. Gold was discovered in the river bed, and soon, a 14-mile-long boomtown sprang into existence. Many of the original buildings still exist in Virginia City and Nevada City. These looked like interesting places to stop and explore, but we were in the initial moments of whizzing down the pass we just climbed and in no mood for stopping.
Anyway, back to the saga of Alder Gulch. The Gulch produced enough gold to be worth 40 billion in today's currency, so naturally some nefarious characters sought to get a piece of the wealth. One band of bandits, who called themselves The Innocents, would hole up at a roadhouse known locally at Robber's Roost and scope out targets to hold up on the highway. Now I know what you are thinking, you're thinking "we need a man of the law to clean up this mess." BUT THE SHERIFF WAS THE LEADER OF OUTLAW GANG! The chaos didn't end until a vigilante group, who called themselves The Vigilantes, killed off the members of The Innocents, including the sheriff.
You see what I mean? The story is too cliche for Hollywood!
Beyond Alder Gulch there was a short stint on a shady bench in front of stately stone church that was too plagued by mosquitoes to qualify as a break and a visit to Walter's Family Foods in Sheridan. Walter's was easily the best small-town grocer I have yet encountered on this trip.
It was pretty hot by this time (this western sun is BRUTAL). Luckily, the last 11 miles to Twin Bridges were sharply downhill and very easy.
Twin Bridges has an awesome amenity for long-distance cyclists: a "Bike Camp" in their city park! There's an enclosed shelter, a toilet, some picnic tables, many electrical outlets, and a sink that produces both VERY hot and VERY cold water. There's a shower, too, but the shower door is protected by a code, and we did not get the code despite calling the numbers listed hours ago. Oh! And we're right on the riverfront.
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After checking out the bike camp, we went into town for salads, pizza, ice cream, and grocery items, but I spent most of the afternoon just lolling in the shade of a tree and enjoying the breeze.
Tomorrow and the next day promise to be more challenging. Longer miles, uphill, headwind. I'm trying not to think about them. They will be what they will be, and there's no reason to stop enjoying where I am right now.
Today's ride: 44 miles (71 km)
Total: 3,159 miles (5,084 km)
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