July 10, 2022
Dillon to Wisdom
This was a challenging day with two significant mountain passes. I haven’t been at the local altitude for too many days, so I was concerned about my ability to navigate steep grades at altitude. I pulled out of camp at 7:30 and made my way through the streets of Dillon to eventually link up with Rte 278 toward Wisdom. The first ten miles were relatively flat, but I was still gaining altitude, needing to climb around 1700 feet to Badger Pass.
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The final 500 feet of climbing was at grades 4-6%, necessitating frequent stops. After the pass, there was a long, winding downhill to about 6000 feet. I met another rider on a coast to coast trip, and even with a fully loaded bike, he was faster than I! After touring through a beautiful valley, the next climb began about 10 miles later.
Being the second climb of the day, it was tiring and I stopped several times. Two guys on fully loaded bikes cruised right up! The pass topped out at 7400 feet!
The remaining 30+ miles was mostly downhill through the beautiful Bighole Valley. An annoying headwind from the west turned into a cross wind as the route turned north toward Wisdom.
There are not many options for accommodations or provisions in Wisdom, so Cheryl picked me up and drove us back to our camp in Dillon for the night.
Today's ride: 66 miles (106 km)
Total: 726 miles (1,168 km)
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