July 4, 2023
Day 18: Soft Pedaling
Motel 6 Missoula, Montana to Aunt Sally’s Pedal Stop - Grantsdale, Montana
We left the motel at about 8:30 am; it was a semi-leisurely morning as we had less than sixty miles and around 1,400 ft of climbing. That sounds funny, doesn’t it? But after what we have been doing, it was a soft pedal kind of day.
We stopped by the Adventure Cycling Association’s headquarters first, and knew they would be closed, unfortunately, but needed the obligatory picture. Then, we headed to the bike trail that we would be on most of the day but only after a stop for a second coffee and pastry. See, leisurely! It was such a luxury to have a paved bike trail for 90% of the day. At first, we were on the Milwaukee Road bike trail; remember that trail from Washington? Yes, same railroad! After, we turned on to the Bitterroot Trail which we spent most of the day on; the tail wended through neighborhoods and industrial areas at first. Then, it followed Interstate 93 for the rest of the day. The bike trail kind of put us in beach cruiser mode; I think the layout of bike paths just makes one slow down because it is not a straight shot. Anyway, I was fine with that. It was easy going except for the constant frost heaves, but I would pick that over the interstate by the cars.
We passed through several towns, but the two I enjoyed the most were Victor and definitely Hamilton. Victor was a small town, but it had several amenities that a bike tourist likes: good food, a brewery, and a nice town park. I wish more towns had free town parks; it is just such a considerate town amenity with its bathrooms and picnic tables, which are sometimes covered. There are even towns that allow bike tourists to camp in the parks overnight. We have found that useful.
Hamilton was our last town of the day where we stopped for supplies and toured the town. It has a nice vibe; I could live here. It is also one of the many towns of the day that were gateways to the Bitterroot Mountains, a highlight of the day. The bike trail was located in the Bitterroot Valley, so we were able to stare at the mountains all day long; we passed by some enchanting peaks and valleys. This could have been the highlight of the day if it wasn’t for Aunt Sally’s Pedal Stop.
We had a few options for lodging in Hamilton: hotel, which we save for the desperate times, the fair grounds - that were having fireworks at 10:30 pm, an RV/storage park right on Interstate 93, and Aunt Sally’s. We weren’t sure if this was going to be a good option, but we took a risk as it is listed on the Lewis and Clark ACA route. It is basically a woman who has a small cabin and lets bike tourists stay for the price of a donation. This place is Amazing! Even though we only have a twin bed- we’ll see how that goes tonight, no running water in the kitchen area, and one of those toilets, which is outside- that older people who are invalids might use, it is still pretty awesome. We have an outdoor shower, a refrigerator, a cozy studio, a deck with a propane grill, microwave, heat, fan, and get this…a TV!
So, this is the end to an easy day - not overly challenging or interesting in terms of terrain, but exactly what we needed. This is part of what creates the memories we will have in the future: the people, the places, and the experiences.
Tomorrow is going to be a tough one with lots of climbing, dirt and a remote campground, so it may be a couple of days until we meet again.
Au revoir,
Team Bean
Tour Stats
- Cribbage Game Wins: Mike 5, Dawn 5
- Tortillas Eaten: Mike 36, Dawn 17
- Jars of Peanut Butter: 3
- Flats: Dawn 2
- Bike Haters: 3
- Bags of Salad Consumed: 8
- Dog Encounters: 2
Today's ride: 58 miles (93 km)
Total: 944 miles (1,519 km)
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