Third Leg: Missoula to West Yellowstone
July 8
Missoula to Missoula
(Day 15 - 0 mi, Elevation gain: 0 ft)
We took a rest day in Missoula to take advantage of the luxurious amenities a big city had to offer: a bike shop, coffee shop and laundromat. Conveniently, Missoula Bike Works, Clyde Coffee, and Sparkle Laundry were all located on the corner of Higgins and Sixth Ave. I took my bike in to get the bottom bracket looked at. They added some Teflon tape and tightened it. Since then, the clicking has stopped.
With the morning errands complete, we had some time to relax. Since it was Saturday, the riverwalk was popping with activity. For dinner, we went to Taramack Brewing Company. Despite not biking much that day, we were still unbelievably hungry. Lucky for us, the half order of nachos was gigantic.
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July 9
Missoula to Darby
(Day 16 - 62.02 mi, Elevation gain: 1079 ft)
(Mitch) It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…
Leaving Missoula was beautiful and easy riding. We stopped in Victor, MT and grabbed lunch at The Flying Pig. Inside, we were greeted by the resident bulldog, Walter and enjoyed the finest cuisine small town Montana had to offer: chicken tenders and a BLT. We continued to make fantastic time on the day as we had 50 miles in by 1:00 pm. Then came the fateful decision to ride along the Darby alternate….
This was a quicker route with only some gravel portions however my bike quickly had some mechanical issues. Just 10 miles from our campground I got a flat tire and struggled mightily to take it on and off as my tires are ridiculously tight. I first patched a hole in the tube and rode on but the patch gave out after a half mile. While I was in the midst of changing the tube, a rainstorm came through the valley. Just in time, a friendly stranger named Jake offered to drive us to his garage so we could work out of the rain. We quickly accepted and got to work at Jake’s house. I changed the tire, but I accidentally put a hole in the tube when getting it re-seated. Quite literally deflated, I had to replace the tube a 3rd time. This time it went smoothly but when I inflated the tube I found it wouldn’t hold air. I had to take the tire off and inspect the tube for a 4th time and found I had put on my previously patched tube back onto my bike, I was beyond pissed, so I instead starting laughing at my blunder. I exchanged the tube and this time it worked. Throughout this time Jake had offered us to stay for dinner, camp in his yard, and brought us drinks. As a final act of kindness he drove us 15 mi to our campground in Darby, MT. We also made a brief stop at Lake como (not the Italian one) as jake insisted we see the sights.
In Darby, we enjoyed a pineapple pizza for dinner at a local bar and went to bed after a long day.
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July 10
Darby to Wisdom
(Day 17 - 57.53 mi, Elevation gain: 4193 ft)
(Mitch) Today was highlighted by our tallest climb yet to 7400 ft across 12 miles. This was an endurance test, but I have come to thoroughly enjoy the climbs as they challenge you physically and mentally. We were forced to concentrate just on our pedaling cadence as we made it up Chief Joseph Pass. The reward was fantastic as we were treated to a long descent with rolling hills. During our descent, a rainstorm was forming over the mountains and quickly catching us. We ducked under a pavilion at Big Hole Battlefield and took the opportunity to read up on this historical event involving the Nez Perce (Ne-Mi- Poo) Native Americans.
After the storm, we rode the final 10 miles to Wisdom and enjoyed 2 large pizzas at Antler saloon, allegedly the best pizza in Montana. Our dining experience was highlighted by 3 hilarious toddlers playing darts and rolling cue balls across the floor of the restaurant. The youngest of this trio even attempted to abscond with a piece of our pizza! His mother quickly came by to apologize, but we reassured her the entertainment was worth the price of one pizza slice. To wrap up a good day, we had to battle the worst infestation of mosquitoes I have ever experienced as we quickly dove into the tent to get some respite.
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July 11
Wisdom to Dillon
(Day 18 - 67.39 mi, Elevation gain: 2526 ft)
(Mitch) The trek to Dillon had amazing views and relatively easy climbing. This made for a comfortable ride. However, about 10 miles into the ride, a screw that held my bike rack in place snapped off. To make things worse, part of the screw remained inside the screw hole so we couldn’t replace it. One hour and several bungee cords later, we were up and running again.
Upon arriving in Dillon, we stopped at a Napa Auto Parts where they removed the screw, and we found a replacement at an Ace Hardware.
Our campsite in Dillon was a highlight of the trip as it was cyclist only camping with free ice cream. We met 2 fellow bikers, 1 woman doing the TransAm East to West and a Canadian man who was 4000 miles into a 6000 mile continental tour. Most importantly, we met the host Of the bike hostel, Larry. He has been one of the most generous and knowledgeable people we met so far. He told us what to see in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons as well as giving us helpful packing tips to lighten our bikes. Overall Bike Camp in Dillon, Montana was a blast.
July 12
Dillon to Ennis
(Day 19 - 69.71 mi, Elevation gain: 2687 ft)
Before leaving the cyclist only campsite, we weighed our bikes using the scale Larry had set up in his mini bike shop. With my bike fully loaded, it weighed 71.5 lbs. My bike by itself weighs ~30 lbs. He said the average he sees is ~65 lbs. after weighing the bike, I immediately threw away some heavier items to get my weight down to 68.5. Mitch’s bike weighed 66.5 lbs, so he was in better shape. Talking with Larry helped me appreciate the importance of bike weight regarding speed, time, and money.
We made good time in the morning as there were many nice downhills from Dillon to Twin Bridges. The headwind picked up as we turned south toward Sheridan. As true tourists, we stopped for ice cream in the touristy old mining town of Virginia City/Nevada City. We considered exploring the old mining equipment and cabins but were too tired. Completing the final climb into Ennis at mile 60 was less than ideal, but the pay off on the descent was actually worth it. While setting up camp, we saw some wildlife just next to our site.
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July 13
Ennis to West Yellowstone
(Day 20 - 73.56 mi, Elevation gain: 3091 ft)
Despite having a long day ahead of us, we woke up more excited than normal feeling like we were on the doorstep of the national parks.
Traffic increased significantly as we got closer to Yellowstone. Fortunately, we made it without any close calls or accidents. While a close quarters grizzly bear encounter is probably our worst nightmare, an accident with a car or truck is easily the biggest risk we have faced on the trip. We passed a transAm rider leaving Yellowstone near Earthquake lake. He re-ranged our expectations for the riding conditions in Yellowstone. The roads are in rough condition, there is a lot of construction, and the place is mobbed with people.
Pushing on past Hebgen Lake, we made it to West Yellowstone. We found some reasonably priced lodging at the Fox Den RV park. With Mitch’s tires extremely worn down and susceptible to flats, we planned on stopping at the local bike shop the following morning.
Today's ride: 330 miles (531 km)
Total: 1,090 miles (1,754 km)
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