Day 62 - July 4 - Dillon, MT Rest Day - Two Old Guys Take On A Continent

July 4, 2023

Day 62 - July 4 - Dillon, MT Rest Day

Closed For Business

John’s Story

It was a usual rest day morning. Sleep in (all the way to 7:00 AM!). Motel breakfast. Routine bike maintenance. Plan out the day.

It was during this planning phase that we discovered how seriously Dillon, Montana, takes the 4th of July holiday. Almost everything in this town is shut down for the day. We had a heck of a time finding a place open for lunch, and even it planned to close at 3:00 PM. By trolling the streets we found a bar and grill that will be open until 9:00 PM for dinner. We’d already passed it half a dozen times since yesterday, and until I looked more closely inside thought it was a fly fishing shop, Mac’s Last Cast. Also luckily for us the Safeway store is open so we could shop for a few things before tomorrow’s ride.

While carefully scouring GoogleMaps for restaurants I found a spot labeled “Old Pitt - Elephant Killed by Lightning”. I had to go see it.

In August of 1943 the Cole Brothers Circus pulled into town for a one-night show. As the elephants were lining up to make their grand entrance a severe storm approached. A lightning bolt zapped one of the elephants, Old Pitt, killing her instantly. The other elephants and their minder were stunned but survived. Old Pitt was given a funeral ceremony and buried, and a monument stone was later placed at the grave and a fence erected around it. It is on the grounds of the Beaverhead County fairgrounds.

I don’t have a clue how Joe Womack fits into the story.

While on the fairgrounds I found another fire truck for Ben.

Beaverhead. You hear that everywhere around here. We saw Beaverhead Rock yesterday. We’re staying at the Beaverhead Lodge. We’ve been to Beaverhead Brewing. The Beaverhead River runs through town. We’re in Beaverhead County, the largest county in Montana. Remember the name. Beaverhead. There will be a quiz.

Something we do on rest days is look a few days down the road to where we are headed. Next stop Jackson, Montana. I called the Bunk House Hotel there where we plan to camp tomorrow night. No one answered so I left a message. This afternoon I got a call from them saying that an Adventure Cycling tour had booked the whole place for tomorrow night, except for two small rooms with one queen bed. No tent sites. No hostel bunks. There’s really no alternative to this place for tomorrow, so we booked one of the rooms. I hope there’s room on the floor for one of us to lay out a sleeping bag, because I think neither of us relishes sleeping in the same bed with the other.

As we rode around town trying to find open establishments we found an open laundromat (another standard rest day activity). This fellow was patiently sitting in his master’s vehicle waiting for his clean doggie clothes.

Had today not been a rest day we would have spent last night at the Dillon Bike Camp a mile out of town. Only a couple of cots inside, but plenty of room for tents outside. A shower. Comfortable inside space for cooking, visiting and idling away the hours. We decided to take a look at what we were missing.

Larry Volkening, who created the camp to promote bicycle tourism in Montana, was there and showed us around. The camp is a qualified charitable organization that leases the 5 acres from the city for $50 per year. Larry is the chairman of the county planning board, so he knows how to get things done. He told us that the Montana legislature is very much opposed to bicycle tourism for some reason. Five years ago a bill was introduced in the Montana legislature that would have classified bicyclists entering Montana from out of state as an invasive species. That way we could be regulated. It wasn’t enacted into law, thank goodness.

Larry is a very interesting guy. He taught high school physics for many years, then left teaching to do his own thing, including contract work for NASA and the USGS. He spent quite a while pointing out the mountains all around us and telling us where the best biking is. He gave us advice on where to stay as we press on, roads to avoid, places to see. It was difficult to break away, but we still hadn’t been to the grocery store, or the brewery for that matter.

There is an ice rink on the grounds of the bike camp. I didn’t ask, but perhaps the cyclists coming through in winter like to play hockey at the end of a long day on the bike. There was even a small Zamboni parked next to the rink.

A beautiful inlaid wood mosaic in the floor of one of the buildings at the bike camp. It is about 4 feet on a side.

While returning to town from the bike camp I came across a miniature version of the big rusted metal tractor that I saw yesterday.

Visitors from Missouri. I thought the bus would have been painted black.

After lunch and a visit to Safeway we headed to the brewery for a beer. There was one other bicycle parked outside, and inside we found the rider at the bar. She introduced herself as Christa, one of a dozen bikers on an Adventure Cycling guided tour from Washington DC to Waldport, Oregon. They left Washington about a week after we did, but they are riding unloaded because their tour is supported. They don’t have to carry all of their gear on their bicycles, which allows them to ride more miles each day. From the sounds of it the average age of the bicyclists on the tour is about 70. These are the people who have usurped our ability to camp at the Bunk House Hotel in Jackson tomorrow night. Since we will be staying in a room at the hotel tomorrow, we’ll meet the rest of them then.

This establishment is on the road between the brewery and our motel. I don’t believe I have ever seen a shop called a saddlery.

Either the Frecker’s Saddlery returns department or their corporate museum.

One of the planned highlights of our tour has been to visit the headquarters of the Adventure Cycling Association in Missoula. The ACA’s visiting hours ( for the full experience) are 8 AM to 5 PM Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On our current trajectory we will arrive in Missoula on Saturday afternoon, so unless something changes we won’t be able to visit. We’re looking at spending an extra night in Missoula so we will be there on Monday morning to visit. We’re reaching out to WarmShowers hosts in Missoula to try to find someone who can put us up Saturday and Sunday night. So far no luck. We’re also looking at adjusting our stopping point between here in Missoula to take advantage of a WarmShowers host in Hamilton, Montana. No luck there so far either. We’re keeping our fingers crossed. If nothing else pans out we’ll end up looking for the least expensive motel in Missoula.

Tomorrow will be a big day, not in terms of miles ridden but in hills climbed, only 48 miles but 3,600’ of hills, including a 1,600’ climb and a 1,300’ climb. Hopefully they won’t be as steep as the climb out of Ennis to Virginia City a few days ago.

Ed’s Story

I’m not sure what else there is left to say. John may have slept in till 7 o’clock. I was awake between 6:00 and 6:30 but I didn’t get up so I wouldn’t wake him.

Once again, the motel breakfast was not particularly appealing. They have a waffle maker, but they ran out of the little waffle batter fill cups. When I mentioned that to the man working at the desk, he said oh we’re out of them, just use a juice cup but don’t fill it all the way up.

Their juice machine is not working. When I mentioned that he said oh, I forgot to turn it on. And to top that off the orange juice was empty. There was also no fruit. But we will be eating it again in the morning before we leave.

My metal kickstand has pushed a hole through the little rubber boot on the end. When I would set the bike on some type of gravel, the kickstand would sink into the ground, and the boot would be pushed up the kickstand. It would not stay stable on gravel.

I identified a fix. Put a washer and a clamp above the boot to hold it in place. I bought two washers and a clamp yesterday. They were all too big. I went to an auto parts store today. The man working the counter allowed me take various washers and clamps outside to make sure they would work. It appeared to work so I bought them.

A pretty ingenious fix I think. We’ll just have to wait and see if it works.

As John noted we did go out to the Dillon bike camp and met Larry. One of my followers on Facebook has been through the camp several times. He knew we were staying in Dillon and asked me to say hi to Larry for him. When I did that, Larry questioned when he would be back again. I relayed that to Matt on Facebook.

I bet you can’t guess which one is Larry.

At the brewery after lunch and grocery shopping, I had the Beaverhead Bock. Note the recurring Beaverhead theme.

The woman biker we talked to at the brewery mentioned that another woman joined them along the route. Since the tour had room for an extra person, they took her in. Christa mentioned the woman’s name was Peggy and that she was about 77 years old.

We were shocked. It turns out that this was the same Peggy we met in Zanesville, Ohio on May 14. We did not see her at the brewery, but anticipate we might see her in Jackson tomorrow since we are all staying at the same place.

Near our hotel is a stately old hotel. It looks like they are trying to remodel it. I don’t think it’ll ever regain its original glory. There are too many newer, smaller, chain hotels in the area.

The totem pole is located in the yard of a business that sells antiques and unusual items. Whether or not it is for sale I don’t know.

Back to the hotel where I had a good hour nap. I really didn’t want to get up but laundry needed to be done and it is my turn. After a shower so I could wash my poo poo undies, I headed to the laundromat.

When we stopped here this morning to check it out, the place was full. One woman said “ Good luck getting a dryer.” When I came in this afternoon the place was pretty much empty.

I guess if you’re in Dillon, you need to make sure your critters are clean.

Dinner will most likely be a pizza and a beer. It’s been quite a while since we had a pizza.

As John noted, tomorrow will be a long day climbing wise. Luckily, the information for the hotel in Jackson stated they have a full beer and wine license, as does the Roses Restaurant next-door to the hotel.

Until tomorrow, happy biking!

Today's ride: 9 miles (14 km)
Total: 1,102 miles (1,773 km)

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Comment on this entry	Comment	2

Kelly IniguezYou must have decided against the Hot Springs Lodge in Jackson? We stayed there in 2020, $126.

Sula, MT was a favorite stay - a cabin there was $122.
Hamilton, MT - Quality Inn (used points) - not the best location, but free.
Missoula, MT - we stayed at the City Center Motel because it was close to ACA $119. very small room, and not the best price around. Missoula was expensive.

That's what I've got. IDK if any of it helps you.
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1 year ago

John ChimahuskyTo Kelly IniguezThe lodge and springs are closed today. An ACA tour has taken over the Bunkhouse Hotel. We were lucky to snag a room. Ed and I have to share a bed tonight for the first time since we were kids. 😱
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1 year ago