Report by Hans Klein
Once all participants had arrived in Missoula, the tour officially started. During what would be daily briefings we introduced ourselves with a little blurb whether we had visited Montana before. I vaguely remembered I had as a child coming back from Yellowstone National Park. We lived in Alberta then, so Montana was the natural way home. Each of us received a packaged itinerary, complete with maps (thanks to Dan McGuire) describing the route each day. Distances were provided in miles and kilometres, for us Canadians which were the majority.
Most of us left Missoula following our leader, Mary Lou who knew the way out, even though we were given extensive instructions in our pack up. We used bike paths as much as possible. They were quite evident in Missoula probably a result of the Adventure Cycling Association which has its head office here. Spent a little time on a major highway but then took a very quiet old highway to Hamilton
Our first rest day came after our first ride of 87 kilometres to Hamilton, a town with a population of 3,705 and founded by the 19th century copper magnate Marcus Daly. The accommodation was excellent especially if you were a gambler for the casino was part of the hotel. Gambling is legal in Montana and as a consequence there is no state tax. Several activities were arranged for this layover day. There was a tour of the Georgian Revival Marcus Daly Mansion, the riverside estate of Montana’s copper baron. We had a hearing challenged docent and her responses to some of our questions were hilarious. After the tour many proceeded up Sleeping Child Road along a river with a scenic canyon to find a place to eat our lunch. Hamilton would be the largest town for several days.
Sula, was next on the agenda with a ride of 72 kilometres. Not much there but a service station and campground, RV park and cabins. These cabins were better suited to the fall and winter season and lacked air conditioning. Supper had been arranged at the Broad Axe Restaurant, 10 kilometres from Sula. No one wanted to cycle in the heat (100° F), so the van made four trips to get us there and back. Sula is a hunter and fisherman paradise. The restaurant had several sets of binoculars lying around and sure enough wildlife was spotted on the opposite mountain. They originally told us they were sheep but closer inspection made them out to be elk. Unfortunately one of our members developed a health problem and had to be taken back to Missoula. This was the end of her tour. Our leader was hoping that we would be able to get a good rest for our climb the next day. The cabins were like ovens and many members, undaunted by mosquitoes, slept outside until they were forced back in by wind and rain from a sheet lightning storm.
The nightly rain cooled things off considerably for our climb up two passes; the Lost Trail Pass at 7014 feet and Chief Joseph Pass, the Continental Divide at 7,241 feet. The Lost Trail Pass was thought to be an easy passage to the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Instead it almost was Captain Clark’s party demise with the steep terrain, deep rapid rivers, scarce game and snow covered paths. For us the climb was long but not particularly steep. Our starting elevation was 4429 feet. The descent to our packaged lunch stop at Big Hole Battlefield National Monument was exhilarating. This site commemorates the battle fought August 9-10, 1877 between U.S. troops and the Nez Perce Indians. They were trying to escape confinement to an Idaho reservation and thought they were safe in Montana. They were victorious but with losses between 40 and 90 men, women and children were forced to surrender two months later. Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce were then only 50 miles (80 kilometres) from Canada. Apparently a lucky 150 or so Nez Perce made it to Canada.
The long climb lengthened the ride so by the time we left Big Hole it had warmed up considerably. We had now officially entered what is known as Big Sky country. It seemed like the mountains had spread out leaving large flat valleys. I found this last section the toughest of the trip. After ten miles (16 kilometres) we arrived in the “one horse town” of Wisdom. A stop for refreshments in the local tavern brought a few stares. Men in spandex I guess. Another eighteen miles (29 kilometres) to Jackson was one of those routes that never ends; one more turn, one more hill. Finally at 6475 feet we arrived at the hot spring resort. The van had arrived and was being emptied in preparation, as was the proprietor’s truck, to pick up those that were also finding it difficult. This day ended after 92 kilometres and the only saving grace for me was soaking the tired muscles in the hot pool, so scalding hot you had to force your way in. But it was worth it. The Jackson Hot Springs Lodge provided us with an incredible supper and breakfast. During happy hour a short thunderstorm provided some cooling relief so the lack of air conditioning was not a problem.
The high elevation made for a cool departure with some of us wearing jackets. Today’s ride would be 63 miles (102 kilometres) to Dillon, established in 1880 by a group of businessmen who bought out a rancher who refused to give up his land to the railroad. It was another day of climbing. First the Big Hole Pass at 7360 feet, then a possible side trip of 7 miles or 13 kilometres to Montana’s first major gold strike and first territorial capital, Bannack followed by a climb up Badger Pass at 6760 feet. However, because of the heat and chipseal surface, those wanting to visit Bannack returned by van. A few took up the challenge and did it by bike. Dillon was definitely larger than the last two overnight stops. We were back to air conditioning and the usual thunderstorm including a cloud burst which flooded streets. Mary Lou had prepared us for these storms and what action we were to take had we been on our bikes. Luckily all of them occurred after our rides.
Our scheduled 9:00 am departure was never really stuck to. An earlier departure was a good thing because it was still relatively cool in the morning. It was best to get the ride over before two in the afternoon and preferably before noon. The ride to Whitehall was a relaxing change with mainly flat roads and a tail wind. We were able to average 30.3 kilometres per hour over a distance of 89 kilometres, even with a flat tire and historical stops. Tomorrow’s ride to Three Forks includes a side trip to the Lewis and Clark Caverns. This involved a 5 mile / 8 kilometre ride up a steep and windy road. It was decided that those not wanting to ride up could get a ride in the van once the luggage was dropped off in Three Forks. Five of us rode up and by a stroke of luck we were able to get an earlier time for our tour. The lighting in these limestone caves were still being upgraded so the full effect was not experienced. Since there was an ownership battle between several entrepreneurs and the Northern Pacific Railroad, preservation of the cave suffered. Consequently many stalactites ended up as souvenirs. It was a hot tough undulating ride of 17 miles / 27 kilometres to Three Forks for it was now early afternoon. Intermittent cloud cover did cool things off a little.
Three Forks would be our home for two nights. It is near the headwaters of the Missouri River, formed by the junction of three rivers, the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin. It was discovered in 1805 by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Our hotel, the Sacajawea, was a real classic on the National Registry of Historic Places. We soon found out the procedure to get cold water from the tap and not get scalded in the shower. It involved running the taps and flushing the toilet several times. The hotel was named after the Shoshone Indian woman who contributed to the success of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The layover day included a trip to the Missouri Headwaters State Park, a visit to another “one horse” town, Willow Creek, for lunch and to see the tandem which was written up in the book Blind Your Ponies, by Stanley Gordon West, and for some laundry.
The trip to the Boulder Hot Springs involved retracing some of the previous route. It was a 55 mi / 89 km ride up several hills and long hot straight sections. The 100 year plus Boulder Hot Springs Hotel serves as a holistic centre and had many foreign guests. The hot springs and cool pool were very relaxing. This was also a non-alcohol facility but Happy Hour was still happy and we each received a memento of the trip, a specially minted Montana quarter. Dinner and breakfast were provided as organic and vegetarian as possible.
Boulder to Helena, 37 mi / 60 km, again involved a pass of about 6200 ft / 1890 m but once over the top it was downhill to Helena, the state capital. Highway construction led to a detour but first class instructions got us right to the hotel, past some of the scenic highlights of the city. Helena was the largest metropolis since Missoula but it was not as cycle friendly. It did have several Starbucks though. We would spend another layover day here exploring the sights, including touring a renovated friend’s house in the Mansion district and taking in a night concert by the Helena Symphony, complete with fireworks.
Helena to Drummond was the longest day of cycling (107 kilometres) and involved another pass, MacDonald Pass at 6320 ft / 1926 m and another Continental Divide. A side trip to the Grant-Kohrs Ranch was another option. Because of the distance it was once again decided to take the van. It was one of the first Montana ranches established by John Grant, a Canadian, in the 1850’s. It was bought and expanded by cattle baron Conrad Kohrs and to this day serves as a working cattle ranch thanks to the work of his grandson. This section of the trip freaked out some riders because of some very narrow shoulders and non cooperating motorists.
The final ride into Missoula was a breeze. We were now heading to the lowest elevation of our trip, 3223 ft / 982 m. Mary Lou had scouted out the least travelled routes by using frontage roads as much as possible. This was again the case here. A farewell dinner was arranged at a first class restaurant and presentations were made, followed by goodbye hugs.
This was Mary Lou Johnson’s first CCCTS tour as a leader. She led a super tour and her years of experience as an administrator was evident everywhere. She was ably supported by Roger Ehret and his wife, Marilyn. Many thanks also to Sonya Ward and those other drivers who made it possible for me and several others to cycle the whole route and provide us with the necessary water and refreshments. Well done. Too bad the weather wasn’t more normal.
Participants: Mary Lou Johnson, Marilyn Nelson-Ehret, Roger Ehret, Dan McGuire, June Gallagher, Johannes Klein, Ken Rogers, Les Hudgins, Gino Salamatian, Sonia Ward, Frank Ward, Henk Blouw, Jim Burnett, David Clark, Jake Tremblay, Jan Johnson, Michael Goldberg, Charlene Dorward, (Marion Orser)