June 9, 109 miles from Missoula to Anaconda, MT
Following directions from a book Larry had previously read, we began a route to West Yellowstone that took us off the Adventure Cycling path. The reasoning was that it would save us a day, but on the downside we had to take I-90 for 30 miles this day and 20 miles the next. Riding on the interstate is legal in Montana and a few other states, and the road shoulder was 10 feet wide so we didn't feel unsafe, but did have to listen to trucks all that time. After getting off the interstate in Drummond, we had lunch at the Bull's End cafe and rode on beautiful Hwy 1 for the rest of the day. There was a steep pass between miles 76-81 going up from Philipsburg to Georgetown Lake, but the view overlooking the lake and the Pintlar Mountains was spectacular. About 10 miles before Anaconda I got my first flat tire of the trip, and as I was changing it another rider named Ray stopped by to chat. Ray is from Anaconda and was told us about the potential of seeing bighorn sheep in the area. We didn't see any, however, on our remaining ride. We slept well that night after the long day's ride instead.
June 10, 97 miles from Anaconda to Nevada City, MT
Another cold morning in the Rockies, where less than a week ago this region of SW Montana saw snow. We fortunately haven't seen rain since Saturday, and were able to appreciate the beauty of this state (after getting off the interstate). The interstate shoulder had a cbunch of rocks and was undergoing construction in Butte, so we had to endure this for a few miles before exiting onto Hwy 2. We followed this over the Pipestone Pass (a very easy 3-mile climb) to Hwy 41 that took us to Twin Bridges in the gorgeous Ruby Valley, where we rejoined the Trans-America trail. The Ruby Valley and Alder Gulch is famous for it's cowboy/outlaw past. As we got on Hwy 287 and rode to Nevada City, we passed Robber's Roost and other Old West historical sights. Nevada City and Virginia City are preserved Old West towns, and our hotel (The Nevada City Hotel) was an old saloon and boarding house. It was a cool time warp.
June 11, 90 miles from Nevada City to West Yellowstone, MT
This ride started with a tough climb up a 7% grade that was rough first thing in the morning. We did, however, get a spectacular view and a long descent. On the descent, we stopped at the parents of one is Larry's friends for a visit. The were very nice, made us roast beef sandwiches, and have a wonderful view of the mountains near Big Sky and the underlying valley. There isn't much else to say about the riding - it was simply beautiful in Montana!
We got to a bike store in West Yellowstone so that Larry could have one of his spokes replaced, and got a big dinner. The public library was closed and doesn't open until 10 today so I'm pirating Internet from an adjacent motel. Then on to Colter Bay!
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