This morning we woke up to the sunrise, around 5:30am. Our down sleeping bags were pretty soaked from the night before and we needed to find a less conspicuous spot to rest. So we packed up our things and headed for the next rest stop a few miles down the road. It was perfect. There were picnic tables covered by roofs and walls for privacy. That was all we needed. If a person really wanted to, they could bike all through the night and then sleep during the day because for some reason it isn't illegal to sleep at rest stops and picnic areas during the day, but it is at night. Of course, then you would miss the scenery.
Even though I hadn't gotten much sleep, I was wide awake. We heated up frozen bean and cheese burritos for breakfast and then I gave Ben a much needed massage and let him sleep for a couple of hours. I caught up on my pushups, and sit ups (that was something we had decided to do along with biking everyday, but had slacked off for a while).
After resting, we biked to the next rest stop where there was a beautiful pond to swim in. Ben and I swam with a family of ducks and I came out with a bunch of baby leeches attached to my feet. Then we practiced rolls and falls for a while and Ben taught me how to properly roll on the ground when leaping into the air and then doing a somersault.
We continued biking toward Missoula and found a perfect spot to camp in the national forest just a few miles off the highway. We followed the road until we came to a little turnoff for a fishing spot at a river and carried our things across the river to a tiny island where the river forked and ran on both sides. There were little white and yellow daisies growing everywhere and a full moon lit up the sky.
Jul 25, 2011
Day 43 Butte (LeAnn)
A few more miles and we were in Butte. Our first stop was Denny's. They have all you can eat whole wheat pancakes for only $4. We gorged on fluffy, syrupy goodness and played cards. Then we found a bike shop in town that was much more helpful than we had anticipated. They catered specifically to bicycle tourists and let us into their back room where they had tons of snacks and refreshments for us to take along.
As we were getting our bikes ready to leave outside of the bike shop, a man with a bright green cast on one arm carrying a plastic bag came up to us and happily gave us a bag of powdered donuts and some sparkling water. He said a lady had thrown the bag out of her car window to him as he was holding up a sign for money. But he said he didn't need any food, just a little extra cash. Ben and I were just the opposite. All we needed was a little food and we were good for another hundred miles.
On our way out of Butte, we stopped at the visitor center to cool off from the heat, then precariously made our way back out onto the crazy highway that had road construction everywhere. It was scary, but we got through the worse of it and found shelter underneath a freeway overpass right before a rainstorm came pelting down.
Walking up the steep cement slope of the overpass, I found the temporary home of many a passerby. There was the perfect spot for a bed. Old sweaters, blankets and plastic containers covered the ground. Graffiti colored the walls on both sides with names and dates of old travelers. Some had left quotes about finding Jesus and clues about the kind of people they were and what they were searching for.
As the rain cleared up, Ben and I made our way to the small town of Deer Lodge. Stopped at the grocery store for some dinner and found a spot to camp just outside of town, up a gravel road and on top of a hill in the middle of a field. Even though we could feel another storm coming in, we didn't pitch up our tent and simply laid our sleeping bags down on a tarp so we wouldn't be seen by anyone. That decision proved to be less than comfortable as the night drew on and it began to rain.
As we were getting our bikes ready to leave outside of the bike shop, a man with a bright green cast on one arm carrying a plastic bag came up to us and happily gave us a bag of powdered donuts and some sparkling water. He said a lady had thrown the bag out of her car window to him as he was holding up a sign for money. But he said he didn't need any food, just a little extra cash. Ben and I were just the opposite. All we needed was a little food and we were good for another hundred miles.
On our way out of Butte, we stopped at the visitor center to cool off from the heat, then precariously made our way back out onto the crazy highway that had road construction everywhere. It was scary, but we got through the worse of it and found shelter underneath a freeway overpass right before a rainstorm came pelting down.
Walking up the steep cement slope of the overpass, I found the temporary home of many a passerby. There was the perfect spot for a bed. Old sweaters, blankets and plastic containers covered the ground. Graffiti colored the walls on both sides with names and dates of old travelers. Some had left quotes about finding Jesus and clues about the kind of people they were and what they were searching for.
As the rain cleared up, Ben and I made our way to the small town of Deer Lodge. Stopped at the grocery store for some dinner and found a spot to camp just outside of town, up a gravel road and on top of a hill in the middle of a field. Even though we could feel another storm coming in, we didn't pitch up our tent and simply laid our sleeping bags down on a tarp so we wouldn't be seen by anyone. That decision proved to be less than comfortable as the night drew on and it began to rain.
Day 42 Quesadillos (LeAnn)
From Ennis, we biked toward Whitehall. There were some beautiful rolling hills along the way (notice I say beautiful because they were mostly downhill in our favor). We had bought a two pound bag of shredded cheese the night before because it was on sale and two pounds of tortillas, so that was our late lunch. Ben and I generally eat about two pounds of food per meal. So that ends up being around six pounds of food a day between the two of us. I think I have at least doubled my caloric intake and still continue to lose weight.
After eating lunch, we left just as a storm was coming in like we always do. I had second thoughts about getting on the major interstate of Montana especially in a storm, but we did anyway. During the first couple of miles, we barely moved because the wind and rain were coming head on into us. We were fortunate to have a nice wide shoulder to bike on. Soon we found ourselves in Whitehall taking refuge at another library to wait out the storm.
The worse of the storm passed after a few hours and we kept pedaling up the highway. Another rainbow shone behind us, I wouldn't have noticed it if Ben hadn't looked back. Then we had an uphill stretch to tackle. It was Homestake Pass at 6,356 feet. We made it over, just before nightfall and found a truck stop to sleep at for the night. I made some very cheesy pasta for dinner, (we had to use the rest of the cheese before it went bad) as Ben filtered some water at a nearby stream and put up the tent.
After eating lunch, we left just as a storm was coming in like we always do. I had second thoughts about getting on the major interstate of Montana especially in a storm, but we did anyway. During the first couple of miles, we barely moved because the wind and rain were coming head on into us. We were fortunate to have a nice wide shoulder to bike on. Soon we found ourselves in Whitehall taking refuge at another library to wait out the storm.
The worse of the storm passed after a few hours and we kept pedaling up the highway. Another rainbow shone behind us, I wouldn't have noticed it if Ben hadn't looked back. Then we had an uphill stretch to tackle. It was Homestake Pass at 6,356 feet. We made it over, just before nightfall and found a truck stop to sleep at for the night. I made some very cheesy pasta for dinner, (we had to use the rest of the cheese before it went bad) as Ben filtered some water at a nearby stream and put up the tent.
Day 41 Behind Another Dirt Pile (LeAnn)
We biked the rest of the way to Ennis. The town had a very nice library. We stopped at the grocery store and bought food just on time before a storm came rolling in. The Lion's park picnic shelter was a perfect spot for dinner and we made pasta and played cards while waiting out the storm. After the rain had stopped a man came by and told us there was a campground just on the other side of the road that we could stay at and it was only $4 a night. We hadn't stayed at a campground yet and decided that it might be nice to not have to worry about getting caught for one night.
So we hung out at the Lion's park for a while longer, played frisbee with our cooking pot cover and practiced some martial arts. My new game involved a stick covered in mud at one end (my weapon against Ben) He had to avoid getting covered with mud while I attacked him.
We saw another double rainbow hanging over the mountains as the sun began to set and soon made our way over to the campsite. Unfortunately, the campsite was specifically for fishermen. You needed a valid Montana fishing license to get the cheap camping rate, otherwise it was $30.
It's hard when you're on the road in open spaces and there isn't any public land for a person to legally camp on for free. We rode out of town and found a nice big dirt pile off the side of the highway that was the perfect cover for us to sleep behind.
So we hung out at the Lion's park for a while longer, played frisbee with our cooking pot cover and practiced some martial arts. My new game involved a stick covered in mud at one end (my weapon against Ben) He had to avoid getting covered with mud while I attacked him.
We saw another double rainbow hanging over the mountains as the sun began to set and soon made our way over to the campsite. Unfortunately, the campsite was specifically for fishermen. You needed a valid Montana fishing license to get the cheap camping rate, otherwise it was $30.
Day 40 Most Beautiful Campsite (LeAnn)
Today I biked back into West Yellowstone for a few more supplies. An old man working at the local bike shop was really helpful and taught me all about spokes. He used to build over a thousand bicycle wheels every summer and knew the ins and outs of every detail. I stopped at a farmers stand on the way back "home" and bought a pint of raspberries. I enjoy having "home" be just wherever we feel like spending some time in the woods. It doesn't have to be anything permanent, just a place to rest for a while.
We continued biking toward Ennis. After making our way around Hebgen Lake, we came across an area that had felt the strongest earthquake recorded in Montana. We passed a landmark sign saying "Destruction highway" and were too curious to pass it up. After a beautiful stroll on a winding old sidewalk covered on both sides with wildflowers, I came to the river where pieces from an old house were still floating in the water. The resort owner had lived in the house until the historic earthquake of 1959 had rumbled through and destroyed the campground, houses, and highway in the area.
We decided it was the perfect spot for dinner and I made my version of pad thai while out on the trail. After dinner, we biked a few more miles to a little dirt road in the middle of nowhere called Beaver Creek road. Thats where we found one of my favorite spots so far. It looked like one of those picturesque landscapes of Montana that you see in documentaries or in great wild nature paintings hung on office walls. On one side, a river ran through a steep ravine and up from the river grew a great mountain covered in wild Montana grasses and flowers. On our side of the river, there was an open patch of sedges and Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Montana's wild version of the sunflower, the soft big leaves of this plant are also my choice substitute for toilet paper). We set up camp and Ben did his best to hang a bear bag with our obnoxiously heavy, twenty something pound bag of food. I eventually convinced him to just climb the tree himself, (I actually just wanted to see if he could do it) and I tossed the bag up to him.
We continued biking toward Ennis. After making our way around Hebgen Lake, we came across an area that had felt the strongest earthquake recorded in Montana. We passed a landmark sign saying "Destruction highway" and were too curious to pass it up. After a beautiful stroll on a winding old sidewalk covered on both sides with wildflowers, I came to the river where pieces from an old house were still floating in the water. The resort owner had lived in the house until the historic earthquake of 1959 had rumbled through and destroyed the campground, houses, and highway in the area.
We decided it was the perfect spot for dinner and I made my version of pad thai while out on the trail. After dinner, we biked a few more miles to a little dirt road in the middle of nowhere called Beaver Creek road. Thats where we found one of my favorite spots so far. It looked like one of those picturesque landscapes of Montana that you see in documentaries or in great wild nature paintings hung on office walls. On one side, a river ran through a steep ravine and up from the river grew a great mountain covered in wild Montana grasses and flowers. On our side of the river, there was an open patch of sedges and Arrowleaf Balsamroot (Montana's wild version of the sunflower, the soft big leaves of this plant are also my choice substitute for toilet paper). We set up camp and Ben did his best to hang a bear bag with our obnoxiously heavy, twenty something pound bag of food. I eventually convinced him to just climb the tree himself, (I actually just wanted to see if he could do it) and I tossed the bag up to him.
Day 39 Yellowstone (LeAnn)
On our way out of the park, we stopped at a picnic rest area dedicated to the Nez Perce band. It was a group of over 800 native americans and 2000 horses that had traveled over 1000 miles during the summer of 1877 to reach the Canadian border. They hadn't sold their land to the U.S. government or signed any treaty and simply wanted to find a new home where they could have freedom. The U.S. army eventually caught up with them when they were only 40 miles from the border and forced them onto reservation land.
Once we made our way out of the park, we found ourselves in the town of West Yellowstone on the side of the local grocery store. Ben was fixing another popped tire and we were both pretty tired and about to go into the store for some dinner, when a man came up to us and asked us the usual question: "Where are from and where are you going?" It's one of my favorites when traveling, because people are always curious and give us very positive feedback when we tell them. This man had bicycled toured before and seemed a little more enthused about our adventure than most people. After talking for a while, he asked if he could buy us dinner and we gladly accepted his offer as he placed a twenty dollar bill in my hand.
The support that we have gotten from people along the way has meant so much to us. We have seen kindness come in all shapes and forms during our journey and would just like to thank everyone again for their support and generosity.
After buying groceries, we biked a few miles north of town and found a spot to camp in the national forest off the side of the highway.
Day 38 To Yellowstone (LeAnn)
Uphill we biked most of the day and crossed the Continental Divide 3 more times (they won't be our last). We planned on actually staying at a campsite this time, but as night drew on we found out from a park ranger that there were no campsites for another 45 miles. We biked and biked into the night, trying to find a suitable spot to just put up a tent and sleep. Ben's tire tube got a leak and by the time we fixed it, it was drawing close to 11pm. We were exhausted and ready for sleep, so we just decided to pitch up our tent at a picnic area (no harm right).
We huddled in our tent and hoped for the best with our tiny container of pepper spray to ward off the grizzly bears roaming through the country. Soon after settling into bed we heard the crackling sound of tires rolling over gravel and saw headlights piercing through the dark trees. A park ranger came up to our tent flashing her light back and forth and announcing herself in that professional way that all officers do. I thought she'd be courteous and understanding, given our situation. But instead, the woman did her job and slapped a $125 fine on us for camping in a undesignated area. She also had us store our food in the bathroom nearby, just in case bears decided to snoop around.
Ben, being much more of an optimist than myself given the circumstance, decided that the woman had possibly saved our lives by having us stash our food somewhere safer or will save us sometime in the future. We have both decided to be much more careful about where we choose to sleep, especially in national parks and will hide ourselves just as any smart animal would to try and avoid humans.
We huddled in our tent and hoped for the best with our tiny container of pepper spray to ward off the grizzly bears roaming through the country. Soon after settling into bed we heard the crackling sound of tires rolling over gravel and saw headlights piercing through the dark trees. A park ranger came up to our tent flashing her light back and forth and announcing herself in that professional way that all officers do. I thought she'd be courteous and understanding, given our situation. But instead, the woman did her job and slapped a $125 fine on us for camping in a undesignated area. She also had us store our food in the bathroom nearby, just in case bears decided to snoop around.
Ben, being much more of an optimist than myself given the circumstance, decided that the woman had possibly saved our lives by having us stash our food somewhere safer or will save us sometime in the future. We have both decided to be much more careful about where we choose to sleep, especially in national parks and will hide ourselves just as any smart animal would to try and avoid humans.
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