Today’s Date: June 5, 2024

Today’s Start Point: Jackson, Montana

Today’s End Date: Dillon, Montana

Today’s Miles: 48.81 Miles

Cumulative Miles: 1,147.69 Miles

After I posted yesterday’s blog, Rick, the proprietor of the hotel showed up with provisions he had purchased in Missoula. As expected, he is a great guy and is born and bred in the area. As a bonus, he had brought back a variety of microwavable dinners and other foodstuffs. I had two of the dinners and I have to admit I was happy I did not have to try hamburger mac & cheese.

Rick told me he has been running the hotel for about 15 years and primarily serves touring cyclists, hikers from the nearby Continental Divide Trail (unbeknownst to me, crossed over the Continental Divide when I went over Chief Joseph Pass-the first of many times), and fly fishermen. He told me various stories about the people who have passed through and comical mishaps they encountered. He warned me that I should be riding now with bear spray at the ready, because after the winter melt, the grizzlies come to the highway to get the deers that were plowed under. I should also be making noise along the way so as not to sneak up on them (gulp). After a long conversation, we called it quits and he left.

The feel good story today has to do with Justin, the Jackson, Montana Postmaster. As I was getting ready to go, Justin came in to open the Post Office and brought me a ton of food-a huge breakfast burrito from a Wisdom bakery, yogurt and an assortment of energy bars for the road. He would not let me pay for them, he said he just liked to help out the cyclists who came through.

As I was gorging myself on the food, Justin told me a little bit about himself. He and his wife were from Alabama and only moved to the Big Hole Valley three or four years ago. They have four kids, from 21 down to 8. The two younger children are still in school in Wisdom, Montana. The elementary school has 12 kids and two teachers. One teacher teaches K-5 and the other teacher teaches grades 6-8. For high school, they will need to be bused to Dillon, Montana which is a 65 mile bus ride each way. Justin said that he and his wife had decided to homeschool the kids as opposed to putting them on a tortuous bus ride each day.

The other interesting fact is that the nearest hospital is about 100 miles away. For an annual cost of $150 a year, the residents can subscribe to a helicopter medivac service for emergencies. Justin told me of a neighbor of his who had a heart attack and the medics were there in minutes. He said that was all part of living in the valley, one has to think purposely, if you go to the store and forget something, it’s an hour+ drive back; if your child is hurt, how do you get help. It’s a rather daunting environment to say the least.

Although I had eaten so much it was going to be hard to ride, I said goodbye to Justin and set out for today’s route. It would be relatively short at about 50 miles with two climbs: one that was about a mile and a half and the other about two and a half miles.

The day was sunny with a strong wind out of the north. Since I was going south that was fine by me. The ride was fast and relatively easy, with the same picturesque mountains along the side of the valley.

The first climb was up over Big Hole Pass (elevation 7,360 feet). No switchbacks here, just a sweeping road up out of the valley. Unfortunately, the first half mile of the one and a half mile climb was into the wind, but I benefited on the last two thirds of the climb with a tail wind.

Once over the top, it was a long descent with perfect views. Cattle were everywhere, but unfortunately so were the cattle trucks. They are huge and smelly and if they pass you on either side of the road their slipstream can rip you off the bike. Whenever I heard one coming up behind me, I would pull over and stop. Even then it was hard to stay on the bike.

The descent went on until I hit the second ascent of the day up Badger Pass (elevation 6,760 feet). A little longer and a little hotter, today is the first day that I could ride with no arm warmers, jacket et al. I slowly ground my way to the top.

Once over the top, I was descending through areas that my now very imaginative brain thought would be a good place for a grizzly ambush. I therefore dutifully descended while shouting repeatedly “hey bear”. It must have done the trick because I am here to tell the tale.

I arrived at my final destination for the day, Dillon, Montana, at about 1:00 pm, definitely my earliest finish time so far. The first thing that I saw when I hit the town limits was a DQ; I think I am going to like Dillon.

After finishing up I went to where I had reserved a campsite and cleaned up and set up camp. It’s a nice campsite along a stream, I am the only tent camper in the place.

When checking in, I discovered that the woman running the camp was newly transplanted from Chicago. We lamented the lack of quality pizza and talked of home.

After setting up camp, I went into town for a real dinner (not that I am complaining about microwave dinners, especially when that is the only choice). A fine Carne Asada ended a nice day.