Missoula, MT to Lincoln, MT. 81 miles
Up early to get an edge on afternoon thunderstorm development, I grabbed a quick bite to eat and coffee in town, then crossed the Clark Fork River for the last time before heading East out of Missoula.
As I was leaving, I saw a big group of cyclists up ahead going my way. They looked like an organized group, with name tags on the back of their seats. They were riding light road bikes without any gear, so I figured that they were out for a day ride.
As I caught up with them, I chatted with a few riders while pedaling to find out more. The riders in this group paid a company, "Cycle America", to guide them on a bicycle ride on one or more segments across the U.S. There's about 70 riders in the group, of which 35 are doing the full coast-to-coast trip, starting in Seattle and ending in Boston. Others started in Missoula, and this is their first day. The company carries all of the participant's luggage, so the riders are unincumbered with gear, and can ride lightweight road bikes. There's a bike mechanic that can fix any issues along the way. The company also provides meals, a place to camp, checkpoints with water/refreshments, and daily debriefings on weather, road, and riding conditions. A rider doing the full coast-to-coast trip paid $6585. Others doing just one segment pay between $800 and $1000.
Although expensive considering I have averaged $16.36/night in lodging, it does provide the freedom to go lightweight, and to call the van to pick you up if you get tired at the end of the day.
I rode off and on with people in this group all day. They were headed to Lincoln, MT, which was the destination I had in mind. It was ambitious, a full 80+ miles with a steady climb. I felt good that I was passing quite a few of them even though I was loaded down with 50+ pounds of gear and riding a beefy steel bike.
The route followed the Blackfoot River for much of the day. Over the weekend in Missoula, Blake, the nice owner of the BnB that Victoria and I stayed at, overheard that I was going to be riding along the Blackfoot River. He said that according to his friend that monitors tracking devices on wildlife, if you are close to the Blackfoot River, then you are close to a grizzley bear. Blake then proceeded to hand me a can of his bear pepper spray. "I hope you don't need it", he said.
The flats all around me were covered in meadow-like grassland, with a backdrop of forested hills.
The sky seems so big here. Maybe that's why they call it, "Big Sky Montana".
As the day wore on, cumulus clouds began to develop. They got progressively bigger over time.
I made a few stops along the way. In the small town of Ovando, I went to the only restaurant, the "Stray Bullet". There were several tables of locals having interesting conversations about horses, fishing, the cattle run, the upcoming 4th of July rodeo, etc. I ordered off the specials board. Oh, correct that, the ".38 Special" board. The food was good, and I finished lunch off with a piece of homemade lemon meringue pie. Delicious! The other stop I made was to a beef jerky factory store just outside of Lincoln.
I rolled into Lincoln around 5:30pm. The first RV park I checked had a cyclist special, $8 for a tent site, shower, and WIFI. Not bad! I decided to see what else was in town before committing. There's a rumor that you can camp for free at the city park on the East end of town. As I pulled into the park to check it out, a park employee asked me if I was looking for the cycling group. The group was apparently staying at the high school across the street. I told him that I wasn't, and that I was on my own. After finding out that there wasn't any showers at the city park, I decided to head back to the RV campground. Before I could leave the parking lot, the employee said, "You know, my wife works at the school across the street and I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you stayed with the group." I decided to check it out.
The grassy field at the school was covered with tents. The manager of the group invited me to stay for free. It was great, and many of the cyclists were friendly and interested in my solo, self-contained touring trip.
The group seemed to be very organized and on a tight schedule.
I retired early, knowing that tomorrow I would have a big pass to climb in my first 15 or so miles of riding.
That sky is amazing! My mom is heading that way in September to visit her cousin. I might have to plan my own trip there one day.
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