We got a very late start on Sunday, leaving from Helena around 2pm, There was a lot to do, had to restock our food supply, camping fuel and such drove a lot of the delay. We were looking forward to a moderate ride, but it turned out to be 10 miles of a steady climb, 2500 vertical feet, 98 degree heat going to 67 degrees later on and a lot of mosquitos at night. We camped right at the beginning of a steep climb for Monday. Setting up our tents in a light rain. After some freeze dried dinners which actually are surprisingly good, we hit the sack. One added note, when you embark on something like this you ask a lot of your family, just as our country does to the families of those deployed overseas. You get a small taste of the sacrifice families make when you personally go off and do a ride like this. Thank you to all those that support their loved ones and shoulder the burden of keeping their families going while they are away. For me that is my wonderful wife Colleen and Mike's wife Nancy, truly tremendous women.
Monday was a day we all remember for years into the future. As a refresh, we say a prayer together at the start of our daily ride, well there is no question that God had his hands on us throughout this day. Lava Mountain started out with a bang, John fell on a steep climb with soft sand, landed fine but it set the tone. We were grunting and groaning as we pushed our bikes and trailers up most of the 2.2 miles as the slope was very steep, rocky, sandy, and covered with roots. It started raining while we were going up and that made the roots particularly slippery. We pushed our bikes and trailers through, sometimes pushing with all our might just to overcome small boulders and gravity. Once we got to the other side we didn't get the complete benefit of the downhill ride,like we ususally experience when we summit a hard climb. We had to walk our bikes down the first quarter mile as it was too steep to ride, trying to keep our bikes and BoB trailers in control. After finally hitting the end of the rough trail we got onto a dirt road that was very muddy. I have never ridden a bike when it goes sideways like a car out of control in the snow (have experienced that many times in Minnesota) while you are pedaling! We quickly got covered in mud, but we also experienced some traffic on the road that surprised us. Here again God provided for us every time, we had a place to stand aside when it came upon us, sometims rather quickly.
Basin is a small town that used to be a bigger town a 100 years ago when mining was in its hayday. We parked our bikes outside the only cafe open and with dried mud on our legs and clothing, got a quick sandwich and soup. We looked forward to getting down to Butte with a ride that looked fairly easy. Here again we were wrong, there was a steep climb that looks like a small pimple on the map. Immedately after starting Mike had his third fall of ride going down in sand and had to push his bike and trailer to the top. John and I were out of breath but made it without falling. We rode along side Interstate 15 through mostly an old railroad line converted into a road, even through a tunnel. We finally got to the frontage road and meet two other riders of the Great Divide, Jackie and Rob, looking like in their mid 60's going from Banff to Mexico. They drafted us for a few miles then took off on the shoulder of I-15 for the final push into Butte.
We crossed the Continental Divide for the 4th time when on I-15. Don't really like riding on freeways but that is the route and really no other good way to get to Butte. Exiting off we literally turned the corner and hit The Outdoorsman bike and ski shop. When the owner saw us he ran out, opened the door and told us to bring all our stuff right in. Rob Leipheimer was God sent, he had his employee John start right away on our getting us fixed up, even though the store was closing in 15 minutes. An hour and half later after a lot of tweeks and me buying another bike computer we were done. It is rare in life to happen upon a really geuine person like Rob, he made our day. Oh yea, the store is filled with racing jerseys from his brother Levi Leipheimer, one of the truly great professional cyclists with many years riding in the Tour de France, the family has been in the cycling/sports business for 41 years. I can see why after experiencing a level of service that is very rare nowadays. The Days Inn was an open door on the otherside of store, we checked in got our clothes washed and headed for dinner. Now you can see why this day we were being watched over.
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