After two entire weeks in the state of Montana, we've finally crossed through Idaho and into Wyoming.  I'm currently lying in a cabin at Coulter's Bay in Teton National Park at the end of a rest day.  The past week has been a big departure from the weeks before.

Leaving Condon we continued south to Seeley Lake on some of the most beautiful trails I've ever ridden. The day started out foggy.

After an hour or so the sun climbed into the sky it shone through the trees and tall grass lining the doubletrack.

We spent the night in a rough campsite a stone's throw from the lake. I left some clothes out to dry overnight, only for a series of thunderstorms to roll through and thoroughly soak everything. Montana is not kind to clotheslines!

The next few days we rode through more open country, from Lincoln to Helena and then Butte. On the road to Helena we stopped at a beautiful ranch home nestled into the valley, where the owner came out to serve us coffee, snacks, and sandwiches! Behind the house were several cabins for GDMBR riders. A lovely couple from Atlanta talked with us on the porch - they had started hiking th Continental Divide Trail in New Mexico in April!

Once we'd had our fill of coffee we headed onward to Helena. In typical GDMBR fashion we took the long way.

I don't have much to say about Helena as we didn't spend much time in the town. The roads felt empty except for the occasional giant pickup truck. The next morning we set off for Butte, on what would be the most difficult day of the tour so far. Three massive climbs before lunch, totaling more than 8,000 feet of climbing over 80 miles.

The first climb began right out of town. I hit a good rhythm and soon found myself at the top of the second climb, eating second breakfast with Flo. The third climb was the steepest so we didn't spend much time on break.  This was the infamous Lava Mountain, a GDMBR rite of passage. Sure enough, the climb was a steep and rocky Jeep road. It put my skills and legs to the test with baby-head rocks littering the endless steep pitches and loose sand on the banked turns in the descents. I did have to walk a few of the steepest inclines.

Once at the top, we anticipated eight miles of sweet downhill to lunch. Again, in typical GDMBR fashion, the downhill was anything but sweet. The rocks and bumpy conditions persisted, and there were several short climbs to torture the legs. The road was truly punishing and I wished I had suspension on my bike for the first time.

However I made it down unscathed and with a little energy left. We ate lunch and rode on, climbing a shallow grade for twenty miles. As any cyclist knows this task is also torturous. The final descent into Butte was a long paved section which felt wonderful.

Butte was a cool city - once the richest city in America, it was electrified before New York. The copper mine brought power to the entire USA. At its peak the population was 100,000 but today around 34,000 live there. The streets feel almost deserted and many of the buildings haven't changed in 100 years. Some are preserved as historic but others are simply abandoned. I did like the bike shop and cafes I visited with Flo. The bike shop was full of riders from our tour.

 

Riding out of Butte we continued to Wise River.  From there we traveled to Bannack, an interesting ghost town that used to be full of outlaws and scoundrels. The buildings are preserved as a state park today.

Out of Bannack we had two extremely difficult days in a row. Both were in the high plains and hills where there is no shade and no relief from wind. The first day was reasonable, but on the second I rode alone all day into the wind. In the afternoon I ran out of water, and the unceasing wind caused me to burn out my legs. On the Idaho border I posed for a photo but was about ready to collapse.

 

That night we stayed at a campground in Henry's Lake in Idaho. Everyone was excited to have left Montana, though I loved the state and plan to return someday.

For our only full riding day in Idaho we had a relaxed fifty-miler that had less than 1,000 feet of climbing - a true "rolling rest day". I needed it as my right leg was a bundle of soreness. We had a relaxed coffee stop at a gas station in the morning and my European comrades continued to marvel at the huge trucks and odd recreational vehicles people drive out here. 

We camped at my favorite campsite so far on Warm River. The river was not warm but the ice bath on my sore legs felt great. People kept bringing me beer as I sat in the current - thankfully dinner broke up the drinking session. I hoped that my legs would recover for the last day before our rest day in Teton.

 

 

Unfortunately the next day my legs were not much better. For the 60 miles into Teton, I could muster no power and had to spin slowly up every hill. Normally I stand up to pedal to muster some extra power but my legs held a mutiny whenever I tried. The day was dusty and smoky as well. Our final climb into Teton was a paved highway full of cars - not fun after the back roads we're used to.

At the top of the climb we stopped for the obligatory photo with the big sign:

 

 

Teton is beautiful, but its beauty is muted today. Smoke hides the high peaks and Jackson Lake is very low.

 

I'm glad to have reached Wyoming! We've now cycled in three states and two provinces - slowly making progress. The next week is the Great Divide Basin through the heart of Wyoming. It looks like the hot weather will break - I sure hope so.

Several of our group is leaving tomorrow so the dynamic will change. The fast Dutch train at the front is being decimated so we need to find a new group to chase. After three weeks I'll miss them!

I find myself looking forward to riding through Colorado. Despite the long days ahead in Wyoming I'm already looking past to the aspens and high mountain passes in my current home state. The rest day has done wonders for my legs so I'll be pedaling onward tomorrow morning, with the border on my mind.