Great Divide Mountain Bike Route (GDMBR) - Segment:
From Lincoln, Pedal Across Three Continental Divide Crossings,
To Helena, Montana; August, 2015
Highlights
Day 2: When we first started pedaling in the morning, we discovered that we had unwittingly camped only 100 yards/meters away from Luca and Paola.
In the morning we started with cool, shadowy, and humid weather. Sometimes, especially in the morning, we were wearing rain jackets and waterproof gloves. We ended the day in hot, dry, and sunny weather.
We began the day only 3-4 miles from Continental Divide Crossing #2.
About 2 miles away from Continental Divide Crossing #2 we found ourselves pushing our tandem a lot, the angle was steep but the killer was loose surface sand, many golf ball sized rocks, and just enough fist sized rocks to make the front wheel go in undesired directions.
We saw some deer but no other big game. The Butterflies were still migrating along our mountain course.
We crossed the Continental Divide Twice (GDMBR Crossings #2 & #3)! On each of the Passes, we saw or heard hawks or eagles.
We caught up with our Italian Friends but we saw no other riders.
Except for a Forest Ranger Lady in a truck, we saw no other vehicles on any of the National Forest Roads.
The traffic on US Highway 12 was very nice toward us on our final leg riding into Helena, Montana.
While it posed no problem to us, a Forest Fire had started on this day at Sucker Creek, near Lincoln (Montana) near where we were yesterday. This fire's smoke and other fire's smoke will be with us daily and build-up to a point where we will have to eventually abandon the GDMBR in Montana (at Butte).
Day 2 - Bike from a Roadside Campsite in Helena NF,
Across Two Continental Divide Passes,
to Helena, Montana; August, 2015
Above Left: Terry was making coffee (she does not drink coffee), great gal! We had a dry night and breaking camp was easy.
Above Right: The tent was rolled and put away. We would pack the ground sheet (plastic) when the flip side dried (after breakfast).
Above Left: The fork to the right side was where we camped for the night. We left no trace!
Above Right: We pedaled by Luca and Paola'a campsite just 100 yards/meters further up road. We said good morning. Initially, cycling was easy.
Above Left: About a mile into the ride we came across steepness and loose rock that forced us to push the bike for a little segment. The pushing and riding would become 'de rigueur' for the next 3 miles.
Above Right: Here, we could ride.
Above: What a great campsite this location could have been but it was on Private Property. We were riding through a part of Helena NF that had creek side Private Properties.
Above: We were following the tracks of those who went before us.
Above Left: We suspected that we were re-entering Helena National Forest.
Above Right: We were passing through an old lava rock geological area.
Above: Lava Rock, Aspen, Pine, and a nice dirt road - Life was Good.
Above Left: We could see an old smelter system between the trees.
Above Right: This was an Old Smelter set-up. The ore, probably gold, would have to be fairly high grade for this system to work without an ore stamping/crushing mill.
Above Left: The remnant of a steam engine.
Above Right: It appeared to be an Old Lift Bucket.
Above: We're going straight (right) while the other road led back to the upper Smelter Level on a railroad grade level road.
Above: The last of the level ground for a while, we then turned right and climbed.
Above Left: It's deceptive; we're looking down at where we just were in the valley.
Above Right: Climbing steeply.
Above Left: Climbing steeply.
Above Right: Our Global Positioning Device and Weather Indicator. We were southbound, just before crossing Continental Divide Crossing #2 (un-named pass). We were probably at mile 99.0. Yes, it was sprinkling.
Above: Still climbing.
Above Left: Our view to the south.
Above Right: Luca (and Paola) caught up and passed us. Tandems are slower uphill and faster downhill.
Above Left: Cattle signs.
Above Right: Loose Rocks.
Above: False Pass.
Above: Steep climbing again.
Above: Climbing in beautiful country.
Above: Climbing in beautiful country.
Above Left: A Miners Cabin & Moi.
Above Right: Miners Cabin.
Above: Climbing, one can tell that we were near cresting, but we still had a couple miles to go.
Above: Steep climb and light sprinkle.
Above Left: Remnant of a Miner's one room temporary shelter.
Above Right: Side view west.
Above Left: 'Danger, Mine Shaft'.
Above Right: One can see the wet spots and dry spots under the trees. We were wearing our rain jackets and our own workout was keeping us warm.
Above Left: The mountain climbing was getting easier.
Above Right: Side view northwest.
Above Left: Easier Climb.
Above Right: Rough Climb with a big rut and narrowing cycling space.
Great Divide Mountain Bike's Route's
Continental Divide Crossing #2 (6514'/1985m)
Above Left: Mine shaft, the hole was about 25'/8m around at the surface.
Above Right: We did not realize it yet but we were at our summit/crest. Our route down the other side actual turned off of the road that we climbed up upon, just short of the road's slightly higher summit (which goes to Marysville). There were old mining roads all over this mountain top.
This photo is a back view of the road that we had just climbed as the signs that faced our direction were missing.
Above Left: We're at the road's summit; the only validation signs were facing the opposite direction. We had to get off the bike and verify our position. It's still sprinkling lightly.
Above Right: Someone's private party sign.
Above Left: We're facing a triangle intersection, having trouble understanding our map instructions. Terry walked to the far side of the triangle intersection and the discovered two more roads and directions. Then all of the instructions made sense.
Above Right: Just as we figured out the map instructions, our Italian friends showed up.
Above Left: The Italians lead the way.
Above Right: We followed the Italians.
Above Left: It did not take long before we were alone again. While we were riding downhill, the road was rough and we needed to ride slower.
Above Right: Our Global Position Device and Distance Indicator.
Above Left: Slow downhill.
Above Right: Flash.
Above: A bank of old Ore Smelters on the right hand side and the area is still called Dago Gulch.
Above: Nice downhill riding.
Above Left: Rough riding.
Above Right: Tree down obstacle.
Above Left: Once again the signs for our direction were down. Terry checked the signs from the other direction and confirmed that this was our turn, Dog Creek.
Above Right: We're now riding National Forest public access roads across private property.
Above: We're now riding National Forest public access roads across private property.
Above Left: A cattle guard separates private properties.
Above Right: A little climb.
Above Left: Deer (young doe), distracted by cattle nearby.
Above Right: Cattle (Black Face Angus).
Above Left: We stopped for lunch. It was the first time that we had seen the sun all day. We could finally remove our rain jackets and we also put on sunscreen.
Above Right: A sign to our back confirmed for the first time that we on NF-1855.
Above: Grassland/Rangeland.
Above Left: Grassland/Rangeland.
Above Left: Grassland/Rangeland.
Above Right: Once again we have to check the back signs in order to validate our position, so this was where were (NF-1855).
Above Left: We were entering a valley which separates our rise and descent for Continental Divide Crossing #2 from #3 (yet in front of us). The train tracks run from Helena to Butte (through the mining districts). We were to ride parallel to the railroad tracks for about a mile.
Above Left: We were about to cross the RR Tracks.
Above Right: We caught some Train Activity.
Above Left: We road parallel to the tracks for about a mile.
Above Right: This was where we were supposed to cross the tracks but we stopped to get pictures of a Track Inspector dropping his rail wheels on his truck so he could ride the tracks.
Above Left: We talked; he explained that this was a manual operation whereas his European Peers have Automated Wheel Drop, Placement, and Retrieval.
Above Right: The Inspector backed down the railroad in his truck.
Above Left: All that we had to do was turn left on NF-335 road. The Bad News was that the sign had been removed. The Good News was that a lady who was walking her dog just happened to arrive as we stopped to crosscheck our bearings. She told us that the side road was in fact the road to Priest Pass (which was NF-335). Priest Pass was also the GDMBR's Continental Divide Crossing #3.
Above: A gentle climb.
Above: We were enjoying the High Country.
Above: The sign ahead was for Helena National Forest.
Above Right: The sign used to state 'Priest Pass, Elevation 5994'.
Above Left: We're looking for water.
Above Right: We have found water.
Above Left: Dennis was pumping the water filter. We only needed a couple of liters of water to get us to Helena. While it was about 15 miles to our destination in Helena, it was mostly downhill and about 10 miles was to on the paved shoulder of Highway 12 (fast riding).
Above Right: Tour Load: Fully Loaded, Self Contained.
Above Left: A little uphill.
Above Right: A lot of downhill.
Above: We're riding down Priest Pass Road.
Above: We're riding down Priest Pass Road.
Above Left: We have found US Highway 12.
Above Right: Eastbound US Highway 12.
Above: Eastbound US Highway 12.
Above Left: Getting closer to Helena, Montana.
Above Right: The first street lights entering Helena from its west side (Williams Street to the Left and Le Grande Cannon Blvd to the Right).
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