Adventures

Day 8: Buddies to Butte

Where the road ends and a path begins

Helena, MT (21 June 2019)The fifteen mile climb started almost immediately. It felt damp and cold as I pedaled uphill on Grizzly Gultch Drive under a threat of rain. Traffic was quiet this Friday morning and it was not long before the pavement became a smooth gravel road. It was here a young man on a mountain bike came riding alongside. He was on his way to enjoy some single track mountain biking before work and when we arrived at a parking area near the trail head, there were several cars with bike racks parked. Their owners were already ripping some trail before the obligations of the day took hold or before the rain came down.

The climb on Grizzly Gultch Drive felt satisfying as the gravel crunched under wheel. The effort of the climb kept me warm in the cool moist air. After hours of steady climbing, the road topped out with about 1,500 feet of elevation gained. Having left Helena at 7 AM meant that Mikki, Larry and Bill were most certainly ahead since they always seem to get an early start on the day.

The Tour Divide Route crosses and sometimes shares the CDT route

From the top of this climb the route drops down quickly and almost immediately the next, more undulating climb begins. It was late morning by the time this second climb began and my thoughts turned to the riders ahead. We each rode at our own pace and based on the previous days of riding, it would not be surprising to come upon Mikki, Larry or Bill before noon. Indeed not far from the top of this second climb Bill appeared ahead, stopped on the road. Not long prior, I had stopped for a second breakfast so rolling past, only a greeting was shared.

Near the top of the climb the route leaves the road for what a sign called, the Lava Mountain trail. The trail was sandy but also wet in places from rain. As the bike rolled onto the double track the clouds were beginning to part, brightening the day and the trail ahead in patches. My anticipation for some mountain bike trail was high. This sandy double track started easy with just a scattering of rocks and roots embedded in the sand. Rounding a bend there appeared a couple pine saplings that were obviously ripped apart by great force. None of the surrounding trees showed any damage and fresh green needles on pieces of the saplings were splayed about on the trail ahead. Black Bears are known to eat newly formed wood for their sugars so I suspected these saplings were taken apart by a bear. Given the specificity and the thoroughness of the destruction, it was hard to imagine another explanation. Soon after, two sets of bear tracks were discovered on the sandy path we followed. Because one set of tracks was much smaller than the other, I suspected a mother and cub. Being late June it raised alarms that these bears were eating trees. According to my reading this is something they do in early spring when sources of sugar are harder to come by. If I've read the bear sign correctly, there were a pair of hungry bears in the area, a mother and a cub. It seemed like a good time to start making a little noise.

Photo from the US Forest Service

No need to linger when there's fresh bear sign about, unfortunately, the trail had other ideas. It turned sharply to the right and suddenly became a muddy and more technical track. A lot of energy was spent negotiating the mud, rocks, fallen branches and roots for as long as possible but it wasn't long before the track won out and progress was stopped. Immediately I thought of Bill, concerned that he might not notice the signs of bear in the area. Would he spot the bear sign after my wheels cut through the bear tracks on the trail? Filling my lungs fully, three very loud hollers were let loose in the hope that would be enough to keep the bears at bay for both of us. These yelps were so incongruous with the quiet of the surroundings that it was shocking. As it turned out no bears were sighted. Much later and to my surprise, Bill said he did not recall hearing my yells.

Several attempts were made to ride the path, using rocks as stepping stones through the mud. It took effort to lift the wheels onto some of the rocks and over a few fallen branches. The mud was slick in places causing enough sliding that progress would stop, in an effort to avoid falling, the walking resumed. This didn't last long, however, and the path eventually connected to a gravel road on the downside of the mountain. After some fast smooth downhill, Larry and Mikki were spotted. We enjoyed ripping the gravel road down the mountain toward the small town of Basin. The road had some interesting twists and the gravel was deep in places, demanding our full attention. At one point my line was less than ideal when loose gravel, an oncoming car and a creek crossing conspired to narrow my options considerably. Having avoided anything that could be called a close call, this was was good reminder to keep my own pace and not try to match Mikki as he thundered down the mountain. Later, Mikki would tell me that he cleaned most of the muddy track that had me off the bike several times.

Larry and Mikki riding on the way to Butte

Basin is a tiny town. The few blocks off route into Basin was well worth it because of the Silver Saddle Bar and Cafe. It was in the Silver Saddle over a massive lunch that I learned the story of how Mikki and Larry came to be riding together and why today was a special day for them. Larry was living in northern California and connected to Mikki, living in San Diego, by a mutual acquaintance. This person understood that both were targeting an attempt of the Tour Divide. Larry, having toured parts of the route previously, was a great resource and Mikki, as a bike shop owner, was up on the kit one needs to survive riding a bike for weeks on end. This association evolved into an attempt of the Tour Divide in 2018 which ended somewhat abruptly in Butte due to a crash. So for them, making it to Butte intact was a milestone. It was clear their spirits where high as they shared stories of that previous adventure all the while mountains of food disappeared from the table in front of us.

There are only two instances of trail angels I can recall from my time on the Tour Divide. For me there were lots of heavenly people, such as Kathy in Ovando, who goes out of her way to make you feel welcome and cared for. However, the trail angels I'm thinking about here are those that go out to the trail to give racers a token of support or leave coolers of treats for the racers to take as they pass by. On our way into Butte we came upon such a cooler. It was loaded with water and Snickers bars. It was such a treat and was made all the more memorable by Mikki who seemed compelled to make a decision between candy and water. It struck me as funny to no end that he couldn't decide. Perhaps it was the 10 hours on the trail or my own blood sugar dropping but I still smile wide whenever the thought of this moment occurs.

Water or Snickers, what will it be

Speaking of blood sugar, only in hindsight did it become clear I was bonking. It seemed strange that the few remaining paved climbs seemed like such an effort. Figured it must be the wind but that didn't quite explain it. It all became clear later when I found myself very agitated, perhaps even snapping at my companions, when we stopped at a Walgreen's in town. If there's a lesson to be learned from all of the bikepacking I've enjoyed, it is to stay focused on two priorities at all times. Priority one is to take care of yourself and priority two is to take care of your stuff. Those priorities have served me well, at times keeping me from pushing too hard, staying fueled, keeping the chain lubricated and the tires properly inflated. Instead of laughing at Nikki's dilemma, I should have snarfed a few of those Snickers!

The arrival in Butte was punctuated by a climb up a hill that overlooks the city. This led to a twisting, steep, loose single track down the other side of the hill into town. It was a fun way to arrive but also required that we kept our wits about us. At the time I imagined that this path resulted in a very unpleasant end to a long day on the Tour Divide for a few unfortunate riders.

Happy arrival in Butte

The three of us had a great time in Butte. After a visit to the drug store and Larry's skillful negotiation, we had rooms for the night. Next of course was to share a beer to celebrate the fact that from this point forward, Mikki and Larry would be plowing new ground on the Tour Divide. It was an honor to celebrate their accomplishment with them and this increased my feeling that the Tour Divide has become a joyous ride. The riding was good all day and the challenge presented by the muddy trail only added to the experience. Tomorrow's route looked like more of the same but instead of making a plan for the day, I just enjoyed the company of Mikki and Larry over dinner and returned to my room to crash. Tomorrow would be left to reveal it's own surprises.

Elevation Profile for Day 8

On to Day 9