Great Divide (NOBO) - Day #30 Informal Campground 1, MT to Helena, MT

Great Divide (NOBO) - Day #30

June 27, 2022

Informal Campground 1, MT to Helena, MT - 69 Miles

Start 6:54 AM Finish 5:06 PM

Total Duration 10:12

Moving Time 8:11

Stopped Time 2:01

Ascent 5,803 Feet

Descent 7,739 Feet

Tour Total 2,204 Miles

Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/94783408

I slept well in what was listed on the map as 'Informal Campground 1'. Back in the day this had been somebody’s front yard. There were the remains of a chimney and the corner of an adjoining stone structure, surrounded by a pile of rocks. Hail Columbia Gulch Road was on the other side of the creek. It got cold during the night, and I stayed warm in my sleeping bag and liner. I had camped under the trees, and woke up with the light and the birds. The nearby creek was gurgling and I noticed shotgun shells littered on the ground. There was no condensation in my tent this morning. I was exhausted last night and only drank two beers. Now I would be carrying four full cans of beer bungeed to my rack. Hopefully the cardboard box would protect them from rupturing. I started the ride in my leg-warmers and jacket. My fingertips were freezing but I had a climb first thing, and figured that my body would soon warm.

It was a long steep climb out of camp. The sun was still low and the air was cool. I was chilly in the shade, and finally turned a bend and was bathed in sunlight. The road wound in and out of the shade as I passed fir and aspen trees. Midway up the hill I passed an old mine across the valley. I finally got to the top of the pass and intersected with the CDC trail and crossed the Continental Divide to the Atlantic side.

My body had finally gotten warm on the climb and, in terms of getting cold, the downhill wasn’t too bad. I came to a T and took a right onto Lowland Creek Road. I was following Lowland Creek downstream as it meandered through the valley. I passed two southbound female dividers. I took a right on paved Boulder River Road, and was now following the Boulder River. I circled around a bend and could see I-15 in the distance. I got to the interstate and crossed underneath it. I took a left on a gravel frontage road that ran alongside the river. The interstate was to my left as I rode through a narrow canyon.

I arrived in Basin and the only restaurant in town, the Silverthorne, was closed on Mondays. Basin was an old mining town, and there had once been huge gold deposits here. Aside from the post office, there were no services. I noticed an art gallery and ceramics studio, which were both closed. A woman was driving around in a blue pick-up truck looking for her lost sheep. One of my beer cans had sprung a leak and my rear pannier smelled like a brewery. I threw the remaining cans in a trash can. What a shame.

I rode out of Basin hungry and disappointed. I took a left on dirt Cataract Creek Road, aka County Road 175. I was following Cataract Creek upstream. I got hot and pulled over to remove my leg-warmers and jacket. I applied sunscreen and put on my arm protectors. I was riding up through Big Lumber Gulch. I just kept climbing and soon I was way up above Cataract Creek. I came to a T. Rather taking the well-traveled road, I took the chunky rarely used track. I passed an old mining operation consisting of dilapidated log cabins and piles of sand.

Lava Mountain was tough. It was continuous climbing and parts of it were incredibly steep. Not once did I foot-down or hike-a-bike. I just kept going. Occasionally I would stop in the shade to catch my breath. I got to a high point and then had a nice dip. Then I began climbing again. I was hungry so I stopped. It was 12:15 PM and I enjoyed canned apricots and tortillas with cashew butter. I had ridden thirty-seven miles. I continued climbing and then had a nice downhill. I came to a ‘Dead End’ sign and checked my digital map. Ugh! I was off route. I turned around, rode back up the hill, and passed the spot where I had enjoyed lunch. I found the gnarly single-track that I was supposed to have taken.

I hike-a-biked the first section until I was able to ride the technical stuff. I came to a T and took a left on dirt 692 for a chunky downhill. It was steep and my brakes were fully engaged practically the entire descent. I came to a T and took a left on County Road 1878 going up Quartz Creek. It was steep and I didn’t have low enough gears to ride it. I was exhausted, so I pulled over for some pork and beans.

There was a lot of hike-a-bike to get up the second hill, and it was rough. I ran into two south-bounders who had seen Andre and Gerda earlier in the day. They mentioned the Blackfoot Brewery in Helena, and I told them there was nothing in Basin. The grade finally mellowed, the road widened, and the surface improved. I was now on County Road 4009, aka Coral Gulch Road, and went flying down the hill with lots of bumps and washboards. I passed a southbound female cyclist.

I got to the bottom of the hill and realized my brakes were completely shot. I was doing my best to slow down and maintain control. An oncoming fuel truck blasted his horn and I yelled at him to go F-off. The New Yorker in me comes out real fast when I get honked at. I took a left on Travis Creek Road and was about thirteen miles from my destination. I saw a north-bounder turn in ahead of me from the alternate route, and I finally caught him on the hill. I reached the top of the climb and got a nice downhill on the other side. I came to a T and confirmed that my brakes were done for. I could slow down but couldn't come to a stop. I had missed the turn and had to climb back up the hill. I saw a fox crossing the road.

I was on Grizzly Gulch Road, and the north-bounder passed me, along with another north-bounder. The pavement returned and I noticed mining ruins as I rolled into Helena. I was exhausted. I stopped at the Blackfoot Brewery where I enjoyed several Scottish Brown Ales. There was a four beer limit, and I sat outside and booked a hotel. Before going to the hotel, I rode over to a store to pick up more beer. I texted Andre and Gerda from the hotel lobby and they happened to be staying in the same place. I walked over to their room where we greeted one another and shared stories. Andre and I then rode over to the Brewhouse where I ordered several pints of Kettlehouse Cold Smoke Scotch Ale along with an order of Mac and Cheese and a Caesar salad with salmon. There were two south-bounders sitting out back with us and we all traded stories over beers.