Great Divide (NOBO) - Day #31 Helena, MT to Lincoln, MT

Great Divide (NOBO) - Day #31

June 29, 2022

Helena, MT to Lincoln, MT - 63 Miles

Start 6:40 AM Finish 3:12 PM

Total Duration 8:36

Moving Time 7:41

Stopped Time :55

Ascent 6,314 Feet

Descent 5,797 Feet

Tour Total 2,267 Miles

Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/94975798

I slept extremely well in room 102 at the Budget Inn in Helena. My body had been severely trashed. This morning I woke up with the light and it was time to get going. Everything was packed and I donned my leg-warmers and jacket. I rode out of Helena through the sprawl on State Highway 12 heading west. I stopped at an Exxon station for a Starbucks Frappuccino and package of Hostess Donettes. I passed a sign that said I was 120 miles from Missoula. I was now on ACA GDMBR map section one which would take me to Roosville, MT and the Canadian border.

Andre and Gerda had made it to Lincoln yesterday, and they reported three to four miles of hike-a-bike. Don would be getting back on the trail today in Butte, and I heard from Otso & Nora who were in Grant. State Highway 12 was four lanes of seventy mile-an-hour motor traffic. I had a nice eight foot wide shoulder. The sky was mostly clear, and there were wispy clouds to the east. I was riding alongside Ten Mile Creek and then I crossed it.

I took a right on County Highway 335 aka Priest Pass Road. I was riding up towards Priest Pass. I climbed up and away from the state highway, and soon I was in the woods surrounded by fir trees. On one steep section I lost my balance and couldn’t unclip my right foot. I went down and scraped my right elbow. Fortunately I was still wearing my jacket. It was just a matter of time before that happened. I could hear gunshots in the distance, as I stopped to turn on my music. I finally climbed out of the valley and was riding along the ridge. The route intersected with the CDT and I crossed over the Continental Divide to the Pacific side.

I rode a pleasant gentle downhill and came to pair of railroad tracks in the distance. I crossed over the tracks and came to maintenance yard which was listed as Blossburg on my map. There were no services and I saw no buildings. As I was climbing up out of the valley I heard a freight train approaching from the west. I turned around to watch it snake through the valley.

It was open range and many of the cattle were laying down today. I reached the top of the climb and brushed alongside the Continental Divide and CDT. I remained on the Pacific side. I was getting hot and pulled over to remove my leg-warmers and jacket. I applied sunscreen and donned my arm protectors. I was sporting a new pair of wool Surly socks with blue and purple embroidered mushrooms. My original socks had been jettisoned in Helena.

I was climbing a steep chunky segment and was passed by a male and female pair of south-bound dividers. The guy shouted, “Just one more bump!”. I once again intersected with the CDT and crossed the Continental Divide towards the Atlantic. And then the downhill chunky bronco riding began. I rode through a logging operation where a large swath of trees had been removed. There were a lot of unsigned intersections and it was nice having a fresh pair of tire tracks to follow.

From up on the ridge, I enjoyed views of densely packed fir trees down in the valley. And then I was treated to a downhill right through the middle. I came to the remnants of the old Empire mine. Down in the valley I rode through gorgeous deep green pastures with horses. I came to a T and took a right on Little Prickly Pear Road. Down in the valley I rode through a grassy meadow.

I took a left on Marsh Creek Road, aka County Road 485, and the wind picked up. The wind had been forecast to be strong this afternoon. I passed the Llama Ranch where many cyclists stop and spend the night. There was a nice assortment of bikes leaning against the fence along the property line. I took a left on a narrow dirt road that was following a small creek up the valley towards Stemple Pass. It was super steep for about four miles with a large chunky rocks. I took a few breaks but didn’t hike-a-bike. The grade mellowed towards the top.

Up on top I once again intersected with the CDT and crossed the Continental Divide towards the Pacific. I passed another old mining operation with old log cabins and such. I took a left on South Fork Poorman Creek Road, aka County Road 4134. I would be following the South Fork Poormon Creek down into the valley. A motorcycle passed me going the other direction.

I was hot up on the pass, and the cold headwind felt refreshing. The downhill was steep and chunky and I enjoyed my new brake pads. As I was bronco riding down the steep gravel chunk I stopped and talked to a south-bounder taking a break on his climb. He had started in Banff and was trying to make it to the Lama Ranch today. I came to a T and took a left on Stemple Pass Road. It was wide dirt with a smooth surface. It was 2:25 PM and I was eleven miles from my destination.

Down in the narrow valley I saw awed by the surrounding steep ridges packed with fir trees. Houses started to appear as I approached Lincoln, and then I rode into the Blackfoot River Valley. 7,978’ Arrostra Mountain, speckled with snow, was directly ahead to the left. I crossed the Blackfoot River and noticed people bathing.

I had ridden through Lincoln in 2020 on an ACA Lewis and Clark segment. I returned to the Montana Steakhouse where I once again treated myself to four pints of Devils Hump from Highlander Brewery in Missoula, along with a Montana burger with huckleberry sauce. My high-school friend Lori had a nearby ranch and was currently in Montana. She met me with her pick-up truck and drove me to her family’s ranch where I met her boyfriend Scott. We shared stories and I enjoyed a warm shower.

We drove back into Lincoln for dinner and went to Lambkin’s Restaurant where I enjoyed a Phat Fish IPA, a Scepter IPA by Draught Works, and the Fajita Chicken special. After dinner I cycled to nearby Hooper Park, where I erected my tent and edited this report.