Yesterday found Brian and I cycling over a remote pass on our way south of Lincoln MT. The route seemed to be heading to Stemple Pass where sane people go. Suddenly the GPS said take a right. We went immediately up a 20 degree plus hill then continued climbing on one of the steepest most unrelenting roadways I have traveled. I’m sure the contractor flunked S’s in school. He had a big ole D8 Cat and just pushed her straight up the hill. We peddled as long up and straight as we could. Finally near the top as I went up and up I could see around a corner that it just kept going up as steeply, I swung my leg off the bike and hollered back to Brian. “It continues.” He stopped next to me. We both waited till we could talk again, then pushed our bikes the little way up till it was bikeable again.

The downhill would normally scream but the surface of the little road was so rough, rocky and rutted that we had to pick our way down. Such is life on the Divide Trail.

After a seven mile descent we were swallowed up by a beautiful narrow valley of a few rugged farms with horses and downward sloping meadows. Near the bottom of this idyllic place lay John and Barbara’s Llama/ Alpaca farm. Finding themselves and their ranch right next to the Great Divide Trail, they had decided that it would be fun to host bicyclists coming by and needing a place to stay, a cold drink or just something to eat. They were both retired. John called their service, “paying it forward.” They moved a couple of cabins onto the property, put up a tent in the field, added an outhouse, and furnished each with everything a cyclist might need. There was no charge. They refused contributions. They greeted every cyclists as though they were long lost friends.

A very welcome sight for Brian and I after a very full day. We were assigned the smaller cabin while the larger one housed a group of four who were biking from Whitefish to Helena.

I find that when I sleep anywhere but in my tent I feel so disorganized. In the tent everything always gets put in the same place. It’s pretty damn simple because it is simple. It’s when we change things up that items get lost or forgotten. I did manage to bring everything down the hill to Helena with no problems this time.

We have been riding hard and long for thirteen straight days. I’m getting tired. Got to the bike shop in Helena about two. They wouldn’t be able to get my bike repaired till closer to six. We got a motel nearby and called it a day. A half day off feels really good. I ‘m satisfied. Sent from my iPhone