Setting up my tent under the pavilion the night before, I left the rain fly off. Essentially I can lay there and look through the mosquito netting and admire to cool timber construction of the pavilion. With my feet pointing to the east I woke just as it was getting light and lifted my head to see an orangish sky. Immediately I remembered the little saying taught to me by my grandparents: “Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky in the morning sailors take warning”. Just as I finished saying that little ditty out loud, I hear a crack of thunder off in the distance behind me, to the west.

I smiled at the thunder because I was under a pavilion. Me along with all my gear would remain dry and I can stay here for as long as necessary. When it started to rain I took the opportunity to fill my water filter bag by catching rainwater as it dripped off the roof of the pavilion. The rains did not last long and I was ready to ride.

The first town I would go through was Ovando MT. I was told by Tom that a stop at Trixy’s bar was necessary. Well, it was about lunchtime when I reached Ovando so a stop at Trixy’s for a Cowboy burger was in order. Done with lunch I needed some supplies to make sure I had enough to make to the next town, Lincoln MT. Went into a very tiny store stocked with just a meager amount of goods on the shelves. While I was in there here came the rain again. With my bike parked under the porch, I decided to wait it out and see what happens. That’s when I discovered I was about to lose my bear spray yet again. The case that straps it to my rear bag apparently rubs on my rear wheel occasionally so the spray is literally hanging on by a thread. “What the hell?”. Broke out my sewing kit one more time to some repair work.

The burger from Trixy’s bar

First long and flat cycling on this trip

Soon the rain stops and my sewing project is complete. The next several miles out of Ovando would take me through flat Montana farm country. Of course, peddling on the flat never last long and before I know it, I’m met with a seven-mile climb to Huckleberry pass. But wait a minute, there is a sign saying a bridge is out. I stop to look at map updates and nothing is said about a detour so on I go thinking the route must bypass it.

Sign indicating bridge out ahead

The climb up to Huckleberry pass was not pleasant but it would be the very first pass that I was able to peddle the entire way. I did take MANY breaks along the way but no hike-a-bike for me. Soon I’m on the down-side of the pass when I meet two northbound riders. I stop and talk with them for a few minutes and they give me a couple of bits of info. Yes, the bridge is out but there is a way for bikes to get around. Second, they told me how they stopped for water in Lincoln at a closed ‘volunteer ambulance’ building that they thought would make a good place to camp behind and they just told another southbound biker the same thing.

Soon I meet the under construction bridge. The workers must have had enough of how to tell bikers how to get around it because they had spray painted with orange paint in the dirt, arrows showing how to safely get to the other side. Was a little tricky to maneuver but no biggie.

Arrows mark the way for cyclist to get around the bridge construction.

Yep, down there. On the other side of the excavator.

Several miles later I’m heading into Lincoln and see the spot the guys were talking about and sure enough, there was another rider already set up. Josh was his name and fairly young too. Come to find out he’s not really biking the Divide for the experience but rather to get to Colorado to take a job. A self-confessed ski bum calling no place home. With a fairly rudimentary set up he’s taking on the expedition and claiming it’s a lot tougher than he expected. Well, I’m sure the cigarette habit isn’t helping him much either.

I set up camp, make dinner with the idea of getting out at first light before anybody has the opportunity to tell us to move on.

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