Category Archives: Riding The Great Divide

Daily account of the trip. Oldest post listed first.

Day 11: Columbia Falls to Fatty Creek (52 miles)

After a very short riding day yesterday and a very nice visit with Tom and Pat, I’m feeling refreshed. With this renewed energy I decide to skip the 12 mile detour to the shop in Kalispell to see about a gearing change on my bike. There are other shops along the route. If I still feel a change is necessary I can take care of it down the route.

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Day 13: Seeley Lake to Lincoln (63 miles)

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.

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Day 16: Helena to Park Lake (25 miles)

Took my time to get going this morning, taking advantage of ‘civilization’. Before doing much of anything it’s back to McDonald’s for some breakfast. As I rode up noticed there were three bikes leaning up against the wall, but only one with bags. The bike these bags were attached to was more of a road bike, definitely not a fellow Divide rider.

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Day 17: Park Lake to Mormon Gulch Campground ( appox 32 miles)

Woke up with the morning sun shining on my tent, hate to leave this idyllic camp spot with the wonderful view. Once I’m on the road, within a few miles of starting I’m on a very rocky and rutty path that requires more of the dreaded hike-a-bike… Even on the downhill portions, I’m off the bike pushing. Back home this would be a fun challenge but out in the middle of nowhere, with 70+ pounds of bike and gear, not risking going ass over apple cart and breaking something… On me! This went on for several miles.

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