Passes and People

I haven’t really gotten very specific about the passes we have crossed on our journey yet so I thought It might be a good idea to update you all ! We have crossed over many passes over the past 10 days, in Canada there was the following - Elk, Koko, Fernie, Flathead, Gaulton then into the US we had Whitehead, Red Meadow, Richmond and Huckleberry passes none of these have been continental divide passes either ! Then yesterday we had our first 3 continental divide passes - all in one day ! 

It was a big day with a lot of climbing but very rewarding with amazing valleys and meadows at the top between the 2nd and 3rd passes. But let me back track a day ....... 

We had a bit of rain when leaving Ovando - ok well a lot actually, by the time we rolled into Lincoln - 60kms into the day we were like drowned rats and decided to call it a day there, we had really wanted to get over our first continental divide pass that afternoon and stay at a Cyclists accommodation cabin on route but alas Lincoln it was. We dried out gear in our room as no dryer available and found another use for our bear rope! 

Then yesterday we set our sights on Helena a 100km ride with 3 passes. We were pretty lucky with the weather, it rained a little bit but was mostly misty and damp. We had our first taste of mud but thankfully the infamous peanut butter mud didn’t rear its head here and we could ride a majority of the trail.

We stopped at the cabin we had wanted to stay at the night before to warm up and dry out our gloves and it was such a cool place ! The owners came and said hello and tried to convince us to stay the night ( the cabin is free to stay at, they ask that you try and pay it forward in your own life once home again- an awesome idea)

We had to take our photo and add it to the gallery they already had stuck on their beams from other people who have stayed there ! We are currently traveling with two kiwi guys from Christchurch- Russel and Kane. 

After we warmed up in the cabin we carried on up and over the next two passes, we were really hoping for continental divide signs at the pass but there wasn’t so you will just have to believe me! By the time we got off the mountain and back down to a normal elevation the weather had cleared enough that we weren’t worried about anymore rain today. Helena is the capital of Montana so it took a bit of riding to get to the centre of it, once there we asked a local about where to stay and found ourselves in a low budget motel, but with a lovely lady running it we were able to use their industrial washers and she gave us a tarp to put on the floor so we could take the bikes inside - once we had washed them of course! 

Dinner and the usual formalities later and it was another day to tick off the list.

The people we have met so far on our journey whether it be fellow cyclists or locals have been great. The small communities have really gotten behind the event - Ovando had a party to celebrate us! And in Lincoln a local pub owner had set up a bike wash, tent, tools and free food for people going through! It’s awesome and humbling to be greeeted like this and we really do appreciate there kindness towards us especially being so far from home. 

So now we have ticked if 10 days and just over 1000kms! I think the climbing is at about 24000m so far. We are hoping once the riding gets a bit flatter we can tick off a couple more big days and catch up a few lost kms but we are still confident of getting to the border !