Ride The Divide

After waking up fairly early I headed over to Ty's for some last minute preparations. We got the bikes tuned up at Naults in Manchester, and they are now in top shape for the ride ahead. We grabbed a quick bite, and ran a few errands before packing up the last of our stuff and heading to the airport. My flight was delayed by 45 minutes or so, and I barely made my connection. Ty had a 2 hr delay at the lovely O'Hara International airport in Chicago, making his arrival time at Spokane right around 12:00a.m. I am waiting for him now and hope all goes well with his flight and the cab co. so we can catch that 1 o'clock train tonight to Glacier National. We start riding tomorrow (fingers crossed) from the Canadian border through the heart of the park, and are looking forward to some cool sites ahead. Travel days are never fun, and this one was particularly stressful but we'll be good. Alright, here goes nothing.....

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Average Speed	0 MPH
Riding Time	0 hours 0 mins
Altitude Increase	0 feet

Day 2 -

The train ride was kind of a blur, but it was great to finally get some shut eye. The mountains were gorgeous, and the large snow fields perched way atop them were potentially ominous for things to come. We set up the bikes and gear which went pretty smoothly, and headed out of East Glacier toward the border. We were greeted by a buddy we met at the train station while setting up who was nice enough to offer us a ride to the border. We threw him a bit of gas money and hopped on in. The ride was full of interesting conversation and great views that lasted until we hit Canada. Once we got to the border and moseyed back down to St. Mary, we were informed that the road that cuts through Glacier National Park was closed. The snow drift that engulfs the pass during the winter months had yet to melt. Making the best of it we camped inside the park. We set up camp and then headed down into the park 6 miles deep to get a closer look at the peaks we were awing at all day. We took a bunch of photos and were able to see quite a few elk and deer in the clearings above the roadway. On the way back to camp we were surprised by a black bear hanging in the roadside vegetation. We looped around a few times as he/she watched us with a close eye and got some shots of old Smokey, before running into a good sized female moose munching on some cottonwood saplings on a steep hill beside the road. We headed back to camp and cooked up some food before hitting the bags.

Miles	37.09 miles
Average Speed	9.4 MPH
Riding Time	3 hours 55 mins
Altitude Increase	3,474 feet

Day 3 -

Last night was a pretty solid nights sleep which set us up for a nice relaxing breakdown of the campsite. We had a couple eggs down in the valley before starting our loop around the park. The first 8 miles were pretty much straight up and into the mountains. Once we arrived at the junction of 49 Ty took a quick 20 minute nap before cranking out a thousand foot climb through a gorgeous pass. The weather has been mild, and no rain thus far, (or snow), which is a relief to both of us. At East Glacier we grabbed a bite to eat at the local diner. Most things in town seem to be closed due to it being just out of the park's season. Neither of us mind though, seeing as we have the road all to ourselves. Onward to West Glacier... On the way we tried to escape the rain by hauling into West Glacier, and exhausting ourselves in the process all over some rain that never really came. We learned today that clouds that look ominous back east aren't necessarily so in these mountains. We got a bite to eat at the local Inn , well alright, a heaping plate of french fries and chicken fingers. So that's the second time we got a tremendous amount of food put in front of us. Of course we had to top it off with the brownie supreme (the name says it all). We continued down to the road Coram, and camped of the side of the road in some dense woods. Word on the street in West Glacier was that a shindig of sorts was going down in town tonight, so soon after we got camp setup and started to walk up the road to the local bar to unwind after the days ride. The rain started coming down hard as the sun was setting and peaking through the clouds just above the nearby mountains, super cool looking. The party was a really good time with a lot a Lynyrd Skynyrd and a live band that opened up with Free Bird...it definitely suited the place. We also managed to catch the last quarter of the Celtics Pistons game...Go Boston. We made some friends and chilled out for a couple of hours before calling it a night and heading back to camp. Today we learned that the sun never goes down here, and it doesn't really get dark till around nine thirty. The days are long but good so far.

Miles	60.79 miles
Average Speed	12.5 MPH
Riding Time	4 hours 51 mins
Altitude Increase	2,385 feet

Day 4 -

We pulled all our gear out of the woods and stopped at the Elkhorn Grill, where Brett thought he could handle the Grizzly Man breakfast. The meal was epic, consisting of county fried steak, four slices of bread, two eggs, and hash browns. Getting back on the bikes was a bit of a struggle, but the calories will help for sure. We ended up stopping in Swan Lake at an out of season camping park. The two of us rode down the owners driveway and gave his door a knock, and he was cool enough to set us up with a spot on the property next to a pond. He turned out to be a pretty cool guy and Brett watched the main event UFC fight with him in his living room. A light meal and it was time to call it a night. Tomorrow we hope to finish off highway 83 and enter cattle country. We are going to miss these trees for sure.

Miles	48.23 miles
Average Speed	12.6 MPH
Riding Time	3 hours 49 mins
Altitude Increase	1,286 feet

Day 5 -

Today we got off to a bit of a late start. We grabbed breakfast at a pretty cool little restaurant in town that hosted at least a hundred barn swallows who made their nests in the rafters of the porch where we ate. We were able to listen to their commotion and watch then fly about. There was also a pretty awesome golden retriever to keep us company. Overall breakfast was a great way to start the morning. We rode on past several lakes before stopping in at Seeley Lake for lunch. Route 83 was lined with mountain streams. We headed off of 83 and onto 200 where we set up can a few miles down the road. Next to a stream and on a grassy outcrop, not a bad spot to be sleeping. Tomorrow sends us toward Helena....

Miles	73.56 miles
Average Speed	12.8 MPH
Riding Time	5 hours 44 mins
Altitude Increase	2683 feet

Day 6 -

Today began fairly early with some minor misfortunes involving our food and food related accessories. We're over it now but don't like starting any day off with a downer. 10 miles down the road and it was time for breakfast, which we was a good chance for us to dry out bags and tent. The food was great and lifted spirits a good bit. We were headed to Avon when we ran into some rain and T-storms. We decided to dodge the lightning and pulled into Helmville to wait out the storm and grab a bite. When the skies cleared up we left for Avon. The clear skies were short lived and we were soon faced with heavy sideways rain and strong wind gusts. We made it to Avon soaked and cold and had dinner, before heading another 9 miles down the road to set up camp on a piece of national forest. We stopped at the bar for a late meal and headed to bed. Its wet out here, and we are hoping tomorrow brings us blue skies and dry gear.

Miles	63.32 miles
Average Speed	13 MPH
Riding Time	4 hours 51 mins
Altitude Increase	2,106 feet

Day 7 -

Climbed this morning to the Divide, then descended into the state's capital. We grabbed lunch and dried our tent and sleeping bag at a trippy art bar just inside the city. The ride out of Helena was less than enjoyable, and we ended up taking a break of sorts in a field alongside the busy roadway. From there we were able to crank out the last 20 miles and snagged a sweet camping spot at a grassy park just outside Townsend. Dinner at the local bar and then to bed for a rainy nights sleep.

Miles	56.09 miles
Average Speed	13.9 MPH
Riding Time	4 hours 0 mins
Altitude Increase	2,253 feet

Day 8 -

Another day in Montana, and another rainy start. It was a pretty cold one and after 35 miles we pulled into a good sized bakery to fill up and warm up. Man it was cold....The rest of the day was just as cold and we were able to power out the last 43 miles or so into Ennis. We got a decent creek side campsite, set up, and rolled into town for some great Chinese. After that it was off to bed.

Miles	77.46 miles
Average Speed	12.9 MPH
Riding Time	4 hours 0 mins
Altitude Increase	2,253 feet

Day 9 -

Today was an early one and was kicked off with....yes more rain. We got a big breakfast and did some laundry in town. The miles did not come easy at first, but a small roadside lunch and it the pedaling got a little better. The rain was on and off and we eventually reached the final junction of the day. We chose the road that crossed the continental divide twice in 10 miles or so, through two passes, the first around 6,800 ft and second around 7,100. We finished the trip to West Yellowstone with 10 miles against the wind and set up camp just outside of town. We managed to make it into a restaurant in town in time to catch the full second half of the Celtics game 1 victory over L.A. It was back then back to camp for an eerie walk back to the tent through dark woods and the feeling that the forest was busy with life. After hearing some funky noises that sketched the both of us out a bit we were able to fall asleep.

Miles	86.51 miles
Average Speed	11.5 MPH
Riding Time	7 hours 28 mins
Altitude Increase	3,960 feet

Day 10 -

Today we woke up to a heavy rain atop the nemo (tent). We were super excited to learn find that hail was next to pelt the tent. We speedily packed up the gear and sped off to seek shelter. The ride in was quite an experience with a hail and snow mixture coming down super hard and making visibility pretty difficult. We pulled off under a porch until the storm slowed enough for us to continue riding into town. We made the call to stay in town when we passed the first snow plow on main st. We landed a good room in the Yellowstone Lodge and went into town again to eat. We saw an IMAX film about the parks history and got dinner before heading back to the hotel. It was then time for the hot tub...and after a snowy day it was pretty nice to get a good warm up in. Some TV and writing and its bedtime for the 2 laziest kids in Yellowstone (for today at least.) This is Brett and Ty, comfy and cozy, signing off.

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Average Speed	0 MPH
Riding Time	0 hours 0 mins
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Day 11 -

Sleeping in a bed wasn't all its cracked up to be. Both of us woke up craving a nights sleep in the nemo, it could have been the low quality hotel mattress though. We headed into the park in some light snow and began exploring. We ran across a pretty impressive aquafall, a bunch of sulfur vents , and some wildlife. We were freezing cold and wet by lunch and we opted to warm up in a lodge of sorts in one of the park's towns. We got back on the bikes pretty late and headed off. The nights camping situation got derailed, but the two of us were able to find a way to stay warm and dry without breaking the bank ...long story. Anyway not much sleep and an odd sort of day I suppose.

Miles	59.53 miles
Average Speed	11.3 MPH
Riding Time	5 hours 14 mins
Altitude Increase	3,116 feet

Day 12 -

This morning we were up bright and early for a cold breakfast and an even colder departure. We got in 25 miles before a second breakfast. We met a couple of gals and a couple of guys doing similar touring things. We exchanged tips and stories before heading back out into the snow. As we rode on the temperature began to increase and the precipitation lessened. We left Yellowstone and quickly enter Grand Teton National Park. Pretty crazy looking peaks to say the least. Anyway, we finished up the century with a miserable stretch into Jackson full of wind and gradual hills. We pulled into town and found the house we were staying at. Great people and a good dinner (thanks again). We felt right at home and were fortunate enough to have beds for the evening. We are calling it a night now and have no idea what tomorrow will hold... Guess that's kind of the fun part though.

Miles	111.58 miles
Average Speed	11.3 MPH
Riding Time	5 hours 14 mins
Altitude Increase	3,116 feet

Day 13 -

We slept in a bit this morning, before grabbing lunch in town and getting the bikes into the shop for some necessary maintenance. The riding was pretty tough and neither of us were feeling particularly well. We pushed on through a pretty cool canyon with super high walls. We searched for a place to pull up early for the night and landed on a rainy hillside in Bondurandt after getting some dinner in the town's bar. We met a pretty cool couple who chilled out with us for a bit at the campsite. The night ended early with a light rain and expectations high for a much better day tomorrow.

Miles	30.46 miles
Average Speed	10.4 MPH
Riding Time	Computer issue
Altitude Increase	1,400 feet

Day 14 -

This morning we woke up to 34 degree rain, heavy rain. We at some breakfast, and had a cup of coffee before heading off to a late start. Our climb to the top of "the Rim" was 1,300 feet that went fairly quickly and easily. After a while on the road we made a quick lunch stop at a cafe where we met to super nice, super generous guys on their way out. During the last leg of the days ride we ran into some really cool iron stone structures in a prairie valley. We pushed for Marbelton/Big Piney, and rolled in just in time for dinner at an authentic Mexican place. We set up tent in a softball field in town and hit the hay under a gorgeous sunset and some awesome cloud formations. One of the better and more comfortable nights setting up camp.

Miles	61.19 miles
Average Speed	12.8 MPH
Riding Time	4 hours 45 mins
Altitude Increase	2,250 feet

Day 15 -

We woke up to sunshine today for the first time in a long time it seems. We got a good hefty breakfast in town and rolled out in some snow that began to fall while we were eating. The ride out of town was miserable with a killer headwind and an even meaner cross wind. We took a break after 20 miles of fighting the wind. The next 30 or so weren't any easier, but we turned onto a new route after the first 50 and there it was, a tail wind! We rode that puppy for another 30 super fast miles and did the last 20 pretty much on our own. The empty high paire we rode through was home to a soda ash mine, a very lonely industrial place. We end the day in Green River...not that sweet looking so far, but bed is near and after our second century in 4 days. The wind is unpredictable...it is a hindrance and a helper, and there's nothing we can really do about it, its calling the shots.

Miles	100.83 miles
Average Speed	13.2 MPH
Riding Time	7 hours 37 mins
Altitude Increase	3,284 feet

Day 16 -

We got off to a pretty late start out of Green River with a decent breakfast in the city and an ice cream to mix things up a bit. The climbing began as soon as soon as we hopped on the bikes and didn't really ease up until we sat the bikes down for the night. The wind was not particularly helpful today, giving us some nice cross winds through most of our climbing. We crossed the Wyoming/Utah border, before crossing back into Wyoming about 100ft to set up camp. Tonight's camp site may have been the best so far, with a comfortable nighttime temperature, and a gorgeous lake 20 yards from the tent. We fell asleep to the sound of all types of birds splashing around and making use of the water. Much more up than expected today, but not a bad day of riding overall.

Miles	46.31 miles
Average Speed	10.5 MPH
Riding Time	4 hours 24 mins
Altitude Increase	2,870 feet

Day 17 -

This morning we were fortunate enough to wake up to gorgeous sunshine, a solid breakfast and blue skies for miles. We began to climb immediately out of town, which seemed to be the days overall trend. We switch backed and weaved up and up for the first 20 miles out of Flaming Gorge. From there we stopped and grabbed a bite at a nice outdoor spot in Ashley National Recreation Area, a gorgeous forested site which was a nice change from the desert in the gorge. From there it was more climbing until at last we reached the first and only pass of the day at 8,500 feet or so. We ran into a couple touring in the opposite direction we were headed in and chatted it up a bit. After a step descent and some stretches of rolling hills we had reached Vernal, Utah. We had a super quick dinner and headed out after dark toward the border. We made it another 22 miles in the dark before Ty got his first flat of the trip. We decided that would be a good time to call it a night and set up camp just off the road in some sparse shrubbery around 11:30. We climbed more than we ever have before today and are waking up with the sun tomorrow to make it to Rangely, CO before noon, and I don't think our legs are going to be in the best of shape come morning...Oh well, Telluride is two days away and we are pumped to be rolling into town very soon. Bedtime, night ya'll.

Miles	92.33 miles
Average Speed	11.3 MPH
Riding Time	8 hours 8 mins
Altitude Increase	6,555 feet

Day 18 -

Woke up bright and early today to try and make the post office before it closed at noon. We pushed into dinosaur, got ice cream, and cruised on into Rangley. We had a long stop in Rangley eating, updating the site, and grabbing some cookables for tonight's dinner. We got back on the bikes and pushed through a canyon for the rest of the day until landing on a decent camping spot two miles short of tomorrow's summit. We are both pretty tired tonight and look forward to eating and crashing fairly early.

Miles	61.6 miles
Average Speed	9.5 MPH
Riding Time	6 hours 10 mins
Altitude Increase	3,392 feet

We woke up decently early today and started climbing immediately out of camp. The ascent was pretty tough on the legs and after two miles we were at the summit. We had a nice long descent before some up and down riding all the way into the next town.We stopped there for a cold drink and pushed another ten miles or so into into Fruita for some lunch. We rolled along to Grand Junction where our luck finally ran out with the tires, producing two flats in a 5 mile stretch. We grabbed ice cream and pushed out the last leg of the day into Delta. We pulled up in a bar and caught a bit of the Celtics game before getting dinner and setting up camp in the back of a drive in movie theatre. It was a sweet spot to camp and we were able to see portions of the film which wasn't one I'd go se again. That pretty much wrapped up the day and it was off to sleep for the final push tomorrow into Telluride.

Today is the last day of riding before reaching Telluride. We got a late start and headed out expecting a good bit of climbing to come. After a few stops along the way for water we had arrived in Ridgeway where we regrouped and had a light lunch. The climbing began right out of town and lasted 11 miles or so until we reached the top of the Dallas Divide at 8,950 feet. We dropped down 11 miles until reaching Placerville, just 17 miles out of Telluride. From there it was another big climb as darkness fell and at last we were riding down the main drag of Telluride for a week or so of rest, relaxation, and a whole lot if bluegrass. We set up camp on the space our buddy Elliot set aside for us and checked out the rest of town park. It seems like the place to be and we are pumped to be gearing up for another awesome festival. We will be updating the journal at the conclusion of the festival and beginning of the second stage of our ride. See ya.

We are at Telluride Bluegrass for the week in CO. We are just hanging out, listening to some good music, and hiking a bit as well. We'll be back on the bikes on the 23rd to finish the ride to the border.

This morning we left a rainy Telluride after breaking down the camp site and saying our goodbyes. We got a ride from our buddy's Tim and Tyler to the post office in town and back to the spot we left off at on the way in. We all grabbed some pizza in Ridgeway before going our separate ways. Ty and I headed down the road a mile or so to Orvis, CO where we hung out at some natural hot springs for a couple hours. We road back into Ridgeway to set up camp and hang some of our gear out to dry. We headed back to Orvis for a few more hours enjoying the hot springs before heading back to Ridgeway yet again to crash for the night. Tomorow promises a lot of climbing and three passes, all over 10,000 feet. Here goes nothing....

We woke up pretty early this morning and headed into downtown Ridgeway to grab a bite. On the way we were able to watch a couple hot air balloons in an adjacent field filling up and taking off. We got to the breakfast place where we found out that a 400 mile bike tour of CO was rolling through town as we were eating. We chatted it up a bit with some of the cyclists stopping for food and got some good info about the road conditions ahead. We set off and went ten miles of so before we hit switchbacks. We climbed 3,400 feet or so before reaching the top of Red Mtn. Pass at 11,100 feet. We had a fun descent into Silverton with a little rain/hail to welcome us. After a quick lunch we began an immediate climb out of town for the next 11 miles and 1,500 feet until reaching the top of Molas Pass at 10,910 feet. About a quarter of the way up Ty noticed that his brakes were rubbing while trying to climb, seemed to typify the days climbing. From there we dropped down 1,000 feet and it was back up again for the final pass of the day, Coalbank Pass at 10,600. From there we began what was pretty much a descent into Durango, a gorgeous swift one at that. On the way down a really nice guy on a motorcycle pulled up alongside me and had a short conversation while cruising around 40mph. We rolled into Durango, a mountain biking town, and looked for a good spot to camp which was quite the fiasco (don't think I've ever used that word before). With not many options remaining I pulled into the driveway of a beautiful house and asked the owner if we could set up camp in the backyard. He was a super nice guy and set us up with a great spot behind the house. We headed back into downtown for a quick dinner before returning to camp and hitting the hay. Long day, big mountains, goodnight.

We woke up reasonably early this morning and headed into town to get breakfast and hit up a bike shop for a few parts. We left Durango and started the up and down thing that lasted most of the day. We pushed out the first 40 or so before stopping at a roadside restaurant somewhere in southern CO. From there we pedaled our way into Pagosa Sparings for some H2O and night time cookables. We made it 20 miles or so out of town before settling on a nice pasture side campsite just downhill from the roadway. We made ourselves dinner and called it an early night. Tomorrow we leave CO and enter New Mexico where we will spend the next couple of days. 5 days of riding to go...

We woke up this morning to a pretty hot tent for the first time this trip. We packed up the gear, had a cup of coffee, granola, and a cliff bar (with peanut butter), and we were off. It was climbing right off the bat pretty much until we reached the NM border. We stopped at a small gas station to grab some water and a snack after the first 25 miles or so. The water thing didn't really work out seeing as the water coming out of the bathroom faucets was a greenish grayish color. Yum! We sipped enough to get us to the next town where we were able to hydrate and grab some lunch. From there it was another 55 miles of smooth up and downs till camp. We pitched our tent in a roadside3 ditch next to some pretty cool looking trees, cooked some dinner on the stoves, and managed to fall asleep in the oven we call a tent. Welcome to New Mexico...It only gets hotter from here.

It's morning and its not as warm as we anticipated. We had a small breakfast and set off toward Espanola. The ride was pretty uneventful until we were greeted by 3 dogs who managed to get under their fence and chase us down. I was pursued by a black dog of decent size of an unknown breed. Ty was fortunate enough to have been chosen by the German Sheppard in the group. I was able to get away while Ty was forced to dart across the road, tipping the trailer and loosing my sleeping bag on the busy roadway. Unable to retrieve the bag while our three new friends growled and continued to chase us, we waited until a cool guy in a pickup grabbed the bag and drove up to us with our lost item. We thanked him, gave those mutts a last yell and were off. We rode in the 25 miles or so and found a pretty cool Mexican place to eat an early lunch. After a long break we were back on the road toward Santa Fe. The road there was pretty much a highway with gravel filled shoulders and slow riding. We enjoyed the type of city Santa Fe turned out to be and had dinner before rushing out of the busy city limits toward a campsite. We got 25 miles or so outside the city before setting up camp next to another awesome cow pasture. A cooking mishap occurred this evening and lets just sum it up by saying Brett spilled a lot of water in the tent and on both sleeping bags. Cooking in a tent, not a great idea...

This morning began is somewhat similar to the last couple of days. Breakfast and riding 24 miles to an interstate junction that brought water and food. Another 27 miles of less than enjoyable riding\g followed, featuring headwinds, crosswinds, and rolling hills. We pulled into a small town frustrated and beat. Some crazy winds began to pick up while in town and some dust storms were born. When we continued we were pleased to find that the next junction we took granted us a gorgeous tailwind that we used for the next 10 quick miles. The last 25 miles were not too bad and landed us in Corona, NM around 7:30 or so. A pretty mean looking storm was rolling in when we made the call to spring for a motel and get a good nights rest for the big day ahead of us tomorrow. Bedtime, border in 2 days, its close....

Miles	99.4 miles
Average Speed	13.7 MPH
Riding Time	7 hours 4 mins
Altitude Increase	3,349 feet

Miles	87.72 miles
Average Speed	10.4 MPH
Riding Time	8 hours 23 mins
Altitude Increase	5,823 feet

Miles	5 miles
Average Speed	(no clue) MPH
Riding Time	about 30 mins
Altitude Increase	(no clue) feet

Miles	82.69 miles
Average Speed	10 MPH
Riding Time	8 hours 12 mins
Altitude Increase	7,139 feet

Miles	74.37 miles
Average Speed	12.2 MPH
Riding Time	6 hours 5 mins
Altitude Increase	5,061 feet

Miles	89.88 miles
Average Speed	13.3 MPH
Riding Time	6 hours 44 mins
Altitude Increase	4,189 feet

Miles	79.05 miles
Average Speed	12.6 MPH
Riding Time	6 hours 14 mins
Altitude Increase	3,248 feet

Miles	88.14 miles
Average Speed	12.5 MPH
Riding Time	7 hours 3 mins
Altitude Increase	3,116feet