Park Lake to Butte Photos

I'm tired so expect few captions.

Park lake from above

Some of the crazy terrain I rode / pushed for the first bunch of miles.  It was very steep.

North Bounders!

Soft dirt roads, but pretty.

Basin and a pizza place in Basin (below shots)

I have a ways to go!

Hot chocolate for the win.

Lots of old mines here (both photos)

More North Bounders, this time racing. 3rd place a the moment.

The ride to Butte was hard but pretty.

Rain

Butte

The Berkely Pit, very intersting. It's an old strip mine that is filling with toxic water. The signs explain it all.

Out of order: The ride to Butte, the piles on the left or mining waste. I learned that bike touring back in 2003 outside Virginia City, Montana

Ride to Butte: cows.

Ride to Butte, Metal Cows, and such.

Park Lake to Butte

Today was a really hard day. I'm exhausted. I didn't expect it.

I had a good breakfast with Steve and Jamie, and the then set out from Park Lake. It took me 2 hours to go the first 7 miles. It was straight up and over crazy eroded trail and boulders. I had to push most of it.  It was also cold, and the parts I could ride were mud and wet sand/mud from the rain. That really slows down your tires. It also started raining, and I had a big headwind.

I got to Basin 20 miles in at about 2pm, having left at 9am. I took a good long break there, and then it took me from 3pm ish until 7pm to get to Butte, 30 miles later. Uphill, headwinds, and soft roads were killing me. I was also physically tired today, my body wanted a rest. It was the hardest day of the trip so far. It was not a great day. I was cold and wet for most of it as well.

It was pretty though, and I met a group of 4 nobo riders and 2 nobo riders later. (Nobo is North Bound). One of them was racing and was 3rd, 400 miles ahead of fourth. It's cool to be seeing the Nobo divide racers now.

Butte is a big down of 35k, so it was hard to find a place to stay, especially coming in so late. I decided to try out Warm Showers and got very lucky that John was able to host me on no notice! I got a warm shower, a bed, and good conversation.  Now I need to rest.

Oh, also, Butte is Butteiful.

Cabins to Park Lake photos

Third try captioning, the blogger phone app is horrible.

The morning cabin crew after a chill morning of pancakes and coffee.

The morning ride was through a lot of ranch land.

This is apparently what an old mine look like.

I like the guy on the right with the white shirt and black vest, he has swagger.

Shots from the two morning divide crests. These are my cow friends.

You have to get water where you can.

After my two morning divide crossings I took about an hour break about 20 miles in, and the South Bounders caught me!  We rode together until they turned off towards Helena on highway 12 and I took the Rimini bypass for my third hard climb of the day.

The bypass started out paved for 6 miles, newly paved last year. The pavement was nice, it let my mind wander.

Soon enough it was tough climbing again.

The reservoir at the top of the bypass. It was storming.

Lightning was striking behind those hill, which are the way to Helena.

My lonely tent in Park Lake. I hit my bike because the guys who ran me off the road were also in the same campground.

Park Lake.

The awesome Jamie and Scott, who got me out of the rain in their trailer, fed me dinner and breakfast, and were great company all night. Thanks!! (see narrative for more)

Some out of order morning flowers.