Day 9: Eureka to Tuchuck Campground

Ride time: 4:43

Average: 6.7 mph

Distance: 31.61 mi

After a huge breakfast at Jax Cafe again, we departed Eureka and began climbing.  We stocked up on groceries before we left at a pretty cool organic store in town.  You can see that our average speed was lowered significantly, pointing to the fact that much of the day's ride was uphill. 

We climbed like maniacs all day long, making me grateful for the fact the we had done Canada before getting to this day.  It's like Canada was the training for the beginning of the US section.  Whitefish Pass was pretty brutal, but stunning because of how remote we were.  Because we're in mega grizzly country (McCoy's book points out that this area is known for being the spot where wildlife officials relocate unruly grizzlies--kind of like a detention center, I guess), we cooked dinner about 4 miles before we hit our camp.  We were going a bit insane from the mosquitoes that wanted to eat us alive.

Eating dinner while the grizzlies watch us

Future GDR riders: hit up Montana Market before heading out, and the organic market is just south of there on the same side of the road.