Day 27: Wise River to Grasshopper Inn

Ride time: 4:04
Average:  8.7 mph
Distance:  35.46 mi

We're back to sleeping in...  I swear, I could sleep all day if Nate let me.  We had oatmeal and a ham and cheese omelet at the Wise River Club.  By the way, in Montana, if you order an omelet, you have to ask for cheese, which is weird coming from the Midwest, where every opportunity to put cheese on something is a done deal.  Anyway, they put the cheese on top of the omelet, so if you want it inside, you have to ask for that, too.  Just some cross-cultural understanding...

Our ride today sucked.  Not for beauty, but for oppressive headwinds and a steady uphill climb.

Taking a break from the head wind

There was construction on the Scenic Highway that we rode, and as we were stopped by the flagger, some guy on a motorcycle in front of us was talking to the flagger about the Grasshopper Inn and their $6 buffet that they have every night.  Nate was tuned into this conversation, and that turned out to be our destination for the night.  They have delicious food, and we happened to be there on Mexican night.  An all-you-can-eat buffet for GDR riders is heaven.  The owner, Tom, had just put up his GDR sticker in the window about an hour before we stopped by.  He's incredibly generous, friendly, and very welcoming to bicyclists.  We asked about camping, and he told us to just pitch our tent anywhere on the property.  Very cool.

Future GDR riders: Definitely stop at the Grasshopper Inn and hit up the dinner buffet.  Then camp there and enjoy another delicious meal in the morning.

Day 22: Helena to Park Lake

Ride time: 4:15
Average: 6.7 mph
Distance: 28.7 mi

Kris had breakfast going for us when we finally dragged our butts out of bed at 10AM!  It was a late night last night, for sure.  We didn't get on the road until about 1 PM, and then stopped at The Base Camp to get some new dry sacks to go in the Super Twinkies (the bag that hangs off the saddle).  Then we began climbing...and climbing...and climbing...  Helena sits at just above 4,000 feet and the camp we're at is at 6,300 feet.  It was a long day, and I was sweating profusely.  We bought some Nuuns tablets at The Base Camp to use as an electrolyte sort of drink, and they actually work really well.

Almost to camp...

We're now in Helena National Forest, and we're camped at a place that's been closed due to pine beetle infestation and clean up.  It looks like a freaky war zone with all the downed trees and lack of human presence.  It's quite sad to see what the pine beetle has done to the forests around here, and frightening to think of what might happen in years to come.

Day 21: Deadman's to Helena

Ride time: 4:44
Average: 8.8 mph
Distance: 41.81 mi

We awoke at a reasonable hour after having slept really well.  Nate said it was because of the happy cow that was near our tent.  I think the presence of cows helps me in the bear department.  Cows = probably no bears.  I'm probably wrong, but it helps me sleep better.  PowerBars or Clif Bars for every meal is Nate's newest thing, so I forced myself to eat my 7th PowerBar in less than 18 hours.  "We'll eat when we get to Helena," Nate said after I whined.

Anyway, today was another 2 divide crossings (#3 and #4).  It felt like we were biking forever today.  We saw a couple of old mines which were pretty cool:

Oh yeah, Nate's mileage today is an additional 4 miles because he left his sunglasses up near the first pass and had to bike back to get them.  I, of course, stayed and made lunch instead of biking back with him.  I'm such a good wife...

I also fell today going about 3 mph.  I just kind of tipped over.  I'm not exactly sure what happened, other than I'm eternally grateful for my helmet.  When we arrived in Helena, we called Kris (remember Lincoln?) and she put Nate and me up for the night.  Before we got there though, we ate at Taco del Sol, on Last Chance Gulch in downtown Helena.  Bikers: definitely hit it up.

We got to Kris's house, and Patti and Dennis came over, too, for dinner.  It was a wonderful time, and Nate and I ate dinner again because Chris made meatloaf, and I couldn't pass that up.

Our wonderful hosts, Chris and Kris, in the Valley, not the Flatland: