Day – 23, 24 and 25 Missoula has Golf and Long Climbs!

I woke up and was determined to get down the road. There was a package for me 50 plus miles away. Then I saw I was right by Larchmont Greens the City golf course. I stopped in to see if I could get on for nine. Well nine was all they had. A week earlier a storm ripped through Missoula and blew down half the trees in town. Significant parts of the town were still without power. The greens crew had managed to triage the front nine so I was in luck.

I strolled up to Jim and Jake newly retired banker and school administrator. They looked wearily at my set up and the fact that I was walking. But after smacking my first drive straight into the mayors office they softened and were fantastic to play with and truely made the round for me. The course is great. The billboard for Kings Ranch lies. This is a perfect public option. Jim and Jake agreed that Kings Ranch is a dump and not worth the effort. They said they try it ever few years and return with the same conclusion. I felt a little vindicated. My play was reasonable for me but my putting was weak. All together a pleasant morning.

I had a sandwich and headed down another bike path just off of a busy highway. It was beautiful to my left with a rambling river below and semis and speeding commuters on my right. But stress free and directly to Hamilton. With my delayed departure I had to keep on the gas the whole way to make it before the post office closed at 5:00.

I made it by 4:30 and walked in to gather my parcel. This marks a chapter change in my journey. I will ship my clubs to Traci in Fort Collins and she has sent me another pannier so I can carry extra food on the great divide. I checked with the postman and my package was not there. Boooooooo! Dejected I checked into my motel. The air conditioning was out. Boo again! It was still in the nineties and I almost walked but the desk clerk knocked half the rate off and I was really too tired to find other accommodations. I showered and the temp receded and it was pretty pleasant after all.

I woke up and found a discarded box behind the supermarket next door and cut it down to fashion a box for my clubs. Then set off for the post office.

It was raining all morning but it let up and I made it to the post office and my package was there. I shipped the clubs forward and unboxed my new bag as well as a phone mount for my bike that had not arrived before I left. Thanks TJ and Traci for being my resupply team! There were also some candy treats slipped into the box that made what I felt was a mentally challenging 24 hours much brighter. I ate most of them right in front of the post office.

Now it was decision time. In on again off again rain I would have 60 miles and 4000 vertical to my next camp. It really wasn’t a decision. I secured a cheaper motel with AC and decided to zero. I bought food to fill up my new bag and strolled around the quaint downtown of Hamilton MT.

Side note: I had wanted to golf in Hamilton to complete 9 courses on the front half of my trip but the rain made sure that didn’t happen.

I made my way to the Bitterroot Brewery for dinner and a pint and my day and spirits continued to be lifted. The beer was great and the food was fantastic. 3 Stars.

So having all day to prepare I was ready to slip out early the next morning which I did. The pleasant trail along the highway came to a sudden stop just out of town but there was a very serviceable 8’ shoulder. I just made my way up valley with a sense of dread. There was a significant climb late in the day. 9 miles and 3000 vertical. Rideable but it was going to be a slugfest. Before that there was a 7 mile stretch down close to the river with no shoulder. I tried my best to speed through this section but it did take a toll mentally.

Luckily the shoulder reappeared as the climb began. I had a plan and executed it mostly. I took my time and just ticked one mile at a time. By now the sun was blazing and I could tell it was effecting my performance. About three quarters of the way up I was taking a break at a slow vehicle pull out when a car pulled up. A man popped out and handed me an ice cold water. He said he had seen me most of the day and was impressed and wanted to encourage me to keep “crushing it”. This was my first real trail magic of the trip and it could not have come at a better time. I think the words of encouragement helped more than the water but it was ice cold and tasted like heaven.

I got to within a mile of the top when I was to turn off the highway and take a side road another mile to get over Chief Joseph pass. This was the state boarder of MT and ID. There was a rest stop and a water fountain with cold water. I filled up and laid on a picknic table under a shade structure for at least an hour.

I completed the climb and was rewarded with a swift 10 miles downhill to my campsite in a FS campground. Nothing special but another picnic table to lay out on until I felt human enough to make camp.

It was a good day. The scenery was excellent and I felt like I was continuing to become more capable. With another days ride on paved roads I will be on the Great Divide Mountainbike Route and should see mostly forest service gravel roads for the next 800 miles. I can’t wait.

On a technical note there is no service here so these posts have been delayed. I think this may be a common thing for the next few weeks.