Cycle Montana 2012- Part 2

Day 4- Fairmont Hot Springs, MT to Phillipsburg, MT: 41 Miles

Readers Note: You can enlarge pictures by clicking them.

Wind was the main feature of the day on day four of our trip. We rode for about 30 miles directly into a substantial wind, and I won't say it made the day miserable... but it was a hard, blustery day that included about 2,000 feet of climbing on the way up to Georgetown Lake, a big ice fishing area I am told.  Click here for the STRAVA feed for the day's ride.

 The first highlight of the day was the water stop in Anaconda, which was at a little park/tourist center. As you can see, I started having more trouble with the rear tire on Old Reliable. The problem turned out to be a faulty rim strip, which was promptly replaced by Joe, the tour mechanic. Larry was ever vigilant offering moral support was we waited for the repair.

 The ride from Anaconda up to Georgetown Lake was a real grind into the wind and lunch beside the Lake was scenic but pretty windswept. You will note that most everyone was wearing a jacket. There was an optional 30 mile leg of the ride up to a local sapphire mine but, due to the windy conditions, I don't think many people took it.

After lunch at the Lake, the road soon dropped a very twisty 800 feet in a three mile stretch, which you can see starting at mile 30 on the STRAVA elevation graph. Man, I'm glad we did not have to ride up that! It was a simple and much more enjoyable glide from there on down to the great little tourist town of Phillipsburg, where, motels, ice cream shops and other elements of civilization could be found.

Phillipsburg also had a hospital, which would turn out to be a good thing.

Day 5- Phillipsburg to Ovando, MT: About 65 miles

I did not ride my bike on days five and six, because overnight in Phillipsburg I had a very painful hemorrhoid attack, my first serious one in ten years. Thanks to the guys on duty at the Granite County Medical Center in Phillipsburg, I got some medication that allowed me to at least ride along in the support vehicles for the next two days. 

The day five ride to the remote little town of Ovando (no motels, camping required) was something I'm really sorry to have missed. But I did get some nice photos while riding along in the baggage truck.

Ovando is really remote and has a population of about 80, so our group just about doubled the population of the place for one night. I managed to finagle sleeping in the middle school gym, which was nice because I didn't have to pitch my tent. I was still pretty tired from a pretty sleepless night before in Phillipsburg. Ovando was very nice and I tried to get some good pics. 

 

The ladies of Ovando held a nice ice cream social for us. 

This is the group campsite before dinner on day five. The food, as always, was really very good.

Day 6- Ovando, MT to Missoula: About 60 miles

 

I was bumped from my scenic perch in the baggage truck for day six and spent the day in one of the support cars. But I did manage to get a few pictures. Here are some taken around camp.

And here are a few pics of other riders.

 

The final day's route took the group back into Missoula and by the offices of Adventure Cycling. A lot of riders stopped there for ice cream and to see the national offices of the organization.

Well, as I said to begin my previous post, mission "mostly accomplished". It was a good time even though things did not go exactly as planned for me. Montana, I'll see you again soon!