TR:Montana Sampler

[406]

I had to cancel our July Salmon River (ID) float trip due to my sting
ray sting infected foot. While laying on the couch with my foot
elevated for weeks, I thought it might be nice to return to Montana and
bike some of the trails that might get closed to mountain biking. Marla
wasn't excited about another Montana vacation at first, but soon decided
it would be an ok idea after I showed her all the fun trails I wanted to
ride, reminded her how much she likes Montana beer, and mentioned that
several of the trails might get closed to mt bikes.

I was overly ambitious while planning the trip, but we still managed 11
rides in 11 different mountain ranges. Pretty good when you consider
all the driving, family, drinking, and I wasn't in prime condition.

This is just a small sample of rides in Montana and each area we visited
has weeks or months of riding.

Day 0: I-15
Drive 15 hours to the greater Dell-Lima metro area:

[406]

Day 1: Dell-Lima metro area
trail status: possible will be closed
trail encounters: 2 backpackers, ~10 elk.
trail info: ~22 mile loop with 5k ft climbing over a 10k pass.

Big Sky Country:


Nice trail on the climb up:


This was the first ride on my new bike.




First part of the decent from the pass is all scree and was interesting.
After the scree a few miles of nice flow:




If I did this again I would do this as an out and back on the other side
of the pass or just stick to the CDT, losing the trail on the downhill
sucks:


Unfortunately the Calf-A closed early on Sunday for the Labor day weekend:


So we drove to Dillon and had some pulled pork sandwiches from the rodeo/fair.

[406]

Day 2: Dillon
trail status: might get closed to bikes
trail encounters: 4 mt bikers
trail info: 15 mile out and back with about 3000 ft of climbing to an alpine lake.

Trail started as atv trail:


Through a nice meadow:


Single track for the climb:


Arrive at a very scenic lake:


Goofing off at the lake:




Very fun downhill:




Clean bike and beer at the truck:


View from the Grasshopper Inn and Restaurant:


Very tasty steak from the cows down the road:


Day 3: Bozeman
On the drive to Bozeman, we had lunch at:


I was only up for a easy shuttle and Marla just wanted to hike a bit.
So I popped my shuttle cherry on this insanely fun Bozeman ride.

trail status: normal
trail encounters: 1 mt biker
trail info: 8 mile shuttle drops about 2500 ft, 500ft of climbing.

Climbed up to a view point:




Then it was time for a fast downhill:




All smiles at the end:


Had dinner with the cousins at Pickle barrel.

[406]

Day 4: Bozeman
I hadn't been to Bozeman in the summer in over 10 years and the place is
no longer a sleepy cow town, and is full of trustfunders and angry locals.

Downtown seemed busier than Missoula:


More Wheat Montana for lunch:


Took the cousin in law on her first mountain bike ride. Atv trail climb
along a scenic ridge:


The ladies with Lone Peak ( Big Sky Ski area ) in the background:


Where is the single track downhill?:


Found it:






Most of the downhill has smooth and fast, but had a couple chunky
sections:






Down to the creek:


Ending with a water fall:


Our favorite, buffalo burgers from the Corral:

[406]

Day 5: Bozeman to Missoula
trail status: will possible be closed to bikes
trail encounters: 0
trail info: 10 mile out and back with about 1600 ft of climbing to an alpine lake.

I had wanted to do an 'epic' ride in this mountain range, but was still
recovering from day 1. This ride was really fun.

Climbing up:


Found a big area of slick rock that I played on for about half and hour:








Enough of that, we got a lake to get to:


The lake:


Time for a fun downhill:






Found a fun log:




View from the drive out:


Outside Missoula at 80 mph:


Day 6: Missoula
Rest and visit family. Went to a geology banquet for two of my
professors that retired recently. Great talk by the paleontologist Jack
Horner http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Horne ... ontologist)
Did a bit of drinking:

[406]

Day 7: Missoula
trail status: not sure, Bitterroot NF is revising travel plan
trail encounters: 2 mt bikers
trail info: Shuttle with 1500 climbing and 4500 drop.

Where is the downhill single track:


First part was through a burned area:


The cuz:


Some climbing, then more down:


All down after getting into the trees:




The mustache boys:


Dinner at a burger joint in Hamilton, it's huge:


That night went to the annual geology kegger:


Day 8: Missoula
Didn't have much time for a ride today. So decided to check out a trail
that I considered my own personal trail growing up located near the
parents house. I have encountered more black bears than people on this
trail.

Photos of the first section of trail I ever built...a bit too steep, but has
lasted:

Looked like someone had been using it, so I was surprised to find the
upper part overgrown.

Spur trail has several small fun jumps:


Lots of creek crossings on the main trail:


About half way up I got sick of climbing over downed trees and turned
around for a fast downhill:


Day 9: Missoula
trail status: Most likely will be closed to bikes, Lolo NF is revising travel plan
trail encounters: 1 large black bear
trail info: This trail is located near Missoula in an area that I call the
mini-Missions and has over 100 miles of wild single track. I'm
surprised more Missoula people don't bike this, I love the area and find
the trails are fun. Didn't have a lot of time to ride, but did about 12
miles with little climbing.



Had to cross a swinging bridge that was difficult to get the bike across
and the dog refused to walk on:


Trail:




Creek:


Fill the growler and slam some beers at Big Sky Brewery and then drive to Augusta.

Don't move to Montana:

[406]

Day 10: Augusta
View from camp:


We had the campground to ourselves, other than the black bear and cub. View of camp:


trail status: normal, Lewis and Clark NF travel plan is pretty bike friendly
trail encounters: 0
trail info: Today's trail climbed a gulch adjacent to the Bob Marshal
Wilderness. 16 mile out and back with about 1000 ft of climbing.

Starting in aspen trees:


To a large meadow:




And up over the pass. While having a snack about half way up the pass I
noticed that several areas of my rear tires sidewall were failing. Time
to turn around and hope for the best. I did not want to hike out 8
miles in bike shoes.




Very fast across the meadow:




Glad the tire lasted:


Dinner at:




Day 11: Great Falls
Visit with grandpa and find new tire.

Leaving the Rocky Mountain Front:


Pronghorn:


I was nervous that Great Falls wouldn't have any 29" tires and I would
have to cancel more rides and drive to Bozeman for a tire. But I bought
one of two at the one bike shop in Great Falls:


Outside Great Falls:


Stopped in Belt for $2 pints and a growler fill at the brewery:

[406]

Day 12: Lewistown
trail status: normal, Lewis and Clark NF travel plan is pretty bike
friendly
trail encounters: 0
trail info: A ride to an ice cave in a mountain range surrounded by
prairie. Can be a loop, but we did out and back. 12 miles with 2500
feet climb.

Climbing up:


To a nice view point:




Good spot for a piss:


More climbing to the tundra:






Ice cave:


Ride to the top for lunch:




Downhill time:






A scree section:


Drive to Beartooths:

[406]

Day 13: Cooke City
View from the RV in the morning:


The Beartooths require your A game and we were on D game, so we decided
against doing the abusive loop from the guide book or the huge shuttle
that I found on the maps and did a nice scenic ~8 mile ride from camp
that passed several lakes and had chunky and smooth sections of trail.






Lots of rocks to play on:






Cold swim back at camp:


Day 14: Yellowstone
Had planned to do a ride today, but everything hurt, so spent the day in
the parks and drove to Salt Lake.








Tatanka:


Tatanka crossing the river:


They swam the river because they knew I wanted to eat them:


Yellowstone NP idea of a bike trail, we didn't bother unloading the
bikes:






Grand Teton NP:




Day 15: I-15
The end.

I should add that Montana mtb alliance and IMBA are working to keep trails open to bikes.
http://www.montanamountainbikealliance.com/
http://www.imba.com

Thanks tone capone for the Bozeman trail info.

[SkiJunky05]

Wow. Awesome everything.

[tone capone]

Hell yeah man, looks like you had an awesome trip. I have some of the exact same photos of the lost cabin ride from a few years ago. Cold Smoke Ale in cans makes great riding beer, good to see you found some of those. That corral burger looks so damn good, I love that place. Wheat Montana on the other hand......

[Skipig25]

looks like an amazing trip. nice work

[ANort]

Damn.. nice TR..

[garuda]

great photos & TR. What creek is that with the waterfall on day 4?

[GiBo]

Damn nice.

[monkeywrenchMoose]

I love Montana riding. Keep up the Montana TRs everybody.

There are some amazing photos in here. Out of curiosity, what camera are you using?

[stapes]

Nicely done man. Looks like a blast.

I want that buffalo burger

[axebiker]

EPIC TR! Well done!! I need to make a trip west to ride some time.

[GBB]

maybe i should make it out to montucky sometime.
well done!

[panchosdad]

Wow, we were just in Montana doing a very similar trip, although I think the only trail we rode in common was Tahepia Lake. My wife even had a brand new Turner as well. Wanted to do the Italian Peaks ride (that was your first?), but never made it quite that far. Managed to do Mile Creek, Pika Point, Helena ridge, Tahepia, Curly Lake, Bangtail divide and Portal to Porcupine. Amazing single track everywhere, and I think we saw four mt. bikers on our whole trip.

Got to get some lobbying done while it's all still fresh.

[Dantheman]

That was an all time TR, insanely jealous.

[mtcham]

Now that is one hell of a road trip! Great TR.

[AKbruin]

Great TR. Lots of great photos, but my favorite is the scenic pissing one.

[rockcreek]

great photos & TR. What creek is that with the waterfall on day 4?

west fork of the gallatin river? the trail looks a lot like buck ridge to Ousel falls. darn purty

[mtskier]

done right. hopeful pm sent.