Scott Junker Rides the Great Divide
Journal #5
I last wrote from Whitefish four days ago and haven't been able to write since then as most of the 'towns' in this region are little more than a Mercantile/Post Office/Gas station and frequently don't even have a pay-phone much less an internet connection. For those of you who have been cajoled into joining this thing only recently the whole can be found at sundancecycles.com
I left Biff and Dustin after ensuring that they managed to find a fix for their busted hanger, the general sporting goods store happened to have spares. Dumb luck strikes again. Tony at Glacier Cyclery did the work after being ambushed with coffee and scones. I got a late start after a killer lunch and hit the road for the afternoon.
I got lost a couple of consecutive times, but wandered into Swan Lake around 7:00PM. In the campground there were a pair of Bobs in an empty spot but no bikes or riders, I scored a spot nearby and was instantly hassled by some old man for not paying, it turned out that he was the camp host. He was some kind of nut and was certainly not the right type of person to be a camp host.
I noticed that there were a guitar and bongo drum attached to the Bobs and knew that these had to be the couple who were on an open ended trip to the east coast. Soon after they got back I introduced myself and they were also accosted by the camp host.
It turns out that Liz and Nick are from Encinitas of all places, and Liz is a waitress at Las Olas and Nick is a waiter at the Beachgrass Cafe. We shared a site to save on fees but the camp host sent his harridan by again in the morning to collect his fees (which they insisted were $14 per adult). We confirmed with our neighbors that they were trying to triple charge us so we left post-haste.
You can keep up with Nick and Liz at http://folksonspokes.blogspot.com We all rode together on the road to Seeley Lake where a dip in the lake and a few Trout Slayer Ales put us in good cheer and sound sleep. In the morning we parted ways and I lit out for the town of Lincoln (I believe that this is where Lincoln Logs get their name as the entire region appears to be devoted to making log homes).
It started raining like mad and I rode the last 20 miles on the road and pitched camp in the town park. I used the rain as an excuse to eat a real meal at the Scapegoat Bar where I fell in with the social club of northern Montana and had a complete dinner of Taco soup, fried chicken, and a pile of tater tots with plenty of beer to wash it down.
We got the barmaiden tipsy. I passed right out upon hitting my sleeping bag and slept soundly through more rain. In the morning I met and breakfasted with my neighbor, Joe, a vacationing football coach from Billings. He made weak coffee for an ex-army football coach.
I rode the first half of the day on the trail and then jumped onto the road for the last spin into Helena where I met my parents for the best dinner of the trip and I get a full bed to sleep in tonight.
Tomorrow it's off to Butte off road, should be fun. On the equipment side my Bob fork keeps whacking the rear derailleur and the hanger is now thoroughly rubbery but I have a fresh one. Any tips?
No sore muscles but the rest of the motor aches.
sleep, ride, eat, repeat.
Scott
Overview of Scott Junker's Adventure
Other Events from Sundance Cycles
Serotta Demo Bikes Visited Sundance
The two Serotta Demo rides this past weekend were excellent. Many pictures from these rides will be displayed soon. Read the great review and see more images from the Serotta Demo day and Sundance Cycles, LLC Saturday Ride.
The 2006 Serotta demo fleet represented a wide cross-section of Serotta's product offerings. From the new, all-carbon MeiVici to the updated and refreshed Fierte line. Serotta
Shimano 06 Dura Ace 7801-SL Wheel Set - Shimano recently invited a select few “vip” retailers to Solvang for a three-day focus group to test their new 2006 Dura Ace SL wheels. More about Aj's adventure
AMGEN Tour of California Photos
Classic Climbs of the Giro - Article by Steve Dozier appeared in Roadie International
Trek Travel Party
Sorry you missed it. Check out the photos and information about Trek Travel.
