Trip alert: another phab adventure

Hello hello to all who read some of our online diary of our Great Divide mountain bike ride of 2014!

Dark, damp Pacific Northwest months--shooey--they can be dangerous for dreamers and planners. Well, at least for us. We've spent lots of time reminiscing about our GDMBR trip, dreaming of travel, pondering bike packing in general, and, well... we've gone and done it again (or at least have it planned). If you're interested--we've begun a new trip (or maybe a life adventures) diary. It's pre-trip at this point--but you can check out (or subscribe to) to learn about what we're up to. Cheers! PH&AB   - http://phabadventures.blogspot.com/

Cool Stuff We Picked Up Along The Way

When you're on a bike out on the road (paved or otherwise) you have the luxury of perusing the landscape for treasures. A fork in the road (in the cutlery sense) must always be taken, mundane as it may seem. It's part of the the game. Here is what we picked up along the way.

Fork (Forest Road 888, Montana)

We were riding with Denis from MA when we came upon our first find. Just another fork to add to the collection.

Birkebeiner 2014 Finisher Toque

(Forest Road 903, Montana)

Also found while riding with Denis (it was the same day). I (Paul) would keep this even though I have never done Birkie--it's a nice hat--but someone took the time to write their name in it as well as their phone number (three times!). So it must be special to them. Thinking that my search of the internet would lead me to some Tour Divide racer I was surprised when I found that the owner, "Noah", is a 13-year-old who, besides riding the Divide with his dad and older brothers, has kayaked the circumference of Lake Superior--when he was 10! Lake Superior was also where one of Noah's brothers lost his hat and a stranger returned it. Must run in the family.

Leatherman Wave

(Holland Lake Road, Montana)

This find probably rivals my "best find ever" which is a 10-ball (from a pool table) that I found about halfway up a 6-mile, 6% grade climb to Waterville, Washington--how it came to a stop on the hill I will never know. Alaine spotted the Leatherman splayed (more or less like the photo) in the dirt road where it had been driven over by people on their way to Holland Lake Lodge. Nothing was bent, though. Leathermans are tough!

Blue Handkerchief

(Forest Road 4353, Montana)

Handkerchief might be too proper. More a rag that Alaine found up on top of Richmond Peak in the snow. Some Divide racer must have dropped it and we needed something to wipe chain grease off our fingers. The universe is good.

Wiha Screwdriver

(Forest Road 1878-D1, Montana) 

Another Alaine find. Considering that she found it on muddy, mosquito-infested, shitty-ass 1878-D1 (go ahead, ask me how I really feel about this rutted, bouldered, ATV-chewed road), she really deserved something a little better like maybe a magic genie in a bottle offering three wishes. Oh well. A find is a find, and this is a cool German made one.

The Key to Everything

(Medicine Lodge - Big Sheep Creek Backcountry Byway, Montana)

 Someone is ruing the day they lost this key. Found very near the county dump where a sign read, "PLEASE Put Animal Entrails & Parts Into Container." I found a brass lock the next day but didn't keep it--too heavy and The Key to Everything was foiled by the lock's combination.

 License Plate

(Highway 191, Wyoming)

Sadly, we didn't find anything in Idaho to pick up and actually road for several days in Wyoming before we came across this. What trip would be complete without a license plate?!

 Wyoming Game & Fish Department Magnetic Placard

(Big Sandy - Elkhorn Road, Wyoming)

Alaine and I had just finished chatting with a father and son from Lopez Island who were riding the Divide. They were just ahead of us (you could tell they really didn't want to ride with a couple on "Tour" bikes) and they totally missed this. That, or they didn't understand how the game works. Nevertheless, Alaine spotted it. For fun I'm going to mount it on the truck and drive around town, maybe go hassle the fishers at Maritime Heritage Park.

 Pronghorn Jawbone

(Great Basin, Wyoming)

Stopped for a photo and happened to look down. Very cool. It rode the rest of the trip mounted to the side of the front pannier.

 Spoon

(Highway 287, Wyoming)

Alaine was ahead--we weren't talking much. It had been, and was continuing to be, a hard day with thirtysomething mile per hour side and head winds. When I finally pulled alongside her to apologize (I had been being an un-understanding ass) she only said, "Did you get the spoon?"

 Yellow Shovel

(Poudre Canyon, Colorado)

Since we were close to the end of our trip and were done camping we had "donated" our poop shovel to the garden of the inn where we had spent the night. I guess we were a bit hasty because the universe tossed this one to us a few hours later. Crazy universe!

Callen's Double (Vail) Pass

Prologue - Sunday, August 10
Indeed, we are home! But, funny as it may sound, we've have had some issues with getting our last batch of photos uploaded. Finally, though, the second leg of our Colorado experience, a couple packed days and nights with Callen in and around Denver, is below.

But we did make it home... leaving Denver midday on Thursday with bikes dismantled and sardined into the back of the rental car. The drive (yes, drive... so strange after ~35 days in the saddle), northwest now, traversed upper Colorado, Wyoming (with, honest to god, at least 4 different coal train shipments within 2 hours), Montana--through reminiscent, expansive valleys and rolling-hilled ranges, with sights of the always smile-making grazing cattle and horses; we crossed rivers we'd not seen before, such as the Big Horn, Clark, Yellowstone, and others. And we looked in the distance with new understanding at thin, pale rivulets of dirt--roads heading off to somewhere, up and over...

As it got dark, we were disappointed to miss the views western Montana had to offer. The stars, though, and the near-full moon over the mountains of northen Idaho, Lake Coeur d'Alene--with its vivid memories of Haskins family time there--and into familiar eastern Washington territory, helped keep our spirits high. We (Paul, all of it but for 2 hours) drove nonstop except for a 25 minute nap after we crossed the Columbia River at Vantage. We made good time without stressing about it, with little traffic disruptions and no wildlife to alarm us besides a whole mess of Wyoming and Montana bugs that lost out to the frontend of the car, arriving in Everett, where our truck and welcoming smiles were waiting for us at Haven's (my sister). Before heading home, we stopped at my dad's to visit with him and Marie, ready with a late breakfast and lots of banter, followed by a jaunt to visit Paul's hops that he and my dad are collaborating on growing, and receiving an abundance of the farm's bounty: cabbage, eggplant, onions, tomatoes, potatoes for our empty pantry and refrigerator at home.

Home--and its own "bounty" of summer growth unchecked--was a happy sight to see. Who needs a nap? Not us. Must have been that we were energized by the "new" experience of being back, so we puttered with unpacking, some yard work, bringing up this and that memory of the trip as we rekindled our connection to normal life, yet still thinking ahead to the next adventures.

Wednesday, August 6
How strange, to be shuttled from point to point in this journey, instead of riding, but so it was on Tuesday morning, when our Loveland friends offered to get us to Denver.

We'd said our goodbyes to Maggie Monday after a mellow and chatty visit to bustling, post Ironman, downtown Boulder, followed by more chatting in the backyard of their son's home, where Maggie was minding Dwight the dog, and then some tooling around to see the community of Louisville, home of Gravity Brewing  (newish), with a great old town established feel to the community. Thank you, Maggie, for encouraging the detour!  And we said goodbye to Bill outside Callen's, bikes and gear on the walkway for a bit as we waited the few moments for Callen to finish up at work so he could take the rest if the day and the next to explore and get a great sense of his area in and beyond Denver. 

We didn't dally long before heading out, just time to store our bikes, get the tour of Callen's beautiful, spacious and welcoming condo, make some quick sandwiches for the road, and head out to Red Rocks  Amphitheater. I'd heard of it, of course, but never realized it was near Denver.

Fast moving, fluffy white to gray clouds gave us a temperature reprieve and some neat lighting as we walked around. The ampitheater proper was quickly off limits due to preparations for a concert that night, but that was fine, as we more wanted to trek around the park and get up high. Stunning place! Sure, we got caught in an afternoon rain storm, and a pretty heavy one, but it made no big difference to our exploring and conversation.

After, we bopped down to the little town of Morrison where Callen treated us to a rooftop(ish...we ducked in after we couldn't quite fully get undercover from the rain) late afternoon lunch and drinks with the red rock and foothills of the Rockies for a backdrop.

Turns out it wasn't just Callen treating us to the welcoming time! We got back to his place and he presented us with a card, pre-prepared by my sister Sharen, from all my sibs and my dad, congratulating us on our journey! They'd all pitched in to help wine and dine us and more while we were with Callen. Wow, so humbled. And then Callen plopped a couple of full "goodie bags" filled with various cool and useful  (and even kitschy, like the "Lets Ride" sunglasses!) bike stuff (he, being a longtime bike racer in this community, has quite the collection). Race shirts, bike jerseys, snack food for our drive back home, socks, water bottles... all brimming with fun.

The next day we loaded our "unloaded" bikes onto and into Callen's car for one last ride and drove up I-70 (the road that leads to all the ski areas...) to Frisco where we took the bike path to Vail. Callen described it as "beautiful" --and it was! Callen also thought it was about "18 miles one way," which sounded good to us-- a 36-mile ride, after not much cycling for nearly a week, seemed doable. And we were only 17 miles shy of a 1,500 mike total for the trip. But the ride from Frisco to Vail Pass, and then on to Vail proper...well, turned out to be closer to 28 miles each way. No worries, though! We added another 56 miles to the trip to break the 1,500 mark, popped back above 10,000 feet (twice) with some steady climbing, got our hearts beating strong again, and took in some gorgeous scenery. Even the afternoon rain on the downhill was refreshing, though a little cold. I have to add, though, that I did get a lot more wet and dirty than I anticipated, since Paul had taken off our fenders (front and back) in anticipation of breaking down the bikes for the drive home. I haven't ridden without fenders in forever! I'd forgotten how fast one can get a soggy bottom and splattered face!

Heading back in to Denver we enjoyed a pint at Great Divide Brewery (had to!) before ending up at The Ale House, affiliated with Breckenridge Brewery, for rooftop dining and more good conversation with a view of downtown. Overall, a great day to finish up a great ride, as well as celebrate our last night in Colorado. The sunset over the Rockies from Callen's balcony was beautiful. What a place!

Final ride day, Wednesday, August 6: 
56 miles, 12.3mph avg., 4:30 ride time
4,715' elevation gain

Note: we've so appreciated all who've followed us on this experience and effort. We've kept this "blog" for selfish reasons in many ways, not being great after-the-fact "scrap-bookers," but it's been heartwarming knowing others have been interested. So it served a dual purpose; Keeping up with diarying and pictures each day seemed the only way we'd ever have an account of the trip. Who has time once you get back to real life?! 

In any case, we'll probably be posting a few more things in the coming week or two--more for our own sake of having a full account--such as thoughts on gear, health, and, perhaps most interesting, our roadside finds!

Flora of the Divide

I didn't stop as often as I'd have liked, but either I stopped, or Paul did, to take pictures of the lovely flowers and plants throughout the territory of the ride. 

Swan River, Montana

At Clearwater Lake, Montana

at Richmond Peak, Montana

Stemple Pass, Montana

On the way to Butte, Montana

After Butte proper, in the Butte Watershed

Along the Wise River National Scenic Byway

at Bannack State Park

A long, long road in the Red Rock River Valley

Upper Lake, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana

Fish Creek Alternate, Idaho

Warm River Campground, Idaho

On the way to the Grassy Lake Reservoir, Wyoming

Buffalo Valley, Wyoming

Union Pass, Wyoming

On the way to Pinedale, Wyoming

Dumont Lake, Colorado

Loveland, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Red Rocks Amphitheater, Colorado

somewhere along the route