"Now, where exactly are you cycling?"

...a friend asked. Actually, many have asked...

For the most part, when people have wondered about our trip, my response has been..., in a nutshell: "We're going to ride our bikes from Whitefish, Montana, to Colorado along part of the Great Divide Mt. Bike Route established by the Adventure Cycling Association, before heading off route east over Rocky Mountain National Park and Estes Park to Loveland, CO... to see the friends whose invitation inspired this whole bailiwick... and then to Denver to visit my brother. We'll be crossing the Continental Divide something like 15 times... nearly every day involves a steep hill --up and down.... And bears."  

Before delving into and researching this adventure, I'd have been like most anyone when hearing this, with a something like "Wow..." but not really grasping the geography or the effort. (Even still I can't grasp it!) Suffice to say, we'll be covering a lot of varied territory, encountering some fascinating US history/culture, and facing a good number of physical and mental challenges. And bears.

The route is mostly forest road, with some highway and rural roads mixed in when we pass through a town. And, yes, a LOT of uphill, but from Paul's mapping and comparing to local rides we've done (various Chuckanut rides, Galbraith, Pine Lake, Mt. Baker Highway), I think should be able to handle the elevation percentages and distances alright. Will my knuckles be able to handle the downhills, though, is the question! 

An abbreviated version of our day-by-day route is below, with some of the towns underlined. The "Galby" references are for quick comparison to our local training rides; that way I can be mentally prepared for the climb...  (Mental preparation is a good percentage of what I need.)

Date           Where to Where, mileage, end place; meals

Thur., 6/26   Amtrak to Whitefish, MT; Everett station, 2:30 - Whitefish, 4:30 am next day

Fri., 6/27     Whitefish to Big Fork via Swan River Xing, 43.8. Wayfairer SP/Flathead Lake - LD trail       

Sat., 6/28     Bigfork to Cedar Creek CG 36.5mi - Galby. Cedar Creek CG - BBig Fork; LD trail

Sun., 6/29    Cedar Creek CG to Clearwater Lake 47.2mi. Clearwater Lake primitive dispersed - BLD trail

Mon., 6/30   Clearwater Lake to Seeley Lake, MT 23.6mi. Lodge? Big Larch CG? - BL trail; D town

Tue., 7/01    Seeley Lk. to Big Nelson CG  (via Ovando) 43.1mi. - B town; L Ovando; Dtrail

Wed., 7/02   Big Nelson CG to Lincoln, MT - 22.1mi. Hotel Lincoln? CG outta town?  BL trail; D town;

Thur., 7/03   Lincoln to Helena NF. 29.2 "Galby". Helena NF Campsite, primitive - BLD trail (LD town, if)

Fri., 7/04      Helena NF to Helena, MT -. Jorgenson's room,  BL trail; D town

Sat., 7/05     Helena to Park Lake - 20mi "Galby". Park Lake 1mi off route - Btown; LD trail

Sun., 7/06    Park Lake to Butte (via Mormon Gulch), 59.4, "Galby". Copper King Mansion RM 

Mon., 7/07   Butte to Parker Creek,  47.3, FLEECER, "Galby"-Parker Creek dispersed - B-Butte; LDtrl

Tue., 7/08    Parker Creek CG to Elkhorn Hotsprings (via Wise River) 40, "Galby-ish".  BLtrail; D Elkhorn

Wed., 7/09   Elkhorn to Bannack SP - 27mi. Bannack SP CG - B Elkhorn; LD Trail

Thur., 7/10   Bannack SP to Morrison Lake Turn ~47mi. Morrison Lake primitive - BLD on trail

Fri., 7/11  Morrison Lk (via Lima)-Red Rock River~65, RRRdispersed [or Upper Lk.CG)-Btrl, Ltwn, Dtrl

Sat., 7/12    RRR(MT) to Big Springs, ID (via Mack's Inn) - 57. Big Springs USFS - BL trl ; Dtown

Sun., 7/13   Big Springs to Warm River CG, ID (via Fish Creek Alt.), 49 mi. Warm River USFS - BLD trail

Mon., 7/14  WRCG (ID) to JDR Mem'l Hwy Cmpg (WY) ~43. Sites on Snake R. -BLD trail (or... cafe)

Tue., 7/15    JDR Mem'l CG to Jackson Lake (WY)- 18. Colter Bay Village  cabin,  B trail; LD town,

Wed., 7/16   Day 2 Colter Bay - Lay Day! 1st Virgin Voice or Data. Colter Bay/Jackson Lake; BLD town

Thur., 7/17   Colter Bay to Togwotee Mt. (via Turpin Meadow CG) ~31. Angels USFS; Btwn; LDtrl

Fri., 7/18     Togwotee/Angels  -Warm Spring Creek Area (via Brooks Lake) 39.7. Primitive - BLD Trail

Sat., 7/19    Warm Spring Creek -Whiskey Grove CG - 41.3 from camp. Whiskey Grove USFS, BLD trail

Sun., 7/20    Whiskey Grove - Pinedale, WY ~31. Chambers House B&B.  B Trail; LD town

Mon., 7/21   Pinedale - Little Sandy Creek - 49.8mi. primitive camping; B at B&B; LD trail

Tue., 7/22    Little Sandy Crk-Sweetwater River Xing via Atlantic City -47.3. Prim/BLM camp; BLtrail; DAC

Wed., 7/23  Sweetwater River Xing to A&M Reservoir - GRT BASIN #1 -  69mi.  BLD trail

Thur., 7/24  A&M Res.-Rawlins, WY-GRT BASIN #2 - 57. 1st Choice Rawlins room- BLtrail; Dtwn

Fri., 7/25     Rawlins-Aspen Alley area (CO)- 53mi "Galby". Little Sandstone Crk (outhouse), Btwn; LD trl

Sat., 7/26    Aspen Alley-Steamboat Lake (via Columbine) ~50. Steamboat LK cg/Bridge Island -BLD trail

Sun., 7/27    Steamboat Lake -  Steamboat Springs. ~33mi - WS T&S/bed confirmed-  BL trail; D town;

Mon., 7/28   Day 2 Steamboat Springs - Lay day! BLD town

Tue., 7/29    Steamboat Springs - Lynx Pass Cmpgd - 39.3 mi. Lynx Pass USFS - B town; LD trail

Wed., 7/30   Lynx Pass - Kremmling, CO - ~39mi. ?? Hotel Easton? or? ; BL trail; D town

Thur., 7/31   Kremmling, CO  -  Granby or Grand Lake (WS?) -  Green Ridge CG? Or WS,  BLD town;

Fri., 8/01     Granby/Grand Lake (or?) to Rocky Mt. Nat'l Park/Estes -WS "A" /bed - confirmed, BLD trail

Sat., 8/02    Estes to Loveland, CO - 33mi, arrive earlyish (raison d'voyage). Casa Cassells 

Sun., 8/03     Loveland and points nearby? Casa Cassells

Mon., 8/04    Loveland and points nearby? Casa Cassells

Tue., 8/05     Loveland to Denver. Casa Callen

Wed, 8/06    Denver & points… Casa Callen

Thur., 8/07   dismantle bikes, pick up car, Herz Engelwood noon Thur. - return Everett by 11:29 am Fri.

Fri., 8/08     arrive Everett by 11:29 am - get truck from Haven's; go visit Ed/Snohomish

Sat., 8/09    drive Snohomish to Bellingham - Whew!

The train leaves 11 days from today; the riding begins in 12 days. Am I sleeping much? Hell no, not with all the random thoughts and to-dos going on in my mind!