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 Post subject: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:51 am 
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Favorite Trails: teh gnar
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:
Image

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Last edited by 406 on Thu Jul 27, 2017 3:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:52 am 
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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:
Image

Nice trail on the climb up:
Image

This was the first ride on my new bike.
Image

Image

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

Image

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:
Image

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

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

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Last edited by 406 on Thu Jul 27, 2017 3:07 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:53 am 
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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:
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Single track for the climb:
Image

Arrive at a very scenic lake:
Image

Goofing off at the lake:
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Image

Very fun downhill:
Image

Image

Clean bike and beer at the truck:
Image

View from the Grasshopper Inn and Restaurant:
Image

Very tasty steak from the cows down the road:
Image

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Last edited by 406 on Wed Mar 28, 2018 9:21 am, edited 3 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:54 am 
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Day 3: Bozeman
On the drive to Bozeman, we had lunch at:
Image

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:
Image

Image

Then it was time for a fast downhill:
Image

Image

All smiles at the end:
Image

Had dinner with the cousins at Pickle barrel.

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Last edited by 406 on Thu Jul 27, 2017 3:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:55 am 
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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:
Image

More Wheat Montana for lunch:
Image

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

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

Where is the single track downhill?:
Image

Found it:
Image

Image

Image

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

Image

Image

Down to the creek:
Image

Ending with a water fall:
Image

Our favorite, buffalo burgers from the Corral:
Image

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Last edited by 406 on Thu Jul 27, 2017 3:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:56 am 
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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:
Image

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

Image

Image

Image

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

The lake:
Image

Time for a fun downhill:
Image

Image

Image

Found a fun log:
Image

Image

View from the drive out:
Image

Outside Missoula at 80 mph:
Image

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Last edited by 406 on Wed Mar 28, 2018 9:22 am, edited 3 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:57 am 
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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:

Image

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 Post subject: Re: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:57 am 
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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:
Image

First part was through a burned area:
Image

The cuz:
Image

Next high scenic meadows:
Image

Some climbing, then more down:
Image

All down after getting into the trees:
Image

Image

The mustache boys:
Image

Dinner at a burger joint in Hamilton ( forgot name ), it's huge:
Image

That night went to the annual geology kegger:
Image

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 Post subject: Re: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:58 am 
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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:
Image
Looked like someone had been using it, so I was surprised to find the
upper part overgrown.

Spur trail has several small fun jumps:
Image

Lots of creek crossings on the main trail:
Image

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

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Last edited by 406 on Wed Mar 28, 2018 9:25 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:58 am 
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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.

Image

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

Trail:
Image

Image

Creek:
Image

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

Don't move to Montana:
Image

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Last edited by 406 on Wed Mar 28, 2018 9:27 am, edited 2 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:59 am 
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Day 10: Augusta
View from camp:
Image

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

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:
Image

To a large meadow:
Image

Image

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.
Image

Image

Very fast across the meadow:
Image

Image

Glad the tire lasted:
Image

Dinner at:
Image

Image

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Last edited by 406 on Wed Mar 28, 2018 9:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:00 am 
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Day 11: Great Falls
Visit with grandpa and find new tire.

Leaving the Rocky Mountain Front:
Image

Pronghorn:
Image

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:
Image

Outside Great Falls:
Image

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

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 Post subject: Re: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:00 am 
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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:
Image

To a nice view point:
Image

Image

Good spot for a piss:
Image

More climbing to the tundra:
Image

Image

Image

Ice cave:
Image

Ride to the top for lunch:
Image

Image

Downhill time:
Image

Image

Image

A scree section:
Image

Drive to Beartooths:
Image

Image

Image

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Last edited by 406 on Wed Mar 28, 2018 9:36 am, edited 2 times in total.

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 Post subject: Re: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:01 am 
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Day 13: Cooke City
View from the RV in the morning:
Image

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.
Image

Image

Image

Lots of rocks to play on:
Image

Image

Image

Cold swim back at camp:
Image

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Last edited by 406 on Wed Mar 28, 2018 9:40 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: TR:Montana Sampler
PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 8:01 am 
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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.
Image

Image

Image

Image

Tatanka:
Image

Tatanka crossing the river:
Image

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

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

Image

Image

Grand Teton NP:
Image

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Last edited by 406 on Wed Mar 28, 2018 9:41 am, edited 1 time in total.

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