Simply getting back to the trail today nearly crushed us. Sure, we were wrapping up a 65 mile resupply run from the CDT to Wisdom. But it shouldn’t have been that bad.
Headwind, washboard, loose large gravel. Fresh grading of the road in progress. Loose soils. Ugh.
We sat down about 10 miles into the ride and felt like turning around and going back to Jackson. The rooms are not cheap there, though, and the weather is supposed to turn soon. It wasn’t really an option.
We observed that everything and everyone in the Big Hole valley seems to be tired. The lodge was run by tired people. The restaurants. The grocery in Wisdom. Even the patrons and guests. The thru-bikers and thru-hikers are definitely tired. It’s just a tired place.
Things improved when we got on a non-loose surface and began closing in on the CDT. We probably should have headed west from Jackson, on Miners Creek, skipping a good chunk of the trail. But we didn’t, and I was regretting it, right until we hit the big descent down to Miners. It was a blast! Freshly constructed with a wide bench, it was a bikepacker’s dream.
Waiting out first drizzla
From Miners it was a mere 2000′ climb on chunky trail. Luckily it strikes that nice balance between challenge and hike-a-bike, making for interesting climbing and giving you something to take your mind off how long the climb is. Eszter was riding all sorts of chunky things and steep ramps. It was looking good.
The last 500′ to the rock cliffed and percipitous pass was almost purely a hike-a-bike. It rained again on us, luckily just another drizzle. I pulled out my rain jacket this time, since it was late in the day.
The hike was hard work, and though the trail and scenery are incredible, it was hard to keep motivation high. We really needed a full rest day in Jackson, not a 36 mile resupply run. Montana is kicking our butts.
The descent from the pass was a hoot — for me. Eszter wasn’t feeling it and had to walk most of it. It’s a shame to have to slog through such beautiful country, but so it is. The trail and the towns are what they are. The weather is what it is, too.
We’re camped above the ‘Big Swamp’ drainage, super high for this part of Montana. The sheer rocks and steepness make a trail seem unlikely, and a rideable one even less so. It’s truly a special place to travel through, especially with a bike.
We have a number of 9000′ passes to cross in the morning, then a big drop into Idaho followed by a climb to Big Hole Pass and our first bailout to Wisdom. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that, but with energy limited and gnarly weather predicted, it may be an option we have to exercise.
Until then, I’m looking forward to more wilderness style, high alpine riding. And hoping for renewed energy in both our tired bodies.
You are almost done with the really grueling part. There is a lot of new, built to grade, and bike friendly trail ahead in the vicinity of Butte and beyond.