Though I managed to keep up on daily blog posts, I fell woefully behind on photos in Montana. No matter, I’m loving going back through them now. These start at West Yellowstone, where we waited out a couple days of rain, then finally hit our first section of Montanan CDT.
I loved the giant CDT blazes found only in MT
Oh Montana, you started out so nice and friendly.
You lured us in with gentle grades and big views.
And rain. At least the start of the state was consistent with the rest in that regard.
It seemed like all it ever did was rain in West Yellowstone. We managed to dodge several storms up on the divide, while the valley got hammered.
Switchbacks or fall-line? You choose.
Usually there isn’t such a choice.
We found new trail along the divide and climbing to Lionshead.
Switchback attacks meant it was 100% rideable, even bikepacking.
Though storms built there was no dampening our mood. This was some of the best riding on the entire CDT.
Cairn to cairn. Trail needs more use. Do you know how to bikepack? Get out there!
Unless you don’t like riding along cliff edges with huge views, and ground so soft and friendly you don’t even need a trail to follow. Just keep following the ridge.
Signs will show the way, occasionally too. We camped on a small ridge, which ended up being the only dry spot for miles around. No storms that night.
We woke up and continued riding through enchanted forest.
With trail supremely rideable.
Until the switchback challenge began. Then we rode between turns, and sometimes around them, too.
After cresting the shoulder of Targhee Peak, one of few times the CDT in Montana goes over 10,000 feet, the descent took us through wildflowers that rivaled Crested Butte in its prime.
Yep, like that.
And that.
49 switchbacks later we were back in the lowlands, and searching for traces of trail in the forest. It was fun, believe it or not.
Cranking the granny gear to Raynolds Pass. The clouds behind Eszter don’t look like much, but within the hour they gain enough moisture and energy to wreak havoc on… everything. The most powerful storm of the trip hit us here, with big hail and so much rain that the 2-track turned into a raging river. Wooo hoo!
Mr. Petervary, mid Fitzbarn race. He would go on that day to more rain and hail in the Centennial valley, ripping his derailleur off and rendering his bike unusable. He got a new bike to finish, but it cost him the race.
Column of rain to the left. Column of rain to the right.
It was cool to run into a bunch of bikepackers out racing, purely by happenstance.
Back on the divide in the Centennials, rejoining as the trail turned from 2-track to no-track. The beginning of the trail was doing well to keep people off it. But as we learned many times this summer, never judge a trail by its first mile.
This one got good. Real good. More supremely rideable and well graded singletrack climbing.
Replete with flowers, no less.
Perfectly manicured trail. How they got this to stay like this, so far in the backcountry, I’ll never know.
Getting into some Centennial goodness.
This view was completely unexpected and dropped my jaw.
The transition from smooth green hills to steep and eroded rock is sharp. I’m glad we were riding on the smooth side!
A huge sego lily!
After some miles of grassed over roads and bumpy meadows, good and well used singletrack took us to Aldous Lake.
Thanks Corey Biggers, and other mountain bikers!
The views when riding along the divide never get old.
The hike-a-bikes… well, they maybe do get old.
Dead chipmunk in spring. The search for water is on.
The divide is probably the worst place to put a trail for access to water.
The dreaded downhill hike-a-bike. I rode that entire section, but regretted it halfway down.
Fenceline riding. A huge relief from steep trail.
We’ve come so far. Little did we know what challenges remained…
A dirt road has never looked so good. Full focus is finally not required to ride. Ahhh…
Several days of incredible Montana riding, but the sign was appropriate. Montana was just beginning…
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