55

Tuesday August 27         Cycling Day 45

 

      Three Forks (Mont) to Wade Lake (Mont)

Distance:  (Km). 145

Time:   7:00

Average Speed: (Km/ hr). 20.8

Ascent:  (m). 1421

Heart Rate: (beats / min).  120

Cumulative Distance:   (km). 4955

Cumulative Ascent :  (m). 41,454

Punctures so far : 2

A chilly start to the day although the sun was shining weakly as we set out on Highway 287 still and for most of the day as we headed due south, still at the Headwaters of the Missouri.

Today was more varied than yesterday though parts of it dragged for various reasons. But I just kept at it just like you, Oisin. We just keep on keepin’ on. We know that a bit of adversity taken in the right spirit just makes us stronger.

Early on we cycled along by the Jefferson River for almost 50 km, one of those rivers mentioned yesterday. Agriculture along here was more diverse and more interesting to look at, although still plenty of irrigation booms. And a bit of action in the fields with silage being cut and a bit of topping to be done to keep everything in control. And a few animals enjoying the lush grass at this time of year.

And the mountains made their presence felt again. Worth stopping to take a photo. 

Two major climbs in the morning before lunch. You know a long climb is coming up when there’s a pull-off to put on chains. The second one in particular was draining being 5km long and gradient varying between 5, 6 and 7%. Long but I rather got satisfaction from it. This climb brought us to an elevation of 1734m ASL and a great view. We were now passing from the Jefferson valley into the valley of the Madison River. An info board here gave the history of the Bozeman Trail that went over this pass. Better still was the sign indicating a 5 km descent equal to what we’d come up. Enjoyed that better.

Another 10 km brought me to a Welcome sign....Welcome to Ennis. I can’t figure out why that is followed by an exclamation mark. Surely there must be a connection. It’s a town of just 1000 inhabitants and markets itself as a centre of fly-fishing on the Madison. To find more info I went to the Town Hall and enquired. The people there weren’t aware of any Irish connection but gave me what they knew. In short, Gold was found here in 1860s and two people homesteaded the area, one of them being William Ennis. The old part of the town has a real Wild West feel to it, except cars tied up instead of horses. 

The morning so far had been a big improvement on yesterday in many ways. Lunch was just on the far side of Ennis and it marked the start of a change. The roads got straighter and flatter. With the building heat, the far distance shimmered. On and on it went. Shades of yesterday, but like Oisin, I just undertook to stick at it. The Madison River was on my right in a ravine but out of sight. At 115km I took a break for a sandwich and then pushed on again.

The road dropped to the level of the Madison and there the fly fishermen were busy. They fish for trout and I believe it is  catch-and-return. 

The hills came close again and reassured me that I was in the Rockies. This is high prairie at a level of 1700m ( just 5500feet). 

Ten km from camp it was a right turn onto a minor roughly tarred road which in time deteriorated to rough gravel and kept twisting and turning. I knew this was coming up. Speed dropped dramatically especially when the climbing started. Tomorrow morning we cycle back along this track so I didn’t mind the climb. All short steep steps. Then 1 km from camp it was all a steep downhill to the Wade Lake Campground. This will have to be faced in the morning! In a strange way, I preferred those last 10 km  than the 40 km after lunch. A matter of just keeping at it.

But a lovely view of the lake with that turquoise colouring. It’s almost a bush camp with drop toilets. I got the tent up quickly once I got in at 3:30 and headed down to the lake for a swim. As usual the hardest thing was going down the first time, after that it so refreshing.

Another one of the long days completed. A day of three parts.

Thank God for the health and thank God for the energy.