Day 5: Staying with the Alpacas
Wednesday, June 23
Ovando to Alpaca Ranch
We planned our day based on Jeff’s, a northbound rider, recommendations to stay at an Alpaca ranch about 40 miles outside of Helena. We were excited for him as he is almost at the border! He offered us beer last night and good beta on what’s ahead.
The Stray Bullet cafe egg-forward breakfast and coffee was a nice start as we caught up on things with WIFI access. We were the only cyclists among a group of fly fishermen and a couple of locals.
We sweated out the switchbacks up Huckleberry pass. Clouds threatened us with a few sprinkles and we watched thunder clouds form as we biked into Lincoln where we had some Coke, Gatorade, ice cream and stocked up on snacks. The only real mud on this trip that coated our bikes was from the road out of Lincoln which was just sprayed to keep the dust down. Cows stared at us as we biked through the farmland towards the next big climb ahead. Stemple Pass was the kind of hike-a-bike climb where you lock your elbows as you fully lean into your bike to push it up the last couple of miles to the top. Once over the top, our hands were tired working the breaks, trying to moderate the speed on the steep downhill. It was our first Continental Divide crossing and we didn’t even get a sign to take a picture with.
As we descended into the valley, we immediately recognized our home for the night by the large white tee pee and a cyclist painted on the green roof. The property is fully setup to host GDMBR cyclists with a few well stocked cabins and plenty of outdoor seating. We visited with Barbara and her family while the dogs chased each other and the Alpacas strolled through the field and munched on grass. Barbara’s goal is to host 500 riders this year. Last year she only had about 200 but pre-covid her numbers were in the high 300. We were overwhelmed with their kindness and plan to pay it forward.
Stats:
5 north bound riders (NOBO)
7 southbound riders (SOBO)
Mileage: 61.3
Feet climbed: 4891
Cumulative mileage: 349.1
Published June 25, 2021