Day 39: August 13, 2024 - Jackson, MT, to Dillon, MT
End: Dillon, MT
Miles: 41.6
Feet climbing per mile: 53
Record of the day's ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/211525891
Before going to bed I tested the repair of the water bladder and found that it had failed, so I applied a thin strip of the waterproof tape made by Flex Tape that Sarah, a cyclist I met the previous day, had given me. In the morning I tested this second repair and wasn’t sure whether it was successful. At the end of the day it seemed that it had been.
Because I wasn’t sure how good the new repair was I thought it might make sense to not tension the bungee cords holding the water bladder and cold-weather biking clothing to the trunk bag as tight as usual. As a result those two items fell off the trunk bag almost as soon as I started riding. Fortunately that caused no damage. The two bungee cords are both gradually stretching out and are not easy to adjust depending on how much they are used to secure, so I’m going to investigate replacing them with either Infinity Tools or Voile straps.
The ride began with a gentle climb of about nine miles followed by a challenging climb of about 1.5 miles up to Big Hole Pass. If you zoom in you can see the beginning of the climb to the pass.
I made it to the top with a substantial amount of walking in the headwinds and cross winds.
I continued to be amazed at the wide open space.
After a long descent following the Big Hole Pass, I climbed to a second pass, again walking much of it due to the wind. I could see storms to my left and right and hoped they would not catch me.
Unfortunately that was not the case, and eventually it began to rain. Worse than the rain were the gusting cross winds I experienced as I descended from Badger Pass. I stopped at the first place I saw where I could find shelter.
The weather forecast said that the rain would stop in less than an hour, so I decided to wait it out rather than accept an offer of a ride from Larry, who takes care of Bike Walk Southwest Montana, where I would spend the night. Soon Val and Joe, who lived in the home, arrived and invited me inside to warm up. Val made me a mug of hot water and Joe offered to drive me to my destination. The weather report now said the rain would continue for another hour, so I accepted his offer.
When I arrived at my destination I found the resupply box that Lori had prepared and mailed and that Larry had delivered from his home. Not shown in the picture is a short-sleeve black wool t-shirt that was also in the box.
I had an outstanding dinner at the The Den that included a sirloin steak with green beans and a dessert of homemade cheesecake with huckleberrry compote. Afterwards Larry met me at the Bike Walk and gave me invaluable advice about where to stay for the next four days.
I’m spending two nights here sleeping indoors on a cot. It’s the perfect place for a rest day.
See all of my daily routes here: Cross Country 2024
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