Day 15, 16 & 17 Lincoln, Mt to Butte, Mt

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 Day 15 Lincoln, Mt  to Helena, Mt. We rode 57 miles and had 2300 ft of elevation gain. Finally there was a break in the weather so we rolled out of Lincoln. The owners  were so nice for our three nights there. After all the rain the last 4 days we decided to take a secondary highway  to Helena.  We missed the Llama Ranch, which is supposed  to be a wonderful overnight for Great Divide  riders. We had one climb over the Divide that was much easier  on pavement. We are staying  in a campground that caters to Great Divide riders. We have hot showers, nice  tent pads, and a wonderful covered kitchen area. We should be back up on the trail in the morning.










Day 16 Helena, Mt to Basin, Mt. We rode 42 miles and had 4700 ft of elevation gain.  We left Helena with threats of scattered  thunderstorms. We had three big passes to climb each one a little higher. The first climb was 5 miles and got up to 6000 ft. The second climb was 8 miles and went up to 6700 ft. The third climb was 6 miles and went up to 7350 ft. The road got progressively  worse over each pass. After all the rain there were muddy spots  and large water ponds. The last climb we had to hike-a-bike about 3 miles  because it was so steep and rocky.  There were rumbles of thunder at the top of the second  pass with a little sprinkle. The last 5 miles into Basin more thunder and pouring rain. We were exhausted. In Basin they open  the town hall for Great Divide  riders to sleep in for $5. Great restaurant and bar next door.











Day 17 Basin,Mt to Butte,Mt We rode 35 miles and had 2500 ft of elevation gain. After a hardy  breakfast  in Basin we took off on a great packed road. After yesterday  we needed it. The weather today is sunny  but chilly. Doug's  brakes started acting  up, so he changed brake pads on the road. We had one pass to climb that gradually  went to the top at 7360 ft. We had planned to resupply  in Butte and get down the trail. Doug's  crank is making a ticking  noise so we are at a bike shop getting  his crank repaired. Short day, but maybe  we needed it after yesterday. We are stopping in Bute for the night. The last  picture is me waiting  patiently  for Doug's  bike to be done.















Comments

  1. AnonymousJuly 2, 2026 at 5:25 PM

    That trail does look horrible in that one picture! Nice to see some blue sky 😎 and nice to get a recap ~ thank you!! - Sharon

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJuly 2, 2026 at 6:10 PM

    Great to see you still smiling!!! Lisa M

    ReplyDelete

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