A View From Two Wheels

It was a struggle to get out of the tent in the morning on day 6. The overnight temperatures had dropped below freezing and inside the tent, our Enlightened Equipment sleeping quilts were keeping us nice and toasty. When we finally rustled out of the tent, the view was spectacular. We must have looked cold because our camp neighbors quickly offered to share their morning fire with us. We shared stories and they sent us on our way with soda and a bag of freshly picked huckleberries. After a small climb to start the ride, we began a long decent into Whitefish, where we stopped in town at Glacier Cyclery for a bike check and had minor work done. After a delicious burger and a couple errands, the shop gave us a call and we were on our way. The rest of the day was through relatively flat, mostly paved roads that zig-zagged through farmlands. We put in an extra effort knowing we had a house to stay in that night, thanks to a couple we had earlier contacted through Warm Showers. Chuck and Betty, cycling enthusiasts and our hosts, were awesome and went above and beyond to make our stay incredible. Not only were there showers, but a choice of places to sleep, including two different bedrooms, an RV on their driveway, or in a teepee! And to top it off they made us a huge dinner and breakfast. Chuck, also was kind enough to offer us a ride to the grocery store, saving us a long backtracking detour. Their kindness and generosity was amazing. After the trip to the store, and getting a great view of Seeley Lake from Chuck’s former work site with the Forest Service, we set out for a long day. It started with a pretty solid climb and then a rapid decent. This would continue through out the day with constant ups and downs through drainages. But it was nice to get back in the forest after the previous days ride through open farmland. We made it to Holland Lake just as the sun was setting, and the warm glow on the mountains created a stunning sight. After setting up camp and talking with a couple out on a bird watching adventure, we began cooking dinner, and soon our other camp neighbors offered us a couple beers and sweet potatoes. It was an amazing night and this was a wonderful treat. Even after many long days in the saddle and the exhaustion from the first week, it was easy to forget about all the hard parts and just be happy, and humbled by all the kindness and beauty we had experience along trail so far.

After the tough ride the previous day, we decided to take a lazy morning before heading out. We walked around Eureka and ate a giant breakfast at Cafe Jax. After consuming way too much food and coffee, we slowly sauntered back to our camp to pack up and set off. We began the ride with a nice 25 mile climb up Whitefish Divide and then descended through a valley strewn with fallen trees crushed by avalanche. Eventually, we made it to the last climb of the day, up to Red Meadow Lake. The ride got steep, slow, and just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse, it began to rain.  We finally found our campsite for the night and set about making camp. The rain finally stopped and our moods lifted as we ate dinner, drank whiskey, and looked up at the amazing stars as the clouds cleared in the night sky.

We are setting off on an adventure of epic proportions. 2,800 miles. 90% unpaved. 200,000 feet of elevation gain, 2 provinces, 5 states. Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells, NM. It’s called the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route.

Our vision and ultimate goal is the creation of a high quality photobook that documents our story as we meet the challenges this trip presents. According to adventurecycling.org, the GDMBR is rich in history. We will encounter ghost towns, deserted mines, and wagon routes. The route will also take us within the proximity of several national parks such as Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton. Our objective is to document this route in two parts. First, we will photograph the impact that development has on nature. The scars of mining, deforestation, abandoned buildings, as well as what nature has done to reclaim that which was once its own.

The second part focuses on our personal struggle as we ride the difficult 2,800 miles. The route is remote, long, and arduous and this is what will challenge us the most. It will be us against the elements, Man vs. Nature. Our personal triumphs and struggles, combined with spectacular photography of our surroundings, will be documented and crafted into a beautiful photo essay that gives an insight into this remote and rugged trail.