Today we cycled from the Tobacco River Campground to the Canadian border, and from there to the Stillwater Lake Campground on our way to Whitefish. The day was clouded. In the morning there was a partial blue sky in the east, but it did not reach us. We clouds, some rain, some hail, and some sun today. In the morning we rode paved roads to the border and Eureka. A little after Eureka we rode on gravel and double-track.
Riding statistics: on Sunday, June 16, 2024, day 47 on the route, it took 09:25h (06:39h moving time), between 6:58 and 4:24, to cover 96 km (60 miles), including 1054 m (3458 ft) elevation gain, with an average speed of 14.0 km/h (8.7 mph), while reaching a maximum speed of 44 km/h (27.3 mph). During this ride the average temperature was 11 °C (52 °F) with a minimum of 7 °C (45 °F) and a maximum of 19 °C (66 °F).
Totals: it took 12 days, 4 hours, 0 minutes, and 52 seconds of cycling time to cover 4242 km (2635 miles), including 46932 m (153984 ft) elevation gain, with an average speed of 14.8 km/h (9.2 mph).
We woke to a sky blanketed in clouds this morning, the air crisp but comfortable. Our first mission: ride to the Canadian border and officially complete the Western Wildlands Route. The journey was smooth, the landscape shifting from towering, pine-clad mountains to gentler, grassy slopes dotted with the occasional tree. On the far side of the valley, the peaks rose sharply again. The route through the valley felt familiar, I recognized every turn, every landmark, even the border station from my last visit.
At the border, we stopped for the obligatory photos, then ducked into the nearby bar to warm up and chat with fellow travelers. There, we met another cyclist, one of the riders who had set off on the Tour Divide just last Friday, the time trial mass start held every second Friday in June. He described brutal conditions: rain, snow, and relentless cold. We counted ourselves lucky, with mostly summer weather throughout our ride, save for two chilly days and the cooler temperatures we’d face on our final approach to the airport.
From the border, we pedaled into the small town of Eureka, a place that stirred fond memories. We grabbed a late breakfast at Subway and stocked up on groceries at the local supermarket before rolling out of town, following the same path as the Great Divide Route. Along the way, we met another Tour Divide rider, a wonderful guy who ran his own bike shop and rode a fantastic setup. We shared stories and enjoyed the camaraderie before our paths diverged onto a quiet off-road trail.
The riding was superb, the kind of remote, rugged path that makes bike-packing so rewarding. Just as we started scanning for a dispersed campsite, we stumbled upon Stillwater Lake Campground. It was perfect. No sooner had we set up camp than a friendly Canadian couple from near Calgary pulled in with their VW campervan. They invited us over for drinks, and we spent the evening swapping stories around their campfire until it was time to turn in.
Gallery
