Today we rode from Seeley Lake, Montana, US to Lincoln, Montana, US. Clouded day with sometimes a bit of sun, 10 drops of rain. Road conditions included gravel roads, paved roads, jeep tracks, lots of washboarding. Highlights of the day include sceneries from the passes, changes in scenery between forests and farmland, clouds.

Riding statistics: on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, day 10 on the route, it took 10:16h (07:28h moving time), between 07:55 and 18:11, to cover 111 km (69 miles), including 1284 m (4213 ft) elevation gain, with an average speed of 15 km/h (9 mph), while reaching a maximum speed of 47 km/h (29 mph). During this ride the average temperature was 29 °C (84 °F) with a minimum of 16 °C (61 °F) and a maximum of 48 °C (118 °F).

Totals: So far, it took 2 days, 19 hours, 35 minutes, and 18 seconds of cycling time to cover 967 km (601 miles), including 11347 m (37230 ft) elevation gain, with an average speed of 14.5 km/h (9.0 mph).

We were awake again around 06:30am and started packing our gear and store everything on the bikes. We had a quick breakfast and left around 7.30. The US couple already left; the Dutch couple were making things ready to leave a little later as well. First, we had to cycle 4km (2,5 miles) to get back on the route. The detour to Seeley Lake was worth the little effort. Almost all morning we rode on nice gravel roads, through forests with beautiful views. We have seen many elk and cows along the way. The road went up and down, but all very well to ride. The bigger climbs would come in the afternoon.

Around 11:30am we reached Ovando. A small town, with hundred-year-old buildings nestled onto the beautiful valley floor between the Swan and Garnet mountains. It is a small community, living very much of visiting bikers (cyclists and motorcycles). The small town has a general store where we got some Huckleberry ice (which is apparently only available in certain parts of Montana). After enjoying our ice creams, and eating some more unhealthy food, we walked around to see the saloon, fishing store (with some bike parts), and checked out the wagon, teepee tent, and jail house, all in which you could sleep in as a cyclist passing by. After finishing our lunch break, we continued our way towards Lincoln.

The main pass for the afternoon was Huckleberry Pass (about 1200m / 2.000ft of elevation gain). It would involve quite some climbing but several people in Ovando informed us that it will not be too bad. It would be gradual and not too steep. All-in-all it was certainly doable. At times, the road condition was bad (very rough and rocky), and there were some steep sections as well. Because of the road surface, you sometimes must plot a route to take, to make sure you avoid the worst rocks, are able to keep balance, keep speed, etc. All in all, the route up to the top of Huckleberry Pass went well, and we were already hoping for a nice and speedy downhill.

Downhill it was, but very slow. The road was so rocky that we could not go any faster. Otherwise, it would become way too dangerous. To make it even more fun, there were two more uphill sections with each a distance over 2km (1.5 miles). After the two uphill sections, the road conditions got better, and we could enjoy a nice downhill. After some more gravel roads, we turned onto a paved road that would bring us to the town of Lincoln.

When entering town, we passed Spring Creek RV. We had decided to go to the Hooper Park (the local city park) to camp. To get to the Hooper Park we had to cycle all the way to the other side of town (about 2km / 1.5 miles down the main road). When arriving there, we saw other RV campers and wildlife, but the park did not look appealing to us for camping. We remembers the RV park upon entering town and decided to check our options. Anna made a call to the owner, and prices + facilities for bikers were nice. No need to doubt, we quickly cycled back to Spring Creek RV. A guy working in the garden told us that we could setup our tents in a nice garden, next to a very small, but beautiful, stream. Elk were walking around the property as well. We had a chat with three guys that had their RV because they worked close-by. After that we setup our tents, and once done, it was time for cleaning up. There was a small cabin on the property that contains general information, the WiFi access point, two toilets, and one shower. First Anna went for a shower. On her way to the cabin, the guy working in the garden said she could lock the whole cabin (and not just the shower). The guy had the idea that the three fellas matched the description of guys that were harassing ladies in the area. Only when Anna came back, she told me this story. After that I went for a shower and felt reborn.

Both cleaned up and hungry, we walked into the town center. We already knew where the bar was from our earlier ride through town. When arriving at the bar we already saw a familiar looking bike, it was Roger’s. He also arrived in Lincoln and stayed at a cheap motel. He also told us that he met Becky & Tom, a US couple. It turned out to be the couple that we have seen on the previous campground as well. Just as Roger had done, we ordered a burger with fries and something to drink. The burger was just meat on a bun. They did not serve any veggies. While chatting with Roger, there was a drunk man at the bar. He had a pile of bills on the bar which the waitress took money from each time she served a new beer. At one time he heard us talking about Ovando and did not agree the way we pronounced it. After dinner we went back to the RV park and got into our tents.

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