Today we rode from the 4th of July Campground, 12km after Wise River, Montana, US to an Informal Campground 35km after Grant, Montana, US. Sunny weather with no clouds. Road conditions included a paved road section and gravel sections. Highlights of the day include the scenery change from mountains/forests to hills/sagebrush.

Riding statistics: on Monday, August 15, 2022, day 15 on the route, it took 09:59h (07:26h moving time), between 07:21 and 17:21, to cover 127 km (79 miles), including 1262 m (4141 ft) elevation gain, with an average speed of 17 km/h (11 mph), while reaching a maximum speed of 53 km/h (33 mph). During this ride the average temperature was 27 °C (81 °F) with a minimum of 2 °C (36 °F) and a maximum of 43 °C (109 °F).

Totals: So far, it took 4 days, 6 hours, 12 minutes, and 59 seconds of cycling time to cover 1430 km (889 miles), including 18447 m (60525 ft) elevation gain, with an average speed of 14.2 km/h (8.8 mph).

Like earlier days, we have set our alarm clocks to 6am. All five of us got up around the same time. We all appreciate the cooler morning to cycle. This morning it felt cold. We packed our gear, got our food, had breakfast together, filled up our water bottles and bladders at the pump (no filtering required this morning), and Anna and I were the first to leave the campground.

We had to ride in the shade of the mountains for the first hour, and our hands could not get warm. Fortunately, after that the sun got us warmed up quickly. Today included a long section on paved roads. Fortunately, most of it was a Scenic Byway and there was hardly any traffic. The easy road made the first climbs very easy, despite some steep sections. The downhills were even more fun. Because of the very good road surface we reached high top speeds.

After completing the uphill and downhill of today’s main pass and entering the Bannack area, the scenery changed forest mountains and streams, to hills covered with only sagebrush and many cows. Not much later we also turned of onto a gravel road. Meanwhile the temperature had increased a lot and it was hot. This morning we had filled up all our water bottles, however, during the day we used quite a bit of it, and we started to look for additional water. In this area there were not that many streams anymore. The few streams that we ran through cow country and looked dirty.

Around 12:30pm we had cycled about 95km (59 miles) and arrived at Grants Just an intersection with a few buildings. At the main intersection we saw a sign that showed camping, lodging, drinks, food, etc. That looked appealing and we decided to follow the sign and see what was available. We arrived at the Horse Prairie Stage Shop, a bar / accommodation. We were looking forward for a cold drink, but unfortunately, they did not open until 5pm. When checking the property, we did find a table and seats in the shadow, so we sat down, and used our own food and drinks. Better than nothing, and we were out of the sun for a while. After about 30 minutes, Roger arrived as well and joined us.

During the lunch break we decided that we would not wait until 5pm. Looking at the map, we concluded that we should probably cycle on until one of the next primitive campgrounds. The next town (Lima) would be over 60km (37 miles) away. We checked the premises to see if there was any spigot we could use, but no. We left with the three of us, in the intense heat, with less water than we wanted. Somehow, I had a hard time after the lunch break. I felt hot, my legs were complaining, and I noticed that I was worrying a bit about fresh water. Sure, there was enough water if it really was necessary, but so far it was not appealing.

After about 10km (6 miles) we crossed a stream that looked a bit better compared to the others we have seen in the afternoon. We used it to fill up all our bottles and bladders. This time we did not only use the Sawyer filter, but also added water purification tablets. Of course, that did not positively contribute to the taste of water. Now it tasted like a swimming pool, but at least it should be a bit safer to drink. Our filtering effort took a bit longer than Roger’s, so he decided to already move on. We would probably see him again on one of the next dispersed campgrounds.

After that short break, my legs had no interest in moving anymore. We decided to stop at the next informal campground, which was still 15km (9 miles) away. Around 5pm we arrived at the dispersed campground. There was nothing, only a field of grass, a stream, and a fire ring made from rocks. We pitched our tents, went inside, took a rest and cool off. My tent has openings at both sides, so the light breeze could go through it, which was nice to have. At certain moment we heard a loud noise. A fighter yet came through the valley that we were in, right over our tents. I had to cover my hears and even felt it pass by. After the first one, three more came, and each one see to fly a bit lower. Spectacular. After laying down in our tents for about 45 minutes, we now heard cyclists. It were Tom & Debby and they joined us on the campground. Together we ate dinner, chatted, enjoyed the scenery. Once the sun went behind the mountains, we cleaned up, hung our food in the only real tree that was close by, and went into our tents. We were all tired of the long day. Later we found out that Roger cycled all the way to Lima that evening. What a Bad Ass!

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