July 12 - Day 17

Beaver Dam Campground to Little Joe Campground (off Hwy 73),  37 miles, Average speed - 7.4

The day began as most with coffee and a warm camp fire to get us going. We immediately began our 6 mile climb of Fleecer Ridge. We have heard many of stories about Fleecer Ridge. This is where most of the Divide Ride racers dropped out as it was cover in snow, several feet of snow just weeks ago. We were fortunate that all of the snow was gone for us.

After the morning climb of about 5.5 miles we reached a meadow on the divide that you could see forever. Absolutely remote and beautiful! Numb Stuff asked where the final climb was and both Dirtbaby and Jiggless point left to a small track that lead up to the top of the ridge. Oops…. Straight up the hill. We spend about five minutes contemplating how far up the ridge we might be able to cycle up. Several days earlier we had met a man doing the ride on an off road motorcycle and we was unable to make the summit. Off we went….

                              we are at the bottom looking at the top. we need to ride up this.





As steep as the climb up was the downhill that met us was even steeper. All agreed that the downgrade was around 25%. All made it safely over and down Fleecer with Numb Stuff achieving a personal best of cycling up and down the entire ridge. Numb Stuff commented at the bottom of the ridge that the “ladies” we really no longer ladies but rather broads after accomplishing Fleecer. We had hit our highest elevation yet on Fleecer at 7,818…

We wound down a dirt road into the town of Wise River when a nasty headwind started up.  We met the support team, Debbie and Judy, for a much needed lunch at the Wise River Club. After lunch, we still had 20 more miles to cycle before hitting camp.  Jiggleless wasn't feeling up for much more headwind in granny gear peddling at 1 mph.  With her light weight, she felt like she was cycling in place!  So to make room for Jiggless' bike in the support vehicle, Debbie took her bike down, and decided she would cycle the last 20 miles to camp.  With that, “support” became “rider” and off went Numb Stuff, Dirtbaby and Debbie. A terrible head wind met us upon leaving the café and when Debbie said she didn't think she had never rode 20 miles, Dirtbaby commented you “picked a hell of a time to do it!”

Just outside of town on  hwy 73, we entered a 4 mile stretch of road work area.  As the lead car was guiding us via a newly paved black tar road, Debbie's bike got a flat tire. We tried to repair it but without success, and our spare tubes didn't fit Debbie's bike, so she was stuck.  I guess the lesson here is, make sure your bike is well tuned up before setting out… That being said, Debbie was kicking our butts in the headwind prior to this point, and we were sad to see her have to drop out so soon. Perhaps tomorrow…

Fortunately, when we got to the end of the construction area Numb Stuff saw Shawna Page, the wonderful foreman from Montana West.  Shawna offered to picked up Debbie in her truck to get her out of the contsruction zone area.  Shawna found Debbie walking on the road, and pulled her to saftey.  Shawna ended up driving Debbie the additional miles to Little Joe’s campground!   That was super sweet of Shawna and just another example of the good spirited people here in Montana!  Her family runs an outdoorsman company nearby also, and she knows the back roads out here very well.   Thanks again Shawna!

Dirtbaby and Numb Stuff pressed on to camp in the most unwanted head wind. It was slow going! However, along the way we had read of “Little Joe” and his family who settled in this part of Montana around 1880. It was hard living then, and life in this valley must have been a struggle. We went cycling along we were about to find the family gave site of little Joe.

The wind has died down now, and we are all now safely in “Little Joe’s” campsite.  It's a nice, clean campsite wth just a few spots for camping, and the pit toilets are well maintained.  Support crew had to scrounge around a bit and look for wood.

Later, it was all about preparing dinner, drinking spirits and beginning to plot tomorrows ride...

Oh, and yes, good spirits are always waiting for us when we arrive at camp (thanks to the support crew), and real Riedel glasses help the wine taste its best.  Spoiled?  Yes.  We know soon the support crew will leave us, so taking advantage of them while we have them is just plain good sense!