Day 4 was a much nicer day for riding. Not much rain, very little wind and comfortable temperatures. I enjoyed it! My route for this leg of the trip started in Kalispell, MT and wound through the Flathead Valley. Many of my stops for the day were located in small Montana towns off the beaten path. I know Montana is a large state, but you don't get a sense of how big it is until you are thinking about where the next gas stop will be. After a stop for breakfast at a small restaurant in Bigfork, MT, I was gassed and ready to ride.
My GPS unit has a neat feature that lets you select "curvy" roads. I used it for this leg and it didn't disappoint. A winding route through the Lewis and Clark National forrest took me to Helena, MT and beyond. From Helena I used an interstate for the first real time this trip to make my way down to Butte. I have tried to avoid interstate riding, but this leg had an actual destination (Eric's house) and I didn't want to be too late. More back roads into West Yellowstone, MT were fantastic!
I had been through the area around West Yellowstone before and decided to use the same route into the town. My route took me throughout the area known as Earthquake Lake. This lake was formed when an earthquake brought a bunch of the landslide down and formed an earthen dam. Pretty cool area. The highlight of the day happened on my way through this area when an RV I was following stopped suddenly. Anyone familiar with national park travels will know what that means - wildlife! I was not disappointed as a group of about 6 bighorn sheep sauntered by about 10 feet from me on the side of the road. No pictures (I was riding after all), unfortunately.
West Yellowstone is a very different town before the tourist season ramps up. It was kind of desolate and hadn't quite freshened up from what must have been a rough winter. I am sure they will get it put together. I had to stop at the park sign for an obligatory picture.
After leaving town, it was mostly smooth sailing into Rigby, ID for the night. I had to pull over and wait out a few storms. I have decided that if I see lightning, I am done! I still managed to pull in to Eric and Jodi's before 8.
All-in-all, a good ride. I am staying with them for the day so no riding on Wednesday. I am off Thursday on my way to Ely, NV. No interstates, of course.
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| Picture perfect day along Swam Lake south of Kalispell. |
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| One of the courthouse bonus pictures from Boulder, MT. |
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| Unbelievable beauty from the high plains to the west of Yellowstone. |
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| Looking upstream towards the earthen dam that holds back Earthquake Lake. |
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| Obligatory national park picture :) |
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