GDMBR Day 51

• Start: Ovando, MT

• Finish: Informal campsite in Flathead National Forest

• Miles: 86.9 miles

• Odometer: 2,358.2 miles

• Ascent: 7,500 feet

• Descent: 8,000 feet

• Location: https://share.garmin.com/Judice

My legs felt great today! It’s a wonder what yesterday’s easy riding day did for recovery. Today’s climb took me up to some treacherous singletrack that wound around the mountainside with a deadly steep drop off. One false move and I would’ve been a goner. That section was several miles long and beautiful. Even with the overcast clouds and fog hanging on the mountaintops, the scenery was spectacular and mystical and mysterious. 

I met retired Marine Corp officer veteran, Doug Collins, racing the Tour Divide to raise awareness for veteran suicides that are occurring at a rate of 22 suicides a day. Soft spoken with a determined look in his eye, Doug left an impression. He’s blogging at patrolforward.org and please consider supporting his mission. 

I was descending from the mountain and took a wrong turn. These long descents can be quite fast and intense. The dirt and gravel roads are often rutted and rocky and require careful attention. I guess I was just paying attention to the road and not my GPS because the wrong turn took me in the wrong direction requiring me to ride an extra 10 miles to get back on track.

I was not happy. I rarely fly off the handle but when I realized what I had done I began screaming at the top of my lungs, “You stupid fuck!” When I say screaming at the top of my lungs, I mean as loud as possible. I have never done that before. Usually I just murmur it to myself. And I screamed multiple times. What was that about?

Ten extra miles at the end of the day, especially when they involve climbing, can be frustrating. However, I gathered my wits and rode later than usual into the evening. I found a roadside campsite and pitched my tent. At about midnight I began hearing bloodcurdling howling that I am positive came from a nearby wolf. In Oregon I have heard many coyotes howl during the night, but this was quite different. I just knew this wolf was going to come eat me in my tent. I put on my glasses, grabbed my headlamp and put it on my chest inside my sleeping bag, and placed my right hand on my bear spray. And that’s how I fell asleep.

P.S. It was probably a coyote.