Where?

It's that time of year again. Plans are formulating. Where, where, where? State maps unfolded, peered over and towns, distances and mountain ranges are duly noted on a yellow pad. I sit my support crew down and throw out a few ideas for this year's bike tour. Luna The Wonder Pup is amenable always, but me side kick says, what would we do in Middleofnowhereville while you get ready for the tour? And, why am I picking you up in Godforsakenwastelandistan? And so it goes each year about this time.

But- by gawd, I love it. I replay last years tour in my head, scroll through the 100s of pics in Iphoto from the tour, conjure up (hands rubbing) some neat, new, beautiful place to go and always throw in one day (or two) of slogging and grinding up some unimaginably difficult mountain pass and I am in nirvana. Or at least I think I will be on the tour - right? Ah, sitting here writing this reminds me Buddha taught suffering as a noble truth. And my 20-20 hindsight view to last year's 'suffering' makes me indeed feel noble right now, but in reality, at the time, the Winchester Grade on highway US95 in Idaho was brutal! But ya gotta have a least one day when you hammer and suffer and curse and believe your death will be long, painful and no faster than two freakin' miles per hour. 

So- I hear the clan asking - whatcha thinking? Well... one thing I have learned is that riding in an area that is pleasant or, if I am lucky, even beautiful to behold sure is awesome. Last year, over Lolo pass was just darn spectacular. I've done rides in some pretty austere areas, my preference is... it's gotta have some scenery. My tentative plan is to do some riding in Montana. I believe it will be a Western Montana to South Central Montana extravaganza. Missoula to Bozeman is the plan, by way of a little 'feature' called Skalkaho Pass (looker upper). Woopie!

'She' cuts a nice remote path from Hamilton, MT across the Sapphire Mountains and ends up in the Flint Creek Valley by Phillipsburg, Montana. The pass tops out at 7,258 feet and has some long stretches of the road that are gravel. More woopie!

I'm thinking about 4-5 days with a total of 350 to 400 miles ought a do it. And... I may decide to do more camping this trip. But, as I have mentioned in the blog before, like staying in 1 star motor inns! 

So here is a sneak preview of some of the terrain.

So stay tuned. I know Luna the Wonder Pup and Mergatroid are waiting with bated breath. The former- stinky breath for sure and the latter - well, I'm sure she's breathing through gnashed teeth right now while reading all this. More, more, Woopie!!