DAY 13 - Double the fun and a bear

As mentioned in the last post we intended to do two days in one today. For those that don't know the route that we are following has a set of seven maps, including the Canadian section and a book which describes the route through the USA section only. When the route was first devised it went from the Canadian border to the Mexican border only. The Canadian section was added later and consequently the book was published before the Canadian section was added. The book has the USA section divided into 62 days. This does not allow for days off and as we have limited time, we need to get "ahead" whenever we can, today was one of these days.
So we left Seeley Lake early ready for a big day. The route started with a longish gradual climb with a nice descent and then a long flat section. We broke this up with a stop for a drink in a really cool little "town" called Orvando. The guy at the shop was super friendly and we talked for a while whilst admiring the shop's several mounted heads and furs. We chatted about our bear encounters etc.
After leaving Orvando we spent 20 minutes on a State Highway before turning off, back onto a gravel road. Not long after we turned off we were coasting down a wee hill when we came across a wee black bear crossing the road!!!! It was about 100m ahead so plenty of time to stop. We called out and it stopped in the middle of the road and looked at us. Then it trotted off to the trees at the side of the road, then up a hill stopping to watch us. I managed to get some photos this time. It was pretty exciting but knocked us back out of our complacency!!! We reckon he had just popped down to his "local" for a drink as he had crossed right by a stream.
We cruised along the flat through ranch country for another 45mins or so before stopping for lunch prior to taking on day two which began with a long steady 9km climb up Huckleberry Pass. The climb was long and hot but not too bad. (Photo below to right is looking down to where we had come from. That road is heading toward our lunch stop. A long way down!)We had seen very few people that day, but not far from the top two blokes on quad bikes past us going down. The second one just shook his head at me but gave Jo a big "you GO girl". After the pass we enjoyed a great downhill run finishing in the town of Lincoln. Lincoln has a famous son in the Unabomber, some geezer who sent a few letter bombs in the nineties. Not much in Lincoln. Stayed in the town campground. Another couple turned up on bikes so we had a chat to them. They are from near Boston and are doing a road tour around Montana.
Went and did a bit of shopping before cooking dinner and hitting the hay. Big day as it was our biggest climbing day yet!

DISTANCE: 103.7km
AVERAGE: 16.6kph
RIDE TIME: 6.15hr
ASCEND: 1255m