Heather Bikes

Today we rode from Bannack State Park to May Creek campground. The first 30 miles had a lot of climbing and there wasn’t any place to stop until we got to Jackson. We stopped at a really nice lodge and had a beer before continuing another 18 miles on to Wisdom, where we were thinking of staying.
I saw a couple who were touring on a tandem, going the opposite direction and stopped, applying sunscreen. I waved and continued on, and quickly realized that it was bug spray they were putting on as I looked down and saw 15 mosquitoes feasting on my leg. I haven’t been motivate to ride so fast in a while, trying to out pace those little fuckers.
We made it to Wisdom and stopped at the store, where we were told that the mosquitoes had come 4 days before and are a result of the town irrigating the land. They go away in August, but until then, the town sells ‘Big Hole Cologne,’ bug spray with up to 98% deet. It was pretty miserable being in that town with all those mosquitoes, so we decided to go another 18 miles to May Creek Campground.
I was pretty tired by then and we had a headwind and a bit of climbing ahead of us, on a wide open road with no shade. It was really beautiful, and when we got to the campground I was glad that we had pushed on. The campground in wisdom was right on the main road, with no shade or privacy. The campground at May Creek was beautiful, away from the road in the trees and they had running water and a bathroom.
The people in Montana, especially the drivers, have been so nice. They pass with a lot of room, and they don’t beep, even to say hello. A lot of times, drivers will beep as a way of encouraging a cyclist, but it can be annoying and distracting. Seems like there are a lot of cyclists who come through here and people really respect them.