Messages

1

Rocky Mountain / Re: Vehicle parking near Missoula

« on: January 11, 2024, 04:15:22 pm »

I'd try a Warmshowers host. I live in Butte and have had several groups leave cars with me during their ride. If you want to start in Butte you could park at my house.

2

Routes / Re: GDMBR change in Thompson Park (MT)

« on: August 31, 2023, 08:34:45 am »

You'll still miss the trestle bridge and two tunnels

The tunnels and trestle are the 3 most interesting attractions of Thompson Park... why any suggested route would skip them is beyond me.
 

3

Routes / Re: GDMBR change in Thompson Park (MT)

« on: August 21, 2023, 10:51:05 am »

I wondered if the rest of the Milwaukee Trail (towards Butte) could also become part of the GDMBR. After leaving the Milwaukee Trail, you enter Janney Road  (northbound reference). It is a pity that there is no connection between Albany Avenue and Zella Drive (see red marker) because then you could have driven to the city via the very quiet Blacktail Loop. Cycling via Hwy 2 and MT-375 does not seem pleasant to me because both have no shoulder.

The Milwaukee railroad trail becomes private just beyond the Jon Gulch trailhead (north of Sagebrush Flats), so there's no public way to connect to Janney Road and you have to use Highway 2 below Sagebrush Flats.

A much better route (IMO) through Thompson Park southbound is to ride the railroad trail from Sagebrush Flats through both tunnels all the way to the Blacktail trestle (just for the view), then backtrack ~100m and ride Scout Ridge up to the Roosevelt Drive trailhead. Northbound, you'd ride to Roosevelt Trailhead, descend Scout Ridge, check out the trestle, then ride the railroad to Sagebrush Flats and join Hwy 2. I host a lot of GDMBR riders (100+ this year) and the Grading Camp trail receives a lot of complaints from people on loaded bikes. If you ride the rail trail and Scout Ridge you get to ride through 2 tunnels, visit the Blacktail trestle, and you get a gentler climb to the top. If you take Grading Camp you miss both tunnels and the trestle in exchange for a tougher climb and the chimney ruins, which aren't very remarkable compared to the other sites.

4

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: GD Section 2, Map A, I-15 Alternate, permanent tunnel closure. July 2021

« on: July 07, 2022, 01:07:32 pm »

Got word that the tunnel is now locked with a padlock. One group was able to go around the tunnel by hopping the fence onto the Interstate and hopping back onto the frontage road, but it involved some backtracking after they reached the tunnel closure.

5

General Discussion / Re: Warm Showers

« on: May 23, 2022, 01:05:13 pm »

I'm a regular host and infrequent guest on Warmshowers and I agree with all that dayjack says. It's a great resource full of great people, and you'll be exposed to many experiences beyond cycling.  I've made life-long friends because of Warmshowers. Don't let politics and the small fee ruin it... but that could be said for most things in life. 

6

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: GD Section 2, Map A, I-15 Alternate, permanent tunnel closure. July 2021

« on: May 18, 2022, 12:49:35 pm »

We rode through the tunnel this past weekend and is accessible to bicycles and smallish vehicles. There is one large pin to remove on each door but it's a piece of cake.

7

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: GD Section 2, Map A, I-15 Alternate, permanent tunnel closure. July 2021

« on: August 03, 2021, 12:57:46 pm »

I've received reports that the newly installed gate is not permanently welded closed, and that it can be opened by removing just one bolt. Riders are encouraged to use the other routes, but the tunnel is passable if riders are in a pinch.

8

Routes / Re: Idaho Hot Springs route and parking help

« on: June 21, 2021, 04:22:13 pm »

We left a car in Ketchum at the YMCA for 8 days following another rider's recommendation. The lot is owned by the city if you want to obtain permission, but we just left it without talking with anyone.

9

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: ID Hot Springs Main Map - Road closure due to construction. May 18 - early Sept.

« on: September 07, 2020, 09:44:45 pm »

A small fire blew up the day we left Atlanta and we had some smoke that morning, but otherwise the air was great. It seemed to clear out just as we started and stayed good the entire week.

10

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: ID Hot Springs Main Map - Road closure due to construction. May 18 - early Sept.

« on: September 06, 2020, 10:40:27 pm »

We sure did. The road was supposed to officially open at 6pm on Friday prior to the Labor Day weekend... we arrived around 3:30PM and they only had a few hundred feet of grading to finish.  We were waved through without any issue and I enjoyed a freshly watered virgin road to myself.

The entire trip was amazing. The climbs are huge and the sun was hot, but the rewards were plenty. I soaked in 14 hot springs in total. Each night concluded with a hot spring or shower before bed, which was sooooo nice after a sweaty ride. We did the southern loop counter-clockwise from Ketchum in 8 days with one layover day in Atlanta, which I would highly recommend. We took James Creek out of Atlanta rather than the single track option, and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. The grade was too steep to ride in places, but it's short and sweet. We topped out in the early morning 2 hours after leaving Atlanta. On the last day we rode 93 miles out all the way back to Ketchum. One of the highlights was descending Dollarhide Summit in the dark, and stopping in a well-lit deer camp to fix a flat. A group of drunken bow hunters hooked us up with Coors Light and a hot bowl of shrimp fettuccine Alfredo. I'll be back next year for the northern loop.

11

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: ID Hot Springs Main Map - Road closure due to construction. May 18 - early Sept.

« on: August 21, 2020, 09:47:26 am »

I got some clarification from the FS. Worswick closure area is not in effect, and Bowns area is closed with little enforcement presence after hours or on weekends.

12

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Re: ID Hot Springs Main Map - Road closure due to construction. May 18 - early Sept.

« on: August 19, 2020, 02:10:41 pm »

Any updates on the closure? We're planning to ride the southern route counter-clockwise starting next Friday at Ketchum, which would put us through the closure area on Labor Day weekend. I emailed the FS supervisor and he said the work was likely going to continue into September, but he didn't provide any details. Is it strictly a daytime closure as shown on the above map, or is it a permanent closure? I'd be fine waiting until after 6 if that's all it takes.

I'm also looking at detours that don't put us through Fairfield. One option is Trail 091 (Boardman Creek) up to FS 010. This would put us back at FS 227 near Five Points Campground, but to avoid the Worswick closure area we'd have to buckwhack up to FS 471D/471 and ride back to FS 227. Any thoughts on this detour? Would be 32 miles with 4000' vertical up, 3500' vertical down (compared with 12 miles and 650' vert on the main route).

13

Routes / Re: GDMBR--Basin to Butte

« on: March 19, 2020, 08:11:12 pm »

I don't recall that downhill section being too bad... it's well traveled FS road. The frontage road is mostly a gradual climb along Bison Creek following the abandoned rail bed. There is one climb and descent right out of Bernice, but otherwise a nice climb up to Elk Park. 

14

Routes / Re: GDMBR--Basin to Butte

« on: March 19, 2020, 12:02:47 pm »

Both I-15 Frontage and Lowland Creek are comfortable dirt roads. The frontage road is a little rockier but plenty passable, and the tunnel is a nice touch. Lowland Road is smooth FS road. I ride both routes as a loop from Elk Park on an old Bianchi Volpe with 37s, so you should tackle it just fine.