Llamas, Llamas Everywhere

 A few days ago we left Ovando where we spent the night in the hoosegow (jail) and a teepee. Different for sure but not recommended. Once is enough.

We left Ovando for Lincoln arriving mid-afternoon where we met a group of cyclists - maybe a dozen -  that were cycling from Whitefish to Butte. Nice guys, all friends with a wide range of ages (maybe 35 - 65) and abilities from all over the country. They undertake a trip like this every few years. They travel light with a support vehicle carrying their kit (tents, food, etc.) and picking up stragglers if necessary. A nice, challenging way to keep in touch.

Out of Lincoln we headed to the Llama Ranch. Yes, a ranch with Llamas. But so much more. The ride to the ranch included a 6+ mile climb at over 6 percent average on a road with loose gravel, small rocks about the size of a large fist and rutted with dried rivulets. Some of it was rideable but we endured an hour or two of hike-a-bike. Essentially pushing our bikes uphill. A not so pleasant experience. Upon reaching the climb’s summit we were treated to a long  descent much of it over similar terrain. If you want to get a sense of what it feels like to bounce down that kind of descent, think of being inside a can of paint in a mixing  machine at Home Depot. For 30 minutes or so. If you had loose fillings, they were long gone by the time the road smoothed out a bit. But it was worth it to get to the ranch.

The Llama Ranch is owned by Barb and Bill Nye. About a dozen or so years ago they noticed an increasing number of cyclists passing by their ranch  - where they raise or at least keep some llamas - looking for water and perhaps a place to camp. They struck upon the idea that not only would they provide those basics but they provide cold sodas and sandwiches along with some rudimentary but perfectly serviceable places to sleep (small cabins, a teepee (yes, another), drinking water, outdoor shower facility, and an outhouse  along with plenty of open space to pitch a tent. And the cost? Nothing, except a promise to ‘pay it forward’ in some way. The world needs more people’ like the Nyes.
It was a busy day at the ranch. There must have been upwards of 25’ cyclists staying there for the evening. It was like a meeting at the UN. There were cyclists from Switzerland, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, and of course, the US. The Nyes indicated that they host upwards of 600 cyclists per year (essentially May through September). It’s an exceptionally impressive effort that they put forth to be welcoming to people, most of whom they will never see again. The highlight of my stay there, though, was the night sky. There was no cloud cover and with the exception of a security light, no other ambient light except the stars. I woke up around 1:00 AM to see the Milky Way and thousands of stars simply lighting up the heavens. A truly magical and wondrous sight. I won’t try and wax lyrical about it as I could not do it justice; I’ll leave that to the poets. But it was awe inspiring. My reverie, though, was interrupted by the realization of why I was up at 1:00 AM - the call of nature. Off to the outhouse I went. The stars and the outhouse: the sublime and the prosaic. But then isn’t that life in short?

We left the Llama Ranch and headed to Helena. We had had a couple low mileage days but a day off was in order, so we took it. Helena is a nice, small city. Had some bike repairs performed - nothing serious- and took a boat ride to the Gates of the Rocky Mountains, so named by Merriwether Lewis as he paddled up the Missouri with the Corps of Discovery through some sandstone cliffs. Very interesting. If you ever get out this way, I highly recommend it.

We’re off towards Butte today (Friday, the 28th). The weather has moderated. Not so hot, at least the last few days, so all is good.  I’ll post again when I can