You would think after
30 Days of Biking, I would spend the next week doing something other than sitting on a saddle and peddling in circles, but couch surfing and trail running would have to wait until I finished another class and a weekend riding in Montana.
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| Montana - quiet roads & amazing views - under the Big Sky |
Coincidentally, the annual Max Testa Festa was on May 1st to celebrate our season of indoor training. Although I had thrown myself a 30 Days of Biking party the night before, I wasn't turning down another reason to celebrate. The food was perfect (kale salad, veggie curry, fresh fruit) and the company even better (including a few
BMC riders and other celebrity athletes) making for an enjoyable evening. I had a few beers with my classmates as we made plans for rides this summer.
The next night was our last (and toughest) training class. Max had combined a bit of everything into 90 minutes, almost as if he didn't want us to forget the pain he can inflict. Tradition can't be broken, so a few of us stuck around for a celebration drink. My body was definitely confused and not sure if it could relax and prepare for the next party or needed to be alert for more riding.
We headed to Montana late Friday, so I took a 2nd day off and my body was appreciative. We hadn't traveled (for pleasure) since our
back-to-back weekends to Butte in early November, and it was relaxing to spend some time on the road. As we drove north, the temps dropped and it started raining, but the weather was offset by beautiful Montana views.
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| Montana - farming & ranching - under the Big Sky |
We woke to wet roads and freezing temps, but at least there wasn't fresh snow. We visited with Terry's parents and Grandma over breakfast, watched the Giro d'Italia, and waited for the sun to dry things out.
I promise I'll get to the bison story soon, but speaking of the Giro,
bookmark this website. The
Manual for Speed team is following the Giro across Italy and giving their readers a unique view that focuses on the country more than the race results. Their photos and experiences capture the culture and beauty and make me want to
move back.
Around 10, we finally made a decision to drive into Bozeman for a
Gallatin Valley ride then have
dinner and walk around town. Terry's Dad joined us and we went slow
since he hadn't been riding much, which worked well for picture stops since it was absolutely gorgeous
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| Father and Son |
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| Terry taking a picture of me taking a picture |
No matter the weather, Montana lives up to its "Big Sky Country" nickname. Just like Italy, I can definitely
see ourselves living here someday. We rode for several hours, then had
pizza at
MacKenzie
River, a porter at
Bozeman Brewing taste room, then stopped at
the
Co-op
for dessert before driving back to Big Sky.
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| Gooch Hill Rd Views - Big Sky Country |
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| Turnaround Point - Yellowstone Park |
We figured with a tailwind and some downhill
sections, we would make good time. That was the case until we saw about 5
bison in the middle of the road walking our way. When we lived in
Billings and had the tandem, we rode in Yellowstone several weekends a month.
We had a few encounters with bison, the most memorable being a park
ranger telling us to jump in his truck since he didn't like the way they were
acting further down the road so he could drive us thru the herd. In most cases, you could ride next to
a vehicle and get by without issue, but they are very unpredictable and huge, so we are always cautious.
Upon seeing "Bison on Road", we hit the brakes and talked about turning back.
There was a scenic road up ahead on the left and we could make it, but had
no idea if there were more bison coming that way. In that minute or so,
more bison emerged on the main road among the cars that had stopped/pulled over. A few were getting agitated and
sparring but kept moving toward us.
A car came out of the side road and they told us it was clear so we decided to go for it hoping there were other cars that could
protect us if needed. A few minutes later, we realized that wasn't the
best decision.
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| We were all smiles just a few minutes before the bison encounter |
We crept down the side road keeping eyes and ears forward and to the
right. The trees were thick so we could barely see the main road, but as
we rounded the bend it was obvious the large herd we saw on our way out was now
migrating to a new area. The first 5 were past
the scenic road turnout and moving forward, but that meant we couldn't retreat.
To our right, out on the main road, we could hear a steady stream of bison
hooves and snorts. And now, in front of us where the roads met, were several big
boys and they weren’t focused on moving forward. We were stuck!
We had no cars to hide behind so we held absolutely still and tried to
figure out an escape route if they came our way. We didn't have many options. The freezing cold
Madison
River and a couple trees were behind us, so we were in bad shape. There was only 1 car behind the stragglers but we couldn't get to it. Just when we thought being patient was the key, an impatient
driver was driving against the herd irritating them and pushing them our way! I moved to a new level of nervous while trying to become invisible by standing still and trying not to breathe.
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| Madison River |
The troublesome bison (that seemed to be growing larger by the second) turned right at us and started moving, albeit slowly. Oh bison patty, now what! We held our ground, hoping that they would redirect toward the herd. They stalled and seemed to be deciding where to go or maybe they heard us willing them to choose the main road. The one bringing up the rear literally started licking his rear, which was better than licking his lips at us. Being the vegan in the family, I would surely be spared, but I was now preparing to throw my beautiful road bike at them to slow them down.
Thankfully, the lead car that had been patiently sitting behind the herd for what seemed like an hour, but was probably only 10 minutes, nosed forward and to the right enough to gently corral the 3 bison back onto the main road. Thank you, Thank you! Now we just had to give them some time to get down the road and wait for Mr. Distracted to stop licking and join his buddies. The cars were slowly starting to follow the herd, so we also had the option to ride out the side road and stay on the left side of the main road protected by metal until we were in the clear. It didn't take long and as the last bison turned forward, we took off (without clipping in to stay quiet) and followed thru with our escape plan.
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| Side Road Viewpoint - almost free |
Off we rode, shaking our heads in amazement and keeping a very close eye out for any other stragglers. We were jumpy for the rest of the ride, but full of adrenaline and rode strong. We saw a few more bison off the road and a beautiful herd of healthy elk toward the finish, but had no road encounters and didn't feel like pulling off to take photos.
This will now be our most memorable biking with bison story and hopefully last. We had lunch and did some shopping at our favorite West Yellowstone shop
Free Heel & Wheel before heading home back to civilized Park City, where moose and deer roam and are a little more predictable.
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| Capturing our most memorable Yellowstone ride |
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