Day 11 Avon to Townsend 60.8 Miles – Through the Continental Divide

Lewis and Clark County, The Continental Divide where the water to the east runs to the Mississippi and water to the West runs into the Pacific.

Today’s Bicycle Ride took us up into the Northern Rocky Mountains through the McDonald Pass where we climbed to an elevation of 6325 feet in the rain.

McDonald Pass cycling in Montana

Avon, Montana

We started the day in pouring rain, although we stayed dry and comfortable with our Switchback Safety Yellow Illuminite Reflective Rain Jacket.  We were kept warm and dry with these highly visible cycling jackets.

The climb up was smooth as silk with a nice shoulder and minimal traffic. The climb was slow and steady. When we reached the top, the temperature was in the 30’s, and there was snow nearby. We could see our breath as we spoke. Our feet and gloves were soaking wet from the morning rain so we got cold as soon as we stopped climbing. It was 4 miles of climbing to reach the summit then we descended the other side enjoying a 12 mile descent that started out very steep with lots of wide curves.

Almost to the top…elevation 6356 feet.

At the end of the day, we had dinner at the local bar and grill.  We had spaghetti and meatballs to carbo load for our 100 mile bike ride tomorrow.  Thanks for the Hospitality Townsend, Montana.