Montana GHOSTS

Day 28—Monday, Aug 29—Grasshopper Campground to dispersed camping on Medicine Lodge Road 

60 miles 

The first part of the day was still on the paved byway, a chilly but welcome downhill on the southern face of the ridge. This allowed me to add some easy miles—23 miles before lunch!  

Couldn’t figure out this contraption that dotted the landscape until I came upon the explainer about the "Beaverslide," invented in this county in 1908:

Oh, I see where I am going

Since I passed within a mile of Bannack State Park and the ghost town of Bannack, I spent about 90 minutes walking thru these old buildings. The town emerged from an 1862 gold strike and mushroomed to 3000 people in 1863 and was one of the largest towns in MT at that time. However, the 1864 territorial deducting made the town less important. The state finally took control of the entire town in the 1980s after the last two sisters living there moved on. Fascinating place. 

Masonic lodge

"How many bushels in a peck?"

Hotel Meade: exterior and interior entryway

Belly to the bar...reflection in wavy mirror (the jug is not mine)

From here I rode up on Bannack Bench, a raised meatloaf-type topographic configuration, and then descended to a town called Grants where I hoped to have a hot meal. Unfortunately, the restaurant didn’t open for several hours but the owner sold me a couple of cold cokes which I dispensed with while listening to loud talk radio bemoaning student loan forgiveness: enough, time to move on.

Bannack Bench

American Pastoral, Montana version

Medicine Lodge Road

Prior to this stop, I ran into T.J. Statt from Cincinnati who was trying to get to a dispersed campground 20 miles up a gravel road. So that was my aim.

Finally made it after an unfortunate flat tire four miles away from the campsite. Located in a creek valley, the sun was just disappearing behind the mountains, but I managed to get a sponge bath in the local creek which cooled me down.

T.J. retired at 47 and he and partner live in a van which is now parked in Denver as his partner prepares to fly to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago. They have solved the puzzle! They hiked the Appalachian Trail last year and are hiking the Pacific Crest Trail next year. Hats off to them.

Things were cooling down quickly with a good breeze so we made something of a dinner and then I got to enjoy my version of "retiring early" by retiring to my tent.

TJ was the first biker I had seen in days so it was good to have some companionship!

Another nice last view of the night from the tent