Columbus, MT to Lovell, WY - New PR

6/24/26 - 92 miles - 7 hours seat time

There are a number of ways to navigate this sort of journey. One would be to just use the GART web site and work with Google Maps to sort of emulate that general track. I did this throughout Washington.

Another way is to use tracks provided on a GPS app on your phone or stand alone Garmin. The Rails to Trails Conservancy and the Adventure Bike Association made a set of GPS routes from St. Regis MT, and Lusk, Wy. I've been using those routes since halfway between Boseman and Missoula.

As mentioned previously, I've been trying to do at least 55 miles each day so I can be in Iowa for the beginning of RAGBRAI. Today was supposed to be the same. There are 3 hill climbs coming out of Columbus and they are about 50 miles apart. So do a hill climb, coast to the bottom, find a place to camp, sleep. Do it again.

Except my dad had called the last two days asking where I was in Wyoming.

So I started out with a climb again.

It's not Boseman, but it's still pretty.

I'm riding over the hill between Hwy 78 and Hwy 310 using Shane Creek Rd. The whole time I can here a small child yelling....'Shane....Come back!' But I keep going.

This owner of this ranch has a thing for.....tea kettles.

These are getting boring by now right? WRONG!

I drop down into Joliet and stop to have a fountain coke. Hot tip. Fountain drinks are almost always cheaper than bottled pop, and they taste better too. There was a short and Stop in Joliet for a fountain coke. I met Bunny and Poodle in Fromberg for lunch and a nap.

Bunny left Fromberg and hung out at the rest stop that was planned to be the overnight spot for the day. It wasn't a full 55 miles from Columbus, so we talked about her coming to get me and going back to the rest area together. A get to mile 55 and realize I still have legs, and the second hill isn't really a hill. Its a gentle climb and I'm sustaining 12-15mph going up the mild grade. So I call Bunny and ask her to catch me not to pick me up.....but to give me another cold bottle of electrolytes. Then I tell her to go to Lovell.....the next planned stop.

Still in Montana but I can see Wyoming from here.

Tail winds are making the slight up hill grade easy to ride. Then I'm over the top of the second hill and now I'm carrying 20+ MPH with very light effort. I get a phone call from my mom just before crossing the border into Wyoming. Montana rains on me very slightly as I leave. Sort of a goodbye wet kiss. I'll definately be back.

Finally in Wyoming

As I roll into Lovell proper, one of my pedals breaks, which will cause some minor trouble tomorrow.

So tail winds and multiple cold liquid stops is how you start out with the idea that you are going to ride 55 miles....and before you know it.....you've ridden 93 miles and broken a pedal.