Lolo to Helena, The Great Divide and Lorna & Bill

I met Lorna and Bill at the Lolo Pass information center. We had a nice chat that started with questions about my bamboo bike and my tour in the U.S. and moved over to politics. Bill offered me water, as the water pipes were busted at the information center (i.e. chemical toilets) and Lorna found a great tasting snack bar for me to take with me. It lasted just one minute after they left.

Going towards Ovando, a good stop on tour divide (on the great divide of the Rocky Mountains) I meet Justin and David who began their tour in Calgary. They cycled to Banff and have been on the trail until they decided to get off the trail for a while. David is going home soon while Justin is planning to continue.

I arrived in Ovando late in the evening and decided to stay there. Ovando, a very cyclist friendly town. Has the old jail house, a tipi and a Shepard's hut for cyclists to stay over night. The hut was too hot, the jail occupied by two young cyclists and while having dinner, I met two other cyclists, Paula and Maurine, who I thought may want the tipi, so I set up my tent on the grass.

Turns out that Paula and Maurine are doing the great divide trail. Paula will go home from Helena while Maurine will be joined by another friend to continue the tour.

The next day I headed towards Helena. Just before the peak of MacDonald's pass (1900 meters / 6270 ft), a car stops just ahead of me. Lorna and Bill!! This time, after completing our previous conversation, they gave me bananas and power bars and one more of those yummy bars that Lorna gave me at Lolo pass.

Fireworks all around. Happy 4th of July.