Friday July 5th: Wisdom or …do I need it?

Sleeping in a forest is great … but not at 4.30 a.m. when the birds are waking up. Those creatures seem to have a lot to talk about: chitter and chatter all around us, until it got 6 am. I wonder why they stop at that time! It looked as if it was going to be a nice day again. Boss was debating whether to return to Missoula and get the Iron Monster ok. That seems logical but then what to do… take a plane to Jackson and not see Yellowstone? I guess she was also a bit afraid of the upcoming climb. At the very start I suddenly heard some crackling noise… That smart idea of having a radio while climbing – well, that doesn’t seem to work very well.  Out it went and back to the silence of the woods, the huffing of my woman and the occasional cars which drove by. At one point a deer jumped out on the road. Always a great view!  Slowly we got closer to our first pass of this year – 7 mile climb 5% is not that far or steep, but I can ensure you that my woman was happy to see the first top – Lost Trail Pass at the border of Montana and Idaho.

We needed to stay in Montana which resulted in an additional climb of mile to Chief Joseph Pass – the first continental divide crossing. 

It was now a slow downhill into Wisdom – taking us through forested land (another deer stood in the woods and got scared of us) and once passed the Big Hole Battlefield, along cow grazing lands. It was a ride where one had to keep his mouth shut – flies were trying to race us – we lost of course! Wisdom is a very small town with one grocery store (there are no stores the next 50 miles, the advertise) a post office a couple of houses and a bar and grill. That place was very busy and it has been the first time ever in America that food wasn’t rushed to you – on the contrary. 

Later in the afternoon a thunderstorm rolled in with the first rain drops but now the sun is out again and … the birds are beginning to do their chattering again.