Kurt Williams
Great Divide
Rooseville, MT
We found the coolest bar! After Whitefish we road through beautiful, picturess farm land and ended up in this small town called Ferndale. It was the end of the day so we stopped at the gas station to buy some food and eat. After eating, we got on the bikes and started scouting for a place to sleep. About a half mile down the street, we find this unique A-frame house but wait, that’s not a house, that’s a bar! It seems we had no choice, twist my arm, we have to stop in for a beer. We obviously don’t fit in at this place, but nonetheless, the people are friendly. The conversations are fun and a few people are interested in our trip, but most definitely think we are crazy for being on bikes in Grizzly territory. This worked out for us, because they insisted we sleep on the band stand in the back, a place that “grizzlies won’t bother us”. It was an awesome stay, I hope I can visit this place again someday. A genuine bar for the locals, is an experience I treasure in all my travels.A few more days went by of nice gravel roads and lofty passes, which brought us to my favorite part of the ride so far. The most amazing 5 mile downhill of single-track, so tight your handlebars barely fit. Every once in a while a drainage section would provide an awesome jump, which for me, with or without a loaded bike is mandatory to hit. I’m surprised I haven’t destroyed a wheel yet. I am putting this “bikepacking” set up through more that it is intended for. That’s alright, bikes and parts can be replaced, but an opportunity to get rad, can never be passed up. This trail shot us out into the town of Seely Lake.
This is a milestone for me, because it would be the first, but certainly not the last dugout I would sleep in. This is the perfect place to stealth camp. General rule is that if you are trying to sleep somewhere and you aren’t really allowed to do it, pick a public place, and act like you are in fact, allowed to do it. This is why the dugout is ideal, no one really owns it! Sam had given me the gift of being a dugout boy, a tattoo will soon follow!
Next day we parked ourselves on the side of road, stuck our thumbs out, and hitched a ride to Missoula for a much needed break, and a place to enjoy the fourth.
- IMAGES OF THE ROAD -
Kurt Williams
Gear List
- My Blackburn Gear -
- My Bike Specs -
- • FRAME-Salsa El Mariachi Frame size: M
- • CRANK-SRAM S1000, 26/39T, GXP (make, model, length, chainrings) BOTTOM BRACKET: SRAM GXP
- • SHIFTERS-SRAM X-7 Trigger
- • TIRES-Front Continental X-King Rear WTB Nano both Tubeless (front and rear, make, model and size)
- • STEM-Salsa
- • FORK-Salsa Fargo Forks
- • PEDALS-Cheap flat pedals with straps
- • BRAKES-Avid Elixir 5
- • SEAT POST-Salsa
- • HANDLEBAR-Salsa Pro Moto 2, Salsa Juegos de Fuegos (aerobars, grips, bartape, etc)
- • HEADSET-Cane Creek
- • CASSETTE-SRAM 12-36T
- • WHEELS-29”, Formula Hubs, Stans Arch: (size, hub, rim)
- • SADDLE-Brooks
- • SPARE PARTS-Chain, tubes, shifter cable, spare bolts, patches
Kurt Williams
- FROM: Jaffrey, New Hampshire
- DOB: 1986-02-11
- Single
- OCCUPATION: Dirt Bag
- What was the genesis moment or inspiration for your upcoming adventure? A few years ago I was touring through Central America and through the internet heard about the Great Divide Route. Since then I always wanted to do it, but it wasn’t until I ran across the Blackburn Ranger Program that I started to take it serious. I figured why not apply and see if it was meant to be.
- Have you traveled by bike in the past? I have, done a few shorter bike tours in Oregon. Then, one trip from Denver back to Portland, OR. My most ambitious trip was a few years ago when I biked from California through Central America to Panama, that was a pretty eye opening trip to see where a bike can take you.
- What is your goal for the route? To have fun with my buddy Sam!
- What do you hope to get out of this journey? I hope to successfully bike tour with climbing gear and to use the bicycle as a means to get to climbing locations. A climbing trip completely fueled by bike touring!
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What’s in my bag
1. Cat food alcohol stove - Always works, fuel is super easy to find in any location.
2. Giro long sleeve button up shirt - Super excited to have this, I’ve always bike with a casual shirt. Versatile and also makes you not look like a cyclist, which helps you connect with people along the route.
3. Blackburn Oversized Bottle Cages - Really happy to be using these prototypes! Forget the racks, use these!
4. Tobacco Pipe - For lookin’ cool.