[Montana Rider]

I found last year during my Gallatin Crest overnight that I wasn't used to riding with the heavier pack, so I wanted to do a few more overnights this year in preparation for another multi-day bikepacking trip.

Curly Lake Highline is closed until July 16th, so I went for a quick shakedown bikepacking trip near that drainage while waiting for Friday.

 

[Montana Rider]

The ride up to Sailor Lake was rough two-track and the mosquitoes were out in force.

 

[Montana Rider]

After Sailor Lake the trail switches to STEEP singletrack dropping you off at Brannan Lakes where I hid from the 'squitoes in my tent.

 

[Montana Rider]

The next day I had plans to ride to Lost Cabin Lake -- which were thwarted by the North facing aspects of the trail being still COVERED in plenty of July snow.

I bushwacked up to the lake after abandoning my bike in a snowdrift approximately 1/2 way up from the trailhead.

The presence of all this late snow concerned me regarding Curly Highline conditions -- but from what I could see from the Lake, Curly seemed much drier.

 

[Montana Rider]

I car camped out next to the Curly Creek trailhead so I could get started early at moo-thirty. My legs were toast from the previous few days of hike-a-bike, so I did a lot of walking.

 

[Montana Rider]

As I passed the Devil's Slide shoulder I saw a few small snowfields.

I was traveling solo, and trying to be cautious about the exposure. The last push of the summit yielded the biggest and most frightening snowfield yet.

It was clear that folks had respected the trail closure -- I was going to get first tracks, but first I had to make it around this last exposed snowfield.

 

[Montana Rider]

I was grateful that I didn't have to push through THIS cornice!

I stopped to battle the 'squitoes and power down some food / drink while watching a mountain goat dance on the rocks on the ridgeline.

 

[Montana Rider]

Just one more tiny snowfield to navigate on the scree field and then it was all (well mostly) downhill...

 

[Montana Rider]

No pictures of the descent, but major highlight included:

Stick meet derailer
"Oh crap, will I need to break chain and run fixed?"
Flip derailer back around, what's this, my free-hub isn't turning?
Oh, there's a spoke stuck in there
Fold the broken spoke out of the way, loosen the derailer screw to keep the chain from falling back into the spokes and 10 miles of luscious singletrack...


Summer has finally arrived in Montana!