Had a good night sleep at the Community Center in Wise River. There were no breakfast options in this small town, so I had to rummage through my food bag. Dry granola would have to do. Ciaran found some instant espresso powder in the kitchen, so I had coffee for a change. One of the ladies had some tire issues and had run out of sealant. She by chance posted something about that on the GDMBR Facebook forum, and the Warm Showers host they stayed with in Butte, responded saying he would drive from Butte to Wise River to bring her more sealant. What a great community!
The ride to Bannack State Park was relatively easy compared to yesterday and would mostly be on paved roads. Yes, there still was another Divide crossing. Ciaran had left before me, so I would not see him until the end. Bannack State Park is mainly about the abandoned gold mining town that is remarkably well preserved. I arrived at the campground there and saw a large open area with lots of tents. I found a good spot in the middle and set up the tent to officially claim it. When I went to register and pay, I noticed a sign saying the whole area had been reserved for a group. Oops. I found a guy near his tent and asked, just to confirm. He was really nice and said it was a group of Montana based geologists having a yearly field trip. He said it was fine for me to stay where I was. He said that geologists are typically not the partying types, so noise should not be an issue. His name was Jeff and offered me a nice cold IPA beer from his cooler. 🍺
Found Marek at the only convenience store on the route
I went out to walk to the old Bannack town to see what it was all about. I met Ciaran, Peter, and Marek who had just finished the tour with a guide. I decided to just walk through it myself to take a few pictures. By European standards this place was not very remarkable, but it was very interesting to see it well preserved, since the building standards from that age was pretty shoddy. The hotel was mainly built from brick, which must have been very unusual back then. It is in such a remote location. The nature around the town was very lush and green, thanks to the stream nearby.
Marek, Peter, and Ciaran coming back from their tour.
Hanging my food bag in the tree.
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