Dillon to Wisdom, WY

Getting Wisdom

As we ride deeper and deeper into the hills, culture and lore of Montana, we’re experiencing more remote areas than ever before. Two looming hills were to greet Brian today, without any services between them, so the sag wagon needed to be punctual.

When we passed Brian after the first pass, he shouted "so soon?" a sarcastic or serious question I do not know….I was just happy to be there for him, although he felt strong and needed nothing. After a quick stop, Shelley and I proceeded to Jackson, the starting point for her bicycle ride today.

Immediately, a slim, middle-aged woman, Judy, asking if I’d like a free Internet connection, approached me! Seeing my stunned expression, she explained this town of 48 people, 58 dogs and too many coyotes to count had no radio or television service without satellite. The Internet was their connection to the world, and they liked to share it with the tourists who pass through this town, which is on the Lewis and Clark Trail.

It seems Lewis and Clark boiled an egg here in the mineral Hot Springs in 1806! The hot springs, 140 degrees at the surface, cool considerably as they reach the town’s junior Olympic size pool. Judy finagled a free dip for me…I loved simmering in the warm waters and tried to convince Brian to join me after we met for lunch. Concerned he wouldn’t want to mount a bike for his remaining 20 miles, he declined the invitation and merely watched as my muscles melted into jelly.

Brian and I, further exploring the town, came upon a delightful custom cowboy hat shop called Buffalo Gal Hat Company. The authentic decorations and unique structure caught our attention and the owner, Paula, speculated the building could have been a house of ill repute at one time! Later, in the town of Wisdom, I heard that Paula apprenticed under a woman who is in the Cowgirl Hall of Fame for her hat-making abilities! I wondered if any of the Rodeo Queen wannabes had their hats made here, and I got measured, just incase I decided to become a Montana Cowgirl!

Having met many of the residents and all of the shop owners in Jackson, Brian and I each went on our way toward Wisdom, town of 120. Shelley arriving several minutes before me, surveyed the town for camp sites, and found only the American Legion plot of land, which offered nothing but scary thoughts for me, as it was secluded and offered no services.

We proceeded to the Nez Perce Hotel, none of the 5 rooms were available so we asked for accommodation ideas. The resident manager, Wayne, doubled as the manager for the 8 local National Forest Facilities, which were all too far off the road for us. After I shared my fear as the lone campers at the American Legion site (perceived target for theft), he suggested we pull in behind the Antler Saloon & Pizza Parlor. My paranoia for crime perplexed him, and shook his head in disapproval as exclaimed to me that no one would steal our RV since: 1) didn’t have 4 wheel-drive, 2) it couldn’t be used in the 40 degree below zero winters 3) it couldn’t pull a snow-mobile or a boat. Embarrassed at my ‘city-mentality’ we decided to stay, at least ‘til dark, at the American Legion Park and then move to the Saloon to sleep if we felt uncomfortable.  Sixty seconds after our arrival at camp, a woman drove in to run her 2 dogs.  Happy dogs ran into the adjacent field, abounding with energy.

Within ten minutes of setting up camp, a lone cyclist on his own cross country trip along the Trans-America trail. pulled in, drawn by the "Cycle Across America" banner on the RV. Having retired at 45 and his wife at 40, they were living MY dream…exploring our country by whichever mode of transportation appealed to them, on bicycle, on foot or by RV. Of course I drilled him with many questions, his answers fueling my fantasies that soon Brian and I would ditch our conventional lives consisting of office cubicles and traffic reports!

He shared with us many other morsels of widsom…the pizza in town was wonderful, knowledge about the East Coast Greenway Alliance’s plans for a Maine to Florida bike route and details of the road ahead along Brian’s route. Needing to meet his wife in Missoula, he declined our offer to share our camp and this ‘wise’ man rode off, as I again wondered if fate played a role in his visit.