Whitefish to Swan River I very much enjoyed my layover day in Whitefish. I did all the things I wanted to do: laundry, supply shopping, email checking and just exploring the town. Oh, and eating Mexican food. A lot of Mexican food. As a bonus, that night there was a “hootenanny” in the park as a benefit for local trails in Whitefish. Not one to miss a good hootenanny, I went down there to donate to the worthy cause. It was so fun—good music, good food (I had Mexican), little girls twirling around in front of the stage, and sunshine to enjoy it all in. In all, a successful rest day that my soul and butt needed! I awoke looking forward to ride day 8. The Whitefish state park is nice. they have a nice hiker/biker section complete with a Park tool bike clamp, ample charging outlets, bathrooms and showers, fresh water and friendly staff. About the only downside is a busy train track in the trees directly over your head. I don’t know how they made a track in the trees, but there it is. When I checked in, the park employee asked if I wanted ear plugs and I said “no thanks”. Every so often, I am grateful for being half deaf and a heavy sleeper. This was one of those times. I got on the road at the crack of 9 again. Try as I might, I’m stuck at 9. I’m not going to fight it at this point! I decided to go to Kalispell as I think I need a new filter for my water filter, and the REI there has one. Besides, the mileage wasn’t that much more. I used Apple Maps and chose the “bike” option, and was very happy with the route: quiet, smooth farm roads with very little traffic. Even some smooth gravel to remind me I was on a mountain bike. The miles rolled by easily, and it didnt take me long to get to REI and pick up my part. The next leg of the day was to get to Big Fork where I would join the proper GDMBR again. The route to Big Fork was slightly less peaceful—I had no choice but to to ride on a busy highway for a few miles—but I got to Big Fork intact and hungry. Big Fork is pretty awesome—think Sisters on a harbor. I passed several restaurants with waiting lines out front, then stumbled across a sign for “Garden Bar” and decided to poke my heads in and check it out. It was perfect! The “garden” part was an outside courtyard with a big maple tree in the middle and ample seating. I had a good burger and found a table near a power outlet—gold for bike touring! Properly fueled, I headed out toward Swan Lake. The roads were great—country roads with little traffic and views of the valley. I knew there was a significant climb ahead of me, and noted the road starting to tip up a little with each passing mile. The roads remained amazing, transitioning from paved to smooth gravel to pretty good gravel. The hill was surprisingly green with ferns, cedars, birch and fir trees creating a green shaded tunnel to ride through. As far as climbs go, this one was—dare I say—enjoyable. As always, what goes up must come down, and I enjoyed a pretty rowdy descent that seemed longer going down than coming up. The vegetation was still pretty thick, but I could catch occasional glimpses of the lake through the trees. I still didn’t have a solid idea where I was going to stay, but had seen a bridge across the river on google earth, so decided to check that out. The bridge turned out to be a great spot, with a trail access to the river, and ample spots to set up a tent. I picked a spot out of sight just downriver, and rinsed off my clothes and self prior to setting up my tent. After my now traditional evening tea, I gathered up my food and hung it from the bridge. This was my first “boondocking” camp of the trip, and it was really very nice. Boondocking to me means not an established site, and nothing resembling a toilet seat anywhere close. I write this under the stars next to a river in Montana. I am again flooded with gratitude at the wonder of it all, the simplicity, how I can feel so insignificant yet powerful at the same time. My only want is to have my love beside me to look at these same stars—if only for a moment. And chocolate. I really want some chocolate.