HEARTCYCLE BICYCLE TOURING CLUB
COAST TO COAST, THE NORTHERN TIER: YEAR 2
Dates:
Orientation: Saturday, September 9, 2017. Riding: Sunday, September 10 – Sunday,
September 24. Hotel accommodations are included for Sunday night September 24.
Leaders:
John Penick and Bob Raicer. SAGs: Carol Nies and Kathleen Schindler.
Miles:
Approximately 900 miles with approximately 40,000 vertical feet of climbing.
Rating:
Intermediate/Advanced. See below for daily mileages and elevation gain.
Riders:
34 plus leaders and SAGs
Price: Total: $2,480. $800 at Registration. Remainder due by 6/10/17.
Single Supplement registrations will only be accepted after 1/1/17 if space permits.
The Coast to Coast Ride Continues! Please join John Penick, Bob Raicer, Carol Nies and Kathleen
Schindler and the great cast from 2016 for the second leg of our planned four year journey across
the northern tier of the United States from the Pacific to the Atlantic. This year we will begin where
we ended in Missoula, MT and finish in Rapid City, SD.
During the initial registration period, participants from 2016 will be given priority to sign up for
this tour. Bike transportation to and from Denver will be provided as in the past for an additional
fee. Single supplements in addition to those from 2016 are limited due to hotel accommodations.
OVERVIEW
In 2016, we began on the shores of the Pacific in Astoria, OR and finished our adventure with a
climb over Lolo Pass into Missoula, MT. In 2017, we will begin in Missoula, cross the continental
divide into Helena, MT and then continue through Big Sky country before turning south into
Wyoming and passing through Yellowstone National Park. We will continue across northern
Wyoming crossing over the Big Horn Mountains. This will be the highest elevation (9,430 ft.) of our
journey. We finish our journey going through the Black Hills with a chance to see Mt Rushmore
before finishing in Rapid City, SD.
We will be going through some spectacular country on this year’s tour. We pass through multiple
ranges of the Rocky Mountains before ending on the western edge of the Great Plains in Rapid City.
The sparsely populated area of the US offers some wonderful riding. However, given the nature of
the terrain and the limited choices for accommodations, this will be the most difficult annual
segment of the multi-year cross-country tour. The tour includes four days of riding approximately
100 miles or more. There are two full rest days on this tour, the first at Chico Hot Springs & Spa and
the second in Sheridan, WY. We have a number of days with modest mileage as well to permit us to
relax and recover.
The hotels at both the start (Missoula) and the end (Rapid City) have complementary shuttles to
and from the city’s airport.
WHAT TO EXPECT
LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY This tour is rated as intermediate/advanced and we will ride an average of
76 miles per day, with four days of 100+ miles. Several days have moderate to steep climbing and
we will only have one day (Big Horn Mountains) with an elevation gain of approximately 8,000 feet
and with a maximum elevation of just over 9,300 feet. The total elevation gain for the tour will be
approximately 40,000 feet.
WEATHER September is typically dry and very pleasant with lots of blue skies and sunshine.
Typical high temperatures are in the upper 70’s and lows are in the low 40’s.
LODGING We will stay in very nice hotels and motels along our route and many of them will include
breakfast.
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
Day 0
Saturday 9 Sept. 2017
Missoula, MT
Our first night; we will meet at the Marriott Courtyard in Missoula, MT for an orientation meeting
and a get acquainted dinner beginning at 6 PM.
Day 1
Sunday 10 Sept. 2017
89 Miles
Missoula, MT to Deer Lodge, MT
Elevations: +6200 feet
-4900 feet
Gain
Loss
This leg of the tour will parallel I90 with some riding on the interstate as necessary. Deer Lodge is
home to the Grant-Kohrs Ranch NHS, a 1,600+ acre working ranch which is part of the National
Park Service. We will be staying at the Big Sky Inn.
Day 2
Monday 11 Sept. 2017
56 Miles
Deer Lodge, MT to Helena, MT
Elevations: +2300 feet
-2750 feet
We cross the continental divide going over Roger’s Pass (5610 elevation) and into Helena,
Montana’s state capitol. Over $3B of gold was mined out of the earth in Helena in the 1800s and
the city features many Victorian architecture buildings downtown from that era. Helena was the
birthplace of singers Charlie Pride and Colin Meloy and the writer Stephen Ambrose. We will stay
at the Holiday Inn downtown.
Day 3
Tuesday 12 Sept. 2017
99 Miles
Helena, MT to Bozeman, MT
Elevations: +2000 feet
-1350 feet
We leave Helena and head south with the Elkhorn Mountains on our right and the Belt Mountains
on our left. We will cross the Missouri river on our way to Bozeman. We stay at the C’mon Inn just
outside of Bozeman.
Day 4
Wednesday 13 Sept. 2017
50 Miles
Bozeman, MT to Pray, MT
Elevations: +2200 feet
-2000 feet
We head east crossing over Bozeman Pass (5,750 elevation) the dividing point between the Bridger
and Gallatin Range. We enter Livingston, MT ant then turn south following the Yellowstone River
before ending the day in Chico Hot Springs and Spa in Pray, MT.
Day 5
Thursday 14 Sept. 2017
Rest Day
Chico Hot Springs (Pray, MT)
Day 6
Friday 15 Sept. 2017
35 Miles
Pray, MT to Gardiner, MT
Elevations: +650 feet
-400 feet
Today we have a short ride from Chico Hot Springs to Gardiner, MT just outside the north entrance
to Yellowstone National Park. We will be staying at the Comfort Inn. Those daring individuals may
wish to ride an additional 12 miles round trip to Mammoth Hot Springs inside Yellowstone National
Park. Remember to bring your parks pass!!!
Day 7
Saturday 16 Sept. 2017
111 Miles
Gardiner, MT to East Yellowstone, WY
Elevations: +5000 feet
-4700 feet
A day to remember, as we will be riding through Yellowstone National Park. We will pass
Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris Geyser Basin, and Yellowstone Lake before exiting the east entrance
and ending our day at the Yellowstone Valley Inn. A monumental day in many ways! The last 39
miles are downhill!!!
Day 8
Sunday 17 Sept. 2017
20 Miles
East Yellowstone, WY to Cody, WY
Elevations: +420 feet
-990 feet
After a leisurely start to the day, we will take a short, mostly downhill ride into Cody. We stay at the
Holiday Inn. We will have the afternoon off to explore the town including the excellent museums.
The Buffalo Bill Center of the West web site (https://centerofthewest.org) provides quite a bit of
information about the museums.
Day 9
Monday 18 Sept. 2017
47 Miles
Cody, WY to Lovell, WY
Elevations: +380 feet
-1550 feet
We ride through rich farm and ranch land in the Shoshone River valley on our way to Lovell. We
stay at the Horseshoe Bend & Cattlemen’s Motels.
Day 10 Tuesday 19 Sept. 2017
99 Miles
Lovell, WY to Sheridan, WY
Elevations: +8160 feet
-8250 feet
This is another epic day which has some truly spectacular views not to be missed! We reach our
highest elevation of the tour as we crest the top of the Big Horn Mountains at 9,430 feet. The view
from there is awesome!! A “bump” at the start of the ride will be available for those who wish to
shorten the distance and elevation gain. We stay at the Holiday Inn in downtown Sheridan.
Day 11
Wednesday 20 Sept. 2017
Rest Day to explore Sheridan
Day 12
Thursday 21 Sept. 2017
108 Miles
Sheridan, WY
Sheridan, WY to Gillette, WY
Elevations: +4760 feet
-3950 feet
Get your cowboy hat and your boots on, we’re going to do some rop’in and rid’in today as we ride
through Wyoming cowboy country. We rest our weary bones at the Hampton Inn for the evening.
Yee Haw!!
Day 13
Friday 22 Sept. 2017
67 Miles
Gillette, WY to Sundance, WY
Elevations: +2700 feet
-2500 feet
We continue our journey eastward with views of Devils Tower National Monument (9 miles north
while riding through Carlile Junction) on our way to Sundance. We end our day at the Bear Lodge
Motel in downtown Sundance.
Day 14 Saturday 23 Sept. 2017
87 Miles
Sundance, WY to Custer, SD
Elevations: +5200 feet
-4600 feet
We leave Wyoming today and enter the Black Hills of South Dakota, ending in the town of Custer.
The more adventurous of us may wish to ride an additional 10 miles near the end of the day’s ride
to visit the Crazy Horse Memorial just outside of Custer. We stay at the Holiday Inn Express. A
group meal will be held this evening to celebrate the ending of our tour.
Day 15
Sunday 24 Sept. 2017
43 Miles
Custer, SD to Rapid City, SD
Elevations: +1600 feet
-3700 feet
Our final day is a special one with a visit to Mt Rushmore on our way to Rapid City. We will ride via
Custer State Park and the scenic Iron Mountain Road with its famous pig-tailed bridges and one lane
tunnels. We will stay at the Holiday Inn in downtown Rapid City. The hotel has a complementary
airport shuttle.
Detailed route maps, cue sheets and GPS files will be provided in advance to tour participants.
For further information about this tour, you can contact:
John Penick at [email protected]
Bob Raicer at [email protected].