Epic Great Divide - Day 6

Sunday, July 12, 2026 – Day 6

Wayfarer State Park, Big Fork, MT to Cedar Creek State Park, MT

36.4 miles/58.6 kilometers

3225 feet/983 meters elevation gain

Primitive campground. Vault toilet, no showers but two streams nearby, no electricity, no potable water, and picnic table.

Elevation – 4475 feet

Today’s ride was quite enjoyable! Before we left, we saw off our “adopted” solo rider – John from Fort Collins, CO. He rode into our breakfast spot with his American flag knee socks, wished us well, and set off on his 80 or so mile trek.

On today’s route, there were also the 40 riders from the other five-day ACA organized ride. Two of them dropped water bottles along the route and I picked them up for them. I didn’t learn the name of the first rider but the second was John “with the handlebar mustache.” I estimate that I saved that guy a solid ten miles of back tracking to find his bottle!

When we arrived at the end of our route, our leader Richard told us that we were not able to get sites at the campground we were originally supposed to stay in. Instead, he found a campsite for veterans called Ponderosa Camp. Not only was there a shower and laundry machine, but also a kitchen and great dining hall! It was wonderful!

After we arrived, a whole bunch of kids showed up and entered the dining hall. They were accompanied by their parents and another couple from nearby. Turns out that they know the owner or manager of the Ponderosa site and were given permission to host a family party for their son whose 17th birthday was today. I met the mom, Nikole, and her neighbor friend, Connie, and learned not only that they were believers in Jesus, but they ran a ministry for pastors. On Connie’s property, she and her husband have cabins to host pastors and their families to vacation there to recharge. They were so nice! They took my contact info and said that they would pray for me for the next 60 days as I rode! Wow! Absolutely wonderful!

Tomorrow we have a similar route and riding conditions to our next destination, which again, is supposed to be a primitive campsite. If we are not able to get in there, we’ve been told to prepare to camp in any ol’ piece of forest that we find. It is possible, thus, that tomorrow I will have to use the trowel for an impromptu loo. Oy.

Okay, my stomach is not feeling so hot tonight after dinner … hoping that will pass by the morning. Need to catch up now and try to remember what we did the last two days. It’s amazing how much time setting up tents and hauling duffle bags across fields and finding showers or water or bathrooms takes! Plus, because there is electricity or wifi anywhere, we’re all keeping our phones off or on airplane mode. In one way that’s super frustrating but in another way, is awesome!

Goodnight for now from Cedar Creek, MT!

P.S. Just went outside and there is what is called an Alpine Glow. There was a rainbow for a brief moment but I missed it.