Lost Trail Hot Springs to Wisdom 6-19-17. mike

We had stopped at the hot springs because it was at the base of Big climb. The Lost Trail Pass (7014 ft) and the Chief Joseph Pass (7241ft). Fortunately we didn’t lose any altitude between the first and the second. They are only a mile apart but on different roads so they count as two diff passes. Also the high plains here are already 5000 ft so not as bad as it sounds. 

When we got to the summit there was a rest stop and a bunch of people from Adventure Cycling had food stop set up for a ride they were doing up the same road. They saw us and treated us like family. Gave us food and drinks and the riders there had a million questions about our ride. The riders were only doing a 5 day ride around Montana, so they were quite impressed. 

Once over the passes we dropped in to a valley called The Big Hole. So named because of the mountains all the way around. The Big Hole river runs through the valley. There is a national monument in the valley for the Big Hole Battlefield where the US government ambushed the Nez Perce Indian camp and killed 90 people, including women and children. Quite a moving interpretive center there. 

Further down the road we came to the village of Wisdom. Gas station, 2 bars, c store and a really nice motel:) Yesssss. The valley is known to have really bad mosquitos for a certain time in the spring. Yep they do. To camp there would have been torture.