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Wild West Route: Summer 2019

  • Writer: Todd Hunter
    Todd Hunter
  • Jul 4, 2019
  • 2 min read

Wild West Route: Summer 2019

Initially planning on spending 2 weeks along the GDMBR, my attention shifted when the Wild West Route was published this spring by Bikepacking Roots.  Comparing the two routes, I was drawn the to the wandering nature of the WWR Route through remote parts of Montana and Idaho, as compared to the relatively efficient North-South line of the GDMBR.  

This will be the longest bikepacking adventure I’ve undertaken, but with a daily mileage of around 60-80 on primarily forest service roads I am looking forward to a fairly relaxed pace as compared to the long suffer-fests of past winter races.  A huge thanks to Bikepacking Roots for the amazing route and all the resources that were created to help people like me get out there.


General Itinerary:

July 5th: 10:20 PM: AMTRAK Empire Builder : MSP to Whitefish MT July 6th: 8:59 PM: Arrive in Whitefish.  Assemble bike.  Camp at Whitefish Lake State Park July 7th: Bike to start of Wild West Route in Rooseville MT on Canadian Border: 76 mi July 8 – 12: Segment 1 of WWR : 303 miles July 13 – 18: Segment 2 of WWR: 350 miles July 19: Bike to Missoula MT : 65 miles July 20: Fly home.

Detailed Bike Itinerary with GPS Tracks/Route Links, Mileage, Resupplies, and Camping: Link * This is my customized set of data and files, which differs from the published Wild West Route slightly.

Garmin InReach Tracking: Link

Bike: 2017 Salsa Fargo 29″


Notable Gear: Light, but still comfortable…

  1. Big Agnes Fly Creek HV 1 Tent

  2. Big Agnes Q-Core SLX Sleeping Pad

  3. SP PD-8 Dynamo Hub w/Sinewave Revolution for charging

  4. 2 Relevate Designs Feedbags

  5. 2.25″ Vittoria Mezcal tubeless on SPANK Oozy 295 rims by Mill City Cycles

  6. Lone Peak Packs Seat Bag

  7. Frame Bag- made in my basement

  8. Garmin InReach Explorer+ GPS and Satellite Communicator w/iPhone backup

  9. 2 fork-mounted 4L Drybags on Blackburn Cargo Cages

  10. Revelate Designs Handlebar Bag

  11. 3L Camelback Mule backpack

  12. Bear Spray

Not Bringing:

  1. Cooking Equipment: Decided to forgo the stove, pot, and fuel setup.

  2. Water filter: The route follows rivers and creeks.  Do have iodine tablets.

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