BICYCLE TOURS & MOUNTAIN BIKING

Big Sky Classic

In the Big Sky Classic, Timberline Adventures has captured the magic of Montana, and they've blended this magic with the fascination and excitement of Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks to create an extraordinary western adventure experience.

In the course of this Classic Adventure, explore Grand Teton and Yellowstone and then leave the parks for the solitude of the Big Sky Country of Montana. The Montana that you'll visit during the final six days of Big Sky is a land that is extraordinarily rich, not only in its unparalleled natural beauty, but also in its history and culture. In many ways, the story of the settlement of Montana is the story of settlement of the entire Rocky Mountain West. The hunger for precious metals and the booms and busts that attended their discovery; the inevitable conflicts triggered by the incursions of settlers onto sacred Indian lands; the emergence of the cattle industry and the cattle barons and cowboys who were the players in that saga — this legacy of Montana is yours to experience.

This program assembles in Jackson Hole and you'll cycle in the shadow of the Tetons on Day 1 into Grand Teton Park and on to Jackson Lake and an overnight at the grand Jackson Lake Lodge. Day 2, a layover day, is anything but a rest day because you're hiking to Lake Solitude, the quintessential day hike in all of the Tetons (14 miles).

On Day 3, cycle north through Grand Teton along Jackson Lake to the South Entrance of Yellowstone. Continue to Grant Village prior to an encounter with Craig Pass. From the Craig summit (8,262') at the Continental Divide, it's downhill to Old Faithful and a night at the Old Faithful Inn.

Early morning of Day 4, you'll cycle along the Firehole River to Madison, trace the Gibbon River beyond Gibbon Falls to the Norris Geyser Basin, and then ride across the park to Canyon Village. Following an overnight at Canyon, spend much of the next morning exploring the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone as you cycle along both the north and south rims. Late in the day, ride along the Madison River through the park's west gate for an evening in West Yellowstone.

The massive Madison Canyon earthquake of 1959 profoundly altered the appearance of portions of the Yellowstone Country. On your way to Ennis on Day 6, visit the Earthquake Interpretive Center and ride the shores of Quake Lake, a creation of that cataclysmic event. Climb from Ennis the following morning and then descend into the historic mining town of Virginia City. The downhill continues as you approach the Beaverhead River enroute to your overnight in Dillon.

A "hole" was the term used by early settlers to designate a valley, and much of the next two days belong to the magnificence of Montana's Big Hole. The Big Hole, ringed by the Pioneer Mountains to the east and the Bitterroots to the west, is the heart of Montana's cattle country. Two moderate passes, Badger (6,760') and Big Hole (7,360'), mark your journey to Jackson and an overnight at the Jackson Hot Springs Lodge with the promise of a long, leisurely soak in the natural hot springs at the lodge. A side trip to Bannack State Park, site of Montana's first territorial capital, is a great option on this day.

Day 9 is one of the most extraordinary days in the whole program. Following a short ride to Wisdom, turn west toward the towering Bitterroots. Shortly before entering the Beaverhead Forest, visit the Big Hole Battlefield National Monument, site in 1877 of one of the major conflicts in the sad saga of the government's conquest and removal of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce. From the battlefield, you'll begin a long moderate climb to the Continental Divide atop Chief Joseph Pass (7,264'), followed by a rapid descent to Lost Trail Pass astride the Montana/Idaho border. The downhill continues into the Bitterroot Valley to Hamilton, nestled in the heart of the valley in the shadow of the magnificent snowclad Bitterroot peaks. You'll spend the final evening in Hamilton and then continue downstream along the Bitterroot River the following morning to Missoula, where this tour concludes.

Tour Details