After we soaked up enough relaxed summer atmosphere in Waterton, we decided to go on a hike after all. This took us directly from the campsite over the windy Carthew Pass, which rewarded us with wonderful views over the high alpine landscape with its colorful rocks. From our destination at Cameron Lake, we wanted to hitchhike back to the village.

Finding a ride turned out to be more difficult than expected. The young driver of the shabbiest car almost couldn’t refuse our request, as her vehicle was neither too full nor too pretty for us. But she seemed noticeably worried and said she would only give us a lift if we weren’t mass murderers. No, we’re not😊. But her question was meant seriously! Did we sense the proximity to the USA in her mistrust? During the short car journey, we made a special effort to have a cheerful conversation to give her a positive experience… and we succeeded.

We didn’t succeed in spending another night on the overflow campground, i.e. on the tent pitch. The young warden woman said harshly “This night, you won’t sleep on the overflow campground!” and wanted to sell us a normal site, squeezed between gigantic motorhomes. We didn’t do her this favor and looked for nice hosts on whose campsite we were allowed to pitch our tent, making great friends and paying nothing😊. With the Canadian dollars we had saved (and a little more😉), we treated ourselves to a Mexican dinner in a restaurant at the end of our two-month stay in Canada. We drove an extra 30 kilometers back to Twin Butte for it, which was well worth it.

Just as quickly as we had spent our last Canadian dollars, we entered the USA again the next day. Two bears crossing the no man’s land immediately behind us created a particularly cheerful atmosphere at the border post. What is called Waterton Lakes National Park in Canada is called Glacier National Park in the USA and together they form the International Peace Park. On the American side, the main attraction is the Highway to the Sun, a pass road through the park. We didn’t want to miss out on this much-praised route. Yes, the road was beautiful but not a sensation for us. We were also annoyed that we were slowed down by the nostalgic tourist buses on the downhill stretch😉.

The great enthusiasm about our return to the USA did not materialize in the days that followed. Despite the countless churches and Jesus billboards, there was not much sign of neighborly love. We found the people cold and dismissive and did not feel welcome. The emotional low point was an encounter in the pretty, museum-like village of Ovando. It is located on the popular Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail and offers cyclists lovingly prepared camping facilities on the village square in return for voluntary donations. We were delighted with this bike-friendly offer and were sitting with refreshing drinks in front of the general store / hotel / bar / restaurant when a local resident visited us. He made a pleasant impression with his dog and bike. But after just a few words, we knew what he was all about. He said that the Democrats were the cancer of society and responsible for everything. Because of them, bears cannot be shot down, even though they need to learn to fear humans (apparently this works better when dead🙄). Ovando is famous because a cyclist was killed by a bear here three years ago. He never leaves the house without his 10mm pistol. We wanted to put things into perspective and explained that the traffic was the greater danger for us. No, he knew what our problem was: the immigrants. He spends many hours a day watching the news and sees how Europe is being destroyed by Muslim immigrants. He reads about terrorist attacks and stabbings every day. Since we couldn’t agree with him, he came back later and said he had just looked it up: The headlines were full of reports of attacks, especially in Switzerland. We were flabbergasted and glad when the guy, wearing a big cross around the neck, disappeared again. His performance kept us thinking all evening and for a long time afterwards. How extreme xenophobia, mistrust and intolerance can be reconciled with the profound religiousness is incomprehensible to us. The fact that his house was wallpapered with fan posters of the reigning president, on the other hand, came as little surprise to us. In this context, we found the SRF International podcast “Chosen? How Trump is turning religion into a political weapon” was very interesting (article/podcast in German).

Thoughtful, we continued our journey towards Helena the next day. Our gloomy mood was matched by the dark clouds on the horizon and the fact that we couldn’t find anywhere to camp in the evening because of all the fences. The latter turned out to be a stroke of luck, however, as we met firefighters who were preparing for their training and let us spend the night next to the magazine. Our trust in people returned and was confirmed the next day when we happened to be sitting outside an organic supermarket in Helena for lunch. People drove up in small cars, some even came by bike or on foot, multicultural couples and everyone was carrying their shopping out of the store in cardboard boxes or bags they had brought with them. Wow, maybe we should sit outside organic food stores more often if we think the world is going to the dogs.

Our break in front of the supermarket got longer and longer as it rained harder and harder. At some point, we forced ourselves to leave, as we wanted to take a quick look at Helena’s city center and needed to find a place to spend the night. As we waited at a crossroads in the pouring rain, a woman called out to us from her pick-up. I only understood bike store and shelter. As it happened, a nearby canopy actually belonged to a bike store and we took shelter there. An employee soon came out and invited us (and the bikes) to wait out the rain inside. Of course, we were more than happy to do so! By the way, a lady had called and informed him that she would pick us up. As the weather didn’t improve, we stayed until she came by. With our bikes and luggage on the back of her pick-up truck, we got dinner, wine and ice cream, then went to her country house in the hills of Helena. We were deliciously catered for, got to meet the happiest three donkeys in the world and spent the night in our own apartment above the workshop. Amazing, such warm hospitality and generosity! Big thanks to you both!

The next morning, the charming streets of Helena opened up in fine weather and we left the capital of the state of Montana in the sunshine. At first, the hilly landscape was still heavily urbanized. But as we turned off the main road and pedaled over a pass towards Livingston, the pastureland became more barren and deserted. This landscape never ceases to fascinate us!

A few days earlier we had registered with our Warmshower hosts Lee and Jeannie south of Clyde Park. They gave us a very warm welcome and we were able to spend a lovely evening with them and their colorful artist and skier friends with freshly squeezed apple juice and homemade pizza. Aww… that was great!

Fortified with coffee from their Jura machine and equipped with lots of tips and ideas, we set off for Livingston the next morning. We needed two days to get to Yellowstone National Park anyway, so we were in no hurry and spent many hours in the pretty little town, more specifically in the Café Crossing and the supermarket😉. It wasn’t until the evening that we rode a few more kilometers south on the East River Road to reach the sinter terraces at Mammoth Hot Springs in the national park the next day. From there we cycled back out of the park through the Lamar Valley, which is famous for its wildlife.

On the east side of Yellowstone, the Beartooth Pass had been highly recommended to us. The ride over the alpine plateau was really beautiful, even if the views were clouded by the smoke from forest fires. At the small town of Red Lodge, the fence problem arose once again for camping. Every piece of land was fenced off and we took the “No Trespassing” signs very seriously here.
Just outside the village, we found a spot between the road and barbed wire that suited us just fine. We were cooking in the twilight when a large pick-up drove up. It wasn’t a cowboy who wanted to send us away, but the very friendly Andreas and his son Aron from Munich. The two of them were spending their holiday on a friend’s ranch and were on a trip lasting several days in the borrowed truck.
We talked for a while about the crazy world. Their pick-up truck drinks 30 liters per 100 kilometers, the juicy steaks on the ranch are eaten with plastic cutlery from disposable tableware, the wildfires are getting bigger and bigger every year but everyone says “it has always happened” and climate change is not scientifically proven, but like religion, you either believe in it or not. It had been dark for a long time when we fell asleep in our tent and they on the back of the pick-up😊.

Because of all the smoke in the air, we had to imagine the view of the Beartooth Mountains as we rode on. Nevertheless, a strong tailwind blew us quickly across the prairie to Cody. From there, we returned to Yellowstone National Park via the east entrance. The smoke-dimmed light over Yellowstone Lake and in the Grand Canyon created an depressing end-time atmosphere. Evening thunderstorms improved visibility and conjured up threatening cloud towers in the sky. Unfortunately, we had left our bags and rain gear at the campsite for the visit to the geyser basin and got completely soaked by the torrential rain. Thank you, Eric, for letting us warm up at your campfire in the evening and for the fun entertainment!

Although we had already visited Yellowstone a few years ago, we were amazed by the colorful geyser pools and how it steamed, hissed, bubbled, splashed and stank from the ground everywhere. Of course, we were also fascinated by the bison that crossed the road, grunting calmly and causing long traffic jams. After a total of five days, we left the park and headed south to the Grand Teton National Park. Due to the weather, we decided to forgo the planned hike in the Tetons and were content with the view of the imposing mountain range from the road. Not bad either!

Over the panoramic Togwotee Pass, we reached the village of Dubois (pronounced “Dew-Boys”😊), which is beautifully situated at the foot of colorful badlands. We had expected flat pastureland here and were totally surprised by the impressive landscape. Another great thing about Dubois is that cyclists and hikers can stay overnight free of charge in the lounge of the Episcopal Church and Kiwanis club. After all, neighbourly love does exist, even though the majority of encounters are non-denominational.

Only two more days of cycling separate us from Lander, where we are currently staying. The little town gave us an incredibly warm welcome this afternoon. Because David’s shift cable broke yesterday, we had to go to a bike store to get a replacement. Like organic markets, bike stores seem to be pleasant oases of liberalism! The competent mechanic not only provided us with the cables we were looking for, but also offered us ice cream (which is part of the service for touring cyclists in the store) and thanked us for our journey through the USA. He was keen to emphasize that many Americans were not happy with current events and were very worried about the future.

Later, we went to the library to work on this article. When the doors closed, we sat down on the bench outside and continued typing. An older man came up to us and asked if we were interested in a meal. Sure, always😊. He had just brought us two containers of lasagna, potato chips and a plum, which were being handed out for free somewhere. It looks like we’ll be staying in Lander for a while. Plus, we are allowed to camp for free in the city park.