Martinsdale Mail Run 300Km Permanent (186 miles)

Entry and Waiver Form

Route Map

Cue Sheet

One of my favorite groups to ride with is the Gallatin Valley Bicycle Club touring group. We try to do a ride once a month or so in the summer. In July the touring group rode from Ringling to Martinsdale and back. It was a nice 62 mile route. When I got to looking at the route earlier this summer I realized that using the core of the touring group's ride and expanding it to Bozeman I would end up with a challenging 300 kilometer event. Thus the idea of the Martinsdale Mail Run was born.

The ride leaves from the Holiday C-Store on Durston Road in Bozeman, goes up Bridger Canyon and over Battle Ridge Pass to Wilsall. After a control in Wilsall the ride goes to the very small and unique little town of Martinsdale on US Highway 89 and the very lightly traveled and tranquil Montana Highway 294.

The ride tasks the ride with "carrying the mail" over the Bridger Mountains to Martinsdale and returning to Bozeman within the 20 hour time limit.

Standing in the way of the out and back route is Battle Ridge Pass in the Bridgers. It's a relatively short (about 2 miles on either side) but it shoots up to 6372 feet. There's also some significant hills in the vicinity of Bridger Bowl ski area to deal with. The total ride has 10,000 feet of climbing-and wind-especially around Ringling and Wilsall is usually a factor.

Any RUSA member can ride this route for RUSA distance credit. Just contact me and let me know when you want to ride-and we'll get the details sorted out from there.

I successfully rode this route for the first time on October 26, 2008 with a Garmin GPS unit. I mapped the ride and created a brief info page with photos for Bicycling Magazine's Rides Website. Click on "trip details" on the map below for the info page and photos: