Jeff Schmerker
Big Sheep Creek
It was late and I got to the campground when there was just enough light to see the outline of the mountains. It was a windy, weirdly warm night, and I did not sleep that well. I was up to see silhouette again, but this time with increasing light. After a quick break, I set off pedaling. Big Sheep Creek is a designated Backcountry Byway -- a long dusty dirt road that goes from nowhere in particular to nowhere in particular, but does so in spectacular fashion. The road climbs about 2,500 vertical feet in 26 miles, ending with a airy view of southwest Montana -- mountains and canyons without end.
This is do-it-yourself country -- no one makes an interpretive guide for Big Sheep Creek, and the signs pointing out what's along the way are cryptic at best. So fill up the gas tank, make sure you have a spare tire and plenty of water, and go explore. Who knows where you'll end up?
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