The Bitterroot Trail Preservation Alliance invites people of all ages to ride the Bitterroot Trail to Stevensville from Missoula or Hamilton (with shorter rides available) on Saturday, July 15. Participants can ride back on Saturday or camp overnight in Stevensville and enjoy the Stevensville pool, the Farmers Market, and the Bike & Brew Fest with music by local bluegrass musicians.
Registration is available at http://www.bitterroottrailpreservationalliance.org/2017_mbc. The cost for an individual is $25 and family registration is $45. A luggage shuttle to transport camping gear and baggage is available for an additional $55 per person/family. All registrants will receive a wristband that will provide access to rest stops along the Bitterroot Trail from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, discounts at businesses along the trail, and admission to the Stevensville municipal swimming pool from 1 to 6 p.m., and overnight camping at the Lewis and Clark Park in Stevensville.
Michelle Gray, Vice President of the Bitterroot Trail Preservation Alliance, “We want people of all ages to experience the joy of traveling at a slower pace by bicycle and all of the opportunities the Bitterroot Valley has to offer.”
The Bike & Brew Fest in downtown Stevensville is free and open to the public and will include live music with “Bluegrass on the Grass” and a beer garden from 12 to 6 p.m. at Veterans Park (next to Stevensville Main Street office at 102 Main). The live music is sponsored by Whitesitt Funeral Home, TrailWest Bank and Exit Realty. Other activities include the Stevensville Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and an exhibit about the Fort Missoula 25th Infantry Bicycle Soldiers.
Cyclists are also encouraged to check out the Lee Metcalf Wildlife Refuge and Historic St. Mary’s Mission in Stevensville.
The inaugural Montana Bicycle Celebration in 2016 celebrated the completion of the Missoula to Lolo section of the Bitterroot Trail and Adventure Cycling’s 40th anniversary with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Travelers’ Rest State Park in Lolo. The event drew over 1,200 cyclists. The Montana Bicycle Celebration will highlight different communities along the Bitterroot Trail each year. In 2017, the focus is Stevensville and organizers encourage participants to spend the night and explore the possibilities along the Bitterroot Trail.
Generous sponsors of the 2017 Montana Bicycle Celebration include Farmers State Bank, Missoula Anesthesiology, PC., Stevi Stop & Go, and Sun Peak Construction.
The Bitterroot Trail Preservation Alliance partners on the Montana Bicycle Celebration include Adventure Cycling Association, Stevensville Main Street Association, Missoula Parks and Recreation, Stevi Café, Bike Walk Alliance for Missoula, Free Cycles, Red Barn Bicycles, Travelers’ Rest State Park, Bike Walk Bitterroot, Missoula Bicycle Pedestrian Office, and Windfall.
The Bitterroot Trail Preservation Alliance’s goal is to promote and maintain public multi-use non-motorized trails in the Bitterroot Valley. The Bitterroot Trail is a 50-mile paved trail that connects Missoula to Hamilton – and the quaint towns along the way – while paralleling the rugged Bitterroot Mountains. This non-motorized trail connects the Greater Missoula area with unlimited recreation opportunities within a one day’s ride of Downtown Missoula. Phone: (406) 241-7512. Web: www.bitterroottrailpreservationalliance.org