Check Out This Amazing Pay-It-Forward Style Adventure in Montana

This might have been one of Montana's best-kept secrets among cyclists, but a quick search online, and a recent video on social media shows that the world is finding out about the kindness of two Montanans.

Have You Ever Heard of the Tour Divide? 

If you're not a mountain biker this might not be on our radar. The Tour Divide is a race that spans North America from Antelope Wells, New Mexico to Banff Alberta Canada along the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route and is considered "the world's longest off-pavement cycling route," according to the race website. I learned about this ride from my husband who at one time intended to ride the route. He still might.

Riders must endure incredible conditions to complete the race, like no marked routes, no checkpoints, and the usual threats of being in the wilderness (i.e. mountain lions and grizzly bears).  The race typically starts in mid-June and a "competitive finish" is "25 days for men and 29.5 days for women." You can read more about the race and its rules here.

A section of the route goes through Montana and many mountain bikers that ride the route talk about their stay and the wonderful hospitality they've received at the "Alpaca Ranch."

Alpaca Farm Bicyclists Hostel

As the photographer Tristan Ridley describes in his Instagram video (below), the Alpaca ranch is owned by John and Barbara (though I saw they're known to some as John "Denver" and Barbara "Streisand") and it's located near Lincoln, Montana.

To stay at the ranch is completely free to riders, with the understanding that riders will "pay it forward in kindness."

Riders who stay at the hostel receive a comfortable place to sleep, food, wine, beer, and soda, and all of it is free.

When I think about how I would describe a Montanan, as opposed to how I would describe someone from Utah or North Dakota, I think of Montanans as "neighbors helping neighbors." That sentiment is reflected beautifully in the idea behind the "Alpaca Ranch" owned by John and Barabara.

Let's spread the kindness even further. Let this article and their story inspire you to pay it forward with kindness, too.