Ovando Gran Fondo Canceled Amid Fundraising, Access Changes

Although Ovando was recently recognized for the community's welcoming attitude and hospitality toward cyclists, one of the major cycling events that used the town as its base fell victim to last year's fire season and the realities of declining fundraising.

Last fall, as the enormous Rice Ridge Fire burned through the hills north of Ovando, the Missoula Symphony made the call to cancel their annual early-September Ovando Gran Fondo mountain bike ride.

"I think the decision at the time was a relief," said Missoula Symphony Association Executive Director John Driscoll. "Their priorities at the t...