Wolf Point, MT
My journal from here on first takes the form of my letters home and then, after Bill, Rick, and I split from the group, I could not, of course, rely on Tim to cover the day in his blog, so I wrote brief descriptions of each day and e-mailed them to myself and to my Red Dirt Pedalers bicycling group when I could. The asides of a personal nature in these e-mails I wrote after the fact when I was setting up my journal. They appear in blue in brackets and italics. Because of the way I've pulled my journal together, some information re the last couple of days may be repeated.
Hi All—
Presently in a motel in Wolf Point, MT, a small town on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, just north of the Missouri River. It is 101 degrees F. It was quite a struggle to get here with the heat and headwinds though we had only 58 miles to ride. Seems as though we have been in MT a lifetime and on Rte 2 for most of it. Diane and I and Tim left at 5:30 am to try to beat the heat. We picked up a quick McD’s breakfast McMuffin on the way, and then it was a monotonous grind into the wind on this section of Hwy 2.
Nuttin’ to right or left but scrub and for the most part arid fields. A few cattle and horses, broken down homesteads cluttered with cast off cars and machines. At one point we could see trees and a water tower on the horizon and Tim sprinted ahead saying eagerly, “I think that's a town. I’ll see about getting us some cold water.” MUCH later we arrived at a small Indian settlement that had no water, commercial buildings (i.e., a store), or any discernible population. We decided that the “town” was at least 10 miles from where we had first sighted it. Disappointed that we could not get a cold drink, we stopped along the shoulder and pulled out our bars and power snacks, and drank warm water.
Sylvia Brown will join us in Williston on Thursday and so may Kim Hunt, a woman who has been keeping in touch. She calls at odd times and I call her the “ghost rider” as she can’t seem to make up her mind to join us yet wants to hear details of our days. If she joins, that would make four women and four men, heading south to Council Bluffs, IA, and RAGBRAI.
Well, we just held a confab and the majority vote is not to stay here tomorrow for our rest day, but to push on to Williston, SD, and spend Wednesday night there in a Super 8, the next day meeting Sylvia and riding out to our campsite on Sakakawea Lake. Once again our rest day has been turned into a “short” day, so “no rest for the weary” seems more than a cliché.
Our ride so far has been wonderful, but eastern Montana can be hot, headwindy, and monotonous.
Highlights of the last few days:
- Riding many miles on dirt/gravel on an alternate Adventure Cycling route that took us through a wildlife refuge.
- Seeing a burrowing owl on a fencepost there.
- Having Wilson's snipe and long-billed curlews fly out at us from their roadside wetlands scolding us away from their nests.
- Seeing many antelope and their fawns as well as white-tailed deer.
- Cooling off at a roadside rest area by pouring cold water over our heads and feet.
- Meeting other AC cross-country riders, some riding E to W.
- Meeting Cameron Meyer from Stillwater and his friends Patrick O’Conner and Stuart Ketting. Stuart dashed into a Radio Shack I was in to show me the OK emblem on his ride shirt. He had seen the OK flag on my BOB.
- Hopscotching Pat and Dave from Louisiana. They’ve camped with us the last several nights. http://patanddavesbiketrip.blogspot.com/
- Our big 1000-mile celebration and meal which Tim has written about on his blog
Below are a few pix from the day. Enjoy.
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| Not sure but think this is a Wilson's Phalarope. It harassed me when I got too close to its nest. |
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| Our route through rock formations, a welcome relief from the monotony of flat, grassy fields |
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| Sculptures on a hillside before town; there were many others, all looking as though created by the same hand; wonder why the fencing is installed so crazily |
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| Real life horses on the edge of the hillside catching the breezes |
