Cheating in Big Sky Country

Date: Wednesday, 3 August 2016

Time on Bike: 0

Miles traveled: 286

From: Glendive, MT

To: Chinook, MT

(Uploaded from Kallispell, MT on 9 Aug 2016)

Hmmmm… I was really behind on my blog posts so I had to ride in the car today to catch up. But the truth of the matter is… I am behind in my biking.

So. This is a hard one to fess up to. I cheated today.

Yup, you red that right. CHEATED!

On our rest day here in Dickinson, MT (the day we visited Medora & Theodore Roosevelt National Park), I planned out the rest of my route. And came to the harrowing realization that if I bike everyday I will make it to Anacortes, WA (last stop on the Northern Tier) on the last possible cycling travel day I have. No breaks. No rest days. No bad weather days. RIDE EVERY FRACKING DAY!

How did that happen? I knew I was behind a bit, but I have lost ALL my rest days!?!?!

And I know I will not be able to do that physically, mentally, or emotionally. I just will not be able to bike straight thru. And Bunny & Woz will leave me long before I get to Washington State anyway without rest days!!

The only solution is to cheat. To hop in the car and make up three (3) rest days for the remaining three weeks of cycling I still have. But since I will be in the car that one day and not cycling…I actually have four (4) days to make up mileage-wise in the car. Or 4 days x 70 miles/day = 280 miles.

It is a difficult realization, but I really have no choice. I am bummed. Upset. Even a little embarrassed that I again will not complete my “cross country” bike trip from 1984 in 2016.

But as my bro likes to says, “It is what it is!”

I sent out an SOS. I texted Sam the evening of my rest day and asked for help. If you are a reader of this blog, Sam & his wife Laura crashed at our house in Richmond, VA while escorting Michael on the start of his epic Trans America crossing by bike back in late May of this year. And… they drove ~1.5 hours from St. Paul, MN where they live to meet up with us in Milaca, MN when I was biking through that area. They were an inspiration to me then… and still are.

He kindly called me. I told him my dilemma. And I asked him, “If you had to drive part of the Northern Tier to make up for four days, what would you choose to drive and miss biking those miles?” He was very understanding and accepting of my predicament.

He suggested the section on Highway 2 coming up in a few days. Not a lot to see he said. Pretty boring. And not great cycling conditions anyway. ‘nough said! Thank you Sam!

We packed up all our gear, left that great Motel6 in Dickinson (I will miss that hot tub!!!) and drove the 100 miles or so to Glendive, MT.

I met up with George at the library.

George had set up camp last night at a park in town but mentioned a bad storm rolled thru with very strong winds. I guess since we were close to 100 Miles to the east, we missed that.

I had already mentioned to George yesterday that that might be my one & only day cycling with him as tomorrow I was probably going to have to hop in the car and make up some miles. He too seemed to understand. Maybe it is harder on me than anyone else.

Told him that according to my app, there would be strong winds coming out of the west today, right in his face.

He said he would maybe take a rest day at a park in town. So I may not have missed cycling with him again today as I wouldn’t have had the luxury of taking a day off...

We said our goodbyes. I think he was sadder to say goodbye to Woz. He missed his dog.

Safe travels my new friend. Be safe & godspeed on your travels. Here is George’s blog if you want to check out his progress - www.expeditioncycle.org.

Before heading out on our 300 mile car trip, we went by a local park to give Woz a little running!

I quickly spotted a cyclist with gear in the park. Went over and said hi to Charlie.

I asked if he needed anything. He said some food would be great. So I gave him some bananas and granola bars to go with his morning beer. He is biking from Florida to Seattle to visit some High School buddies! You meet all types!

I made sure we did the exact same route by car that I would have done by bike. 200S to 13N to 2 West. Actually, I am not sure we had any other options!!

Not 10 miles outside Glendive we saw a tandem coming into town struggling to make ground and that was with a side wind! It was not a day to be going anywhere but riding but east!

In Circle, MT we picked up HW 13 North. The wind was from the left on 13. Even keeping the car on the road was difficult, especially when a truck passed from the opposite direction! And it seemed to be only big trucks on the road today!

This video will give you some idea how the wind was blowing across the plains.

We picked up HW 2 again in Wolf Point, MT where we stopped at a McDonald’s for lunch. We had no cell service most of the day, but hoped to at least have internet at Micky D’s. We did!

But the wind was now close to 29 MPH!!!! Holy crap!

HW 2 was as boring, and depressing, and bare as I had been led to expect. All it was was long stretches of road with little to no shoulder.

I tried to draft on this boat being pulled by a truck and succeeded for maybe 20 miles. Until they went around an RV fighting the wind and they were gone. Now our Prius had to fight the wind on its own.

Not too far outside Hinsdale, we saw a cyclist (going east of course) with what looked like his dog in his pull behind trailer… I couldn’t even slow up to say hi as there was traffic on my tail.

We stopped at an Indian holy site. It was the most exciting thing we had done all day!

And then west of Malta, MT we saw a woman on a tandem with her daughter. We stopped the car in the road and told them they were lucky to have such a tail wind. She knew! Yelled to be safe. Not 3 miles further up the road we found her husband and son also on a tandem. Stopped again and tried to talk over the wind. They were happy to know we had recently seen/passed the rest of their family. Happy trails!

As the day wears on, I am less upset, less embarrassed/guilty about not having cycled this section, especially Highway 2. I would not have been able to do many miles by bike today anyway with such a headwind, so worked out for the better I guess!!

Actually, you know what, thank G-d I won’t have to bike this piece of crap road. No shoulder. No services. No cell coverage. And most likely a headwind that will not allow me to bike anyway!

We arrived in Chinook, MT some 298 miles from Glendive, MT after 5 PM. The wind is still howling... down to ~27 MPH!!!!

We check into our small hotel, not 250 feet from where I will start biking again tomorrow morning on HW 2…

It was the right call. Now let’s keep moving westward!

Thank you again Sam!!!