Last night, very tired from that day's bicycling, I was sure that today, Sunday, would be a day of rest. Before retiring, however, I checked the hourly weather projections. These projections give projected hourly temperstures, likelihood of precipitation, and wind direction/speed. Hmm, would there be headwinds tomorrow?  At 6 AM, yes. At 7 AM, yes. At 8 AM, no. What? Is the wind changing?

A definite yes to that question. By noon, it was not only going to be a tailwind, but projected to exceed 20 mph. This information changes everything. With a strong tailwind, I should be able to cover the 50 miles to Glendive in 4 hours or less, despite the initial 10 miles of climbing.

This means I can attend worship and Sunday School, have a quick lunch, and still get to the next location without additional wear and tear on the body.

Church was wonderful. Lunch was brisk. Temperatures had dropped into the mid-70s. As predicted, the ride went fast. Tailwinds are funny because one doesn't feel them. The bicycle goes faster, and in a higher gear.

Well before 4 PM, I pulled into Glendive, today's target.

Tomorrow I will be North Dakota. To me, of greater importance is to arrive in the city of Dickerson, which will be the following day. It will be a day of rest, after 8 days of cycling. Several of those days were unusually taxing, so a day off sounds good.

Happy Father's Day! 

This was a day I was dreading. It looked like 68 miles of hills. To further complicate things, there was supposed to be a headwind, which would slow me down. It was also supposed to be very hot, close to, or over, 90 degrees. Finally, there were no services between my town of departure, Jordan, and the terminus, Circle, MT. About halfway through was a rest area, with bathrooms and water. 

I accumulated food for breakfast and lunch, along with snacks and Gatorade.

Up before 5 AM, I had devotions, ate, packed, and was on the road by 6:45 AM.

The headwind was immediately apparent. This was going to be a long day. Then the hills started.

Two days earlier, on the 99 mile ride, I had sustained a sore spot on the upper inside of my left leg. This is worrisome, because the legs are almost non-stop pedaling, and a chafing sore needs to be dealt with carefully and quickly. If it gets worse, then the entire ride stops until it is healed. Yesterday, I tried multiple band aids, but there had to be a better idea. I bought some Vaseline, and decided to apply it on the sore spot 3 or 4 times during the day.

Once underway, I changed my mind, and decided to apply it often. Since the hills were coming fast and furious, I would apply it after every 4th hill. That is why I started counting the number of hills.

Between the headwind and the hills, the ride was going very slowly. Finally, five hours after I left Jordan, I pulled into the Rest Area. Several things were clear: this was going to be a long day; I could not believe  the number of hills or coulees that I had ridden over; I was very tired and very dehydrated. There was no way that my water bottle would be sufficient to the end of  the ride, especially as the temperature closed in on 90 degrees.

So I did the next best thing, in the Rest Area, I went from traveler to traveler to see if anyone had extra water I could buy. One group was willing to load me up with as much water as I wanted, but water is also heavy. With many more hills to climb, I settled on two  bottles of water. They refused payment.

You just cannot imagine how dis-spiriting it is to finally get to the top of the last hill........., and see 4 or 5 more.  Then 4 or 5 more after those.

I began to wonder if I would finish. So I stopped and prayed for strength and endurance. Jesus, in II Corinthians, promises that in our weakness God will show His power. Since I was feeling weaker and weaker, this might be a good time to fulfill your promise Lord. And He did. There was no burst of energy, just enough to make it over each hill.

About 14 miles before getting to Circle, I realized that I was through the tough part. The road sloped gently downward, with only a couple of hills to finish.

Around 4 PM, I reached my motel, 68 miles and 9 hours and 15 minutes after departure.

The total number of hills was 65! (Technically 63 hills and 2 coulees)

Tomorrow, a 50 mile ride to Glendive, may instead be a rest day. I want to worship in the morning, but there is supposed to be major tailwinds in the afternoon. If so, I will take advantage of them. The following day I will be in North Dakota.

A sleepy blessing to you all. 

Sleeping in a tent takes time to get used to, so, since this is only my second overnight in a tent this trip, I did not sleep well. Of course it was chilly when I woke up. A typical driving force to get up for a man my age, is the need the bathroom. The lack of that need spoke to the possibility that I may be dehydrated.

After devotions, I started packing the panniers, rolling up the air mattress and sleeping bag, and attaching them to the bike. The tent came last. With the ground cloth still damp, I thought it a good idea to let it dry out, while I checked to see if the proprietor was back. She was.

She showed me several items that could be heated up to eat. I chose pizza. And 3 milks. And coffee. Aah.

On the road, it was exactly like yesterday afternoon. Hill after hill, but finally the town of Jordan. This town had  lost power last Friday, the same night of the thunderstorm and hail when I was camping in Augusta. Jordan was without power for over 3 days. Fortunately, they have it now.

The motel allowed me to check in early, thankfully. I walked through the town, had lunch, picked up supplies, and finally, to the relief of the townspeople, I showered. 

How can some bicycler tourers go for days without bathing? Yuck. Getting the accumulated dirt and sweat off feels so much better.

Tomorrow is the next new challenge. 68 miles of the same grind: hill after hill after hill. Very sparce amenities, so I will have to carry lunch. It is supposed to be hot. What is there to look forward to? Its completion.

The good news for today, besides the fact that it was only 32 miles, is that I finally passed the 1,000 mile threshhold. It is less than 25% of the way, but it is a tangible landmark, hopefully the first of many.  

Today's ride to Winnet should not be hard. There was a climb going out of Lewistown, for 8 miles, then a downhill grade for the balance of the ride. The climb might take a couple of hours but the rest will make up for it.

At 7:45 AM, I left Lewistown.

The climbing started soon, but it was a gentle climb, one that could be made in a higher gear for an extra couple of miles per hour. Occasionally, I would have to gear way down, but not often. There were several "chain up" areas, indicating that the climb to the summit was about to begin.

Suddenly, I was over the top, and going downhill...fast! Only an hour had passed, and I was already over the harder part. And, man, was I flying. I was averaging 18-20 mph. When I took a break 25 miles into the 53 mile ride, I understood. I had a tailwind assisting me. A 10-15 mph tailwind is significant.

I arrived in Winnet before noon, and not feeling tired. Hmm, what if I went further? What lodging possibilities were there? Every extra mile ridden today was one less mile for tomorrow. Aha! There was a Bed and Breakfast/campground 23 miles further. It was a mile off the road, but if they were too expensive, I would camp. The only problem was that I only got a recording when I called, but I was determined to land there and likely camp.

Several miles from the B&B was a rest area. I refilled my water bottle, just in case. The constant hills were tiring, but I was surprised how good I felt. Finally I reached the driveway. An old faded sign, barely legible, announced it. The drive was gravel, and was okay until it went up steeply. Too steeply. I would have to walk the bike up that hill, so I checked my map, and found another place to camp up the road. Turning around, I went back to the highway, heading further east.

The trouble is that I had ridden over 70 miles, and this new location would put me over 90 miles. The map said they offered food, which I am sure would be welcome.

The rest of the ride seemed interminable. Every time I crested a hill, there was another one or two. Just when I thought I must be getting close to my destination, a highway sign announced it was another 7 miles. I was getting dangerously close to 100 miles.

Finally, I saw it down the hill on the left. Sand Springs was really just one builing, and it was closed. Now what? I am out of water and the next place to stay is 32 miles up the road, too far in my weakened condition.

First of all, it did not look like the store was closed petmanently. I had arrived after it closed for the day. Secondly, my bicycle map said that camping would be behind the building. I walked behind, picked a spot, set up set up the tent, left a not for the proprietor that I would settle up in the morning, drank several bottles of water, and retired into the tent.

Strange as it may sound, I was not hungry. I had several freeze dried meals along with a backpacking stove, but I did not want to chance a fire in the stiff wind , especially when I was unsure if it was okay to even be there. Besides the idea of food did not appeal to me.

So I ate two Power Bars, and settled in for the night. During devotions, I pondered how God had strengthened me, and enabled me to ride for 99 miles today, 40 of which was a grind. Thank you, Lord. 

There are still a number of days left in Montana, but, by my reckoning, there are two back-to-back days that will be very taxing. In three days, a 75 mile trip to Jordan will be very difficult, with few places to get food or water. The next day would be 68 miles, with similar terrain: up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down, etc. After that things will get easier.

Unlike in a vehicle, a bicycler has to pay close attention to overnight accommodations or camping, and access to food and water. Thus, in plotting out a reasonable short term itinerary, today's ride will be only 39 miles, then a 53 miler, then two tough days of 75 and 68 miles, respectively.  It was the terrain, not the distance of those last two days that were of concern.

After the scare of being caught in a violent storm yesterday, I am very happy to have only 39 miles to contend with today. It should get me into a major town, Lewistown (with a population over 5,000) fairly early. Another thunderstorm is expected in the evening. It would be nice to not have to deal with it.

It felt cold this morning. For the first time this trip, I donned winter clothing for the day. Heavy woolen socks. Long sleeved undergarment. Head band to cover the ears. Thick, heavy winter bicycling gloves. Rain jacket and rain pants. This was a case of rare good judgement on my part. Yes, it rained part of the time, but I was very comfortable.

The scenery is changing again. The trees are back. This is beautiful country with lots of rivers and streams.

Lewistown, as a municipality in the area, had all the stores not normally found in most towns, such as Albertsons grocery. Since I got into town early, I went into Albertsons and purchased some bananas and Power Bzrs.

Tomorrow is a 53 mile ride to Winnet, then two grinding days. I hope it goes well.

This morning started great! A beautiful day, mostly blue sky. I like early starts because if something goes wrong, then one has more time to adjust before dark. In this case, there was to be an interesting mix of hills, coulees, and the crown was to be a three mile long climb, about 17 miles from my end destination, the town of Denton.

It was warm enough to not need a jacket, but cloudy enough to not overheat.

I can tell that I am away from the big cities, because the meal prices plummet.  When was the last time that I only got charged .50 for a large, refillable iced tea?  The server at lunch wished me well, and hoped that I would miss the big storm that was supposed to arrive this afternoon. That was news, but in conflict with the weather app on my phone. (Note to self:  Do not pay attention to the weather app anymore)

The afternoon went well, and I could see, in the distance, the big climb. I knew I could do it, but it would not be easy. Several miles from the start of the climb, I came up to another road project. Once again, they loaded up my bike in the back of a pickup, and carried me all the way to the top! Thank you, Lord.  A few miles later, a sign said "Denton 14 miles". I'll get into town early, get my tent set up in the park, and relax.

An antelope mother with its fawn, crossed the road in front of me. What a beautiful day. 

In my mirror I could see black clouds behind me. The wind seemed to be blowing a different direction. Maybe, I will not have to deal with it. As the road turned to the right, I realized that this was no ordinary storm. The rain, from the clouds to the ground, was a dark grey, almost black. Instead of getting wet, I might get very, very wet. It looked like the storm was going to bypass me.

About five miles from Denton, it was becoming clear that the storm was coming my way, and doing it quickly. My plan was to keep pedaling, on the chance that I could make it to town before the rain. But if I got caught, I would stop, put my rain coat and pants on, and continue to town.

All of a sudden, this incredibly violent wind whipped me all the way across the road, still upright and rolling. Fortunately, there was little traffic on the road, and none at the moment. But the wind was blowing VERY hard, to the point that I was leaning hard into it to keep from being blown over. I had to get to cover, but where? A hundred yards ahead were some metal granaries, with an open, unfenced driveway to them. I ducked behind the biggest one, in the lee of the wind, put on my rain gear, and hunkered down.  This was no ordinary storm, it felt like the fringe of a tornado, though no funnel could be seen. I thought this might be it. Is this what you had planned, Lord? 

Hmm, where does one hide in the open if a tornado hits. I found an old concrete foundation, sticking 18 inches above the ground, and only 4 feet across that I could dive into if necessary.

Slowly, the winds started to slow down. After 45 minutes, I walked out to the road, and decided I could ride safely to town. Of course, setting up a tent in this wind could be problematic.

Finding the cafe in town, I had several hot chocolates, which warmed me up, and calmed me down. Come to find out, there was a motel in town, with an available room.

In talking to the locals, this was an uncommon storm. The winds were 70 mph.  One lady described how her car started to lift on one side, then the other while driving. One man had two big cottonwood trees completely uprooted. There were lots of trees broken in half, and power lines down because of fallen trees.

If tomorrow is back to normal, then I am back on the road again. The sooner I finish, the sooner I get back with Karen. Boy, I miss her. 

Before leaving home, I pictured headwinds as being the main meteorelogical complication I would face in Montana. Now I am finding all sorts of wild storm cells criss crossing the state. It looks like the whole United States is facing severe weather. It is clear that I will have to use caution and care moving forward. 

If the weather is still bad or unusually windy, there are worse places to be than in Denton, Montana.

God's blessings to you all. 

Late yesterday was shocking when I discovered all the new terrain that I would have to cover. A heavy load rested on my shoulders as I tried to figure out the best places to eat and to stay. Then I reminded myself that I am not alone. God is not my co-pilot, He is the pilot. So after some earnest prayer, the burden lifted.

Today was another early start, on the road by 7:45 AM. It took a while to get out of Great Falls, but once out of town things went smoothly. Not easily, but smoothly. Morning had its fair share of climbing. Often, the climbing is to get out of a Coulee  (I called them canyons earlier). Typically you drop into a Coulee at a high speed, then it is level for a while. Then the climbing starts. Several times this morning, the climbs lasted from 20 to 30 minutes. One has to think about something other the fatigue building in the legs. For the first time this trip, the Department of Highways decided that some of the steeper parts would be better with gravel, not asphalt. It must help give cars better traction in the winter, but was not a plus to a bicycler.

All in all, the body felt okay by lunch, despite the climbing. There was only one more climb in the afternoon, then a gentle downhill grade to my projected stop, Fort Benton.   

Today's 60 miles was just preparation for some challenging days ahead. Tomorrow will have more mileage and climbing, and will end with me camping in a city park. Woe to those shopkeepers who have this smelly bicycler entering their business.😊

Fort Benton is a beautiful little town, featuring five museums. At one time it was a trading post for trappers, then became a military post, then a major trade center when gold was discovered. It has a fascinating history, all because the Missouri River flows through it. The federally protected Missouri Breaks are a wonderland for sightseeing and exploring in the river. Much of this area has not changed since Lewis and Clark came through in the early 1800s.

The good news is that the weather forecast of rain for tomorrow has been dropped to only a 20% chance. Temperatures are still moderate, with highs around 80 degrees. 

Blessings. 

This day started so great. Nine hours of restful sleep. Modest breakfast next door. Sunday School and Service with wonderful people.  Getting supplies, then lunch. Chatting with Karen and friends on the cell phone. Maybe this might be a good time to go over my schedule for next week.

Whoops!

Did I ever make a whopper of a mistake! Somehow I got the idea that I could boat from Fort Benton to Fort Beck, bicycle and all. Before leaving home I realized that that would not happen, but I forgot to adjust my itinerary. Daily mileages are a function of terrain, and availability of food and camping/lodging. This terrain will be very tiring. Food and shelter will be scarce.

My best guess is that I will be in North Dakota , not the four days I earlier announced, but in ten days, including a rest day somewhere. Oh, Lord be with me.

ESTHER IS IN TROUBLE: If you have been reading this journal, you may recall that Karen's friend, Esther Harmon, joined us for the first three and one half days before she and Karen peeled off for home. She commented on how she liked the drawstrings on the legs of my shorts. I asked "Why?" She said "So that a bee couldn't fly up the shorts."  Having ridden over 7,000 miles without the drawstring pulled tight, I kept my mouth shut, but thought it interesting what some can find to worry about. The last day, I had put on clean shorts, on which the drawstrings were pulled tight. I had tightened them on a photo shoot before I left home. After the girls left for home, as I was pedaling along, I realized that I had forgotten to unloosen the drawstrings. Temperatures were around 90, and the extra cool air would feel good.

They hadn't been loosened for even a minute, when a bee flew up the shorts, found itself trapped, and started stinging me. it did not survive long, but the memory of how Esther jinxed me still lives. If she had just kept her mouth shut it probably never would have happened.😊 

Last night I got my tent set up, all the gear inside, the mattress pad and sleeping bag laid out, and food in the tummy. What is next? I need to write my daily journal.

The moment I finished, it started to rain and blow with fury. I scurried into the bar at the motel, and, along with the other patrons, watched sheets of rain turn into hail, then back into sheets of rain again. I wondered how well I had pegged down the tent. Ten minutes later, I found out. It was still there. I also discoveed that the tent leaks. The panniers were wet, but by laying tomorrow's bicycle clothing on top of my shoes, they were dry. A small amount of water had pooled on the floor, but my chamois "bath towel" quickly soaked it up. The mattress pad was wet, but the sleeping bag was dry.☺

Unfortunately, that was just the first act to this thunderstorm, which acted up all night.

But not when I got up! Up at 6 AM, packed (albeit wet) by 7 AM, breakfast at Mel's Diner (i'm not kidding), and on the road a few minutes before 8 AM. I did not sleep well last night, but a motel room and bed would be in Great Falls, so that was good motivation.

For the first time, I donned my rain jacket and rain pants first thing, and wore them all day, even though it did not rain. It was cold, in the 50s, with a breeze.

The only thing that kept today's ride from being perfect was the lack of eating establishments for lunch. 42 miles after breakfast, I had some deep fried foods at a bar.

Tomorrow is a rest day. My motel, in Great Falls, is across the street from a Methodist Church, perfect for worship tomorrow. Believe it or not, there is a laundromat next door, and an abundance of eating establishments within walking distance.

After doing laundry, it will be a good time to study scripture. In Everett, my fellow Children Leaders from Men's Bible Study Fellowship, are doing homiletics from selected scriptures in John, our study the Fall. So I have been doing them, at the same time, while on the road.

The last 6 days of riding covered 368 miles. If my calculations are correct (not something you should bet money on) I should be in North Dakota before next weekend. There is supposed to be lots of hill climbing in eastern Montana, and probably in North Dakota, also. Minnesota, however should be flat. 

God bless you all. 

Part of today's plan went well, then it started going downhill faster than a Montana thunderstom. 

Studying today's route last night, I realized that there were no services between Lincoln, where I stayed last night, and tonight's stop, Augusta, MT. That meant I would have to pack lunch, snacks and extra water. Temperatures were supposed to be 6-8 degrees warmer today than yesterday. This put my total bike weight over the 100 pound mark😊.  

Roger's Pass was on my mind. I did not think it would be daunting. Lincoln, my starting point was already at 4,600 feet. The first 13 miles brought me up to over 5,300 feet. The final climb was not steep, and I had descended 500 feet before deciding to have lunch.

The entire trip today was scheduled to be 56 miles, and it looked like today was going to be just as good as yesterday was. Unfortunately that ended up not being the case.

There were several times that the road dropped sharply down into a canyon, then I had to slowly crawl back out again. My map showed two of these, but I am sure there were more. The climbs out of these canyons were longer and steeper than Roger's Pass. After a while, this began to take its toll. I had no more food, and I was going through the water and Gatorade fast.

Partway through the descent off the Pass, the vegetation changed. It probably changed much earlier, but this is when I noticed it. The conifer trees were gone, and the land looked like cattle country. This is the way it wI'll be the rest of the trip through Montana, I expect.

Making a turn to Augusta, I was able to see the mountain range, very majestic and pretty. It was hard to imagine that I had been winding through them for days.

Only 20 miles to Augusta, and I was starting to tire. But 20 miles should't take too long. Then I noticed the darkening clouds, quickly obscuring the mountains, and dropping rain. Lots of it. We appeared to be on a collision course. Oh well, I'd either get rained on or not. It will not be the first time, and will happen often on this sojourn.

Although it was dumping hard to the west, north and northeast, it was sunny overhead, and this lasted all the way into town. Now I just need to get a room.

There were no rooms available. Not anywhere. Apparently farm equipment auctions are big draws in these parts. So, for the first time this trip, I am camping. There is plenty of space behind the motel, and I could use the showers.

Walking back my tent, the heavens opened up with thunder and it finally started to rain. Hmm, stay in tent and wait for the rain to stop, or throw on a rain coat and go find some grub! My stomach prevailed and I was none the worse for walking in the rain.

Tomorrow, is a 49-60 mile day, depending on the source. Then I will have reached Great Falls and a day of rest and recuperation.