Getting to the Point

Livingston to Reed Point – 61 miles
Average speed – 13.5 mph to 10 miles outside of Reed Point and then an all day average of 12mph

The sky was as blue as the temperature would turn our lips. It was only 28 degrees this morning. Seems like Livingston earned the coldest spot in the state award this morning. Now, if I had been checking the weather from home, the coldest spot in the state would be Cut Bank, the place that consistently achieves that honor. Besides the chill in the air, there was also a bit of a breeze. And it wasn’t originating from the west. Imagine that.

Leaving the mountains

Janet at the front desk kindly gave us detailed instructions on how to get to all the frontage roads on the way to Reed Point. We ignored her advice to go through town and join I-90 where Route 89 came in, but we carefully followed her advice about where to locate the frontage roads. These roads keep us off the highway, which wasn’t too bad today, except for a spot that had no shoulder on the bridge. We did a short stretch on a frontage road and then had to ride the Interstate for four miles. From there, we could follow frontage roads all the way to Reed Point. We crossed the highway several times as the different frontage roads ended or connected with other roads paralleling the highway.

Disappearing soon

When we reached Big Timber, we had a snack to tide us over to Greycliff, where we planned on having lunch. Upon arrival in Greycliff, we saw no signs of any place to eat, so continued on to Reed Point, which was only 15 more miles away. To the south of us, some dark clouds came into view and shortly after that the wind became brutal. Brutal winds are never tailwinds; this was a strong crosswind that forced us to keep the bikes turned into the wind so that we weren’t blown into the opposing lane of traffic – not that there was much traffic. We pedaled hard and struggled to counter the force. The sky spit at us as well and ruined what up to this point had been a relatively speedy ride. We had maintained an average speed of 13.5 mph up until this point, when we struggled sometimes to manage to go 10mph.

Trying to dodge this storm

Maybe if I hadn’t stopped to take photos, we could have stayed ahead of the storm, but I figured that this might be the last day that we enjoy those majestic snow-capped mountains. Mike from Bozeman rightly suggested that the area is reminiscent of Ireland, although there may be only 999 shades of green here.

Enjoying the View
Until we reached Bozeman, the landscape evoked memories of Washington – brownish and dry, but with splashes of green thrown in for good measure. As we descended Bozeman pass, we understood the Ireland connection. Now, if only we could find something to drink other than Pabst Blue Ribbon on tap.

Moose Drool and other locally brewed dark beers have been my preferred imbibement in Montana. When I heard that the only restaurant here in Reed Point offered only Pabst Blue Ribbon on tap, I decided not to ask what types of dark beers they might serve. I didn’t see that sign about refusing service to anybody, but didn’t want to be run out of town or refused service at dinner since there is no other dining option in Reed Point.

Our home for the night is the Hotel Montana, an historic building with several rooms, all with tin ceilings and antique furnishings.

Our Room at the Hotel Montana
What a contrast to the chain motels where we have been staying. Ever since we wrote Bed, Breakfast & Bike Midwest, we have gained a new appreciation for bed and breakfasts and other non-standard accommodations. This place supposedly comes complete with a ghost that doesn’t seem to haunt our room.

Sitting Room
The place has been fabulously restored by Russ and Connie, who did set work for Ron Howard and who also were in the antiques business. It turns out that Russ is originally from Toledo, so we had lots of stories to share.

Each room offers a rack of clothes for both men and women for those who want to play western dress up. Our room doesn’t have much for a person with my ample measurements. I could try the velvet cape over my spandex and add a nice pair of cowboy boots, which complete the look of any western outfit. Now, that’s a scary picture, isn’t it? You will have to simply imagine it yourself, or not.

Reed Point’s claim to fame is it’s annual Sheep Drive held over Labor Day Weekend. The town consists of several buildings, many of which are for sale, as is the Hotel Montana.

Town View

Check back later for a podcast all about the Sheep Drive and the hotel’s resident ghost.