Livingston to Wibaux
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.
Reed Point to Billings – 60 miles
Average Speed – 14.2 mph to Park City dropping to 12.2mph by the time we reach Billings.
The intense rain from last night gave way to blue skies with non-threatening wisps of gray tossed in for good measure. Perhaps those showers forecasted for the day happened during the night. We dressed in warm clothing as the temperature still isn’t warm enough for us to leave without bundling up.
Along the Yellowstone
We spent many pleasant miles on frontage roads and decided that the threat of rain was nil, so hooked up the helmet cam. What a drag that we ran out of tape on the downhill of a Lolo-like climb.
Yellowstone River
We stopped for breakfast in tiny Park City and things changed when we left.
My Idea of a butte
It’s good that we had the extra carbs because the wind would force us to use every single bit of energy that we could muster. We had been cruising along up until Park City, even with the hill climbing that we had to do. This untimely wind made us consider when we have experienced an ideal cycling day on this trip. We didn’t really have to think too hard or long. We had a great wind from the west when we were heading south. Now we have a strong crosswind that became a headwind as we changed direction. I was ready for Robert to take the lead for awhile as pedaling into the heavy winds fatigued me. We tilted the bikes in the opposite direction from what we did yesterday. At least the tires will wear evenly.
Fortunately, I stopped at a junction to look at the map. Janet had told us that we might think that heading north seemed odd. It seemed painful considering that the wind was coming from the northeast. Turns out that we could make a right turn here and head toward Billings. The crosswind seemed a blessing compared to the headwind that had plagued us for the last 15 miles. Besides the increasingly forceful wind that we faced, we also had to deal with the plummeting temperature. Those threatening clouds returned and the thought of riding in the rain in 48 degrees thrilled me to no end. Somebody early on told us that the wind moves from cold areas to warmer ones. Perhaps this explains the wind direction that seems contrary to what we had expected.
We have an 80+ mile day in a few days from Miles City to Baker. Easterly winds would make for a long and grueling day. At least, there are plenty of hours of daylight.
Tomorrow, we should hit the 1000 mile mark.
It looks as if we may be incommunicado for the next few days as the internet possibilities look really slim.
Billings to Custer – 100k – 62 miles
Average speed – 11.8
Perplexed cows ceased chewing their cud, turning their heads to ponder what brought us to their territory. Maybe it was my yellow jacket that caught their attention because several cows simultaneously looked our way. I, too, was perplexed by the inordinate amount of hills that we encountered today. We had heard about the Hysham Hill, which starts just a few miles outside of Custer, but really hadn’t considered that there might be more hills beyond Billings.
We dawdled again this morning as the temp was in the 30’s. Fortunately, our map of Billings indicated a bike path that wasn’t too far away from our motel.
We followed frontage roads to the start of this very nice path, which first took us through industrial areas and then into quieter parts of Billings. By the time we got to the end of the path, we had already ridden 12 miles. The other option was to take I-90 to I-94, but we didn’t want to deal with having to make a left exit to I-94 and the bridge across the river was long enough and we were concerned about the shoulder situation. When we passed by the Interstate bridge as it crossed the Yellowstone, we knew that we had made the right choice as the bridge also climbed.
Once we left the urban sprawl, the roads became quiet. We hit the 1000 mile mark at Worden. That may have been the high point of the day. No, there were several high points, mostly hills. We traveled the flat back roads until we came directly into I-94 at Pompeys Pillar.
Pompeys Pillar
We didn’t visit the monument as it would have required riding on a dirt road and a significant amount of time. We’ll save that for a day when we have a car.
A typical climb today
Almost immediately after we entered the highway, the road became extremely rolling. The landscape has changed considerably from yesterday and looks like what I consider a typical western cowboy and Indian movie set.
My Idea of the West
Expansive vistas, with rock outcroppings and occasional clusters of foliage dominate the landscape. The variety of scenery that we have enjoyed so far on this journey makes me think about those people who only travel abroad because they claim that there is nothing to see in the US. How they can make such a statement without having ever been anywhere but abroad baffles me.
Welcome
We knew that our accommodations tonight would be a trailer motel. We first experienced this type of lodging back in Dayton, but prior to then, I had never seen or heard of such a place. Hysham, just up the road, also has a trailer motel. It isn’t the Ritz or even the Motel 6, but after a day like today, we are happy to have a place to rest
The Motel
We have heard throughout the trip that there were cyclists a day or two ahead of us. Obviously, we could never catch them. Today, the owner of the motel told us that a cyclist had stopped in a few hours before our arrival. He complained of the headwinds that he was facing, but had planned on reaching Forsyth, our destination tomorrow; a century ride from Billings. No thanks. Before the headwind really blew in our faces, we had planned on riding long distances thanks to great tailwinds. Those tailwinds have yet to materialize, but we are still hoping for one for the 80 mile ride from Miles City to Baker.
Typical Warning throughout the West
George Custer was born in Monroe, Michigan. It seems that the last time that we were in that town, any mention of George Custer’s name was removed from the welcome signs. It just isn’t pc to be associated with George. Monroe would rather be known as the home of La-Z-Boy.
Custer to Forsyth – 48 miles
Average Speed – 11.5
Why did we think that we were heading downhill and away from climbs? Today and yesterday afternoon had to be the most difficult days of the trip in terms of climbing. After leaving Custer, we started a gradual climb toward the infamous Hysham Hill.
The Changing Scenery
We thought that we had reached the top because we knew that the last bit was steep and wrongly assumed that since we had finished a steep bit, that we were at the top. We continued to climb steep sections and never assumed again that we were at the top.
Looking Back from Hysham
It’s never a good sign when trucks shift into a lower gear, or the trucks from the other direction are using their jake brakes. We had numerous climbs after Hysham Hill. Neither of us could remember another day with so many hills to conquer.
Looking Forward from Hysham Hill
At one point, we thought that we had come too close to a bird’s nest as we heard constant chirping. Turns out that it wasn’t a protective mother bird, but a colony of prairie dogs. We had missed the Prairie Dog Town State Park the other day en route from Livingston to Reed Point. Since we had been battling the hills along with a headwind, we decided to stop and try to get a photo of these skittish creatures. Robert went over to the fence, ever alert for rattlesnakes and tried to snap a few shots. The prairie dogs quickly disappeared into their holes.
Forsyth demands that cyclists climb one last hill before coming into town. The town, which we will soon explore has a historic district and what seems like a disproportionate amount of hotels for a town so small. We are definitely glad to be here.
I still hate hills and headwinds, but I am enjoying the trip. Several people have asked us why we are doing it or why we do it if we don’t like hills or headwinds. Maybe in some future post, I will explain our reasons for doing this. No great philosophical ramblings necessary.
We received a suggestion for taking an alternate route that would add a few days, but would eliminate that long trek to Baker. If we were guaranteed a tailwind, the 80 miles would be no problem. If we get strong headwinds or crosswinds, we would have a tough time getting the 80 miles in, although we do have plenty of hours of daylight. We have to consider our options and see what we can do. Besides avoiding the long stretch, we would also see some interesting landscapes. Maybe the deciding factor should be if we can get internet somewhere.
Our internet access in the next few days or maybe all the way until Minneapolis is questionable.
Forsyth to Miles City (still in Montana) – 45 miles
Average Speed – 12.6
“Well, that’s not so far.” I wanted to offer the cleaning lady my bicycle and have her bike back to Forsyth when she made this comment after asking us where we had come from. Yet another hilly day makes me feel the burn in my thighs. I can’t figure out why the hills never seem to get any easier. At least today, they were longer and more gradual than the hills of yesterday, but I don’t like them anymore than I did before.
Climbing toward the mountains. Well, it feels like it, but these are just clouds.
Some people have no clue about what it’s like to bicycle for more than a block or two. Doing just ten more miles is easy in a car, but not necessarily an easy feat especially after a long day of uphills, headwinds and unpleasant weather.
Some claim that Eastern Montana is flat. I have heard the same about Ohio. Yes, Northwest Ohio really is pretty flat. The highway overpasses are big hills in those parts, but that isn’t true in the rest of the state, nor is it true of Eastern Montana and I can lend you a bike if you don’t believe it.
The landscape today
We made a change in our itinerary and will add 70 miles to the itinerary just to avoid a long stretch of nothingness between here and Baker. It’s more a psychological thing because the distance without services would be the same as it was between Lowell and Powell, but we seemed less vulnerable in the woods than we do on the plains especially in terms of weather. In the case of stormy weather, which is predicted for tomorrow, we have no place to seek refuge. There aren’t lots of trees around here.
Approaching Miles City
Tomorrow, we will head toward Terry, just 38 miles from Miles City. We hope to visit the Evelyn Cameron Gallery and Prairie Unique. After Terry, we head to Wibaux, which sounds like the things that wobble, but never fall down. We hear that we will be near the Badlands of Montana.
Besides the dead skunks that blocked our path today, we also saw what looked like parrots also dead in the shoulder. Now I am only an accidental bird watcher, which means if somebody points something out to me, it can go on my life list, which I keep in my head. I don’t purposely seek out birds. I need to do some investigation and see if there is a parrot in Montana. Why not? This state has a state dinosaur and I thought it was funny that Idaho had a state dance.
We are in Custer Country now and that should never, ever be confused with Custer County, which is in Custer Country, but is not the same.
Miles City is probably best known for its Bucking Horse Sale, which happened last week, but is it also known as the “Cowboy Capital of Montana”. Yee haw. Just what I was thinking when I walked by the Wal-Mart.
We’ve been lucky as far as internet access goes, but don’t know if we have internet access the next few days.
Miles City to Terry (still in Montana) – 39 miles
Average Speed – 12.2 mph
We had been discussing having a new tire sent out for Robert’s bike as the tread on his rear wheel is disappearing. The tires that we had ordered before the trip were backordered, so didn’t arrive before our departure. While discussing tires, Robert commented that my tires (Bontrager) were of a much better quality than his. In fact, they have triple puncture protection. Well, I guess that I needed quadruple puncture protection because the triple was just not enough. We really shouldn’t have been talking about tire failure in the first place.
Quick change
Coming down from yet another interesting climb in this flat part of Montana, I felt my rear wheel rolling unnaturally. I asked Robert if he noticed anything and he said that the tire looked low.
I am careful about what I ride over, but this needle-like piece of metal would never have caught my eye. As any cyclist knows, front tires never get flats because they are so much easier to get off. The real reason that front tires don’t get flats as often is that the front wheel usually kicks up something that the rear wheel runs over and the rear wheel has more weight on it than the front wheel.
The students that we toured with in the Yucatan came up with the concept of the no-flat club. Too many people fulfilled the requirements, so to keep this an exclusive club, it became the no-flat, no-crash and no-illness club. We aren’t being clubby on this trip, so it doesn’t matter that I got a flat. Considering all the debris in the shoulders, it is rather amazing that we traveled over 1100 miles with no flat or other mechanical problems.
The Wonderful Scenery of Eastern Montana
Pronghorn Antelope
We missed the rain today, but noticed that the most menacing clouds appeared to be to the south of us, which is the direct route to Baker. Besides getting a glimpse of the Montana Badlands by going via Terry, we also got to enjoy the local Terrestrial culture. Are residents Terryists, Terriers(the school mascot), Terrians, Terryites or Terryanders? We left it to our imaginations and you should too.
We first visited Prairie Unique and if you are even remotely interested (pun intended) in radio controlled craft, you need to head to Terry this weekend for a radio controlled fly-in. Dale, whose business includes upholstering, all things remote-controlled and a made in Montana Shop has overseen this event for the past 13 years.
After a quick visit of Prairie Unique, we walked across the street to the Evelyn Cameron Gallery. Evelyn chronicled life in Terry as the resident photographer, self-taught no less. She did weddings and social events, but also captured everyday life in Terry. Her photos of the residents show no trace of dainty, delicate or privileged folks. Her subjects, farmers, homesteaders, sheep herders and their families reflect the hardships of living on the prairie of Eastern Montana.
After leaving the gallery, we went next door to the Prairie County Museum where we were given a personal tour by the very enthusiastic Walter, who grew up in the area. His explanation of some of the objects in the museum helped us connect the history of the area with the photos that we had seen in the gallery.
Terry to Wibaux – 68 miles
Average Speed – 11.8
Fortunately, we made it here before the rain did. It’s gotten chilly again and we are happy not to be out in the elements, but we will get our chance tomorrow because the forecast calls for a 70% chance of rain all day. The temperature will barely break into the 50’s, so I can’t wait to get soaked and hopefully blown all the way to Baker.
The scenery today confirmed that we made the right choice in taking this route. Besides the incredible rock formations, with their striated colors that remind me of my print from John Day National Park, the wildlife also got our attention.
The antelopes transport themselves in a curious manner. They don’t run; they do a springy ballet sauté everytime we stop to try to shoot a photo.
Supposedly they can achieve speeds of up to 70mph, so I didn’t bother trying to catch up to them when they took off hopping. From the way they move, I wonder if they have ever bred with the legendary and rarely seen jackalope.
Just for fun, I checked the altimeter to see what our total elevation gain was today. Theoretically, since Eastern Montana is flat, it should have been close to zero, but it was above 1600 feet. Now, this is cumulative gain for the day. We are back at around 2600 feet above sea level and need to climb some more to Baker.
Today was our last day of riding on the Interstate. I can’t forget to compliment Treasure County on their excellent and smooth shoulders that we really enjoyed riding on. Tomorrow we will be on Route 7 down to Baker and then we will be back on Route 12 again as we leave Montana. Did you ever think that we would get out of Montana?
