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Made it into Glendive, MT tonight (near ND border) after slabbing I-90 then I-94
all day from Missoula. Lost another hour in the time change. I only made
one very quick detour off the road and that was in Deer Lodge, MT at the “Grant-Kohrs
Ranch NHS” to collect a passport stamp and add another state to my book:
Today was easy yet difficult. What made it easy was it was just WOT (wide
open throttle) in sparsely populated country which means I don't have to be on
mega-alert for all the issues that come with battling traffic in populated
places. The difficult part was that I needed to stay in the saddle today
and not go detouring (which I wanted to do approximately every few miles) either
on a road, taking pictures, or talking to the locals. I spent the last 3
days riding scenic byways, collecting stamps, hitting the 2nd corner, stopping
to take dozens of pictures, visiting with folks all along the way, etc and I
felt like I could possibly jeopardize not only my energy level if I did this
for 4 days straight but also possibly take away time that I want to spend in
other areas like MN, WI & MI. The decision was also influenced by the
fact that if everything goes well I will be coming back here next summer
during my trip to Alaska (to get *the* AK stamp, of course, and complete the
Gold National Parks Tour). Lastly, my thinking was I needed to take
advantage of being able to run at a spirited pace and maximize time; MT and
ND will likely be the last 2 states I can do this given the lower posted
speed limits as well as congestion on the East Coast; both are not favorable
for lengthy spirited jaunts.
At any, er, rate, more about my ride today..... Departed in very nippy Big Sky
Country morning air, clear skies, and almost no traffic on I-90. About
20mi outside of Missoula and I think near Clinton, MT I passed a large billboard
sign that stated, and I swear I am not making this up, “THE TESTICAL FESTIVAL...
HAVE A BALL!” with a picture of a large bull. Oh, so you think I'm making
this up, huh? Here ya go:
Posted 75mph speed limit throughout MT and I only saw 1 LEO the entire day going
westbound. I was expecting to see signs posted the entire route in MT warning
of wild game everywhere but such signs in the western and central sections of I-90
are almost non-existent. However, after Bozeman the deer warning signs were
everywhere and with good reason; antelope grazing the fields was a very consistent
sight. Passed the Continental Divide sign today, elevation 6,393. Noticed
the “C'mon Inn” seems to be a popular hotel here in MT. Also noticed everything
in Big Sky Country seems big to me... the cows seem big, the antelope seem big, the
people seem big... I didn't see very many well-toned physiques out here, rather big
folks who looked like they could hoist their big F-950 truck or whatever on their
shoulders and turn it around if it got stuck in the mud or something.
I can do my best thinking and absolutely no thinking when riding. Rather hard
to explain but it's true. The type of “wide open” (space and throttle) riding
like I did today seems to be conducive to more “I wonder...” type thinking. Like,
“I wonder what kind of bird that is” or “I wonder what Lewis & Clark would say about
life today if they were alive” or “I wonder what it's like to grow up as kid here”,
etc. It was a very welcomed change of pace as always. Just 4 days ago I was
lane-splitting thru the worst of CA traffic and 2 days ago I was sitting in Seattle
grid-lock and at the US border. Quite a dichotomy.
Hit one lane traffic construction just east of Bozeman which caused a slight delay...
geez, a traffic jam of 4 cars in Montana! The Yellowstone River weaves alongside
and in and out (or under) I-90 then I-94 the entire way. Seemed like each time I
crossed over it I could see someone fly-fishing. If I had brought my telescoping
pole there's a good chance I'd still be reelin' 'em in instead of typing this
tonight! Passed several signs roadside denoting this is part of the “Lewis & Clark
Trail.” Ran parallel to the “Bear Tooth Mountain Range” during one stretch of I-90
about mid-day. More spectacular beauty.
I passed 11 bikes all day today, 10 of which were on the westbound side of the interstate....
I think I have a knack for going against the flow or something. When I was running I-80
& I-90 in IA & SD recently everyone was headed the opposite direction from me then
too. Today after I hit I-94 from I-90 there were several stretches of 5 miles or more
where I was the only traffic in either direction! So, here I was again with the road
to myself, beautiful scenery, gloriously fresh air.... doesn't get much better. Riding
in pure, clean air is just down right energizing for body and mind to me... sadly, I think
those who live in the smog, dirt, trash invested city limits become so habituated to such
poor conditions that they don't see or feel the toll it takes on them.
Everything and everyone has a story, a history, whether it's a rock or a bridge or the farmer
you see in the field. It seems like a common theme in this part of the country is
perseverance. Hopefully it's a message I can take with me on this ride.
Will hit the ND stamp in the morning!
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