Day Destination Arrival Depart Mile
10 Avon MT 25-June
26-June 99
We started the day with breakfast in the school
cafeteria. Good food choices, oatmeal , bran muffins coffee, fruit and
toppings. Late load of truck at 6:45 am. Today is 98 miles through “Big Sky
Country”. What a great ride. Open range
with cattle as far as you can see in all directions. Plenty of climbing and long sweeping descents,
lucky for sleep in a cabin at the campground.
Excellent dinner by Avon Café, salmon, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and
great pie – wow cherry , apple , coconut cream.
Shifting of the bike needs fine tuned with standing a bit
unnerving. Small muscle fatigue but all
in all the training has paid off big time.
Some riders are having knee issues, Karolina sagged after the 23 mi check
point. Most riders are strong and finish
with very little problem.
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| Our Little House for the night |
11 Townsend
MT 26-June
27-June 61
Started with the Avon Café and their excellent homemade
sweet rolls , coffee and a good breakfast in the dining hall that is a church
group camp. Started the day in the rain
for the big 4.5 mile climb up the Rockies through MacDonald Pass, elevation
6320 ft. Slow and steady to the
top. Cold and wet, could not feel my
toes or fingers and could see my breath.
What an adventure. Trained along
time for this climb over the Western Continental Divide and wanted to enjoy
it. After the top, the descent was
almost 12 miles. Steep turns followed an
almost constant downhill into Townsend.
Not a real long day but very memorable , a major treasure of the trip. Checked in back home to wish Ben a Happy 26th
Birthday, first one I ever missed.
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| Highest Point of the trip - Western Continental Divide |
12 Harlowton
MT 27-June
28-June 101
Today was a century day and what a ride! The tailwind was excellent and the group
moved very fast. The ride started with a
steady climb of almost 3 miles and then a long, long downhill. After lunch there was a steady tailwind that
approached 17 mph. The final 15 miles
was very, very fast. Rolled into Harlowton and have an overnight
in a really friendly church that open the doors and let us use the social hall
for cooking and most of the school rooms as bedrooms. Super nice people. The rides are getting easier as the group
builds in strength. Tomorrow is a bed
night. Yea! Today also marks the quarter (25 %) mark both in miles and days of the trip
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| Cathy mixing it up with the Harleys |
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| The Long and Winding Road |
13 Billings
MT 28-June 30-June 92
Another unbelievable tailwind, almost 20 with faster gusts did the first 46 miles in 2 hr and 15 min. Big
Sky country is the right term, in some places you could see in all directions
for miles and miles. Prarie dogs sitting
up watching the wind blow , families of them on top of mounds of dirt. No major problems beyond an upset stomach or
sore muscles. Tonight is Big Ride Bed
Night 3 at Montana State University in Billings a nice school, free laundry and
bikes in the room. Dinner was beyond
basil in the local park, steak, salmon cakes, salad and birthday cake for
Charles who is 52 tomorrow. A few
heinekins and the stage is set for a good night sleep.
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| Overlooking Billings Montana |
14* Billings MT
Life in Billings is pretty simple. Coffee at the gas station, free laundry at
the dorm, bike wash and tire change, new shoes and new gloves. Rode around town to check it out and get
lunch and a cold summer shandy for later.
Blogs, school work and
relaxing. A great rest day. Gene the mechanic / EMT added a
rubber ducky with helmet to Cathy’s bike.
Super nice guy who looks after us all the time. Three cheers to Charlton, Lynn, Gene and Will
a super support group.
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| BIG RIDERS having breakfast at the "Mint" |
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