Day 24 - Augusta to Great Falls, MT

-

 Stats: 

Today's miles: 57.0 miles
Today's feet of elevation gain: 853 feet
Total miles traveled: 912.4 miles
Total feet climbed: 32,892 feet
Dead Rattlesnake count: 21
Initial/Final elevation 4,254 ft / 3,523 ft

The route to GF promised to be relatively easy. Other than a few transition climbs, the ride was generally downhill. Since I was still short of calories from the previous day, I delayed taking off until 8:00 AM and had breakfast at the motel restaurant...good food and worth the delay. The route follows a paved back road with very little traffic along a long, flat valley. The irrigated fields and pastures were in stark contrast with arid conditions the day before. The route climbed from the end of the valley, between a couple buttes and dropped into the town of Simms where it rejoined MT200. From there it was an uneventful ride into Great Falls. I checked into the Super 8 around 2:30. Nice to get out of the 94F heat!


My arrival in Great Falls (GF) celebrates a couple things: this is the end of another route map (Lewis & Clark section 6) and the change to the Northern Tier route!! I’ll spend a rest day in GF to plan out the next segments of the route. The NorthernTier maps provide less information than what I’ve had so far. So planning travel distances, resource stops, camping/lodging and understanding terrain is more challenging. I believe the route between GF and Glendive MT will be the most challenging of the entire trip. While there are no mountain passes to cross, I anticipate a lot of climbs through the terrain. Much like the previous days, the area is hot, dry and remote. *NOTE - It may be several days before I’m in a location to update this blog.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Background

-
What prompted this crazy idea for an adventure? Way back in 1980-81 a buddy and I talked about making a cross-country bicycle ride after we graduated from college in May 1981. There was a resurgence in US cycling at the time and famously a number of riders did a cross-country ride for the US bicentennial in 1976 (today that ride is taken by hundreds every year on what is known as the TransAmerica Route). Sadly, our plans crossed paths with reality after graduation. Both of us were $$ broke by then and Gary had been accepted into seminary school to start that summer. It just wasn’t going to happen, but the thought of someday making the ride never left. As I approached retirement I committed to making it happen. From buying a touring bike, collecting solo camping gear, putting together a route (Thanks Adventure Cycling !!), working out and getting into cycling shape, it's all come together to begin my cross-country ride this Sunday.
Read more

Day 5 - Rest, Day 6 - The Dalles to Crow Butte State Park

-
Image
  Stats:   Today's miles :   93 miles Today's feet of elevation gain:   3,145 feet Total miles traveled:   311.5 miles Total feet climbed:   13,437 feet It was a really good day of cycling. I was on the road from The Dalles by 6 AM, the forecast high temp had dropped from 94 to 88F (hey little victories) and a 25 mph wind was blowing up-river (tailwind). The ride to Biggs was crazy. There was a section of 3 miles on I84 where I never pedaled, since the wind was strong enough to sustain my normal speed. When I reached Biggs I stopped at the truck stop for a quick breakfast sandwich and coffee before crossing the bridge and beginning the 83 mi “limited services area” run on the Washington side of the river.  Perhaps I was a bit too cocky at that point, because when I came out of the truck stop, my rear tire had relieved itself. Damn those shredded steel belts on the roadside! At least it was in a parking lot and it only took two tubes ( note be extra ca...
Read more