Saturday 25th May - Eastwards across Montana

Woke up to a damp and dismal morning. Wasn’t actually raining but looked like it would and it was still so cold. So put all clothes on again and off we went.

Initially I rode through wooded valley with fast flowing streams

 and then the valleys got broader and the rivers wider.

 

The morning warmed up so I shed clothes and looked forward to a more comfortable ride.

 

I knew exactly where I wanted to go…

 

 

 

 

 

 

And it is!

The land flattened then, the valleys got much wider and the rivers broadened

 

Then, just when I was thinking the cold passes where behind me

 

 

  the tail end of the Rockies, so that’s what that grey bit on the map meant!

Still, didn’t let it get me down. How could it when I was driving through an area where someone will take this much trouble with a post box....

 

 

Took a detour to the National Bison Range. I knew I couldn’t get in because they won’t let you ride around it on a bike for some reason but thought I may see them from the road. Quite disappointed to only see these two, and then in some kind of paddock...

Later on when I stopped for a snack I realised why the herd may be depleted – and looking at the portions they serve it’s a least one bison per burger.

 

Talking of portions, was in a restaurant the other day and a family came into the booth behind me, mum, dad and not so little Billy, or whatever. They all ordered a meal and then the waiter reminded them that it was a free child’s meal with every adult one so they were in fact entitled to two children’s meals. After some debate as to whether they should get a second child’s meal and take it home they decided, nay, Billy would have them both there and then, and he did!

These guys were near the Bison Range, some horns eh

And you have to admit they suit him more than they do this chap I met last night.....

Maybe they will look better when he mounts them on his truck - that was his plan!

 

This place looked an appropriate place to stop (believe me!!!)

 but Froggy had a better way of dealing with the problem – ahhhhhhhh!

The Rockies were always there but actually I didn’t have to climb too high to get through.

 

 

Although as I said I couldn’t ride along it on my bike I had been following the route of the first wagon route to cross the Rockies to the Pacific Coast - remember, this chappie Capt. John Mullan

and therefore the road I was on swept around the contours of the land much as Route 66 had. Big difference though was this a predominantly green landscape be it grassland or forests and there were rivers everywhere.

Those rivers were beautiful and where they were deeper and slower they were apparently home to the endangered Bull Trout. There was fishing everywhere so I don’t know what they do catch.

Where the river was fast and narrow it was great for other types of sport – makes my bike ride look a doddle.

 

When I first drove past this sign I thought it was The Herpes Capital of the World…

      See, I told you it was cold.

There was still plenty of wild life and enough dead deer on the road to convince me that riding at night still not a good idea. 

 

 

 

 Oh forgot to say, I saw a bull moose yesterday in Idaho. It was standing in that iconic pose in swamp up to its knees – assume moose have knees – and just staring at me. I couldn’t stop as it was persistently raining and too dangerous. Looking it up on Google it says the population around here is “exploding” but as I said this one just stood there.

 

As I approached Great Falls I passed the site of an old - in American terms - Fort. Nothing there now, but it was exciting to think that people who passed through here 140 years ago would go on to rub shoulders with Custer and who knows, may have seen Sitting Bull.

 

Well, if things go to plan I cross over border to Canada tomorrow. Tonight will involve making sure all that paper work I have carried around in my little black bag for 6 weeks is in order....