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Great Falls. None today. Although there should have been several. Why?
Our plans to go to Yellowstone aborted because most roads in the park are still closed.
So, new day, same crappy food. Haven't seen a whole grain since we left Canada. Overcast and cooler. Apparently the romance has gone. Forecast called for scattered light showers. Apparently crappy forecast. Delayed early start today out of our control because we wanted to have my bike checked out for vibration issues. No fix other than to remove engine guards. No can do. No spare bolts.
New plan to go to Havre, MT, yes East, attempting to get back on track with our original plan to ride Highway 2 across. Chose an obscure highway #200. This will take us through the town of Lincoln, Great Falls and eventually into Havre, MT. We got as far as Great Falls, starting out through pine lined mountains, over Helena Pass where there was lots of snow at the summit, then down to the valley and into the start of the prairies (Prime Beef Country is what the sign said) with low dry tabletop hills that offered no protection from the elements - rather, they did everything to promote the weather we were about to experience.
As great as yesterday was with the highs, today was the yang of the ying. Sunshine was replaced with clouds, warm air replaced with hypothermic conditions, calm winds replaced with 40 mph sidewinds gusting up to 58 mph every 5 seconds (so the weather man told us too late). Forecast light showers replaced with driving torrential downpours that quickly found its way into any and every gap between clothing and skin (I'm positive MEC told me my boots were waterproof). Wet wrists, wet gloves, wet hair, wet toes, wet thighs, wet butt, wet EVERYTHING. Why don't they make helmets with wiperblades. Our hotel room looks like a laundromat.
Anyone who knows me knows I have a severe dislike of hottubs and (un)identifiable floaties therein. But today, I would have taken a hottub at Jim's, filter or not. Just make my blue toes and fingers turn pink again. Fortunately the one here "looked" "clean" and I partook for 10 minutes to warm up.
I have to give kudos to Montana drivers. As we rode through the gusts and rain, taking up most of the lane swaying side to side, quite violently at times (and how the bike didn't slideout from under me many times is still boggling my mind), the drivers of cars, trucks, trucks with horse/cow/buffalo trailers in tow and the occasional semi always gave us a wide berth, passing way over on the other side of the road, and always giving a wave - thank you for such courtesy. Despite many a note to self, I almost dropped the bike twice when we got into Great Falls, as did Ian as he just confessed to me, because my feet were so cold and I was shivering so badly, I couldn't feel the ground when we stopped.
The roads were average today, some made of pink concrete, a little bumpy at times and ice damaged. There were many a cow to be seen in this Prime Beef land, and the occasional buffalo. A couple of road kills - mountain sheep I think, I didn't look too closely, and lots of marmot like things, fat with tails, jumping all over the place. We are at the Best Western Heritage Inn tonight in a spacious room, with a Casino Lounge tacked on the end of the building. Who would eat dinner in front of a slot machine? Welcome to Montana: casinos, no helmet laws, no grains (I wonder if the cows get grains?), and lots of scenery. NO SALES TAX. One hour ahead. We are making progress despite the odds today! Sorry no pics. Back tomorrow! Sign us Drying Out......
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Janet
non-member comment
Good day bad day
Everyone's day can be looked at differently, sort of like an art show. For one person sitting in front of a slot machine with a good bowl of chili would seem perfect at the end of a day like you had. Oh dear I do hope your next leg makes you forget all about this one. Love to you both. Janet