Author: Bob

From time to time, Steve treats us to a song on the road.

Today’s milage 61.4, Total miles 1013

After a relaxing stay at Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park, where we learned, among other things, that Scobie is the official state soil we made our way to Bozeman. The contrast between a pristine State Park and a sprawling metropolis became increasingly apparent as we continued our journey.  

Entering the Gallatin Valley from the west, it hard to believe one will cross the this land on a bicycle in part of a day. Yet, this was the first day where we felt that lunch was too large. This is owing in part, I suspect, to being on the downhill side of the Continental Divide. The relaxing surroundings of our lunch spot in a park in Manhattan, MT did provide good rest before tackling the increased traffic in Belgrade through Bozeman. 

Our campground tonight at the east end of the Bozeman metro area shares space with beautiful and friendly horses….  a nice twist. 

The view behind our campsite for the night at Beavertail Hill State Park.

When this ride was more of a concept than reality, the notion that we could average 60 miles per day coast to coast seemed rational. Today we had 1027 feet elevation gain over 61 miles. This coast to coast thing just isn’t so rough. It is a series of short journeys.

Nothing in my travels surpass the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes for bicycle touring — a 73 mile trail spanning Northern Idaho. Birds, deer, chipmunks outnumbered the humans by a fair margin.

Fine humans we did meet were the purveyors at Cycle Haus coffee shop in Harrison. It is good to see this business still thriving. Colin was so enchanted that he left his phone there, so that he could sprint back 2,5 miles to retrieve it during our journey.

The trail is smooth and flat. The eventual transition to the climb that approaches the continental divide is so gentle one can hardly notice.

We saw no moose on the course today, though two of us have encountered them here previously. In the Idaho forest where I last came upon a moose that refused to clear this trail, today we found perhaps 100 grade school kids, who also refused to clear the trail. Safe passage was eventually realized.

As we settle in, our campsite is co-located with a brewpub. I finish my beer just as I finish this update. Could it get any better?

I don’t know if we’re up for a thought for the day every day — though here here is a good thought for this day:

As a younger person I would see postcards and such with Jackalopes, which I assumed to be in a category loosely related to snipes, Sasquatch, the Monthman. Do they exist? Who am I to judge? Well, tonight I had to quickly grab my phone for a quick pic of this odd creature as it hurried across camp. About two feet long and very, very fast.