Day 43 – Sunday 7/10/22

Glendive, Montana to Circle, Montana – 50.1 Miles

I didn’t have to get out of bed this morning to know that it was going to be a difficult day. The next logical stop on the Lewis and Clark route was Circle, Montana, 50 miles to the NW from Glendive. After riding 100 miles yesterday, doing half of that would normally have felt like a day off for me. Unfortunately, the wind doesn’t take a day off. The prediction this morning was for winds of 15 to 20 mph from exactly the direction I was going. I looked for alternate routes that might avoid the full effect of this problem, but there weren’t any that made sense. Other choices were longer or would just introduce different issues later in the trip, so I had to get used to the idea of a hard day and slow progress.

The route to Circle led me south through town and then to the west. It’s easy to see how an Interstate highway effects local businesses in an area. My hotel was right off I-94, clustered with 5 other hotels with gas stations and restaurants nearby. Downtown Glendive also had several older hotels, but it didn’t look like any of them were the first choice for travelers. Low prices were advertised on the signs outside, but people traveling on the Interstate never see them. When all traffic had to go through a city, the downtown area could support many businesses. Now, with everything an overnight traveler needs just off the Interstate, many towns are thriving at one end and dying at the other.

Within a few miles I’d reached Montana 200, which would take me to Circle. From this sign I had about 5.5 hours of wind-in-my-face riding ahead.

Roads in Montana are often flat and straight.

The terrain eventually returned to the rolling hills found in the Dakotas. After the elevated landscape in Theodore Roosevelt National Park yesterday, I expected more of the same. Not quite yet.

Seven Mile Creek has a bridge over it, but no water. It must be a seasonal feature, as there were grasses and plants growing from the creek bed.

Riding against the wind for so long was tedious. I was in a low gear making about 7 to 8.5 mph on the flat. Elevation was going up for the first 35 miles, and when I got to a downhill, I had to pedal to keep Ishmael from slowing down.

Halfway between Glendive and Circle is a collection of buildings called “Lindsay”. The had a convenience store according to my map, and I was ready to rest and replenish my supplies when I got there. That goal kept me motivated as I rode against the wind, but when I pulled into the place it was closed. Not open on Sunday. Fortunately, I’d stocked up on water and snacks before leaving Glendive, because I knew Lindsay was the only stop in between. I sat on the bench outside the store, ate lunch and thought about the ice cream sandwich I’d just missed.

There was a train parked on the tracks near the road. I counted 101 cars from one end to the other. Here are a few.

A little further down the road, this appeared out of nowhere. I’m not sure why this area looks so different from the rest of the countryside, but it’s like a low budget Grand Canyon.

With 8 miles to go, I was almost done for the day.

I pulled into the Traveler’s Inn after 50.1 miles and 5 hours 58 minutes with Ishmael. Yesterday was twice the mileage in 2 hours and 8 minutes more. So, if you asked me what day was better, the answer wouldn’t be today. The good news is, I’m set up for the next stops in the chain across Montana. The towns of Jordan, Winnett and Lewiston are on the schedule, with an arrival in Missoula a longer-range goal.

Fried chicken and mashed potatoes from the gas station next door was tonight’s meal. The ride to Jordan stays on highway 200, but there are no services over the 67-mile route. Whatever I leave the motel with tomorrow morning will be it for the day, so packing light is not an option. Hopefully the wind will cooperate.