Bicycle Tours

From: Malta, Montana
To: Chinook, Montana
Mileage: 68




Math sometimes doesn't make sense. One day, two different rides.

After breakfast at the West End CafÈ in Malta we were ready for our morning ride, coated with bug repellant. Sacos claim to fame is the mosquito capital of the lower 48, and the mosquitoes pay little attention to trivial things, like town lines.

1 + 1 + 1 = 18. With a tailwind, mosquitoes penetrating our repellant, and the Rear Admiral's desire to use a powder room; we sailed into Dodson in under an hour (averaging 18mph)! From Dodson, we crossed into the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and slowly our multitudes of little traveling companions gave up their pursuit (a good thing because a loaded SeeMore is not the vehicle to ride at Tour de France speeds!).

While riding into Fort Belknap Agency, we noticed that the rear tire was slowly losing air. We stopped to pump it up, and it lasted until after lunch at Deb's Diner in Harlem. Under the shade of the diner, I removed the rear tire and the Rear Admiral found the piece of wire (from a retread tire) sticking out of the tube. With tire replaced, we ventured out onto Route 2 for our second half of the day.

1 + 1 + 2 = 18. All the cars in Montana, headwinds, and two hours of mashing the pedals brought us to rest here in Chinook. We have no idea were everyone is going, and when we find out, you will be the first to know. The road shoulder also disappeared about 4 miles outside of Harlem for added pleasure. Making is especially thrilling when RV, tractor-trailer and bicycle meet.

The scenery changed also, instead of the miles of grassland/cattle ranges, we have a green valley with lots of trees. The Bear Paw Mountains are getting larger!