Harlowton to Townsend MT

Today (Wednesday) was the most beautiful of the ride so far.  As we set out, we were on the high plains and could see the mountains off in the distance.  The air was crisp (about 55˚), but under my lightweight jacket I quickly worked up a sweat even as I enjoyed the beauty of this little corner of the universe.

Just before the first rest stop (at approximately the 20 mile mark) I had fallen behind the group I was with. As I caught a glimpse of this beast just on the other side of the fence, I wondered if it was a buffalo. A closer look revealed that it was a really a big bull. When I stopped to take a picture, he kept walking and bellowed rather loudly.

Here's the view to the south from our first rest stop.

Thanks to some local knowledge in Harlowton, we had been forewarned that there would be construction along our route. Because of that, the route was changed from what was originally planned but we still had a mile or so of construction. Once again we waited patiently for the pilot car, but this time we were able to ride across on our own. 

I rode with Gerry, Scottie, and Lindsey from mile 20 to mile 40. We had a bit of a headwind so I was happy to sit behind Scottie most of the way. Add in what the French call a “rising false flat” and we were moving along at a 11 or 12 mph. Despite the slower pace, my legs soon felt heavy and as the foothills got closer and the “rise” became more pronounced, I lagged behind. Along the way there was 360˚ of incredible beauty.

The road rose more sharply after the 2^nd rest stop and my companions rode on ahead. I didn’t mind. Everywhere I looked there was beauty. The rather long descent helped give the legs a break as well and they didn’t feel as heavy for the rest of the ride.

Diane, my host in Sundance, Wyoming, told me that someone in Washington figured that the government could save a lot of money if there were fewer cattle guards out west. ;-) I’ve wanted to get a picture of one every since. Today was the perfect opportunity – and a beautiful location.

After mile 60 we had a couple of longer and steeper climbs. At the top of the second one we entered the Helena National Forest and began a nice descent through what the locals call the Canyon. It was a different world. The wide open spaces of the high plains were replaced with a winding road with a clear mountain stream running along side and trees that somehow grew out of the rocky cliffs on either side.  Instead of feeling small in the vastness of the wide open spaces, I felt small in the confines of the canyon.  It was a different type of beauty and I could have taken hundreds of pictures but I was enjoying the descent too much. 

    

At the edge of the forest the descent became more gradual and the fast moving stream slowed down and became a source of irrigation in a green valley. There was one final short climb and at the top I could see Townsend in the distance, along with the mountains that we will need to go over or around to get to Helena tomorrow. After 94 miles today, the 36 miles on the schedule for tomorrow will seem like a breeze. One of our hosts this evening told us that Helena and Townsend are at the same elevation so it sounds like we’ll be climbing and then having a sweet descent.

Our hosts at the United Methodist Church put on quite a spread for our supper tonight. They cooked up some burgers and chicken and different people from the church brought salads and desserts. We had a feast, and once again, I was pleasantly satisfied. The generosity of the people who let us sleep on their floors and provide food for 30 hungry bikers continues to amaze me – and it allows more of the money raised for the trip to actually go to the work of the Fuller Center to end poverty housing.