August 11----24.37 in 2:07. Tired legs prevailed as Buddy and I headed up the 400 ft ascent out of the little town of Belt. Once we got to the top of the hill, we were amazed by the expanse of the wheat fields that we were riding by, as far as you could see in every direction. We saw nothing else. The grain is in the process of being harvested, and some fields were cut, but others weren't. We saw huge combines out in the fields, but they were so far away, we didn't appreciate their size, until I saw one parked next to an eighteen wheeler. The truck was dwarfed, almost looking like a toy. One pass of one of these combines is wider than the two lane road, including shoulders, that we were riding on. Eventually we dropped into the Missouri River Valley, which is the home of Great Falls. I was surprised to learn that the Missouri River flowed way out here in western Montana--- another geography lesson for me. This is Lewis and Clark country, and all the history of the area includes that expedition. Great Falls got its name from the series of five waterfalls on the Missouri, which the Lewis and Clark party had to portage on their quest to go west. The falls all have hydroelectric dams near them now, but they are still a source of tourism, as well as electric power in the area.
We got a late start once again, and we were happy to be done early. It's the first larger town (60000) we've been in for a while, and Pam needed to hit a drug store, a grocery store, a gas station, etc. We had lunch at a Chinese buffet, which could have been better. When in Montana, don't eat fish or Chinese, eat beef! We chilled out in the evening, had a small birthday meal in my honor, and planned our trip to Glacier National Park, which commences tomorrow.
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| Endless wheat fields |
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| Missouri River |
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| Now that's a truck! |
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| Buddy chillin' with Thomas Jefferson - TJ assigned Lewis & Clark to their famous task. Thought it was a good picture since Buddy teaches at Thomas Jefferson High School! |
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