Layover

June 18, 2024

We have a spacious room. That is always appreciated, especially on a day off.

I found this columbine to be picturesque. By morning someone had plucked it, or stepped on it. It was on the ground.

A three part photo series of the hikers thumbing a ride. I don’t know how long they were outside when we saw them, but they were they at least a half hour more.

Jacinto said a dozen times what a boring place to have a layover. I replied a dozen times, I’m not going anywhere!

There was snow on the vehicles outside when we woke up this morning, but it wasn’t sticking to the ground. 34 degrees, warming to 43.

We wandered across the street for breakfast just before 11 AM. We have been seeing quite a few Continental Divide hikers. A couple was outside, trying to thumb a ride to Canada. The waitress said they weren’t getting any love, usually people are good to pick the hikers up. Finally they did get a ride. I bet it was cold, waiting.

Breakfast was good. We shared an order of blueberry pancakes and also each ate an omelet. We kept a few leftovers for Jacinto, but did a good job of eating like we are riding!

Jacinto has been to the store so many times, he probably knows the inventory as well as the employees. He was going to buy a beer to go with his afternoon movie, but they don’t sell beer. I think we are on the reservation. I have a theory. Jacinto is scoffing at me, but it’s a genuine question. I am a tall person at 5’10”. Some men are as tall as me, few are significantly taller. Women are seldom my height. Here in Babb, I’ve noticed 4-5 men who are way over six feet tall. I wonder if the Blackfeet people are tall. Jacinto says it’s coincidence. I think it might be possible.

Another note on the local population is that I asked the waitress where they do their shopping. She said it’s a two hour drive to Columbia Falls once a month for stocking up, and if she needs a few things, she goes over the border by Browning. She also added that the Hutterites (correct spelling)come to town once a week to sell produce and baked goods. It sounds as if they are similar To Mennonites in their clothing and that they allow motorized vehicles. I’ve never heard of Hutterites before. We have Mennonites in several communities in Colorado.

We are splurging tonight and eating at the steakhouse. I’ve cleaned my bicycle chain. We emptied our panniers out. They were damp inside, not wet. It’s good to keep things in Ziplock bags, for both organization and water resistance.

Now the high for tomorrow in Waterton is 53, not 63. That’s a disappointment, but it’s partially sunny and we will take that. There’s a beautiful mountain outside of Babb that we’d love to get a photo of, if the clouds would just move.

I was very, very happy to have a day off here. We have a tough riding day tomorrow, 38 miles, 3,700 elevation gain. Rested legs will be better for the long day. I hope the sun really shows up and hangs around.

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Amber StarfireGlad you got a rest day. Babb looks really remote. I looked up your question about the height of Blackfoot people. Here’s what I found at https://www.notesfromthefrontier.com/post/standing-tall-1800s-native-americans-were-tallest-in-the-world — “The average height of white men in the U.S. was about 5’6” in the mid-1800s, and European men were slightly shorter. However, Boas found that the height of the average Cheyenne was a whopping 5’10”; the Arapaho about 5’9”; the Crow 5’8-1/2”; Sioux 5’8” and the Blackfeet a fraction under the Sioux; the Kiowa were 5’7” and the Assiniboine a fraction under the Kiowa. The Comanche were the shortest; they had the same average height as white men: 5’6”. ”
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3 months ago

Sue SchragHutterites are not Mennonites, but we do kinda share the same roots, dating back to the Anabaptist movement of the Radical Reformation. Additionally, there are wide varieties of people who call themselves “Mennonite,” most easily discernible having to do with dress. You wouldn’t pick me out from the crowd, while others are readily identifiable. Let’s please not get into additional beliefs and practices … And, enough of that! Love following along on your rides, reading your journals and ogling the photos! Generalized health issues have sidelined us for the time being.
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3 months ago

Kelly IniguezTo Sue SchragSue,

Thank you for the clarification. Now I know the spelling, I looked on Google for more information. We are indeed in the correct territory! I wish we had hit town on a day we could have sampled the baked goods.
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3 months ago

Rachael AndersonI’m glad to hear you took a day off, you certainly needed it after the last several days of riding.
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3 months ago