Week 5

Day 29 Monday, June 28

Harlem to Malta

Harlem has a city park that allows bicyclists to camp overnight. I appreciate that we could camp for free and use the pool showers for $1 to rinse off - open showers shared with all who were using the pool.  I showered in my cycling clothes. We had use of a bathroom until 8pm when the pool closed. I’m kinda leaning towards pit toilet camping being better at this point in time. I’ll think about that more after the next pit toilet experience…

We had the added thrill of the sprinklers coming on in the middle of the night - thankful we hadn’t put the tent up on top of one 😬

I woke up after a restless night at 5:15am and started packing up. I knew it would take awhile to get going since everything was soaking wet. We had a quick breakfast sandwich at the Conoco and got going around 8:15. It wasn’t too bad - wind was still mild and the shoulder was wide. There were some long, easy uphills and we were going at a good pace. We stopped a few times when warned by a lead vehicle that an oversized load was coming. We had 5 different semis carrying a turbine windmill blade pass us at various times. Those things are huge!! Then we had a sag wagon for a cycling tour group slow down and talk to us as we peddled. They let us know there would be a group of cyclists coming past us soon. We actually were invited to stop by their sag and have lunch with them. Always great to meat other cyclists on the road!! Especially when they offer you food and water on a hot day. Turns out we were all headed to the same hotel in Malta. 

Back on the bikes around noon with 20 miles to go. My saddle sores were bothering me big time and the shoulder narrowed too much again. Thankful the traffic wasn’t too bad. The winds were stronger but I tried to stick close to Terry so he could block the wind. He really tries hard to make my ride easier! We made it to Malta to our hotel around 2. Ross had already gotten a room and settled in. Always great to stay in a hotel with a restaurant. Looking forward to a more restful night tonight and hopefully getting on the road a bit early tomorrow as we have a 70 mile day ahead.

Day 30 Tuesday, June 29

Malta to Glasgow

I hate setting an alarm. I never sleep good when I do, but I was afraid I wouldn’t wake up on my own at 5am. So instead, alarm set, I wake up at 4 and can’t get back to sleep. We planned to grab some breakfast sandwiches from the cafe before leaving for the 70 mile trip today, but the cafe doesn’t open until 6am. Getting up at 4am is too early. I doze off for a bit and eventually get up and going. We move the bikes out to the front of the hotel and load the bags on. Whilst Terry and Ross finish their bikes I go into the cafe and order. The food came fast, so we ate quick and we’re on our way just after 6:30. 

It’s going to be hot today and we want to get the day done by early afternoon.

We make it to Saco for a break around 9:15. After snacks and drinks and a quick visit with another cyclist that is finishing his tour today in Malta, we are on the road again. The mosquitoes have been awful and continue to hang with us. Very irritating. Plus, it got hot quick! We make it to Hinsdale to the convenience store and escape the heat whilst having beverages in the break area of the store. We have lunch items already in our bags so we go outside to the picnic area and eat those. No mosquitoes!  We head out around noon with 30 miles left to go to Glasgow. 

It’s hot! Too hot even for the mosquitoes as they seem to have disappeared (thank heavens!) There is a rest area in 14 miles so we aim to meet up with Ross there. Did I mention it’s hot! My saddle sores are not appreciating the heat but I’ve been dousing my shammy in my shorts with gold bond powder to see if that helps along with using the saddle sore cream. We make it to the rest area and pour water over our heads and fill our water bottles for the last 15 miles. I have a cooling towel that i saturate with water and put around my neck. I try to convince Terry and Ross that the rest area is a nice place to stay, but they are anxious to get to Glasgow. We have a campsite reserved at an RV park, which also has a hotel, so Ross will see if we can change from campsite to hotel because - did I mention, it’s hot! There’s a climb leaving the rest area, and then another longer one and at the top of that one I tell Terry I need to stop for water. I felt like I was going to throw up and I was shaking uncontrollably. He said I was beet red. Lots of water and another soak for the cooling towel and I feel much better. We carry on. I can’t go more than a few miles without stopping for water and wetting my towel. Eventually we make it to the hotel, but the day was long, and yes, hot!

So happy with a shower and air conditioning! Looking forward to sleep.

Day 31 Wednesday, June 30

Glasgow to Wolf Point

I think today is the 1st day I really didn’t want to get up. We had decided to get up at 5 and be ready to go by 6 when the restaurant opened and we could get breakfast. As it turned out, only Terry got breakfast and Ross and I opted to wait till the convenience store at our first stop. Bad choice on my part. It was not good. We didn’t get going until 7, and the headwind was bad right away. I was really tired after the 70 mile day yesterday and my legs just wanted to stop. I couldn’t get comfortable on my seat - saddle sores still an issue. It was a 55 mile day but still too long. Terry is so good waiting and encouraging me but I know he’s worried. I need a rest day, but Wolf Point, Montana is not the place to do that. So, another 50+ day tomorrow with lots of climbing. A good nights sleep will help!

Day 32 Thursday, July 1

Wolf Point to Circle

Early day today to try to beat the heat again. We got up at 4 and were on the road at 5:30 after having breakfast in the hotel room. We were very happy to get going early so we wouldn’t be in the heat of the day, but, alas, it was in the 90’s by 10am. We went 53 miles and I swear we did at least 53 hills. And the wind kicked in big time against us mostly by 11. Terry and Ross stuck with me all day and cheered me on. Since yesterday was so tough with the 70 mile day, we all wondered if I could do the hills today.  I didn’t do too bad - I will always be slow on the climbs, but by noon the heat was doing a number on me. I stopped when I needed to, and we drank lots of water and Gatorade. I have one water bottle that keeps the ice water cold, but that was gone by noon and I dislike hot water. Hot Gatorade isn’t any better. 

It was so nice to make the turn towards Circle and have the wind at our backs a bit and the road mostly flat. We joked about how Google says the route is mostly flat today when there was nothing flat about it. I was so overly hot by the time we got to the hotel around 1:30. Ross went next door to the gas station and got chocolate milk which was delicious!

It’s still unbelievably hot outside!

Day 33 Friday July 2

Circle to Glendive

I’m tired. This getting up at 4am is tiring. It’s nice to get on the road early to beat the heat, but the wind is against us right away. And it doesn’t feel as cool this morning. We have uphills for about 16 miles with the wind coming at us so it takes us about 3 hours. The road is “mostly flat” from this point on, but the wind is crazy. The temps are in the 90s early again and the heat and wind just slow me down. Terry tries to block the wind, but I just can’t find a pocket and stick with him. We finally get to Glendive around 12:30 and stop at a place to get lunch. We make it to our hotel for the night and I’m thankful for time out of the heat and wind, and off the bicycle seat!

Day 34 Saturday, July 3

Glendive to Wibaux - still in Montana

Just a short 27 mile day today and we get on the road at 5:40. We are riding on I-94 today, so there’s a big shoulder and traffic is minimal early in the day. Everyone still is giving us plenty of space. The wind is not a problem today - thank heavens! We make it to Wibaux by 9 and we are all thankful to be done for the day. Our hotel won’t let us have a room until 2, so we find a cafe and have 2nd breakfast. 

With the shorter days/fewer miles, my saddle sores seem to be on the mend. My kankles are having better days too. They swell in the heat, but the air conditioning helps calm them a bit. I have a rash above my ankles that I’ve had for a couple weeks. It doesn’t itch or hurt, no raised bumps. I believe it is heat rash, (prickly heat?) but nothing seems to make it go away - maybe because we are in this awful heat wave!

It’s strange to think it’s the 4th of July holiday weekend and we aren’t doing something special with family or friends. When your on the bicycle, everyday seems the same, kinda like being retired - every day seems like a Saturday 😊

Day 35 Sunday, July 4

Wibaux, MT to Medora, ND

Another day to beat the heat. We leave the hotel from hell at 5:30 with 35 miles to get to Medora, ND. We go about 9 miles and cross over into North Dakota. Finally! It took 3 weeks, but we are out of Montana! We got a heads up from someone visiting Wibaux, that we don’t need to worry about rattlesnakes once we get past Medora, ND. I can be a happy camper again once this heat subsides. We go a mile into ND and stop in Beach for a quick potty break for me 😬

We are making good time today. The wind is calm to start but kicks up a bit at one point. Once we exit the National Grasslands, the somewhat mountainous areas shield us from the wind again and we make it to Medora around 9:30. The Badlands Motel for tonight looks to be about 100% better than last nights Roadway Inn (so many things wrong there, but after changing rooms 4 times we did finally get a room where the air conditioner worked).

A couple of odd things that I think about as we ride every day: 

• the shoulders have cracks every so often and there will be a single weed growing in the middle of the crack. Sometimes the weeds are pretty flowering ones. I always aim to run them over. I wonder if they remain flattened after I hit them or do they spring back up?
• Road kill smells. For a long ways. Bad.
• Cooler lids, so many cooler lids in the ditch. Thinking of all the people that are puzzled by the disappearance of their lids…