May 3, 2019
60 Easy Miles
Chester to Havre
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Avg speed: 15 mph
Weather: sunny, breezy, 60 degrees
Terrain: rolling grassland, slight downward slope
Wind: out of the west
We were on the road at 09:10 and rolled into Havre at 15:00. Highway 2 rises slightly going east out of Chester, but after 10 miles or so, we enjoyed the slight downward slope with a tail wind. Conditions on the 35 miles from Browning to Cut Bank were similar, but this time we had 60 miles to cover, so we used these advantages to cover more distance.
The miles are broken up with many small towns, so a cyclist is never far from pub grub or a general store. We stopped at the Hi-Way Bar in Hingham for coffee and made small talk with the owner. He has seen many of us pass through on the Northern Tier route from Anacortes to Maine, but we were the first of 2019. We did Anacortes to St. Mary last year, so this year we have a jump on fellow cyclists. He clearly enjoyed having cyclists patronize his establishment, and we were happy to receive a warm welcome. We passed through the little farm town of Kremlin and had to take a photo. When we first met at university, Scott and I discovered we had a common interest in Russia’s history, art, classical music, and literature.
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Our friend Charlotte in Chester had recommended charcoal hand warmers for our sleeping bags when we mentioned we would probably be camping at Fort Belknap Sunday night. We stopped at the Walmart on the northwest side to make the purchase. Cold weather and snow are in the forecast for Sunday morning.
It was graduation weekend for the Montana State University - Northern Branch. Motels were almost fully booked and restaurants were happily squeezing in customers for the dinner hour. We walked a mile to Andy’s Supper Club located on the highway going into town. Walking is the perfect complementary exercise after hours on a bike. It wasn’t a hard ride, but five hours perched on a narrow seat does take its toll. Walking along a four-lane isn’t exactly relaxing, but it does aid digestion after a big meal, well earned after vigorous exercise. After we got back to the Super 8, Scott did some internet sleuthing and figured out where my former home was located. Then it was time for bed.
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5 years ago
Today's ride: 60 miles (97 km)
Total: 193 miles (311 km)
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