Day 83 - Terry to Glendive - Two Far 2021 - Sooo... Far

June 30, 2021

Day 83 - Terry to Glendive

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Another hot day requires another early start - we'll be doing this for at least the next several days as the high temperatures are expected to keep climbing. Unlike in Florida, hot days in Montana still start with cool mornings. If we have routes of less than 50 miles, we can make it before it gets too hot. We arrived in Glendive this morning just a little after 11:00, having rolled at 6:45.

The ride was nice. There were enough hills to keep us from falling asleep, but not enough to make it feel like a hard day.

We're following the Yellowstone River for the last time today. Most of the day, we ride along the river and parallel railroad tracks. There is almost no traffic and along the river is the flattest route.

A view of the river valley with the bluffs behind.

Here you can see the river and the railroad tracks running next to it.

The grade on this short section of the railroad was a little surprising. It's about 3% we think, more than usual for railroad tracks.

We crossed the Yellowstone River twice today. We were on the old highway next to the interstate, so we got to ride over this cool bridge.

I don't think I posted cow pictures for the last couple of days. So, in case you wondered, yes, there are a lot of cows in Montana!.

The second crossing of the Yellowstone was in Glendive. Kerry found this historic bridge and routed us over it. It's the Bell Bridge and was built in 1926. It is open only as a bicycle and pedestrian bridge now.

We took a couple of loops around downtown looking for a place for lunch, but we didn't find any place appealing. Someone told Kerry a couple of days ago that in Glendive, the emphasis was on "dive".

Glendive started as a railroad town. Recent reductions in the railroad work force have really hurt it's economy.

BNSF building in Glendive. The railroad's Glendive workforce has been dramically reduced in recent years. Just last year they closed the Glendive Diesel Shop and laid of 85 highly paid workers.

We ended up having lunch at the CC's Family Cafe next door to our hotel. We both had the soup and salad bar and it was very good. When we asked for the check, our server told us our bill had been paid by the woman we talked to on the way in. We had talked to Marie about cycling and the recent bike tour her pastor had done to raise money for a food bank.

Marie is very friendly and vivacious. She was delighted to have her picture in our blog. Here you are, Marie, on the way to being famous. It was a delight to meet you!

After lunch, we went to yet another frontier museum. We had a good time looking around. Kerry found some things to post.

This contraption was used to dig ditches. Much of the irrigation in this area seems to be done using a network of canals and ditches using water diverted from the Yellowstone River, as opposed to wells and center-pivot systems.

Horse-drawn hay cutter using a sickle bar.

Old-time wooden water main from Glendive municipal water system.

Today's ride: 43 miles (69 km)
Total: 3,182 miles (5,121 km)

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Mike ObermeyerAre you going to the Glendive Dinosaur Museum while your in town?
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3 years ago

Jeanna & Kerry SmithTo Mike ObermeyerMike,
No we didn't. We went to the Frontier Gateway Museum, which was right next door, instead. All of the museums in WY & MT we've visited have had dinosaur exhibits, so we have been getting our fill of fossils.
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3 years ago