Gas Stations…our go-to breakfast stop!

And if there is a table available, it is generously shared by the locals.  We learn about this year’s crop, the threat of the Great White Combine (hail) and the road between here and there.  Oh, you’ve got Rolling Hills until you get over the divide and then it flattens out. Wait… divide?  Never did get the local’s definition of divide, but sure it involves climbing.  Even with this wealth of information, we still started pedaling at 6:40 a.m. into a cloudy, cool (62°) morning.

We needed an early start; experience had taught us the winds usually don’t pick up until mid-morning.  They found us an hour later and were full blown by eight.  It took us over a half an hour to climb our first hill and this went on for 18 miles.  Gone was the coasting down; pedaling was required in this wind.  But the farmer was right, the road did level after the “divide”.

The day remained overcast, so the fields did not shine in the many colors of green we saw yesterday, but we relished the cooler temperatures.  We followed an old rail line, probably declined when the Hi-Line RR just to the north, became popular.  Scary to think that the trains could actually go over bridges with supports that looked like shipping pallets.Even though our road had flatten, there remained a ridge to our south that was too close for comfort.Stopped to chat with Tom from Wyoming, doing a month bike tour.  As we approached the west side of town, we saw acres of supplies for the gas and oil mining taking place in North Dakota.  It is also putting a squeeze on motels, even a hundred miles away, fortunately, we had a reservation.  As we stopped for a quick lunch the sun was starting to peek through the clouds, by the time we reached our hotel at two, the temps were starting to reach 80°, time to check-in.  Over 52 miles again today and we need time to recover.  Doing a short day tomorrow in lieu of a day off, so hopefully that will help.