Day 35 July 4, 2019

Day 35:  July 4, but not a riding holiday for us.  Started with breakfast at the local Malta cafe, which opened at 6:30 am and filled with local ranchers by 7 am.  It was overcast and cool, as well as quiet on the roads for the morning, a welcome relief from all the 18-wheel rigs and large pickup trucks.  The ride from east to west on Hwy 2 in Montana is a slow gradual climb all the way until reaching the east side of Glacier NP.  Not long after starting today, some distant mountains came into view, arising suddenly like someone had opened one of those children's pop-up books.  We rode through Fort Belknap Reservation, exiting it at Harlem, MT and stopping there to obtain lunch at Albertsons.  Harlem had a nice little city pool (closed for the holiday) and offered camping on the lawn just outside the pool.  The city had even installed a small grill for campers.  After lunch, the sun came out, so we applied sunscreen and continued west.  Traffic picked up considerably in the afternoon; I envisioned that all on the road were honoring their obligations to attend a BBQ somewhere.  We made a brief stop in Chinook for a snack.  "Snack" for someone who will remain unnamed includes usually a quart of chocolate milk and something sweet.  The wind shifted from a slight tailwind to a more noticeable headwind.  Fortunately nothing severe, but it did make the last 20 miles more of a workout.  From county to county, the shoulder width is quite variable, and today was no exception.  All of us wish there was a standard that counties have to adhere to.

We entered Havre (pop. 10,000), the crown jewel of the Hi-Line.  We were graciously hosted by Dr. Frank Miller, a retired OB-GYN physician who is a former partner of Henry's dad from Mattoon, IL.  Frank moved to Havre in 1983 to practice, finishing out his career here in 2007.  After retiring, he hiked the Appalachian Trail in its entirety, although it took several years, partially due to injury.  In between his hiking expeditions, he had several gratifying locum tenens positions in WA including Omak, Brewster, Yakima, Olympia.  Frank lost his dear wife Mariann about 6 months ago, but he was able to whip up an amazing filet mignon dinner with sauteed mushrooms, and air-fried potatoes and yams.  He prepared a massive salad which included fresh lettuce and other vegetables from his garden.

With Frank's help, we planned the next leg of our journey as we head into western Montana, taking into account various contingency plans.  We have to account for shifting winds, which could affect how far we can ride on any given day.  Additionally, the logistics of securing a non-reservable campsite in Glacier National Park during peak summer tourist season are not easy.

We are going to take a rest day tomorrow, and attend to our bike chores.

Maps of today's ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3813064160

https://www.relive.cc/view/u3646386856

4th of July in Harlem MT