Day 18 miles: 102 Total: 818
By bike:
It was so sad leaving Jim and Moss. I truly enjoyed their company. However, I wanted to blast through the Blackfeet reservation. I left at about 6 a.m. and noticed quickly that the first 10 miles were uphill similar to Going to the Sun Road. With Glacier in the background I kept pedaling. It was interesting because it was like the topography was fighting me one last time until it eventually became rolling hills.
Browning was depressing to say the least. After going through the city center, I noticed that the mountains became less and less, which made me a little sad. I felt like a new chapter started on our journey as it was flat and without a tree in sight. For the first time I could see the road for miles ahead.
I took my first break at 70 miles in a McDonalds in Cut Bank for 2 hours to beat the heat and received many looks from locals. I got a medium fry, coke, side salad, and ice cream. After that I slowly finished pedaling today’s 102 miles to the Best Western where Lauren awaited and fell on the luggage rack where she rolled me into the room.
By car:
The morning was sunny and clear. We finally had a perfect view of Glacier behind us, which we all silently took in before leaving at separate times towards the flat plains ahead.
As mentioned earlier, it was an excellent campsite. Although last night when I went to the bathroom, I was greeted by a familiar yet terrifying face when I looked up at the locked door.
I rearranged my car to allow space for all of the gear Jim and Moss had with them. This included a BOB bike trailer and multiple panniers. Matthew had already sent me a text regarding the steep climbs early on, so I was happy to take the weight off of everyone’s bike today.
I stayed behind at the campsite for a while to enjoy some coffee and the excellent view of the mountains. T-Rex gave me one final greeting before I left to find a warm breakfast. We never got a photo of the Glacier National Park sign, so I added that to my itinerary for the day. Overall my morning was quiet while I waited for Moss and Jim to contact me when they arrived to Browning, where we would meet up and reassess the day’s plan.
I ended up meeting Jim and Moss at a burger joint in Browning and enjoyed lunch with them. I learned a lot about their lives and future plans along the bike route. They plan to go through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and meet their wives on Mackinac Island. Jim’s first wife had passed and he remarried 18 years ago. He and his wife will be celebrating their 19th wedding anniversary a day early on the island.
One thing I noticed when I was ordering my food was the list of the employees of the month on the wall. A couple of the employees had traditional native American surnames.
Matthew called me to inform me he was going to try to make it to Shelby instead of the original plan to Cut Bank. Jim and Moss decided they would continue onward to Cut Bank and stop there. I offered to drop their gear off at the RV campsite they found so they could continue without the added weight. We said our final farewells before I made the drop off.
Meanwhile, I found an excellent Priceline deal on a Best Western Plus in Shelby for Matthew and myself! We both were in desperate need of a good night’s sleep and beginning to crave an actual bed. I figured after Matthew’s 102 mile day, he would also benefit from a touch pampering.
I couldn’t have been more spot on with my assumption! I know you saw the picture of Matthew passed out on the luggage cart, but I also caught a video of him. You can hear him quietly moaning to himself after a long day’s ride.
Time for some warm showers, a movie, and a comfy bed!
No Jobs, No Home, No Worries. A Shared Journey by Bike and Support SUV Across the U.S. 