Three Cyclists Still on the Prairie June 5-June 8 Chester to Havre, 61 Havre to Malta, 92 Miles Glasgow, 71 Miles, Wolf Point 51 Miles

We have been leaving at our usual time of "O Dark Thirty" as Carol likes to say. We've had beautiful sunrises on the prairie as the sunlight is refracted through the clouds. We had some stunning sunny days with clouds building up as the days wore on. We had rain forecast every day, but we kept staying ahead of it.

So, I got complacent. We left Havre just after a huge downpour. I believed that was the end of it and chose not to put on my rain gear. WRONG. 24 miles down the road I stopped in Chinook to put on dry clothes and my rain gear. I felt a little discouraged standing outside the convenience store with everyone passing by and saying, "guess it sucks riding in the rain". What could I say?

While I was struggling at the convenience store, Carol and Pam were hanging out at Bikini Espresso just around the corner, laughing outside in the rain trading stories with the owner. I got dry and got back on the bike as the rain came down harder, and I tried not to feel sorry for myself.

Pam and Laurel LeChance at Bikini Espresso Shop, Chinook, MT

Then I began to look around me. The cows, sheep and horses were contentedly grazing. The meadowlarks continued their lovely 5 note melody, the ducks were swimming in the newly replenished wetlands. The farmers here are grinning from ear to ear now that the rains have arrived. I also noticed all the dead frogs and gophers squashed on the highway shoulder which keep the gulls snacking. What did I have to feel sorry about? I was here, living my dream of riding my bicycle coast to coast. When I chose to relax and enjoy the trip I noticed the great beauty and drama of the prairie playing out all around me. Life is so good and I sometimes forget how much I have to be grateful for.

Mealtime on the Prairie:

The unlucky one is a Montana Gopher
45 Miles down the road in Harlem, I found Pam and Carol in a convenience store with a Laundromat in the back. Pam had modestly fashioned herself a garment out of a garbage bag before stripping down to throw her wet cold clothes into the dryer. Then she found a woman who drove her to the hardware store to buy Scotchguard to put some life back into her raingear. Carol decided to dry her clothes in the laundromat also. I used to laundromat as a warm dry place to sit down and eat. Another creative solution to a problem of life on the road. We took off down the road happy, dry, fed and no more rain that day.

We flew down the road with the tailwinds until we hit a sign in Dodson which read, PAVEMENT ENDS. ROAD CONSTRUCTION 6 MILES. Our route turned into a mud road for 6 miles. Pam's biggest concern was getting mud on her new pearl white biking shoes.

Pam's New Shoes

I was concerned about not getting run over by a semi truck. We all arrived at Saint Mary's Church in Malta where Father Jim was amazed that we had come 92 miles on bicycles. I was amazed myself. After all that amazement we tackled the unamazing job of cleaning the mud off of all the intricate parts of our bicycles. I compare it to flossing my teeth, cleaning between all those gear teeth.

Coyote near Malta

I must admit that we are living life on the edge and are not always as civilized as we wish we were. We have tried to make our lives as simple as possible for these three months and sometimes problems arise. One morning I found myself in a roadside ditch with no toilet paper. So, I had the brilliant idea of going to the primitive solution when I spied the rocks around me. It worked and I was back on track. I thought, Carol would be proud as she is always reminding us, "You've got to think outside the box."

Yesterday morning we stopped for breakfast in Saco, population 130. OB's Cafe was a one woman operation: owner, cook, waitress. Pam, Carol and I arrived at the cafe in staggered order. It quickly became clear that this sweet woman was capable of taking care of exactly one person and one order at a time. The big clue was the fact that the restaurant had EXACTLY ONE MENU, one printed sheet of paper with the food selections. Luckily we three arrived at staggered times. It seems the locals had this figured out also. They only came in one or two at a time, ate, left, then another would come in. I wondered if they had made appointments.

In Glasgow, Reverend Susan Watterson honored us by asking us to speak at the Sunday Church service. It was especially festive because they were celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the United Congregational Church of Glasgow. It was a lovely church and the service was especially enjoyable with an organist who played Bach and a five member chorus who harmonized beautifully both with accompaniment and a Capella. I found the sermon especially interesting when the Reverend spoke of Jesus' followers asking him why he chose to share supper with "sinners and tax collectors". I wondered if that were written today, what profession would they choose to link with the "sinners?" I could think of quite a few, but I won't say.

Reverend Randy Hyvonen, Conference Minister, Reverend Susan Watterson, Barbara, Pam, Carol
Because of our attendance at the church service we didn't start down the road until 11:30. This was fortunate we sat in our motel room waiting for the rain to stop. It hadn't stopped at 11:30, but it had lessened and we were on our way. We again flew with favorable tailwinds. I felt so strong when I saw my speedometer reading 24 miles per hour and even 12 miles per hour UP hills. The last 10 miles into Wolf Point I did run into heavy rain which pelted me from the north, the way the winds were blowing.

Upon my arrival the sun came out and I got a nice picture of the "Welcome to Wolf Point" sign. I pedaled to our address for the night which turned out to be wrong. I got on the cell and got the correct directions from our hosts Pastor George Draper and his wife Gerri. Unfortunately I had to turn around and come back against the wind. I was lucky now to go 4 miles per hour to get to their home.

But, what a lovely home it is. We are treated to a cozy basement, a hot shower, washer, dryer and delicious home cooked dinner. As well as sparkling conversation. Yes, life is good here on the Montana Prairie, or as the locals refer to it "The High Line" because it is the northern most route across the country.

I must say, the honeymoon may be over because now the girls know that I leave a trail of crumbs everywhere I eat.