2015-07-13 - MT - Day 47 - Glendive to Wolf Point

Imagine waking up to this. 

I left at 6:40 AM, the last besides the route leaders to leave. It was going to be a long, hot day with 20 mph headwinds and crosswinds. Tough.

Reed pulled me about twenty miles of the way to rest stop one. The bad thing about the wind is that it prevents me from enjoying the scenery because my head is down most of the time. 

We rode at about 10-12 mph, slightly uphill into 19 mph headwinds. People got together and formed a paceline a dozen riders strong. After they caught up to me, I rode with them for about ten miles and then behind Catherine for another three miles to rest stop 2. During this stretch I bonked so hard and decided to take the rest of the day easy.

I took a seventy-five minute rest stop at stop 2 to cool down, replenish fluids, and eat. The van had claimed seven people, all of whom gave up during the ride or were suffering from illness. After making sure everyone made it to the rest stop, I rode on by myself, taking like five breaks before finishing the thirty mile stretch.

I saw Svetlana and Al pulling safely into rest stop 3. Not seeing my bike, Al asked me if I had stowed it on the van. I replied, "I don't care if I finish at midnight. I'm cycling every mile." I left for the home stretch which was mostly downhill -- a big relief. The Lewis and Clark bridge was worthy of admiration. We are cycling on and off Lewis and Clark's path of discovery. After stopping at a gas station to buy some snacks to supplement dinner and breakfast, I reached the campgrounds at 8:30 PM, after 105 miles of riding and almost fourteen hours since departure, the last to finish. I learned later that Svetlana and Al did not make it to the campground before nightfall, and had to ask whether they could sleep in someone's yard. They ended up finding a kind soul to take them in and prepare them food. The campground was infested with mosquitoes. I was so grateful for my tent.