Starting Point: Wolf Point, MT
Ending Point: Culbertson, MT
Via: Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Poplar, and Brockton
Mileage: 61
Time: 4:57
Mph: 12.3
Terrain: gently rolling hills and some flat
Vertical climbing: 609 ft
Temperature High: 70
Temperature Low: 62
Lunch: tuna sandwich, turkey/cheese sandwich
Dinner: turkey dogs, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, chocolate cake
Weather: partly cloudy, tailwind
Lodging: Town Park
Cumulative Mileage: 1,211
Miles to Go: 3,189
Projected Distance: 4,100
Days completed: 27 including 2 rest days (31%)
Distance Completed: 30%
Days to Go: 61
Fund-raising status: $32,090 raised and collected.
$ 1,464 to go to reach $250,000
To pledge: http://pledgejohn.lungne.org
Today the wind shifted and helped me immensely. The sky was overcast to a degree so the intense sunlight let up for one day and because of my speed bugs were not an issue. Riding through a reservation, even on such a superficial level as seeing while moving, reveals a very depressed economy. Today the tribal police stopped me and told me that I needed to ride my bike as close to the grass edge of the road as possible. He warned me about all the intoxicated drivers out this weekend especially since it is not just July 4th, but also Pow-Wow weekend. He further warned that people would just as soon mow me down unless I get off the road.
Montana Badlands with Sunny Day
With the prospect looming of leaving Montana, I feel energized. We’ve been here a long while. That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy the Big Sky every day because, indeed, I did except when that Big Sky was filled with rain.
At a gas station in Brockton I stopped to get a bottle of sports drink. Out at the pump I was sipping away noticing that the time clock outside was about 4 hours fast. A car pulled up to get gas and out stepped a clearly intoxicated driver. He was a Native American who introduced himself to me at Jimmy Tuttle. He was very friendly and didn’t seem to be one of the drivers who would just as soon mow me down as look at me. At one point in our conversation, my bike almost fell over and he said, “Oh, you almost lost your horse, there.” He wished me well on my journey and I went on my way.
This is actually a hill -- the last one for the day before Culbertson
In Culbertson we stayed in the town park which had a lovely covered pavilion. There was a cyclist who showed up with her derailleur all messed up – the chain was sort of wrapped around the derailleur and the chain had struck all of the spokes on the rear wheel. Joe helped her out.
Hay Bales at Sunset
It turned out that she would have to replace the derailleur wheel, a drop-out and all the spokes. For the time being Joe provided her with a one-speed bike. He is an incredibly resourceful mechanic and I always pleased if he is around when I have a break-down of the mechanical type.
One outstanding area we biked through was what looked like mini-Badlands like in South Dakota. This was on the Bureau of Indian Affairs highway that took us off Route 2 for a good while.
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