Day 15: The Western Edge of the Great Plains

Things cooled off quite a bit yesterday, and a strong west wind was forecast to be coming out of the west today.  That means if we had hung around East Glacier Park that we'd likely be dealing with a lot more smoke, and since we are heading basically due west Alea was assured an easy day's ride.

First light: the clouds and wind arrive, obscuring the Rockies.

Ridin' the Wind.

It has been a cool day today, but it was forecast to be warmer as we headed east.  So we hit the road and took advantage of the weather to visit the Museum of the Plains Indian in Browning ($5 each), since there would be no problem with leaving Lana in the van.  It was worth the visit, as they do a good job of giving a succinct history of the major events that affected the lives of their ancestors.  Growing up, I always had a tough time understanding the European domination of the Native Americans, until I read where the amount of land that it takes to support 1 hunter-gatherer will support 1,000 farmers.  Upon learning that, it was clear that the result was inevitable, especially in a democratic society where the majority rules (whether they are right or wrong).

Sculpture at Museum of the Plains Indian.

Alea completed the last 35 miles into Cut Bank, MT in less than 2 hours and covered the 47 total miles before 1 pm after a fairly late start.

Loraine, AKA The Prairie Schooner
& #531, AKA The Chuck Wagon.

Where's the food?

Fueled up & riding the west wind.

Having a strong tailwind more-or-less blowing in the direction you are heading while cycling is pretty rare occurrence.  That's because a strong wind is only beneficial when coming from directly behind you or within about 60 degrees of directly behind you.  Anything forward of that creates a crosswind that will slow you down.  So while we would like to see lots more days like today, it's probably better to wish for lots of days with mild winds, where it doesn't matter as much what direction it is coming from.

We're camped at Riverside RV Park ($30), situated on a treeless bluff above Cut Bank Creek.  The campground looked pretty bleak as we drove in on US 2, but it's a bit better when viewed up close.  There are sandstone hoodoos all around the edge of the bluff, a homegrown cross and metal statue of Christ and a view of the train trestle.  Plus they have a book swap library with a few decent titles, and cable TV (we haven't seen any TV for a few weeks now, so it'll be good to have a chance to experience the Idiot Box for the evening).  It's pretty cool and windy out, so we'll probably be spending a fair amount of time indoors today (in between long walks with Lana).  

The Hoodoos, closeup.

The statue of Christ as seen from Cut Bank Creek.

The vista looking north.

The early arrival has given us a chance to stock up on groceries and catch up on laundry.  Now it's time to look at the map and attempt to figure out tomorrow's destination (and once again hope the wind will be blowing in the right direction)...

Lana zooming down the trail by Cut Bank Creek.
(I tried getting a side shot, but she always outran the frame...)