Day 20: Zurich, MT to Nelson Reservoir, MT

We enjoyed our overnight stay at Zurich Campground, despite having no neighbors.  Lana got to chase a rabbit (she insists it was actually a jackalope, and it was going a little too fast for me to tell for certain), but that rabbit was only in second gear and Lana was going for all she was worth.  Needless to say, it was the highlight of her day.  We fooled around a bit on the playground equipment, and was somewhat amazed by how much I felt it in my muscles after just a few minutes.  That's probably an indication that we'd all be healthier and stronger if we played a bit more often.

Today was my turn to ride the western winds.  I'd guess the wind was blowing about 15-20 mph, mainly out of the WNW.  I tried to keep a fairly modest pace, opting to keep a higher cadence rather than pushing hard on the pedals.  As a result, I covered 50 miles by 11 am, averaging 20.9 mph.  The total distance covered today was 78.4 miles, with the last 18 fighting a stiff crosswind (and a sore butt).

We opted for a long mileage day today because the wind so far has either blown east or west, with very few exceptions.  So we think it is wise to take advantage of the fair west winds and to leave room to slow our pace when the wind is against us.  So we should be back to being about three days ahead of schedule.  In a couple of days we'll be heading south-southeast, so it will be interesting to see what the winds do to us on that stretch.

Who can resist a photo-op with a colorful dinosaur (in Malta, MT).

The scenery changed to prairie grasslands after leaving Malta, MT, which means there will no longer be the harvest traffic that we have been experiencing.  And the road shoulder has been nice and wide most of the day, though the rough chip-seal takes its toll after hours in the saddle.  I think back to the days when I was riding a bike that weighed around 75 pounds and how by this distance I'd already had a 100 mile day.  Of course now my bike weighs less than 20 pounds, so it makes it very clear how much stronger I was 30 years ago. 

Tonight we are camping along the shores of Nelson Reservoir (free, no water or electric), another Bureau of Reclamation campsite.  Alea should have a tailwind to begin the day tomorrow, and we're hopeful that we'll reach Glasgow, which is one of the better grocery shopping opportunities that we might see over the next few days.  It should be possible for her to get there, though at some point tomorrow the wind will start coming out of the east.  We're just hoping that doesn't happen too early in the day.