From Libby, MT

Hello!

Ah yes, so last time I left, it was about the pretty Whitefish Lake and all.


Today's ride was just as scenic. I got to trace Lake Koocanusa which looked very clear and pretty.



Aside from the lake, I was also surrounded by a lot of beautiful rocks, cliffs, and formations.


Sometimes, I would be way high above the lake (as here), and other times, I would be riding big descents to go just above the water.



I got to ride around this all day. The locals back in Eureka told us the ride would be beautiful.



Luckily, even the weather held up fine.



Even the town I'm staying in tonight (Libby, MT) is surrounded by the mountains.

Here's a video from today I uploaded:


Here's another video I found in my camera of Wade, Nick, Abby, and Jay riding across some flats:

I Can See the Mountains

Hello!

So the past few days, the scenery has not changed much. It is a lot of hours riding past endless flatness.

Still, the riding has been fun, and the flatness makes a lot of the riding go at an exciting pace (oh it would be excruciating if we were plodding along the same scenery for hours and hours).



So Montana's fairy desolate in that towns are quite a rarity. Here, we made a stop at a bar, where a patron turned out to be a reporter and spontaneously decided to write an article on the trip. Notice the green can of Off! he holds in his pocket. Malta is, I hear, the "Mosquito Capital of the Nation", and I was getting eaten alive. I took a picture of my leg but it was kinda gross. (Jon's getting interviewed).



There's Ali as the route went along the desolation that is Eastern Montana.




There's Jay, Nick, and Wade along the desolation that is Eastern Montana.



Montanans do like to talk with strangers a lot, and the route passed by some horses, and some kids shouted us over to take a look...



and ride!



The next day, we had more of Route 2 to deal with.



It was a lot of this.



But it was a beautiful day. I like the heat.



Once we got to Chester, I saw a little doggie that followed around a bit.



This morning, we hit more of the same.



But gradually, the hills started getting more common and there were some strange faint outlines in the back that kept getting closer.



We were stopped by a train crossing our way. It kept going...



...and going...



...and going...



...and going, so finally I decided there was time enough for someone to get a pic of me.



So this pic sums up a lot of the last part of today's trip. It was super windy, and in the background, you'll see many windmills which made up a huge expanse of wind farm. You'll also see the mountains. They're coming! (I suggest clicking to get a bigger picture of this.)

Tomorrow we're headed to Glacier. Get excited.

Hannah...

...Montana!

Well, let's start with North Dakota, and thus begins my personal favorite riding day of the trip so far.

So we begin with a ride across a bridge. Over a beautiful river.

Hey, I even took a video! Good job me!

That day was the first day where I really felt like I was in the American West. I even saw two cowboys and a cowgirl! Mesas and plateaus were in the distance, and I was surrounded by a lot more vibrant colors. Those mesas are awesome, they look like giant tree stumps, making me feel microscopic.

For the first time in a long time, we had a tailwind, so we were flying. Just a great feeling. (Jay there.)

At the lunch stop, we were surrounded by mountains and red rocks and all kinds of exciting terrain. We all felt amazing. And I thought, wow, Theodore Roosevelt National Park (our destination) must be this beautiful.

The awesomeness surrounding me continues. (Jay there)

After some more of the biking through the area, I turned a corner at the top of a hill and saw the terrain plunge down into a series of gorges and beautiful round mountain tops surrounding a valley. The descent was awesome. So breathtaking a few of us did it again.

Going down into the valley gave me a feeling like no other. (A bit shaky, but I feel like you get the idea)

After getting out of our biking shorts and jerseys, a few of us decided to go explore the park a bit. (can't really tell but I know Angel's at the far right)

I was particularly excited to see some animals, but I kept my expectations low. (Jason, Jeremy, Eileen, Laura, Nick)

We walked through a prairie dog town and those prairie dogs were EVERYWHERE. They were pretty fearless towards us humans, too. (Jay and a lil friend)

Those formations were big.

We walked around in an area surrounded by the large rock formations. It just seemed surreal.

Jeremy and I went up to an overlook, and after a pretty big ascent, we were greeted by a spectacular view. I did some hard thinking up there :D

On all sides, as far as you could see, it was all nature, untouched by roads or buildings.

Those are some crazy rocks.

So early the next morning, I was a bit sad to leave the place, but I was satisfied with how much I had seen the previous day. It was super cold that morning (hence the jackets). (Jay, Julia, Rachel, Laura)

We camped out about 5 miles deep in the park, and it was a beautiful morning ride out. (Jay, Nate, Jeremy)

We were interrupted a bit by two herds of bison blocking the roads, but we were lucky enough to have a construction pickup randomly come by and offer to clear a path for us.

Bye Theodore Roosevelt National Park! (Laura, Julia, Jeremy, Nate, Rachel)

Well, the beauty did not end when we left the park. Amazing colors on amazing terrain, all over again.

And we reach Montana!

And since I didn't post a picture of crossing into North Dakota (the sign was atop a bridge), here's a picture of the ND state sign.

Already, Montana's looking to a be a state favorite of mine. (Jay on the left)

Just crossed the Missouri River bridge, and it looks a bit like Theodore Roosevelt National Park over again.

Currently, I'm riding through a lot of Native reservations. We stayed at a church yesterday night that showed us some wonderful hospitality.

The ride through Montana is gonna go on for quite some time (almost two weeks?). Tomorrow headed to Glasgow.

So yeah, saw a ton of animals. All sorts of surprises.