I slept pretty good in my subpar motel room in Lima. The long day yesterday and big steak dinner did me in. The room didn’t have any AC, but it cooled down pretty quick with the windows open. There was highway noise, but I managed to block it out despite not having any earplugs. Ciaran and Peter said they didn’t sleep well because of the trucks since their tents were closer to the highway. It made me feel a bit better in my motel investment.
I went to the gas station convenience store to pick up a few food items since there wouldn’t be any resupply points for the next couple days. I found out that chocolate milk doesn’t spoil like regular milk if left unopened. It is a great source of protein and carbs on the ride, even if it does get warm in the frame bag. There usually is a big cry by us if we can’t find it in a store we go to 😫. The local cafe wouldn’t be open for another half hour, but there was a cute coffee shack where I got a latte. First one in many days.
We were told that the cafe had pretty irregular operating hours since apparently they had trouble hiring reliable staff. Drugs like fentanyl have devastated many rural areas, even in Montana. Pretty sad..
The cafe did open on time and we streamed in along with a few Continental Divide hikers. Their route also goes through Lima. Pretty amazing what they do for several months. Our waiter was obviously new since he got mixed up on all our orders. It worked out in the end since most of us wanted pancakes. I couldn’t finish my plate, but Ciaran asked if he could eat my leftovers. That guy has an appetite for being so skinny! He and Peter still had to pack up their tents, so I went ahead and took off since I knew they would eventually catch up with me. I like the fact that everyone rides their ride, and no obligations to stick together. It just happens that we frequently end up at the same place at the end of the day.
The route today wouldn’t be as long as yesterday, and I had the Red Rocks Nature Preserve as my goal. Nothing worth noting about it other than I lost one of my water bladders on the route. I had filled it from a stream and put it under my cargo straps on the back. I think that the rough road shook it off. It probably happened on the downhill where the bike really gets severely bounced around. I didn’t notice it until I got to the Nature Preserve. Oh well, I will order a new one once I get Internet access and have Linda bring it to Steamboat Springs. I will need it if I go further south.
So good!!
I need to strap this down better next time!
I did stop by a lodge someone had mentioned to see if they had a spare room. It looked like someone’s house but nobody came to the front door when I rang the doorbell. There was a very sweet Border Collie and cat on the front porch that wanted my attention. I just sat there waiting to see if someone would eventually show up, and gave the cat and dog lots of pets and scratches. The cat became a bit more possessive, and tried to shoo the dog away. I eventually decided to move on to the campground since nobody showed up.
I pulled into the Red Rocks Nature Preserve campground, and Ciaran, Peter, Marek, and a newer biker named Ross were already there. It was a beautiful campground, although a primitive one. I like those the best since there are usually never any RV’s there. The campground was next to a large lake and had a natural spring for drinking water. Probably one of my most favorite camp spots so far, and glad I didn’t get into the lodge.
There was also a couple in a campervan staying there from South Africa. He was riding the route northbound, while she drove the van to the next overnight spot. He didn’t have to carry all the gear that we did which makes it a lot easier. Still, I can’t imagine doing the trip that way. Too tempting to say “I have had enough, let’s drive home..”. However, it seems to work out ok for them, and she seemed to enjoying being part of the adventure.
This would be my last night in Montana. Idaho is next.
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