MALTA, MT
DAY 49 JULY 15 72.6 MILES
Don't buy upgrades. Ride up grades.
Eddy Merckx
What a day! While a strong wind was blowing directly from the east this morning, we have been teased in the past and are never certain when it may shift to a crosswind or even a headwind during the ride. We held our collective breaths, so to speak, but the wind never let us down. The east wind continued fairly strong all of the way to Malta. Then, when we rode into town, the first business we saw was a Dairy Queen. A root beer float definitely was in the cards after such an excellent day for riding.
The sun was out early to bring warmth to the morning and a cloud layer developed later when temperatures normally might otherwise increase to an uncomfortable level. Once again, we cannot believe our good fortune.
This is truly the land of railroad trains. On any given day, we usually see many more railroad cars than automobiles. It is not uncommon to see 1 or 2 long trains waiting for another to pass before they will be cleared to proceed. Today, when a train had just received their clearance and began to accelerate, I waved to the engineer as I cycled by. Imagine my surprise when he blew his whistle back at me. There is a certain amount of romance in watching powerful locomotives move large strings of railroad cars. However, I believe it is more fun to watch them than it would be to operate them on a regular basis.
Tomorrow is another long 90 plus mile day. There seem to be more than our fair share of those lately. We will rise early and go for it! Even with favorable weather and winds, it will not be an easy day. But that is cross-country bicycling!
Tip: Do not ride through a puddle if you can avoid it. It is not uncommon to find a gaping hole under the water.
