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Ahoy matey! September 8, 2008Leave a comment  View More Images Argh! Thar she blows! Weigh anchor and hoist the mizzen! What in the world is a pirate doing in the middle of Montana? I asked the very same thing to one pirate named Elmer in Reeds Point, MT. Elmer is the sole proprietor of the Pirates Cove, named in honor the Reeds Point Pirates. I shared a warm cup of coffee with Elmer amidst a plethora of antiques and knick knacks within a converted gymnasium while the fog slowly burned off. For today's problem, let's talk nautical since we are dealing with pirates. Two questions: 1) what is a fathom? 2) what do we mean by knots and how was it used by sailors as a measure of speed? Look these up on Wikipedia. Fun nautical trivia... The chill of the morning bit right through me. The temperature was slightly above 38 degrees as I walked out of The Fort in Big Timbers, MT. The fog was hanging low as I pedaled out of town toward the frontage road. I was immediately struck by an amazing sight. The fog had lifted just above the ground and the sun was splitting through and illuminating the surface. Wisps of fog were rising in small vortices, like tiny tornadoes spinning across the prairie. The frontage road paralleled I-90 for quite a distance. Only once did I have to ride the shoulder for about 10 miles, the remainder of the time I wandered either north or south of the interstate. One of the joys of pedaling slowly through the countryside is that you can catch a glimpse of the smallest objects that you would never see from the window of a car speeding by at 70 mph. I glanced over into the ditch and saw a small bird's nest planted firmly in the branches of a tiny bush. I spun the bike back around (I was going a bit fast for pedaling slowly) and took a picture. Quite a precarious place to raise a family of birds! I-90 and the frontage road runs alongside the Yellowstone River. It is by far the largest river I have come across on my journey. It's a pristine river, but the close proximity of the interstate and the associated noise takes something away. It is certainly a visually stunning river, especially with the snow capped mountains rising in the background. I rolled through Columbia, MT and started pedaling against a nasty headwind. The forecast for Big Timbers called for light winds out of the south and southeast, but someone got that wrong. I climbed out of the Yellowstone River valley and up onto the bluff with the wind getting stronger as I neared the top. As I rounded a bend, a huge golden eagle flew alongside the cliff and weaved through the trees. I was hoping to catch a photo of him sitting on the bluff, but he disappeared into the trees. I could hear him, but couldn't see him. This was the second one I had seen today. The other circled high above me and you could hear his calls. I have always been in awe of this majestic animal and to see two in one day was especially powerful. My day went by very quickly. The wind shifted back around to my right rear quarter and gave me a significant push towards Billings. I stopped for a drink in a local grocery store in the town of Park City (not to be confused with the one in Utah) and met a gentleman that was just getting out of his truck. "How many miles have you pedaled?" "Since the beginning? About 1230 miles." "Where'd you get the eagle feather?" "Neah Bay, WA and the Makah Nation. I'm Chickasaw, what tribe are you?" "Crow." "Well, I have the Crow Nation flag in my pack and am going to return it tomorrow. I flew it in space a few years ago and I guess it is about time I give it back." "Which space did you fly it in?" I pointed up! "The one up there." "Cool. They will be thrilled. They may even buy you dinner or something! Have a great ride!" I always meet neat people, every day on this journey. Today was no exception! I made it to Billings and plan on making it to Crow Agency and Lodge Grass tomorrow! Maybe I will get dinner there.... More Images:                        3 Comments
Sep 9, 2008 12:47 pm - Dale Fishel wrote : Enter Your Comment Here. Dear John, Just read of your ride in the Quinault Nation newspaper, "Nugguam". I'm a former resident of the Lake Quinault area and graduate of the H.S. class of 1957. I also spent 8 years on the Apollo Program during the period 1964-72 and had the opportunity to rub elbows with some of the astronauts of that time. I'm much impressed with your undertaking and want to wish you a safe and gratifying journey. I'm familiar with some of he areas your traveling through...you're making me envious. God speed! Dale Fishel Olympia, Washington
Sep 9, 2008 8:03 am - AHS Geometry 2nd hr wrote : Hey! What's up? Do you listen to music as you ride your bike? and if so what do you listen to? What size is the wheel of your bike so we can figure out how many revolutions your wheel makes in one mile... Did you get the idea to ride cross country from Forrest Gump? How many times have your wrecked? Okay...enough questions for now! Be careful and we would really love for you to come to OUR class! 9:00 am! Bye! 2nd hour Geometry Ada High School Yahoo! Add a comment: |
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Hi John good to know other people in Ada are reading your blog. Love your pictures of the countryside. Dr. John Garber at CAIHF said to tell you hello. Tell your Mom I said Hi. Your cousin, Rhonda