My mail consisted of thumbnail photos taken from the first few days of the trip, as well as a whole stack of travel cards, certainly enough for the rest of the trip. I now don't have to ask for them back.
It appears that through North Dakota I will be finding towns every 20 miles or so, so there is less danger of being stranded without water.
I tipped my helmet to Montana as I crossed the border into North Dakota shortly after starting the day's ride. It seems like I had been in Montana for a long time, even though there was a brief excursion into Wyoming. It was in the first week of the trip that we crossed in from Idaho, and now here I am, well into the fourth week.
Shortly after crossing the Little Missouri River, one starts to notice the Badlands. It is not as pronounced as I remember farther north in the state, but the geography is quite unique. The flat rock bedding has been cut quite severely, leaving a maze of hills and valleys, mounds and streamcuts, The road picks its way through the valleys, but eventually makes its way to the plateau some 200 feet above. I was sure to see more of this topography as I travelled north.
I got to Bowman at lunchtime, but before lunch I stopped in at tourist information to see about where I could find a motel. The short answer was that the day's cycling was over because the only room within a 100 mile radius was just across the street. I had forgotten that it was Friday, but it is nice that my schedule is somewhat loose.
The motel has a pool, there is espresso across the road, I got my scruffy hair cut at the local salon, they have a large museum in town with a locally collected, complete skeleton of a tricerotops. Things could be alot worse. One of those bad things involves being out in the thunderstorms that are pushing through town this evening.
I had a good bit of mail to read and respond to, including a request from a self-described "pesky reporter" from the Bismarck newspaper who wants an interview. I hope the schedule will permit it. I am two long days from there right now.
Babcock and Turner continued up the Yellowstone River to Glendive before turning due east toward Bismarck. In a letter to his brother, dated July 11 in Glendive, he writes of his last days in Montana:
Dear Chas:-
Reached here last night about 10 pm after a 72 mile run over a very hard country following cow trails, no trails, and railroads. Must have hit ties for forty miles. When we got into town we were taken in charge by some of the boys, and made to tell the whole story. Glendive is ours as long as we wish to remain.
Night before last we stopped at a section house. Mosquitoes were thick but we found a room with a screen at the window and thought we were in luck. We had hardly struck the bed when the bedbugs began to chew us. We struck a light and found hundreds of bugs on pillows, sheets and everywhere. We finally took off every bit of bedclothes and slept on bare springs all night. The cactus are horrible. At Miles City, Turner put 13 patches on one tire and 16 on the other. We now, after a short run to Wibaux, strike into the badlands proper. If we get through to Dickinson alive, I will write you from there.
The thermometer makes a century run every day.
...
So long -
Billy
Haven't changed a pound in weight since starting. We shall do a good deal of riding nights and sleeping days when we get through the Bad Lands.
So I have a confirmed room at Elgin, some 100 miles on very small roads, but I won't be seeing any more of the Badlands.
47 miles and a pleasant afternoon in Bowman.
Approaching the central time zone...
Dennis