Sunday, July 30, 2017

The Missouri (also part 2)

I saw the Missouri river for the first time in Montana. It starts at Three Forks, a small town, runs north, then north east and then heads south through the Dakotas and forms the line between Iowa and Nebraska. It used to be surrounded by wetlands, but they were dried by the settlers in this region and transformed into towns and farm land.


I was cycling along the Missouri trail and ran into Rich, a local cyclist, who told me a little about the history of the river. He explained that the river has changed its course an so it seems as if Iowa invaded Nebraska, but in fact, the town Crater Lake which is east of the lake but west of the river, was once on the west side of the river when Crater lake was part of the river. Weird.

So I was in Iowa for a short while and got back to Nebraska into Omaha.




Next door to my b&b (actually, only B) this guy's father had this 1928 model T that he started to restore but died before completion. So the neighbor is going to try too. He just got it back from storage and I helped him, with two others, push it onto his backyard.


Nebraska, part 2.

There is not much to tell about Nebraska. I crossed to central time zone and that was probably the sign for trees to pop up.

There is a project "Rails to trails" which originally I was thinking to take back in Washington State but plans changed. Here in Nebraska the project took an old rail and transformed it into a trail open also to cyclists.



I like the fact that every trail I saw along the way, including this one, have out houses scattered along the way.

I met a young couple, in their twenties Casey and Mattie. It was interesting to hear a younger generation's outlook on what's going on in the U.S.

The trail itself, The Cowboy Trail, is a great idea since it keeps one off the highway. However, pouring loose gravel on many sections makes it hard to use. So I used the highway on and off. But, I got to met Ray, on a cross country from Seattle to D.C. We spent a couple of days running into each other and set up camp together.

Ray mentioned something about getting water from the windmill while I was getting water from the hydrants. It turns out that the wells in Nebraska are sitting on top of a major aquifer. The water for the farmers here is free. The cost are the pumps and sprinkler systems that use fuel, gas or electricity. The windmills use the wind to crank the pump. So the hydrants I was using have an electric pump (and found in campgrounds, gardens and parks) while the windmills are in the grazing areas typically for the cows.



While Ray continued on, I was 'held back' by a nice group who invited me to join them tubing. It was a Sunday. Unlike the freezing water in the mountains, spring water is cold, but bearable. So we tubed and a few drinks. They went home, I set up camp.

I keep forgetting that I am in farmer-land...

And the bible belt

And in hunter's land too. I stopped for food at a small dinner. Just the owners and me. He's back in the kitchen preparing my meal while she is telling me all about the new bow she got from her father. It is the new type, with a set of rollers which reduce the amount of power one needs to pull on the sting from 40lbs to 20lb. She hunts deer. I will no go into the details. This is what I think a bow and arrow should face.



I am headed to Omaha. The road is pretty.



But, it is time to rest. I found an hotel that has room names instead of numbers. I'm in the


Across the hall is the Sundance Kid, John Wayne, Billy the kid and others.

Next morning headed to the Missouri.







Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Mount Rushmore, leaving South Dakota and entering Nebraska part 1.

I left Hill City towards Mount Rushmore. I am on the last stretch of mountains for a long time. Up one mountain and down again, one more and so on. Then, the site itself.


It took a couple of hours before I saw the "Foot hills ranch" to realize that after 2.5 months of mountains, and some flat areas, but mostly mountains, I am now heading to 'flatland'.

I was planning to go east via the Pine Ridge reservation, but was warned not to because there is only one store along the way and I may not find water for dozens of miles. So I headed south.

Since I was on a highway, I decided to camp within a small town, Buffalo Gap (pop. 180). Typically, such small towns in South Dakota are lucky to have a store. This place has a pub. It was about 8:00 p.m. closing at 9:00 p.m. I ordered a Pizza which I shared with a young farmer, one of three customers at the pub other than me. He, as all ranch workers, does any type of job on the ranch. Fixing fences, branding cows (ouch), fixing equipment and whatever needs done.

So the publican is making singes that it is almost 9:00 p.m., but to his dismay, perhaps, the newly wed mayor (one of the local carpenters) and his wife drive up to the pub. She was raised here and left years ago while he moved a few years ago from Oregon to this small town since Oregon was to noisy....go figure. One one of her visits they met and she left no more. Romantic. He talks about turning the place around and making it as exciting as it used to be years ago. I got his permission to use the community center's lawn for setting up my camp. Lights went off at 10:00 p.m. we were essentially kicked out.

The rest of the way south towards Nebraska, and then in Nebraska was hilly and easy to ride.

As one can see, it is mostly flat and nothing significant to see. The second photo bellow was taken just after the first one. It got me thinking about how different we claim that we treat animals. PC or a real change?



More about Nebraska soon.....







Tuesday, July 18, 2017

Hill City, South Dakota

The name fits. I cycled in from Wyoming mostly uphill and about half the distance on a dirt road. The downhill portion turned out to be hills. Not a real downhill experience for a cyclist...

But I am running ahead of myself. The night before, I found a field outside an abandoned home on the corner of a highway and a country road. The sky was covered with black clouds, lightning and thunder all around. I got into my tent and waited. The wind picked up and the tent walls were being tested by the gales. I woke up a couple of hours later. Complete silence. A daunting silence. But there was no rain and the clouds were blown away.

Next morning I headed to Hill City. The clouds followed me, I guess. I made it to Dan's Harney Park Inn. Dan had no vacancy but is such an hospitable gentleman. While he was finding me an alternative and then going to pick up Angela, I sat and talked to this charming couple, Julié and Cameron.  Both Greek Orthodox (see Julié, God does work in mysterious ways...- an inside joke). We discussed their beleifs and my non beleifs. I felt as if I have known them forever. It was comfortable as being with old friends.

Then I had a flat tire... All pitched in to help me fix it. I had a good night's sleep.






Sunday, July 16, 2017

Locals and Aliens

I arrived at Trudy's Big Horn motel in Buffalo. We had a nice talk the next morning.
The evening of my arrival, Bob and Jim stopped me and we talked about education. It covered guns and bikes and games we played when we where young.
When we got to the part about my trip  they asked of I am going to Devil's Tower. Oops....I checked my route and realized I am passing right by it.

The next day, while talking to Trudy about her children, my daughters, medical insurance, college cost and so forth, this ex military man joins. The conversation is politics now. He personally knows Benny Gantz (our current chief of staff ?).

Friendly hug with Trudy and on my way I go. Heading to Spotted Horse. An historic saloon, est. 1824. Two people live there and run this run down place. I got there at 9:30 p.m. so it was closed. I set up my tent and called it a day. The next day I got up walked into the saloon just to find out that it was left open since the night before...They just don't lock up. When the owner finally got there I realized that mo food will be served before noon, so I grabbed a drink and headed on.

The heat slowed me down. I had to stop somewhere but there was nothing for miles. Got to a private ranch and asked for permission to rest in the shade of their trees. "Sure", the couple agree, "and there is a hydrant you can use to fill water". I thanked them and as I started to rest under the trees I saw them drive off. People in Wyoming are trustful.

Made it to Devil's Tower, yep, the one Richard Dreyfuss makes a model of using the mashed potatoes....

This time the aliens are us, an Israeli family from kibbutz Be'eri, Noga, Izzi and their three children and me. Izzi knew about my trip via Erez Manor (La'Medavesh cycling center of the kibbutz).

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Cody to Buffalo

As I was leaving Yellowstone, it became evident of whom Wyoming is proud of:
And soon after what they are all about

Bill Cody, aka Buffalo Bill, is everywhere. A population of 500,000 in one of the larger of the U.S. states needs a hero, I guess.

So I began the descent from the Rockies towards Cody, a city just east of the mountains. On the way down there is a huge dam and next to it a tunnel that goes under the mountains towards Cody. The driver of cart that takes visitors from the parking lot to the visitor center (perhaps 100 meters / yards drive) called me over, opened a gate to the old and free of traffic road. He agreed with my concerns about cycling through the tunnel. I had the road and view to myself.



Leaving Cody seemed as if I am in a new, unpopulated land, just discovered by us humans. It is flat and desolate.




After a few hours of being alone this road, another cross country cyclist, Bob, comes from the opposite direction. I learn from him that the mountains I am facing, Big Horn, are in fact higher than the Rockies. Ten Sleep is situated in the valley just below the Big Horn mountains. Cycling into the valley was breath taking:




This was the gate to the heavens....on the other side of the mountains in order to get to Buffalo, the city I am aiming for, I had to go via this canyon, up hill...





The climb was difficult. Even after reaching the pass summit, at 9666 ft. or 2943 m. there where numerous ups and downs to cycle. I felt the thin air. It made climbing up hill even harder. Finally, I reached the point where it was all downhill into the city Buffalo.












Sunday, July 9, 2017

Yelowstone. So special for me.

I guess I was 13 or 14 years old. We had an encyclopedia that had some 12 or 16 volumes. I read them all. One entry was about Old Faithful. I remember wanting to visit this wonderful phenomenon.

So, while planning my trip, I realized that if I change my original plan, I can realize one more dream.
I got to West Yellowstone, a typical tourist trap and headed into the park. After a short while, I leave Montana and am welcomed to Wyoming.

The park stars of looking just like the scenery I've been cycling through for days. A river, trees, some mountains. Disappointing, I'd say. After an hour or so, I'm thinking to myself, "so what's the big deal"? And then Deep Purple's Smoke on the water plays in my head. Well, it is steam and colorful pools packed with minerals coughed up by mother earth.



But it was not Old Faithful. Cycling on, there is a bicycle path. A shortcut to take cyclists off the road and away from traffic. I eagerly enter the path. I feel the excitement. The 14 year old chants: "I'm going to see Old Faithful". The 59 year old tears up a bit. And here it is. A crowd of people from around the world waiting for the next burst of steam and boiling water. And then it happens. 45 years of waiting for a dream to come true and this is it:




Ok, there are better videos, but this one is mine!!

Started to head out. It is a tough up hill towards the continental divide. Rode until 10:05 p.m. to get to the next campground. The office closed at 10:00...but the guy in the laundry room was just finishing his duties, heard my story, told me about the hikers' / bikers' section in the campground and gave me a free ticket for the showers..."you are an Israeli".

The next morning I continue up hill. And some more... finally, I get to the Continental Divide.

It is very wide and consists of a few mountains when crossing from west to east. An hour later I reach, the slightly higher sign:

It is only when I reach 8,530 feet that my descent begins until I leave Yellowstone National Park.




Friday, July 7, 2017

Nice pictures heading to Yellowstone

Real live cowboys. I asked them to pose, despite it being embarassig to them, and they agreed (me being from Israel...)

I don't know what kind of bird this is, but it feeds off fish. So, yep, this was taken near the Missouri river which starts at Three Forks the town I was heading to.



On my way to Yellowstone


The other day, the forecast was 20% chance  for thunderstorms. It turned into 100% twice.
During a relatively easy but long distance of cycling up hill with very strong head wind, the sky suddenly turned gray, then black but no rain as yet. I reached the summit. I started descending, thunder, lightning (the other way round...) and then, on the left, a small town with a small pub appeared. The two (motor)  bikers who overtook me just moments ago were parked outside the pub. There was another customer already there,  so the four of us were chatting, “ from where, to where”?, and so on. The storm has passed (come and goes away quickly). Steve, the owner refused to take money from me. "You're an Israeli ...". But it's a business, I insist, “yes”, he replies, "and I am doing just fine...".

Got back on my bicycle hoping to get to Ennis. Just about 12 km before I make it, the storm starts again. The coat does its job. As my luck goes, there was a lodge with a restaurant that I managed to reach before getting drenched by the rain. They did, indeed, have vacancy for the mere price of 169 dollars. I declined. But it's nice and dry inside so I sat at the bar. The man on my right asks the usual. Where did you get to sleep? So I told him that I hoped the lodge would be nice, but the price was too high, so when the storm ends I’ll go on to Ennis and find a motel. "I have the best place for you." He gives me instructions on how to get there and hosts me in a separate hut. What a generous and hospitable person!!! Thanks Derek!

I went to sleep. I woke up to the strongest earthquake in the region in years. The bed moved, all the accessories in the room calmly swung from side to side. And then a great silence! I went back to sleep.

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Lolo to Helena, The Great Divide and Lorna & Bill

I met Lorna and Bill at the Lolo Pass information center. We had a nice chat that started with questions about my bamboo bike and my tour in the U.S. and moved over to politics. Bill offered me water, as the water pipes were busted at the information center (i.e. chemical toilets) and Lorna found a great tasting snack bar for me to take with me. It lasted just one minute after they left.

Going towards Ovando, a good stop on tour divide (on the great divide of the Rocky Mountains) I meet Justin and David who began their tour in Calgary. They cycled to Banff and have been on the trail until they decided to get off the trail for a while. David is going home soon while Justin is planning to continue.

I arrived in Ovando late in the evening and decided to stay there. Ovando, a very cyclist friendly town. Has the old jail house, a tipi and a Shepard's hut for cyclists to stay over night. The hut was too hot, the jail occupied by two young cyclists and while having dinner, I met two other cyclists, Paula and Maurine, who I thought may want the tipi, so I set up my tent on the grass.

Turns out that Paula and Maurine are doing the great divide trail. Paula will go home from Helena while Maurine will be joined by another friend to continue the tour.

The next day I headed towards Helena. Just before the peak of MacDonald's pass (1900 meters / 6270 ft), a car stops just ahead of me. Lorna and Bill!! This time, after completing our previous conversation, they gave me bananas and power bars and one more of those yummy bars that Lorna gave me at Lolo pass.

Fireworks all around. Happy 4th of July.


Sunday, July 2, 2017

A summery of a few days

WiFi service in the remote mountain areas is rare and when it does exist, it is slow and of poor quality. So, a few days have passed and now that I am in Missoula, I have a chance to post some stories.



Crossing over from Washington, where I was following the Lewis and Clark trail, to Idaho into the Indian (yep, no p.c. here) reservation was a sudden change in atmosphere. Everything was about the Nez Perce tribe. Coyote was turning, again, others into stone, every sign posted had some reference to the tribe and yet I did not see any tribe member. It was weird to me.

I did like that Idaho has many campgrounds and historical (Nez Perce) sites. They have toilets at most locations. The views were beautiful.




And I just wish that this would be true


Finally, made it into Lowell where everyone counts...


The next morning, as I was about to leave, three young men, Jose, Josh and Scott, 26 years old, cycle in. They are doing a Portland to Portland (west coast to east coast) to raise money for pancreatic cancer research. They tell me that about 45 miles (70 km) up road there are hot springs. They stay for breakfast at the restaurant while I cycle on. They caught up to me just about a mile away from the hot springs. There is a SINGLE PATH!!!! leading to the springs. It was steep so I rode only part of it towards the springs, but bombed downhill on my way back. The hot springs were great. Hot. My muscles enjoyed the hot water while Jose played his guitar and sang his lungs out. They were planning to stay with the young group of women that were already at the springs. I took off. We met again at the campground just ahead of Lolo pass. They did not stay at the springs after all.


The next day, I started uphill over Lolo pass and then glided down to Lolo. I decided to change my route and go to West Yellowstone via Missoula and Helena. More towns for food along the way. That's today and the next four or five days.