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07/03/2007 Entry: "Melstone to Forsyth"
Well, we're almost through Montana and it will be hard to find another place as welcoming, friendly, and hospitable as Montana. Everywhere we have been people have been very generous.
Last night we stayed in Melstone, a community that experienced some lasting damage from baseball-sized hail about two weeks ago. Everyone we met in Melstone was good-natured and welcoming. Last night Loretta, the woman who was running the general store, let us stay in the trailer behind the store. When I first went into the trailer in the heat of the afternoon to shower I thought the trailer was air-conditioned because it was much cooler than it was outside, but apparently I was mistaken (not the first time) because in the evening, the lack of air flow in the trailer made it almost too hot to sleep (there was no air flow because the windows had been broken in the earlier hail storm and were covered with plastic). Loretta let us use two fans from the store so we could be semi-cool. Minwah and I both have experience sleeping in weather that is too warm for comfort we went inside to lay down with the door to the trailer open since there were few bugs, but Ariel can't fall asleep in such heat and she stayed awake for awhile. We all awoke in the middle of the night to bright and frequent flashes of lightning and went to bring some of our paniers inside the trailer. Just as I was moving towards the house the rain started and the three of us quickly rushed inside. No more than two minutes later, the rain we had been hearing on the trailer changed to the sound of hard objects being thrown against it...more hail! This hail was only dime-sized, and didn't cause much damage, but I was glad I had thought to bring in my paniers because I had bananas packed into the top. I bet if I had left them outside the story would have been funnier, though...The hailstorm was over within 10 minutes, and the precipitation changed back to rain. We were thinking, though, that with the frequency of hailstorms the name of Melstone should be changed to Hailstone. After the hailstorm the weather cooled off, even inside the trailer, and we got some good sleep. Since it was so hot yesterday, we got up early and were out of Melstone by 6:30am. One reason we were able to get out so early was that we didn't eat breakfast...just granola bars, because we had heard about a bar and restaurant in Ingomar that had good breakfasts. So we rode to Ingomar straight off, about 20-something miles on not very much food in our bellies. Ingomar was off the road aways and there was a quarter mile of very gravelly road to get there, but once we arrived it was worth the wait...our friend Gerry, the mail delivery man was there! And he wanted to buy us breakfast! So the three of us ate our fill of pancakes, french toast, eggs, and bean soup, and then when we were done, Gerry ordered us "sheepherder's hor d'oeuvres" which he assured us were not Rocky Mountain oysters or whatever they're called. And the weren't. Sheepherder's hor d'oeuvres are saltine crackers with slices of orange, raw onion, and cheddar cheese. Suprisingly tasty. We got back on the road again with full bellies around 10am, and peddled 42 miles to Forsyth without a real break to try to beat the worst of the heat. Got here around 1:30am. When we got here we met two other riders from UWisc who had peddled from Seattle and were heading for Wisconsin, but they are staying in Miles City tonight and for the 4th of July. The terrain today has mostly been rolling hills. We saw a lot of cows this morning, especially before breakfast. As the sun rose the Black Angus cows stood by the roadside and further off in the fields, and their heads would turn to follow you as they watched you with grass hanging out of their mouths. I think I may have seen two mountain lions in a field but I am not actually sure that is what they were. They were not deer or antelope, elk, cows, moose, dogs, or coyote. We met up again with Seager at the library in Forsyth. It's not as hot today as it was yesterday, but it's nice to be off the road early!
Replies: Leave us a note! (1)
Greetings from Rog and Laura of Waitsburg, WA It was fun to read all your July entries tonight. Sounds like you are making good time in spite of the heat. Glad you find so many nice, helpful people of all kinds. Wishing you Godspeed for the rest of your journey. What does RAGBRAI mean? Heading for bed now; will look at your pix tomorrow. LJ
Posted by Laura Jean Hevel @ 07/18/2007 10:56 PM CST
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