The Best Laid Plans ...

My goal today was to reach Havre (rhymes with 'cadaver') by going north to a highway that runs near the Canadian border. When I reached the town of Circle, I saw that my GPS routed me northwest on a "highway" that was paved for the first 10 miles and then the dreaded "Pavement Ends" followed by 24 miles of coarse gravel.  That may be fine for an enduro bike, but gravel is not good for my type of motorcycle.  So I elected to shift directions and head due west to Great Falls.

I put about 100 more miles on the bike today than on day 1 and the vast majority was two-lane roads.

"Beautiful" is not the first word I would use to describe eastern Montana.  "Rugged" or "Unforgiving" or "Relentless" would probably be paired with "Beauty." Ditto for the Little Missouri National Grasslands in western North Dakota ... breathtaking.

The grasshoppers that I was concerned about were no big deal.  Yes there we a bunch, and Yes they sting a bit when slamming into a knee at 85 mph, but No I don't regret driving right though ground zero for the infestation.  It seemed to me that high value fields of wheat had been sprayed but that low value range land had a heck of a lot more of the green menace.

The day started out hot and the temperature went over 100 degrees.  That changed abruptly beginning about 4 pm and the clear hot skies changed over to overcast and under 60 degrees by 7 pm.

I rode in my first honest-to-goodness downpour with thunder and lightning.  The heavens opened just as I was approaching my destination Great Falls.  I had put on my rain gear so I was reasonably dry.  I hung out at a gas station / convenience store on the western edge of town and had a cup of coffee until a rainbow appeared as the storm moved east lit by the setting sun.

The outlook for tomorrow is cool (60s) with possible afternoon showers.  The remaining distance to the east gate of Glacier is only 165 miles.  My plan is to sleep in and see what happens.

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