“The Winds They Are A Blowing”
That first day back on the bike I made 49 miles even though there were more hills to climb than I expected. With the wind at my back and with mostly straight downhills I was cruising at speeds up to 30mph. The joy in riding was back! The one thing that bothered me was that even though I was improving, I was still walking the top section of some of the hills.
On the east side of Lewistown was another challenge. Dave was my savior in giving me a ride through the pass over the Judith Mountains. It was steep, no shoulders, and no room for error. He also showed me why he fell in love with this part of the country.
The next day, just as I thought things were perfect, the winds shifted and I was fighting to stay upright on the bike. When I got to a rest area, I had already ridden 23.5 miles and still had 21.5 miles to go. My body, mind, and soul were screaming, no more! I pulled off my helmet, showed my gray hair, and soon had a ride to Sand Springs, Montana. This is an oasis for cyclists in the “middle of nowhere” with a store, showers, and an RV parked in the field. Yes, the RV was my home for the night! Stephanie, the store manager, understands what cyclists need.
I was hoping that the “gods of the wind” would soon have mercy on me. WRONG! My next ride was only 12 miles. A vehicle behind me saw how I was being blown around and offered me a ride. Since I had no desire to become part of the pavement, I accepted.
Disappointed at my recent riding skills, I gave myself a pat on the back when I managed to get the tent set up in 15 minutes and before a thunderstorm rolled in. And in case you are wondering, no, it didn’t blow away and yes it stayed dry! I ended up spending two nights at this spot as the winds were still howling the next day with gusts up to 50 mph. That’s just a bit too much for this “old lady”. Maybe the rainbow was a sign of better days to come.
Feeding Kids 