Northern Tier Day #42 Circle, MT to Wolf Point, MT 58 Miles
Northern Tier Day #42
July 1, 2019
Circle, MT to Wolf Point, MT 58 Miles
Ride Time 4:14
Tour Total 3327 Miles
I slept well in my tent under the picnic pavilion in the Circle town park. I woke up at 4:58am and witnessed an incredible sunrise. I wanted more sleep, but I’m not sure if I got it. I had a slow start. All of my devices, including my lights were charged. My laundry and all my camping gear was dry. Circle turned out to be a good stop for me.
Today was July 1st, meaning rent, bills, and other business. I had a nice office in the pavilion with a nice large wooden picnic table to complete my affairs. Being that I am soon going to be down to only one credit card, I thought it prudent to call them and let them know that I was traveling. After innumerable security protocols, recorded announcements, and muzak I listed off my 3 remaining states. The call took 18 minutes. This is why I brought Air Pods. I was simultaneously doing three other things. A maintenance worker started mowing the lawn at 7am.
After I left the Corner Bar last night I stopped at the Exxon Station for some provisions. On my way back to the campsite I passed the trashed bartender trying to hold himself up against the door of his white pick-up truck. He couldn’t walk. The notion of him behind the wheel was terrifying.
I stopped at the Exxon Station again this morning before leaving town. I had a Starbucks Frappuccino, an orange juice, and a pack of mini white powdered donuts. They had a taxidermied small bear on the wall. From here to the coast I'll be seeing stuffed dead animals just about everywhere I go.
Today I would only be riding 56 miles with no services and a tail wind. It’s one of those situations where I either ride 50 or 100 miles. Wolf Point is on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, and I’ve been told by several people that it’s dangerous at night and that I shouldn’t camp.
The sun was bright, and I took State Highway 13 north out of Circle. The shoulder was really narrow and there were rumble strips under the white line. I preferred to stay in the motorized lane. I was peddling 17 miles an hour blasting soul music. It was an awesome start.
I rode rolling hills with grass and wildflowers and barbed wire fences and power lines to both sides of the road. It was partly cloudy. The road was pink today probably made from quartzite, a hard rock with pinkish hues. Highway 13 began in Circle so all of the mile markers told me how far I’d traveled. I didn’t have to look at my odometer today.
An old-school prop plane flew low overhead, ostensibly a farmer looking at his fields. A caravan of pick-up trucks towing campers passed me. I’m getting closer to vacation land. I used the shoulder when cars passed me. I could see them coming with my rear view mirror. Half the shoulder was rumble strip so I only had 12 inches, and then a steep slant that I didn’t want to get near.
I rode gentle ups and downs over mellow ridges and into shallow valleys. I was doing 25mph on the downs and 8mph on the ups. I was riding too fast on the downhills to navigate the narrow 12 inches so I traveled in the motorized lane. I pedaled the shoulder on the uphills, because it was slow enough to negotiate.
I met eastbound cyclist Gray from Raleigh North Carolina. He’s doing a modified Northern Tier with the Great Lakes Connector. He spent last night in Wolf Point and stayed at the Sherman hotel. He’s been hoteling and doing hundred mile days. He’s a schoolteacher and needs to be back August 5. He did the Trans Am in 2017 in 45 days. He told me there were no services in Vida, which is what I expected. He said that highway 1 after Wolf Point had just been chipped and gravel resurfaced, and recommended taking highway 2 in and out of Oswego.
I then met another eastbound cyclist, Larry from Rutland Vermont. He was doing the Northern Tier and Great Lakes connector. He also told me about the rough stretch of road up ahead, that I should avoid. He mentioned that the bike shop in Anacortes didn’t properly tighten his axle when they assembled his bike. This led to his dynamo hub breaking, and he’s been having electrical generating issues. He estimated that Middlebury gap was the most difficult climb of the ride. He said that the alternative route out of Montana into Canada was the most beautiful part of the route. Larry’s been finding tools alongside the road. He stops and collects them, and then ships them home.
I saw two eastbound cyclists and wasn’t sure if they were riding together or not. I stopped and first talked to Clint. He was doing a modified Northern Tier and Great Lakes Connector. He’d done a lot of cycling and had ridden this road before. He gave me the low down about what to expect ahead. Both of them got caught in the storm that I saw to the north yesterday. Dan asked if I thought my tent could stand up to one of these storms, and I replied, "No way!". They said that the bugs were really bad out west. Clint couldn’t understand why I preferred to go east to west. He likes to fly places and then ride home. Clint mentioned that west of here, the bugs were so bad that it was impossible to relieve oneself alongside the road. If nature called, it was necessary to find a bridge and urinate out on the middle of the span.
There were no services in Vida, as I expected. The bar looked like it had been closed for eons. There was a co-op for farmers and not much else. The further north I got, the flatter it became. I could see for miles in every direction; grass, wildflowers, barbwire fences, telephone poles, the occasional structure, and rolls of hay.
Approaching Wolf Point, I had a decision to make. The hostel apparently charged $21 to camp, including a shower and ‘gourmet food’. However it was forecast to thunderstorm tonight, and I wouldn’t want to set up my tent until after the storm. If it was a strong storm my tent might not make it. It was a dry goods store and they closed their doors at 8pm. It was supposed to rain until 10pm. It was located 5 miles out of town, so if I wanted to go into town and return, that would be a 10 mile round-trip. Or I could stay at a hotel in town for $80. I would be walking distance to the brewery and services. I’d heard that Wolf Point was a shitty town. The hostel was supposed to be beautiful.
I could see Wolf Point and the Missouri River from 5 miles out. It was a nice easy downhill, riding alongside grass mounds and badlands. Today’s 56 mile ride was fueled on Starbucks Frappuccino, orange juice, donuts, corn chips, cashews, and a banana. Sundays and infrequent services can bring about a tricky diet.
I encountered a beautiful old truss bridge across the mighty Missouri River. The Lewis and Clark Bridge, also known as the Wolf Point Bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It represents the last example of a riveted Pennsylvania through truss bridge in Montana. It's longest span is the longest through truss span in the state at 400-feet. The structure is 1074 feet long and contains 1150 tons of steel. It was now closed to all traffic, but I noticed a small gap in the fence. This was a no-brainer choice. Boring generic contemporary cast concrete crossing or a piece of history. I rode across the historic old bridge. This would be the last time I saw the Missouri River.
I entered the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. I rode to the Dry Goods Store bike hostel place and the store was closed on Mondays. I was hungry so I decided to ride into town. It was only 2pm. I considered even continuing to the next town, but Glasgow was another 50 miles. The wind was out of the south, and it brought me north quickly. From here I’m heading west. I’m looking at a crosswind for the next couple of days, and I wasn’t up for that today.
I passed a prairie dog and several white crosses on my way into Wolf Point. I went to the Wolf Point Cafe and had a ham and cheese sandwich. I then checked into the Sherman Inn where I showered, did laundry in the sink, and cleaned my bike. I walked over to the Missouri Breaks Brewery and had several Wolf Wheats.
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