Northern Tier Day #45 Harlem, MT to Havre, MT
Northern Tier Day #45
July 4, 2019
Harlem, MT to Havre, MT 44 Miles
Ride Time 3:34
Tour Total 3548 Miles
There was only one problem with the Harlem City Park and I recognized it immediately. There wasn’t a bathroom. The park was adjacent to City Hall and an accompanying swimming pool. Across the street was the fire department. The park was on a corner and I was directly across from people’s houses on two sides. It was necessary to set up camp after dark and leave before anyone was up. I erected my tent in the pavilion and slept great on the cement slab.
The birds woke me up early and I really wanted another hour’s sleep. But there was the bathroom issue, so I got up. It was cold outside, and there weren’t any mosquitoes. My laundry was still wet so I had to switch jerseys and pack the damp clothing in my net bag, strapping it to the top of my rear sack.
I went to the Conoco Station and had the usual. The clerk told me that the mosquitoes here transmit West Nile and to rub banana peels on my sores. He said there had been a storm here last week with 75 mile an hour winds. It’s -20°F here in the winter.
It was really cold out so I pulled over and added more layers. In addition to my jersey and cycling shorts, I wore my leg-warmers, rain pants, down vest, rain jacket, and balaclava. I probably should have started with a long-sleeve jersey this morning, and had even considered it.
Steve G, from last year’s TransAm tour, contacted me to tell me he’s beginning his next TransAm segment next week. Last year he rode with Steve H and I from Yorktown, VA to Berea, KY. Steve H will be seeing him in Kentucky. Steve G is blogging at: https://grahamtransam.blogspot.com/ Kyle from the trans-gang is returning to Bolivia this week to resume his tour through the Andes. His Instagram handle is: @kylehughesphoto
This morning I had a 2 foot wide shoulder without a rumble strip and a sharp drop-off to the right. It felt narrow. There was a railroad track to my right and a flock of birds to my left with the Bear Paw Mountain range on the horizon to the south. It was hazy and partly cloudy. The sun was behind me shining towards my back. I realized that I was cycling through a cloud, and visibility was only 500 feet.
All across the Montana I’ve been seeing billboards addressing the methamphetamine epidemic. Wolf Point felt the most sketchy. There’s no growth or opportunity here. Businesses are shuttered and towns are in decline. I’m at odds with cattle production and coal mining. Other than bicycle touring, I don’t know what else to suggest. There’s a campaign here to widen US Highway 2 to either add a passing lane or make it 4 lanes. I hope they widen the shoulders.
The sun was obscured by a cloud, and I pulled over to turn on my rear blinking red light. Visibility was poor. On my closest approach, the Bear’s Paw Mountain range was completely obscured by clouds. The cloud I was riding through drifted south, and I still couldn’t see Bear’s Paw.
The milkweed is starting to bloom here and some places it’s fully flourishing. I’ve noticed many Black-Eyed Susans today. I spotted a field of yellow wildflowers to my left followed by a field of Sagebrush. There were train tracks immediately to my right and nothing of interest beyond it.
I got hot and had to remove some of my layers. Because my bike doesn’t have a kickstand, I first had to find a place where I could lean it. Due to the lack of trees I looked for sign posts or mile markers.
I spotted the small grain elevator in Zurich from a mile out. I had no population listed for Zurich, and there were no services here. I had a 12 inch shoulder. Last year in Kansas I noticed that all of the large grain elevator structures were concrete. Here the were tin. I passed an old wooden elevator next to a newer tin model. An east-bound motorist passed me with his hand held to his eyes blocking the sun. Great! Get a pair of sunglasses dude.
Two or 3 miles out of Chinook, population 1203, I could make out the water tower and grain elevator. As I got closer, I spotted a second water tower and another tall structure that I couldn’t identify. I was enjoying the long Bear’s Paw Mountain range to the south stretching from east to west. I shouldn’t jinx myself and wish my time away, but I’m looking forward to the mountains. I’m sure I’ll miss the prairie, but my goodness- it’s been weeks of this stuff! As I got closer to Chinook I tried to figure out what the tall structure was. I eliminated obelisk, steeple, and column, and decided that it was a very tall smokestack.
There were amazing fields of yellow wildflowers on the horizon to the north. Chinook boasts the Blaine County Museum and an audio visual presentation of the Bear Paw Battlefield. The local sports team is called the Sugar Beaters. An LED billboard announced that The Blaine County Fair was up and running. I stopped at the Exxon station and got an orange juice and a pack of powdered donuts. That store offered literally everything, and folks were hanging out in the dining area. There was a semi-truck full of swine parked out front.
I rode by the Blaine County Fairgrounds and the amusements and entertainment hadn’t yet started for the day. There would later be a rodeo and fireworks. I wish I had known about this beforehand, because last night I had made a reservation for a cheap hotel in Havre. It being a much bigger town, I was betting that it would have the best celebration. Last year on the TransAm I went to a rodeo with the Transgang and it was an unforgettable experience. Lander Wyoming had an amazing parade and fireworks. It was going to be tough to measure up to that
A freight train approached from the west. I knew the engineer could see me, because the tracks were right next to the highway. I did the gesture with my hand where I reached up into the sky and pulled down an imaginary handle to signal that I wanted him to honk the engine’s horn. He obliged, and it was awesome! I’m gonna start doing that all the time. The train was hauling containers.
I ran into east-bounder Ron from Cleveland, who's doing a Northern Tier with the Great Lakes Connector. He was traveling light and his friend Bill was driving support with a small camper. Ron’s doing a fundraiser for hospice. Check it out and consider donating:
https://www.swgeneral.com/Ways-to-Give/Giving-Opportunities/Cycling-for-Hospice.aspx
There wasn't much of a shoulder, and I had 12 inches between the white line and the slant. I crossed over the Milk River and it had diminished in size since Hinsdale. Now that the Milk River was to my right the smooth bumpy grassy buttes came right up to my left against the road. I passed another freight train that was hauling tank cars. It was just sitting there idle.
The Milk River valley was the most narrow I had seen it. I estimate that it was half a mile wide with mellow grass covered ridges to either side. I was riding right up next to the southern ridge. The idle train that I had passed earlier was now running westbound and I could hear it catching up to me. I made my hand gesture and got the engineer to blow the horn. I gave him the thumbs up!
At 11am, just a few miles out of Havre, I pulled over and removed my jacket and leg-warmers. I was still wearing my sweater but it was heating up. Today was going to be a short day with hopefully some fun in store, it being Independence Day.
Highway 2 climbed up onto the ridge for a little bit, which was only about 100 feet above the river. From there I spotted the Havre water tower. An asphalt bike lane emerged to the right of the highway. I passed an old drive-in movie theater that had been converted into a storage lot for trucks.
Havre, population 9,784, is known as the crown jewel of the Hi Line. It’s elevation is 2,500 feet. I’m staying at the Siesta Motel and there are festivities scheduled today in Simon Pepin Memorial Park. I passed two stalls in the center of town where fireworks were for sale, and I needed to make some purchases. Tonight people will be lighting off fireworks, and there will be a large display at the fairgrounds. The westbound cyclists from Tacoma will be arriving later, and we’re planning to meet up.
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