Chris Nadovich's 2009 Transamerica Bike Tour.

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Great Falls, MT

After dropping down from the mountains, the landscape changed dramatically. This is high plains Montanna. There are no trees except near creeks, and there are hardly any creeks. Most of the land is grassy, open range. We saw lots of cattle, some heards of horses, and a few antelope.

There are still some "buttes", and long hills -- or I should say "grades" -- but they are quickly vanishing. The wind is now a dominant factor. Today the wind was mixed and our speed varied dramatically depending on which way it was blowing. Given this fact about the influence of the wind, and the fact that for 50 to 100 miles or more there may be nothing but "dot towns", planning our stopping points is now a bit more problematic. On the other hand, one advantage of being in the middle of nowhere is that camping options should be plentiful. We're well prepared to camp, and we plan on carrying extra food and water and trusting our ability to camp when necessary.

On the ride I saw a dead doe, with it's baby bleating nearby: a sad sight. I snapped a photo but the fawn darted into the brush and is only partially visible in the photo. Grow up quick, little one. The sight dampened my spirits for some miles.

At about mile 90 we crossed the Missouri river and entered the city of Great Falls, where we got a hot meal at a Perkins and checked into a cheap motel. There was a KoA on the edge of town, but I wanted a place with WiFi so I could get caught up on email and this blog. And, yes, real showers and real beds always feel nice.

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