Day 13 - July 10th - Harlowton, MT to Billings, MT
| Route Distance: | 91 | Average Speed: | 16.2 | |
| Total Distance: | 924 | Maximum Speed: | 33.5 | |
| Riding Distance: | 92.8 | Elevation Gain: | 3274' | |
| Riding Time: | 5:43 |
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| Picture
Notes: Andrej Hojnik from Slovenia Beautiful scenery along the road Testicle Festival (Rocky Mountain Oysters) in Ryegate, MT Miles upon miles of road again... Click here for more pictures from today |
| Sure was hard to get started this morning, the
fourth day in a row of long riding days. Up early and on the road by 7:00
am, and headed due east out of Harlowton. The first 25 miles or so was flat
to slightly downhill with another light tailwind, and we made great time to
Ryegate. The big draw in that town is the annual
Testicle Festival
where Rocky Mountain Oysters are the featured delicacy, unfortunately we
missed the celebration by a few weeks.
Once the picture-taking was complete we continued on the route as the
temperature increased. A nice lunch and visit to the Mercantile in Lavina
for postcards and pins, then the climbing started. The climb lasted around
10 miles, then turned to rolling hills through pretty dry and desolate
country. It was difficult staying hydrated as the temperature climbed into
the mid-90's, and the water stops as well as the café stop for iced tea were
welcomed. The last 15 miles or so were the hardest, with a headwind/crosswind, heat, and rough roads. We approached Billings, MT from the ridge above, and the city was laid out before us, quite a nice view. We made it into camp (Rocky Mountain State College dorms in Billings, MT) around 2:15 pm - not bad for a 92 mile day! After drying my tent, doing laundry and taking a shower, we had a delicious catered BBQ dinner (steak, mahi-mahi, grilled veggies, salads, and chocolate-dipped strawberries) on the lawn next to the dorm. Tomorrow is a day off and I plan to lay low and rest, since the next segment of our trip is 5 days, 4 of them quite long and strenuous. |
