As we continue our eastward adventure through Montana, our journey is filled with great conversation and mostly pleasant weather. A map of our journey is included at the end of this post.
Today is Wednesday, June 27. Jay has ridden five straight days with three rides in the 50-mile range, one 70 and another 90 miles. He has two more 50-mile rides before we take a break in Glendive, MT. From Glendive, the Northern Tier Route places Jay on I-94 for 45 miles.
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| Jay with Hand Cycling Paralyzed Veterans |
Our experience includes meeting a racing team of Paralyzed Veterans of America, hand cycling the same demanding Northern Tier Route. We asked our RV Park owner, Carol, to let us pay for the campsite for the hand cyclists. Since two riders were Navy veterans, Jay noted that the Marines, once again, had to come to the aid of the Navy. The Navy men responded, as tradition dictates, “We’re always giving you guys a ride somewhere.” All were thanked for their service and wishes for a safe ride extended.
We also had our share of unpredictable Montana weather. During the trip to Havre, as Helen started to set up camp at the Evergreen Campground ,she was clobbered by a sudden, heavy rain. Our RV Park host Roger offered Helen a cabin for the evening as she drove off in a downpour to get Jay off the road. After retrieving Jay, the rains, of course, stopped and the sun appeared. Go figure. But we still got a restful sleep in the cabin’s beds.
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| Beds in Havre Cabins |
We learned from a roadside marker that Montana Route 2, which we are traveling, was once known as the Roosevelt International Highway, named for our 26th president ,Teddy Roosevelt. Bully! For Jay, the road is a mixture of wide shoulders to no shoulders at all. And a mixture from gracious drivers to aggressive “get your damn bike off
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| T.R. Roosevelt International Highway |
Although we are far from home we still follow the news of desperate people pushing against our southern border, seeking a more hopeful life. Our president, however, appears to be filled with anger, rather than compassion, for “those people” fleeing danger. Jay, too, struggles to understand why some drivers angrily lay on their horns as they pass him on virtually wide-open empty roads. What is the source of this anger?
We don’t understand how Evangelical “Christians” can tolerate the separation of children from parents. Internment vs. sustenance. We are Unitarian Universalists who draw upon all religious teachings. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Matthew 25:35-36.
What has happen to this great nation? The people we have met have not veered from Matthew’s words. Let us hope for a return to the true American spirit across this nation.
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| Route Map across Montana |
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| Cattle Brands |
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| Jay in Big Sky Country |
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| Bike on Side of the Road |
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| Big Open Montana. Lots of land and sky. |
Sorry to hear your experiences with angry drivers. Our experience in 2015 was that many people drove fast on western highways, but we did not feel hostility or that we were threatened. Is it possible that some civility has drained away from our society in the last year or so?
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