The most brutal biking day yet!

Start:  Edgewater Inn, Malta, Montana (RIGHT next to the railroad tracks)
End:  Cottonwood Inn, Glasgow, Montana

Mileage:  72 miles (At an 11 mph average, it felt like 128 miles!)
Weather:  WINDY! Steady 20 mph head wind all day, with gusts up to 40!  When asked if they would rather ride in the rain or a head wind, the answer was unanimous.  RAIN!  It was a tough day!

States Conquered:  Washington, Idaho 
States Being Conquered:  Montana
States to be Conquered:  North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine

Particulars:  Beginning of the day bikers rode through the BowdoinWildlife Refuge.  LOTS of birds including grouse, ducks, greebs, pheasants . . . . antelope and deer.

Interesting People Along the Way:  Older than dirt "gentleman" walked up to the bikers at OB's cafe in Saco, MT.  Apparently a biker from Glasgow stole his big heavy tools after staying at his houseboat for four days with his blue heeler dog.  Houseboat in Saco, MT?  Interesting.  When the bikers walked in to the cafe, the average age of the clientele lowered significantly.

A report from Joe Thompson:  Attached see the prehistoric beasts guarding the West entry of Glasgow, our home for the evening. We rode the 73 miles from Malta into a stiff headwind, best guess is a constant 20 MPH wind with gusts to 40. We started the day with a nice trip through a National Wildlife Preserve near Malta. We scared several white tail deer, pheasants, ducks, jack rabbits and saw many more birds. Long dormant mountain bike skills were called into service as we did about 15 miles on dirt and gravel roads both in the preserve and then after as we worked back to Hwy 2,

All four riders agreed that this was as hard a day as we have put in so far. Now off to get something to eat.

A report about Lowell Klassen:  Age has nothing to do with one's bicycling abilities.  Quite a bit of drafting went on today and Lowell was the beneficiary.  He's battling a bad cold, a bumb knee and is the youngest in years of those on the bike tour.  Thanks to the "old guys" for pulling Lowell into Glasgow using the invisible rope.

A report from Kelly Thompson:  The Wind giveth and the Wind taketh away. Today was 72 miles of un relenting 20+ mph headwind. The Boudin Game reserve we rode through has a bazillion critters including the fastest - Antelope - and the most interesting - Jackrabbits the size of large housecats. We rode from Malta MT to Glasgow MT today. I nominate glasgow as the Black Fly capital of the West.....pesky little buggers! Legs strong, butt sore, all is good.