For you "Friday Night Lights" fans, It wasn't as good as Dillon, Texas Panthers high school football. However, the freshman game between Butte and the Dillon, Montana Beavers, was an entertaining way to spend the late afternoon. This is serious football country. Dillon was allowed to play sophomores in the game. The kids on its front lines were every bit as big the varsity players back in Newton. Butte's varsity squad won the state championships last year. It's freshman squad, while lacking in size, was more skilled and better coached than Dillon and carried the action on both sides of the ball. If Northeastern still had NCAA football I would be referring our coaches to this western football hotbed.
It is Wednesday a.m. and I am waiting for Helen, the chatty front door clerk to finish setting up the 6 a.m. complimentary Best Western breakfast. Its going to be a good one. She has already brought out the hard boil eggs, canned fruit, frozen bagels, dark brown bananas and a box of fruit loops. With great pride she said the sausage gravy would be out shortly. Hallelujah!
The lighting is back and the thunder is rocking the town with a vengeance. A front page headline in the Wednesday Montana Standard reads "Hard freeze expected tonight". It continues; "A cold-air mass over the region will keep the clouds in the area and drive temperatures into the 20's. Snow is expected in the hills." It's going to be a gripping 200 miles down to Yellowstone (See the attached radar screen. The blue dot is where we are). I have to remind myself, as a fellow rider said to me last night, "The worst day of riding is better than the best day of work".
Eric and I seemingly had divine assistance yesterday guiding us through the 230 miles from the Redfish Lodge to Dillon. The skies were threatening the whole time but only opened up twice; once while we were on the library stoop in Salmon and the other moments after we landed at the Best Western. We had our rain gear on but it was unnecessary. We never felt a drop.
The stretch after turning east on rte. 43 down to Wisdom, Montana was likely the most stunning ride I have ever experienced. There was this huge expanse, maybe 30 miles long, in front of us and to the east and west. Across the entire landscape the sky had darkened to a dark gray, streaked, brushed and spackled with various sized strokes of white and black and every shade in between. The clouds were swirling and blowing from left to right. Lightning flashed in the distance, mostly to the west. Cows littered the plain and had no place to take cover. It was a painter's dream. I worried aloud about how the cows. "Be careful fellas" I kept saying.
Whenever the weather turns, Eric's riding speed increases significantly. My inclination is to do the opposite. I like to soak in god's masterpieces, rather than race to avoid them. Coming down rte. 43 Eric sped up to 90+ mph. Though I didn't match his speed, I too accelerated so as not to get separated. I am kicking myself now. I should have stopped to take pictures. I probably will never see such cloud formations and awesome landscapes again.
For the final 10 mile stretch into Wisdom, riding at approx. 80 mph, a black SUV was on my ass choosing not to pass. When we pulled into Wisdom for gas, the SUN stopped at tavern across the street. The driver exited his car, took one last chug of his tall beer, set it on the ground vertically and crushed it with his cowboy boot. He then flipped the can into his car, slammed the door and headed into the bar. Yikes. I intend to block that experience out of memory.
We left Redfish Lodge earlier in the day, maybe 8 a.m. and drove for an hour before stopping at the Y-Inn cafe in Chalis, ID for breakfast. The roads in and out of Chalis were gorgeous with the Salmon River hugging the shoulder and the road surrounded by mountains on both sides.
Last night, after the football game, we went to the Lion's Den for dinner. I had an 8oz bacon wrapped sirloin and a local IPA. Eric had the prime rib and a Utah lager. A nice relaxing way to end a tiring, yet exhilarating day.
Today's random thought while riding; I wonder where forest rangers go to "get away from it all?"
Have a good day!
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Location:Laknar Ln,Dillon,United States
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