Conrad, Montana to Great Falls, Montana - August 3, 2021

KOA Ride (Evening)

I woke at around six-thirty and, after packing up, grabbing groceries and eating (sitting on a chair in the front of the local IGA), I began pedaling at eight o’clock.

The temperature was cool. The sky - overcast. These were perfect conditions to stretch my legs.

Brady Building

The Draws of Dutton

Bridge Question

Lone Tree Perch (Osprey?)

I pedaled in a delirium fueled by cracked pavement, wheat and grasshoppers.

The insects are huge in these parts and were heavy on the road on this particular day, springing randomly to avoid my wheels. I tried to avoid them the very best that I could. There were casualties.

My speaker purred easy jazz in the morning. I switched to a podcast featuring Zach Bitter, an ultramarathon runner, in the afternoon. With very few stops, I cycled the seventy miles to Great Falls.

Great Falls Park (Crash Site)

Upon entering city limits, I spotted a park and wheeled under the trees, collapsing on the grass for a while. After having a bite, I took off toward the Great Falls Library, crossing the Missouri River en route.

Missouri River Crossing - Great Falls

I spent a couple of hours on a library chair, eavesdropping, from up above, on conversations with the librarian at the desk (he had considerable patience with patrons’ trying requests for overdue clarification).

Great Falls Library (Grand Entrance)

I pushed out, bound for Albertsons - one of my top grocery store chain choices in Montana. The ride was relatively long, and after paying for the foods that I needed, I decided to stay at the KOA campground near me. It was a touch expensive for tent camping, but I had a chance to ride in a plastic train car pulled by a golf cart over countless campground potholes. This resulted in a prolonged headache.

I spoke with my mom, dad and Beth before dropping off to sleep.