Day 13 / July 19 / Helena to Three Forks / 62 miles and 1674 feet / 100 degrees

Today was a nice recovery day after yesterday’s serious climb. We rode 62 miles from Helena to Three Forks, MT. What’s in Three Forks, you ask? It is where you find the confluence of the Madison, Jefferson, and Gallatin Rivers that form the Missouri-Mississippi River, which is the longest river in North America.

We are also here on the first night of the Rodeo and Street Fair. There is to be a band playing in the street just outside our hotel from 9 pm to 1 am. That will be interesting – at least our room faces the back of the hotel so maybe we won’t have quite so much noise.

Most of the group is spending the night in the Travelodge on the outskirts of town – it looks like a truck stop. Bill and I somehow got the only room at the Sacajawea Hotel in town. It’s a historic hotel that was built when the Milwaukee Railroad came to town.

Even with the band, I think we got a better hotel for the night.

Our riding day took us across the Missouri River twice, across Deep Creek, by Two Horse Lane and Thousand Hills Ranch (aptly named because the view looks like a thousand hills, and much roadkill, including a bald eagle. We could hear the mate calling from nearby.

We did see this bald eagle nesting…not the best photo, but you will get the idea.

And just outside of town as we rode down the hill, we saw this art installation of Blue Horses.

However, I have to admit that many miles looked like this today…and I think we are in for more days like today as we travel through WY and SD.