Day 11: Shut Up and Pedal

 

Livingston to Laurel, 106 miles, less than 1500 feet of climbing.  And, while we decided that we will not whine about it today, yes, there was a headwind most of the day.

While most of the travelers passing through Livingston headed to Yellowstone National Park this morning, we took a much less traveled path, along the Yellowstone River heading east. We had mapped out a string of back roads and stopped in a local bike shop (which is combined with a fly fishing supply store - clearly someone’s dream come true) to grab a few supplies and ask about the local roads.

First, a few words about roads and road surfaces.  We love mountain and gravel riding, but for this trip our bikes are geared up for paved roads.  (Frame geometries accommodate long “endurance” rides, tires are a little wider than what we usually use on road rides back home, and we dropped tire pressure to provide a little more cushioning.). We also have been riding on some nice dirt roads on this trip, and we need to draw a distinction between dirt roads and gravel roads. Dirt can certainly be rutted and gnarly, but can also be smooth and pretty nice.  Gravel is a different story.  Out here, gravel roads tend to be very utilitarian - they get the job done.  The gravel tends to be pretty deep (meaning it is easy to sink into it) and the stones themselves are larger and sharper than the gravel used for manicured walkways or driveways back east.

So... back to the bike and fly fishing store:  We asked about the conditions of a few roads and the younger attendant at the shop replied “That’s a great road.  You’ll be fine on your road bikes.”  To which the older shop attendant replied: “It’s actually gravel and makes for a pretty tough ride.”  He then gave a great recommendation for a back road ride toward Big Timber, complete with “and then take that road down a ways” and other descriptive directions. It was terrific; it got the job done.

It was a really great day - pretty lively pace and changing scenery.  We started off surrounded by snow covered peaks in Livingston that gradually receded over the course of the next 100 miles. We’re officially in eastern Montana. 

One more thing: we saved a dog this evening.  Well, saved might be a little overstated, but it was close. Like a lot of towns that we’ve passed through, Laurel is set up for traveling around by car. We are the exceptions when we walk from our hotel to find a place for dinner or to pick up something at a local grocery store.  As we walked down a busy road in town, the very cute dog in the last photo above befriended us and started following us.  We were concerned for its safety and asked around about its owner.  After calling the phone numbers on the pup’s collar to minimal effect, his owner came ambling up, pleased that we had his pup and explained that he parked down the road and left the window down. You can guess the rest. 

A great day’s ride, a nice dog ... and constant headwinds.  We couldn’t ask for anything more.