Day 40 - Jordan, MT to Sand Springs, MT

How hot is it today? So Hot that I decided not to ride this afternoon into the 104° headwind furnace that was blasting at about10 mph when I arrived at about noon in Sand Springs. The only alternative would have been to ride an additional 45 miles into that heat and wind to the next village. No thanks.

Right now this is exclusively ranchland with a few wheatfields sprinkled here and there that is inhabited by lots of cows and a very few Cowboys in the few small villages that exist out here. I read somewhere that a few people want to turn this region into kind of an American Serengeti where buffalo, antelope and other wild animals can roam freely. I don’t think there is much chance that will happen. The ranchers, though there are fewer and fewer of them, will defend their lifestyle passionately.

I have been enthralled with the beauty of this part of the country. I’m pretty sure that I would have become bored with it rather quickly had I been driving. Ironically, it never gets old going through it at a much slower pace.

The Flip side of that coin is that there are a lot of things that you miss when you travel through this extremely remote and unforgiving region on a bicycle. For example, there was another very highly renowned dinosaur museum in Jordan that is only open from one o’clock until five o’clock. There is also a rodeo tonight in Jordan. Can’t make either. 

At some point going forward  I May have to take a day off and do some of these things I am missing..

I read recently that Jordan, Montana was found to be The most remote Place in the continental United States. You will get no argument from me on that.