Here come the mountains

Saturday, June 28 (Day 43)

Distance: 47 miles

Average speed: 6.9 mph

Max: 13.7 mph

Total: 2654 miles

Weather: partly cloudy, 10-30 mph headwind

Today was undoubtably the hardest day of riding I've experienced yet, in spite of only riding 47 miles. Not because of the small mountain range I had to cross, but because the wind was so strong it blew me backwards when I stopped pedaling. I had arranged to meet my dad and his girlfriend, Leticia, in Lewistown, MT.

The wind was a struggle right from the beginning of the day, and I dealt with it by taking lots of breaks. I couldn't hear my music because of the wind in my ears so I turned it off and sang to myself!

I stopped for lunch at a cafe (in the middle of nowhere!) and as I was leaving, the cool had come out for her break. She saw me and told me I looked cute in my bicycling outfit, then went and got me two cookies!

And then I saw the mountains.

I also found a bit of money-- I'm rich! I think I'll celebrate with a gumball.

By this point I was riding at a steady 5 mph.

I was going over the Judith mountains. It wasn't very big or steep, but combined with the wind it was killer. 

I was nearly at the top and stopped for another break when a car stopped 50 feet in front of me, then backed up until it was behind me, and it was only then that I saw it was my dad and Leticia! I hadn't recognized their new car. We somehow fit all my bags and bicycle in the little car and happily drove the last 9 miles to town, which probably would have taken me another 2 hours.

We had a nice evening of driving around town and taking pictures and then going through all my belongings-- to my surprise, my dad asked me quite a few questions that I wouldn't have anticipated. Even he was a little amazed by what I was doing!

The next couple days are forecast to have headwinds of equal or greater strength, so I have decided to take them off to get my bike fixed, visit my aunt in Helena, and possibly cheat my way a little closer to the coast in a car...