Life On A B-I7

Route

• Wilbaux MT to Medora ND

Metrics

• Miles: 36
• Average Speed: 13.32 mph
• Ride Time: 2 hours 38 minutes
• Climbing: 2,273 vertical feet

Notes

• I was flying today! It felt good!
• Today’s secret sauce was the wind at my back… finally!

The first month is in the books! I’m starting to feel like I can do this!

I stopped for breakfast in Beach, North Dakota, about 10 miles outside Wilbaux. While I was chatting with the proprietor and listening to the coffee club at the table next to me, I learned a little bit more about what’s going on in Medora. In preparation for Trump’s visit tomorrow, about 90 percent of North Dakota’s Highway Patrol are currently in Medora. Two out of every three cars in Medora are either a City, County, State Patrol, or Secret Service vehicle. (They are running shuttle busses to get people into town.) As I was about 5 miles outside town, two Secret Service vehicles passed me. I say that because they had US Government license plates, they were unmarked other than that. The town is expecting 25,000 visitors tomorrow. After chatting with the folks over breakfast, it wasn’t clear to me what is being celebrated tomorrow. No one seems to really know.

As I was packing the bike up outside the restaurant, one of the fellows came out to chat with me. He told me how wonderful what I was doing was. We talked about where we grew up, what we did for a living, and the places where we have lived. He was just as nice as can be. He wished me good luck and safe travels. His Trump MAGA hat was the same color as my bicycle helmet.

About 5 miles out of town I saw a couple on a Tandem bicycle heading West. I stopped to chat with them. They started in Upstate New York and they were headed for Anacortes Washington. They’re doing almost all of the Northern Tier. (All except the Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine portion.) What really surprised me was they told me I was only the second Eastbound rider they had seen since they left New York. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around that.

I made it to Medora in record time. It’s my new personal best on this tour!

I’m sitting in the Medora Bar and Grill, waiting for my order of Lasagna. (i’m very excited about that.) Two Men-in-Black walk-in. I say that because they’re wearing black shirts. I’m guessing possibly Secret Service but there is no way of really knowing. They told the bartender they’re just looking around. As they walk past me, I look at them and say, “are you looking for suspicious characters?” The first one says, “I think we found one.” The second one says, “we just came in for the smell.” (I did not work up a sweat today, honestly.)

On an historical note. General Custer’s route from Fort Abraham Lincoln to the Little Big Horn River In Montana, passed just 2 miles South of Medora. The little Big Horn is where Custer and a large portion of his 7th Cavalry met their fate at the hands of “Hostile” Sioux Indians. Roadside Historical Markers should always be taken with a grain of salt. There is no mention on this particular marker of the “hostilities” committed by General Custer.

I am “Legendary!” (In my own mind.)

I’m having breakfast in Beach, 10 miles outside Wilbaux. The cinnamon roll was almost as good as my Mother’s. I told the proprietor that, she was thrilled!

Itinerary / Maps