Tonight I come to you from a small town of 400 people called Valier, MT. I spent the day traveling from Billings with plans to camp in Glacier Park...my favorite. So about 70 miles from Great Falls, I filled up with petrol and jerky. The gas station lady warned me of a big storm approaching and advised I find a hotel in Great Falls, a town of 65,000 people. So I get to Great Falls and I see no storm, so I proceeded knowing I had about 160 miles or so to go. About 20 minutes later I saw the storm brewing northwest over the mountains.
It kept looking worse and worse and I started to figure out how I might hunker down, say under an overpass. I rode fast and watching the sky and my GPS. About 45 minutes later, I knew I could not outrun the storm and saw a sign saying 16 miles to camping and lodging near Valier. I kicked it up a notch and rode 90 mph and saw some lights flashing ahead a few minutes later...lucky for me, the state police pulled over a truck and I kept on trucking to Valier. I finally get there and find a small motel straight out of the 50's. it is called "Mountain Front Lodge" so
I get off and go up to the door and it is closed but had instructions to call someone. I called the number and no one answer...geez. I then heard voice around the corner and I was in luck, Jed was there to let get a room, and for $54! Yes, I was in luck, I paid him and he told me to get dinner at Froggy's right next door. I unpacked as it was sprinkling and headed to Froggy's. About 10 minutes later it let loose and hailed for about 15 minutes, hard, very hard. Not to worry, I had Red Velvet covered with my tarp.
The meal at Froggy's was good and the locals very entertaining.
I get back to my room and notice the large caliber bullet hole in the door...probably just a bad aim of a hunter.
I left Billings this morning and it was raining and the temperature was 61F. By mid day it was back in the 90's and i was sweating despite a constant speed of 75 mph most of the day. The rest of the trip today was awesome as the landscape turned from plains to hills with the mountains always in the distance. Traffic was very light. I rode for 20+ miles today at one stretch without my hands touching the handlebars. Red Velvet and me were in synch and perfect balance.
Tomorrow I finally get to Glacier and I will ride the famous "Going to the Sun" road. I have done this once before but this time I will savior it even more.
Enough for tonight, more tomorrow, good day!
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