We decided not to set the alarm til about 8am, but both were awake about our normal time around 6am. I relaxed and let myself try to sleep a bit more until just after 7. We did not get going till after 8 am, and pedaled down the way to mcdonalds for breakfast.
From here we had about 30 miles until the next town. The ride was not hard, but not easy. And the last 10 miles of that section I could feel my legs just on the edge of quitting. It was forecasted to rain and although the first part of morning had been sunny, since then grey clouds had moved in and the light was dimmer. It also made the air cool. Pulling into the small town of Harinsdale(?), it was sprinkling lightly. Here we stopped for something to drink and eat, both agreeing we felt somewhat sluggish. An older gentleman sat down beside us and talked to us briefly. Locals who came into the small shop greeting each other and us and asked us if the Mosquitos -- which they said were terrible in these parts around the Milk River -- had carried us off. Oh yes.
From here it was another 14 or so miles to the small but slightly larger town of Seco(?). This section of the ride was smooth, and seemed to slip past us. It rained again as we rode, but had relented by the time we reached town. There we stopped at the grocery store and had something to eat.
It was another 12 miles or so to our goal of the Nelson recreation area on the resevoir. This went smoothly enough as well, and the skies brightened. We are following the valley of the milk river. Reaching the turnoff for the resevoir and camping areas, there was a historical marker next to two boulders. One was known as Sleeping Buffalo, sacred to the Cree, and once sat up on a hillside, and appeared to be the shape of a buffalo. At night it was sometimes said to bellow or shift position. The milk river apparently follows the old course of the Missouri River, back before about 15,000 years ago when glacier ice changed its path to the current one.
At this point, both Laurel and I had to admit that her back tire was indeed losing air again. And quite a bit. It was only about 2 miles to the campground, and we only made it partly down the road before it was definitely flat. It chose an ok time to give in, because it was only about a mile walk to the campground. It is her only tube left, however, so we are counting on my family bringing one more in the morning as they join us for our last day.
The recreation area is amidst the many grassy hills, along the resevoir, and very open but very lovely. It is wide with generous space and there are only a few RVs here and there, tucked away. No showers, but drop toilets which is good. The skies have cleared and weather is sunny even though storms were forecasted for the afternoon. We are hoping they don't come in the night.
Tomorrow we should reach the border. It is hard to believe, but we will both be excited and grateful to be finished.
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