A group photo in front of Fred's motorcycle.
We did see him again in Lima. He was getting gas--we were getting groceries. Speaking of groceries, this was another convenience store grocery resupply. We have to get a little creative in our dinners. We had to restock for two nights of dinner. We got some more of the Top of the Hill kielbasa (made outside of Polaris), our usual tortillas, some Frito-Lay Bean Dip, and a new delicacy, Frito-Lay Cheese Sauce. We would heat up the kielbasa, then add it to a tortilla with bean dip and cheese sauce. The lady at the convenience store even sold Derik a half dozen eggs. He can only carry 6 at a time. We also got a plethora of snacks, something a convenience store has plenty of. For our second dinner, we'll have ramen with more of the kielbasa. While we were doing our shopping, the British guys came in. They stayed in Lima last night. We were rather surprised to see them. We thought for sure they were way ahead of us...apparently not. They were doing a bigger day today, going to the campground just beyond Lakeview. We may still see them again. They are very slow to get going in the morning. We had already done 12 miles to Lima before they even left Lima.
We decided to eat an early lunch at the restaurant in Lima. The waitress made sure to tell us to ride single file on the dirt road. There had been "reports" of cyclists riding 2 and 3 abreast so they could talk. Trucks with horse trailers come around the corners. We told her we can pretty much hear when a vehicle is coming, especially if it's pulling a horse trailer. They make a ton of noise.
We took off our leg warmers and arm warmers before leaving. It was shaping up to be another hot day like yesterday and the day before. This time I put on my sunsleeves, and put sunscreen on my lips, as they were sore from yesterday. Once we were going, it wasn't terribly hot, but that was because of the wind.
The scenery was similar to Old Bannack Rd.
Lots of fences, grass, and sagebrush. The profile for today made it seem like it was going to be mostly flat.
The middle one from Lima to the beginning of the next one down. Well, it was a rollercoaster. I suppose, overall, we didn't gain much in elevation, but it was not an easy day. The wind was a big factor too. Mostly it was a crosswind or a headwind. We had one short bit of tailwind.
Our goal was to camp at an "informal campsite" at the far end of Lima Reservoir. We went by Lima Dam which was the other end of the reservoir.
The dam and the keepers house.
For awhile, we rode along the reservoir.
And along some red rocks (where, perhaps, Red Rock River gets its name).
We went up and down, up and down, eventually moving away from the water.
Rollercoastering along.
There was a spot where there were 4 horses standing by the fence. I stopped to take this photo because they were 4 different colors.
Pretty horses!
In the one section where we had a tailwind, I couldn't keep up with the guys because I was laughing at the cows. The guys were riding along. One calf kept running back and forth across the road in front of Connor. As Derik was riding, this cow came trotting from the field making a bee line for Derik as if to say, "Wait for me!" I didn't get any pictures, but it was hilarious!
After more of this,
we finally got to the last turn before we would get to our campsite. Of course, now we had a full on headwind. It was blowing dust up from the road. I changed into my bandit look.
It helped a lot.
We got to where the map said there was informal camping, but there was nothing. There was Red Rock River (more of a creek), but not really a suitable place to camp that wasn't covered in cow shit. There was one spot that might have worked, but we thought, since the symbol was on the map, maybe there was another place. We continued on. Nope, nothing. Finally, we were beyond where the symbol was on the map. We came to a deserted farm with a boarded up from house, and some decrepit barns. We decided to check it out. Perhaps we could get out of the wind, and camp beside one of the barns. Getting the fence gate open was very difficult. Both Derik and Connor had to do it while I held their bikes. Well, one barn had a dead coyote in it, and was also full of cow shit. The other had lots of critter holes. The house was no better. We decided it was not a good place to camp. Down the road, we could see a house. I said we would go there, and ask if we could camp in their yard. We got there, and the place was perfect, except...no one was home. We did poach some water from their outside faucet. It was now nearing 5:00. The nearest campground was the one the Brits were going to, another 19 or 20 miles. We were turning, so at least we wouldn't have the headwind. We decided to head for the campground, unless...we passed another house. Sure enough, we did. This time the people were home. My job, as the female, is to seek the kindness of strangers. As I went up to the house, a young boy came around the corner. I asked if his mom or dad were home. He said they were inside. I went to the door. Royce, the young boy (5 years), came and opened the door. They appeared to be getting ready for dinner. I introduced myself, and asked if we could camp in their yard. Dave, the dad, said we could just go across the street through the gates, and camp by the creek. It would be much quieter there. I thanked him and Jessica (mom), and went back to the guys and told them I had secured a place to camp for the evening.
Yes, there is cow shit, but it's mostly dried.
Dave, Jessica, Royce, and Rosie's house.
We can hear the cows mooing, but they are across the road (maybe that's what Dave meant when he said it would be quieter here). The wind was still blowing, but we cooked our dinner and played one round of Golf before it was too cold and we retreated to our tents. Here's a final photo.
Goodnight Montana, goodnight cows!
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