Day 47 - Thursday, July 25, 2002
Total to date: 3209.64 miles (5156.4 km)
Moving time: 4 hr 46 min.
Average Speed: 14.6 mph (23.5 km/hr)
Total ascent: 860 ft. (262.1 m)
Minimum elevation: 4004 ft. (1220.4 m)
Maximum elevation: 5623
Ending elevation: 4020 ft. (1225.3 m)
Wind: Variable breezes for most of the day; 20 mph headwind for 10 miles after Deer Lodge; 10 mph tailwind for last 10 miles
Joe and I got a late start today since we slept in. We arrived at camp late last night after a hard day and needed the rest. The alternate route that I described yesterday didn't work out quite as expected. The route goes up over a hill and back down onto the interstate highway. There was construction on the road going up to Georgetown Lake so we just stayed on the highway all the way from Butte to Drummond. There was a frontage road along the highway but it is really slow pedaling. You see, by riding along the highway I get a shove from the draft of every passing truck. As long as the flow of traffic is strong it can increase my speed by a mile per hour or two.
There are downsides to riding along the interstate. For one, it is very noisy and somewhat stressful. Second, and most importantly, it is a boring, mindless way to see the country.
The little town of Deer Lodge is home to the Old Prison Museums complex which houses a large auto museum as well as other historical museums. Here is a shot of the old prison wall. We had the Pizza Hut lunch buffet here - always a great deal and good eating for cyclists.
We stayed in Drummond, Montana which claims to be the "Bull Shipper's Capitol of the World" due to the number of wholesale cattle yards. This sleeply little town of 800 residents is a great little place. The second picture shows a sign for one of the cattle yards that I thought was pretty funny.
Motel: $20.80
