...and we're finally out of Big Sky country!

I. love. tailwinds. 100 miles in 5.5 hours? Yes, please! We're in North Dakota! Whoooooo N.D!

So, Malta was where we left off? There isn't much to say about the riding the next day, except that David's butt was still sore, but we rode 70 miles. His Brooks saddle is hopefully waiting for us in Minot, ND, which we'll reach tomorrow. We really couldn't have asked for better weather the last two days, and hope that it holds out (wind and all) through tomorrow, when we plan on riding 130 miles. This will be our longest day yet.

The day we started in Malta ended in Glasgow. I wanted ice cream (imagine that!), so we stopped at a Quick n' Tasty on the way into town. Upon examining their menu and noticing the $2 cheeseburgers, we decided to eat dinner there too. Went to the grocery and picked up a birthday card...and left to find a yard and friendly people.

Immediately behind the grocery store, we spotted a couple out on their back porch, chatting. People who are in their yards are a lot easier to talk to than people in the house, because...well, who knows? It just is. This was Pat and Kristy Gunderson's home. When we asked if we could possibly stay in their yard, they said, "Yes, but we have a camper out front...would you like to sleep in that instead?" Would we? YES! So, we put our stuff in the camper, parked the bikes in the garage, and took up their offer of beers on the back porch. It rained while we were out talking, but we all were able to find a dry spot under an overhang or porch umbrella, so we just kept chatting. Pat and Kristy had been planning their trip to Alaska for next summer, which sounds exciting. We talked about Alaska, Montana, kayaking, their kids, our lives... we covered a lot of ground. They were SO friendly, and offered us showers, and whatever else we needed.

The bed in the camper was. marvelous. I don't know if it was just that neither of us had slept well in Malta, but we craaashed. I've slept in a camper once in my life (at a music festival), but I don't remember it being this good. I love camping... I love camping in a tent. I never really got why people went camping in campers...but... I think I get it now.

We got up the next morning at 6:30. Pat was already up, making us breakfast. Bacon and pancakes :) When Kristy came down, we all sat around and talked for another hour or so. Kristy recommended a bike guy in town where we might find a new tire for David, and so we headed off there before we started our day. David has a pretty cheap new tire... but it's not bald, so it's an upgrade.

Right outside of Glasgow is one of the largest Indian reservations in Montana state. It's populated by the Sioux and Assiniboine Indians, which, apparently hasn't worked out so well over the years. Last night, we stayed in Wolf Point, which is almost the middle of the reservation. This is one of the places Mandy's detective work brought us to; we stayed with her aunt's childhood friend, Sherri Heser, and her husband Gordon.

The wind had blown us into Wolf Point... but we didn't know where Sherri and Gordon lived, and we couldn't reach them via phone. We rode into town, hung out in the park (ie. David fixed bikes, and we ate ice cream) for an hour or so, and then we rode back against the wind to try to find their house. Thank goodness for small towns! We stopped a truck, asked where Sherri and Gordon Heser lived, and were directed to the next house down the road. Yay!

Sherri is in the know. Instead of me guessing, or someone who lives elsewhere making speculations, we got to hear about the reservation from someone who lives there. Both Sherri and Gordon work for Wolf Point school district. Pretty much the general concensus from people has been "be in the reservations as little as possible"...which, I understand has value--Sherri understood that too, but also explained that Wolf Point is like any other small town...but with roots back into Native American History.

When the government tried to take the Black Hills, the Sioux resisted, which resulted in 'Custer's Last Stand'. While the army was marching the Sioux downstate, they left the warriors in Fort Peck, saying they'd come back for them the next spring. They hoped the warriors would either kill each other, or would be killed by the Assiniboines already in Fort Peck. They didn't come back the following spring, and the indians didn't kill each other. So, for the last 120 years, the two nations have shared the land, but mostly stay in their own areas of the reservation. ... Except in Poplar, the stab capital.

When we got in, the Heser's niece was on her way out. "Showers are downstairs...we don't use the one up here, 'cause that's where we bathe the dog when the llama spits on it." Ha! uhhh...Ok! David got to see the llama and the dog go at it; spit sailing, barks flying, fur...sticky. This was while he looked at the white peacock...next to their ponies. Gordon and Sherri have a veritable petting zoo in their back yard. Sherri informed us that twenty-one out of their twenty-three free range chickens got eaten by the swift foxes this year...which they couldn't shoot because the foxes have been recently re-introduced into the wild, and are protected.

Gordon had to work late baling hay, but Sherri made us 'Super Nachos' and chatted with us before heading off to work again. These people work HARD! Their son, Ethan came home from baling, and left for another job after a shower. We went to bed, and still...everyone was at work. Pretty incredible.

I guess the Hesers have made a reputation for themselves with taking people in. Each of their sons brought a different friend home to live with the family throughout high school, and before we got there, they had taken in a guy whose car had broken down outside their house. He stayed with them two or three days, and was blown away by their hospitality just like we were. Two DAYS before we were there, they had had twelve family members staying for the weekend, yet Sherri was just as excited to have us as if they hadn't had anyone for a month.

This brings us up to today, but like I said...the 130 mile day awaits us tomorrow, so to bed I must go.