Every Month Box Checked

March 25, 2022

I thought it would be a good challenge to get the bike out in every month of the year, a bit of a challenge in Montana considering our variable winters.  I made it out in December and January for a couple good rides.  In February, our coldest month, I got out for a 20-miler and it was the wind, not the cold, that deterred me from riding any further that day.  But things changed once March settled in and I’ve been out twice.

March 17, 2022

The first was a short loop in fair weather.  I got my gear on and was very comfortable.  I went up Zimmerman Trail and then headed west on Highway 3 to Shorey Road.  This is a recently-paved country road that connects Alkali Creek Road, that comes from Billings Heights, to Molt Road.  Based on the quality of the paving, it appears that the asphalt was recycled from somewhere else and the compaction job was minimal.  There is already a massive hole in the road that would test the suspension and tires of any vehicle encountering it but easy to avoid on a bike.

I stopped and took a couple photos along the way where the road heads west.

The road makes a 90-degree turn to the left and heads south for a ways.  It’s straight but hilly.

That’s a nice view of the Pryor Mountains in the background.

Those are the Beartooth Mountains from this view.

I needed to meet a friend so I cut the loop short and headed south on 56th and called it a day.

March 24, 2022

Great temperature today but high winds.  I headed out about 1pm with a plan to do the whole loop I didn’t do on the 17th, wind or no wind.  And it was windy.  Up on Highway 3 it was coming from the northeast and I felt like the bike was pretty stable but my body was acting like a sail.  Once I got on to Shorey Road things improved but after I headed west on Molt Road it was an endurance contest to see if my neck muscles keep my head up straight.  I did about 50-55mph which was all that I felt I could do safely.  I turned south on Buffalo Trail and it was like a different world with the wind being at my back.  I pulled into a turnout for a photo.

Those are the Crazy Mountains in the background.

The road ahead.

The road behind.  I continued on this road, a nice winding valley route, and followed it to the town of Laurel.  I went through the town and turned on Theil/River road and followed that east, winding my way, eventually, to Canyon Creek Brewing to meet some friends.  It was about a 50-mile day.