Everything was still in place and solid. Ryker is a tough little beast.
On the road again, the surface was really just tar-sealed gravel - but it followed the mountain stream beautifully.
Once it left the water, though, the route widened and reverted to loose rock. Unlike the conditions over the pass, however, the last unpaved section was well-graded, fast, and fun!
I made it to the intersection with Montana HWY 1, having ridden 55 miles on HWY 38 from Hamilton. It was the same spot where I had turned around five days ago in highly questionable weather, opting to leave Skalkaho Pass for my return trip. Wise choice.
Heading southeast, I soon was flanking Georgetown Lake again - the peaks of the Anaconda Pintlar Wilderness standing sentinel.
Fifteen minutes later, I gassed up in Anaconda - an interesting town that needs a longer visit someday. Then it was back to the I-90 superslab. Butte, Bozeman, and Livingston passed in relative bliss. But, as usual, Billings was where things really started heating up.
By the time I made it to Ashland, on HWY 212, it was unbearably hot! I pulled over at a convenience store with an adjacent park. After making a selection of fine drink and snacks, I ambled over to a covered picnic table and settled in under the shade of the pavilion. There was just enough breeze to make it a tolerable place to update some friends and family via text. I was only 200 miles from home!
Finishing up my meat and cheese sticks, I finally noticed the brand name on the wrapper - Werner. You can see the outline of the state of Oregon in the bottom right corner, but you probably cannot make out the tiny white print on the lines above the "Best By" date. I'll read it for you, "Werner Gourmet Meat Snacks, Inc. Tillamook, Oregon 97141." How appropriate is that?
After a 30-minute break, I made it another 100 miles (half the remaining distance) to the community of Alzada, near the Wyoming border. There's a spreading shade tree by the post office there that has become my traditional last stop before home. It did not disappoint!
It was after 6:00 by then, but temps had not dropped much. On the plus side, the area's frequently strong winds had not yet materialized. And the lower angle of the sun was really beginning to light up the lush grass and trees. This final leg of my Oregon trip was going to be a largely enjoyable one.
Wyoming only lasts for 30 miles on 212 (the far northeast corner) before you hit the South Dakota border. The Mount Rushmore State has been my home for over three years now - hard to believe it's already been that long since our move from Oregon. It doesn't look like much from here, though I've come to appreciate the plains. But as you approach Rapid City and the Black Hills, you'll start to think you've warped back somehow to the edge of the Rockies. I recommend you plan a visit!
I rode up my driveway at 8:00. Kim had been following my GPS breadcrumb trail and was standing on the front porch when I arrived. Within minutes, I was eating homemade chicken pot pie and fruit and berry crisp! No, good food is not the only thing I miss about home - but it's up there in the rankings.
We talked until 10:00, when I finally fell into bed. It had been a roughly 700-mile day - 14+ hours on the road. Guess I still got it! Barely.
