My apologies for talking so much about wind conditions lately, but I figured I had to let you know that last night’s prediction of a wind from the east today didn’t play out that way–at least not right away. I had a tolerably moderate headwind (i.e., wind from the west) this morning, but then the winds shifted and were coming from the north or northeast, so they were more in my favor as the day wore on when I put in most of my miles. I rode 46 miles, from Lewistown to Stanford, MT (pop. 401).

As I was leaving the motel this a.m., I ran into one of the K/Cathys (this one Cathy with a “C”) from the group of women biking cross-country from west to east. (Cathy is making the trip in their sag wagon; the bikers are carrying their own gear on their bikes, but the sag wagon is there for other kinds of support might be needed, like refreshments.) Cathy told me their cycling group had left early from Lewistown, heading to Winnett, because they would enjoy a headwind during the early part of the day, when the wind was blowing from the west. They would be close to their destination when the winds began to shift. Somewhat paradoxically, even though we were heading across the country in opposite ways, these women and I were able, within a single day, to enjoy the wind at our backs for most of our rides. I’ve learned a lot on this trip about how quickly the winds can change!

Here is a selfie I took with Cathy in the parking lot of the motel.

Unlike my routes earlier in the week, which passed through no towns for 50 miles or more, I passed through several towns today–Moore (pop. 193), Hobson (pop. 215), Moccasin (pop. 23) and Windham (pop. 8). Most of these hamlets were quite small, but several of them offered a place to get something to eat or drink.

I crossed the Judith River early this afternoon. The Judith River begins in the Little Belt Mountains near Lewistown and ultimately flows into the Missouri. Originally named the Bighorn by Capt. Meriwether Lewis, it was renamed in 1805 by Capt. William Clark in honor of his future wife, Julia (Judith) Hancock.

I came across this story of the Yogo Sapphires near Hobson. Apparently, the gold rush in the Little Belt Mountains that began in 1879 eventually gave way to mining sapphires for about 30 years, until 1929 when synthetic sapphires became common. This historical marker makes a pitch for using Montana gold and Yogo Sapphires for all our “doo-dad” needs.

Also near Hobson, I crossed this bridge over a railroad.

I reached Moccasin around 2 p.m. I thought the town of Moccasin, with a population of only 23, was rather sad. I understand the village never fully recovered from four devastating wildfires in the area–in 1916, 1919, 1922, and 1955.

This building in Moccasin was apparently the site of a closed bank. I’m not sure what to make of the Bikers Welcome sign.

In Windham, I stopped at the Horsethief Saloon for some…maple nut ice cream! It was great.

This is an enlargement of the scene in the second-story window depicting the fate (I assume) of horse thieves.

I had a nice chat with Eddy DeMers, who recently purchased the saloon, and is planning to expand the services offered there, including campsites and showers for cross-country cyclists. I recommend you stop in if you are ever out this way. Eddy is an interesting guy. Over the course of his career, he has worked as a rodeo performer, a rancher, a police chief and a county sheriff (in Wyoming), and at one time even sold cars. He very graciously told me my ice cream and lemonade were on the house.

Here is a framed poster from the time Eddy was elected sheriff.

Eddy’s father was also a county sheriff. Here is a photo of Eddy’s mom and dad.

I walked a half mile to the R Bar for dinner tonight. It is the only restaurant currently open in Stanford. On my way, I passed an encampment alongside the road where an Aviation Battalion of the Montana Army National Guard is doing some drills. A waitress at the R Bar told me she believed they are training to do search and rescue missions in the mountains.

One of these helicopters flew directly over my head as I walked to the R Bar.

I have a long day ahead of me tomorrow–a 60-plus mile ride to Great Falls (pop. 58,505), the biggest city in Montana that I’ve been in so far. I have no idea what to expect for wind conditions. The wind may be in my face or at my back, who knows, but I’m not going to worry about it.

In closing, allow me to share a view of tonight’s sunset from my window at the Sundown Motel.