Ennis MT to Kirkwood MT, 51 miles.
The cowhands get ready to start the action.
Cue the Luke Bryan
..."I got that real good feel good stuff
Up under the seat of my big black jacked up truck..,Rollin' on 35s....Pretty girl by my side...thats my kind of night..."
...Envision a two mile long line of mostly heavy duty pickup trucks...interspersed with Polaris and John Deere ATVs big enough for a family if 4...lights cutting through the dusty dusk sunset in the Madison River Valley...Def Leopard's Pyromania coming from the corral/grandstand/stadium mashup...
7 scouts in Bike Trip red uniforms navigating the line of vehicles...on their way to the NRA Ennis Montana July 3d Rodeo...main entrance
In these parts the NRA mean National Rodeo Association...
At the main entrance we are visually assaulted with a parade of Montana's finest dresses locals out for the biggest night of the year...
Women are decked out in daisy dukes, fancy Frye boots and blouses that would make daddy blush...the men are in a rougher cut of boots, tight cowboy jeans and a variety of button down shirts that would make Wil Rogers proud...and of course, a 100 varieties of 10 gallon hats...77; wq
Dude. It was a spectacle...a sight to be seen at least once in your life..
Get that little doggie!
July 4.
First call was at 7pm. The boys were packed and ready to go by 7:35 - a new record.
We went to The Pharmacy for breakfast because we had a 52 mile ride, all up hill, in 90+ degrees, with little to no services, which means we need to find our own water resupply and bring our own food.😞
Breakfast took longer than expected...its the 4th...town was setting up for their parade which we missed...on the way out we were offered and accepted complimentary US flags from the local chamber of commerce...
The boys decorated their bikes in their own way with these flags.
Taking a break, decked out on the 4th of July.
It seems like we rode and rode today. The combo of a planned late start, the heat, the lack of services and the painfully slow climb burned me out...the scouts seem immune to that torture.
Fly fishing on the Madison
The highlight of the day for me was "lunch" and water resupply on the banks of the Madison River. I watched several dory boats float by with folks fishing from the bow and stern as I enjoyed my picnic of peanut butter Gu and pop tarts.
We finished the day with a campsite on the banks of Hebgen Lake...with showers, laundry, and a Weber Grill!
The crew, working the 4th of July grill
Ed, ever the gourmand, provided a dinner of grilled hot dogs, potato chips, ice cold Dr. Pepper, chocolate milk (for training), and yes mom...smores!
We are hoping to see fire works over the lake before we fall asleep...
Tomorrow we tour Yellowstone park with a private jeep tour and we are still trying to find some campsite/lodging in the park...our backup plan is a 100+ mile pedal to Colter Bay...
Scouts Out