The above farm was just a few miles outside Dickinson, North Dakota. Ten miles down the road from this farm, I stood looking out at the magnificent grandeur of “Painted Canyon!”

To go from lush green farmland to a miniature “Bryce Canyon / Grand Canyon” in less than ten miles is astounding. The Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the Painted Canyon will rank towards the top of my favorite attractions on this incredible Journey. Below are a few more photos of the Painted Canyon because I can’t  possibly convey the beauty of the area in words alone.

I talked to the park ranger for a few minutes and she said, “Oh, you should see this area in late fall, or after the first snowfall! It is even more breathtaking than what you see today.” I told her Alaskans don’t really enjoy traveling to places even colder than Alaska, but maybe someone reading this post will find the courage to visit ND in the winter.

I can’t believe I pedaled across North Dakota with just one day of bad headwinds, and I actually had to wear my jacket most mornings to ward off the cold. Today was my first day of 90 degree temperatures, but I will take heat over rain/wind any day! Years ago, when we briefly left Alaska for a few years, Missoula, Montana was our home! When Anita wanted to return to teaching after Jeremy was a few years old, she just couldn’t get a full time teaching  position. Teacher turnover in Missoula is, and was, almost nonexistent. So we decided to head back to Alaska and the North Slope Borough School District. We both were offered teaching positions in Wainwright. If Anita had been hired in Missoula way back in 1980, I am 99.9% positive we would still be living in Missoula today. So to return to Montana is like coming home to me. I look forward to meeting old friends John and Barb Alonzo and revisiting our family home in beautiful Missoula. (The last time I visited Missoula and drove by our home “Up Miller Creek” I couldn’t believe how big the tiny ponderosa sapling had grown since our Michelle planted it when she was in first grade.) As you can probably tell, I love Montana just about as much as I love Alaska!

And now the story behind my Brooks saddle. I won’t bore you with all the details, but for the past 200-300 miles I have been hearing a “creaking/clicking/grinding” noise when I pedal real hard. I investigated and up until today had not found the cause for the noise. Today I stopped early in Glendive and gave my bike a through checkup. (No bicycle shop in Glendive.) I discovered, quite by accident, that the tension bolt on my Brooks saddle is cracked and the threads are stripped. The tension bolt helps keep the leather stretched, which gives the saddle the strength to support my weight. If the bolt breaks, the saddle fails and I don’ carry a spare bicycle seat.  I called a bicycle shop in Great Falls and they might have a replacement bolt which would solve my problem. Glendive to Great Falls on my planned route is four to five, 70 mile days, and tons of stress on the tension bolt each day.

This Journey is not about a destination, the number of days riding, or even the total distance traveled throughout the Journey. All Journeys should be filled with surprises, unexpected encounters with people and places, and even problems to solve.  I just can’t chance having the seat bolt break in the middle of nowhere and no way to fix the seat.  So, I am boarding a Greyhound Bus at 4:30am tomorrow morning, traveling to Billings, picking up a one-way rental car, and driving 235 miles to Great Falls. “Wisdom triumphs over Pride” is my motto for the next few days! I feel terrible that am “cheating” by driving instead of biking, but…. If my Brooks saddle can’t be fixed, I’ll buy a new seat and head west on Monday or Tuesday.  (The bike shop mechanic told me they sponsor a 100 mile “Fun Ride” every Sunday, so I might just complete my first century ride on Sunday to make up for my “cheating!”

Forrest Gump: Momma always says, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get!” Well a cross country bicycle tour is pretty similar to a box of chocolates!

Smiles, hugs and thank you to all my family and friends.

Greg,   “Seatless in Montana!”

T-Rex smiling for my photo!  The Glendive Dinosaur Museum was AWSOME!