The Windmill Posts

In order to cut across Montana on some more interesting roads, I had to go north a bit. When I realized I had to go northeast for a while, it made me worry for a moment that I was disrespecting “go west until I find an ocean” but honestly, that’s just silly. But I thought it, and it seemed like a fun title. The drive today was less exciting than previous days. First of all, the highlight was Custer’s National Monument, but it was closed. Payback for the free admission to Badlands and Devil’s Tower. It was a lot of driving through the rolling hills. Remember when I talked about thinking the mountains would just be flatlands and then mountains, like a wall? I’m thinking that may actually be the case.

I went over passes that required chains for trucks in the winter, and had pulloffs for putting them on and taking them off. There are passing lanes for trucks lumbering up the hill. They go up up up and then down down down but don’t really look like a mountain. So were they? Really want to know I drove over a mountain. Tomorrow I will go over a 6,000 foot pass, so I’m guessing that’s my chance.

I’ve been seeing these dark blue hilly or mountainous shapes on the horizon. Extremely Significant Hills. Finally near the end of the day I saw one with considerable snow cover. I’m calling that a mountain! Looking at the map that could have been moderately close, or Wyoming.

There is so much exposed geology here, it’s deafening. If we had one of these rock outcroppings or a cliff, even just 20 feet high, we would have named it, built a state park around it, and turned it into a state symbol. In Montana that’s just called land. Something about taking for granted the things you have around.

As excited as I am for the mountains, it’s hard not to be awed by these vast plains. They go on and on and on right to the horizon where those blue hills show up like they’re something in a video game you haven’t unlocked yet.

As I cross these prairies I can’t help but think of people in Model T’s crossing the land a hundred years ago. Or the pioneers walking next to a covered wagon watching out for prairie dog holes so nobody (or horse) breaks a leg. And the Native Americans crossing the land, or just being in the middle of that sea of earthen waves. I feel like that would be less lonely and overwhelmed and more about being impressed and respectful of the land. Seeing the Devil’s Tower rise out of nothing, just a chunk of land had to be awe inspiring. In any of those cases, it’s so easy to think of the hardships they faced. And who is going to look back on us? What are our hardships?

It was a long and repetitive day, but I was entranced by those hills. But seeing a set of hills with a forest newly burnt, I was impressed by nature’s resiliency. But that moment, without a picture or a note about it, would likely be forgotten. Obviously in this case I created a note to remember the idea. But so many of those moments or beauty show up and disappear so fast, and they are fleeting in my mind as well. So I’m working hard to enjoy them, but really enjoy them. Take them in as hard as I can, and appreciate them. More mindfulness, it seems.

Tomorrow: Headwaters of the Missouri, Bozeman to take a picture of the high school and send it out of context to a friend who grew up there, and Idaho. And mountains?

Hey not to be that guy, but there is a way to subscribe to these posts, so when a new one shows up you get an email or whatever.. It’s not a number I’m trying to build or anything, just offering something that makes it easier to follow new stuff. And thanks for reading! I write this for me, but also for you.

Deets

• License Plates: ND, Ontario
• States: WY, MT
• Departed: 8:56 am MDT, 32 degrees, Massive blue skies
• Original ETA 2:00 MDT
• Arrival: 5:00pm MDT
• Weather: Bitter cold in morning with wind, warmed up to 56, Big Sky country indeed. All blue
• Budget: Gas TBD, Food below, Hotel below
• Food: breakfast latte but the lid wouldn’t stay on, lunch missed, dinner was a particular fast food I won’t see again for many states
• Music: Classic Rock playlist, Dire Straits – Brothers in arms, then just a queue based on that.

Snippets

• It was 32 and windy at Devil’s Tower and two climbers were heading up to climb. No idea how they’re going to do that.
• Hey! It’s Rocinante’s (my car) birthday!
• Devil’s tower was as impressive as I thought it would be. More humbling geology
• At the base of the tower is a prairie dog village and it was immense. Also, they chirp
• A large bird flew over the prairie dog village, or rather the very large bird feeding ground
• For as much as I bitched about Bison in South Dakota, there were none in WY, so yeah
• Montana had something called “Roadside tables” that appeared to be a wayside, but with.. tables?
• Custer’s battlefield was closed due to shutdown, road entrance and all
• Stopped in Hardin for a Latte and Therapy sitting in my car at Custer city park. I feel like I was being trolled by the police. They passed by a lot of times.
• Another tumbleweed
• Have not seen (any?) motorcycles, even around Sturgis.
• Have not seen much political stuff anywhere

Pictures