State 17 – Montana

8/2/2019

Our plan was to unicycle around the University of Montana. We knew that this ride was going to be a bit basic, but we figured we would have ridden about 14 miles earlier in the day in Idaho and not completely be in the mood to ride too much more in a single day. The weather wasn’t looking great as we got there, but we needed to get our ride in.

The clouds don’t look like much in the photo above, but the just felt like rain and it continued to get dark as we drove on. When we got to the campus, it took a bit to find parking as universities have signs everywhere about ticketing and I didn’t want one. We found a nice spot in a neighborhood and started our ride. We quickly found a bike path and started riding. It didn’t take long before the path turned to gravel. We didn’t want to be turned back and continued. We stopped a few times to watch people rafting/floating on the nearby Clark Fork River.

Corvin and I both thought this would be a pretty cool place to go to college. Besides the nearby river, there was also a large “M” made out of rocks on a nearby mountain with a path to climb to the top. We both wanted to climb up, and were considering it after our ride. However, this was not to be. Lightening hit and we turned around and started riding back to the car. Before we could get there, it started pouring. We took shelter under the university stadium trying to wait it out.

This line of dry pavement ended quickly as the rain picked up.

We still had dry pavement and time for a photo

There was enough rain that the drain barely kept up.

Eventually, Corvin and I realized that we were not going to stay dry this day. We decided to mount up and ride through the rain and back to the car. We would have to dry up. We didn’t have enough distance or time for Montana, but figured that was a problem for later. So a mad dash later we were back in the car with the heated seats on trying to dry ourselves.

While the rain was a total buzz kill, it did give us a great double rainbow!

We figured we would try our luck and just drive through the rain. I wanted to stop at Three Forks, Montana to see the start of the Missouri River. I’ve been paddling it in Missouri for some time and felt a deep connection to it.

To my complete surprise, we made it to the Missouri River Headwaters park with daylight to spare. We got out the unicycles and started part 2 of our Montana ride to get our time in for the state. I have to say that I was more than excited to ride here and see the river. So excited in fact, I took my shoes and socks off to walk into the river and experience it! Anybody that knows me will understand that i rarely go barefoot.

The river was cold, but refreshing!

Scenery along the road.

Another view of the river.

Its getting dark, and cell phone cameras don’t do that great in low light and moving!

The rain turned out to be a blessing allowing me to see something I’ve wanted to see for many years now and even get into the water. I think would have preferred hiking up the “M”, but it worked out.

Corvin’s Journal Entry

Our Strava entry.

University of Montana Ride

3 Forks Ride

Our map of completed states.

 

Stats:
Total Trip Miles: 93.96
Total Moving Time: 18h 28m
Total Elevation Gained: 2243 feet
Total Hogan UPD: 10
Total Corvin UPD: 6

Hogan Haake