
On the morning of the 28th, Cindy dropped me off where she had picked me up the evening before and I started my 22 miles day. I jumped on a frontage where I saw maybe 5 cars the entire morning. It was hot by noon (not Arizona hot, but hot enough) and I jumped back on the freeway just to get the breeze from the cars and semi's that drove by. Around lunch time I came up to a bridge and jumped back off and went down below the freeway and found a nice, cool spot to sit and eat some lunch which consisted of a PRO Bar, an apple, and chocolate chip cookies. There were about 1,000 swallow tails that live under the bridge so I watched them for awhile and just relaxed on the cold concrete pillar.
After I cooled off enough, I got up and stayed on the frontage for pretty much the rest of the day. Passed by a few small, actually, more like tiny, towns (communities?) and finally came across a rest stop that probably had more people in it that the last 4 "towns" had combined. I stopped at the Arby's and got a chocolate milkshake and walked around in the air-conditioning for awhile. People share at me so much when I come into restaurants when I'm dressed in my walking gear; pants, long-sleeve shirt, big hat, camelbak, reflective vest and very hot and sweaty. I smile, and they usually just turn really fast as if they think I didn't see them staring. It makes me laugh...
After the rest stop, I had another 6 miles to go. I stayed on the frontage road and found a little walking path out in the middle of nowhere that followed a little creek. So I walked on that until in ended about a mile later at a random little park. I headed into Butte and found the visitors center and another fun little walking path that pretty much took me exactly to where I wanted to get picked up for the evening. Mary and Andy were my next hosts, and Mary works with Cindy and she agreed to shuttle my cart over the pass on Sunday.
Mary and Andy are another awesome couple. They live in Uptown Butte, which is the historic district, in a cute old house with beautiful architecture and they had two super cute dogs that LOVE to play. We went out to dinner at a local spot called Sparky's and I had a delicious pulled-pork sandwich with slaw and corn bread and a really good Montana beer called Cold Smoke. Afterwards we went to the brewery in town and I got a Belgian Wit that was really good. I meet a few of their friends there and had a really good, relaxing time.
The next morning I slept till 8 and Andy made us all pancakes with chokecherry syrup. Mary was going to camping with some friends, so Andy took me to the farmers market and walked around for a bit, and then to the local distillery and I got a lavender martini!! So good!! Next he took me to a mineral museum on the Montana Tech campus and had a look around there before a reported from 4 KXLF came and did an interview.
Later Andy took me to my hosts for the 29th, Dana and Gary. Their son was over with his wife and baby girl. Andy stayed and we had a few beers, and fantastic hamburgers with corn on the cob, and potato salad. Gary also made strawberry, rhubarb pie with a from-scratch crust with home-made vanilla ice cream............. need I say more? I didn't think so.........
After I cooled off enough, I got up and stayed on the frontage for pretty much the rest of the day. Passed by a few small, actually, more like tiny, towns (communities?) and finally came across a rest stop that probably had more people in it that the last 4 "towns" had combined. I stopped at the Arby's and got a chocolate milkshake and walked around in the air-conditioning for awhile. People share at me so much when I come into restaurants when I'm dressed in my walking gear; pants, long-sleeve shirt, big hat, camelbak, reflective vest and very hot and sweaty. I smile, and they usually just turn really fast as if they think I didn't see them staring. It makes me laugh...
After the rest stop, I had another 6 miles to go. I stayed on the frontage road and found a little walking path out in the middle of nowhere that followed a little creek. So I walked on that until in ended about a mile later at a random little park. I headed into Butte and found the visitors center and another fun little walking path that pretty much took me exactly to where I wanted to get picked up for the evening. Mary and Andy were my next hosts, and Mary works with Cindy and she agreed to shuttle my cart over the pass on Sunday.
Mary and Andy are another awesome couple. They live in Uptown Butte, which is the historic district, in a cute old house with beautiful architecture and they had two super cute dogs that LOVE to play. We went out to dinner at a local spot called Sparky's and I had a delicious pulled-pork sandwich with slaw and corn bread and a really good Montana beer called Cold Smoke. Afterwards we went to the brewery in town and I got a Belgian Wit that was really good. I meet a few of their friends there and had a really good, relaxing time.
The next morning I slept till 8 and Andy made us all pancakes with chokecherry syrup. Mary was going to camping with some friends, so Andy took me to the farmers market and walked around for a bit, and then to the local distillery and I got a lavender martini!! So good!! Next he took me to a mineral museum on the Montana Tech campus and had a look around there before a reported from 4 KXLF came and did an interview.
Later Andy took me to my hosts for the 29th, Dana and Gary. Their son was over with his wife and baby girl. Andy stayed and we had a few beers, and fantastic hamburgers with corn on the cob, and potato salad. Gary also made strawberry, rhubarb pie with a from-scratch crust with home-made vanilla ice cream............. need I say more? I didn't think so.........