Day 124: Hiking into Augusta

Mileage: 22 miles (2353.8-2375.8)

There's something very peaceful about walking the road before dawn. Especially, in the rolling Montana plains where Grizzlies still roam in the river bottoms. In recent years they've been extending their range and the only place for young males to go is down into habitat they long ago claimed but we've since taken as our own for cattle and settlement, but mostly cattle. 

We walked over Egg Mountain and learned that the first baby dinosaur fossils ever were discovered there. We also learned there was a dinosaur museum in Bynum, the town after next.

Me and Commando walked in behind the rest of the group and could see the town of Choteau (pronounced 'show-toe') at least eight miles in the distance. It looked closer than it was and couldn't believe it was really where we were headed. For the next few days, this was our pattern - walk twenty or thirty miles, come to a town, and then do it all over again, through the rolling plains that spread east of the divide.

The town got greener and greener as we got closer. Entering town, we found huge Cottonwoods lining the streets, providing our first shade for at least 24 hours. Me and Commando got a big burger and two nice young ladies picked up our tab unbeknownst to us. They'd been smiling at us for awhile but we didn't think they were going to pick up out check.

We ordered some pie to celebrate our good luck. We met up with the rest of the guys in front of the grocery store. They were drinking beers and eating ice cream. We joined them and got some soda and beers ourselves. Sitting outside the grocery store like a bunch of vagrants a younger thin guy walked up to us and offered us chili and a place for all of us to stay. 

It didn't take much for us to convince us to take a homecooked meal and a place to stay. It turned out they were a nice couple with a house in town, who had three blonde little kids. They'd started hosting bikers this summer and so they were used to smelly people. The chili they served was so good and I even had that unfamiliar feeling of being full. Everyone talked about hiking and we shared stories with the couple. I realized I was so tired of talking about hiking and hearing about it. I was getting anxious to be done.