Rather unexpectedly, this was another great days cycling – and a welcome short one. (The one downside of using hotels is that the spacing is not even, in these sparsely populated parts. Tomorrow has to be 120 miles).

A 17 mile cruise down the Interstate 90 frontage took us to a bike shop – Spoke Cycles – in Billings. We waited outside for them to open at 9.00.  And what a reception we got!  Bikes serviced (Tim’s squeak is gone – hurrah!), a replenishing of our supply of inner tubes, a peaked cycle cap for me to reduce the glare, and coffee and loads of encouragement – all for free! Well, a donation to the beer fund. Many thanks Sarah and Jason.  

  
Then on into town for food for the remaining, uninhabited 50 miles. I asked a group of old guys for directions to the supermarket – explaining that we needed food and sunscreen – and one went to fetch a bottle of sunscreem from his car and gave it to us. Thanks!

Outside the supermarket we were interviewed and photographed by a reporter from the Billings Gazette, who had popped in for donuts for the office. So fame at last! These shirts are brilliant! Here is the link to the story.

 (By the way, my favourite reaction to the ‘4000 miles 40 days’ slogan is ‘Oh my God, 1000 miles a day!’ We have had this many times!) If the story makes the paper I’ll post the link. 
Then we were out into real Wild West country. After a climb into some low hills there were huge views, followed by some canyons straight from the movies.  

   
This is cattle and horse country, but the stars of the show were the marmots, popping their heads from their holes and scurrying about, a bit like meercats. They were everywhere, but too small for me to photograph. I think Tim succeeded. So here are some horses.  

  We reached Hardin (70 miles) by 1.30 and managed to check in. So we are having a relaxing afternoon before the rigours ahead tomorrow.