****THREE DAY POST******

THURSDAY DAY-47 July 1st

After having a freezing night. The sun came up and the tent warmed. As we packed up camp, and we stripped off layers.

We headed down were we had dinner for breakfast. They're closed! Hit the market next door. Had a Gatorade instead of coffee, and a three pack of mini-muffins. We get out of the market and the other place is open. We eat our muffins and took off on 89. It starts off climbing and lots of curves, then down with curves...then cows in the road around the corner. We got to Browning and the terrain starts to flatten out. Less than 30 miles away from these great mountain roads the road is straight and flat. We turn left onto 44 a 90 degree turn and just as flat and straight. We see smoke.... it's grain being transferred. We reach 15 and turn south.

We pulled off at Conrad and had lunch. We continued down 15 until Great Falls, we took (89/3/200/87) we stopped at the visitors center to find out what was up the road and what the predicted weather was going to be. Lewistown is just over 100 miles away. Weather this afternoon - thunderstorms with damaging hail. Great! We come out and the sky is getting dark to the west. The race is on!!!! We get going!! Finally, out of town and making tracks. We notice military helicopters all around. Some are landing with an open door facing the road. Humvees around and were at a stop. Then some trucks with humvee escorts and SUVs marked Security Force. We started to roll. Rain has started. Black clouds started to thicken. We're riding in the wide open and lightning is off to our right. Then a few flashes lightning coming from our right going over our heads and travailing in the direction we are going. We use horse power to push through. We got to Lewistown and get a room. We watch the spinning clouds that were following us. Then the wind - it is fierce. The wind is blowing on the bike pushing it on the side stand and the bike is rocking.

Starting mileage: 109,354

Ending mileage 109,626

272 for the day

Location Lewistown, MT