Day 16
Day By Day Notes From The Road
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This document updated July 17th, 2004
Hardin Montana to Sheridan Wyoming - 84 Miles
By Erwin:
Yesterday's ride was easy, today's ride was hard. We had headwind of about 15-20 miles/hour and long steadily uphill miles through fully exposed terrain. It was tough and tomorrow we face our longest day of the ride; 111 miles. I hope I get some good sleep tonight.
Lucija and I rode out of camp early after a quick breakfast; we wanted to stop by a memorial to the Battle of Little Bighorn. After about 18 miles, we reached the site. The Battle of Little Bighorn (a small river in the area) took place in 1876 and is known for three reasons: US Civil War hero, Lt. Col. G.A. Custer, was killed in a legendary "last stand" on top of a hill (where the monument now stands) after being surrounded by Indians of the Cheyenne, Lakota and other tribes. Second, the battle was a resounding victory for the native American tribes and a large part of the US expedition was killed. Third, while the native American tribes won the military battle, afterward the native Americans lost the non-military, cultural battle as their way of life was largely lost as more and more settlers moved westward.
The hill now presents two monuments, one for Custer and his army and one for the native American tribes. The monuments show a history of hostility, the one-sidedness of the contemporary government, native American struggle with the past, and subsequent reconciliation and rapprochement. The native American monument was added as recently as 2003 and aims to depict this mixed history.
In the museum near the site, a picture of then President Ulysses Grant states his policy toward the native Americans: "to Christianize, civilize and teach them in the art of peace." His policies meant the end for the Native American way of life. Instead of their nomadic way of life has come the Crow Reservation Casino.
After we visited the Monument, we faced another 65 miles of headwind and ascent. Lucija and I rode together, slowly (10m/hr) up the hill, until we were able to team up with some other riders and form a pace line. As the rode slowly descended, we rode faster (15-18m/hr) into the wind, until, at mile 85 or so, we reached a large section of road work. We had to "cyclo-cross" through the sand and along the highway until we finally hit a proper road again. By this time, I was exhausted and the last three miles I could almost cry. Instead, I got angry and pushed myself into camp - this might have been the hardest day of the trip.
Tomorrow, we have another "honest day" on the bike: 111 miles with 4500 vertical feet of climbing through rolling hills. It might get hot so we're getting up extra-early. Should be a good challenge!
By Lucija:
The headwind and our "tourist" detour to the Little Bighorn memorial made for a long day of riding, but to be honest it was one of the most rewarding days for me. The trip to the memorial was exploratory, the scenery stunning, the headwinds a challenge to overcome - just great!
Riding through Montana and Wyoming and seeing the open prairies, I could not help but be reminded of the Native American populations that used to roam these lands. It sadness me that their way of life was so abruptly ended by the westward movements and the gold rush of the "white man". Passing through the reservations (yesterday we crossed through Crow Reservation, and today we passed through their town of Crow Agency) gave me a glimpse into this sad ending chapter of American history.
Photos:
This memorial, commemorating the Native American participation in the Battle of Little Bighorn was added to the US Army monument only in 2003. Until 1991 the memorial site was called Custer Battlefield National Monument - to commemorate the death of the popular US Army lieutenant Custer. Kind of sad.
As a wildlife fanatic, I (Lucija) have loved seeing the antelopes, deer, and eagles on the open parries. However, among all my favorite are the prairie dogs. These little guys stand upright over their holes until you get too close with your bicycle, then they let out high pitched screech and dash into their hole. They really are very adorable.
Once again, we loved the stunning scenery... Here we took a photo of Kelsey (a Big Rider from Seattle) as she descended one of the many hills we encountered today.
Proof of the is the cyclo-cross action that Erwin described above...