2069 miles!!!

Don wrote this blog:  Tuesday evening.  We got home about 4:30 pm.  It really rained last night in Salmon but was clear today.  We did not know so we put on rain gear.  It was cool but comfortable.  We took off our rain gear in Challis and our coats later on.  Had a great trip and saw lots of beautiful country.  Total milaeage was 2069 miles.  It was 1025 coming through Salmon.  Closer by 19 miles but slower.

Just want to mention the nice motel in Salmon.  It is on the south side of town and is called Sacajawea Inn.  Very clean and comfortable.  It is run by a husband and wife and would recommend it to anyone travelling that way.

Here are some pictures:  First one is Larry standing by his rig, second is the rig and the third is one of many drilling rigs that are drilling all over the area.  It is called the Bakken oil field and runs over into Montana, up into Canada and North Dakota and maybe even further south.

Big rig that Larry drives



drilling rig

Alfreda and mural in motel room in Salmon.  We really enjoyed the room.

I wish I would have had Larry stop in Canada and get some pictures of the coal fields but could not find a place to stop.

We really had a wonderful trip and glad that we got to see Larry for a brief time.  Alfreda was a trooper and endured the rain and the cold as well as the heat with no complaining.

Sunday worship

Yesterday we went to church with Larry in Williston, they had it in the park with a Bar-B-Q to follow, it was really a great worship service.  then we went back to larry's & packed up & left about 2, we had a really nice time visiting & sight seeing with him, a little bitty tear let me down as we drove off & waved.  We had a good ride in the afternoon, not too hot but we did run into a dickens of a rain & wind storm, but we were through it in a little while & got dried out.  We stayed in Lewistown at a nice motel.  Paco told me to gas up at every gas station we came to so I did.  Left this morning and ate breakfast at Big Timber.  Just before we got into Butte we got into another rain storm.  Sat out some of it under a bridge.  When it let up we drove to Wisdom, in the Big Hole country and had pie and ice cream.  It was cool today and we stopped before we hit Idaho and put on our heavy coats under our rain gear.  Came down Hwy 93 to Salmon.  Got a nice little motel room on the south side of town and then rode back down town to a Bistro for dinner.

Today we saw buffalo, deer, coyotes, elk, antelope, guess that is all.  Here is a picture of the pie we ate in Wisdom.

Saskatchewan Canada

Yes, we walked on the bridge, you have to, to go through the tunnel. 

Today we went to Saskatchewan, Canada.  We went north out of Williston north to Weyburn where we ate dinner.  The country remained pretty much the same as down south here at Williston.  It is also over the Balkan oil reserve and lots of oil drilling going on.  Talked to an older farmer and his wife at lunch and found out as much as I could about farming and oil.  They have had oil for quite some time but it was shallow and low production.  Now they are going deeper and lots more oil volume.  The farming is wheat, canola, peas, mustard, safflour, flax, some corn and I can't remember what else.  We came east to Estevan and south.  Estevan claims to be the energy capital of Saskatchewan.  The coal must be pretty shallow and not to thick a vein as the huge open pit drag lines drug the soil up and deposited it in rows like we see in Idaho in dredge mining and then they take out the coal and move over.  Leaves the ground in huge mounds that stretches for miles.  Sorry I did not get a picture of it as it would have been impressive.  Have let to get a picture of the oil drilling rigs and the pumps.  Sometimes there are as many as 6 pump jacks at one site.  Lots and lots of tankers, both rail and truck so they are moving lots of oil.

Weather today has been cooler.  There is a thick haze pretty much everywhere.  The gentleman farmer said that there was a huge fire way north and west by Edmonton, Alberta, nearly 1000 miles away that was funneling smoke down this way.

On our way north this morning we went by a historic Lutheran church and cemetery.  It's name is Bethesda.  It was started in 1915.  Here are some pictures.  One of the interesting pictures is of the outhouse.  It is cute as they have a place for little kids to go.

The Bridge

To add to the Bridge Story, you have to walk across the bridge to get to the tunnel,  The tunnel is 1,456 feet long and is built with a 3 degree curve so it is impossible to see straight through it from one end to the other.  It is 22 feet wide & 24 feet high.  the tunnel was built through an 80 foot hill.  It is completely lined with creosote treated timbers.  the tunnel was finished first & the track was completed through the tunnel on Oct. 30, 1913.The bridge & tunnel were used only by trains until 1926 when North Dakota 23 was built to the bridge.  It was then planked for motor vehicle use and became a toll bridge, with the railroad collecting the fees.
Larry is working nights, I'm going with him the first trip & Don will go with him a few, so this is all for today.

Yellowstone & Missouri Rivers

Friday, July 13, 2012.  Went today to Cartwright, ND to a bridge over the Yellowstone River.  It is about 6 miles before it joins the Missouri River.  The bridge and a sister bridge just up the Missouri about 8 miles away are lift bridges built to allow river traffiic.  The problem is that by the time they built them in 1912-13 river traffic on both rivers had ceased so the lift portion was never used.  Just east of the Cartwright is the only tunnel in ND.  It is 1,456 feet long.  Here are some pictures.

Farmland, Badlands, Rivers, and Streams

From Don: The country is beautiful and changes every few miles.  From farm land to badlands and rivers and streams.  Lots and lots of oil wells and new ones being drilled every day.  Lots of trucks on the road hauling gravel for new pads and buildings.  Mancamps every where.  Costs $750.00 a month to park a trailer on a little spot with hundreds of others.  Costs about the same to live in a one small room in a row apartment type buildings.  Interesting place a boom town.  In a few years it will be bust town and a lot of empty buildings but it is good while it lasts.

Ft Burford

Yesterday we went to see the confluence of the Yellowstone & Missouri Rivers, we walked through Ft. Burford & looked for a railroad bridge over the Yellowstone that had a section in it that raised straight up to let the steam boats through, it was never used except in the test to see if it would work???  We did find it, we walked through  Ft. Burford & came back to Williston then we went to the car races on a dirt track but it got rained out :( our money was refunded so we went to Larry's favortite Pizza place & the pizza & salad was really good.  There was a cloud burst maybe 2 in. in abut 20 min., when we got home it hadn't rained as much here so our tent trailer was dry. 
This morning we went to Watford City & had breakfast then on to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park & drove through it, saw one buffalo & no big horn sheep but some real pretty & different country, the bad lands of ND.  We drove through Killdeer, on to New Town & back to Williston, another really good day.  God IS good.

486 very hot miles!

We made it to Williston last last night, we went 486 very hot miles, we were glad to make it safe & sound, another answer to prayer.  God IS good.  Larry worked last night, they are working right now at night because there is road construction & at night there isn't traffic.  Don went with Larry on a couple of runs & I went with his friend, Darren & it was fun.  The run takes about 1 1/2 hours so is close to where Larry & Darren live.  Today we are going sight seeing.  

North Dakota

We left Hailey yesterday morning, went by Carey to see the job that Troy is working on, it is for the school & this job is cement & paving, only one or two buildings they are building so a different kind of a job for Troy.  We ate breakfast in Arco & started on north, if you are ever in Dillon, MT at lunch time the Milk Pail, sure that is the name of the place, has a really big, good sandwich for 5 bucks!!  We made it to Bozeman last night, stayed at a really nice campground & are ready to go on to Williston today, think it is 468 miles so we need to get on the road.  The temp never got higher then 92 so some cooler then home.

We are headed to North Dakota to see Larry, we left yesterday & it was really hot before we got to Mt. Home, we made it to Hailey in fine shape to see Troy & Emily.  They are buying their first home & we are so excited for them, at least they are not 60 years old like Troy's parents. :)  Today we are headed north, it is a beautiful day & we praise God for ALL His  blessings.  We have 4 wonderful children & families, God IS good.

We're Off Pictures

After holding hands and praying for God's protection over them, we let them leave. 

~ The Preacher and His Biker Babe's Daughter~

We're Off!

Trailer loaded - check
Trailer lights work - check
Church, Potluck and Business Meeting over - check
Laptop working and blog refresher course done - check
Ready to roll!  Check!

We're off to see Troy & Em in Hailey where we will spend the night.  We will have another stop tomorrow night (Monday) before reaching Larry; our stop for the week.

Joy & Roy and their kids are here to see us off.  I'm sure she'll post pictures of our departure soon.  We have to actually leave before that can happen. 

Let's Roll!
~ Biker Babe

North Dakota Bound

Tomorrow we leave for ND, & I am excited.