Aug. 23rd Monarch to Fairfield 132km, 888m

Fairfield Montana

No breakfast available this morning so we were off before 8 o’clock. Wet roads, heavy clouds and 9°C greeted us, which was a far cry from Saturday’s sun and 33°C. We had to climb up from Monarch 184m over 5km so we were nicely warmed up when the downhill started. Unfortunately, it then chose to rain for a while. We are not sure which is worse, the effort to ride in the heat, or the pain of a cold wet downhill, but we expect to get a few more examples to help us make up our minds. The downhill run was 35km to the main highway where we turned left to head for Great Falls and were hoping to find somewhere for brekky but this is pretty wild and open country so we had to make it all the way to Great Falls before we found somewhere to eat. By this time we had done 75km and, due to several photo stops, it was getting on for 12 o’clock so we skipped breakfast and went straight for lunch. We had an extended break because we had had a strong headwind all the way and there was plenty to come. Instead of the expected 115km to Fairfield it turned out to be 132km and the wind ground us down so much we had trouble standing when we got to the motel. We have seen some rough looking places but this is a very well kept little town with an impressive array of grain silos and the nicest laundrette we have ever used. So, the washing is done, the (banana) shopping is done, we’ve dined and dropped in at the Legion for a beer (and it was only one because we haven’t got the energy to sit up and drink a second) and it is now time for beddy byes. Night night.