Food and water are key to a successful day, especially in Eastern Montana because there are so few places to eat or drink.  Between Winnett, Montana, where I spent last night and Jordan, Montana where I am sleeping tonight, there are 78 miles of punishing hills.  The bike computer tells me I climbed 4,400 feet on today’s ride.

Between these two towns is one rest area with bathrooms and one small store.  Almost everything else is grass lands or sage brush.

Because there are so few places to stop it is key to get the food and water right.  I had breakfast in Winnette at the Kozy Korner Cafe.  It was good food and helped me through the early miles.

I drank a lot of Gatorade getting to the rest stop, which was about 26 miles outside of Winnette.  At the rest stop I ate a couple of bananas, a couple of pieces of bread and a Cliff bar.

This got me another 20 miles down the road to Sand Springs, where they made milk shakes in the store.  I consumed about half a gallon of Gatorade between Sand Springs and Jordan.

The result was clear.  Not enough food consumed to fuel a punishing 78 miles ride through numerous large hills.  My body just wanted to stop pedaling.

In Jordan I tried to make up for the lost calories by consuming a lot of food.  For part of my dinner I even tried “Rocky Mountain Oysters.”  They are fried cattle testicles and not for the faint of heart.  I thought they were tasty.  Given how hungry I was, however, eating my socks might have also seemed tasty, so I will hold off judgement and try them again when I am not famished.

Tomorrow’s ride to Circle should be just as challenging since there is just one highway rest stop at the 35 mile point.  There are no other services, shade, or places to stop  between Jordan and Circle Montana.  I expect another punishing day.