Today is a driving day as we leave Rapid City and head toward Billings Montana. We leave early after my run, to avoid forecasted winds along the way. No opportunity to visit Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore or Spearfish Canyon this trip and we promise ourselves we will come back.
Our hope is to be able to get in some fishing time either on the Madison River or Henry’s Fork, and then to head out before nighttime freezing temperatures arrive in a few days. The biggest challenge is to get over Donner Pass and the Sierras since it is expected to snow this weekend. Even if we headed home today, we wouldn’t have enough time to get through. So now our plan is to possibly stay put in Salt Lake City or West Wendover for a few days until the weather improves next week.
Today Ray finally relinquished the wheel and I drive the interstate, giving me a whole hearted appreciation for how well this Alto responds to being towed. I am unable to feel her at all, however our car struggles a bit going up the steep grades and it is somewhat unnerving to see cars zooming by on your left. I feel a bit like an old granny in the slow lane. It takes all my concentration to remember that there are two lengths of us when changing lanes, and that curves take a bigger arc to turn- It takes me back to being a high school student driver, but is also empowering to tow on my own. I today actually believe I could take her out myself and get from point A to B. We’ll see as the week progresses, don’t want to get overconfident!
The Alto is a conversation starter and we meet several fellow Altoistes on the road with plans to stay in touch. There are so few Altos that seeing one on the road is always a thrill. In addition to the couple in Quebec City, we meet a lovely couple from Iowa at a rest stop; we always leave with lots of tip. We stay in touch with others on Facebook, most of whom we have never met.
We love Montana and it feels like we have returned to familiar territory. We spend the night at Osen’s Campground in Livingston. The host has a southern accent, and both sounds like and resembles my friend Alyce from home. Her name is also Linda and she also reminds me of my late boss Lynda.
Not much else to share today aside from the fact that Ray and I are approaching 3 weeks together 24/7 and we are still talking to each other; it is a record!
With eyes on the weather, we look to tomorrow and the possibility of fishing.
