Backing Down in Great Falls

Unfortunately, one day of back rest doesn't seem to be doing the job.  I am going to rest again today, Saturday, in Great Falls in the hope that one more day might do the trick.  If that doesn't work, I plan to rent another car and drive a day or two and see if it will be good enough to resume riding again.

During the downtime yesterday I took the opportunity to visit the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and the Great Falls on the Missouri River.  Much of the Missouri is now controlled by dams, but the dams were built upstream of the falls in order to preserve the falls.

Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center

Rainbow Falls

The Great Falls are actually a series of  five falls stretched over a few miles.  Because it is late Summer, the flow is somewhat low, and some of the falls are not so "great."  Still, it is easy to imagine them in Spring when the snow melt driven flow is at full throttle.  The dam at Rainbow Falls generates 60 megawatts of power, enough to supply the needs of around 45,000 homes.  Pretty impressive.

Ryan Falls

Ryan Falls Panorama

Two things I did not expect to see in Montana were pelicans and seagulls.  And, yet, there they were.

Pelican on the Missouri River

Maybe they were blown into town by a storm or weather front, but I can't imagine them surviving a winter here.

The drive to Ryan Falls went through an infinite expanse of wheat fields, some already harvested and some almost ready, but it was quite a sight.  It is staggering to think how much wheat they produce.

Out Standing in my Field : )

Perhaps I should have tried a three-wheeled, recumbent bike like this veteran uses......