At The Beach--in North Dakota?!

Glendive, MT to Beach, ND
41 miles
1,355 feet ascent
663 feet descent
1,621 calories

Today marked two firsts: the first time in North Dakota and the first time cycling on an Interstate Highway!

Hitting The I-94 On-ramp

There are a few stretches in western North Dakota where the route is actually on Interstate 94.  While it may sound scary, forget those crazy images you may be conjuring up in your head about a non-stop stream of cars whizzing by at 75 mph.  In some areas out here, they just don't have reasonable rural roads for cycling, so Adventure Cycling routes cyclists for some short stretches on the freeway.  The traffic is so light, and the shoulder so broad with a serious rumble strip, that it feels just as safe as some of the country roads.  And, with almost unlimited visibility and no sharp curves, cars can be seen and/or heard long before they are anywhere near, so I can slide all the way over on the edge of the shoulder.  Even then, most drivers are very polite and move over to the passing lane anyway, leaving nearly two full lanes of separation.

It was refreshing to finish Montana and begin working on a new state, "Legendary" North Dakota.  Wibaux, the eastern-most town in Montana, named after a French settler, was the last spot I visited before hitting "the Beach", a town of about one thousand residents.

Quirky Lawn Art In Wibaux, MT

So Long, Montana

Hello, North Dakota

Ranching and farming are the two main areas of commerce in the Beach area, and I saw two trains go by today.  So, even though it is remote, it is easily accessible with it's close proximity to the Interstate and BNSF railroad.  Teddy Roosevelt is from an area not too far from Beach, and Roosevelt National Park is just east of Beach.

Downtown Beach Lunch Stop