Day 19 June 28, 2016 Lincoln, Mt. to Augusta, Mt. 60.1 miles

This day was different than any others before because we had at least 55 miles to ride with no place to stop for food or water.  Plus we would be crossing the Continental Divide at Rogers Pass on Highway 200. What we didn't know was that riding over Rogers Pass would be the easy part! We were at Rogers Pass at noon, had a fun downhill for a good 8 miles, straight into the high plains, and big skies of Montana. A sign along the highway explained it well, "The Rocky Mountains slide into the high plains. These high plains are very different than those I'm familiar with in Kansas. These are hilly, with big hills. We'd top a hill only to see a straight road like a roller coaster. But it was beautiful and we had a tail 'breeze.' Better than nothing or a hesdwind, for sure. No trees that we could see except when we crossed the Dearborn River.
About 5 miles down the road after lunch we turned northwest to head up to Augusta. Ten miles down the road, we stopped and go water at what we learned later was a Hutterite colony. The people wore clothing similar to the Amish, but it was more conservative. The girls wore long dresses, and their heads were covered. The boys wore long pants, long sleeved shirts, suspenders, and hats. They raise pigs, chickens, have dairy cows, and raise wheat, and they use modern farming techniques. Everything is owned by the community, kids are educated there, usually just to 8th grade. They're of German origin, and have moved around a lot because of persecution. In North America,  they live mostly in Montana,  the Dakotas, and Canada.  Probably more than you wanted to know.....
Our first stop in Augusta was at Mel's Diner, and the huckleberry milkshake was just what we needed! We camped in a treeless field beside the motel, but the showers were great, and we had a chance to talk to some of the locals, who were really nice and eager to talk about their part of Montana.
Pictures are out of order, but at least there are some! Top to bottom: 1. Looking back after descending Rogers Pass  2. Big hills after leaving the Rocky Mtn     3. Camping spot in Augusta  4. Dave riding up to Rogers Pass