The Mobius Trip

[DR. Rock]

Indeed. Yesterday had set us up to dive right into the Missouri Breaks area. Didn't really know what to expect. From GoogleEarth it looked like a huge expanse of watershed, eroded fern-like gullies, but minimal vegetation. Dry, like badlands. Roads were either dirt, or labeled 4-WD. Nothing paved, no towns, fuel or structures for miles. I was intrigued. I'd never read about it in any ride report. It could be awesome, or it could totally suck.

Game on.

We started our morning with a bit of luxury -- a cafe breakfast.



Friendly service by an overworked gal who was covering orders, kitchen, prep, cash register... essentially running the whole place. At 7am it had filled with local men jawing over a cups of coffee.

We started on some straight gravel like how we ended yesterday --



but in the distance we started to get a sense that something was going on with the topography.

[DR. Rock]

BLM signs -- fantastic, we'll be out of ranchland quagmire for awhile, maybe.





stop for a drink,



and a coffee redistribution procedure. I don't think Mark is used to riding with wimmin... they tend to prefer a bit more cover for their pit stops.

[DR. Rock]

This is a refuge for Russell Terriers:





I think they're on the endangered list. We didn't see any, just these gals:





The plains dropped off on either side of the road, which ran along the ridge,



And, The Missouri River was off to our left (north)

[DR. Rock]

on either side of the road,



started to get steeper and steeper,



and the road became more narrow, and a little more hilly,

[DR. Rock]

as we got close to Hwy 191 got really interesting... not challenging, really... just very cool to ride and see.





Nobody saw it, but I dropped my bike here accidentally while I stopped to take this pitcher.



this was just about the furthest northern point of M10.

[byways]

Wow! What a discovery. I've got to get up there!

[DR. Rock]

Originally Posted by byways

Wow! What a discovery. I've got to get up there!

wasn't even the best part.

[DR. Rock]

Hwy 191 for 4 or 5 miles, we spied these guys:





Dingweeds was our resident wildlife expert,...



I think he said these guys were "Russell Terriers".



They certainly caught his attention, he was practically salivating:

[DR. Rock]

the turnoff onto Musselshell trail, and had to backtrack...



it started out wide and flat,



we were still heading east,



not much out here. Very savannah-like



tea time. snacks.





Many of the side trails that were labeled 4wd on the gps had these signs on them;



We also saw signs like these, but it seemed we could enter and stay on the road. Usually it was a non-gated cattle-guard.

[BigDogAdventures.com]

Once again there was the meeting of the minds-----Francine was really the brains of the outfit---she just let us look like we were.



I think I better look where I'm going.




What a handsome crew.
Were like the KLIM poster childs.






We blew out of Winnifred before the lawn sprinklers went off and headed straight East.
Something called the "Missouri Breaks" loomed out there in the bare loneliness.







The Missouri River




We went South a bit on Hwy 191 for a bit----but not for long----as we turned East again on a dirt road
to what would turn out to be our kind of heaven.

[DR. Rock]

we turned on Chain Buttes; we were following the curve of Fort Peck Lake, the shores of which were about 2 miles to our left.



then things started to get a little more interesting...



Schwing!





and this STILL wasn't the best part!

[BigDogAdventures.com]

Originally Posted by DR. Rock

and this STILL wasn't the best part!

Let's go back Dr. Rock !!!

BigDog----(sitting in his oh so comfy Kermit chair)

[DR. Rock]

snaking around,





it was like riding a roller coaster.





We were heading south, dropped down off the "Chain Buttes" ridge, crossed the Sacagawea River (dry), and climbed back up the next ridge, now heading west.



the hills and curves spread out again,





and we were just smiling...



We picked up a bigger road, headed south for a mile or two, and then turned left on the next ridge... Dunn Ridge road. THIS was the best!

[DR. Rock]

I'm not sure I'll be able to adequately convey how supremely awesome this stretch was.



Couldn't have been more than 20 miles, took us a bit over an hour.



And I would go back and ride it again and again in a hearbeat.



Started out fairly tame,



and never was particularly technically demanding,



The views were great,



though I wouldn't say mind-blowingly spectacular,



So what was it about Dunn Ridge Road that made it stand out as one of the best sections I've ever ridden?

[DR. Rock]

twists and turns,



dips and rises...



and everything was blind -- you couldn't see over the hills, or around the curves, and the surface begged you to push the speed just past your safe sightline.





Meanwhile, you would catch glimpses of the person riding in front of you and you'd say to yourself -- Did I miss a turn? 'cause I can't fathom how the road I'm on connects to where they are!



And at times, the ridge was like a razor's edge... and there were all these cool hoodoos



and eroded formations,



and man... I wanna go back!