2023 CDT - Day 30 - Choteau, MT

Runningbird continues along the Chinese Wall; Day 2 for the Wingman in Choteau.

A little music at the Choteau Tourist Center.

It's a wee bit cooler today with an occasional cloud lingering over the sun. I'm situated on the north northeast side of a creek lined with trees. I'm getting bits of sunshine as the sun passes overhead but mostly shade. There is enough solar energy squeezing in to charge my batteries yet blocking out much of the heat of the day. A couple of times a day I take Beau out to lay in the creek. It's just too hot to have him out for walks for very long especially on the pavement or concrete.

This morning we went out while it was still... less warm, and we walked on the shady side of the street towards the north. We had not explored in this direction yet and after several blocks of a residential area we came upon a more rural business section. There were more trees and a coffee shop converted from an old bungalow. Another block and there were a few simple apartments and then a tourist center and the parking lot was doubling as a very small Saturday market with a small band playing old country music. There was a country museum with fashioned dinosaurs that had Beau freaked out next to the ice cream parlor which wasn't opened yet.

Choteau Ice Cream Parlor - ideally situated next to the tourist center

I didn't mention that I told Edwin the cyclist to put his gear in the back seat of the truck last night rather than in the bed of the truck because the bed was so filthy. The three trips up and back to Benchmark Pass from Augusta had left everything back there covered in road dust. Everything everywhere in there. When Beau and I got back from our morning walk I started by pulling out the T@B awning and after shaking it all off, put it up on the trailer. The shade I hoped would help keep things a bit cooler. Piece by piece I took everything out and either shook it off, swept it off, or washed it off in the creek. The generator, water jug, gas can, bins, chairs, everything came out and got a cleaning. Then, (my brain does still engage from time to time) after closing the windows on the trailer so I wasn't just moving the dirt and dust from one spot to another, I swept out the truck bed.

Although I always feel concern for Runningbird, I especially worry when there is so much heat. When I express this concern to her, she reminds me that there is a three degree temperature drop for every one thousand feet of elevation gain. Looking this up, it's called "Lapse Rate" and the rule of thumb is actually 3.3 ~ 5 degress per one thousand feet. For example, I'm at 3820' and the temperature is currently 97 degrees. Giving her the total benefit of 5 degrees at about 5400' that's...okay, I'll give 2000'. Still, that's 87 degrees! I'd call that hot - hiking in the sunshine with a 20 pound pack. HOT! Takes a lickin and keeps on tickin.