2014 Road Trip – Day Seventeen – Billings, MT To Anaconda, MT – 2

RAMANAM
In the Name of The Father, and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit, Amen.

Countrymen,

Today RAMANAM and I trotted from Billings, MT to Anaconda, MT. Anaconda is a bit off I-90 but I came here, I thought, for what appeared in Yelp to be an interesting motel: The Grizzly Den Motel. It is as advertised and more. Quite charming and comfy, worth the 6 miles off I-90.

Billings has three (!) refineries and two power plants (coal). Bill says a certain type of tower seen on the refineries means they are processing Canadian tar sand oil, which is essentially asphalt. The refineries Bill says have long-term contracts which ante-date the onset of Bakken high-grade crude, which is only five years ago!!! Canadian oil has to be heated to make it move through pipes, so thick is it. Bakken is the opposite, nearly gasoline at the well-head.

Last evening “Uncle” Bill and I supped together and he mentioned again, as he did several years ago, that he wants to visit the monastic peninsula of Athos, Greece. Next year, probably. He wants me to accompany him, all expenses paid. Repeated the same this morning when he called from his hotel to say he was heading north for well business. His wells in ND should be producing by next year, $5k royalties per day, day in and day out. The old coot next Bill’s parcel gets a seven figure royalty check every month, doesn’t know what to do with it except bank it. This phenomenology is beyond my comprehension and shall remain so.

The valley of the Yellowstone River, which BNSF and I followed west from Billings, is awash with fall color trees. A place to fall in love with. The Yellowstone is not an insignificant river. And BNSF and I-90 follow her per the customary pattern everywhere: RR follows river, highway and power lines follow RR. The Yellowstone in fall looks like one continuous western movie set.

Speaking of which, I purchased some western boots in Billings. At a neat mom and pop shop selling saddles and tack and clothes, all high end, with the boots from a small El Paso manufacturer. Finest/best made boots I have ever owned. Walking boots (rubber heel and sole) not riding boots (leather heel and sole). Just under $400. Now I can die properly in Puget Sound: with my boots on.

RAMANAM and I summited the Continental Divide today at 69?? feet. The RR grade to and from it looked far in excess of the usual 2%. And 18-wheelers descending the grade were in low gear with four-ways flashing. Very steep coming and going.

Montana is less forthcoming with their road signs than other states. 75 MPH speed zones decrease prima facie to 55 MPH with no warning except visual: Hey, Maude, that there’s a curve up yonder! Yeah, Hester, durn tootin it is, better back off that whack-the-mule a bit just to be a safe.

Total mileage so far is 4100+. Until I reached MN, total MPG was 27.3. From eastern MN to western SD RAMANAM and I pushed into steady 40+ MPH headwinds, which, by Rapid City, SD (western SD) reduced our total MPG to 26.1, where it has remained since, primarily because we have been ascending gradually and sometimes precipitously into the Rockies. Anaconda, where we are now, is over 5K feet of elevation.