Daily Summary:
8:30 AM to 4:45 PM
Bozeman Trails RV Park to Livingston Campground.
Odometer: 5,149 – 5,177
Average Speed: 17.9 mph
Climb: 1373 ft. — Descend: 1558 ft.
75° F : Wind Variable 10-25 mph.
Battery Performance:
Note: All charging and range data after the World Record Day will be published in Excel format at a later date.
— 137 —
I was looking forward to making it from Bozeman to Big Timber today, but that was not to be.
Before leaving the Bozeman Trail Campground I discovered that the rear scooter tire had gone flat again.
Apparently the plug was not holding, so I put in another one and waited a good long time for the glue to dry.
During the wait I had some very nice conversations with other campers at the park.
It seems like we are all on our way to somewhere or on our way back from somewhere.
Finally it was my turn to be on my way.
A half-mile from the park I noticed that yesterday’s lonely Byrd now had a partner. Perhaps they’re flocking together and getting ready to migrate south for the winter.
I didn’t stop for another photo, but you can imagine.
The 25-mile trip down I-90 was relatively uneventful with nothing extraordinary to take note of; until I got to Livingston.
I exited the interstate at the first opportunity and rolled down the off ramp to the cattle guard just before the stop sign.
I am at a loss why these guards are in place, but I suppose they serve some useful purpose.
As usual, I dismounted and proceeded to bounce the scooter and trailer over the cattle guard grate while trying not to fall between the bars myself.
After the stop sign, I proceeded up a slight hill and promptly discovered that the rear tire was flat again.
I was in a good location off the road so I tried to plug it again.
No dice. This time I noticed that the hole looked more like a laceration. The tire was shot. Nothing I could do was going to fix it.
Perhaps the cattle guard had caused the blowout.
Perhaps it was just time that did it in.
At any rate, I was thankful that the battery still had plenty of electricity so I wouldn’t have to push all the way into town on my own power.
It’s Sunday afternoon.
Not much is open around town, only the churches, and no one there is willing to offer any help at all.
The less said about that the better.
It was 3.2 miles to the Livingston Campground where the manager gracously allowed me to stay for three nights in order to rest and get a replacement tire sent to me by my daughter.
I am so thankful that some people are willing to be helpful when someone is in legitimate need!
The first night ended with a fierce windstorm that began about the time that the sun was rising.
The wind blew the tarp all around, blew the trailer cover completely away, and blew both the scooter and trailer completely over, again, just like the experience that I had in Billings a couple of weeks after I began this Journey.
I got everything picked up and secured, and a nice gentleman who had been walking his dogs brought me the trailer cover. (He had seen it blow by his RV when it first took off!)
After the wind died down a little, I went for a walk into town to try to find someone who might be able to help me change the scooter tire when the new one arrived.
I found no one, so I stopped into Ace Hardware and bought some tools and long zip ties to accomplish the tire change myself.
My daughter is kindly overnighting the new tire to me and I hope to get it put on before the forecasted rains begin.
After I got the tools, I decided to take a look at the leaking trailer tire also, since it seemed like I had a good opportunity and nothing better to do.
I found THREE nails in the trailer tire, not just one.
Only God’s grace was keeping it inflated all these miles!
I went back to Ace the next morning and bought a tube of Slime to put into the original tube that I had patched and replaced in Whitefish months ago.
I’ll hope it holds up since it seems that 16″x3″ tubes are not easy to find.
I’ll also keep the 3-holed tube for a last ditch spare, but I’m not going to patch it unless I actually need to use it.
I am so very tired of flat tires…
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