Day 21 🌎 88 miles

Daily Summary:
11:00 AM to 9 PM — Average Speed:  17 mph
Elliston, Montana to Seeley Lake, Montana.

Odometer:  1,563 – 1,651 miles
Climb: 3,227 ft. — Descend:  4,386 ft.
50-60° F : Overcast, Rain : 5-15 mph variable winds

Battery Performance:
83.3v to 68.5v — 39 miles (Helmville Copper Queen Bar 110v outlet 2.25 hours @ 10 amps = 80v)

80v to 73v — 18 miles (Helmville to Ovando 110v outlet 1.25 hours @ 10 amps = 78v)

78v to 64.7v — 31 miles (Ovando to Seeley Lake Grocery Store 110v outlet half-hour to go last 4 miles to Tamarack Resort to full charge the next morning at 10 amps)

— 21 —

Today was the First day that I lived by my “electric creed”: IF my horse (scooter) can’t eat, then neither can I.

I was told that Avon, Montana had a nice Cafe and that I should be able to charge my electric horse (the scooter) there. Alas, it’s not so.

The smells from the quaint restaurant were very pleasant to my rumbling tummy, but there was no external electrical outlet to be seen.

I asked the waitress about charging my scooter and she telephoned the owner.

The owner said, “Not possible. “

I said, “Goodbye. “

I drove through a rain shower another 30 miles to get to Helmville.

The Copper Queen Bar — named for the Copper mining done in the area 5 decades ago — had a very nice, newly installed outlet readily available from the covered front porch.

The snowy peaks visible in front of me beckon me on from the chair that I’m presently occupying.

The hot coffee and tasty chicken cordon Bleu sandwich are still simmering in my middle.

Seems like both me and my electric horse will be filled for the final 50-or-so miles that I’ve got planned for today.

The hope is to make it to Seeley Lake and check in to an RV park that’s tent friendly.

We’ll be passing through Ovando, Montana where a bicyclist was killed be a grizzly bear in July, 2021.

I’m not planning to stay in Ovando, but if you are, be sure to follow bear-aware guidelines.

Keep in mind that there are TWO ways to learn: There’s the EASY way, and there’s the HARD way.

Before you get confused or lazy in your thinking, keep in mind that it’s VERY EASY to get attacked or eaten by a hungry bear.

That said, for those of you presently engaged in some sort of learning or another, I hope that you are willing to persevere through the hard lessons of reading, researching and carefully thinking and preparing so that you will be enabled to meet the challenges that come your way.

As the saying goes: “If you think education is expensive (or hard), try ignorance. “

For those of you that pride yourself on “learning the hard way,” keep in mind that it’s ALWAYS harder to heed wise advice from others who have gone before rather than to jump in with both feet, thus forcing your brain to follow.

I leave today’s blig with the words of a remarkable man named Charles Finney: “You were made to think. It will do you good to think. I expect you to think!”

I agree.

Electric vehicle manufacturers, local, state and national government officials, electric vehicle enthusiasts, the Avon Cafe owner, are you thinking? Are you listening?

I sure hope so!

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