The Blaine County Journal News-Opinion - We've Got The County Covered

Reporter's note: Readers would have to be totally oblivious to their surroundings on Highway 2 this time of year not to notice a number of people on bicycles loaded with camping and travel gear. Most are heading east along a route that takes riders through this part of the upper Midwest-often called the "northern tier route." It's not unusual, in these summer months, to see a couple of cyclists eating ice cream outside a local shop, buying groceries or other items at the store or quick stop and often camping-at Harlem by City Hall or in Chinook at the water plant by the Milk River.

I've talked to many of these cyclists, to get a quick view of where they started (often in Astoria, Oregon) and where they are headed (any number of locales on the eastern seaboard). Some are retired, doing a trip they've always dreamed about. Others just finished school and are doing their last big adventure before they start a career or family. Some are taking a breather between changes in career or marital status. And some, it seems, are doing it simply because they want to and can.

Last week my wife and I had visitors, via bicycles, from China. The man and woman had started in Seattle on June 12 and had set a goal to be in New York City by August 24. They allowed themselves two and a half months for the 3000+ mile trip and said they felt good that they had already logged better than 800 miles of the trip. How the paths of two twenty-somethings from China and two retirees in Montana crossed is a bit of a convoluted story, but here is the story, in part.

Friends in Washington State suggest Chinese cyclists visit Chinook

When my wife and I lived in the Seattle area we made friends with George and Annalee Boulton, a couple a bit older than us and who for years had been serious cyclists. The Boultons, with their son and family, own a flower shop next to a Mexican restaurant in Arlington, Washington. George happened to see two bicycles at the restaurant that obviously belonged to some cross-country riders, and befriended the Chinese cyclists-buying them lunch and suggesting a stop in Chinook since they would be traveling a well know bike route that goes along this part of Highway 2.

The Boultons gave us a heads up, via email, about their invitation for the Chinese couple to stop for a visit. The day before they arrived, the couple called to say they would be staying in Havre and planned to stop the next day, mid-morning, on their way to Malta.

They showed up about 10am the next day. Truthfully, I think both couples were somewhat unsure about how to proceed once we did the obligatory handshakes at the front of the Grande Villa where my wife and I live. We invited them in and told them of our plan to provide lunch. "Oh no," they said, "we don't have time for that. We are on our way to Malta and it's a bad head wind today."

Well, having done some bike touring myself, I knew it was always safe to follow Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs-take care of a guest needs, beginning with the basics. Thankfully their English was a lot better than our Chinese, which consists of being able to say 'hello.' They gladly used the restroom, always a problem in open country for cyclists.

Then they agreed to have a snack before hitting the road again. Cyclists burn major calories. These two were thin as rails, and small in stature by nature. But Heather, the girl, could really put away the food. She gloomed on to two boiled eggs, an orange, an apple and some raisin toast with great enthusiasm, then she smiled.

She commented, "This is the best egg I've ever eaten." This comment caused Qidi, the guy, to break into laughter. He said, "Everywhere we go she finds the best piece of pie, the best apple, the best whatever, that she has ever had." It was kind of a running joke between them. When I told them Montana was referred to as the "last best place," they both laughed. Qidi said, "Now she can honestly say she has been to the 'best place.'"

Visiting around the table we learned more about our guests. They both have graduated with advanced academic degrees-she in history, he in mechanical engineering. Before they settled into careers, and we suspect marriage to each other, they "wanted to take an adventure while we had the time, no major commitments and had the energy to do it." At first they considered a trip around the world. Heather said, "One day we were bike riding and just decided to ride across the U.S. And here we are."

Our friends in Washington had told us the pair had ridden over Logan Pass while going through Glacier National Park. I asked about their impression of Montana and they both agreed, "It totally changed after we left St. Mary (east side of the park). We are still trying to get used to no trees."

Likely the sparse population is also leaving a major impression. The two are from Shenzen in southern China, a city said to 'connect Hong Kong to the mainland of China.' The main city of Shenzen has 11.9 million people living in 790 square miles, compared to Montana's 1.03 million people spread over 147,000 square miles. When we referred to Havre as a 'big city' they both smiled. Despite the sparsity of people in Montana, they agreed, "The people we've met have been really nice to us." Their biggest gripe, to this point in Montana, was the switch from a strong tailwind to a brutal headwind.

Steve Edwards

(l-r) Qidi He, Sherry Edwards and Heather Wang share a snack and conversation at the Edwards' table at the Grande Villa in Chinook. The Chinese couple is on a bike ride across the U. S. They started in Seattle in mid-June and plan to be in New York City by the end of August. Neither couple had ever met, but were encouraged to have a visit in Chinook by mutual friends in Washington state.

After their snack, which Heather called "a little lunch," we encouraged them to use the rest room one more time. She said, "Oh, I can always go behind a tree." Qidi reminded, "There are no trees where we are headed." They would stay in Malta that night, then head on to Fort Peck where they planned to camp the next evening. They seemed to be doing a combination of camping and staying in commercial lodging.

Out in the yard, as they geared up to get back on the road, they asked us to pose for a photograph with them beside their bicycles. They explained it was for a blog (a diary they post for others to read online) they are keeping of their trip. We asked, "Is the blog in English?" "No," they said, "but you can use Google Translate to read it." Then they both laughed because the online translator, though helpful, often garbles the meaning of a text. Amazing some of the subtleties of our culture they had picked up in just a few weeks.

It was a short but great visit. Hopefully both couples made some progress toward better relations between two super powers. Maybe if the heads of our respective countries spent some time bicycling each other's country we would be more understanding and peaceful. Wow, this cycling idea could be a great campaign promise in future presidential races, with daily Tweets of how things are going.