Where Old Bikes Go to Die

We spent the night at the Hardin, Montana KOA which is about 15 miles away from the Little Bighorn National Monument. Around the perimeter of the KOA someone who must have been a bicycle fancier has placed about fifty old bikes literally out to pasture where they will rust and decompose over time. It was fun to walk around and look at the collection (for bike afficionados out there all five speed freewheeling and simplex shifters) of bikes from a bygone era. This KOA is not very busy and I fear too many folks do what Sophie and I have done through the years which is simply drive past at 70 mph with nary a glance, or even a thought, of the little town of Hardin.

This KOA is actually for sale. It's very clean but in need of some updates and tender loving care. Like the bikes in various stages of disrepair this KOA appears past its prime though for us that has its advantages. The campground is about a mile off the main highway which means it's quiet and peaceful and has beautiful shade trees galore and nice grassy sites to set up our temporary home. I suspect the owners are probably reaching the age where they too have other things on their bucket list and are either unwilling or unable to financially invest in the upgrades to bring the campground into the 21st century.

Before we left Denver we had attended our niece Payton's High School graduation ceremony. One of the valedictorian speakers used her time in the spotlight to encourage the class of 2016 to be truly present in the moment which for her meant looking up from that handheld device and physically interacting  with the world and those in it in a non-virtual way. Kudos to her, but shame on us that this needed to be the topic of choice for a valedictory speech. Of course she finished by making her point by whipping out a selfie stick and taking her own picture while those in the audience took pictures of her. This too may be a reason why this KOA may not find a ready buyer who will love and nurture it into better days. While they say my generation is causing a resurgence of hitting the road in the modern equivalent of Minnie Winnies apparently the generations behind us would seemingly prefer to participate in life through technology. Part of the appeal of this trip was to experience it feeling the wind in my face while hearing and feeling the whir of my wheels beneath me. I retired somewhat early precisely because I could no longer stomach watching the world go by outside my window as I sat staring at my computer in my cubicle.

Someday my bike will go the way of the bicycles around the KOA. Hopefully by then I too will be ready to dismount and watch from a rocking chair. As my bike and I eventually turn to rust and dust we'll remember most fondly those days spent out on the road together.