We often ride along railroads in so many states of use and disuse. I love riding by railroads because the railroads had to flatten the grade of the landscape, so bike paths next to rail lines are usually very flat! Sometimes some small towns have paved over rail lines and made them into bike paths.
Also, we entered many small towns, such as Ferdinand, Montana where the railroad is defunct and all that remains are the worn ties and old trestles. In some areas, other modes of transporting goods just became more cost effective and the old routes just fell by the wayside. However, in central South Dakota, we would encounter train lines transporting grain and coal. We assumed that the coal extraction was coming from Williston, North Dakota because of the fracking of the coal region. In that area of North Dakota traffic is intense and its next to impossible to find a campsite,- so in that area shipping by rail eases up the traffic jams that plague the region.

Thank you so much for checking in, it means a lot to us. The landscape has been unbelievable, and the history of westward movement is so fraught with confusion and pain and wonder. The United States is a strange place. I feel close to something but also far away from everywhere. See you soon.

Thanks for checking in on us Anne!

One more- Would this land have been considered free range land for cattle? As Michael mentioned New Mexico, it would be interesting to compare both passages to the west; northern and southern as they somehow appear similar in terms of landscape and openness.

I can help of thinking of Coronado or Cabeza de Vaca, the Spanish explorers as I see some pictures.

Thanks

Wonderful, wish I was there!