It is hot. Did I say that already?
It was hot last night, which made sleeping difficult. We were not particularly well rested this morning as we left camp. Though we didn't make our target departure time of 6:30, we did make it out by 7:00. Not bad.
Much of the trip tday was spent alongside the Loess Hills of Iowa. Loess is the German word for loose and is used to describe hills created as the result of windblown dust. The spine of grass and forest covered hills towering above us as we rode South today grew slowly over millions of years as dust from the plains was blown and deposited like sand dunes on the western edge of Iowa. Pretty amazing. These are the second largest loess hills in the world after a range in China.
The hills are beautiful, as anyone who is a Dar Williams fan will know. Beautiful and anomalous stretching as far as the eye can see North and South, but with ceaseless plains stretching for miles west, flat as flat can be. )I don't know what happens to the East. I can't see over the hills.) Perhaps the most interesting aspect is when we ride by the location of a slide and are able to see the exposed interior of the hill. There is no bedrock, really, no rock to speak of - just dirt. At times it is uniform, and at times striated in reds, grays, or browns; but there is only dirt - millions of years worth of compacted dust. I'm totally fascinated.
We stopped in Mondamin, IA for a snack and talked to some of the local farmers. It's too dry here, but that seems to be an old story. One repeated year to year. They spoke of rain in tenths of an inch. "I got eight-tenths up the road, but one and two-tenths on the hill." "I only got six-tenths." A perennial problem of such grave importance that it requires both continual and acute observation.
One of the farmers likes to eat peanut butter and onion sandwiches. The other left us with the sage advice that, "The important thing is not to get in a hurry." When its 105 degrees out, there is no better rule of thumb.
We made it as far as Missouri Valley by noon. Then the heat struck and the mercury pushed up into the hundreds, topping out at 105. So, we retreated to the sanctity and refuge of the Missouri Valley library. It is a gorgeous building furnished with plush chair and couches. The nicest library we've been in yet. It's nice that with only a few hundred miles to ride there are still gems to be found. Amanda napped on a couch while I kept busy with maps and magazines. We waited until 5:30 and hit the road again.
The thermometer still read 104, but as the sun slowly retreated toward the horizon the heat began to break. I wasn't sure we'd make the 25 miles to Council Bluffs, but 5 miles out we could see the towers of Omaha on the horizon, and it gave us enough incentive to push on.
We didn't make Council Bluffs until nearly dusk, and were saved from a miserable night at Lake Manawa State Park by Clark and Sue, who seeing us disheveled and confused on a street corner invited us in to their gorgeous, 100 year old farmhouse for the evening. They are both cyclists and were excited to have a couple of grungy, tired tourists in their home. Clark provided liquid refreshement and made us at home, and Sue cooked the best fried egg sandwich I've ever eaten. We couldn't have dreamed of better hospitality.
Refreshed, clean, comfortable we went to the promise of a good nights sleep.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Day 42 Sioux City, IA to Lewis and Clark State Park, IA
2241.2 miles
We awoke early this morning and hit the road at six. The car was due back at 1:30 in Sioux City, and we were hoping to get a few miles away from the city. We stayed and extra day in Columbia, so we are running a little behind schedule. We were hoping that fresh from the weekend we could make some easy miles.
That is not true. Taking more than one day off the bike is too many. Our bodies are unaccustomed to riding and we are lazy. Plus, it is hot. Too hot. We hit the heat of the day in Sioux City, and it was miserable.
42 miles seemed like much further than it should have across the plains of Iowa. At least there were showers when we got into camp.
We awoke early this morning and hit the road at six. The car was due back at 1:30 in Sioux City, and we were hoping to get a few miles away from the city. We stayed and extra day in Columbia, so we are running a little behind schedule. We were hoping that fresh from the weekend we could make some easy miles.
That is not true. Taking more than one day off the bike is too many. Our bodies are unaccustomed to riding and we are lazy. Plus, it is hot. Too hot. We hit the heat of the day in Sioux City, and it was miserable.
42 miles seemed like much further than it should have across the plains of Iowa. At least there were showers when we got into camp.
Days 39-41 St. Louis/Columbia, MO
2195.1 miles
We stayed in Columbia on Thursday night, and then in the morning Amanda went to St. Louis for the gala wedding festivities.
She danced, partied, wakeboarded, and saw old friends.
I stayed in Columbia, saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, finished up the second edition of the zine, drank beers, ate great meals, and saw old friends and family.
It was a nice, relaxing weekend away from bikes, but we have 10 days and roughly 800 miles to go, so it's back to Sioux City on Monday.
We stayed in Columbia on Thursday night, and then in the morning Amanda went to St. Louis for the gala wedding festivities.
She danced, partied, wakeboarded, and saw old friends.
I stayed in Columbia, saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, finished up the second edition of the zine, drank beers, ate great meals, and saw old friends and family.
It was a nice, relaxing weekend away from bikes, but we have 10 days and roughly 800 miles to go, so it's back to Sioux City on Monday.
Day 38 Vermillion, SD to Sioux City, IA
2195.1 miles
We got up early enough today to...drink more coffee at the wonderful coffee shop in Vermillion. Yay!
Eventually, though perhaps not quickly enough, we tore ourselves away - again - and headed towards Sioux City. It was a nice morning and the clouds were beautiful as the sun was climbing into the sky. We had a nice leisurely ride from Vermillion to Elk Point, and then realized we were running a little bit late.
After a quick snack we kicked it into high gear and took off, which didn't do us any good because I misread the map and instead of turning on Riverside Blvd. in Sioux City I turned on River Ln. in North Sioux City, and we were lost.
By the time we hit the bike path going into Sioux City we were the logging trucks and everyone was getting out of our way as we desperately tried to make our rental car appointment. Everyone except to little chihuahuas who were unleashed on the trail and nearly became yippy little pancakes.
We ended up calling the rental car people and they set us up with a later pickup, so it all worked out. The folks at Albrecht cycle were super friendly and gladly stored our bikes in their basement for the weekend, and the car rental people were also very helpful. It all seemed a little too easy, and before we knew it Amanda was behind the wheel cruising toward the interstate at 25mph, like she was 90 and half blind, and I was still gripping my handrest with white knuckles.
Automobiles are a little nerve racking after a month on a bike.
For those of you who may be wondering why we rented a car/thinking we gave up and went home, let me bring you up to date.
Amanda's friend Paul is getting married in St. Louis on the 14th, so we have rented a car that Amanda might be present for the wedding, and I don't want to be left all alone in Sioux City. It's kind of dismal.
We got up early enough today to...drink more coffee at the wonderful coffee shop in Vermillion. Yay!
Eventually, though perhaps not quickly enough, we tore ourselves away - again - and headed towards Sioux City. It was a nice morning and the clouds were beautiful as the sun was climbing into the sky. We had a nice leisurely ride from Vermillion to Elk Point, and then realized we were running a little bit late.
After a quick snack we kicked it into high gear and took off, which didn't do us any good because I misread the map and instead of turning on Riverside Blvd. in Sioux City I turned on River Ln. in North Sioux City, and we were lost.
By the time we hit the bike path going into Sioux City we were the logging trucks and everyone was getting out of our way as we desperately tried to make our rental car appointment. Everyone except to little chihuahuas who were unleashed on the trail and nearly became yippy little pancakes.
We ended up calling the rental car people and they set us up with a later pickup, so it all worked out. The folks at Albrecht cycle were super friendly and gladly stored our bikes in their basement for the weekend, and the car rental people were also very helpful. It all seemed a little too easy, and before we knew it Amanda was behind the wheel cruising toward the interstate at 25mph, like she was 90 and half blind, and I was still gripping my handrest with white knuckles.
Automobiles are a little nerve racking after a month on a bike.
For those of you who may be wondering why we rented a car/thinking we gave up and went home, let me bring you up to date.
Amanda's friend Paul is getting married in St. Louis on the 14th, so we have rented a car that Amanda might be present for the wedding, and I don't want to be left all alone in Sioux City. It's kind of dismal.
Day 37 Vermillion, SD
2142.5 miles
135 miles in a day deserves a day off, right?
Well, we took one anyway. We thought we would just hang out in the coffee shop and work on the zine for a while, then head to Sioux City, but seven hours later we were still in the coffee shop. At least I was. Amanda got a haircut, did some other stuff. Since it was a short ride to Sioux City and we couldn't pick up the rental car until noon, we figured there was no harm done hanging out.
Vermillion is a great little town. Home of the University of South Dakota and only 9700 or so people. So, it has both college town and small town charm. The coffee shop that we lived in for a day is the Coffee Shop Gallery. It's on main street in Vermillion and comes highly recommended. The coffee was great, as was the food, and nobody gave us sideways glances for camping out all day. One of the baristas also referred to me as his bearded brother.
After tearing ourselves away from the coffee shop we gathered the necessities for a picnic (cheese, fruit, bottle of wine, peanut butter brownies) and headed back to the park where we drank wine and relaxed for the remainder of the day.
Vermillion...South Dakota turns on the charm, again.
135 miles in a day deserves a day off, right?
Well, we took one anyway. We thought we would just hang out in the coffee shop and work on the zine for a while, then head to Sioux City, but seven hours later we were still in the coffee shop. At least I was. Amanda got a haircut, did some other stuff. Since it was a short ride to Sioux City and we couldn't pick up the rental car until noon, we figured there was no harm done hanging out.
Vermillion is a great little town. Home of the University of South Dakota and only 9700 or so people. So, it has both college town and small town charm. The coffee shop that we lived in for a day is the Coffee Shop Gallery. It's on main street in Vermillion and comes highly recommended. The coffee was great, as was the food, and nobody gave us sideways glances for camping out all day. One of the baristas also referred to me as his bearded brother.
After tearing ourselves away from the coffee shop we gathered the necessities for a picnic (cheese, fruit, bottle of wine, peanut butter brownies) and headed back to the park where we drank wine and relaxed for the remainder of the day.
Vermillion...South Dakota turns on the charm, again.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Reminder
There are new posts below, but I wanted to keep two things at the top of the page.
July 23rd - Cooper's Landing
July 26th - Hartford, IL
Mark your calendars.
July 23rd - Cooper's Landing
July 26th - Hartford, IL
Mark your calendars.
Day 36 Platte, SD to Vermillion, SD
2142.5 miles
We had some punk teenagers mess with us in the middle of the night. It was shortly after I had fallen asleep. They came over stood around our tent and just started screaming. Amanda saw them walk up, so she realized what was happening, but I woke up terrified that we were being attacked, and was halfway out of the tent before I understood what was happening. You are charming Platte, particularly your library, but your children have nothing to do.
When the bored teens left a storm blew in. It was a big one to. Rain blew in under the fly and the tent was like a sail, but we stayed reasonably dry and when the howling died down we caught a few hours sleep.
The storm did finally switch the winds. They were blowing hard out of the Northwest this morning bringing in cold air from Canada. So, it was a perfect day of riding. We had 15-20mph winds to our backs with highs in the mid-70's. We flew down the road for 135 miles. Yes, 135 miles in one day. It was amazing.
Our goal was 105 to Yankton, but at lunch, roughly 50 miles in, we figured that if we made Yankton by 5pm, to check the mail, we could push on to Vermillion. It was going to be close so we rode hard.
We made Yankton just before five, and dashed into the Post Office. There was no mail, and just as we turned to leave, they shut the gates over the windows and closed the post office down. We had just made it, but now we could ride on to Vermillion.
Unfortuanetly, our adrenaline crashed just outside Yankton, so we really had to push the last thirty miles, but we rolled in victorious. 135 miles, damn.
No pictures from today. All we did was ride - hard and fast.
We had some punk teenagers mess with us in the middle of the night. It was shortly after I had fallen asleep. They came over stood around our tent and just started screaming. Amanda saw them walk up, so she realized what was happening, but I woke up terrified that we were being attacked, and was halfway out of the tent before I understood what was happening. You are charming Platte, particularly your library, but your children have nothing to do.
When the bored teens left a storm blew in. It was a big one to. Rain blew in under the fly and the tent was like a sail, but we stayed reasonably dry and when the howling died down we caught a few hours sleep.
The storm did finally switch the winds. They were blowing hard out of the Northwest this morning bringing in cold air from Canada. So, it was a perfect day of riding. We had 15-20mph winds to our backs with highs in the mid-70's. We flew down the road for 135 miles. Yes, 135 miles in one day. It was amazing.
Our goal was 105 to Yankton, but at lunch, roughly 50 miles in, we figured that if we made Yankton by 5pm, to check the mail, we could push on to Vermillion. It was going to be close so we rode hard.
We made Yankton just before five, and dashed into the Post Office. There was no mail, and just as we turned to leave, they shut the gates over the windows and closed the post office down. We had just made it, but now we could ride on to Vermillion.
Unfortuanetly, our adrenaline crashed just outside Yankton, so we really had to push the last thirty miles, but we rolled in victorious. 135 miles, damn.
No pictures from today. All we did was ride - hard and fast.
Day 35 Chamberlain, SD to Platte, SD
2007.4 miles
2000 miles!!! It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating one thousand and wondering if we would make it to 2000 or die trying. We are definetly getting stronger both in mind and body, more capable of facing the myriad challenges of this adventure and having a great time again.
On our way to camp last night we met three more cyclists from New York. The tent area at the city park in Chamberlain was home to six cyclists for the night, and in the past two days we've met six other people who are riding. None of them have been riding our route, we've all just converged by coincidence.
I forgot this in yesterday's post, but we met a guy just before the Pit Stop on his way West. He told us about the Pit Stop, and about how he had stopped at another gas station on the 111 degree day only to his bottles filled with antifreeze tainted water. After which, he rode through the heat anoter 30 miles with one emergency bottle, and was literally saved from dehydration by the people at the Pit Stop. Wicked bad luck. We also met a cyclist from Germany at Fort Thompson yesterday making his way from Minneapolis to Vancouver.
Back to the present. We started our day with coffee and caramel rolls at the Anchor Cafe. I've never seen caramel rolls before, apparently its a Western thing. It's a cinnamon roll covered in caramel sauce, and these had pecans on top. They are amazing. Someone in charge of the sweet pastry industry needs to read this and bring caramel rolls to Missouri.
Unfortuanetly, our coffee and caramel rolls got us a late start. It was nice riding with a gentle breezes and great terrain, but by the time we rolled into Platte it was getting late. We were going to continue on, but needed a break from the heat so we had the best pie of the trip (Shorty's Cafe - Platte, SD) and ducked into the library. We ended up closing down the library and then chatting with the wonderful librarian, Anita, for over an hour. At which point, it was too late to move on. Anita told us that camping was allowed in the city park, so we went and setup camp.
Across the street from the library in Platte is the Barrister Lounge. I couldn't pass that up. So, I went and had a couple Leinenkugels and listened to the locals talk about the harvest and baseball. There was very little discussion of jurisprudence.
2000 miles!!! It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating one thousand and wondering if we would make it to 2000 or die trying. We are definetly getting stronger both in mind and body, more capable of facing the myriad challenges of this adventure and having a great time again.
On our way to camp last night we met three more cyclists from New York. The tent area at the city park in Chamberlain was home to six cyclists for the night, and in the past two days we've met six other people who are riding. None of them have been riding our route, we've all just converged by coincidence.
I forgot this in yesterday's post, but we met a guy just before the Pit Stop on his way West. He told us about the Pit Stop, and about how he had stopped at another gas station on the 111 degree day only to his bottles filled with antifreeze tainted water. After which, he rode through the heat anoter 30 miles with one emergency bottle, and was literally saved from dehydration by the people at the Pit Stop. Wicked bad luck. We also met a cyclist from Germany at Fort Thompson yesterday making his way from Minneapolis to Vancouver.
Back to the present. We started our day with coffee and caramel rolls at the Anchor Cafe. I've never seen caramel rolls before, apparently its a Western thing. It's a cinnamon roll covered in caramel sauce, and these had pecans on top. They are amazing. Someone in charge of the sweet pastry industry needs to read this and bring caramel rolls to Missouri.
Unfortuanetly, our coffee and caramel rolls got us a late start. It was nice riding with a gentle breezes and great terrain, but by the time we rolled into Platte it was getting late. We were going to continue on, but needed a break from the heat so we had the best pie of the trip (Shorty's Cafe - Platte, SD) and ducked into the library. We ended up closing down the library and then chatting with the wonderful librarian, Anita, for over an hour. At which point, it was too late to move on. Anita told us that camping was allowed in the city park, so we went and setup camp.
Across the street from the library in Platte is the Barrister Lounge. I couldn't pass that up. So, I went and had a couple Leinenkugels and listened to the locals talk about the harvest and baseball. There was very little discussion of jurisprudence.
Day 34 Pierre, SD to Chamberlain, SD
1956.6 miles
I think Pat is always an early riser, no matter his attempts to sleep in. He showed up ready to ride while we were still eating breakfast. We, however, were moving slow because we didn't sleep last night. It was 81 degrees at 1am when it threatened to storm on us. No storm, but the winds did howl all night long. So, we were a little stumbly and bleary eyed emerging into the world.
The system that blew through last night was supposed to shift the winds, so that they blew out of the northwest, but it didn't. So, the three of us rode off into the wind, which is significantly less romantic than riding off into the sunset.
We had a long slow morning crawling into the wind with frequent stops. Took lunch at a place off the map called the Pit Stop where the entire community gathers through the day from the surrounding fields. The proprietor heaps abuse on everyone, but it is clear that she is also looking out for all her customers, when she's not vacationing in Egypt.
Eventually we made it to Fort Thompson, and headed South cathcing the breeze behind us. The ride into Chamberlain had to big hills, but at the top of the second hill was a gorgeous view of the river, and then a great view of town. I like the hills in the Dakotas because your effort pays off. Not only did we get a great bit of scenery, but we were welcomed to Chamberlain with a long fast descent into town. Glorious.
I think Pat is always an early riser, no matter his attempts to sleep in. He showed up ready to ride while we were still eating breakfast. We, however, were moving slow because we didn't sleep last night. It was 81 degrees at 1am when it threatened to storm on us. No storm, but the winds did howl all night long. So, we were a little stumbly and bleary eyed emerging into the world.
The system that blew through last night was supposed to shift the winds, so that they blew out of the northwest, but it didn't. So, the three of us rode off into the wind, which is significantly less romantic than riding off into the sunset.
We had a long slow morning crawling into the wind with frequent stops. Took lunch at a place off the map called the Pit Stop where the entire community gathers through the day from the surrounding fields. The proprietor heaps abuse on everyone, but it is clear that she is also looking out for all her customers, when she's not vacationing in Egypt.
Eventually we made it to Fort Thompson, and headed South cathcing the breeze behind us. The ride into Chamberlain had to big hills, but at the top of the second hill was a gorgeous view of the river, and then a great view of town. I like the hills in the Dakotas because your effort pays off. Not only did we get a great bit of scenery, but we were welcomed to Chamberlain with a long fast descent into town. Glorious.
Day 33 Pierre, SD
1876.3 miles
So, we rode six miles today. We didn't leave Pierre, obviously. We needed a day off, maybe I said that in the last post, but at any rate it was 111 degrees yesterday in South Dakota, which in my book is too hot to ride. Its dangerous when its that hot, and if this trip is about anything, it is not about getting heat stroke and passing out on the side of the road in rural South Dakota. I know my mother will appreciate that sentiment.
To beat the heat we spent 3 hours in the library, and another 4 hours in Country Kitchen before setting up camp after dark in the city park. While at Country Kitchen we met another cyclist named Pat who is making his way to Delaware from Oregon. He had been riding with his daughter, but she had to fly back to NYC to film a movie. She's an actress. We may ride with him tomorrow if he wakes up early enough.
So, we rode six miles today. We didn't leave Pierre, obviously. We needed a day off, maybe I said that in the last post, but at any rate it was 111 degrees yesterday in South Dakota, which in my book is too hot to ride. Its dangerous when its that hot, and if this trip is about anything, it is not about getting heat stroke and passing out on the side of the road in rural South Dakota. I know my mother will appreciate that sentiment.
To beat the heat we spent 3 hours in the library, and another 4 hours in Country Kitchen before setting up camp after dark in the city park. While at Country Kitchen we met another cyclist named Pat who is making his way to Delaware from Oregon. He had been riding with his daughter, but she had to fly back to NYC to film a movie. She's an actress. We may ride with him tomorrow if he wakes up early enough.
Monday, July 9, 2007
July 23rd - Mark Your Calendars
It's partytime, almost.
We've laid out our itinerary, and can say with reasonable confidence that we will arrive at Cooper's Landing, near Columbia, on July 23rd at roughly 5:00pm. We would love to see any and all of your smiling faces there for beer and thai food by the river, and to celebrate our return to Missouri. We will be camping at the landing, and you are welcome to join us for camping as well and then see us, and with luck Adam Campbell, off on the last three days of our journey. If all works out we will then pass the torch to Adam who will continue on to Virginia (and by torch I mean one awesome unicorn folder for the making of important/life altering decisions).
For those of you who can't make Cooper's, who live in or around St. Louis, or who can't get enough of the good times we will be arriving at our final destination, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Hartford, IL, on the 26th of July in the early evening, probably between six and seven. You are welcome to welcome us there as well.
We like to feel welcome.
We hope to see you all soon.
We've laid out our itinerary, and can say with reasonable confidence that we will arrive at Cooper's Landing, near Columbia, on July 23rd at roughly 5:00pm. We would love to see any and all of your smiling faces there for beer and thai food by the river, and to celebrate our return to Missouri. We will be camping at the landing, and you are welcome to join us for camping as well and then see us, and with luck Adam Campbell, off on the last three days of our journey. If all works out we will then pass the torch to Adam who will continue on to Virginia (and by torch I mean one awesome unicorn folder for the making of important/life altering decisions).
For those of you who can't make Cooper's, who live in or around St. Louis, or who can't get enough of the good times we will be arriving at our final destination, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Hartford, IL, on the 26th of July in the early evening, probably between six and seven. You are welcome to welcome us there as well.
We like to feel welcome.
We hope to see you all soon.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
For your viewing pleasure
New posts. Updated Itinerary. And.....
Backposted pictures. That's right, there are now pictures attached to every post, so you can go back and look at the beginning of the trip that you where here-to-fore denied.
Enjoy.
Backposted pictures. That's right, there are now pictures attached to every post, so you can go back and look at the beginning of the trip that you where here-to-fore denied.
Enjoy.
Day 32 Akasa, SD to Pierre, SD
1865.7 miles
We were expecting packages this morning, so we had to wait for the Post Office to open. With all that time we had a leisurely breakfast at the Bait Shop, and took our precious time packing things up. We haven't done that for a week or so. We used to take really nice, relaxing mornings, but the heat and the bugs have started lighting a fire under us when we crawl out of the tent in the morning.
Unfortuanetly, the slow morning, while enjoyable, made for a tough day. We ended up getting out around 10:30 as the heat was setting and and the wind was whipping up out of the Southeast, or into our faces. My stomach sinks. Another day into the wind. It brings back these horrible memories of Eastern, MT.
So, when we got into Pierre at 9pm we decided that 16 days of solid riding without a day off was enough. We got a hotel room and decided to kick it in Pierre for a day. What luck, the Mexican restaurant next door was one of the best I've ever eaten at, and Cartoon Network was running a Family Guy marathon.
Heaven.
We were expecting packages this morning, so we had to wait for the Post Office to open. With all that time we had a leisurely breakfast at the Bait Shop, and took our precious time packing things up. We haven't done that for a week or so. We used to take really nice, relaxing mornings, but the heat and the bugs have started lighting a fire under us when we crawl out of the tent in the morning.
Unfortuanetly, the slow morning, while enjoyable, made for a tough day. We ended up getting out around 10:30 as the heat was setting and and the wind was whipping up out of the Southeast, or into our faces. My stomach sinks. Another day into the wind. It brings back these horrible memories of Eastern, MT.
So, when we got into Pierre at 9pm we decided that 16 days of solid riding without a day off was enough. We got a hotel room and decided to kick it in Pierre for a day. What luck, the Mexican restaurant next door was one of the best I've ever eaten at, and Cartoon Network was running a Family Guy marathon.
Heaven.
Day 31 Pollock, SD to Akaska, SD
1785.1 miles
Oh, the bottle rockets ceaseless clamor, Avril Lavigne on the loudspeaker, kept us up all night, but the flag was still there.
Luckily, the riding between Pollock and Akaska was superb. More gently rolling hills of wheat and grass under a blue sky, mild temps on the bike, and the wind to our backs.
For lunch we rolled into the cutest small town we've hit yet, Mobridge, SD. They have a glorious park with shade trees, lush grass, flowers, and a fountain. We haven't really seen much verdant green for some time. We had lunch under a tree on the grass, and nice gentleman brought us sodas and watermelon after talking to us about our trip. Then we lay in the shade and napped.
It was hard leave Mobridge, it's park, and the grocery store that smelled of fresh baking bread behind, but to stay would have meant a very long day to Pierre. So, we took some bad local advice on route choice and headed out of town.
After 10 miles of gravel road we crested a hill to see all of Akaska laid out before our eyes - two paved roads, and six total blocks. There's only one paved road into Akasa, and the post office is only open from 10:00am to 10:30am, if the carrier shows up on time.
We ended up camping next to the campground hosts RV because it was the only shade in the campsite, and got a couple free beers and some peanuts before the past couple days caught up with us and we fell asleep on the grass.
Oh, the bottle rockets ceaseless clamor, Avril Lavigne on the loudspeaker, kept us up all night, but the flag was still there.
Luckily, the riding between Pollock and Akaska was superb. More gently rolling hills of wheat and grass under a blue sky, mild temps on the bike, and the wind to our backs.
For lunch we rolled into the cutest small town we've hit yet, Mobridge, SD. They have a glorious park with shade trees, lush grass, flowers, and a fountain. We haven't really seen much verdant green for some time. We had lunch under a tree on the grass, and nice gentleman brought us sodas and watermelon after talking to us about our trip. Then we lay in the shade and napped.
It was hard leave Mobridge, it's park, and the grocery store that smelled of fresh baking bread behind, but to stay would have meant a very long day to Pierre. So, we took some bad local advice on route choice and headed out of town.
After 10 miles of gravel road we crested a hill to see all of Akaska laid out before our eyes - two paved roads, and six total blocks. There's only one paved road into Akasa, and the post office is only open from 10:00am to 10:30am, if the carrier shows up on time.
We ended up camping next to the campground hosts RV because it was the only shade in the campsite, and got a couple free beers and some peanuts before the past couple days caught up with us and we fell asleep on the grass.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Day 30 Bismarck, ND to Pollock, SD
Today was a beautiful day of riding on SR1804. The hills were rolling and covered in fields of wheat and grass. The sky was blue. The temperatures were nice for most of the day. This is the model of a great day of touring (take note, Montana)!
We were also witness to a migration of tiny frogs. When we pulled over for our first stop of the day, there were hundreds of frogs no bigger than the end of my thumb slowly emerging from the grass and dispersing in every direction. Off to populate the puddles and ponds of North Dakota.
We stopped for lunch at a farm on the side of the rode to get some shade. There is basically nothing between Bismarck and Pollock on the road we were riding. We were going to knock and ask permission to sit in the shade, but it was just a collection of farm buildings, no farm house. So, we squatted for an hour and ate lunch in the shade overlooking the river/lake below us. Lake Oahe reflects the blue of the sky, so it looks turquoise from a distance.
10 miles before Pollock we rode out of North Dakota and into South Dakota. Great Face. Great Places.
We were also witness to a migration of tiny frogs. When we pulled over for our first stop of the day, there were hundreds of frogs no bigger than the end of my thumb slowly emerging from the grass and dispersing in every direction. Off to populate the puddles and ponds of North Dakota.
We stopped for lunch at a farm on the side of the rode to get some shade. There is basically nothing between Bismarck and Pollock on the road we were riding. We were going to knock and ask permission to sit in the shade, but it was just a collection of farm buildings, no farm house. So, we squatted for an hour and ate lunch in the shade overlooking the river/lake below us. Lake Oahe reflects the blue of the sky, so it looks turquoise from a distance.
10 miles before Pollock we rode out of North Dakota and into South Dakota. Great Face. Great Places.
Day 29 Garrison, ND to Bismarck, ND
1630.2 miles
Being in a house is nice, even when it is a strangers house. Maybe we are getting a little road weary. We managed to wake up early this morning and hit the road by eight. We've been talking about it for weeks as the days have gotten hotter, but hadn't yet actually pulled it off. We tend to drag a bit in the morning, enjoy the rising hours.
Joanne gave us a tip that rather than two days on SR1804 we could, it was only seventy miles to Bismark if we took US83, so we did. We flew down the highway with it's mild grades and the wind at our back. We made it into Bismarck early rode by the state capitol. It is the ugliest state capitol I've seen. It looks like an office building built in 1972. Maybe it was. Bismarck as a whole was not that good to us. It isn't laid out in a way that makes a lot of sense, or maybe we are just used to rolling into small towns where you can't help but find all of the necessary services. We ended up spending a lot of time running errands in Bismarck and didn't get out of town until late.
On our way to the library we rode by the scene of an accident. A guy on a motor cycle had been hit by a truck. He was still on the cycle pinned down by the other vehicle and yelling in pain. We stopped, but someone was already on the phone with 911 and emergency crews were on their way, so there was nothing we could do to help. It was a somewhat traumatizing experience. I was really shaken up. Amanda said that riding up to that scene confirmed for her that she wanted to get EMT certified. But, it also reminded me of how vulnerable we are out here on our bikes.
Well, that was kind of a down way to end a post. So, here are some pictures from the North Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. I don't know how to rotate the one, so if anybody can tell me how to do that from blogger send an email, si.webster@gmail.com, and I'll fix it.
Being in a house is nice, even when it is a strangers house. Maybe we are getting a little road weary. We managed to wake up early this morning and hit the road by eight. We've been talking about it for weeks as the days have gotten hotter, but hadn't yet actually pulled it off. We tend to drag a bit in the morning, enjoy the rising hours.
Joanne gave us a tip that rather than two days on SR1804 we could, it was only seventy miles to Bismark if we took US83, so we did. We flew down the highway with it's mild grades and the wind at our back. We made it into Bismarck early rode by the state capitol. It is the ugliest state capitol I've seen. It looks like an office building built in 1972. Maybe it was. Bismarck as a whole was not that good to us. It isn't laid out in a way that makes a lot of sense, or maybe we are just used to rolling into small towns where you can't help but find all of the necessary services. We ended up spending a lot of time running errands in Bismarck and didn't get out of town until late.
On our way to the library we rode by the scene of an accident. A guy on a motor cycle had been hit by a truck. He was still on the cycle pinned down by the other vehicle and yelling in pain. We stopped, but someone was already on the phone with 911 and emergency crews were on their way, so there was nothing we could do to help. It was a somewhat traumatizing experience. I was really shaken up. Amanda said that riding up to that scene confirmed for her that she wanted to get EMT certified. But, it also reminded me of how vulnerable we are out here on our bikes.
Well, that was kind of a down way to end a post. So, here are some pictures from the North Dakota Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. I don't know how to rotate the one, so if anybody can tell me how to do that from blogger send an email, si.webster@gmail.com, and I'll fix it.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Updates
The intinerary is updated, and so are the post offices. No pictures this time, but I'll try to post some for these days at the next stop. No promises, pictures are hard.
Day 28 New Town, ND to Garrison, ND
1543 miles
A day of trials.
My tire is trash. Though I could maybe put it back together with some rubber cement and ingenuity, but no luck. my little patch job got us 10 miles down the road to Parshall, where I had to change it lest I tempt fate. Putting it all back together my deraileur was messed up, so had to fix that. Finally got out of Parshall around noon, made it about 15 miles and had a blow out. Turns out my spare tire has a big hole in the side of it. Luckily, Amanda had a trick she learned from a friend who races road bikes. You can protect your tube by putt a folded dollar bill over the whole in your tire.
That got us to Garrison, but it was a long slow day. We didn't eat lunch until 3pm, and were exhausted 20 miles out. We were supposed to ride on another 9 miles to camp, but Amanda said we should go ask the Bed and Breakfast if we could camp in their yard. So we did.
Joanne, the owner of the Bed and Breakfast who sounds just like Marge from Fargo, graciously let us camp. She also let us shower, fix dinner on her stove, eat in her kitchen, watch The Family Guy - much needed laughs after today - and sleep on her floor when we got stormed out of our tent in the middle of the night. Such generosity. Such hospitality.
Thanks Joanne. If you don't sell it, we'll send everyone we know going through North Dakota your way.
A day of trials.
My tire is trash. Though I could maybe put it back together with some rubber cement and ingenuity, but no luck. my little patch job got us 10 miles down the road to Parshall, where I had to change it lest I tempt fate. Putting it all back together my deraileur was messed up, so had to fix that. Finally got out of Parshall around noon, made it about 15 miles and had a blow out. Turns out my spare tire has a big hole in the side of it. Luckily, Amanda had a trick she learned from a friend who races road bikes. You can protect your tube by putt a folded dollar bill over the whole in your tire.
That got us to Garrison, but it was a long slow day. We didn't eat lunch until 3pm, and were exhausted 20 miles out. We were supposed to ride on another 9 miles to camp, but Amanda said we should go ask the Bed and Breakfast if we could camp in their yard. So we did.
Joanne, the owner of the Bed and Breakfast who sounds just like Marge from Fargo, graciously let us camp. She also let us shower, fix dinner on her stove, eat in her kitchen, watch The Family Guy - much needed laughs after today - and sleep on her floor when we got stormed out of our tent in the middle of the night. Such generosity. Such hospitality.
Thanks Joanne. If you don't sell it, we'll send everyone we know going through North Dakota your way.
Day 27 Williston, ND to New Town, ND
1470.4 miles
There is wind again, but it's not as bad. It's not a direct headwind, and it isn't blowing as hard. Getting away from Williston - which was more like the oil towns of Eastern Montana, depressing - North Dakot is really beautiful. The hills actually roll here. I don't know what they do in Montana, goose step maybe?
The fields are planted in alfalfa and what I think is heather. So, amongst the green of corn, beets, or grain are patches of yellow and purple. It is a welcome break from the high plains/desert/ranchland we've been in for a week or more. It feels lush, verdant, and alive.
We also escaped the mosquitoes once we got away from Williston. Well, maybe not escaped, but they are manageable now.
We got into New Town, had some ice cream and we're going to ride 9 miles on to the camping at the recreation area when I discovered that I had a 9 inch gash down the center of my tire and the tread was peeling away from the casing. The Specialized Armadillo tires do not come recommended. I'm the third person I know of who this has happened to. I went in for some super glue and duct tape to see if I could get it to hold together til camp, but while I was working on it Amanda got us a lift from two young guys with a truck named Matthew and Joe. They build concrete grain elevators, and were out looking for some good fishing, but were kind enough to give us a lift out of their way to camp. As Joe said, "If it wasn't for the kindness of strangers, none of this would've been built."
There is wind again, but it's not as bad. It's not a direct headwind, and it isn't blowing as hard. Getting away from Williston - which was more like the oil towns of Eastern Montana, depressing - North Dakot is really beautiful. The hills actually roll here. I don't know what they do in Montana, goose step maybe?
The fields are planted in alfalfa and what I think is heather. So, amongst the green of corn, beets, or grain are patches of yellow and purple. It is a welcome break from the high plains/desert/ranchland we've been in for a week or more. It feels lush, verdant, and alive.
We also escaped the mosquitoes once we got away from Williston. Well, maybe not escaped, but they are manageable now.
We got into New Town, had some ice cream and we're going to ride 9 miles on to the camping at the recreation area when I discovered that I had a 9 inch gash down the center of my tire and the tread was peeling away from the casing. The Specialized Armadillo tires do not come recommended. I'm the third person I know of who this has happened to. I went in for some super glue and duct tape to see if I could get it to hold together til camp, but while I was working on it Amanda got us a lift from two young guys with a truck named Matthew and Joe. They build concrete grain elevators, and were out looking for some good fishing, but were kind enough to give us a lift out of their way to camp. As Joe said, "If it wasn't for the kindness of strangers, none of this would've been built."
Day 26 Sidney, MT to Williston, ND
1391.9 miles
We were going to cut across the Badlands of North Dakota to Theodore Roosevelt National Park today, but the weather is supposed to turn nasty on us, and we don't have good maps of that area, so we decided to catch our route again and head to Williston.
12 miles out of Sidney we left Montana behind, hopefully forever. That's not true. Everything West of Roger's pass was delightful and gorgeous. Eastern Montana, however, is dead to me.
We stopped at the Fort Buford historic site on the way. Fort Buford is the location where Sitting Bull finally surrendered to the United States Army. Amanda snuck in on half the tour and learned about half the lives of soldiers garrisoned at Fort Buford. I'm told they had a very impressive meat cutter. I went down to look at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers. We were going to picnic at a site overlooking the confluence, but we walked into a cloud of hundreds of mosquitoes and had to high tail it out of there.
Unfortuanetly, the mosquitoes caught up with us in Williston. They were everywhere. In the stores. In the laundromat. On the Streets. In the campground you couldn't stand still without have 10 land on you and start biting.
We are happy to be in North Dakota, but if this is our welcome to the plains, it's going to be a tough ride home.
We were going to cut across the Badlands of North Dakota to Theodore Roosevelt National Park today, but the weather is supposed to turn nasty on us, and we don't have good maps of that area, so we decided to catch our route again and head to Williston.
12 miles out of Sidney we left Montana behind, hopefully forever. That's not true. Everything West of Roger's pass was delightful and gorgeous. Eastern Montana, however, is dead to me.
We stopped at the Fort Buford historic site on the way. Fort Buford is the location where Sitting Bull finally surrendered to the United States Army. Amanda snuck in on half the tour and learned about half the lives of soldiers garrisoned at Fort Buford. I'm told they had a very impressive meat cutter. I went down to look at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers. We were going to picnic at a site overlooking the confluence, but we walked into a cloud of hundreds of mosquitoes and had to high tail it out of there.
Unfortuanetly, the mosquitoes caught up with us in Williston. They were everywhere. In the stores. In the laundromat. On the Streets. In the campground you couldn't stand still without have 10 land on you and start biting.
We are happy to be in North Dakota, but if this is our welcome to the plains, it's going to be a tough ride home.
Day 25 Circle, MT to Sidney, MT
1336.3 miles
The wind will never halt. It only gets stronger. The terrain will never be flat. The hills only get steeper. These are the only things I am sure of in life at this moment. The howling my ears has called everything else into question. Which, is exactly how I felt when we stopped at a bar in some tiny little town whose name has been driven from my head.
I didn't know if we would make the last 20 miles to Sidney. We stopped once, about 5 miles out at the top of a big climb, and then we beat it. We beat the wind. We won the mental game. It took three days of incessant monotony, but those last 15 miles it was like Zen. We just rode.
When we got into town, our bodies were pretty wiped out from three days and 170 miles of climbing and fighting. So, we got a hotel room. We showered and watched Drop Dead Gorgeous, which was exactly what we needed to lift our spirits.
We also ate at Taco Johns. When we were Freshman on the way to a punk rock show in Kansas City we saw a Taco Johns billboard with the Slogan "A Whole Lot of Mexican," which is hilarious. So, we vowed that we would stop and eat at Taco Johns someday, and now 7 years later we've finally done it. It's not spectacular. It's fast food. But, we had fun.
When we stopped in Ritchey today we got mascots for our bikes. Amanda's is a unicorn named Ruthy Dee and mine is a Liger named Rheinhard the Indomitable.
The wind will never halt. It only gets stronger. The terrain will never be flat. The hills only get steeper. These are the only things I am sure of in life at this moment. The howling my ears has called everything else into question. Which, is exactly how I felt when we stopped at a bar in some tiny little town whose name has been driven from my head.
I didn't know if we would make the last 20 miles to Sidney. We stopped once, about 5 miles out at the top of a big climb, and then we beat it. We beat the wind. We won the mental game. It took three days of incessant monotony, but those last 15 miles it was like Zen. We just rode.
When we got into town, our bodies were pretty wiped out from three days and 170 miles of climbing and fighting. So, we got a hotel room. We showered and watched Drop Dead Gorgeous, which was exactly what we needed to lift our spirits.
We also ate at Taco Johns. When we were Freshman on the way to a punk rock show in Kansas City we saw a Taco Johns billboard with the Slogan "A Whole Lot of Mexican," which is hilarious. So, we vowed that we would stop and eat at Taco Johns someday, and now 7 years later we've finally done it. It's not spectacular. It's fast food. But, we had fun.
When we stopped in Ritchey today we got mascots for our bikes. Amanda's is a unicorn named Ruthy Dee and mine is a Liger named Rheinhard the Indomitable.
Day 24 Jordan, MT to Circle, MT
1257.9 miles
The wind, the wind, the horror. More wind. More hills. It's blowing harder today, and the hills are getting bigger, and we're riding more miles. It's is a defeating day.
We've got the legs. We've got the power and the stamina. But, the wind plays with your mind. It gets into your head and wrecks up the place. It will destroy your morale and make you crazy if you let it. So, we spend the whole day trying to think of things to occupy our minds, keep the wind out.
Then, in the afternoon we stop at a roadside bar to get away from. Have a Budweiser, dull the crazies for a few minutes. If we're lucky they have the local paper, and we can read the comics before we head out for the last 12 grueling miles.
The wind, the wind, the horror. More wind. More hills. It's blowing harder today, and the hills are getting bigger, and we're riding more miles. It's is a defeating day.
We've got the legs. We've got the power and the stamina. But, the wind plays with your mind. It gets into your head and wrecks up the place. It will destroy your morale and make you crazy if you let it. So, we spend the whole day trying to think of things to occupy our minds, keep the wind out.
Then, in the afternoon we stop at a roadside bar to get away from. Have a Budweiser, dull the crazies for a few minutes. If we're lucky they have the local paper, and we can read the comics before we head out for the last 12 grueling miles.
Day 23 Sand Springs, MT to Jordan, MT
1189.7 miles
We met some nice ranchers at the Sand Springs Post Office/Store last night. They're from Wyoming and are looking to buy some land in this area, though I'm not sure they even know why. They certainly didn't seem very keen on the landscape, though it's a tough landscape to get worked up about. We saw them again today at the library, sort of. After we got into town, we saw their truck at the bar, so Amanda left a note saying that if they were headed East (our direction) they should come talk to the cyclists at the library. They came to say hello, but they weren't going out direction, so we bid them farewell.
Yes, we were going to hitch a ride. They were awfully nice folks, and seemed like they'd make good company for the hour it would take to move on to the next town by car, a days ride for us. But, we didn't. We stuck it out.
We were gonna hitch a ride because today was 32 miles into a direct headwind up and over the coulies of Eastern Montana. It was hell. And the thought of a soft seat and an hours travel to our next stop was a little overwhelming. But, instead of a ride we got a lunch that was entirely fried and pie. It was delicious, but goes on the list of worst ideas we've had yet. Amanda had bacon, I had a grilled cheese with french fries, and we ordered this appetizer that was deep fried vegetables, cheese sticks, onion peels, and fried potato cheese nuggets - oh, and ranch for dipping.
Our bodies will never be the same.
We met some nice ranchers at the Sand Springs Post Office/Store last night. They're from Wyoming and are looking to buy some land in this area, though I'm not sure they even know why. They certainly didn't seem very keen on the landscape, though it's a tough landscape to get worked up about. We saw them again today at the library, sort of. After we got into town, we saw their truck at the bar, so Amanda left a note saying that if they were headed East (our direction) they should come talk to the cyclists at the library. They came to say hello, but they weren't going out direction, so we bid them farewell.
Yes, we were going to hitch a ride. They were awfully nice folks, and seemed like they'd make good company for the hour it would take to move on to the next town by car, a days ride for us. But, we didn't. We stuck it out.
We were gonna hitch a ride because today was 32 miles into a direct headwind up and over the coulies of Eastern Montana. It was hell. And the thought of a soft seat and an hours travel to our next stop was a little overwhelming. But, instead of a ride we got a lunch that was entirely fried and pie. It was delicious, but goes on the list of worst ideas we've had yet. Amanda had bacon, I had a grilled cheese with french fries, and we ordered this appetizer that was deep fried vegetables, cheese sticks, onion peels, and fried potato cheese nuggets - oh, and ranch for dipping.
Our bodies will never be the same.
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