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.
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