Category: 2017 Northern Tier

Tonight’s notes will be short as it was a long day.

We had more ka-thump roads most of the day. We had strong winds in our face. The route had to be modified making it a little longer. There were rollers, lots of rollers. I was on the road for over 10 hours. All of this makes for a very tired cyclist.

At the end of the day, Beer Alan was heading for lunch at a brewery. Since I was hungry, I went with him. I tried another beer today. I liked the one the other day better but now I know, there are ‘acceptable’ beers out there. Guess I need to keep looking to see if I can find them.

Just as I was getting ready to hop in the shower, a tornado warning popped up on the phone. I put my cycling jersey back on and went down to the motel lobby where we were told to meet. Not long and a rain storm hit! No tornado in our spot so I ran back upstairs to take a quick shower. Had to be quick if I wanted dinner.

We were shuttled to a Mongolian restaurant. Since I created my own dish, it was magnificent! Yummm.

Now its time for some shut eye.

The thunder and lightening came during the night. Since I use ear plugs, I didn’t hear thunder but the flash of light woke me. At first I thought it was my phone flashing. Then I woke enough to realize it was lightening. There was also rain as the roads were wet when we started out this morning.

We got a little spritzle of rain in the morning but hardly worth mentioning. However, we got plenty dirty from the wet dirt sprayed upon us by bikes, cars and trucks. I had to use a washcloth and scrub and scrub my legs to get them clean.

The terrain is pretty flat so the 112 miles went by quickly. We were at the Dairy Queen around 2:00. Average speed was over 16mph. The trade off for riding with a group is I don’t get to stop and take photos unless someone else wants to stop too. So, I don’t have my own pics today but am sharing some from other riders.

Riding along the roads and shoulders of roads today, I got to thinking there should be a rating system for cyclists so we can know what to expect. Most of today’s riding surfaces were OK but there were some sections that were painful. Of course when the day is over, it was a great ride…no matter what happened or what the surfaces were like. I’ve already forgotten all the wet sand and gravel we had to ride through and that rough shoulder that just wore you out and the ka- thunk, ka-thunk sections that jarred the whole body.

Tomorrow is ONLY 99 miles. Funny how one’s perspective changes. We are riding amazing distances every day so to have less than 100 miles seems like an easy day.

My riding partners for these two days are awesome. They keep me on track and we ride well together. Thanks Marty, Deb, Hao, Alan, Kim, and Texas Marty.

Although I’m still in the early load group, I joined with several of the folks from the late load group including Deb and Marty. It was nice to not rush to get on the road today.

After getting out of the motel/mall madness, we were on a very nice bike path which eventually led to the Sioux Falls. I would have liked to explore more there but the group headed out and I needed to stay with them.

Getting off the bike path, we went through the outskirts of town that weren’t so nice but eventually the road and route improved. Before long, we were at the Minnesota state border.

There were no shoulders but the road was smooth and drivers were very courteous.

Our rest stop in Lucerne was at a pretty little park with shade and bathrooms. Nice.  I had to keep an eye on my group so I wouldn’t get left behind. Worked well.

Not too long after this stop at mile 38, there was a bump in the road but it separated the monsters from the rest of us. Bev and Greg powered on ahead while Alan , Marty, Deb, Hao and I continued at a more sane rate. At least I thought it was more sane.  🙂

Moving along at a decent clip, we passed through the town of Adrian. When we were about ten miles from the end of the ride, I asked for a butt break. Alan found us a nice driveway with shade where we stopped for a few minutes to get off the saddle and let our “hot foot” calm down. I got some advice on how to deal with that problem and plan on using it tomorrow.

I REALLY enjoyed riding with a group all day. We got in much earlier than I would’ve had I been on my own. Had time to stop at DQ for burger and a shake, soak in hot tub, swim, do laundry, and still be on time for RAP.

Dinner was at a restaurant called Ground Round. Good meal with ice cream for dessert.

Today my mileage was 70. Tomorrow its supposed to be over 110 with rain storms expected. Temperature should still be warm so won’t be wearing rain gear.

Routine is important. Because I was off routine this morning, I missed my morning meds. Must NOT miss them this evening but they must be taken later than normal because I am off my normal evening routine. I didn’t take the fiber until later which means I can’t take the prescription drugs until later.  Its a giant snowball!! I’m sure tomorrow will be better.

Having nothing specific in mind for the day, I still managed to get a few things done in between doing nothing. The best result after waiting one and a half hours was a full body massage. I asked the man if I could take him with me but he just laughed. He is the only one who has really massaged my legs no matter how many times I asked previous masseurs to do it. 

After doing more nothing in the lobby, I ended up going to dinner with Dave, Marty and Alan. It has been determined I will ride with Marty and Deb tomorrow. So looking forward to it. Hope I can keep up.

Made it into Sioux Falls this afternoon. Wind was not a factor and the route was pretty flat. So, I had no one to draft since all the fast riders were even faster today.

Made for a lonely day on the road but also allowed me to stop for photos and food as needed/desired.

When I reached Montrose, I saw a post office! Across the street was a grocery store. Perfect. Take a photo and get a sandwich. Turns out the store is going out of business because most of the locals go into Sioux Falls to do their shopping. Sad to see this happen. The locals are going to suffer when they need a cup of sugar and find they can’t run down the street to get it anymore.

Passed through more farm lands today. Several sections had been left “natural” so I heard and saw different birds in those areas. Many of the sections were swampy so saw some cattails too.

When I got into Sioux Falls, I actually found the bike trail and did not get lost. Then I was able to find the motel but not without some consternation. I thought I had passed it, was just about to turn around and there it was, whew!

The staff told us tonight, we’ve ridden more than 1,940 miles and climbed over 68,000 feet.

Tomorrow is a rest day and I need it.

As we rode from Chamberlain to Mitchell today, we faced more wind…more of a quartering headwind. I started out a bit grumpy because everything that came in contact with the bike hurt, my feet and my tender spots.

Mike M. came by and tried to get me out of my funk but moved on rather quickly. Then I latched on to the tandem as they came by. That was my saviour for the day. At first all was silence except for the shifting of gears and rolling of wheels. Slowly conversation began and then it took off. I had a lovely ride getting to know Chris and Alastair better. 

As we arrived in Mitchell, I peeled off to go see The Corn Palace while the tandem riders went on to the motel.

The Corn Palace was amazing. Just using ears of corn and other vegetation, they create some amazing murals. There were photos from the past on the walls too. This thing has been going on for over 100 years.

With the side trip to The Corn Palace, my mileage today was 74. Tomorrow’s mileage is supposed to be 71. Made a lot of us happy as we thought it was going to be 91. Still supposed to be hot so hoping to have a day like today where we get in early before the heat reaches its zenith.

At mile 20, we crossed the halfway point between Astoria, Oregon and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. By that point I’d been dropped by three pace lines so I was on my own for the most grueling day yet.

Headwinds and endless rollers were the menu for today. Top it off with the loss of an hour as we entered the Central Time Zone. By the time I reached the final rest stop of the day, I called it quits. If I hadn’t, I would have rolled into Chamberlain around 7pm and probably missed my opportunity for dinner. After 100 miles on a tough day, I wasn’t about to take that chance!

This part of South Dakota is rollers with endless grasses, some planted by farmers and some just wild. There were some cattle but mostly grasses or row crops.

I realized I was getting a bit cranky when I signaled the sag vehicle to stop and then complained because I hadn’t seen the town of Vivian so where is the rest stop? I still don’t know what happened to the town…did they move it; did I sleep through it; was it so small, I missed it???  When I did get to the next rest stop, there was a convenience store. I went in and bought a burger and Coke. Best move I could have made. My attitude improved tremendously. Maybe I’d been hangry.

I tried something new today. I wore two pair of shorts. It certainly worked well for padding my sore spots but later in the ride, the bulk of the padding became its own problem as it rubbed on my nether regions. Well, I tried it and would do it again for shorter distances but we’ll see how I feel in the morning about getting on the saddle again, ouch.

Looked out the window this morning. The ground was wet with rain dripping into the puddles. Pulled out knee warmers, arm warmers and vest. After breakfast, it had stopped raining and was already drying out. So, took off the knee warmers and put all the extra gear away before packing it into the trailer.

While it was overcast most of the day, there was no more rain and it helped keep the temperature down.

It didn’t take long before we were at the entrance to Badlands National Park. Just inside the gate, there was a herd of big horn sheep munching by the side of the road. They are obviously used to people because they had no concern for me as I stood there waiting for them to get closer for a photo.

Not much further and I was wowed! The Badlands need another name like the amazing lands or the awesome lands because that’s what I saw.

At every scenic viewing site, I pulled in and was overwhelmed all over again. I kept thinking, this is it, were done but around the next bend was more!

Besides the amazing geographical features, there are many fossils in the area. There are also lots of hiking trails.

I spoke with several people who were asking about our cycling event. I also took several photos for people who needed a photographer so they could both be in the picture. Some of them reciprocated so I have a few photos of me too.

Because today was “only” a 57 mile day, the others riders seemed much more relaxed about stopping and taking photos. So I was able to get some shots with friends. And I got to share a table with a large group at Cedar Pass Lodge where there was much eating and merriment along with an update on Steve. He went through a six hour surgery and they put rods in his back. His wife should be at the hospital later today.

Eventually, I was riding alone and the Lady-in-my-Pocket wasn’t speaking up so I missed a turn but ended up at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site near Philip, South Dakota. It was interesting and brought back memories of the propaganda we were fed about how to protect ourselves against a nuclear attack…hide under your desk! Looking at the information, it was (and is) like children playing king of the hill. I have more missiles so I win. It doesn’t matter that I will destoy half the world and then you’ll finish off the other half.

Today ended on a depressing note. Our strongest rider was hit by a semi pulling doubles on the interstate. Apparently the driver was distracted while reaching for a drink. His vehicle drifted and when he looked up, he was aimed right for Steve. Although he tried to stop and swerve, he still hit Steve. Steve is in the hospital with a broken back and neck and will undergo surgery. Steve is conscious. We are all waiting for further news and wishing him the best.

That’s all I can write today.

Started to leave town when I noticed a bunch of mail trucks. Quick turn around to get this photo. The building was beautiful.

The first part of the day I was in pretty farm country but the sun was in the wrong spot for photos. That was OK because I wanted to get some miles before the day got too hot. And…my legs felt like they didn’t want to cooperate. Not sure if I had too much fun on the “flats” the previous days or if I forgot what it feels like to climb a steeper grade.

Early on we rode into Wind Cave National Park. I’d never heard of this park but would definitely come back. Beautiful grasslands, valleys, mountains. 

They have bison. I saw one that was walking toward where I was riding. I was glad when the riders behind me got his attention and he stopped. Those critters are SO HUGE, they scare the beejeezuz out of me. I then saw a herd of bison in a draw but they were far away.

There were also prairie dogs, lots of prairie dogs. They make a chirping noise and were quite noisy trying to warn their neighbors as there were coyotes in the area looking for a meal. I saw two coyotes and other riders saw more.

There is a cave system in the park but we didn’t have time to stop. From one of the signs in the park: To the Lakota Indians, Wakan Tanka, the “Great Mystery” sent the buffalo (should say bison) out of the sacred cave of the winds and on to the hunting grounds.

When we left Wind Cave NP, we entered Black Hills Nat’l Forest. More beautiful country.

A little later I saw some others riders on a different type of steed.

We also rode by the Crazy Horse monument which is still unfinished. I tried to get a photo but was too far away.

Our next big stop, after a lot of strenuous climbing, was Mt. Rushmore Nat’l Memorial. Before I got to the full memorial, there was a pull out where one could see just George Washington.

And here’s the rest of the gang with me.

We also stopped at the National Presidential Wax Museum in Keystone for a rest stop. I didn’t go in but would like to when I come back with Dan on the motorcycle…next summer?

Ended the day in Rapid City. Not long after I got into town, there was a thunder/lightening storm with wind and rain. It passed through quickly. We were able to walk over, on almost dry streets, for a good dinner at a chain restaurant, Ruby Tuesdays.

Tomorrow is a shorter day, mileage-wise, so we don’t have to load until 8am. I may walk down the street to another eatery for breakfast. These motel breakfasts leave a lot to be desired.

Yesterday’s average speed was 16. Today it was 10. Hope to go around 14 tomorrow so I can ‘rest’ for the 114 mile day coming up.

I almost forgot to include these pics…