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Daily Journal - July 5th - July 12th
| Sunday, July 5th, 1998 - Day 21 | |
Up early on our day off to play real tourists for the first time - not just stumbling zombies. We meet a Gray Line at tent city at 8:30am. Wish we could sleep in - but we are 20 miles from the tourist center of the Dakotas and Mt. Rushmore, and can't pass up the opportunity. When will I get to SD again? The bus driver is a local who has lived in Rapid City most of his life - within minutes we realize we going to be treated to a non-stop monologue of the history of the Black Hills, its indigenous people, and settlers. Mt. Rushmore is exactly as I pictured. I keep rolling in my mind the closing scenes of North by Northwest wondering which were filmed on location, and which were movie magic. It is the July fourth weekend, and it is a zoo. Almost as much fun watching the German tourists try and figure out which president is which. There are too many stairs to comfortably navigate with our weary legs and lungs - so we limit ourselves to the views from the visitor center. It is nice to sit on a bus and be driven for 8 hours. Next, we visit the Crazy Horse mountain sculpture project, which is a private love effort of the late Koczsak and his family. I remember a "60 minutes" interview from years back depicting this man's dream. I am amazed at the scale of the effort. It will be hundreds of years before it is finished, and many times larger than Mt. Rushmore. After a buffet lunch, we tour the Black Hills through Custer State Park. The highest peak is over 7000 feet. This area is often compared to the Smokey Mountains. But the Smokies have much more diversity of plant and animal life. The Black Hills are still inspiring - especially the spires of needle rocks. The best part of the trip is when we take the bus through a rock tunnel with only 2 inches to spare on any side. Only a handful of bus drivers are cleared to take this route - no wonder. Spelunking from the safety of your bus seat. We sleep on the return to Rapid City and our hotel. A quick trip to Wal Mart provides us with gel inserts for our feet, which are getting painful on rides over 70 miles, and snacks for the bikes. We are developing an aversion to bananas, cliff bars, and pretzels. At the hotel we check email and upload journal and pictures for our website. There simply isn't time to do justice to the email we have received. Our apologies to everyone who we haven't responded to. Your support helps keep our spirits up as we enter our fourth week of riding. It is a late night - we will be tired tomorrow. | |
| Monday, July 6th, 1998 - Day 22 | |
A taxi meets us in the lobby at 5:15am. No hot water at the hotel - and no time to argue with the night manager. Today is a long 106 miles century through the Badlands and Buffalo Gap Grasslands. I've been trying for 2 days to remember if the Beatles "Rocky Raccoon" mentions the Black Hills. I am also having trouble remembering the director and male lead of the Sissy Spacek "Badlands". Bill Dunn- you reading this? Feel free to send email with the lyrics of Rocky. I'm sure it is on the web. We start with a 20-mile ride out of town with a nice tailwind, and overcast skies threatening to rain. We cut through the east and west "peninsula" of the park. It is amazing to see the rock and sand formations. Wish I could stay here for sunset, but we have a many miles to go. There is little traffic, and we are in the park before the tourists hit. Easy to see how they got their names - I can't imagine trying to get a covered wagon through these formations. We climb over the shortest pass of the trip - Cedar Pass - only a few hundred feet up and over the western edge of the Badlands. Just past the park we stop at the "Largest Prairie Dog in the World" - perhaps the highlight of the day. Hundreds of prairie dogs - obviously tame to tourists - roam a park with a supersized 50-foot fiberglass prairie dog. The last 20 miles are hot and humid. Locals tell us that the humidity is abnormally high for this part of the world - I believe them. Camp is in a sports complex. The sounds of a girl's high school softball game fill the air. Before nightfall an ominous storm rolls over camp and threatens to carry us all away. Black clouds lower themselves to within 50 feet of the ground. I am torn between watching the storm and looking for cover. Luckily it rolls right over. A local paper reports downed trees in the next town. This was Cathy's longest bike rider ever. Congratulations. | |
| Tuesday, July 7th, 1998 - Day 23 | |
If you like farmland, farm animals, farm machinery, farm trucks, farm crops, and farmers - this was a day for you. I am developing a strong feeling of déjà vu in South Dakota - unfortunately it occurs every 3 minutes as we cross the next hill. Today we ride 92 miles to Ft. Pierre (pronounced "pier" by the locals). It is a hard day after yesterdays long hot century. The ride map looks like a seismograph of the 1989 SF earthquake - nothing but up and down. I don't ever remember using my middle gears. Long 2 mile climbs and downhills. Could have been pleasant - but it is again hot with no rain in sight, and we face a headwind all day that wears us down. You can't enjoy the downhill because you actually have to pedal. You really start to notice small aches and pains when you face a headwind - a shoe that rubs in the wrong place, glasses that slip a ¼" down your nose you have to keep adjusting, It is hard to change position as often - creating blisters downunder and hand/wrist pains. On a positive note, we do meet a group of 32 students from Connecticut who are biking to Vancouver. We couldn't figure out why everyone was so cheery - they acted like the Up with People Biking team. But then I remembered that our headwind was a tailwind for them. We discovered they were with Habitat for Humanity, and were biking 4000 miles - stopping occasionally along the way to build houses. Another positive, we passed the ½ way mark after pit 3 - 1680 miles or so. Something to celebrate. Wish it were all downhill, but we have lots of rollers to climb, and the Appalachians to conquer yet. We find a small oasis in a town called Oasis - a single convenience store in the middle of nowhere that provides us with ice cream and cold drinks. Riders huddle around the freezer doors. We get to camp fairly late. Ft. Pierre is just across the river from the capital of SD. Tonight we lose an hour - there will be some sleepy souls tomorrow. It has been a hard 2 days of biking. | |
| Wednesday, July 8th, 1998 - Day 24 | |
Camp is buggy, but we are getting used to the bugs. We lost an hour last night - and everyone could use some more sleep. Some people are in a foul mood. It is hot and muggy early on. It is a shorter 75 miler today. I think everyone is caught off guard as to how hard the ride is. We climb through town, and above it, rising above the Missouri river. It is going to be a flatter day, but the heat is in the mid 90's. Leaving pit I have my 5th flat a hundred yards out of the pit. Once again it is along the sidewall. Why are all my flats coming out of pit 1 - call the x-files team. This time I am prepared, and have some tire boots - which cover the hole from the inside with plastic. Rob helps me out. With our small pumps I can only inflate my tire to 70 psi. Pit 1 has no large pumps. I prefer to ride at 100psi. We soon face heavy headwinds along with the heat. Cathy's shoulder is really starting to hurt her. After 15 miles out of Pit 1 she throws in the towel for the day - she is having severe muscle spasms in her shoulder. A sag van pulls up, and a nurse from Auburn WA agrees she needs some time off her bike to help heal. Cath heads to camp to spend some time with a Thermarest, Advil, and an icepack. I head off solo. It takes me an hour to make the next 10 miles with the headwinds. At pit 2, the tech pump is broken, but Duane, the allergist from Annapolis comes through with a great small pump that does the job. The pits are unfortunately arranged so that there is a long distance between pit 3 and camp, making the last push overly tedious in the heat. I talked to David from Seattle who lost it and started dreaming about vultures circling above him, and that he was on a stationary exercise bike turning the world beneath him. Luckily he was picked up by a sag wagon before going over the edge. You have to hydrate, but it is difficult drinking 95 degree Gatorade. The ice at the pits is great, but the heat of the road melts the ice within a few minutes. A Tastee Freeze is overwhelmed by 700 bikers. Hopefully the 2 employees get a take of the register - it must have been their busiest day ever. Two milkshakes are a tasty way to hydrate, and I am back on the road for the final 23 mile push to camp. A mile from camp, a DQ lures me from the road with a flush toilet and cherry slurpee. Camp in Kadoka is wonderful - a nice park with a stream, bandstand, and cut grass. I check for Cathy in the medical tent and around camp, can't find her, and grab a shower. Later I find her lying down under a tree. She is still in pain. Stephanie helps greatly with a diagnosis, massage, and prescription. It is great having medical expertise so close by. Advil, ice at each pit, and the proper stretching to help heal the torn muscle. Spaghetti is on the menu tonight and it is tasty. The mayor greets us, and a jazz band from the local town entertains us. Townspeople walk through camp with cameras. Team Washington gathers for a quick group shot - all 64 of us. Got our mail drop from ALA WA. My grandmother sent us a wonderful card that really cheers Cathy up. Thanks Bodie. It is going to take some time to adjust to the heat. It is difficult to train in 50 and 60 degree weather, then ride in this weather. For me, coming from SC, I at least know just how hot it CAN get, and understand how important it is to over-hydrate and pace yourself. Many others aren't so lucky and find themselves caught off guard by the heat. We will be with it for many days ahead. | |
| Thursday, July 9th, 1998 - Day 25 | |
Cath bravely decides to get back on her bike this morning. A night of rest has done wonders. Her shoulder pain has subsided. Many riders have reached out to her. Today we will see more farms, though there are small changes. The road-kill patterns are shifting. From larger mammals in Montana and western SD, now to frogs, and millions of grasshoppers. Many people are joking that having faced flood, hail, heat - perhaps it is time for some locusts and raining frogs. The plagues of the Big Ride. I am becoming very aware of just how wide a state SD is. Much more farmland than I had expected. I was prepared for hundreds of miles of flat badlands. Instead we have found miles of rolling washboard farms. But a hint of MN has begun. We pass a number of lakes and bird sanctuaries. Today we stop in Huron for a real lunch at the Tailgate café. What a treat. There are a hundred bikers in this cage. Leaving the restaurant we hear that 2 Cannondale bikes are stolen. We have locked our bikes to a light post. Most people are not locking their bikes - but Huron was a larger urban town, and I felt better safe than sorry. That night at announcements we learn the whole story - not only were their bikes stolen, but all their camera gear. The local radio station was contacted and the local authorities. An all out manhunt by the town of Huron was initiated. The community quickly donated 2 Huffy bikes to the riders who finished that day's ride without sagging. The next morning we find that the culprits had been caught, and the bikes recovered. Huron really went all out. More farms. Still crossing the wide state of SD. Getting a taste of MN - some lakes. Large bird sanctuaries. That night we reach DeSmet, the home of Laura Ingalls - author of Little House on the Prairie. Today it would be called "Two Story Ranch Surrounded by Farm Equipment, Corn, and Cows". Tonight another announcement catches us off guard. A rider was seriously injured today drafting. As we understand it, he clipped the wheel of another rider in the pack, and went down in the pile-up. He suffered an exposed compound fracture to the tibia among other more minor injuries. The staff has been trying to get people to stop drafting, but the serious riders are determined. We hope this solemn reminder that drafting can be dangerous when on unfamiliar roads and conditions will change some attitudes tomorrow. There are a number of questions about bike security. We are understaffed on crew during this part of the ride, and don't have the staff to watch the bikes overnight . Many riders take a them/us attitude. The relationship between the ride operators and the ALA is blurry. Luckily most riders see these incidents as challenges, and view the staff/rider relationship as cooperative. Another problem has arisen. Several riders have intestinal flu, supposedly caused by poor sanitation, and strep throat is going around. People are concerned about controlling illnesses in such a tight community with the pit toilets. New rules are implemented - soap and water are added to all the pit toilet areas, and more care is taken in the pit stops with food handling among riders. That night we hang out on our front porch with Steph, Rob, and Dwayne and chew over all the news of the day. Cathy has a good day given the previous day's pain. We leave SD tomorrow. We are ready for a change of scenery. | |
| Friday, July 10th, 1998 - Day 26 | |
Today we cross the border into MN along an 80 mile day. This is our 5th day crossing SD. We are blessed by occasional clouds. Lunch is leisurely at a real restaurant in Brookings. Can't be all bad when orange roughy (a type of fish for those of you not up on your ichthyology) is the daily special. Duane, Steph, Rob, and Cath and I are joined by Wally - a "poverty lawyer" from outside Chicago. Duane went to high school in Lake Forest, so there is much to talk about. Great pasta dishes. I find a bike shop. Bikers hover like kids in a candy store. Looking for any toys that will make the ride a bit easier. I find a 700x38 tire and some new pedals - my 3rd pair. It does no good that my pedals are repairable - no shop or tech crew has the bandwidth to do the job. On the road we meet a farm family outside of Elkton and spend some time just talking and hanging out. Any stop out of the sun is a respite. It is great to get to know some locals - even if only for a few minutes. We cross several ridges with large modern white windmills. Given their direction, I am discouraged that the prevailing winds may continue out of the east and south. Where are those prevailing western winds? Pit 3 is a adjacent to a truck stop which has gone all out to accommodate us. Another respite. Out of pit 3 Cathy and I ride with Phil from Lynnwood on to camp in Tyler. Phil is a junior in high school. What an experience this must be for a high-schooler. We cross into MN. Team MN has done some preparations for us, including a boom box with polka music, and instructions on how to answer all questions - Ya Sure Ya Betcha. Locals are starting to sound like walk-ons in the Coen Brothers's "Fargo". Tyler is the most receptive town to date. We are in middle America. The locals have baked hundreds of pies and are selling this for $1 a slice. Fresh strawberry, apple, rhubard, cherry. Yumm - who needs dinner. The mayor gives a short speech at dinner welcoming us, but it is his chocolate lab Dweeb that steals the show. He has been giving tours of the town to riders all afternoon. Our tent site is placed 10 feet from the gear truck - convenient yes, but come morning the early risers will be walking all over us. We move a hundred feet away near a softball field. As we start to drift off to sleep, the lights come on and a software game begins. We are just over the right field fence. Hope there aren't any heavy hitting left-handers. We fall asleep quickly. We have lost about 10 riders - just over 1% - amazing it hasn't been more, but the conviction of people to keep pedaling is amazing. We joke that more may have left, since your baggage and bike would just keep moving East without you. | |
| Saturday, July 11th, 1998 - Day 27 | |
It is an easy ride out of Tyler. The mayor showed up early to help carry luggage to the gear trucks on his personal golf cart. He and Dweeb are having a blast. Found out later that several riders stayed at his house. What a great guy. We have a side wind that occasionally shifts to a slight tailwind, giving us big boosts. It is a long but flat 90 miler into New Ulm, which promises a Heritage Festival, some imported beer on tap, and a taste of Germany. We have tried to book a hotel for 2 nights over our off day, but can only book the second night with all the tourists in town for the festival. It is another day with beautiful lakes. Cathy and I make good time. We try and push forward the first 58 miles by lunch and skip the bag lunch at pit 2, but are slowed down by some turns to the south into the wind, and another flat on my part. Time to switch to that new tire. A mile from pit 3 I break a spoke - the first one in 2000 miles with this wheel. Unfortunately it is on the back wheel and on the cluster side, making it hard to repair on the hard. I am sagged to three hoping to find a techie to true my wheel and replace the spoke - but the pit 3 tech staff has moved on to camp. Cath decides to ride into camp with Duane, Steph, and Rob. I hang out and sag with Art - a hematologist from NYC. Camp is a school south of town. There are many fewer tents as many people have found hotel rooms - sometimes 8 to a room. Tent camping is getting tedious. We walk 18 blocks to the festival and experience some polka, the chicken dance, the German line dance, brat burgers, bratwurst, sweet German-style sauerkraut, and some imported beer from Munich. The bands change every hour. Eight ounce cups for $2 is a bit steep, but nice to relax and just let the world pass by us for a change. Cathy is amused by the German heritage here; it feels a lot like Germany to her, aside from the broad Midwestern accents. The reputation for mosquitoes in MN is well deserved. Locals tell us it is a good year. A late night "bigrider bus" takes us back to camp at 10:30pm. We are awakened by someone rummaging through our luggage at 3:30am. I yell and scare them away. Not sure if they are riders or locals. Not a great way to start the day. | |
| Sunday, July 12th, 1998 - Day 28 | |
Trying to sleep in on a hot day in a tent is impossible. We were driven out by 7am. Today is a nothing day - break camp and get to the Holiday Inn in New Ulm, take a nap, do laundry, and update the website. And that is what we did. The Holiday Inn receptionist Linda sent her husband over in his pickup to get our stuff - what service. There is a lot to support living in a small town. They let us check-in at 10:30am - very nice. Cathy slept a few hours while I wrote up the last few days and prepared pictures. Cathy gets a lot of credit for doing grunt work like laundry today while I type away. But we both feel it is important to keep the site up to date for friends, family, and people we meet on the road to track our progress. We are now getting email from some of our new friends on the road from all over. It is a great feeling to be able to share this challenge with everyone. Hopefully the ALA will be able to use the BigRide to raise awareness on lung disease and air quality issues for some time to come. I know I appreciate my lungs more than every - particularly up the passes. Had a nice German dinner in the hotel, read email, repacked our 70 pound bags, and off to bed for our trek across MN. Madison is our next rest stop. Can't wait. We only ride for 4 or 5 days before our next break - not the 6-day hump we just rode. Back on the bikes tomorrow bright and early. | |
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