Day Twenty Two- Pain is Mandatory, Suffering is Optional

Day 22- (72 Miles) Monday, July 9, 2007- Hot Springs, SD to Rapid City, SD

What a day! We talked our way out of a thunderstorm. Rode an incredible variety of scenery. Climbed nearly 6,000'. And saw two of the wonders of North America. Plus, my group- The Three D's (Brett, Jen and Russell- all from Delaware-and that's Brett below pointing at towards the Crazy Horse Memorial, making Jen cuh-razee in the process!!) and I got into the hotel by about 2:30, so I'll get a few hours to tend to things domestic- like watchin' the clothes go round and that sort of thing.

This morning I beat my 4:30 AM wake up call by about 20 minutes, so I was up and at 'em early. I wandered thru the lobby and asked the hotelier what time breakfast was (knowing it was supposed to start at 6:00), and she asked "when would you like it" (good answer!). I said, "5:30 would be great"- knowing that I'd have 30 minutes before the ABB herd would start grazing in that direction. Worked perfectly- I got first crack at the food and was immensely satisfied with myself. However, looking outside, I noticed that it was raining lightly. After much hand ringing about raincoats yes/raincoats no, I decided to pack a coat on my camelback. That was all it took to send the rain running for the hills. We got exactly zero rain, though the bikes and the backs of our jerseys would be unable to back that story up- they were a mess.

Nonetheless, we departed Hot Springs (actually a neat little town with a downtown area that actually had some character) under clearing skies and very mild temps, albeit a trifle humid (remember- I know humid). The scenery today was varied- from Wind Cave National Park- a buffalo and prairie dog sanctuary, to The Crazy Horse Memorial, to the climb through the incredible rock formations leading up to Mount Rushmore and then to the descent into Rapid City and the start of the "real South Dakota" and the plains.

Today's ride was our second or third biggest climbing day (after Teton Pass and The Continental Divide), however, the climbing was spaced throughout the day, so we took many little bites, instead of one or two big boy hauls. The one exception to that was the climb up to Mount Rushmore, which was nearly 10 miles, with grades between 5-10% and it really got my heart pumping. Still, there were no heroic efforts required- just kept the cranks spinning and soon enough, we were over the top. In terms of numbers, we started the day at 3,250', climbed to nearly 6,000' by mile 35 or so, then gave it all back by mile 72, finishing at 3,220. Naturally, there were a few bumps along the way that made life, shall we say, interesting as we pedaled along.

Many remarked today at the drama in the climb to Mount Rushmore. It was really spectacular. As many times as I've driven through Rapid City en route to Montana, I can't believe that I've never been to Mount Rushmore. It is a special place and it's in a magnificent setting. Everywhere there are huge rock outcroppings that are a blank canvas for sculptors who think big, such as Gutzon Borglum, who masterminded the creation at Mount Rushmore.

Tomorrow will be an easy day- just 57 miles and only 1300' of climbing. We'll load after 8:00 AM, so it's a sleep-in opportunity. We were advised to rest as much as we can, because we have a couple of brute days after that- century pluses and some climbing to boot.

Tonight we had a thunderstorm come through while we were in rap (discussion of tomorrows ride) that started a fire outside Rapid City. The smoke and flames were visible from our hotel. I heard on TV this morning that there are wildfires going in 14 states now. I think this global warming thing is really under control, don't you? Anyway, supposed to be cooler tomorrow with 30 MPH tailwinds. Could be a hairy ride. Time to get supine (horizontal). Ciao, baby.

Day Twenty One-Fire on the Mountain, Lightning in the Air

Day 21-(93 Miles)- Sunday, July 8, 2007- Lusk, WY to Hot Springs, SD (3,443')

First off, thanks to my son Jon for sending me a comment. I wasn't sure if you even knew about this blog and was delighted to hear that you've been following it.

Today I decided to kinda ride solo, though I did partner up with Steve from Dallas. He's a financial guy, between jobs, and a fairly low key guy. Seems to prefer to ride alone so, though we traveled together, there wasn't much discussion. But that was OK with me as I wanted to just ride at my pace and drink in the scenery. The countryside was beautiful, especially the first part of the ride, as things began to shift from high desert/prairie to the unique look of the Badlands and the Black Hills.

Today's ride was billed as 92 miles, with about 3,300' of climbing, but mostly downhill until a 5-6 mile climb at mile 72 and another one mile climb at mile 87. On paper it seemed like an easy day. The pace I rode at for the first 50-60 miles was brisk (at least for me) and I could tell by mile 70 that I was leaking a little oil. So, when the climb commenced, this boy was all alone on the hill and sweating like a civil war mule. The climb wasn't east coast steep, but it was west coast long- and between the crummy SD roads/shoulders (they have rumble strips that you cannot avoid- I heard a local refer to them as "Whiskey Strips"-LOL) and the warm day, I was setting up shop in Hurtsville. SO between the unexpectedly tough climbs and riding solo in numerous headwinds, I survived, but did not exactly prosper-at least not during the finale of today's ride.

As you can see from the shot above, we exited Wyoming, (not so sorry to see it end- tough climbs, ugly towns, endless scrubby high desert) and entered South Dakota. That's Cindy from Boston behind me who's holding little carricatures of her daughters that they made and asked her to take pictures of as she crosses the country. Kinda vicarious bicycle touring I guess.

For at least 30 miles before getting to Hot Springs, we began to see two large clouds on the horizon (the hazy day pretty well killed any chance of taking a picture of them). Steve and I debated whether they were rain clouds or smoke and it turned out to be smoke. When we got to Hot Springs, I heard that there was a lightning strike last night about 5 miles south of town that started the fire and it burned a number of buildings, killed one local guy and was out of control until this afternoon. We heard that as of 2:00PM the fire had consumed 5,000 acres and was NOT contained. Heard that again later in the day. Saw a bunch of planes flying low over town that seemed to be playing some role in fighting the fire. Anyway, we were in the smoke for the last 10 miles of our ride which made the going more difficult- though it was probably psychological more than anything. Still, riding directly into an area that has a huge forest fire going, with only a bike as a way out, isn't what my momma raised me to do.

Tomorrow will be a test of my manliness as the climbing will equal the dosage we were given at Teton Pass and the Continental Divide- nearly 6,000 feet in just 72 miles. The day should be filled with inspirational views, as we've been told that both Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse are on the route. I've always thought that western South Dakota was spectacular, but never have taken the time to really wander around. Well sonny boy, tomorrow's the day for that.

From the "Life on The Road" department, here's a dose of the reality of hotel living with 75 cyclists. Getting to a washing machine at the end of the day (forget about day's off- you'd better be in the guest laundry room at 2:30AM) is becoming a challenge. During the first week or so it was easy and I usually washed my dirty clothes at the end of every day. Now it seems as though everyone has saved up all their grimy clothes since Astoria and you can't get a machine when you need one. So, I'm becoming reasonably proficient at cleansing my frilly underthings in the sink- I feel like I'm in an all girl boarding school. Bitches.

Report From Home: I heard from Sherry today that Nick planted some Millet- for our annual dove shoot. I never got around to planning it with anyone before I left and figured we'd just pass this year. But I suspect that Nick and Robert decided they wanted to have a shoot. I'm fine with that, but I think that the field we've been using really needs some soil amendments- but we'll see how it turns out.

Today's ride brings me to about 1515 miles ridden and about 53,000 feet climbed. At some point in tomorrow's ride I will hit the halfway point in my little sojourn. On one hand it seemd impossible that I'm half way through with this ride- on the other hand, it seems like I've been on this ride all of my life. So which is it boy?

Day Twenty-Back in the Saddle Again

Day 20-(107 Miles)- Saturday, July 7, 2007- Casper, WY to Lusk, WY (5,014')

So, we do 120 miles on Thursday, rest on Friday and then pull a century plus on Saturday. Are we tough guys or what? I swear, we are so into the routine, that riding a bike all day is starting to seem pretty normal. Tomorrow is close to a century, with a few pretty good climbs and I'm not freaking out. I think I'm about to drink the cool-aid.

Today was another early start-in the saddle by 6:30 AM and finally got off at 4:00PM. Now I'll grant you I set no land speed record, and the route was reasonably flat and we had no serious headwind. So what took so long? Not sure I have the answer, other than 3 sags, two other breaks, my THREE FLATS, and a charity flat fix for Jan from Tuscon (I stopped, those renegade Miller boys did not)- I guess all that stopping sorta answers the question, no?

Anyway, we pulled the line through Casper early this morning, all of us agreeing that there would be no tears shed- this town is below average any way you want to score it. Not very pretty terrain, no great restaurants, the hotel sucked, hotter that hell, ugly buildings, etc. Did get a parting shot of a cool statue on Center St- that was the high point of my stay. You probably can't see it, but it's a cowboy with a calf across his lap, riding through snow. The title was something like "Chance of Snow". I liked it- after taking the picture I had to ride like hell to catch my crew- the heartless b****rds wouldn't wait for me.

Our route today was eastbound along Hwy 20, then I-25 for 15 miles or so, then more two lane county roads with fair shoulders. We eventually ran through Douglas (cute little town) and then on through prairie land and high speed two lane roads to Lusk, WY. The weather was warm this morning and I heard reports that we hit somewhere between 96 and 106 by afternoon. Whatever it was, it was scorching. Drinking water and eating salty food became a survival exercise and while most did OK, the sag wagons were busier that usual. By early afternoon, the front that had been promised, began to show itself to the west and the big ole cumulus clouds began forming. By 3:00PM the sky was darkinging and as I was changing Jan's flat for her at about 3:45, I had serious doubts as to whether we'd avoid getting rained on. Fortunately, we got things fixed up quickly and I was able to pull her in to town without mishap. In fact even now, at 7:45, things have stayed dry.

Tomorrow, we leave Wyoming and start our way into South Dakota. SD is a huge state and I think we'll spend most of the days remaining in our third leg there. I'm excited about what the next few days will bring- I'm expecting some great sights in the Black Hills, but with that we'll be expected to put our climbing shoes back on- at least until we get to the east of Rapid City.

Around mile 70 or so, we began running along railroad tracks and saw a number of trains that were pulling nothing but coal. I suspect they were taking the coal to a coal powered electrical generation plant.

It's now after 8:00 PM and I have been on the move since 4:30 AM. I am, as the French say, poopied. And I think I'll sign out, or off, or whatever the hell you do when it's time to quit. Buh-bye.

Day Nineteen- Down Boy

Day 19 (0 Miles)- Friday, July 6, 2007- Casper, WY- Rest Day

We're all enjoying a well earned rest day in Casper, WY. Lots of places I'd rather be- Casper is kind of a working man's town (not that there's anything wrong with that) and we're a ways from anything. I was fortunate that Mike Miller offered to take me along on a car trip to Wal Mart- 5-7 miles away and I picked up a few needed items. We took his son's girlfriend's father's rental car- a Prius (I must be green- riding a bike, then driving a hybrid car on my day off- Vote for Gore!!) that we never could get to turn the windshield wipers off (always a dead give away as a tourist- especially on a cloudless summer day- but I really don't give a crap).

Agenda for today: Eat breakfast, shop at Wal Mart, eat lunch, wash bike, eat dinner, wash clothes, go to bed.

We're starting to get a few people breaking. Not a lot, but I'm hearing about sore butts, knee problems, nasty blisters on feet, assorted rashes, a few crashes. But by and large, the group is beginning to get stronger, more toned, more tanned and is handling the stress of this ride pretty well. I feel way better than I did at the first rest day- don't feel that I need a massage- no soreness in my legs or shoulders like before. I'm figuring out how to relax a bit more while riding, especially in my neck and shoulders. Also getting much better at getting off the saddle and riding while standing (shift up two gears, stand and pedal, rest on right foot, then left, shift down two gears, sit and pedal-don't know if it's "correct", but it's working for me).


If anything happens today- you'll be the first to hear about it- but I'm not expecting much. About to head out for lunch. Buh-bye.

Day Eighteen-Wish I Was There

Day 18 (121 Miles), Thursday, July 5, 2007- Riverton, WY to Casper, WY (5,224')

Today's blog will be short and rather blunt. The ride today, and this is no reflection on America By Bicycle- Lord knows they were not even incorporated when this part of the planet was installed, was the most boring time I've ever had on a bike. Problem is, if you're going from over there to over here, you come this-a-way. The ride started at 5:30AM, before the sun had risen, and lasted until nearly 4:00PM for me and my group. The ride was basically flat, trending up for the first sixty miles and then down for the last sixty. I think we climbed all of 2,000 feet in 120 miles, so I guess that qualifies as flat- certainly no climbs in relation to what we saw a few days ago. The weather was clear in the morning with cumulus clouds building towards afternoon, temps warmed to the low 90's, and we had a headwind most of the way. I was converted into jello by the ride end, though having finally taken a shower and rested for an hour or so- I actually feel pretty human. Mind you, this ride was our ninth straight day of riding and brings this leg's total mileage to over 700. I'm in new territory as far as stressing my body and though I really am tired, nothing feels broken- legs, hands, butt and feet all seem in working order. However, I am starting to notice a really deep tired feeling settling in- it must be the cumulative effect of all of the miles ridden, staying in 18 different hotels, rushing around every day getting stuff done and getting shortchanged on my sleep by just a little bit every night. Twelve hours sleep sounds about right to me.

The scenery never changed today (one exception was Hell's Half Acre- I'll show you a picture in a minute), it was open range with rolling hills the entire way. The foliage (that I could recognize- I'm sure a botanist would fill pages) was sage brush, a few small cactus and some occassional grass. Lean pickings for the few cattle, sheep and antelope that graze it. I did read and hear that wolves are doing well for themselves here, having expanded from their original stocking location in Yellowstone Park (200+ miles to the northwest). The ranchers want more freedom to kill wolves they deem to be predators (one local said they kill for sport- I'm not so sure about that one) and the tree huggers want them to have less ability to act. I'm with the ranchers- I suspect that most ranchers are too busy to go wolf hunting unless its having an economic impact on them and I think ranchers are more important than wolves.

The ride was the longest I've ever done, by far the most boring scenery and most of the group I rode with agreed. I just hope that this isn't a portend of things to come- though I suspect that South Dakota (next on our agenda) will have a lot in common with today. Our route today was Hwy 26, a two lane road, with a fairly decent shoulder (though at times the cracks were awful) that we tried to stay on. The traffic seemed pretty heavy to me and there were a bunch of big, fast moving trucks rolling by. No time to be riding double and a double pace line was out of the question- just too dangerous. A couple times today we had to correct careless riders for not calling out when passing (seems many have gotten lazy about this). One riding buddy thought pulling up beside me and riding with no hands was OK- I quickly disabused him of that- but we're still friends, I hope.

The one interesting spot- a place called Hell's Half Acre- is a geological wonder- I can't explain what it is, but it is a rock canyon that just appears in this 360 acre section in the area we were riding in today. Got a few good shots for my loyal readers.

We had three sags today- all of them were in simple pullouts along the road since there was really nothing in the way of facilities along this route. The one place I saw today which had any facilities at all was a small store where I had a cold Diet Coke and a Nestles Crunch. Found an interesting posting in the Men's room which I took to heart. At our first sag stop, Will (he's the heroic one that drives the triple) was heading out behind the van to take a leak and as he crossed the cattle guard he heard something rattling, looked down and saw that he was about to step on a rattlesnake. Yikes!! Actually, we saw any number of dead rattlers on the road- some of them were pretty healthy looking (I thought you said they were dead).

Anyway, it's 4:30 now, I'm waiting in my room for the hotel to move me to a room that has a functioning air conditioner (temps headed to high 90's tomorrow) and I'm figuring on vegetating for the next 36 hours or so (tomorrow is a well earned rest day). I believe that our ride stats through the second leg (Astoria, OR to Casper, WY) are:

Total Miles: 1318
Feet Climbed: 46,715
Days Ridden: 17 out of last 18 Days
Average Miles per ride: 78

Special Edition- I Get $1,000,000 Award

On Wednesday, July 4, 2007 I recorded my 10,000th mile on a bicycle since I started riding again last June. I commemoration of the event Joe Elam, owner of Habersham Bicycle sent me a One Million Dollar bill and said I can either spend it in his shop or at Dairy Queen- my call. Joe- thanks a million!!

Addendum-Day 16- Amazing Touring Rig

WARNING TO NON-CYCLIST: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO READ THIS- you will not be able to finish reading it and you will attempt to kill yourself. I am not liable. For anything. Ever. OK?

Yesterday (I think?), after we'd climbed Togwotee Pass (Continental Divide), a pair of self-supported cyclists (they carry EVERYTHING they need-tent, sleeping bags, food, water, ginzu knives, People Magazines, etc- on the bike) pulled into our sag stop. You'd have thought Bono had strolled in the way we glommed onto them. We played a hundred questions with them, kind of like what people do with us. Turns out they'd already logged 75 days (started in Virginia) and planned to return home (Germany) in December. The bikes they had were amazing, German made touring bikes. First, they were incredibly heavy- I had to try three times before I could lift the bike up. Second, the gearing was an engineering marvel (I did say they're made in Germany right?) in that all fourteen gears were contained in a sealed rear hub that was operated with a twist grip on the right handlebar. Wheel did not have to be moving to shift- just twist and go. Hey, cool song title- Twist and Go, yeah baby.

Anyway, thought it was very cool as I have a lingering death wish involving an extended, self supported tour. These machines have to be the ultimate touring bike- maybe tough to buy one or to get it serviced. But still way cool.

NON-CYCLISTS: We now return you to our regular scheduled blog. Over and Out. Roger Wilco. It's safe to start reading again. Suicide warning no longer in effect.