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Distance - 70.3 miles
Average Speed - 14.6mph
Top Speed - 38.0 (new high)
Trip Time - 4:48:38
Odometer - 1694 miles
Maybe Don MacClain wasn't referring to Edgemont and the surrounding Black
Hills, but DAMN is it hot here! After waking up at 4:30 this morning, and
snoozing till 5:30, I managed to force myself out of bed, put on the grubby
cycling clothes, and head to Val's Cafe for some breakfast and an early start
to Newcastle. The only stop on this 85 mile ride was to be Mule Creek
Junction, 47 miles north of Lusk on SR85. I made a promise to myself not to
stop at all on the way to Mule Creek. I broke the promise only 2 miles from
the Junction in order to pick up a copy of Newsweek magazine that was
fluttering in the wind. Starved for reading material, I thought this was a
good excuse to get a minute's rest. Anyhow, the cafe that I expected to find
at the junction burned down some time ago, but the Fireworks store was open
for business, so I bought my Dr. Pepper from the fireworks lady and discussed
my travels with her. After her comments on how sorry she felt for me; riding
the hilly terrain to Newcastle when the thermometer already was pushing 95 at 10:15 in the
morning, we decided that it would be best for me to head east towards Edgemont
and skirt the Southern Black Hills over the next few days, instead of the
Northern Hills. So into South Dakota I went, stopping to take my obligatory
snapshot (with 4 fingers raised for each of the four states I've completed)
and to leave an audio message for you folks that will be available at
biking4books.com tonight. 13 miles after the WY/SD border, I arrived in
Edgemont, thirsty as hell for something besides 90 degree water. Fortunately,
I found a good n' cheap cafe to cool down in, and then a nice library to read
some magazines, and now a nice gazebo in the Edgemont City Park to wait out
what looks to be an afternoon thunderstorm. Hopefully, things will cool off
enough and stay dry enough for me to ride 25 more miles into the town of Hot
Springs, SD before nightfall. In other news, I got the General Delivery
address f!
or the tapes or anything else you would like to send to me.
General Delivery
Pierre Post Office
Pierre, SD 57501
Because I will be there by next week, I'd say the only sure bet to make sure a
package doesn't arrive after I've passed through is to do it Priority Mail
(It's $3.20 for anything you can stuff into their special mailer) If you can't
send it out by this Monday night, I wouldn't bother sending it out at all,
because I could be past Pierre by the time it arrives. Of course, I'd be happy
to reimburse anyone for shipping costs of mailing tapes, etc. Just gimme your
address and I'll take care of it.
Anyhow, I wish everyone a marvelous Bastille Day to all that celebrate it, and
I'll write another quick update tonight if I get to Hot Springs (they got hot
springs there, no surprise, which should motivate me enough to go the
distance!) Peace out!
-Darren
Distance - 98 miles
Avg - A Lot slower than this morning
Top Speed - 38mph
Trip Time - A Loooong Time
Odometer - This morning + 28
Hi everyone. I'm writing this not really for you folks exclusively, but more
for me to remember a few details years down the road. This journal I send out
at least once a day has taken the place of the paper journal I started out
with for myself, so bear with me here and I don't want you to think I'm
bitching about today's ride, BUT (there's always a but) the last 28 miles were
hard on me today.
When I last left you, I was sitting in the park in
Edgemont, watching the geese fly in all directions at the sounds of the
approaching cargo trains. I watched....and watched...for 2 hours till about
4:30, where I felt it was cool enough to continue on to Hot Springs. The
thunderstorm never materialized, but a decent cloud cover kept things cooler
(that means 90 rather than 105).
5 miles out of Edgemont, the clouds lifted and out
came the searing sun. And then came the first climb of the Black Hills; about
a 1000 foot ascent. I was handling it well enough, and at the top I decided to
stop and take a picture of one of my favorite road signs: the yellow downhill
grade symbol of a truck going down the hill, meaning you have reached the top
and are ready to cruise. But I couldn't click my left shoe out of the pedal
(on road bikes, many riders, myself included, wear special shoes that click
into the pedals so you can pedal in one constant motion without having your
feet slide off. When you want to get off your bike, you simply point your heel
outward and the shoe un-latches itself from the pedal, in theory) This was a
problem, so I stopped and removed my right shoe from the pedal while
contorting my left in every direction for 5 minutes until I finally got it
off. One of screws that anchors the clip to the sole of the shoe had fallen
off, so the anchor!
swayed and therefore couldn't release itself from the pedal. This was
not a problem I anticipated, so sitting on the gravel shoulder with my shoes
off, I searched through my screw assortment to see if I could McGyver it.
Sitting on the shoulder of the road in the Black Hills with the sun scorching,
I found a spare screw that is used to hold water bottle holders to the bike,
and shaved the threading down until it would fit the shoe. Half an hour of
filing down a screw with my leatherman, I was off, but I said screw it (sorry)
as far as the picture was concerned. I'll find another sign to photograph when
conditions are better.
But the fun wasn't over yet! Next up, once I reached
the base of the hill, was good ol' Mr. Headwind and its trusty sidekick, Mr.
Noxious Smoke From A Forest Fire. The last 12 miles into Hot Springs were
truly painful; no doubt cars and trucks passing me by must have thought I was
a fucking loon as they could see me talking to myself for the last hour. As
St. Elmos Fire'ish as it may sound, I kept repeating out loud to myself,
"Don't Stop, Do NOT Stop", for I knew that if I stopped at this
point I would just end up walking the rest, which would have gotten me to Hot
Springs by breakfast.
A good shower always seems to lighten the mood,
however, and as I sit here comfortably at the Elk Horn Cafe eating a
uncharacteristic meal of salad and soda only, I am pleased of the progress I
made today, but maybe I should have called it a day in Edgemont!
-Darren
p.s. On the address I gave out for the General Delivery, I forgot to mention
to put my name in the address as well, so it should be:
Darren Bates
General Delivery
Pierre Post Office
Pierre, SD 57501
Love to all!
Change St. Elmo's Fire'ish to Chariot's of Fire'ish, then it should make
sense. So sorry....
-darren
Distance - 59.9 miles
Avg. Speed 9.9mph
Max Speed - 34.2mph
Trip Time - 6:00:36
Odometer - 1780 miles
Heat is a demoralizer, no doubt about it. Just wanted to make that clear!
Hello all! I hope you are having a great weekend! Here in Rapid City, SD, it
is just starting to get bearable outside, now that the scorching sun has set.
My route today took me on SD79 almost due north from the town of Hot Springs,
SD, skirting the eastern edge of the Black Hills National Forest. It was slow
going the whole way. When the thermometer hit 100 before 11:00am (I kid u not)
I knew I had a long day ahead of me. But that's ok, you take the good with the
bad and it ends up rosy at the conclusion of each day, for I sit comfortably
at the Rapid RV Park, cold beer in hand and resting for another ride tomorrow.
It was truly a sad day for the reptile family on SD79
North. For some odd reason, I saw very few of the usual roadkill; the deer,
rabbit, raccoon, cat, etc. Today they were replaced by the box turtles, the
frogs, lizards, rattlesnakes, and birds of all kinds (aren't they still
considered reptiles in some circles? Help me out animal experts)
One hill after another, after another, after another,
for 36 miles....and then to my delight, a highway junction (which usually
means a gas station, cold drinks, and a restaurant) I sat down to a mediocre
Philly Cheese Steak sandwich & fries, but a glorious 7 rounds of ice tea
to quench my thirst for the remaining 25 miles. It did the job, for I left the
restaurant feeling much better, and eager to resume my peddling to Rapid City.
That eagerness was short lived once the headwinds came, but
I can't say they surprise me anymore, so I just kept me head down (reducing
wind resistance, of course) and pedaled on. Upon reaching Rapid City, I found
my campsite (after slurping down my mandatory "Koolie", Kum N' Go's equivalent
of the Slurpee) and headed to the bike store, but it was closed.
After looking over my maps of SD over a dinner of Sesame Beef at the Great
Wall Chinese Restaurant, I decided that it would be a shame to leave the Black
Hills area without seeing Mt. Rushmore again. Although I've been there about
10 years ago with my family, I feel it's always worth getting another look at.
So I think I'll leave my trailer with the manager of the RV Park, and take a
50 mile day ride to Rushmore. I'm assuming it'll be a great ride with only
water, camera, and a couple tools to carry instead of my usual thousand pounds
of shit. So tomorrow I actually backtrack west a little bit (which seems
absurd considering that East is the ultimate goal) but for good reason. Well that'll be
all for now, but y'all write me back soon now, Y'hear? Peace!
-Darren
(818) 261-2101 Phone is on tonight indefinitely
p.s. Today I passed the geographic center of the US. Does that mean I'm
halfway there? Doubtful, but I think I can see the ocean from my
campsite....or is that the beer working it's magic?
Hello everyone. Unfortunately, my plans to take a nice day ride to Mt.
Rushmore were spoiled when I awoke to wet weather. Not at wet as during the
middle of the night, when the sprinklers came on unexpectedly and drenched me,
but still wet enough to make me consider riding into the hills, where the
South Dakota lightning is notorious. So I decided to play it safe and spend
the day in Rapid City.
To be honest, today was a bit tough for me. I'm at the
point where the people I meet and talk with about my trip are becoming just as
surprised about its origin in Oregon as they are about its destination in New
York. It gives me the sense that I'm a long way from everything; family,
friends, familiar places. But, I know by tomorrow night I'll be a little
closer, and before I know it I'll be there.
Have a great night everyone!
-Darren
Distance - 54 miles
Wall, South Dakota is famous the world over, I kid you not! It is famous for
one little drug store that has metamorphosized itself into the biggest tourist
mecca (trap) in the universe, and that is WALL DRUG. Who has seen the millions
of bumper stickers while taking road trips across the US? The hokey roadside
signs on many interstates and state roads? The mileage markers that point you
to Wall Drug, found in the strangest of places (One I saw outside Amsterdam's Central
Station, one is in a Berlin Underground Terminal, and I'm sure there thousands
more).
Wall Drug was founded in 1931 on Main Street in Wall,
South Dakota by Ted & Dorothy Hustead. After 5 years of meager business at
Wall Drug, Dorothy had a revelation; she would make road signs that offered
free ice water to whoever paid a visit to Wall Drug. This enticed the jalopies
on Route 16A to in turn buy ice cream, food, etc.
That was the turning point for Wall Drug, and today it
takes up an entire side of Main St.. The store is divided endlessly into
T-Shirt shops, a pharmacy, a button shop, donut shop, film stop, personalized
shot glasses, personalized cups, personalized mugs, personalized hats,
personalized branding irons, western wear, books, posters, knick-knacks,
paddy-whacks, greasy food stalls, ice-cream stands, and of course, the
foundation for it all, the pillar of Wall Drug, good ol' ice water...
So that is where I sit and write to y'all after a
manageable 54 miler along Interstate 90 (I had no choice Dad, but the shoulder
was wide and they closed the road for 5 hours so I could have it safely to
myself!) All bullshitting aside, the ride felt like 80 or so because of a
stiff westerly wind that blew continuously (for you Adventure Cyclists on this
mailing list, remember the ride from Ennis that was supposed to be 70 and
turned out to be 35? Same wind!) But the Wall Drug signs that littered the
Interstate every 8th of a mile (I am serious!) made the time pass quickly.
Plus, I am happy to announce that the weather was mostly cloudy and in the
70's this afternoon, making the riding far more pleasurable than the triple
digit treks through the fiery furnaces of hell that I was growing accustomed
to.
But....now its raining, so I'm spending my afternoon
milking that free ice-water gimmick to its fullest. Once I make it back to my
tent site, I will have the phone on, so y'all can call me anytime tonight at
(818) 261-2101. So long!
-Darren
Distance - 34.4 miles
Avg Speed - 13.3mph
Max Speed - 30.3mph
Trip Time - 2:35:02
Odometer - 1880 miles
Heay Dad they named a town for you! And what a lovely town it is. My plan was
to ride 61 miles to Midland, SD, but I had to contemplate my route to Pierre
over lunch at BJ's Corner in Philip (what's goin' on on this corner?). You
see, if I went to Midland today, I would be forced to take a road north from
there tomorrow that is being resurfaced, which translates to 22 miles of
rough, rough roads and a cyclists nightmare (especially with my thin 700x26C
tires) The other alternative was to bike to Billsburg tonight, 30 miles from
Philip. But, there ain't nothin' in Billsburg, and I mean nothin'! So,
tomorrow I will go through Billsburg, marvel at the vast desolation of the
once thriving center of world commerce and culture that has faded into near
obscurity at the junction of the 73 North and 14 East, and pick up the 14
East, heading into Pierre by tomorrow evening. Which means nearly another
century, but I felt that was the best option considering the circumstances.
Besides, Philip happens to be one of the darndest most
blissful towns I've ever had the pleasure to visit (Hey Gab, remember that
line? Ms. Bacon 11th grade Zachary Taylor live via satellite interview for
Hannibal, Missouri project....sorry to everyone else!) But seriously, its a
wonderful town of about 1000 folks, of which I'd say at least 100 of 'em were
waving to me as I passed by and were wishing me luck on my journey left and
right. I found a nice camping spot at Philips City Park, and moseyed on o'er
to the Courthouse/Police Station/Chamber of Commerce/Library to get some
readin' done (Zinn of course Anna) The very nice and very attractive
librarian, Edna, was extremely kind to me; allowing me to play the piano in
the reading room, offering me a place to stay in her house (which was an old
church that her and her husband, who by the way is responsible for creating
many of the Wall Drug signs that dot the landscape the world over, are working
on restoring and converting into a great home) and invited me to spend some time there this evening
where I will be treated to Banana Bread and an in tune piano to boot! After I
finish my meal at The Steak House, where I sit and write to you kind folks
while chowin' down on an endless supply of BBQ'd ribs, mashed taters, rolls
and such, I look forward to some friendly company and some Banana Bread, that's
for sure!
So that's the plan. I will ride like the wind tomorrow, in
eager anticipation of arriving in Pierre and having to hire some helpers to
carry out all the care packages and tapes from the Pierre Post Office. After
all, I figure with at least 120 people on this mailing list, that translates
to at least 120 packages for me to receive (I'm guessing some of you sent more
than one) For those of you that thought you were off the hook, fear not, for I
will be harassing you shortly with yet another General Delivery address either
in them eastern parts of South Dakota or western Minnesota. So no need to
worry, the slackers among you and those who think that these priceless daily
literary gems come free. Your day of reckoning will come.
Well enough with the idle threats and frivolous banter
(when is it anything more?!) A good night to all and be sure to write, even if
its just a simple "hello" or "please remove me from your
mailing list" or "Why don't you get a job and make yourself useful
instead of toiling away the days on your sissy bike?"
-Darren
Distance - 90 Miles
That's right folks, that CT is central time, for my endless days of peddling
away from the setting sun has cost me an hour this evening. Therefore, I am
now 2 hours later than the West Coast and 1 hour behind the East.
Clock management aside, I want to personally thank
Edna, Barry, and Cody for letting me into their lovely home and allowing me to
hang out with them last night. I had a wonderful time talking to y'all and
getting the piano/guitar duo and singalong off and runnin' (an excerpt of
which will be available shortly on biking4books.com as the July 18th audio
message) Please know that once I get settled in California and any of you plan
on taking a trip West, you will have a place to stay. And if any of you need
any quality signs painted for your home or business, Barry's your man!
Stumbling out of my tent at the Philip City Park,
which I shared with Moe and Chuck, (the Park, not the tent) two westbound
cyclists, I donned my cycling garb and headed to BJ's Corner once again for
breakfast. I knew that services would be sparse along the 90 mile route to
Pierre, South Dakota's state capital, so I gorged myself on a hearty breakfast
of chicken fried steak, 2 eggs, hash browns, toast, and coffee. In hindsight I
shoulda had more. Heading north out of Philip to the "town" of
Billsburg, I passed a convoy of combines; gigantic machines used to harvest
grain. As the sun began to break from the cloud cover by 9, I looked forward
to a lovely day of riding.
A Cyclometer, for those of you who don't know the lingo, is
the little cycle computer that lets me know my speed, distance traveled, time,
etc. But as I said previously, I often flip through the digital menu of stats
it offers me while riding, which seems to make the riding last longer because
I can watch the tenth of a mile increments slothenly crawl by. So today I
packed it in my trailer and road without it. Expecting a westerly head wind
once I turned East at the Billsburg junction, I did not want to be discouraged
knowing I had 67 miles to go and seeing just how long it would take me thanks
to my Vetta C-15.
So, over the rolling hills I traveled, passing a cornfield
here and there, a cowboy or two tending to their cattle, some friendly
motorcyclists who shouted some not quite discernable words of encouragement in
my direction, and a couple pickup drivers who were kind enough to stop and ask
me if I wanted a lift to Pierre. Always tempted, I politely declined and
continued East. My planned stop for lunch at Hayes, SD., 33 miles from Pierre,
consisted of two fudgcicles and a Gatorade, which wasn't too satisfying for
for some reason I foolishly expected there to be a restaurant in the town. I
wish there would have been, because during the remaining miles to Pierre, I
felt soooooo lethargic from lack of food. I had some scraps with me;
tortillas, peanut butter and crackers (thanks to Jeff & Elyse & Mara
& Claire & Julia's Missoula care package!), and some pepperoni, but it
really didn't suffice and I had to coax my nutrient starved muscles to get
their act together and start a peddlin'!
It was a welcome site to see the beautiful Missouri River
and the city of Pierre on its eastern shores. I felt like today was a
milestone on the trip for me, because I always have associated the Missouri
River as more of an eastern waterway than a western one, reminding me again
that progress is being made.
Rest Day tomorrow, for I need to take my bike into the shop for a
routine tune-up, do some laundry, chit-chat with the governor, you know, the
usual business. Take care and I hope to hear from y'all soon!
-Darren
p.s. phone is on all night tonight (818)261-2101 but it'll be better to call
(605) 224-5981, Room 108 tonight. Peace!
Well, I wouldn't say a plenty, but I was only 117 off from my estimate of 120.
I eagerly awoke this morning in anticipation of all the wonderful care
packages I had waiting for me at FedEx and the US Post Office, and I was not
disappointed, although I had to let go my team of helpers that were to haul
the hundreds of boxes to my motel room. From my Aunt Florence and Uncle Alvin
in Virginia I received a delicious box of chocolate chip cookies and a handy
pack of batteries! And from my cousins Ellen & Jeff and their daughter
Hannah, I received an extraordinary package of Power Bars, more batteries, spoke
ornaments, thirst quenching gum, a "Journeys" tape (which is a mix
of traveling music that I will undoubtedly love), and one of Ellen's world renowned
mix-tapes that is a collection of songs personally themed to my trip
(i.e. "Against the Wind", "On the Road Again", etc.) From
my sister Eve AND her boyfriend Nathan (sorry Eve, you can't take all the
credit!) I received a new pair of biking shorts, to allow the bacteria to subside on my old, soiled pair, a
fancy toothbrush, some crayons (???), some more gum, sunflower seeds,
magazines, powerbars, and candy. To the Bernstein's, the Smith's, the Bates's,
and the Hunt's, thank you so much for spending the time to put together some
great care packages. To Ilan, Eric, and Matt, I thank you in advance, for I am
guessing your package will be arriving here tomorrow, and I will pick it up
before I depart East.
So I think I might just write to these philanthropical folks from
now on. The rest of you can go to biking4books.com and get the reports
there.....no, I wouldn't do that, not yet anyhow...I'll wait till the next
mail spot before making those drastic moves!
In other news, today I got my bike tuned up, had some
business type cards with biking4books.com printed on 'em so I can pass them
out to waitresses, motel clerks, librarians, camping crews, fellow cyclists,
etc. Then I went to the governor's office at the State Capital building to see
if I could chat with him about his cycling friendly state. His secretary told
me he was busy with meetings till 3, but I gave her my cell phone number (and
a biking4books.com card) and told her to call me if he has any time to see a
cyclist that rode his bike 2000 miles just to see him. I'm not holding my
breath.
I checked out my website at the state library, and pictures
from last week in Wyoming are now online, as is the musical concert of sorts
from Philip, SD two nights ago (in the audio section). Keep in mind that the
audio won't work properly unless you sign the guestbook, so get a signin'!
Tomorrow I head East towards the town of Huron, but that is nearly 110 miles
from here, so unless I'm feeling exceptionally fit tomorrow, I'll probably
stop a little short. But who knows? With all these wonderful treats I've
received, maybe they will give me the extra energy I need to go the distance!
Stay tuned....
-Darren
p.s. I'm changing calling hours to 7-8pm pacific time, and 10-11pm eastern, so
that'll translate to 9-10 my time. Of course you can call anytime and maybe
it'll be on, or u can always leave a message. (818) 261-2101
p.p.s Please write to me more often! But I must ask you to remove me from your
joke lists & other forward lists, because my primitive email device takes a
long time to download emails. And also, try to remember to not include the
original message in replies to me, for the same reason. That ends my bitching
for the evening. A good night to all!
Distance- 49.8 miles
Avg Speed - 9.9mph
Max Speed - 25.2mph
Trip Time - 4:59:14
Odometer - 2022 miles!!!
The 2000 mile mark has been reached!
Ah, I awake this morning to the sun streaming through my room; another
glorious day in Pierre! (watch this foreshadowing as it develops) The warm,
life giving sun piercing my eyes as I stroll to the post office to pick up a
priceless mix-tape from Ilan B., Matt S., and Eric Z., (thank you so much
pals! It's is a mixing masterpiece, to be sure) and hurry back to my room to
get ready for my day of riding/tanning. I made sure to pack away all my rain
gear in the deepest caverns of my trailer; after all, they'd only get in the
way and although I had them perfectly handy the past few days I never touched
'em once.
So off I go, saying so long to Pierre and its pleasent
surroundings and head east on the state route 14. 4 miles into the ride,
"POP!!" followed by "PSSSSSSSSSS" as the air rapidly flows
from my blown rear tire. No big deal; in a 4,500 mile ride a busted tire is
nothing to cause a fuss over. So I sat by the side of the road and worked on
the tire. Then I turned around, and noticed Mr. Sun was eclipsed by the evil
Mr. Cumulonimbus as well as his herd of lightning bolts quickly heading
towards me and my lightning rod of an aluminum bike. So I hurridly fixed the
flat and started hauling ass. Every so often I peered in my rearview mirror
only to see a black sky interrupted by bolts of lightning in all directions. I
don't think I've ever peddled so fast in my life, for this did not look like a
storm I wanted to be in the thick of.
10 minutes later, I was in the thick of it. The rain
quickly dispached of my Coppertone layer and proceeded to drench me in a
matter of seconds. At least my rain jacket was safe, warm, and cozy in the
bottom of my bike trailer though.
A minute after the downpour began, I thought to
myself, "Oh well, I can't get any wetter, and I'm only 3 miles from a
large truck stop, so I'm soon to get some hot coffee and a place to wait out
the storm."
The the hail came, but the jacket was still safe.
Thankfully I had my helmet on (as always Mr. & Mrs. Bates) , but the rest
of me didn't quite enjoy the ice pounding I was receiving. I resolved to stop
and pitch my tent and wait it out on the side of the road.
But right when I pulled off the
road, a Canadian Contract Combiner saw me in my pitiful state and offered to
drive me to the truck stop. So, once again (remember Dayville Oregon/Rental
Car fiasco to meet up with Matt Kimberlin?) I cheated; stowing my bike on the
wheat littered floor of a combine truck and getting a ride 2 miles to the
truck stop. Neil Knutson was his name (Edna & Barry, I asked him if he
knew the Knutson's in Philip, SD., but he didn't) and he arranged for me to
store my bike in the repair shop at the truck stop once I arrived. I thanked
him and he was on his way, and after wringing my clothes dry, I sat down to a
traditional truck stop cheeseburger & fries while chatting with a group of
Combiners (again from Canada) who are here in South Dakota harvesting wheat
until August. Then it's back to Canada where they will do some harvesting in
their homeland. I marveled at the sophistication and size of their John Deer
Combines; these bushel bearing behemoth!
s that routinely haul ass down the highways and threaten to run me onto the
roadside gravel ditches every time they pass me by. They were nice folks
however, and gave me good advice on routes to take through Canada once I head
north from Michigan.
With a dry change of clothes and a clearing sky, I
departed from my Combine compatriots and departed east for Highmore. Highmore
is the highest point between the Missouri River and the Mississippi River at
1950 feet (according to the folks in neighboring Harrold), hence the name. At
7pm I arrived in Highmore, a quaint little town of 830 folks with a nice city
park that allows free tent camping!
I write to you from the Bowling Alley of Highmore,
which seems to be struggling this Friday evening. I am guessing the big
Tractor Pull event in Fort Pierre is drawing from their usual crowds. That is
all I've been hearing about the past few days, and its too bad I wasn't
still in the Pierre area to go see 'em. One of you folks will have to watch
Sportscenter tonight and let me know the results, ok?
Anyhow, here's a new address for the cornucopia of
care packages I expect are ready for mailing but are just lacking a place to
send it to.
Darren Bates
General Delivery
Saint Cloud, MN
56301
I will be there probably by Thursday. Now I know this doesn't allow you all
much time, but unfortunately I can't know my exact route so far in advance, so
St. Cloud is as far into the future as I can accurately predict. So if you
send anything out (cash money, gold bouillon, liquor, joints, firearms, etc.)
be sure to send it Monday at the latest and Priority Mail. Or it can be
FedEx'd to the St. Cloud office (1800GOFEDEX for info) if u wanna stall a bit
and I can pick it up there to.
So that concludes tonight's look into my day in the plains
of SD. Be sure to write everyone!
-Darren
p.s. phone is on tonight of course. (818) 261-2101
Distance - 69.7 miles
Avg Speed - 11.1mph
Max Speed - 19.2 mph
Trip Time - 6:14:10
Odometer - 2093 miles
It seems like not a day goes by where I am not reminded why this trip has so
much to offer...Yesterday night, while camping at the Highmore City Park, I
said hello to a RV'er stopping there for the night, and we struck up a
conversation about his travels with his wife and my own travels as well. John
from Vancouver, already on his 3rd RV after tearing up the road on the first
two, has visited every state at least twice in his travels and proved to be a
wise source on routes through Canada, which I will be approaching before I
know it. So we chat about his work as a logger in Canada, my rides across the
Western States, etc. Then he pulls out his wallet and insists on giving me $20
dollars so I can get myself a quality meal. Of course I tell him it's
absolutely unnecessary, but he insists, and to be honest, I didn't try that
hard to convince him otherwise.....AMAZING!!!!
A rather uneventful ride today, with one
exception. A 70 miler from Highmore to Huron (pop approx. 14,000) took me
through a couple small towns. At Miller I stopped at a Dairy Queen, in
Wessington I quenched my thirst at the Coneco Station, and in Wolsey I stopped
at the Frosty Cafe, where I chit-chatted with the young kid working behind the
counter. Being a Saturday, I asked him what he and his friend would usually do
on the weekends. He told me that besides drinking (which I got the feeling
they might do in excess), he himself buys old, cheap, but drivable trucks,
and him and his friends find the muddiest roads in the county to see if their
trucks can get through 'em. If not, oh well, they can pitch in and buy
another. We of course talked about my travels, and upon leaving he insisted on
paying for my milk shake. Now this one I vehemently argued, for here was a kid
that was no doubt making minimum wage and was willing to sacrifice a half
hours work on my behalf. But, !
to no surprise, he refused to budge, and I departed extremely grateful but a
bit perplexed.
Is my 2 month scraggly beard, soiled clothes,
and overall disheveled appearance leading people to believe that I am some down
and outer that is living out of the back of his bike trailer and in need of a
handout left and right? There is a valid (really valid) argument in that, but
it didn't take me long to abandon that theory. I believe that especially in
these small towns, people are taken aback when any traveler decides to pay 'em
a visit. Truth be told, there ain't much to see in Wolsey, Miller, Harrold,
etc. (unless you're really into the architecture and subtle facets of grain
elevators and the like) But you'll meet some of the kindest and most generous
folks in these towns, who will give you money, a place to stay, and the shirt
off their backs without a moments hesitation. The fact that I have the privilege
of coming in contact with these folks on a daily basis for three
months makes me one lucky bum!
-Darren
Distance - 59 miles
A Derailleur is a metal contraption attached to the frame of the bike that
physically moves the chain from any one of 3 chain-rings on the front and 8 on
the rear cassette. 5 miles outside of Huron, I was navigating the
pitiful shoulder on SR14; mostly dirt and loose gravel, when I noticed that
something wasn't quite right with the shifting (as in, the chain was
completely separated from the chain ring) So I pulled into the parking lot of
the Dakota Plains restaurant, and found the yellow pages to see if the Huron
Bicycle Shop was open on Sundays. No such luck: I was disappointed to find
there wasn't any bike shop in Huron.
So I rigged the front derailleur to stay on the largest
front chain ring, which limited me to 8 gears today and plenty of pain when
climbing, for I had to climb using gears not meant for the grades. Actually
the grades weren't that bad, but for the 5th consecutive day, a westerly wind
made the riding slow.
I was planning on doing about a 90 miler today which would
have taken me into Minnesota, but I knew early on that with my bike in such a
state, it wouldn't be possible. So tomorrow I will stop 20 miles into the day
at Brookings, where I know for a fact (the local Arlington kids I played
baseball with this evening told me it's on Main St.) there is a bike store.
Anyhow, sorry to make this report so short but I am pooped.
You can always call me and I can elaborate further on the woes of broken derailleur
and the trials & tribulations of riding on dirt shoulders
bordering state highways in South Dakota. Nighty Nite!
-Darren
(818) 261-2101
Distance - 23 miles
Hello all! A planned ride into Minnesota today has been delayed at until
tomorrow, for it took some time for my bike to be repaired today. Then, upon
its completion at about 2, the skies opened up and down came the rain. There
is a big storm in the Plains states today, esp. eastern SD and Minnesota, so I
didn't think it would be too wise to push it, especially in late afternoon
where weather can get pretty bad in these parts. So I took the time to do some
laundry and head to the library to read a bit, and to look at the
biking4books.com site and see who along my traveled route has been to it and
signed the guestbook. I was happy to see some that some folks I've met in
Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, etc. have been nice enough to write some kind
words of encouragement. Then I was a bit perplexed to see a wacky message on
the guestbook from this girl I went to high school with, who suggested after
"taking an inn-depth look at my journal" that I should receive shock
therapy "to cure my anger and resentment expressed in my emails due to a incapability to
accomplish what others have been able to..." Hmmm.... its good to know
that I have some esteemed psychologists logging in to keep track of my
progress!.
So if any of you know a good shock therapist in Minnesota, by all
means let me know! Or I could just stand outside in the storm this evening and
let the lightning cure my woes (just call me Powder!).
So all in all, a relaxing day in Brookings, where I
shall try to get a good rest tonight to awake fresh tomorrow to make up for
lost miles today. Hopefully the weather gods will cooperate with a nice
tailwind and some pleasant skies. Have a great night everyone!
-Darren
