LET'S DO THIS!
We started the day with a BIG BREAKFAST. The proof is in the picture. We retraced our route out of Wall for twelve miles back into the Badlands. It was cool and foggy but the sky cleared quickly. The headwinds were manageable and we knew they would be at our back when we hooked to the east.
At the top there were several herds of big horn sheep. After a few pics we had the pleasure of coasting down yesterday's leg crushers. I was wishing I had taken the time to pop in some new brake pads. Cue Beatles music, "The Long and Winding Road."
What goes down must come up. Our total climb for the day was two thousand one hundred forty-eight feet. For the first thirty- five we rode through incredible Badlands views.
Howie picked up one of those South Dakota thistles. How many Dutchmen does it take to change a tire? We don't know because Larry Nelson from RASDak came with a pump and Bob from Ft. Collins Colorado helped too. I guess the number must be more than 3. For the record though, you should look at the pictures. One man holding two bikes, that's me. Talented.
Unfortunately, Howie's troubles didn't end as we made two more stops for other repairs. At mile thirty-six we stopped at a homestead from 1854. The original sod hut was still there.
A short time later we took pictures with a giant prairie dog. These guys I'm riding with are kind of squirrely. They made me do the prairie dog pose. Undignified!
The rest of the ride we biked through the Buffalo Gap National Grassland. There were gigantic rolling ranch lands. I should have stopped to take some pics of the wildflowers. The sky out here is so huge. If South Dakota wanted to take on Montana I wouldn't bet against them.
It was a great day. Fifty-nine miles and only one convenience store. We didn't need it. We had a BIG BREAKFAST.
The meteorologists here must be pessimists or trying to curb expectations. The forecast has been concerning but the weather's been good. Tomorrow's forecast is good should we be concerned? Join me on the ride tomorrow to find out.
Todd Moss is a retired architect, a world traveler, a biker , and a blogger. Todd and his wife Rhonda organize and lead tours around the world. He has been in all fifty states, fifty-five countries, and 6 continents so far. You can follow this and his other adventures at http://www.facebook.com/extratouchtours