Journal Entries East Of The Continental Divide

Haystacks To Haystacks Daily Log
(a.k.a. Our Life Behind Bars)

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/mribob/sets/72157631803023542/

Sunday June 13 Day 1
Day 1 Spring Grove to Durand, Illinois
68.3 Miles

A late start, one hour of solid hard rain got us to our camp site later than we expected. On the waning edge of daylight. The tent is up and the air mattress inflated. Time for sleep. We did very well for our first day of touring. Both Lindy and I feel well. Hopefully no rain tonight so our rain gear can dry, but that is doubtful since the humidity is very high. Ultra sticky weather.

Monday June 14 Day 2
Day 2 Durand Illinois to Shullsburg, WI
59 miles (127.3)

A lucky start to the day, no rain overnight and we were able to take down a dry tent. Thought our luck with respect to rain was about to change. Not to be! Rain and then more rain, but no bugs! Met up by chance with another group of cyclists (161 in all) that were on a tour of 6 Illinois state parks. We were invited to share lunch with Dubuque, Ia them in Orangeville, Illinois where a local service group was holding a fund raiser. Orangeville is noted for the Jane Austin bicycle trail. The rain finally ended mid afternoon as we made our way to the home of Heather and Ken Curtis in Schullsburg, Wisconsin. They have graciously let us use their home for the evening. Camping is fine, but a bed, ahhhhh. On to Dubuque tomorrow.

Tuesday June 15 Day 3
Day 3 Shullsburg, WI to Dubuque, IA
41.5 miles (168.8)

It seems that I am forced once again to comment on the weather, only because it seems like a bit of a cruel joke. We woke to a sullen grey sky, dense fog but no rain. Until that is until we were a few miles down the road, spray, drips, rain and then the sky opened. The good news is that we made it to the city park in Cuba City, WI just before the torrents. There we sat for for the next four hour, just us and 16 picnic tables. We fired the camp stove and had coffee, tried to dry out a few damp pieces, ate lunch, napped, listened to music... Finally the storm passed, sky cleared and we made it into Dubuque. Crossed the Mississippi River at 6 p.m. Roy and Kelly Lines are hosting us this evening. Tomorrow, off to the Heritage Trail which will lead us 26 miles to Dyersville, Ia. The forecast looks great for tomorrow. Linda said it is only raining because we have friends to stay with for the first three nights. After that, rain free... We hope.

Wednesday June 16 Day 4
Dubuque, IA to Dyersville, IA / New Vienna
36.8 Miles (205.6)

It has been said, "all things come to those that wait". I don't know if that is true but it seems to be in our case where weather is concerned. We finally had a beautiful day as we cycled up the Heritage Trail from Sageville near Dubuque to Dyersville. The entire path is along an old railroad right of way. It is well compacted crushed sand and a steady 28 mile long low grade climb. I don't think we coasted once the entire day! We only succeeded in averaging about 7 miles / hour (recall the 50# of gear). The entire length of the trail is a canopy of green. Only occasionally do you break out into small clearings of prairie as you follow the small river to your left. Although it was a short milage day, we are quite tired from the constant climb. Just met Zach Schwartz, he is the son of the camp ground host. We gave him Matt's email address because he is interested in pursuing a business degree from UO. Time to turn in... and no we did not go to The Field Of Dreams!

Thursday June 17 Day 5
Dyresville, IA to Oelwein, IA
52.5 Miles (258.2)
As usual I will begin by commenting about the weather. Mother Nature smiled upon us today, as if to apologize for the first three days of rain. Temperature was in the mid-eighties, morning overcast burned off to a beautiful sunny day. The best part of the day was the brisk wind out of the SE which propelled us throughout the day. It was awesome! One of the lovely things I really like about Iowa is that just about ever town, large and small has a city park. These usually have a nice shelter, running water, and restrooms. I swear some parks are as big as the towns to which they belong. Rural Iowa is also a place where people wave and stop to talk. The most unforgettable person of the trip so far is Gomer. Gomer owns the the grocery / deli / restaurant / hardware store all under one roof in Petersburg, IA. My guess is that the building must be one hundred years old and the last time it saw paint was just after the world war. Which war? Take your pick. He is a 70 year old curmudgeon, and most likely wears whatever seems less offensive although I doubt he cares if he offends. Under it all I would bet he has a big heart (there was a Haiti relief fund box on the counter) and I know he has a razor sharp wit and humor, because he honed it on me with ease. Tomorrow I promised Lindys tooshie a short day and a bed in Waverly, IA.


Friday June 18 Day 6
Oelwein, IA to Oelwein, IA
00.0 Miles (258.2)

Woke to a beautiful morning. Broke camp and went to breakfast at a local diner. While waiting for our food we were watching the local weather and looking at our map. It all became apparent that we should not travel today so we biked a few feet to the Super 8 and watched two huge thunder storms roll through. The storm last night produced one of the most amazing displays of lightening we have ever seen. The entire surface of the small lake near us would completely light up with reflection of the sky. We temporarily fled the tent for the safety of a sturdy picnic shelter for a while because of the trees above our tent. Upon retune to our tent following the hard driving rain, it was completely intact and bone dry. REI T3 tents are amazing! Off to Waverly Iowa in the morning.

Saturday June 19 Day 7
Oelwein, IA to Waverly, IA
41 Miles (299.2)

A steady climb for most of the day into a steady head wind took us into the delightful town of Waverly, home of Wartburg College. We checked into our hotel to duck some predicted T storms, but nothing happened. After a welcome indoor shower, we walked to a little Mexican restaurant called Don Jose's. Had an excellent meal and both of us fell asleep early. We made plenty of stops due to the wind and the hills. Traffic has been fine, with all drivers giving us plenty of leeway. Lindy learned that when cycling east to west to put extra sun block on the left side of her body... she got a little sunburned. We will see what tomorrow's weather will bring.

Sunday June 20 Day 8
Waverly, IA
0 Miles (299.2)

We decided to stay another day due to the 80% chance of severe thunder storms predicted for this afternoon. Nothing! So we wasted a good cycling day, but the rest was nice. Found a local paved rail to trail path along the Cedar River so we did about 20 miles just to keep the muscles moving and limber. Storms also predicted for tomorrow, but will try to move out to Beeds Lake campground near Hampton in the morning.

Monday June 21 Day 9
Waverly, IA to Hampton, IA (Beeds Lake State Park)
49.7 Miles (348.9)

Spirits are high tonight on this beautiful Iowa evening. We got on the road about 8 a.m. and were immediately greeted by a light sprinkle. Out came the pannier covers. They are good insurance, as soon as you put them on the sprinkles stoped and we cycled most of the day under high clouds. The terrain was uneventful. Typical Iowa rolling hills and plenty of corn and soy beans. A few hog farms, phew.... The most newsworthy event of the day were the gravel roads, about 15 miles we estimate. Google Maps are great, but they don't tell you whether they are paved or gravel. The majority of the gravel was fine, hard packed and few holes. Although the gravel buzz got a bit tiresome. Most bothersome was dust from passing vehicles, but a light cross wind took most of it away quickly. We plan on an early start and off to Humboldt Iowa tomorrow on pavement if possible!

Tuesday June 22 Day 10
Hampton, IA to Humboldt, IA
69.8 Miles (418.7)
Weird thought of the day: Do pigs belch?

Long day in the saddle. The route was mostly level with only a few minor climbs. Bob made a map distance estimation error which added about ten miles to our day. While ten miles might not seem like much, it is when you consider your butt gets tired and the afternoons get hot. Temperatures reached the high 80's. It turns out it is a good thing we were very tired. We were about 1 mile from our campground when we spotted a Super 8 at about 7 p.m. We got the last room. Then the sky darkened, the wind blew, the lightening was non-stop, the tornado sirens whaled (twice throughout the evening) and when it was done 4 inches of rain fell overnight. The most memorable and happy moment of the day is when the front desk manager Brady said, "We have one room left". Off to Storm Lake, Iowa this morning. Let,s hope its, name is not indicative of its' weather!


Wednesday June 23 Day 11
Humboldt, IA to Storm Lake, IA
58.3 Miles (477)


Iowa is a big place. In rural Iowa they do three things; raise corn, raise soy beans, and harvest wind energy. Today we experienced all three for mile after mile while struggling to maintain a moderately good average time. The wind was a steady 15 with gusts but at least the weather was good along our only highway C49. We spent a total of just over eight hours in the saddle. Way too much in my butts opinion.

Bob had to fix a slow leak on my bike tire. Patched it, got grease everywhere and worked the patch kit like a champ. Makes me laugh because he can fix anything and he was actually reading the directions! He doesn't need to!


Thursday June 24 Day 12
Storm Lake, Ia to Cherokee, Ia
29.5 Miles (506.5)

Observation of the day: Big rig truckers move over to give you space, old ladies seldom do.

A better day for cycling never dawned. Went to the bicycle shop in storm lake this morning. They where very helpful. We picked up another jersey for Lindy to better protect her shoulders from the sun, and a new pair of cycling shorts with a better chamois. It was a short ride day / partial rest day too. At the Spring Lake Muni Campground which is a very nice park. Off to dinner. Ate at the Gast Haus a great pub and great wait staff!


Friday June 25 Day 13
Cherokee, IA to Le Mars, IA
33.5 Miles (540.0)

Thought for the day: " I wonder if horses like bananas?" (Linda)

Got on the road by 9 a.m. and cycled a short piece back into Le Mar. Had breakfast and then went down the street to get a hair buzz and beard trim. Ran into Richard who owns the local bike shop and we asked about a place to by food. He said there was nothing near-by but we were welcome to leave the bikes at his shop and use his truck to go to K Mart. We thanked him but declined. True to forecast the wind picked up but it was not too bad. Side wind mostly with a bit of a push now and then. Rolled into Le Mars and set up camp, showered and had dinner at a great little restaurant / coffee house called Habitue. Very nice food and amazing decor. Off to South Dakota tomorrow!

Saturday, June 26 Day 14
Le Mars, IA to Vermillion, SD
46.5 Miles (586.5)

Thought for the day: "If there are free range chickens, and free range beef, why are there no free range hogs?" (Bob)

Left Le Mars with little sleep from the night before due to the heat and humidity. Our tent was a sweat lodge! But we had a nice ride with a wind out of the SSW so it gave us a nice cooling wind and a bit of a push as we tackled the rolling hills as we approached the Sioux and Missouri River valleys. It turned out to a very warm day with heat index near 100. Once we crested the far western rolling hills we left Iowa highway C38 behind, finally. We had followed C38 for about a third of Iowa. We then rolled on for ten miles of flat terrain into Vermillion and a bed at the Comfort Inn. We both slept soundly. The most unforgettable person of the day was 85 year old Gerald who stopped to talk to us outside of a Hyvee store in Le Mars. Sharp and interesting. He was 85. So sweet!

Sunday June 27 Day 15
Vermillion, SD to Yankton, SD
35 Miles (621.5)
Hotel: Best Western Kelly Inn - nice place Internet sucked, most comfortable King bed EVER!

A beautiful day of cycling. The only negative of the day were gnats. Between the extreme snow melt and recent rain, the insects are thriving! Off to Springfield in the morning.

Thought of the day: "Do pigs get sunburn? They have no pigment!" (Lindy)

Monday June 28 Day 16
Yankton, SD to Springfield, SD
35 Miles (656.5)

Another beautiful day of cycling. We spent most of the a.m. Picking up supplies before setting off for the small town of Springfield located on the Missouri River. My first thought upon seeing the river was to wonder if there was anything left that Lewis and Clark would still recognize if they were here today? Perhaps the skyline? We met a young couple from Pennsylvania today who were cycling to Portland. We exchanged stories, took pictures, and wished each other farewell. Their bikes and equipment looked thrown together. Or we looked vastly over prepared for the journey ahead. Think we will err on the side of supply! Off to Pickstown, SD tomorrow morning.

Still the truckers offer us more than enough room on the side of the roads! So grateful for them! Many give us the double honk and thumbs up. So encouraging when your grinding your but into the seat to get up a steeply graded hill with 110 lbs of gear! The bikes are amazing and make it work!

The camp site is really comfortable with the Missouri River right next to us. The gnats are horrendous but evidence of the standing water as a result of heavy snowfall this winter.

Met so many wonderful people! So supportive and well wishing for our journey!


Tuesday June 29th Day 17
Springfield, SD to Pickstown, SD
52 miles (708.5)

Today started off with amazing weather! Not a cloud in the sky and 80 degrees! We noticed my back tire was getting mooshie and so Bob decided to check it. Found a leak in the exact opposite side from the first leak found in Storm Lake! Coincidence? We don't know. Patched and keeping a watchful eye on it! We had a great beginning of the day ride! Beautiful and we were averaging a stellar 9.9 mph! Then the fun began. We arrived just before the town of Marty to find our 1,500 ft hill climb was under construction and soft dirt and gravel. Needless to say it was safer for us to walk the bikes without risk of falling. The construction flag person rerouted us down another gravel (more hard packed) road through Marty felt like Afghanistan with the bridge almost completely broken down and impassible! Finally arrived to pavement in Marty and were met with reservation like housing and unkept yards and box houses. A steady climb was work but gave us a beautiful coast Into the river valley at Ft Randall dam managed by the corps of engineers. Crossed the brogue and came upon a huge campground and recreation area. Very nice! Off to sleep as the gnats swarm the tent. 50 mile day tomorrow to Brule, should be sunny and breezy to keep the gnats at bay!

Thought of the day: Why does the NAPA parts delivery van have. Headlight out!?

Wednesday June 30 Day 18
Pickstown, SD to Burke, SD
49.5 miles (758)

Had a great nights sleep at the Randal Dam SD Campground. It is a beautiful and large facility, located on the downstream end of a major earthen dam and power facility. I doubt that there were more than 20 people in all at the campground that has over one hundred sites. Our day of cycling began with a long four mile steady climb out of the Missouri River valley. The day was warm and breezy and filled with a steady assent into Burke, SD where we are spending the evening. The wind was our friend for most of the route today. Mostly side wind, but gave us a good push now and then to speed us on our way.

We met two brother cyclists from Connecticut, Tyler and Cameron. Tyler had just graduated from Williams College and they were cycling to Oregon at about 100 miles per day. Their bikes were vintage with racing chain rings (2) and they had make-shift panniers out of Home Depot 5-gallon plastic buckets attached to their frames with zip ties! Hilarious! The guys were easy to speak to good all American boys. Such a nice time hearing their story and thinking they remind me of Matthew and Jacob.

We stopped in a small town called Bonesteel where much to our surprise had a great cafe and a general store that HAD EVERYTHING! From tanning beds to fresh produce to vacuum belts to detergents and haagen daas! It was great and so neat and clean and the people were awesomely friendly! Such a great part of our day! Such a nice time meeting and talking with people and seeing the locals. What an awesome time we are having! :)

Burke is a nice little town of about 700. We checked in at city hall to find the city park and chatted with the sheriff Dennis and met Cheryl, who was about to teach a fitness class at the town civic center.



Thursday July 1 Day 19
Burke, SD to Platte, SD (Snake Creek Rec. area)
23 Miles (781)

Another sunny and very breezy day that was mostly in our favor! Another new catch phrase for the trip is "no gnats, no flats!" neither of which we had today. Had a leisurely a.m. In Burke since we had a very short day planned. Found a small coffee house in Burke just called KC's Coffee Haus. It was nice, not great, but nice. All the local patrons were very nice and interested in our trip. Spoke with Les and Pauline. Both were in their seventies and interested in our venture. Our course for the day took us back down to the river. Had a nice descent that was slowed by the high winds and gusts. Took a few movies with the flip on the descent... They were fun to view but the audio was dominated by wind noise of course, but it will make good video to incorporate into our future DVD project.

What a beautiful day! So perfect even with the wind the high 90s temps were tolerable!

The campground is beautiful and well kept. The showers were nice and clean!
Bob found a vermin hole on the walk to the shower. The hole was as deep that when he fell in the hole, the ground was up to his knee! So glad he was okay! I immediately told the campground attendant and she had maintenance fill it right away.

We had a nice walk around the campground and checked out the awesome trailers! We determined that we have the lowest hydrocarbon footprint of everyone! We win! Only found one other site with tent campers!

Off to Chamberlain! A 50 mile day but we will have a tail wind.


Friday July 2 Day 20
Platte, SD (Snake Creek Rec. area) to Chamberlin, SD
43.5 Miles ( 824.5 )

Yes, it is windy! Fast ride to Chamberlin. Our hotel was right at the first intersection we arrived at but just outside of town. We had a fast tail wind, but about ten miles of cross wind, the last 7 miles on an uphill grade in 95 degrees really took it out of us. We both showered and napped before dinner. We amused ourselves finding and repairing a small leak in one of the air mattresses. We uploaded all the camera images to the iPad and enjoyed seeing them once again as a slide shoe this time. Off to Ft. Thompson today.






Saturday July 3 Day 21
Chamberlin to Ft. Thompson, SD
29 Miles (853.5)

Today was planned as a purposely short day to eliminate a very long day tomorrow on our run up to Pierre which should be about 60 miles. The day began with a two moderate climbs out of Chamberlin. Nothing too out of the ordinary for our experience levels! It was sunny and hot early with the promise of rain this afternoon which began about 4 p.m. We just had a flash of lightening and a clap of thunder, as we sit in our tent waiting for the showers to pass. Dinner is waiting. We have elected to take the alternate route into Pierre, less hills and more open rolling terrain. That should allow for less saddle time tomorrow. Ft. Thompson was a disappointment to say the least. Nothing there but a gas station, small store, hotel, and third rate casino. No town, just a typical reservation for the Crow, like most others we have seen. The shells of buildings that do remain which once held gift shops or filling stations are long gone. I think I shall always think of the pink roads when I think of S.D. It looks like they surface chip coat their roads with pink quartzite. Most durable.

Once again, the REI T3 tent has stood the test. A T storm of major proportion just blew through. Must have had a few wind gusts in excess of 50 mph! Upon returning to the tent, one corner was in a pool of water, but the inside - totally dry! Nice that the temp has dropped nicely for sleeping.

Sunday July 4th Day 22
Ft. Thompson, SD to Pierre, SD
63 miles (916.5)

Jeckyl and Hydie the Rottweilers, who ran alongside us in the tall grass for three miles....nice, but dumb!

Profile uphill into the wind but kept temps tolerable. Every time we felt we had arrived at the crest of a hill we would see one higher! Just was a lot of climbing and against the 20 mph headwind there were no downhill "coasts".

Approaching Lake Sharpe we noticed a lot of dried up frogs and dead snakes on the side of the road! Weird! Terrain was dominated by same-ness, which led to a bit of mental boredom, which led to Bob trying to crush grasshoppers on the white line, while Linda actually turned around to inspect a roadkill in the other lane!

Monday July 5th Day 23 A rest day.
Pierre, SD
0 miles (916.5)

Walking tour of the SD state capitol and grounds. Very nice! Pierre itself? I give it two out of five stars. Had ice cream at Zestos a local ice cream shop appearing to be there since the 60s. It was busy and worth the wait in line to see what they had!

Tuesday July 6 Day 24 Not a rest day!
Pierre, SD to Gettysburg, SD
61.5 miles (978)

Took highways 212 / 83 all day as we rolled NW and northward toward Gettysburg through the town of Onida. We did not realize what a busy truck routes this high was, mostly grain trucks going to and from the the town of Onida, which is a big storage center. Most of our route was a mild climb, very little in the way of downhill coasts to catch ones' breath. Luck was with us as far as rain. After leaving the motel in Pierre we rode three blocks and went to a coffee shop, at which point the clouds burst open. Rain all around us in the afternoon on Doppler Radar but we only experienced a few drops. After checking into our hotel for the evening the rain fell once again. Lucky us! It was A no sun day, cool 68 temperatures were much appreciated for a change. Most noteworthy was the variable shades of gray the sky assumed all day with wavy, billowy and scalloped cloud cover. It looked as if someone had taken a stick and brush to an artist canvas and swirled all shades of gray together. Quite fascinating, and gave us precious little entertainment as we cycled into a slight headwind most of the day. Breakfast, groceries and off to Mobridge, SD tonight.

Wednesday July 7 Day 25
Gettysburg, SD to Morbridge, SD
60.5 miles (1038.5)

Celebration times... Come on

1000 miles celebrated mid-day today just south of the town of Selby, SD with an awesome cinnamon twist we picked up at a great little baker in Gettysburg, SD where we spent the evening. I had looked on the Internet a few days before and found a bakery, but in small town rural America these small independent gems are quickly disappearing. We stopped for groceries where everyone in the store said "good morning"' and then we proceeded to scope out the town and literally followed our noses to the little bakery. Five pieces of bakery and the price... A whopping $3.00!

The ride today took us over rolling terrain as we stayed away from the Missouri River for a second day. Good roads and ample shoulders made the ride a good one. Temperatures were pleasant all day, and winds were cross but moderate most of the day. True to form they only gusted when we had earned a downhill run and then the wind would increase just enough to take the fun out of a long coast.

Lindy again worked at perfecting her cattle herding skills! She is getting better. We also found our first "free range" hog farm at Gettysburg. Lots of little house with pig families scampering every which way at the sight of a bicycle. Tomorrow, off to camp at West Pollack just about 40 miles up river which will be our last evening in SD.


Thursday July 8th Day 26
Mobridge to West Pollock (Indian Creek Recreation area to West Pollock Rec. area)
43 miles (1080.5)

Had a wonderful stay in Mobridge at a campground that was awesomely clean! Well maintained and very friendly! The day was hot night was chilly and made for a good night's sleep! With a steady climb out of the campground back to the highway we needed to be, we had a nice coast into town where we stopped at Filler's bake shop. In hopes of getting a homemade donut. Unfortunately it turned out a bit on the disappointing side. Poor service, the donut marginal and the coffee well...nevermind. Proceeded to Merkel's to buy groceries.

The terrain and vistas were so great today! And even a bit of a tail wind! The clouds were quick to provide shade for us on the uphill climbs! Awesomely lucked out! Long climbs but Bob can handle them in his sleep! We had a great time. We were a little apprehensive to go 2 miles to the campgrounds with suspicion that they may be close because some parts of the street information sign were blocked out.

We stopped for a snack after a few pretty good climbs only to be stung by wasps! We were quickly on our way!

We asked a few passersby and they assured us it was open. Arriving safely and ready to be off the bikes and ready to look forward to our next few days that get us markedly closer to North Dakota! :)

Friday July 9th Day 27
West Pollock (Indian Creek Recreation area to West Pollock Rec. area) to Beaver Creek COE Recreation Area
40 miles (1120)

Lindy seems to have to all the "luck" when it comes to flat tires. Getting flats is not lucky, but she is lucky because she always gets her flats in convenient locations. Tonight she got a flat at the shower house. The valve stem separated from the tube. We need to make certain we get a new replacement tube before leaving Bismarck.

Hard to believe we are in North Dakota! We celebrated with a bunch of photographs and cycled on. It was a warm day, with very little wind. We had several good long climbs but the grades were moderate with only a few exceptions. Also had a good breakfast at Pollock, SD.... Nonexistent service, but good food. The town was getting cranked up for an all-class reunion and the Main Street was closed off for several bands and the big party. Looked like fun times in Pollock, population 380.

We are amazed at our own ability to get up to the top of a challenging climb/hill and begin an in-depth conversation, not even out of breath! It is so cool to know our cardiovascular fitness is so agreeable! Feels so good!

We settled into our camp and met out neighbors Dwight and Steve fishing friends from North Dakota. Super great guys and we are so glad they are here! Had a nice conversation about us, kids, life and fishing!

Our tent site is surrounded by trees and very far away from the bath house, but what a beautiful setting!

Saturday July 10th Day 28
Beaver Creek COE Recreation Area to Bismarck, ND
54 Miles (1174)

Hit the road at 8 a.m. since the forecast called for a very warm day. It was correct! However, putting in most of our miles in the relative cool of the morning hours and limiting our breaks a bit put us into one of the nicest Best Westerns we have ever stayed at by about 4 p.m. No real significance to the days ride, just a few short steep climbs, but most were moderate and the lack of a strong head wind gave us a few good downhill runs.

Sunday July 11th Day 29
Bismarck, ND
0 Miles (1174)

A rest day. Can't believe it we had amazing espresso drinks at the Starbucks near our hotel. The employees were talkative and friendly and made it a welcome atmosphere! almost just as cool as the BBC crew we had!


Monday July 12th Day 30
Washburn, ND City Park
46 Miles (1220)

What a totally awesome cycling day! It was a little on the chilly side, threatened to rain but never did, and the wind was totally at our backs the entire ride! Everyone was extremely polite (cars, trucks passing) it was just a primo day! loved it! Now we are At our campsite in Washburn in the city park enjoying the breeze having coffee and tea! The city park is located down by the river and is very clean. We have set up our tent up on the hill as we heard through weather bug that there may be storms tonight. We are going to have another cool day tomorrow but is a welcome change from the 100 plus degree days we've had! so glad to be here and ready for sleep now!

Tuesday July 13th Day 31
Garrison, ND Fort Stevenson State Park
41Miles (1261)

Departed the ACC maps for part of the day to shorten the trip. The ACC maps would have taken us on a more scenic loop on Highway 200, but at the expense miles. We chose to follow Highway 83. Not as scenic for sure, but it had big shoulders, moderate traffic and lower grades. We had a slow beginning to our day. It began with another slow leak on Lindy's back tire. We finally found the culprit with the help of a strong morning sun and pocket magnifier. it is indeed a flaw in the tire cords that poke through a tiny bump of rubber on the inside of the tire. Solution( hopefully) was to put a patch on the inside of the tire over the flaw, patch the tube, and then I cut a piece of an old tube and glued it over the patches. All this to isolate the tube from the flaw. I will contact Schwalbe and see if they will replace the tire and send one to Suzanne and John in Missoula for us to catch later in the month.

Wednesday July 14th Day 32
Garrison, ND to Parshall, ND
61 miles (1322)

Can you say "WINDY"! One long day. Spent 10 hours in the saddle because most of the day was spent averaging just over 5mph.

Thursday July 15th Day 33
Parshall, ND to New Town, ND Berthold Reservation
20 miles (1342)

Short planned day to let the wind diminish and give us recovery day from the work out the wind gave us the day before. A leisurely morning was followed by an uneasy ride between the two native towns. Due to the resurgence in oil development in the area the truck traffic on Hwy. 23 has no end. Vehicle after vehicle. The info we received about that was true. The road condition turned out to be untrue, it was pretty good, anode had it not been for traffic it would have been fine. Only problem, the repaved sections shoulder had heavy rumble strips, only 14 inches of smooth pavement for the bikes, and then soft gravel. A test of rider steadiness in traffic, wind, and downhill speed! But, we checked in to the hotel at 5 p.m. And had a good evening in New Town.... Which is not much to speak about. This a.m. we are off early and plan to finish in 55 miles at Lund's Landing, ND. The day promises to be warm, but with a moderate W wind. That's good!


Friday July 16th Day 34
New Town, ND Berthold Reservation to Lund's Landing
48 miles (1390)

Up and on the bikes by 7 a.m. today to avoid the heat of the day. It worked out just fine. We enjoyed a beautiful ride through badlands topography while climbing north out of the river valley on to high plains before turning west for the afternoon. Temperatures climbed into the mid 90's under a mostly cloudless sky. For the first time in several days wind was not a factor and truck traffic on highway 1804 was much better than the previous day. We enjoyed the facilities at Lund's very much. The campground had little shade so we basically hung around the shaded deck and drank a few beverages before a shower and nice dinner at their restaurant. Lindy continues to set a mean pace and burns up the maps! At this rate we will be in Eugene by Sept. 1! Off to Williston tomorrow. Another short day and motel stay before we bid farewell to ND! Woot woot!

Saturday July 17 Day 35
Lund's Landing to Williston, ND
28 Miles ( 1418 )

Although a short day in mileage it was a long day battling headwinds of 20 mph with gusts up to 30 and 35mph. The hills coming into Williston, ND would not have been bad if it wasn't for the darn headwind. To add insult to injury Lindy caught a stomach bug and tossed her cookies after the first big hill climb. :( she was running low on energy and very weak from diarrhea and no food, at one point Bob placed a bungee cord from the back of his bike to the front rack of Linda's to help her walk some of the hills not only because of their grade but to avoid being blown into the side of the oil service trucks that are plaguing this area because of the oil boom. A very tough day for everyone. Upon arriving at the Marquis Hotel, based on the sad reviews they received we were expecting the worst. In fact, the front del ladies were cordial, wonderful, inviting and lovely. The room was nicely decorated and they had WI-fi and cool mint colored sheets on the bed! Lindy recovered well and was able to eat dinner. All is well. :)


Sunday July 18 Day 36
Williston, ND to Culbertson, MT
44 Miles ( 1462 )

Another great cycling day with only a light wind from the west at 5-10mph. Most of the hills were gradual and long and although there wasn't a Welcome to Montana sign we stopped and made a few videos of the ceremonial retirement of the North and South Dakota maps! Yay! We stopped at the lovely information center on the way into town to talk to some interesting people and hear about all the visitors!

We passed almost a dozen cyclists heading to Maine. A young couple stopped.their. Car in the oncoming traffic and we thought they were having car trouble only to bet met with a hearty hello from Max who offered us fresh water and Girl Scout Cookies! We were elated to find that he and his girlfriend Maya were just doing what they wished they had for their bike tour across America! They just finished biking on a tandem from Florida to Washington beginning in February. They are moving to Maryland to work and go to school! Such great kids!

We also met a guy from Anchorage, Curt who is on his way to Virginia! And also a guy Lee who is from Minnesota cycling on a full carbon fiber bike . We sat at Scoops restaurant and tAlked about why we were doing our cycle tours and what our destinations were.

Campground Timothy Hoffmann from New York City an elementary school teacher biking solo to the west. Such a great day, conditions and people wise!

Monday July 19 Day 37
Culbertson, MT to Wolf Point, MT
59 Miles ( 1521 )

Got off to a great start today. Beautiful weather with a light breeze at our backs. Turned off busy Highway 2 on to a highway called Indian 1. It was a gem! It paralleled 2 and the BSFN railroad 60 % of the way along our route. We were warned not to stop or stay in the towns of Brockton or Poplar for our own safety. These are both small native towns before Wolf Point. Believe me when I write that reservations are third world countries right here in the USA. Almost embarrassing, really. We opted for a room in Wolf Point, a larger town on the Ft. Peck Reservation, which is much more safe and a bit more "cosmopolitan"! Later in the afternoon, the sky clouded, but temperatures remained in the low 80's. rainfall about us but we remained dry. We checked into the Sherman Inn, the "best" hotel in town. Seems adequate, so far, with a good soft hot shower. My tummy crams have let up, so I am looking forward to a good dinner and then I will tell you about Hung Sin. We met Hung Sim on the road. A South Korean cyclist that has cycled the world. His last trip was 30,000 km around the northern hemisphere. This time he biked and pushed his bike across Mongolia, then Australia, then to Vancouver, B.C. to NYC, and then on to South America. He told us WE were brave! Ha! Who pushed a bike for two weeks through Mongolian sand?

Tuesday July 20 Day 38
Wolf Point, MT to Glasgow, MT
54 Miles ( 1575 )

We followed the Indian HWY off of Rt 2 and it was great. Very little traffic and pretty gradual climbs. The wind increased as the day proceeded and we worked harder as the day went on. Found a cute ice cream shop called Bergies where we of course had great food and awesome ice cream! Traffic was busy at times but it was tolerable. We stayed in the Cottonwood Inn in Glasgow, MT a great hotel and it's nice and clean! Had a great dinner and we are heading to bed early so we can get up and on the road by 6 am for our 75 mile day to Malta!

Were attacked by dogs in Oswego. Bob got pepper spray on himself the dogs just ran with us for a while. One of the dogs ran almost 2 miles with us, frolicking through the weeds and fields. Again the dogs were on an Indian reservation.

Thoughts for the day.. Two new beers to sell on the reservation... Native Pride Paleface Ale and Dignity Dark! Wow, lots of empties littering the highways here.






Wednesday July 21 Day 39
Glasgow, MT to Malta, MT
70 Miles ( 1645 )

Rain, rain, go away... Dry my clothes the Seco, MT way
Two late flat tires can't ruin my day!

The day was saved! We rode in rain, mostly light, sometimes steady to Seco, MT. A.K.A. The Mosquito Capitol of Montana! (Geesh, and just when I thought South Dakota was bad.) Seco is about 55 miles from Malta, a wide spot in the road. We arrived late in the afternoon, found a small laundromat and dried our clothes. Back on the road for the final run to Malta, and the tire from Hell immediately went flat. Mosquito attack! Ripped out the tube, new tube, swat, swear, swat. Back on the road, tire damage, new flat. Swear, swat, swear. While I fix the tube, Linda called the hotel and they sent a truck to pick us up. We could have made it? It was late, and dark. We could not have made the last 15 miles because, it turns out the puncture caused internal tire damage which kept pun Turing the tube. The kindness of strangers saved the day... which ended in a hotel dinning room over a filet dinner, several glasses of wine, and a laugh. Linda - "So what was the best part of your day?". Bob - "The donut!"

Today's thought. Scars will no longer be known as scars, they will from now as memories of events!


Thursday July 22 Day 40
Malta, MT
0 Miles ( 1645 )

Rest day. Fix tubes and tires. 5x5! More patches than you can shake a spoke at!








Friday July 23 Day 41
Malta, MT to Chinook, MT.
68 Miles ( 1713 )

Rain is good for crops, and crap for cyclists! Sheri came to the rescue! Ten miles east of town... Linda and I seek shelter under our tent ground cloth stretched between the two bikes. Quite comfortable actually.


Saturday July 24 Day 42
Chinook, MT.
0 Miles ( 1713 )

Visit the Conner farm and cousin Sheri in Chinook, MT.

Sunday July 25 Day 43
Havre, MT.
0 Miles ( 1713 )

Visit cousin Sheri, tour the Havre Underground, and have ice cream at Scotties downtown.

Monday July 26 Day 44
Havre MT. to Loma, MT.
60 Miles ( 1773 )

O.K. I don't mean to complain, but I am officially tired of rolling wheat fields! I desperately need a change of terrain, and I think that is about to come. About two o'clock we began seeing the Highwood Mountains in the distance. Yea! We rolled along at a pretty good clip (9.5 mph avg) today even with the sidewind, which due to a course change became a welcome tailwind late in the afternoon. We had a very nice 5% grade decline for the last three miles of our day. We finally found our motel (no sign) and laughed at the fact that it turned out to be a little double cottage. But the shower works, so does the AC, and we have both halves for $50. Sheets look clean too!


Tuesday July 27 Day 45
Loma, MT to Great Falls, MT
61 Miles (1834)

Skinny shoulders like Olive Oil late in the day near Great Falls... otherwise a lovely trip! Rolling terrain, and more seemingly endless fields of wheat.

Wednesday July 28 Day 46
Great Falls, MT
0 Miles (1834)
Explore Great Falls
We began with a pancake breakfast in the Kamper Kitchen at the KOA and although the place was wicked busy the breakfast was nice. We had nice conversation with a gentleman from Ohio who was on vacation with his family to Glacier Ntl Park.

After breakfast we road our bikes to town. First to a coffee house that received good reviews for their coffee. Morning Light Coffee Roasters aside of the fact that the roaster and grinder were positioned within 10 ft of the entrance and where we ordered and it was extremely loud the coffee and food were good. The tone of the employees and the "feel" of the place is enough to deter me from going in there again.

We then made our way to the bike shop just 9 or 10 blocks away to have a nice conversation with a bike mechanic there. We bought a map and will be taking a ride along the river tomorrow. We Then went to the J. W. Russel museum. It was fabulous! A beautiful collection of paintings, drawings, bronze sculptures, etc of his work. Learned a lot about the decimation of the bison population in the northern continent. It was baffling! We learned that a detroit Michigan businessman killed millions of buffalo and used the bones for various items, bone China etc. I was awestruck at such a thing knowing the dying population of bison continues even today.

We returned to the KOA via some zig zagging of back roads that paralleled the main roads to make it to our cozy cabin.

What a beautiful day! We had a blast and even put 12 miles in the meantime! :)


Thursday July 29 Day 47
Great Falls, MT
36 Miles (1870)

Explore Great Falls after a bit of housekeeping in the morning (24 miles). We did our laundry, showered and prepared for the day. We were only held up in our efficiency by the dryers. We can't really dry synthetic fabric on high so time is the element. Four minutes in the dryer.... one quarter! Talk about economic inflation! But, then again firewood is free, as is WiFi, so can't complain as it all evens out. We rode to Montana Wheat for lunch, it was o.k. I had higher expectations because I thought it was more bakery than sandwich shop. We split a caramel roll. Very good. Crossed the street to Starbucks and watched traffic on 10 St. South as we sipped a latte'. Nice. We both commented at the lack of customer interaction. No "hi", or "thank you", oh well, guess we did it right and they don't. Off to the Missouri River trail ant then to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center at the falls. Nicely done. Ended the day at the Thursday street party held in the summer for a brat and music. We chatted with few locals as the bikes once again served as calling cards. I am typing this at 7 a.m. on Friday morning at the KOA. Just down from our cabin is the outdoor Kamper Kitchen, the smell of bacon and coffee brought me here to finish this text. Just met fellow cyclists Ilana and Justin at breakfast. They are cycling from Portland to New York City. We like them! I am now finishing this in Wolf Creek, MT, read on.

Friday July 30 Day 48
Great Falls, MT to Wolf Creek, MT
62 Miles (1932)

The best riding day yet! Actually everyday is an amazing day for us to have this great opportunity to see our awesome country by bike! As we climbed a nice gentle grade out of Great Falls we passed the airport to reveal the entrance to the Rocky Mountains. Our miles seemed to effortlessly click by as our eyes were filled with beautiful variations in the rocks along the Missouri River. It is bizarre to think that the Corps of Discovery of Lewis and Clark actually followed this route in the water and the difficult terrain without roads! This is by far the most picturesque ride we've had thus far! I loved it!

Saturday July 31 Day 49
Wolf Creek, MT to Helena, MT
34 Miles (1966)

A largely uneventful day filled with more scenery, especially in the a.m. We continued to follow the old highway, now called the Recreation Frontage Road that winds it's way parallel to the railroad, Little Prickly Pear Creek, and I-15 all in one narrow canyon. Weather was cool and beautiful, but soon began to heat up as we merged with the I-15 traffic after about 12 miles. A substantial rumble strip, and a nice wide shoulder gave us a good feeling and physical separation from traffic. We had two good climbs. The first was moderate, the second was substantial, a 5% grade for three miles with only a few small breaks in slope. It made us feel good to realize that all the truckers were using their gears and were not passing us very quickly when we neared the top of the climb. The good new was that most good climbs are followed by an awesome decent and this was no exception. We cruised into Helena to find our hotel conveniently located at the first north exit. One hour after checking in, the skies opened to rain and wind as we watched from our room. Once again we cheated the rain makers! Off for the best pizza in town.

Sunday August 1 Day 50
Helena, MT
0 Miles (1966)

A beautiful day to experience Helena, MT. We rode the bikes to the walking mall downtown and experienced a good latte' at Fire Tower Coffee, lunch at the Mediterranean Grill, and a nice self guided tour of the Montana Capitol Building. Tomorrow we are off on Highway 12 to climb MacDonald Pass at 6,320 feet above sea level. Over the Continental Divide!