Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Day 23: Rapid City to Wall, South Dakota

We had a late start today because it was a relatively short ride of 57 miles. Spent 10 miles beating our way out of Rapid City until we got to Route 1416-- this was a great road on which we stayed for about 25 miles-- a two lane road with a 65 mph speed limit but almost no traffic. Way out in the country with rolling up and down terrain and a nice cross breeze that kept me cool.

The landscape was fertile and green, not flat but no distinctive features. It was the kind of road that you could see rolling miles ahead and there was something glorious about being out there in the wide open spaces.

Things got a little less glorious when I had to get on I-90-- the first few miles had a very narrow shoulder and the traffic was heavy. We had 20 miles to go and yes, I had yet another flat! As the one yesterday it was a piece of wire from truck tire debris-- they are impossible to see so it is just a matter of luck whether you avoid them or not. This time it was the back tire-- harder to change but eventually, with the help of another rider, it was done and I was back on the road.

A road absolutely littered with grasshoppers-- thousands of dead ones and thousands of live ones feasting on the dead ones. In the beginning I tried to avoid hitting them but pretty soon I gave up and just rode on. When we got into Wall we saw some cars whose grills were clogged and coated with dead grasshoppers. Really gruesome. I didn't have the stomach to take a picture. And then there was Wall Drug-- we all went down and wandered around the place along with lots of other tourists-- their book store was pretty reasonable so I bought "Giants of the Earth" and Ian Frazier's book "Great Plains".

5:15 am load tomorrow morning in preparation for a long and hot ride-- 117 miles to Pierre. Yes, tonight I am beginning to wonder what in heck I am doing out here.

1 comment:

  1. Dereka -- You're almost to the halfway point of your trip. I am in awe of your perseverance! And I love following your adventures -- I got a chuckle out of Margaret's camera in the toilet story. Tomorrow you will be about 200 miles straight south of Bismarck but unfortunately I have to drive Jenna to a summer camp tomorrow that is about 200 miles north of Bismarck. Would have loved to meet you and John in person -- especially since you will be "in the neighborhood" -- relatively speaking. :-)

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