Average Speed: 10.91
Max Speed: 27.77
Total Miles: 557
Finally met some bicyclists. They stopped in Midland for the night as did I. Four kids, 3 guys & a girl, about 30 I'd guess, biking from Portland, OR to New York. They said they average 14 mph; the data is there but I haven't calculated mine - I'll guess ~11. We had a beer together and watched the Tour at the lone bar in Midland. I love watching the Tour but on this trip I should refrain because the next day I think I'm Andy Schleck and I die on the first hill.
And speaking of hills today was a little rough. First 40 miles just one hill after another. The map shows the road following the Bad River valley so I was anticipating fairly level road with a steady low grade rise. The road actually paralleled the valley about half mile away so every stream, creek, rivulet, seasonal water course made for a steep descent and a tough climb back to the plateau. The descents are fun but so short-lived only the climbs are memorable.
Batteries were dead in the camera so I missed really good views of the cut banks in the river valley in the early morning light. Found batteries in Philip where I also found the best breakfast - pita stuffed with cheese, scrambled eggs, peppers, tomatoes and meat if you want it - no oil, no grease - I ate two.
Made Wall about 1:30. Will camp here 2 days; rest day tomorrow.
SD has small problem with road signs - mileage isn't accurate. I passed this one - an example of another part of the problem.
SIGNAGE ERROR
The arrow should point up.
I hope all is well in MN.
Sounds like a challenging day with so many hills, but even with those you made good mileage. Glad you got to spend some time with other bicyclists and share a beer. Breakfast sounds very good - a recipe definitely worth trying some morning.
ReplyDeleteAll is well here. Lovely day today with temps in the mid 70's and lower humidity. Hosted our usual Sunday night dinner and dined alfresco on grilled chicken, onions, corn on the cob and asparagus topped off with some really good vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate cupcakes. Yummy.
Gardens are looking much healthier now that the rain has slowed somewhat. We harvested several jalapeno peppers and shared them with the kids.
Enjoy your day of rest. Of course you must check out Wall Drug - all the signs say so.
What town is next on your agenda?
Stay cool and be safe.
I was telling a couple of my girlfriends about your trek, I made them very jealous. Glad to see you're having adventures along the way, meeting people and such. I'm impressed at how far you've gone and how far you plan to go. I'll keep following your story. Good luck on the next leg!
ReplyDeleteSarah