Miles: 55.80
Average Speed: 10.95
Max Speed: 37.77
Total Miles: 612.8
Big Storms in Wall last night. Saw the storm coming so secured everything, locked the bike to tree, and retired to the Badlands bar to sit it out. Torrential, horizontal rain. Three other cyclists arrived at the camp ground just as the storm hit and they witnessed my tent rise rise 3 or 4 ft off the ground, invert and take off like a kite - their words. They retrieved it & staked it down again. I was able to dry everything out in the camp laundry before sleep. Another big storm around midnight barely interrupted sleep.
The other cyclists were two young guys, Jon & Rowan, riding from Maine to Oregon and a 50 year old German woman, Katrin, cycling from Janesville, WI to Rapid City. The guys left us in their dust planning to ride 100+ miles today. Katrin & I rode 55 to Rapid. Photos below.
Aside: Katrin is a middle school teacher in Gernany, near Hamburg. She has 26 students and shares duties with a social worker - 2 full time with 26 kids. They stay with the class for 6 years. Elementary school is the same but there are only 19 kids. While you listen to all the spending cut bullshit from mindless conservatives, consider this. Katrin makes 5400 euros per month & is paid 12 months. She has 13 weeks off each year & will be paid 75% of her income upon retirement. She pays taxes of course, which I'll summarize later - Katrin said she'd send me the equivalent of a check stub. This is the result of a society that recognizes an enlightened and civilized society must temper the inherent excesses and abuses of capitalism with socialism - something we have yet to learn. Kind of appropriate for July 26. Check out Hesse's The Glass Bead Game for a good treatment of European attitudes toward educators. Enough. Sorry for the rant.
Wall - wonder what this guy's been doing for last 30 years
Katrin
Rowan, Jon & Katrin
Rode on I-90 today for a while. Not too bad and definitely safer than the 2-lane roads with no shoulder. There was about a 20 mile left lane closure which we took over - it was great with no traffic & a perfect surface.
Bike's in the shop and will head for Hot Springs on Thursday.
must be really fun to meet fellow bikers. I imagine it does a lot for morale. interesting info about germany too. I think too many people are out of touch (and almost as many brainwashed) for us to move in that direction anytime soon. anyway I hope the black hills are fun and hot springs?? I look forward to hear about that.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are meeting up with more interesting people, gotta help some. Jon, Rowan & Katrin sure had good timing in regards to your tent. It looks like you are making steady elevation and the terrain is beautiful! Thanks for keeping in touch.
ReplyDeleteI must have been a nice break from the solitude to bike with someone for awhile. Glad you had the opportunity to share some thoughts regarding perspectives. Katrin sounds like a very interesting lady.
ReplyDeleteGlad your tent survived the wind! Thank goodness for fellow riders with kind hearts and quick hands.
I think you'll enjoy the trip to Hot Springs. It is beautiful and quite hilly as I recall. There are bison roaming free on some of the routes so beware.
Stay safe.
It's best not to contemplate comparisons of the USA to other first-world (and some third-world) nations, especially Germany. You need to stay happy and undistracted lest you take a spill.
ReplyDeleteHerr Fischer