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Journal
July 1-15
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Tuesday, July 1, 2003
I have departed my beloved KATY trail and re-entered the
world of traffic and pavement. In ways it is a blessing. My
bike is an absolute mess after three days of traveling over
crushed limestone and the heavy rains of the past week washed
out several parts of the trail making travel onerous. As an
added bonus to the road, many of the historic sites visited
by Lewis & Clark are identified by means of historic markers
that certainly add to the trip. I am presently seated at a
picnic table in Arrow Rock State Park, watching the sunset.
It was a long day, 85 miles and I can already tell that my
tent beckons.
Wednesday, July 2, 2003
Some long undeveloped stretches through central Missouri.
Hills are reappearing. Still reacquainting myself with life
back on the pavement. Arrived at my destination a little earlier
than expected which allowed me to take care of many errands.
Still on schedule to make Atchison, Kansas by the 4th of July
- near the site where Lewis & Clark celebrated almost 200
years ago.
Thursday, July 3, 2003
I got a little worried today when I saw that my handlebars
were leaking. Then I realized how absurd that was and determined
that the leak was actually sweat running down my arms and
dripping off the handlebars. My hands were so constantly soaked,
they pruned. And if the sweat wasn't running down my arms,
then I sweat that it was dripping into my eyes. They heat
border lined on unbearable and the fight to keep myself hydrated
was a never-ending battle. Though I always have two water
bottles easily accessible, in heat like today the water is
only really palatable for 20-30 minutes after which time it
is prime to make instant oatmeal. The heat also played havoc
on the road by blistering the tar so that I felt as though
I was riding over a giant plastic sheet of packing bubbles
(kind of cool). I arrived in Paradise, MO late afternoon and
was so hungry I didn't even bother warming up my Spaghetti
O's with meatballs. The sun is setting over the Smithville
Reservoir and the campsites are filling up for the Independence
Day weekend. I'm truly looking forward to the fourth.
Friday, July 4, 2003
I had an epiphany today. If you're bicycling early, you
avoid the traffic; the heat and you get the good lighting
for morning pictures. I had gotten used to breaking camp late
while traveling with others and only today got on the road
at 6 in order to avoid the heat. I hope to make it a habit.
A very pleasant day of cycling. More rolling hills with nice
views over the cornfields. Passed through the adorable town
of Weston but found most everything closed in light of Independence
Day. Also crossed into my fifth state, Kansas. The heat index
was well into the 100's today and I'm glad to have arrived
early. Though Lewis & Clark spent July 4th in the area in
1804, the festivities for this historic event have been slated
for next year, the actual bi-centennial of their visit. I
ventured up to high school stadium to watch the fireworks
and wandered home to sleep. A good day.
Saturday, July 5, 2003
Let's just take it as a given - today, like every day of
the past week was hot. The heat index was forecast between
110-115. At least most of the route closely followed the Missouri
River that provided a nice breeze. I encountered three other
riders heading west on the Lewis & Clark today. Steph, from
Milwaukee and two folks from Holland whose names I can never
recollect (and I'm too embarrassed to ask again). I also crossed
another state line into Nebraska, state #5. Still encountering
the cornfields and rolling hills. I rode with Steph for a
while and recalled how nice it is to have someone with whom
to chat.
Sunday, July 6, 2003
The excessive heat continued today with several sections
I’d classify as searing. Pulled into Nebraska City, Nebraska,
found a site next to the Missouri River and had an afternoon
to chill. It was nice having a traveling companion again and
amazing how quick the miles pass when you have someone to
chat with. Steph is a fellow Midwesterner, Wisconsin to be
exact. She has the same destination and a similar pace We
plan to travel together, at least for a few days. By arriving
early, we avoided the worst of the traffic associated with
the long weekend and met some interesting folks at the marina
where we camped. We grilled some steaks and put back some
brews while a nice breeze blew off the river and through the
cottonwoods. A large chunk of today's trail followed another
rails-to-trails route. Apparently the wild marijuana is not
a big concern of the Bureau of Drugs and Tobacco because we
passed mile after mile of the stuff growing wild along the
roadside.
Monday, July 7, 2003
My rear tire had a lot of fun with me today. I ended up
changing the tube three times (using every tube I had) and
I still could not get the thing to hold air. For the final
12 miles into Council Bluffs, IA, I had to stop every 10 minutes
and fill the final tube until I could make it to a bike shop.
But I am happy to say; I now have all new tubes and a new
tire. We hopped on another bicycle trail but for the most
part skirted the foot of the Loess Hills in Western Iowa (my
seventh state). Impressive hills largely because of the contrast
they provide to the plains immediately to the west. We camped
in the Missouri Valley fairgrounds and dined on super-sized
blizzards at the local Dairy Barn.
Tuesday, July 8, 2003
I couldn’t have imagined a more menacing scenario for a
bicyclist than the one we encountered today. Imagine a blind
corner with two cars quickly approaching from the opposite
direction and an angry dog in hot pursuit. Did I mention that
the road was gravel? I aged a couple of weeks in those few
minutes. This morning we witnessed an absolute downpour. At
least we had not yet broken camp and we were able to wait
out the brunt of the storm under a pavilion. The rain turned
out to be a blessing since it provided some relief from the
heat of the past few days. Our path strayed from the Loess
Hills today, which allowed us a better view of them from a
distance. As of this moment, I will call Iowa drivers the
most courteous I've encountered so far. Once they spot you,
almost without fail they begin moving completely over into
the other lane, occasionally to the point that I've seen them
kick up dust from the far shoulder. If passing is not an option
then the driver will often wait behind you until an opening
is provided instead of trying to sneak between you and the
approaching vehicle at 60 m.p.h. A highlight of the day was
our visit to the replicas of Lewis & Clark’s keelboat and
pirogues. Severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings were forecast
for the evening that provided Steph and I all the excuse we
needed to splurge on a hotel in Sloan, IA.
Wednesday, July 9
It did indeed rain last night which is always welcome (and
encouraged) when you are in a haven like a hotel room. Hit
the road late today in order to take care of some errands
in town. Two miles into the ride I had a slight scare - the
distant clouds looked exactly like snow-covered peaks. Obviously,
that is not a worry in Iowa. We zigzagged our way through
Sioux City, Iowa and soon after crossed the Sioux River into
South Dakota. The past week has been an ego boast - five states
in seven days. We crossed paths in Elk Point with the bicyclists
from Holland. In the next few days the maps show some remote
stretches with limited services. I'm already clearing space
for extra water and emergency food.
Thursday, July 10, 2003
It was actually chilly last night. It's days like today that
provide a certain degree of satisfaction knowing that the
fleece that I carted over 2000 miles had a purpose. Awoke
to some ominous looking clouds that never really turned into
anything but a threat. We biked into headwinds all day that
resulted in the second lowest average number of miles traveled
per hour (10.3 m.p.h.). At least it was flat. The trail continued
through farming countries and often we shared the road with
large combines/tractors. The folks continue to be extremely
friendly. You can always count on spending an extra few minutes
in the convenience store answering questions on your destination
and starting point and then spending another few minutes defending
the sanity of your decision. One observation, people in South
Dakota must not wear much sun block. I’ve had a dickens of
a time finding it in the local pharmacies.
Friday, July 11, 2003
Victory #1 to the mosquitoes. They were unrelenting last
night and eventually forced me to the tent early. This unfortunately
excluded me from the festivities going on. Without knowing
it, Steph got roped into some late night beers with locals
at a bar across the way. As a result of her late night, I
waited until 9:30 and then departed solo. A nice climb up
the river valley to start the day and then some small hills
with intermittent headwinds. Instead of a rest day, we made
today into a half day in Springfield, SD along the banks of
the Lewis & Clark lake. The short day kept our group from
last night’s campsite together again tonight (Case, Margarita
and our new traveling companion – Hobo Hank). Hank, Steph
(who caught up) and Hobo Hank enjoyed a fine meal at a local
steak joint.
Saturday, July 12, 2003
Grasshoppers are stupid. We rode through some areas completely
infested with them and their only apparent defensive move
to avoid being smashed was to jump into our spokes or us.
It might have been a cool feeling/sound if I wasn't wearing
sandals and constantly pulling the things out from between
my toes. The route itself was gradual and closely followed
the Missouri River for the morning before veering away from
the river and hitting the farmlands. Though there was a mild
headwind we felt strong and opted to push on past the first
prospective campsite. As a result we said goodbye to our Dutch
friends, Case and Margarita and Hobo Hank. Unbeknownst to
Steph and I, it put us in Burke, SD for the town’s annual
rodeo. One of a few times I felt like I was in a different
country while still being in the U.S. I did what I could to
fit in, but without Wrangler jeans, a cowboy hat and a big
belt buckle - it was tough. Burke provided me another trip
highlight.
Sunday, July 13, 2003
75 miles today and not a single town with services along
the way. It made water difficult. As a bonus, we had a strong
wind at our backs for most of the trip and we were able to
average the most miles per hour of my trip to date (over 15.5).
Lots of the farmers appeared to be harvesting their wheat,
which occasionally resulted in huge pockets of dust blowing
over the roads and some minor farm machinery traffic. Otherwise
traffic was a rarity. I got so bold; I wouldn't even dismount
my bicycle for pee-breaks. We ended up staying in the first
town with services - Chamberlain, SD which is along the shores
of the Missouri river.
Monday, July 14, 2003
What a day! I feel like I am continuously using superlatives
to describe my travels. But today certainly deserves them.
The wind was atrocious and coupled with a 10 mile gradual
uphill climb only emphasized the ugliness. The wind was so
strong at places I couldn't pedal over 10 M.P.H. while going
downhill. It was also desolate. When you encounter a sign
that says "No Services Next 46 Miles" you tend to take it
seriously. Especially when you are on a bicycle and your intended
campsite is primitive (i.e. no water or facilities). Unfortunately,
I had planned to load up on water and dinner at this last
stop (Stephan, SD) only to find out the water was not potable.
Worse yet, I only found this it after slamming half a water
bottle and realizing it tasted like salty puddle water. The
clerk comforted me by letting me know some people that drink
the water don't get sick at all. Ironically, the store was
also out of bottled water, so I slammed as many chocolate
milks as my stomach would hold, and prayed that my two bottles
of water would tide me over until tomorrow. Most of the ride
went through a Sioux - Crow Reservation and in the small towns
Steph and I were a hit with the children. Upon finally arriving
at the De Grey campsite, I knew I would not survive with my
limited supply of water and I approached the only house I
saw. Not only did he allow me to fill my water bottles, he
and his girlfriend drove down to the campsite later on with
bottled water and beer. I am eternally indebted to Perry and
Lisa. We also met Dave Miller, and professor from SUNY - Cortland
who is kayaking the Lewis & Clark trail and writing a book
to aid future waterway travelers. Overall, a tough day with
a wonderful ending. Tuesday,
July 15, 2003
We opted to make today a semi-rest day (less than 30 miles)
since Pierre would likely be one of the last cities of any
size that we'd pass through in the next few weeks. I said
farewell to Dave who joined me for a cup of coffee before
shoving off in this kayak. The ride was short and easy and
offered some nice views of the river. Pierre proved to be
an extremely pleasant town. Both Steph and I had some bicycle
maintenance done, including a new chain for the halfway point
(I'm actually more than 50%) and a third truing of my back
tire. I also found an old time barber pole and got the haircut
that is hopefully going to get me home. Stocked up on groceries
and was somewhat in awe by an aisle in the store that was
reserved solely for ammunition. Also visited one of the nicer
ice cream shops - Zesto's for a malt and then chilled over
a couple of beers at Bob's. Though a complete day, a relaxing
day.
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