High, Wide and Lonesome

One more state down, total of 7 done with 3 more to go :)  Of course those last three consist of two mountain ranges and a couple small deserts but that's just a few minor details...  I have been homeless for over 2 months now and on the road for 35 days and each morning I still am filled with joy when I turn the bike to the open road and continue towards the pacific.

I crossed South Dakota on Highway 34, from Madison to Sturgis.  So far on my journey I have tried to stay to the back roads and off the major highways but I just didn't have any other options here.  Surprisingly Highway 34 was a beautiful road to bike down, nice shoulders and usually following railroad tracks, rivers, even the old Deadwood Wagon Train Trail.  The few places where the shoulder was kinda narrow were so far from anything that a car would pass every 10 miles or so and just go around me.  This year has been really wet for the farmers and ranchers too.  Even passing by the Badlands I was surrounded by lush green pastures that are usually borderline desert, which is nice because I passed two gas stations in the 200 miles between Pierre and Sturgis.

My friend Joe accompanied me on the road from Madison to Pierre, riding with me and providing support as well.  We spent the night of the 4th in tiny Woonsocket, SD (population 700) at a free campground in their city park.  We were surprised that night by how extensive of a fireworks show they put on.  Towards dusk the town filled up and the streets through town started buzzing with people on four wheelers, golf carts, go karts, lawn tractors, pretty much any type of motorized vehicle without a license plate that could carry a cooler of beer.  Once the fireworks started I was amazed to find that it rivaled the 4th fireworks show at Philadelphia.  This is kinda sad because Philly has a population just shy of 1.5 million people compaired to Woonsocket's 700.  The next morn we had to wait out a nice little rain storm at the local cafe, 1.5 inches of rain in 2 hours but then soon got on the road.

Going from Woonsocket to Pierre the towns became farther apart then just kinda didnt show anymore.  I stopped for lunch at Mac's Corner on the edge of the Crow reservation.  As I was checking out the grizzled old lady behind the counter commented that it was a pretty day to be riding a bike then asked which way I was heading.  I answered west then she asked Oregon or Washington, which I answered Oregon.  She replied "Heading to Astoria, right?"  I was amazed that someone actually knew where I was destined and asked how she knew where I was heading.  She just shook her head and said "I get you crazies in here all summer long"  Her little store was the last place for 50 miles till I made camp on the Missouri just outside of Pierre.

As I was pedaling up out of the river basin of Fort Pierre I passed the sign posted above.  Up till this point I have had a town ever 10 miles that I could stop in and restock.  It made me smile to think that I had 66 miles to go before I pass anyplace where I could buy a cold drink or a sandwich.  Knowing that I had everything on my bike that I needed to survive (in somewhat comfort even) for a couple days and the assurance that I could handle most problems as they came up coupled with the joy of the open road and wide open scenery that I grew up in made it a wonderful day.  Even better about 40 miles down the road I met up with my mom :D.  She had driven from Belle Fourche to meet up with me and give me some support through the desolate regions and Indian reservations.  After unloading all my gear I took off down the road about 100lbs lighter.  It took me 15 miles to figure out the balance of the bike and how to crank up a hill without all that weight to push against.  That night we camped in Plainview, SD, which consists of a church on one side of the road and a graveyard on the other.  Its living population consisted of one tree. 

The next day I set off for the Black Hills across the wide open spaces.  3 towns that were marked on my 2009 road map didn't exist anymore and most places I would pass a tree ever 5 miles or so.  After leaving Union Center I topped a ridge as saw Bear Butte siloetted against the Black Hills, almost 40 miles away.  20 more miles down the road my rear tire started wobbling pretty bad and I had to stop and true it.  I saw my wheel had cracked significantly and couldnt support the pull from one spoke.  After adjusting the tension on the surrounding spokes I got it somewhat functional and got another 15 miles down the road before it got so bad I risked ruining the tire and had to stop just shy of Bear Butte.

Grr's Roadside Bike Shop

Luckly it happened with my mom driving support and I didnt have to risk missing steak and drinking a beer on my parents porch with the milky way above and coyotes howling in the hills.  Here in a couple days a replacement tire will show up and I can continue on through Wyoming.  Till then I will enjoy my time with the fam.