ROUTE: Sioux Falls, ID to Worthington, MN
DISTANCE: 70 miles
WINDS: 15 mph tailwinds climbing to 25 to 30 mph by late morning. Woohoo!
WEATHER: Low 80s and gorgeous
TERRAIN: Flat to gently rolling
TOTAL CLIMBING: 1,850 feet . . . somewhere
RIDE OVERVIEW: This morning we all ate a good breakfast of waffles etc. at the motel and then loaded luggage at 6:45. Riders rode several blocks on city streets and then took to the Falls Park Bike Path for 9 miles. Those of us in the vehicles skirted the city and caught up with the riders on Rice Road, about 10 miles into the ride.
I set up the SS today at a DQ in Luverne at mile 37.8. We had only one SS as there were plenty of small towns and stores along the route. Lori, a women who reports for the local weekly newsletter visited us again, as she did last year, for a quick photo and story. I gave her one of our America by Bicycle brochures. Len spoke with her too, and I learned that Len was at the $99,000 mark but reached the $100,000 goal last night, due to the generosity of one of our new riders.
What a morale booster today was. Some riders said it felt like another rest day! Riders arrived at the SS in high spirits, laughing, joking, and talking excitedly about the fun they were having and the gorgeous weather, which was perfect for cycling--cool and with a mild tailwind, which, by the time the last riders left, had picked up to 25+ mph and was pushing riders along at 30 to 35 mph with little effort on their part. What a gas! I must admit that I was envious.
Chips, who had a time of it the first weeks of the ride, was the first rider to reach the SS, followed closely by Fritz and then Carol. This was Chips' first first and he was ecstatic. In fact, he was only 7 miles from the SS (about 30 miles from Sioux Falls) when I caught up to him in White, so I had to hustle to get things set up before he arrived. Chips ate, drank, was merry, and then took to the road again to try for another first first--first at the motel, but as luck would have it, he had mechanical problems so he didn't earn this distinction . . . even though Josh was mechanic on the spot.
Last year we told the guy who runs the DQ to try to open early on the day when riders get there, but apparently he didn't remember because the DQ was again closed until 10:30, and the last riders left the SS at 10:15. This guy really missed out. He could have sold 50 ice creams. It would have been a banner day for him.
And--again like last year--riders had a detour to negotiate. This one came shortly after the little town of Magnolia at mile 49 or so, and saw riders detouring 6 miles south, and then stairstepping back to Hwy 35 at 3-mile intervals. Riders rejoined Hwy 35 a couple of miles before the 69.6 mark on their route sheets.
This 18-mile detour took riders through Minnesota corn fields. The farms along the route were impeccable, each situated in a grove of trees and having a neatly painted house and outbuildings, flower beds, and nicely tended lawns. No extra cars or farm equipment lying about. Each farmhouse again sitting in the midst of vast cornfields . . . vaster even than those in South Dakota.
Barbara had arrowed the road, but I parked the van at each turn to help riders. While parked, I listened to a good oldies station and watched the barn swallows fly over the cornfields. I also watched the wind riffle through the corn and soybeans and even tried to get a picture of the patterns the wind made, but it didn't turn out. Each time I parked, a semi would squeeze past me at the intersection. I parked on dirt roads, but the dirt roads in this area get just as much traffic as the paved ones-- this because they cut through the cornfields to the houses. I decided that Minnesota corn farmers learn to drive huge grain and produce semis as a matter of necessity, just the way Alaskans learn to fly small planes.
Riders stopped for the obligatory photo at the Minnesota state line but no staff was nearby with a camera, so here's a shot of Mike that Karen took. Minnesota is the fifth state we'll cross.
In spite of the detour, everyone got in safely and early. Again the mechanics were busy replacing chains and readying bikes for tomorrow's 102 miles to Mankato. I'm riding tomorrow and I'm hoping to wake to a repeat of today's weather and winds. See you tomorrow. Susan
HEARD ON THE ROAD TODAY:
- "I've got Woody Allen Syndrome. If I have a headache it's brain cancer."
- "I've seen it done so I suppose so, but I've never done it" (New rider on being asked if she could change a flat.)
- Multiple Paul solutions:Purple Paul (Paul Bippen on a bike with purple wheels),Photographer Paul (Paul Fortyon who would really like to be called 'Best Looking Paul') Pup Paul (Paul Burman, who would really like to be called 'Stud Paul')
- Multiple Susan solutions:
Susan (moi, daahlinks)
Sue2 (Sue Dickson)
Mom Susan (Susan Szutz, Sierra's, Mom) - Multiple Mike and Karen solutions:
Leader Mike (Mike Munk) and Staff Karen (Karen Bauer)
Big Mike and Rider Karen (Mike & Karen McGeough) - Multiple Jim solutions:
Jim & Pete or Maryland Jim (Jim Critchfield)
Recumbent Jim or Florida Jim (Jim Park)
Suth'en Jim or Stinky (Jim Rutledge) - Multiple Jill solutions:
DQ Jill (Jill Williams of Team Dairy Queens)
Daughter Jill (Dar's daughter, Jill Smith) - "Did you get a haircut?" "Several, actually."
. . . . and also goes to Cliff and Bob, DUH!, who created their own detour today and rode 4 miles of dirt roads. Seems they navigate by landmarks and couldn't tell one cornfield from another.
PHOTOS OF THE DAY:
 |
| How many riders does it take to change a flat? A dozen? Notice that of the 12 riders present, not one is paying any attention to or helping Pete with his flat. Notice also that riders have gotten well off the shoulder so that other riders (and traffic) may pass safely . . . not! Tsk, tsk! |
 |
| Mike was Sweep today, so Karen rode with him. When these two have so much time on their hands, they tend to experiment with the camera. This morning it was shadow pix. Here are their long, early morning shadows as they ride a trail along the Big Sioux River and out of town. |
 |
| Mike (SpongeBob?) at an overlook along the trail at Sioux Falls' namesake falls |
 |
| Hills? Mike has to show his bike what to do if a hill is encountered--our route today was flat to ever-so-gently rolling. |
 |
| Not only did he shave his beard, but Bright Bike Bob had Sonia take the mower to his head. We might call this a Mohawk if Bob's hair was long enough to stand up, but since it isn't, guess we'll call it The Skunk Stripe. |
 |
| Jessica welcomes riders to the Travelodges |
No comments:
Post a Comment