Aug 20 – Ride from Culbertson MT to Ray North Dakota (Rode 79 miles)
Today was a killer day and I am shot. I got to the road construction area by 8:00 and thought they were going to make me hitchhike through it. Much to my disappointment they just told me to go ahead and ride through. I guess because it was early and the traffic volume was low. Anyway, I rode 13 miles through torn up roads, rocks, and gravel, and bumps. Not too much fun.
When I got through the construction, the wind picked up and was a pretty good cross wind but not a head wind. As I got closer to Williston the road began to turn more toward the North and the wind began to hit me in the face. I finally got to Williston, North Dakota and I was getting pretty tired. 43 tough miles. I ate and started out again. Highway 2 turned due North and the wind was blowing about 40 miles an hour directly in my face. It nearly killed me. It took me 3 hours to pedal 13 miles. Finally the road turned more easterly again and the wind was a stiff cross wind. I got to Ray, North Dakota about 7 PM. 79 miles. My neck is killing me.
I saw about 4 or 5 more of those little green snakes today. I have never seen them anywhere else but in Eastern Montana and North Dakota.
A few miles of road had nice 4 foot shoulders but the majority of my ride today had 18 inch shoulders with a rumble strip in the middle. I tried to ride on the 8 inches between the rumble strip and the dirt but I hit the rumble strip on an off all day long. The bad news is that every time I hit the rumble strip it beat me half to death. The good news is that my teeth are so loose now, I don’t have to brush them tonight. I can just put them in a Jar and let them soak till morning.
The scenery is pretty much more of the same as I have been seeing for awhile: rolling hills, wheat, hay, oats, and train tracks. Very pretty but on a bike you see it for a long time.
I have met quite a few people on bikes riding across America for one reason or another. More than I thought I would initially. Almost all of them have told me they are riding between 50 and 60 miles per day. The exception to that is the older woman I met and she said she never rides more than 50 miles per day. When the weather got real windy last week she holed up in a Motel for several days until it calmed down. That was the day I rode over Logan Pass in Glacier Park. When I ride I feel pretty good after 50 or 60 miles but I typically try and ride around 80 each day. Sometimes a little more. I would prefer to ride a little less and the trip would be a little more enjoyable, but I have to report back to National Guard duty the second week in October and I am concerned that I won’t finish my trip unless I push it a little. So I am pushing it a little. But the last 20 or 30 miles each day are killers. Today with the wind it was really bad. I did a lot of whining today and I was the good one. You should have heard my other two split personalities whining. I thought they would never shut up and to top it all off nobody gave me any cheese to go with my whine either. It was pretty disappointing actually. I really could have used a little cheese.
Several people today offered me rides in their truck. Just being nice I guess. I think they feel sorry for me because I look so pathetic. A Tadpole on Stilts trying to ride a bike. I would offer him a ride too I guess. I bought a sandwich at Quiznos and a man afterwards told me I could put my bike in the back of his truck and he would take me clear to Wisconsin. I told him no – I thought it would ruin the spirit of “Riding My Bike Across America”.
WHAT WAS I THINKING?
Well tonight I pretty much feel like #@%*. I am worn out, tired and my face is sunburned and wind burned. I look like I have had my face in a toaster oven. Whose idea was this stupid trip anyway? Someone is an idiot and they should pay for this. Who knows? Maybe they already are.
I haven’t had a bike wreck for nearly a week now. I am thinking about taking my training wheels off and sending them back to Lori.
Dan
Today was a killer day and I am shot. I got to the road construction area by 8:00 and thought they were going to make me hitchhike through it. Much to my disappointment they just told me to go ahead and ride through. I guess because it was early and the traffic volume was low. Anyway, I rode 13 miles through torn up roads, rocks, and gravel, and bumps. Not too much fun. 
When I got through the construction, the wind picked up and was a pretty good cross wind but not a head wind. As I got closer to Williston the road began to turn more toward the North and the wind began to hit me in the face. I finally got to Williston, North Dakota and I was getting pretty tired. 43 tough miles. I ate and started out again. Highway 2 turned due North and the wind was blowing about 40 miles an hour directly in my face. It nearly killed me. It took me 3 hours to pedal 13 miles. Finally the road turned more easterly again and the wind was a stiff cross wind. I got to Ray, North Dakota about 7 PM. 79 miles. My neck is killing me.
I saw about 4 or 5 more of those little green snakes today. I have never seen them anywhere else but in Eastern Montana and North Dakota.
A few miles of road had nice 4 foot shoulders but the majority of my ride today had 18 inch shoulders with a rumble strip in the middle. I tried to ride on the 8 inches between the rumble strip and the dirt but I hit the rumble strip on an off all day long. The bad news is that every time I hit the rumble strip it beat me half to death. The good news is that my teeth are so loose now, I don’t have to brush them tonight. I can just put them in a Jar and let them soak till morning.
The scenery is pretty much more of the same as I have been seeing for awhile: rolling hills, wheat, hay, oats, and train tracks. Very pretty but on a bike you see it for a long time.
I have met quite a few people on bikes riding across America for one reason or another. More than I thought I would initially. Almost all of them have told me they are riding between 50 and 60 miles per day. The exception to that is the older woman I met and she said she never rides more than 50 miles per day. When the weather got real windy last week she holed up in a Motel for several days until it calmed down. That was the day I rode over Logan Pass in Glacier Park. When I ride I feel pretty good after 50 or 60 miles but I typically try and ride around 80 each day. Sometimes a little more. I would prefer to ride a little less and the trip would be a little more enjoyable, but I have to report back to National Guard duty the second week in October and I am concerned that I won’t finish my trip unless I push it a little. So I am pushing it a little. But the last 20 or 30 miles each day are killers. Today with the wind it was really bad. I did a lot of whining today and I was the good one. You should have heard my other two split personalities whining. I thought they would never shut up and to top it all off nobody gave me any cheese to go with my whine either. It was pretty disappointing actually. I really could have used a little cheese.
Several people today offered me rides in their truck. Just being nice I guess. I think they feel sorry for me because I look so pathetic. A Tadpole on Stilts trying to ride a bike. I would offer him a ride too I guess. I bought a sandwich at Quiznos and a man afterwards told me I could put my bike in the back of his truck and he would take me clear to Wisconsin. I told him no – I thought it would ruin the spirit of “Riding My Bike Across America”. WHAT WAS I THINKING?
Well tonight I pretty much feel like #@%*. I am worn out, tired and my face is sunburned and wind burned. I look like I have had my face in a toaster oven. Whose idea was this stupid trip anyway? Someone is an idiot and they should pay for this. Who knows? Maybe they already are.
I haven’t had a bike wreck for nearly a week now. I am thinking about taking my training wheels off and sending them back to Lori.
Dan
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