I admit I thought I might be a little bored riding in central & eastern South Dakota, after leaving behind all those mountains I love so much... but between dangerous critters, endless road construction (and shoulders in terrible riding condition), and Severe Thunderstorms, I haven't had much time to be bored.
At least it's comforting to know someone is taking on those plague-ridden prairie dogs...
I've put a bunch of pictures on picasa from the Badlands, and riding from there to Philip and then Pierre (the South Dakota state capitol, and home of fabulous ice cream that folks from the Cycle America group told me about!).
Today I saw a bunch of historic markers that are really different from the ones I've seen before - many of them marking the Lewis & Clark trail, and old wagon-train trails... Given how glad I am every day to get to a camp w/a shower, and sometimes even a motel, I can hardly imagine crossing this intense landscape in a wagon.
Here's the link: http://picasaweb.google.com/106458209676650999720/BadlandsToPierre#
The storm Monday night really was Severe - the emergency broadcast signal on the tv said so. I was sooooo lucky to be camping at this place next to the Lake Wagonner Golf Club right outside of Philip. When I saw it looked like "rain" coming (it seemed kind of benign at first) I went over to the clubhouse to have a beer and wait it out before I made my dinner. All the golfers came in too, and it suddenly became clear this was no ordinary rain-storm... The tv started blaring the emergency signal and when it hit, tbe lightening was going every which way. When the rain hit we couldn't even see my tent anymore, just a hundred yards or so away... but it survived, and most of my stuff was even dry inside - yay tent!
The storm Monday night really was Severe - the emergency broadcast signal on the tv said so. I was sooooo lucky to be camping at this place next to the Lake Wagonner Golf Club right outside of Philip. When I saw it looked like "rain" coming (it seemed kind of benign at first) I went over to the clubhouse to have a beer and wait it out before I made my dinner. All the golfers came in too, and it suddenly became clear this was no ordinary rain-storm... The tv started blaring the emergency signal and when it hit, tbe lightening was going every which way. When the rain hit we couldn't even see my tent anymore, just a hundred yards or so away... but it survived, and most of my stuff was even dry inside - yay tent!
I was kind of nervous going to sleep out there, wondering if another storm would hit and how it would feel to be in the tent during that wind & rain. I did wake up around midnight to lightning and thunder, but the storm blew to the south and it didn't even rain on me. I tend to love big weather and storms, but I have deepened respect and awe for their sheer power...
I'm going to stay a day here in Pierre, to deal with ordering new glasses (grrr) and get more maintenance on my bike - the rear derailleur is being funky and the gears are slippy. I'm a little frustrated to have to stop riding again after just a few days on the road, but it's way more frustrating to have slippy gears when climbing the endlessly rolling hills of the prairie. Who's the one who said the prairie is flat?!
Wow! very exciting. glad it's all working out tho', good timing on that beer, and love the rainbow :)
ReplyDeleteIt's true, the prairie isn't really flat, it only appears so from the distance; up close, it's a series of dells and rises... very deceiving.