Day 23 (25 Aug 09) Rugby to Devils Lake 58 Miles
No new photos for either days 23 or 24.
Wally’s ride (see recent post for definition) has begun in earnest! Due to forecasted wind directions and intensity and the absence of anything but tiny towns with limited choice of lodging, we’ve decided to abandon the recommended Adventure Cycling route and stick to US 2, our riding companion for all of our trip through Montana and North Dakota (about 1100 miles!). The road surface is generally excellent, there is little traffic and the North Dakota drivers are incredibly courteous, almost always pulling into the outer lane whether we’re on the shoulder to the right of the fog line or on the pavement when rumble strip or lack of sufficient shoulder require that we ride on the pavement. In 350 miles I cannot recall a single time when someone honked at us except as a friendly gesture! The sides of the road are incredibly clean, even the cities lack trash on the streets. When we were in Minot we observed a young woman spontaneously pick up a discarded Pepsi cup on the sidewalk and put it in a trash can. Hard winters must change people. I wouldn’t want to live here, but the people have earned my respect.
It was a long day on the bike again (over 5 hours). Scenery was relatively invariant although we are beginning to see a lot more small lakes surrounded by cat tails and occupied by ducks and a few herons (Great Blue and Green spotted). It was a combination of head and side wind. We’re trying to come up with different names for the various winds we experience (like the 100+ Eskimo words for snow). No good ideas yet. If you have any let us know.
Devils Lake, ND had a lot more to offer than Rugby. After cleaning up at the very nice Fireside Inn and starting a load of laundry, we crossed US 2 to Wally’s Supermarket which provided sustenance for the next day’s ride. We were both famished and went looking for a place called Kneadful Things (baked on site bread and other goodies). Len gave up but with his trusty (sort of) Blackberry GPS, Jim persisted and eventually found Kneadful Things, for he was truly needful (of food; riding a bicycle for long distances is hard work). He scored a Black Forest tort which turned out to be really good. Despite an inclination gobble the whole thing, he resisted and saved half for Len, who was half asleep reading in the room.
Since we generally elect to walk to dinner rather than ride our bikes, our choices are limited. This time the Pizza Ranch which served, guess what, Pizza and fried chicken. A decent salad bar, ok chili and a lot of that blue-colored Power Aide along with pizza and chicken rounded out the dinner.
Day 24 (26 Aug 09) Devils Lake to Grand Forks, ND 90 miles
Our intended destination is Cooperstown, but they have only a smoking room. We book the room, but are a bit ambivalent. We check the weather more than the local farmers. Jim’s Blackberry tells of south to southwest wind. Cancel Cooperstown and continue the off route Wally ride.
Our destination is 90 miles away and get a 7:00AM start. Cloudy, gray sky promises rain. The storm front is diagonal to us. We get some sprinkles, but decide not to put on rain gear and try to out run the front.
We are headed to the Valley of the Red River of the North which is the dividing line between the arid plains and the humid east. It feels more humid, but that could be because of the threat of rain and the many small lakes we pass. This is no longer the flat, broad plains, but rolling hills carved by the glacier.
More lakes, more ducks, more corn, less wheat and we pedal. We stop for short breaks, maybe because we are concerned of a strong headwind coming up and making the 90 miles a brutal thrashing. There were a few shifts, but not much of a headwind. The 90 miles seems easier than the 60 into the wind and it is. We get a favorable almost tail wind and breeze into Grand Forks at 20 mph.
What happened to vegetables? Its been fried chicken for me (Leonard) for 2 days straight. All these farms and this black dirt there must be some vegetables. We are in Grand Forks, ND and to paraphrase Sarah Palin, “We can see Minnesota from our front porch!” And that’s where we’re going tomorrow; a due south ride with a predicted north wind and a return to North Dakota, Fargo at the end of the day followed by a day of no riding. Off to the Texas Roadhouse for, what else, steak and a few vegetables for the effete West Coast guys.
Post Script about the wind:
Sign 25 miles outside of Grand Forks:
“Grand Forks CountyWorld’s Largest Concentration
Of Tree Wind Barriers”
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