Ken's Bike Ride

Sunday
Alzada Mt to Rapid City SD
111 Miles
Travel Time 11 hours
Saddle Time 8:20 hours
Gained. 6,432 feet

Week 3. 520 miles
Total to date 1,502

Woke up at 4am knowing I had to break down tent and wanted to be on road at 5am. The wind was at my back so I made it to the 45 mile town Belle Fourche in good time. I was finally out of Montana after 13 days, flew thru Wyoming, and was in South Dakota before I knew it. I then started calculating that I can make it to Rapid City by 2, which would be long before the bike store closes at 4. I wanted to get the bike tuned after 1,500 miles!
For you golfers out there, you know how you don’t want to birdie your first hole. Well, in cycling, if you have good start, you know something is going to change.
I knew Rapid City was on the outskirts of the Black Hills where Mt. Rushmore is. I just assumed I wouldn’t hit any major hills in the Black Hills. I was approaching the area and asked a young man with a bike on his bike rack, for directions. He said that after Deadwood and Lead, I would hit a bad hill, Strawberry Hill. He said it was over a mile of 12% incline. He said I would probably need to walk my loaded down bike up this hill. I continued cycling towards the Black Hills. I should have know there was trouble ahead when I saw signs stating ” Winter Activities next few miles”. Well there was a hill just to get to Deadwood. It was 12 miles long of 3-5% incline. That isn’t too bad if you know it is coming. But when you go around each turn hoping it is the end, and it just keeps going, it is really draining. And the guy that gave me directions never even mentioned it! I make it to Deadwood and stopped for lunch. I asked the manager about Strawberry Hill. She says it is a steep windy 5 mile road and she would be more than happy to load my bike into her truck and take me to the top. I seriously gave it consideration because I was exhausted and I had 45 miles to Rapid City and I was starting to cut ETA close to 4 pm. But I decided to give it a try and hope the truth wasn’t as steep as the guy said and not as long as the manager estimated. I started the climb and about 2 miles into it I stopped to rest. The incline was around 6%. I had chosen to stop at a driveway because there was a railing for me to sit on. I didn’t know whether I should hitch a ride or not. Then I noticed people leaving the house I was parked at. I decided I was going to ask them how much longer to the top. If their reaction was negative and I still had a long way to go, I would look for a ride. Luckily they said the top was around the next bend. So I continued on my way and made to the top. Everyone said that once you made it to the top, it would be downhill from there. Well they lied. There were still many climbs ahead of me. I was racing the clock to get to Rapid City. My Warm Shower host had said he was walking distance to the bike store. I got to his house at 3:45 and threw my panniers and gear on his porch before I even met him, and rushed to bike store.
Well Cranky Jeff’s bike store was still open and they will tune my bike tomorrow and they hooked me up with a tour operator to take me to Rushmore tomorrow!

I spent last night at the Warm Shower home of Brad. Brad is a nurse at the local hospital and works the night shift. Having Brad out during the night was very useful to me since his room is the only one with a room AC so he allows cyclists to sleep on his floor during the night. He shares his portion of the house with Bill who is a family practice resident and shares Brad’s passion for rock climbing. They both chose this town because of its proximity to the amazing MTns. They even put a Rock-wall in their rented home. Bill sleeps at his finances home because she has AC!
Something weird happened to me at night. I had done my laundry and hung most of it on the porch to dry overnight. At 3am we got hit with a major lightning and rain storm. I ran out and brought my clothing in. But my towel was gone. In the morning I checked all around, and it hadn’t blown away. Someone stole my towel but left everything else. And this was a nice neighborhood!
Brad came home in the morning and had his morning cocktail before going to sleep. We swapped cycling stories before I headed out on my tour of Mt Rushmore, Needles Highway, and Crazy Horse. We all know the story of Rushmore, but did you know that Crazy Horse is 10 times the size and is being carved by one family! All these are amazing sites. The shot of the two boulders book ending the road is interesting because the mtn in the background is Harney Mtn which is the highest point between the Rookies and the Atlantic Ocean. Nothing on east coast s as high as 7,242 feet
My entertaining and fact filled guide, James, returned me to Rapid City, but not to Brads, but to a hotel. I needed a better night sleep before I head into the Badlands.
The bike store was extremely helpful. They discovered a major chip on my back wheel. Two spokes weren’t even attached anymore. They had another performance touring wheel to replace it with. And they tuned my bike. However, they were not very uplifting on what I am going to experience on the roads thru South Dakota. Lots of nothing, except heat and thorns. There are some type of thorns that blow onto the roads near here that give bikers flats. I had heard about these, two states ago. So they put in heavy duty tubes and a Mr.Tuffy liner. Fingers crossed. Heading out early Tues and probably no cell service for a few days. There is a picture looking east from Rushmore. That is where I am heading.
Also my friend and blog consultant David Perlmutter has added a link to his selfie site. You can follow the exciting progress of my facial hair my hitting the link. He has put in some pics of Marc Childs just to confuse you.

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Tuesday
Rapid City SD to Wanblee SD
105 miles
Travel Time 9 hrs
Saddle Time 7:10 hrs

People had warned me that the badlands would be scorching hot, with nothing to see and no stops. So I loaded up with my two extra camblebacks of water and got on the road at 5am. It turned out to be a cool morning, so I needed to wear my long sleeve shirt. I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to get out of the metropolis of Rapid City, so I miscalculated where I thought I would end up for the night.
I had projected I would make it to Scenic SD which is right on the outskirts of the Badlands. But I had a little wind at my back, it was relatively flat, and the shoulder was smoother than the main road, so I made great time. I got to the ghost town of Scenic at 8am. There were the boarded up stores you see in the pictures and then there was a gas station with a store that was possibly open. There was also a sign for a media company sitting there, which looked out of place 40 miles from Rapid City. I walked into the “convenience” store and this is where it got weird.
The place was bright, new, clean, and the shelves were hardly stocked. Behind the register was a 40ish yr old man that looked more like he was from one of the coasts than the Midwest, working on a laptop. In the back of the store was a 6ft folding table with two Philippine families. There was no trailer outside, so they weren’t here for gas, and a matter of fact they looked like they were working. So I asked the man behind the counter for the scoop. It turns out that he and these two families (one from Brooklyn and one San Fran) are part of a church called Iglesia in Cristo (Church of Christ). It is a huge mega Church all over the world, started 100 years ago this year and is headquartered in the Philippines. They do a lot of disaster recovery work and their website is incmedia.org The Church bought this town and the surrounding 45 acres 3 years ago. What I learned from talking with the two families is that they are here this week to plan how to rebuild this town. When I asked why they choose this location, all they would say is that they wanted to bring this town back to life!
I biked on thru the Badlands, which were beautiful! Had lunch at the next town, and then headed to the next possible location, Wanblee. My friend Goose, who helped me install spotwalla on my blog says that Wanblee is close to the Continental Pole of inaccessibility? That means I am in the middle of nowhere!
I found the one gas station/ convenience store in this small town on an Indian Reservation. I saw someone watering a garden in a house behind the store. They have given me permission to camp in their back yard. It came with a dog, and everyone knows how much I love dogs. Next town is 50 miles east!

Wednesday
Wanblee SD to Winner SD
102 Miles
Travel Time 10.5 hrs
Saddle Time 8:15 hrs

Knocked off another time zone!

Got on road at 5:15am and was followed by both house dogs! Then saw a rainbow. I was going to bike to the rainbow to find the end of it, but I decided I didn’t have enough time.

Got to first town after 50 miles and hoped for a good late breakfast/early lunch. (Can’t really call it brunch because nothing resembles brunch out here). The only restaurant said “closed” so I was forced to buy food at a gas station…..again! I’ve decided that when eating my meals on the road, I eat outside instead of in air conditioning. I have found I don’t tighten up as much. So once again I was sitting on sidewalk when people came up to talk to me. One messed up looking guy steps out of a beat up truck and asks if I’m busy doing anything. I say no (I begin to get a little worried). He asks whether I can take a picture of he and his wife, they just got married. He offers to pay me $5. I ask if he is wanting me to use my phone. He replies that he has an IPad and his wife is inside in the casino. All buildings have casinos out here. Now I’m convinced that he wants me to go inside so he can grab my bike. I suggest why doesn’t she come out and I can take a picture outside with the nicer background. He thinks it is a great idea. They come out, with his best friend and the other wedding witness, and I take their picture with their IPad and of course my phone. They had been dating for 12 years! So much for my NY paranoia!
As I was biking I saw something in the distance that I couldn’t figure out what it was. As I got closer, I saw that it was 22 buildings lined up next to each other in a perfect row. Maybe because I had visited Auschwitz last summer, but these buildings gave me the creeps. Plus it was sealed off and no one was around. I later found out that is a deserted hog farm.
I push on. Through a rain storm that turned into hail. Happened to be near a store when the hail came, so I ducked in until storm passed. My goal for the day was to make it 100 miles to Winner, the only real town around. I wanted to find a motel so I could shower. As I got closer, my goal changed to trying to get there while World Cup was on. As I entered Winner there was a sign for a Holiday Inn. I figured they would have ESPN so I made it to the hotel and got to my room with 5 min left in regulation play. Watched the end of the game. Then walked to restaurant around corner. They happened to have an all you can eat spaghetti night. It was the best spaghetti in the world and I was in heaven. 180 miles to Sioux Falls.

Thursday
Winner SD to Parkston SD
96 miles
Travel Time 11 hours
Saddle Time 9 hours.

Didn’t have dogs following me today, I had something much worse….a Crysler minivan. More on that later.
The Holiday Inn has a complimentary continental breakfast at 6:30am. I decided to sleep late and enjoy the free meal. It turned out to be a good decision because I forgot I crossed a time zone yesterday and if I tried to get on the road by 5, it would have been too dark. I got started at 7, which was an hour later than the last few days.
Right from the start I knew it wasn’t going to be a good day. The wind was fighting me from the beginning. The problem is that I am over 180 miles from Sioux Falls and I need to get there by Friday evening to greet the Soggy Ducks ( more on that in next blog). I also heard on the weather report this morning that heavy showers for this evening and small chance of tornado. So I was determined to make it to a motel, and there really wasn’t one until 92 miles once you passed Platte at 50. I needed to get to 92 so that Friday I can be close enough to SF.
So I cross the Missouri River (nice milestone) at mile 35 and then head to Platte. On the way I stop to watch a father try to teach their son how to lasso cattle while the mother teaches the daughter to ride the ponies. I was on the highway and they waived me over to get a better look.
I then passed the White Only section for cattle. Very disappointing to still see this!
I made it to Platte to try some local cuisine at Subway. In front of me on line was a family with two boys, Cameron age 10 and Andy age 8. Cameron peppered me with questions about my ride. Distances, states, speeds, wind conditions,gear…. After lunch he came and inspected my bike. He gave me the thumbs up. I got on the road but noticed I was immediately followed by a white minivan, for two miles, on the shoulder! The family from Subway pulled aside me and informed me that they have to run an errand back at Platte, but they are heading my direction and will probably see me in a while. Sure enough, a few miles later, they were on my tail again. Then they pulled alongside and Cameron had some more questions that he had been building up to ask. He has promised to follow my blog and comment, let’s see.
It took 11 hours fighting the wind, but I made it to a $39 a night motel. I didn’t even have energy to go get dinner. I hope I wake up tomorrow with rejuvenated legs to get me to SF for the big weekend.

Friday
Parkston SD to Sioux Falls SD
78 miles
Travel Time 7:30 hours
Saddle Time 5:45 hours

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday, with headwinds, took me 11 hours to get around 90 miles. Today, with no headwinds, 7.5hrs for 80 miles (including slow city traffic). Yesterday I was averaging around 10 mph on the road, today closer to 14. That 40% difference obviously helps. Plus yesterday I was dealing with horrible road conditions. For some reason the contractor that build rte 44 laid it down in strips. So very 10 yards there was a divot across the road. Thump thump. It was annoying, plus I figured it wasn’t good for my wheels. Thump thump. But the worst was that I couldn’t go fast down the hills because I couldn’t hit those holes at 25-30 mph THUMP THUMP!

Today, at mile 35 I pulled into the town of Bridgewater searching for a breakfast. The only restaurant doesn’t open until 11 and I didn’t want more gas station food, so I sat on the sidewalk and ate my fruit. Sure enough some people stopped to talk to me. While speaking with one person, an old lady pulled up and made small talk with us then unlocked the door to the closed grocery store I was resting in front of. She came out a few minutes later and handed me two cookies and wished me well on my “adventure”

Saw another rainbow this morning. Then biked thru a town my son Ethan would find comfortable to live in.

Who are these Soggy Ducks that arrive tonight? I have been fortunate to have three friends from business school whom I have gone camping, hiking, canoeing, sea kayaking, rock climbing, rafting, mtn biking, and outlet shopping with 24 times since graduating in 1990. Steve Kaufman, Michael Mitgang and Ken Oestreich and I have traveled to the Adirondacks, Canada, Mexico, California, Nevada, Texas, Utah, Colorado and probably some others I can’t think of right now. It all started the summer we graduated when we decided to climb Mt. Marci in NY. We were not prepared for that climb, and the park ranger even laughed at us. Well sure enough we turned around half way thru the attempt and ended up staying at an Econolodge and going outlet shopping the next day. But that failure motivated us to return the next year and conquer the mtn. And our tradition was born. How we came up with our name is a whole different story for another day. Each year we have tried to get do another trip, even though two guys live in NY and two in Menlo Park CA. Through weddings, divorce, parent’s deaths, 9 children, and an attempted adoption of a Rawandan child, we have gotten together. Even with Michael taking a two year adventure with his family on a sailboat and sailing down and across the Pacific while home schooling his kids, the ducks met him in Baha for a fun weekend.
This year was also a challenge. We decided to just lock into a weekend that they could all do and then they would fly to wherever I was. So here we are in Sioux Falls SD! Now what?

Spent Saturday with the Soggy Ducks. Sunday heading to Iowa.
A this point I have cycled close to 2,000 miles. Yeah, I’m halfway there! Ugh, I’m only half way there!
Here are some thoughts and answers to your questions on my journey so far. And also an invitation to a beach party for you and your family on projected finish date.

The trip has been exceeding my expectations so far. The landscape has been beautiful everywhere. Whether the MTns in Cascades and Glacier or the flats in MT and SD, it has all been fun to ride thru. SD has been Surprisingly beautiful.

But meeting the people has been the highlight. Whether it has been the people that opened their homes to me, or the random people I meet along the way, these conversations have made the trip. That is probably what makes the middle of th

Relaxing Saturday with Soggy Ducks:

When in Rome:
Clay pigeon shooting
Milk shakes
Harley rally
Sioux Falls
Roughing it at Hilton

(Another blog later today correcting one from this morning)

Previous blog post was sent prematurely (a frequent problem I have)

Sunday
Sioux Falls SD to Spirit Lake IA
89 miles
Travel Time 7 hours
Saddle Time 6:15
470 miles this week
1,972 miles over 4 weeks

A great day riding. Wind at my back and my friends riding with me. (Two in minivan geocaching, and one alternating cycling). I finished up at the home of the brother of Pam from the office! Not Pam from The Office. Pam Cerny, from my office, grew up here in Iowa (which explains the corn stalks growing around her cubicle). She hooked me up with her family to stay with!

Today I passed a guy, from CT biking west from Portland Maine to Portland Oregon. He wasn’t carrying any gear. It turns out his wife drives ahead and finds a hotel for them, and he bikes all day. Interesting!

Ok, so I’m halfway home. Sue and I are thinking of throwing a day long party on my arrival at long Beach Island NJ. Depending on whether I go to Cleveland or not, and depending on the wind, and depending on a bunch of other factors, I might be home Saturday Aug 9th. LBI is 2 and half hours from Westchester NY, if you leave at the recommended 7am on a Saturday. We will be supplying all the food and drink, breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you think you and your family would be interested in a day at the beach, please EMAIL Sue and myself by this Wed. Sgfuirst@gmail.com. And. Kfuirst@gmail.com. This is just tentative at this point and we are not asking for commitment, just a sense of how many would consider coming.

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