it took me about five minutes to remember where i stayed last night…everything is sort of blending together. alexei and i stayed in winner, sd. we even had pizza hut for dinner. this morning we had to wait for the storm to pass before we could continue riding. currently there is a massive storm that stretches from here to michigan. on the radar, it looks like it’s swirling around us, like a giant tornado. that’s going to be a windy ride. the first chance the rain let up, around 10:30, we took off. we finally had a tailwind! after a few days of riding into the wind, our ride was easier.

the hills were easy to glide over with that added bonus of wind. i kept thinking that if we get far enough southeast, we’ll be done with the storm. after riding for about 60 miles, it began to sprinkle. we stopped in a small place called bonesteel, going inside for a snack and coffee. the second we got inside, the rain came. it poured. i hurried outside to cover my saddle and wool blanket, making sure that neither was going to soak up the rain.

here’s a few things about rain. first. i didn’t go with fenders on my touring bike because i figured: if it’s raining, i’m going to get wet. there’s no way around it. i will be riding for eight hours a day and i won’t be able to avoid some storms. second. i hate cold rain with a passion. if it’s not warm or hot rain, i can’t stand it. it was 55 degrees out when the rain came, and the drops were like ice water. third. the rain here has changed my opinion of what’s needed. i really don’t need the rain. all of the farmers, residents, homeowners, everyone really, they want the rain. they need the rain to help with crops. they need the rain for everything. i’m just a guy that doesn’t want the rain, they are people that need the rain to survive. they seem to matter more, and i’m glad they were able to get rain. i’ve seen at least a dozen bridges that i’ve crossed just to find out the river below was dried out. even more than that, there have been rivers that have significantly lowered water levels.

while we were in bonesteel, we looked over our route again.in about ten miles, there was a junction that went northeast or south. we were supposed to turn northeast, but if we went south for a mile, we could go to nebraska. neither of us were supposed to be in nebraska, but we thought since we had the chance, why not cross the border for a minute. yes, it added an extra mile of riding straight into the wind, but when, if ever, would i be in nebraska?

after crossing the border and recovering the extra two miles, one there, one back, we only had nine more miles to go. thankfully, even with the wind, it was all downhill. halfway there, we passed the storm. everything looked so beautiful. we arrived to the campsite and decided to take shelter from the wind in a covered picnic area. to our excitement, we also had a drinking fountain and power outlets. yes, that’s exciting. tomorrow it will be really interesting to see the dam, but there’s a giant hill on the other side that looks daunting. i know i’ve been over mountains, but i can’t wait for the plain states. day 23 done. oh, i think this is also my halfway point for days as well. cheers!

a night of rest in the white river campground wasn’t bad. i was able to catch up and clean my drivetrain on my bike, also doing some tuning. it needed to be done for a few days, but i needed a source of running water and time. both are hard to come by at the same time. i woke up and discovered that there were 10 or 15 mosquitos and a spider in my tent. i left the zipper unzipped about an inch. everything got in. after waking up and getting everything in order, alexei had the same issue with mosquitos. he has bites all over his forehead. it kind of looks like an allergic reaction.

we got all packed up and the storm that was supposed to hit north of us looked directly on path to us. we stopped at the store for coffee, then the rain started. we went back to the playground next to the campground for shelter. i was able to patch the two tubes that i had neglected, then changed the bolts on my rear rack, adding loctite to them so that they wouldn’t shake loose like they have been for the past week or two.

the rain stopped an hour or two later and we started rolling. we stopped by the cafe/casino on the corner so that alexei could adjust his seat and saw two bicycles packed up. i ran in excited to see who it could be. there were two guys from denmark that had rode from new york on their way to san francisco. we discussed what was ahead for them and what was ahead for us. we traded old maps and kept moving.

the ride was a late start. it didn’t help that there were hills like yesterday and the wind in our faces the whole time. we were pushing hard. every time we got near the top, another top would appear. the downhill was slow because of the wind and the uphill was slower because of the uphill and wind. it was exhausting.

about halfway to winner we ran into another two cyclists that were heading from pittsburgh to portland. they let us know that if we kept on the same route, continuing to the missouri river and crossing the dam, we would have a giant hill on the other side, then it would flatten out. i’m really excited for that, but at the same time, i have become so used to the hills that i may miss them. it’s a hate as well. they slow me down, they demotivate me, and they never end, but i really don’t mind them.

alexei and i stopped in winner for dinner at pizza hut. we split a large supreme and it pretty much disappeared instantly. we talked about our options. we could go the remaining 36 miles and arrive late, or we could find somewhere close and hopefully start early. to avoid the wind and extra exhaustion for the night, we finished the day as winners in winner.

tomorrow should be a little easier, getting the extra miles won’t be a problem. according to my schedule, i’m currently about 42 miles ahead. once that road runs flat, i’m going to take off like it’s nobody’s business.

three weeks in. 1800 miles or so. wind and hills do not mix. after a well deserved night of rest at the koa in the badlands, it was time to start my day. i didn’t want to get up early, because it was supposed to be raining all night. i slept in until six, then woke up alexei at 6:45. we drank some coffee and got everything in order.

the plan was to go to white river and if we had heard back from the warm shower in miller, head another 20 miles south. after a week or so of weather that was never below 90, it was a cool day at a reasonable 86 degrees. you could feel the heat, but not as bad as yesterday. we started on our journey and then the wind hit. there were gusts ranging from 20-25 mph all day. we figured that it was only 20 miles or so until the next town, so it wouldn’t be so bad. then the hills appeared.100 feet up steep, then 100 feet down not steep. repeat that about a hundred times and that was the ride. wind in your face, hills taunting you from behind the wind. every one of them had a false top. getting up these hills was a challenge, even after the mountains. it’s not that they were significant hills that i wouldn’t be able to climb, but i had extra water weight from getting nervous about water in the badlands and the wind. oh the wind.

pulling into white river, we found there were only two stores. gus station I and gus station II. someone definitely has the monopoly. on the edge of town, there was a native american ceremony, which appeared to be a thoughtful remembrance for those who had died in the past. we stopped at gus station I, got some supplies, then went to the white river cafe, which the internet said has much better food than the casino next door. while we were preparing to leave, the place started to get crowded. the rodeo had just ended and everyone was hungry. seriously, that’s what happened. we pedaled over to the free campground that they have next to the rodeo and setup camp. i did some bike maintenance that i had been putting off for a bit and now everything is squeaky clean(in a good squeak of way). day 20 done.

whew. the heat is, well, hot. over the past week i haven’t had a day below 90 degrees. it’s dangerous for a few reasons: heat exhaustion, dehydration, and it’s mentally challenging. when you ride in comfortable weather everything is fine but when it’s hot out the heat will suck the energy right out of you.

after a night in the parking lot at walmart, i made coffee and got moving early. i was to beat the heat as much as i could. i left around 6:45 or 7am and rode swift. the first 30 miles were a breeze. slight downgrade with the wind behind me.

the last 35 were rough. after passing moorcroft, everything changed. high hills, high heat, short shoulders, etc. i pedaled hard. i knew i had to get to my warmshower, but was also excited about seeing devil’s tower for the first time. i made it about ten miles from the tower and my two favorite aussies pulled up. rosie & roelf were in there rv and asked if i needed a lift. sure, why not. about another mile later, we stopped and helped someone with their flat tire which seemed like a big help because the gentleman may have had some health issues and it probably would have taken him a long time.

the tower was great. you can see it when you’re on top of a hill about five miles away and then it seems small. it’s incredibliy huge. and it just seems to get larger as you approach it. we walked up and on the trail near it, took some photos and then it was time to goto my warmshower. frank sanders has a property that borders the park. you can’t find any other places that are this close. i stepped inside to find a mudroom, then through another door the room opened up. four couches a piano and a fireplace. a wall of books, not 100, but closer to 1000. i was greeted by
who was working as a hostess for franks lodge. they run a climbing gym and do daily climbs up the tower, sometimes multiple times. frank was at the tower climbing with a group and i was instructed to setup my tent in the field, then was shown where the showers and restroom was.

a few hours later, frank and a group of about ten returned from their climb. it was great to see all of them so exhausted but full of excitement from working their way up the side of the tower. i had seen one of them through binoculars that were inside. frank’s team had cooked an amazing dinner for the climbers and myself and we discussed just about everything. afterwards a few of us stayed out on the deck and waited for nightfall. although the milky way wasn’t as bright as it was last week when i was in montana, it was still interesting. i saw close to 20 meteors through the few hours that i was out and continued to try and get a photo of one using long exposures.

around ten i went back to the tent and fell asleep instantly. day 18 done.

has it really been 17 days? part of me feels like its been onlya few nights, the other part feels like its been a month. i still cant tell you what the date is or what day of the week it is, and just forget about asking me what time it is. the days just blend together.

yesterday i ran into an australian couple that was staying at ten sleep brewery. we talked for a bit and fiscovered that we were on the same trail for a bit. we had actualy stayed at the same campground in yellostone at the same time. they recognized my tent. we got to know each other over a beer and they offered a ride over the pass through the bighorn mountains. i really wanted to say no, but there were three things that i had to consider: the climbing throws my body off and makes it difficult to ride for a few days, this would be my biggest climb, up to 9800 feet and it would take what seems like forever, i really want to stay on schedule and i was already a day behind because of the dehydration and heat. plus i really miss lindsey and i can hardlg wait to see her again.

i accepted. we went over the pass, arrived in buffalo and talked over a coffee. rosie and ralph are really great. they bought an rv a year or two ago and fly over here ince a year to travel the united states every year. when we parted ways i stopped at mcdonalds and filled all of my water bottles with ice water. i was getting sick of drinking hot water that bakes in the sunlight. the ride from buffalo to gillette had everything. heat, rolling hills, false tops, wind, rain, and to top it off, a huge temperature drop after the rain.

i rode theoug it and talked to rosie along the way via txt. they passed me moments before i had went from the side street to i90. they scouted oht camp sites and couldn’t justify costs vs services. i like that. i ended up setting up alongside their rv in the walmart parking lot. things to remember: sprinklers turn on at 5:15am and it always feels like dawn in the tent when you’re in the walmart parking lot. i really wanted to look for meteors last night but sincr the storm has just hit there were clouds everywhere.

today is a short one, 62 miles to devils tower. i need to find more water sources becaus i’ve been going through my supply quick lately. day 17 done.

There are some photos that for some reason show up flipped on here.as i currently have a limited battery supply, there’s not much i can do. maybe it will be resolved soon.

after a night of relaxing in the pool at the koa i was sure to feel rested and relaxed. i had high hopes for the day. i would leave greybull, head south towards ten sleep, then climb. i had a perfect site picked out just past the peak of the mountain. then heat happened.

it wasn’t as hot as the basin, it was hot though. it was 96 degrees from 9:30 until who knows when. the towns kept getting smaller as i passed and i knew i was ready to stop at the post office to send back unused stuff. if i don’t use something for three or four days, there’s no reason i should be carrying it. i stopped into a small town, 114 on the population sign and saw a post office. there weren’t any stores in the town so i asked if i could fill a few water bottles. it probably looked unreasonable when i came back in with five. i had drank almost all of my water, but still hadn’t peed since i left the campsite. i knew i was getting dehydrated but i thought maybe the extra water would be good enough to hold me over for the next 20 miles. i drank almost all of it. my kidneys started hurting, i looked at my shirt and it was crusted with sweat and salt stains. sweat was dripping off of me faster than i could drink the water. my vision started to get blurry. out here there isn’t anything that you can do to escape the heat. i found two trees along the way where i could get under them for a moment to escape the heat. even in the shade there is a hot breeze. there is no escape. i wanted to douse my head in water, but i couldn’t risk losing the water.

as i approached ten sleep, wyoming, i saw a sign. beer. it was a billboard and it said that once i got to the intersection i would have to go a half mile in the direction opposing the town i was headed to. i made a call. beer and the possibility of ice water.

i arrived at ten sleep brewing company, which was amazing. they have camp sites for $3 and showers for $2. not to mention beer. i walked in holding my 48oz bottle out asking for ice water with a dry throat and scratchy voice. i hadn’t realized that my voice was so rough. lack of water really does that. i pretty much drank the entire thing. then ordered a beer. the bartender told me a story about a family that just died in arizona from dehydration and that i should be more careful. i thought almost two gallons was being careful. i need to figure out what to do before i get to the badlands.

i’m all setup at the site, i’ve met quite a few people here and i’m happy that i stopped. aside from the great conversations and knowing that i have a site, i’m relaxed.

at the koa last night, two women setup camp a site away from me. i noticed they had wisconsin plates and we began talking. they’re two derby girls from milwaukee and they were on the way back from a wedding that they attended in montana. they were hitting hot springs along the way and had also been to sturgis. speaking of sturgis, if i never heard another motorcycle, i’d be happy about it. day 16 done.

after a grueling day yesterday, i chose to take a short day. only 54 miles. it was in a somewhat desert climate and the wind was against me, but alas, it was short. i felt like i should celebrate my passing of the first 1000 miles with something special, so i booked a night at the KOA and jumped in the pool. i also had the chance to catch up on laundry, meet some new people and relax before the big climb through the big horn mountains tomorrow. it will be the biggest climb for me yet and i will wake up early so that i can hopefully cross the pass before noon.

i met another cyclist today that was riding in the opposite direction. his name was ben and he was riding from philadelphia to san francisco. we both seemed overly excited to run into another and we talked for about 15 minutes about what experiences we’ve had and gave advice to one another. day 15 done.

the day after the rain hit, paul and i begun collecting our things and cleaning up camp. i don’t feel that either one of us wanted to go our separate ways, but he has a different route and schedule. our time spent together yesterday was great and we met many great travelers.

since i didn’t ride yesterday, i had actually saved miles. by not going to the madison campground(southwest) i could shoot straight for cody, wyoming and skip the extra miles that the other site would have added. i thought it may be a challenge, but i had no idea what i was in for. tower fall campground is at 6270 feet. it’s enough to shorten your breath a little. the first pass was up to 8800, my gps said i climbed to 8807. climbing that high really takes a toll on your lungs and makes it difficult to ride. you try to climb as you normally would, but the thin air doesn’t let you breath like you should and your heart gets pumping too fast.

the downhill was great, and i definitely felt like it was worth it. things moved very quick. i stopped in the canyon general store, first had lunch then tried to find a pair of pants that fit, since the temperature has dropped so much at night in the mountains. the pair i found in my size were apparently mislabeled and i didn’t realize it until later. i was able to zip them up, but not button them. i can’t keep them because what’s the use of carrying pants that i can’t actually wear, even if i do shrink into them. tomorrow i’ll check if there’s a store in cody that sells them and if not, i’ll have to send them back to the company.

i was able to catch a heard of bison grazing in the valley and it was really cool. i remembered that the ranger had told me to shadow cars because the cyclists look like a predator near the bison and they’ll charge you.

the second pass pretty much knocked the wind out of me. thankfully one of the people that i had talked to on the first pass stopped and offered a ride. i was really grateful, as i had to cover 104 miles. we’re now facebook friends and it’s great to see that they are all inspired by my adventure. while sitting in the bed of the truck i we were on our way down the second pass. up the side of one of the mountains, a black bear was charging downhill. directly towards us. it was a little unnerving. i had never seen a black bear and there it was, charging right for this tasty, meaty cyclist sitting out for it. had i been riding, i could have easily become dinner for the beast.

they dropped me off near the edge of town and told me about a campground that was a mile away. i called my warmshower, who didn’t answer, then i called again a half hour later. i hate it when people bail out like that. i made it to the campsite just before the office closed and was able to secure a site. i’m still deciding on whether to ride through the middle of the big horn mountains or go south for a few thousand feet less climb and an easier grade. i could use a break around now. i’ve also passed my first 1000 miles today, making it close to the first quarter of the ride. day 14 done.