When I first got my driver’s license in 1979, before I was allowed to drive alone my father made me actually change the tire on his hand-me-down Buick Skylark and listen to his advice on driving in general – things like, most fender benders happen in parking lots (true), the roads are most dangerous soon after a light rainfall as water and oil residue mix on the road and make it slippery (true), and one of the worst things that can happen to you on the road is to have a front tire blowout on the interstate (meh). Well, 45 years after I got my driver’s license I finally had my front tire blowout on the interstate, only it wasn’t as bad as he made it sound.
Today we had on tap a 113 mile ride to Kadoka, SD with about 5,000 feet of elevation gain and it was one of my favorites. The day started off with a 7 AM rollout and it took us maybe 5-6 miles to navigate our way out of Rapid City with the rising sun in our faces as we headed east. As we got past the edge of town, we went by the main gate to Ellsworth, AFB. Ellsworth AFB is known as the home of many of our USAF B1 Bombers. I was really hoping that we might see a B1 takeoff so that I could yell “That’s the sound of freedom!” or “Peace through superior firepower!”, but such was not our luck this morning.
In any case, we had a few punchy climbs as we eased out of town and by mile 32 we were at our 2nd SAG stop to refill our water bottles and fuel up if needed as we were soon to hit I-90 for a 22 mile stretch before taking Exit 109 for the town of Wall, SD – home of the famous Wall Drug. By then we were well into the rolling hills of grasslands that South Dakota is known for but the only way to get to Wall is by the interstate. So on to I-90 we go.
We are making great time on I-90 with a paceline and tailwind and while I can’t be sure how this happened, our lead rider at the time failed to see a v-shaped piece of metal on the shoulder. Being the 3rd in line I caught the sharp edge of the thing and my front tire blew and I threw my chain going around 20 mph. Once again I managed to stay upright as I slowed it down and moved into the grassy area but it was clearly something that I couldn’t fix on the spot. So I called our lead guide and just happened to have some good luck with the spacing and timing of the vans, and no more than 4-5 minutes later, our guide Beverly shows up and we do a quick switch out of front wheels off a spare bike and I am soon on my way again. How lucky was that?
I soon caught up with our group at mile 53 where we had our lunch stop in Wall, SD. After a great lunch, of course we had to go visit Wall Drug. Wall Drug is like the South Dakota version of the old “South of the Border” on I-95 in Dillon, SC. You see signs for over a hundred miles telling you that you’ll never have a greater experience and when you get there you say “That’s all there is”? But the Wall Drug signs were more politically correct than the ones we saw as kids for “South of the Border” – most people skip that place now anyway to hit the Buc-ee’s in Florence instead.
After seeing that piece of Americana, we headed for the Badlands National Park which was about another 10 miles away, mostly uphill by the way. We still had some favorable winds at the time so we made good time to the entrance. Trek Travel had arranged for our ease of entrance which probably wasn’t too hard because we didn’t see one single cyclist for the entire 30 miles of highway that we traversed over the length of the park.
But The Badlands was fantastic, it looked almost like another planet. And it is easy to understand why it is called The Badlands – it’s extremely inhospitable land that is unbearably hot in the summer and equally cold in the winter. We did a see a few buffalo on the grasslands and goats resting in the crevices and literally thousands of Prairie Dogs scampering around their mounds of dirt. The thermometer read 96 degrees for most of the afternoon but it didn’t bother me at all. This is more my game in terms of cycling – longer distances with less climbing in elevation and high temps – just throw in maybe 80-90% humidity and I’m back in my element in the Lowcountry of SC! Some people struggled with heat but our guides did a great job keeping us hydrated and well supplied.
So tonight we are at “America’s Best Value Inn” in Kadoka, SD. Kadoka is a Native American name that literally means “hole in the wall” (look it up), and I can personally attest to the accuracy of that name. But it got that name because it is at the “opening” to The Badlands. In any case, it has a clean bed and a bathroom and that suits me fine after 7 hours and 113 miles on the bike today!
So tomorrow we head to Oacoma, SD on a 115 mile ride, but the good news is that we have a net elevation loss of over 1,000 feet with a good bit less climbing. Let’s just hope that the wind will be at our back!
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