Day 50: Kalkaska, MI to Lake George, MI

Brian Richardson

From Minneapolis to the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, we followed the North Lakes ACA route. Starting tomorrow, we’ll pick up the ACA’s Lake Erie Connecter to take us across mainland Michigan and Ontario to Niagara Falls. But for 100 miles between Eastport and Lake George, and for the first time all summer, we were mapless. This meant no cyclist-verified road conditions, no elevation profile, and no ecological field notes. To make matters worse, Michigan’s state highways are notorious for changing from paved to gravel without warning; this morning we encountered several such roads. After some gravel grinding and zig-zagging, we eventually landed on HW 6, which took us south for most of the day on uninterrupted pavement and mostly wide shoulders.

Michael hits some surprise gravel near Kalkaska, MI

Michigan’s HW 66

Michael got his third flat tire today, which is number 19 for the group this summer. Using our collective experience, I am sharing the official Bike Loud comprehensive guide to fixing a flat tire:

  1. Move the yourself and the bike completely off the road and away from traffic.

  2. Remove the wheel with the flat in question. If the front wheel, simply detach the brakes and remove the skewer. If the back wheel, you’ll also need to remove your panniers and flip the bike over to avoid damaging your derailleur.

  3. Using tire levers, pry one side of the tire off of the lip of the wheel. Trying to keep the dirt and worn rubber from turning your hands black is futile.

  4. Remove the punctured inner tube and inflate to find the leak. Look for a culprit in the corresponding location in the tire.

  5. Slightly inflate a new tube (or the old tube with a patch) and insert in the tire. Slip the tire back into the wheel’s rim.

  6. Using a hand pump (which is more portable but much more difficult to use than a floor pump), fully inflate the new tube. Try to keep your heart rate in zone 2; this will be a sustained effort.

  7. In your haste to get back on the road, accidentally unscrew the tube’s valve core while trying to remove the hand pump from the valve. The tube will fully deflate.

  8. Lose your mind.

  9. Take a deep breath and repeat step 6.

  10. Take another deep breath and try not to repeat steps 7-8.

  11. Replace the wheel and, critically, remember to reattach your brakes. You will forget this step a maximum of one time on the trip.

Michael works on Step 4

Here at tonight’s campground in Lake George, we have our first real swimming pool of the trip. It would have been a great way to relax and cool off after 75 miles on an 88 degree day had it not been for the poolside basketball hoop. The 90 minute game of full-contact pool basketball that took place was anything but relaxing, and it was some of the most fun I’ve had all trip. Like all good pool basketball games, it ended with an elbow (Friend) to the jaw (Michael), but no hurt feelings.

The weather forecast tonight calls for temperatures in the high 70s until 1am and a chance of rain later in the night. This leads to an interesting dilemma: we want to be protected from the rain but also feel some breeze to stay cool. Our strategy on nights like these is to stake out our tents as if we’re using rainflies, but remove the actual flies. Then we have a pact that whoever first wakes up to rain drops has to wake the others to quickly secure our flies to their stakes. Given how tired we are, there is a nonzero chance that nobody wakes up once the rain starts.

Day 49: Kalkaska, MI

Josh Friend

Note from the editor: Josh Friend, Jacob Friend’s dad, is serving as a guest contributor for today’s blog. After spending the day with the crew in Kalkaska, we’re hoping he can give some outside perspective.

Once upon a recent yesterday, in BFE outside Traverse City, four men on bicycles rolled into town, road weary. They were known only by their mad max titles: Big B, Michael—Destroyer of Wheels, Usher the Skipper, and OfficeMax.

Their quest? An attempt to find their mental and physical limits. To attempt the unequivocal.

And who should appear, cresting the horizon in a chariot of snacks, clean socks, and parental pride? None other than OfficeMax's father, the Honorable Dad of the East, and Uncle Chad, his most trusted advisor.

The latest victim of Michael, Destroyer of Wheels

"We heard tale of four sunburnt weirdos and bottomless appetites,” he said, stepping from his magic grocery cart with all the gravitas of a dad who'd just convinced himself the "Best Dad" coffee mug was empirical fact.

Josh Friend: Dad of the East and Provider of Groceries

The cyclists welcomed the old men into their traveling fellowship. They enjoyed a feast combined with an unhealthy mountain of dairy products. Cookies died. Ice cream perished. Courage faltered. An accord was signed. Sleep was paramount. A soft bed after days of saddle-time was undeniable. Uncle Chad dissented. Sleep was optional. Karaoke was paramount.

The Destroyer of Wheels eyes up his next target

A pensive night holding off rural tent-zombies was rewarded with a beautiful morning stacked with French toast. The day planned, the newly formed tribe of young and old reprobates toured Traverse City, testing the boundaries of acceptable social behavior. The true magic happened that afternoon, when the reprobates met the noble kin of Big B and Michael, Destroyer of Wheels. There was a father (wise and kind), a set of grandparents (keepers of tales), and an aunt (just there so she didn't get fined). They feasted like royalty on pub-grub, exchanging embellished stories of their "summer of '69.”

The Richardson clan at the Traverse City Festival of Cherries

OfficeMax's dad watched the cyclists, pride welling in his chest. He observed his son, his back kissed by a sun-angel, tested, confident, and full of quiet grit. The road highlighted the man he knows. His accomplished comrades were yet another datapoint: show me your friends, and I'll show you your future.

Dad of the East reunited at long last with his heir, OfficeMax

Soon the four adventurers will saddle up yet again. With hugs, waves, and one last cringe dad joke, they'll clip in and vanish down the road bound for the next town, the next story. OfficeMax's dad will fallback to Red in Shawshank. "Sometimes it makes me sad, though...OfficeMax being gone. I have to remind myself that some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up DOES rejoice. But still, the place you live in is that much more drab and empty that they're gone. I guess I just miss my son."

Day 48: Petoskey, MI to Kalkaska, MI

Jacob Friend

There were isolated thunderstorms throughout the night and into the morning. This made it especially comforting to be inside with gracious hosts away from the weather. Even better, in the morning we woke up to the sound of our host Julia cooking egg McMuffins in the kitchen. Starting the day just got a whole lot easier. We mapped out our travels over breakfast sandwiches, rhubarb pie, and coffee. After wishing our hosts a farewell (thank you for everything Julia and Marko!), we headed into the rain and towards a long-awaited break day in Kalkaska.

Michael previews the ride out of Petoskey, MI

The morning rain was the strongest we’ve biked through in weeks. Our goal was to make it to a bike path quickly where we could find some reprieve from traffic and natural protection from rain. A section of the bike path was washed out, but after taking a 2 mile detour, we found our way back on the path and the skies began clearing up.

Friend and Usher hit a closed section of the Petoskey greenway

A couple hours on the bike path led us to Charlevoix, another beautiful, ritzy, lakefront town. I have thoroughly enjoyed biking through some of the nicer neighborhoods around Lake Michigan, daydreaming about living in one of the mansions. However, we sometimes don’t feel the most welcome in these places. Some neighborhoods are packed with Mosquito alarms. These are high pitched noise-emitting devices to prevent loitering outside of one’s house. Interestingly, the pitch is typically set to a frequency only audible to people 25 years old or younger, which makes it difficult for us to enjoy some of the sights to the full extent. I understand people appreciate privacy, but we’re not the biggest fans of these alarms.

One of many ritzy waterfront houses along Lake Michigan

We got off the bike path after Charlevoix and took rural roads all the way to Eastport. The riding was flat, pretty, and quiet. In Eastport we stopped at a well-stocked grocery store with indoor seating. While shopping, in typical Usher fashion, he made friends with three strangers as they asked about the trip and he responded enthusiastically. After his encounters, he arrived at the lunch table and presented us with a hand drawn map gifted to him by one of the locals. His new friend had suggested we go along the east side of Torch Lake, instead of the west, to avoid busy roads and shave off some miles on the way to Kalkaska. The random act of kindness was very appreciated and we adopted the alternate route.

Usher’s map to Kalkaska

Biking along Torch Lake delivered us shaded roads and great views of its turquoise waters. As we were getting further into the afternoon, the break day in Kalkaska felt within reach and our excitement grew. After traversing a few gravel sections, we arrived to our Airbnb where my dad and his best friend, Chad, greeted us with smiles and hugs.

It’s been 6.5 weeks since I’ve last been with family, so enjoying this break day with my dad is very special. We celebrated our first night in Kalkaska with a mega grocery run, laugh-filled family dinner, and a thrilling movie about a fur trapper. Looking forward to sleeping in!

Brian chefs up enchiladas for a break day eve dinner

Two Friends, three sons, and one father

Day 47: Mackinaw City, MI to Petoskey, MI

Michael Richardson

After quickly acclimatizing to “the good life” of island fudge and a roof over our heads yesterday, we couldn’t resist waiting out the morning rain with my dad at a local breakfast spot, Pancake Chef. When the day starts with french toast and endless coffee, it’s hard to have any negative feelings about the weather. It’s also been incredibly refreshing to spend time with family over the past twelve hours and hear about what’s happening outside our bike bubble. I never could have imagined seeing so many familiar faces in an unfamiliar place, but it’s been a lovely visit and just what I needed to make it to our rest day this weekend.

G-Mom wishes Michael a safe and fun ride out of Mackinaw City

Usher lives the good life with a breakfast of strawberry pancakes from Pancake Chef

The radar called for strong winds and precipitation most of the day, but instead, our morning was overcast and we enjoyed the quiet roads along Lake Michigan. The trouble began when Brian snapped his shifter cable and we performed a NASCAR-esque repair to evade the mosquitoes that swarmed us within seconds. The fix involved securing his derailleur just above the center chain ring such that he could only use about 30% of his available gears. That essentially translates to “I am not in the right gear for this hill,” and we still had many hills ahead of us. Selfishly, I hoped this setback would make it easier to keep up with my brother today, but if you know Brian, you know not to underestimate his abilities. A couple miles down the road, it was my turn to face misfortune and I got my first flat tire of the trip. I was careful to inspect the tube and rim for sharp objects, but evidently, I did not do a good enough job. Ten minutes later, my tube was flat again and I had to borrow Friend’s pliers to pull a sneaky staple from the inside of my tire.

Brian’s broken front shifter cable

Michael addresses the first of his two flats of the day

Beyond the sand dunes, we arrived at the highly anticipated Tunnel of Trees (M-119) road. This 27-mile scenic highway follows the shore of Lake Michigan and winds through one of the state’s most picturesque landscapes. The route is enveloped by dense woods and a mesmerizing canopy that paired all too well with Jack Johnson playing in my earbuds. At this point, the sun came out and Lake Michigan lit up with the vivid blue we’ve heard so much about. It almost looked tropical. In Harbor Springs, at the end of the tunnel, we restocked our spare parts at a bike shop and ate lunch by the marina.

Tunnel of Trees Scenic Road along Lake Michigan

Luckily, there is a bike path all the way from Harbor Springs to Charlevoix and it kept us cruising along the shoreline. We passed by a bustling skatepark and a small airport before stopping in Petoskey to see one of Brian’s friends at Bayfront Park. He stayed with this individual during his 2019 trip, and it took only one message to reconnect—“Wanna jump off the pier with us when we reach town in an hour?” Next thing I know, I’m filming Brian, Jacob, and Marko do front flips into a very cold great lake. Smiling and unphased by a 52° dunk, Marko and Julia offered us a place to stay for the night. Absolutely! Their house was located “just up the hill” and supposedly there was a bike path that would lead us straight to it. Well, we must have made a wrong turn. Pretty soon, we were on rocky single-track and navigating an obstacle course of stairs and bridges. This section gave us our first taste of off-road cycling and we all had a good laugh trying to “walk the plank”. Out of the rain for another night, we’re chowing down on pizza and ice cream, and just enjoying the company of our enthusiastic hosts.

Cold plunge off the Petoskey Breakwater into Lake Michigan

Brian dismounts for a tricky section of the “bike path”

Usher “walks the plank”

Day 46: Milakokolia Lake, MI to Mackinaw City, MI

Jacob Usher

We woke up this morning to cooler temperatures. We were pretty excited about this after the recent heat. The first thing I thought in the morning was that the mosquitos would be gone. Apparently the UP mosquitos are different and unfazed by 50 degree weather.

Mosquitoes wait inside Brian’s rainfly to strike when he starts packing up

We packed up camp quickly, trying our best to not breathe in the bugs. Breakfast would have to wait. I was the last one to leave camp and I was devastated to find out my tire had gone flat. The tube had torn at the stem, which was probably my own fault. I fought with my bike in the worst mosquito swarm of my life. Luckily I saw Friend riding back down the road towards me with bug spray. 

Usher fixes his flat tire in a swarm of mosquitoes

We found a place for breakfast and prepared ourselves for the rest of the day. We rode on Highway 2 with increasingly frequent views of Lake Michigan. The shoulder was nice and wide which made the traffic more tolerable.

The Upper Peninsula’s south shore

Eventually the Lower Peninsula appeared on the horizon and we arrived at our first stop of the day: a pasty shop called Lehto’s which had been recommended to us multiple times. We saw a family bike-touring and asked them what they recommended for us to order. They informed us that there was only one menu item, which is a great sign in my opinion. Michael and Friend gave the pasties 6/10. I leaned more towards an 8/10.

Michael chows down at Lehto’s

Our next destination was Mackinac Island. The bridge slowly came into view and traffic increased. We made our way down to all of the ferries to catch a ride over to Mackinac Island. When we got onto the ferry, the employees were required to move our bikes for us. I was slightly entertained watching a pretty strong looking man struggle to lift my bike up. I also felt pretty uncomfortable separating from my bike. I’ve spent a lot of time with it in the past month.

The gang takes the ferry from St. Ignace on the UP to Mackinac Island

Once ashore the island, we were greeted by Michael’s and Brian’s dad, grandparents, and aunt. We explored the island for a couple of hours before dinner. The four of us went on a short hike with their dad to Arch Rock.

Richardson family reunion on Mackinac Island. From left to right: Ted (Dad), Brian, Michael, Usher, Wilmer (G-Mom), Friend, Doug (G-Dad), and Great Aunt Linda

Ted takes the gang on a hike up to Arch Rock

We worked up an appetite and boarded our ferry to Mackinaw City on the other side of the bridge. We all met back up with the Richardson grandparents to eat dinner at an Italian restaurant called Nonna Lisa’s. At dinner, I had a lot of fun reflecting on the memories and stories we have made so far on this trip. We’ve made a ton, but answering questions about the trip really got me thinking about them.

Tonight we are staying in our first hotel of the trip! We are excited to get a good night of climate-controlled sleep. Big thanks to the Richardsons for making the trek up to Michigan, and for dinner and the hotel room!

Day 45: Stonington, MI to Milakokia Lake

Brian Richardson

Today we took Michigan’s Highway 2 almost the whole way from Stonington to Milakokia Lake; this simple route was a nice change after the roads in Wisconsin. While beautiful, that network of rustic roads required dozens of turns per day and, throughout the state, we had to constantly consult our paper maps to locate roads like “14 1/2 Street,” “Bth Avenue,” or “Unsigned, Unnamed Road.” So as the main navigator, 80 miles straight on HW 2 was indeed a breath of fresh air.

This main drag across the southern UP can be busy at times, but it has a nice wide shoulder and a good old Michigan rumble strip serving as a buffer between us and the traffic.

Highway 2 across the Upper Peninsula

Michigan’s UP (or “Yoop”) is unlike anywhere else I’ve been. It has a mix of northern hardwood forests and the kind of rugged sandy beaches that I associate with the North Carolina Outer Banks. The people here (known as “Yoopers”) have a passion for the outdoors (snowmobiling, sailing, skiing, hunting, fishing, etc) and a Midwest-ish dialect with Scandinavian-Canadian flare. Today we had our first taste of the Yoop’s iconic pasty, a savory pastry traditionally eaten by Cornish miners in the 19th century. These hearty pies, often filled with potatoes, rutabaga, and meat, are pronounced with a short “a” and are not to be confused with their long-a heteronym.

The Yoop’s shape makes an appearance on almost every local vehicle

This morning, we said goodbye to our Stonington hosts Mary and Steve and rolled out into a cool 65 degrees. The sky was covered with blanket of clouds that stuck around for most of the day and dropped some occasional rain. After the brutal sun and heat earlier this week, this rain was another welcome change.

Thank you, Mary and Steve!

Morning rainclouds near Stonington, MI

Home for tonight is a state forest campground on the shore of Lake Milakokia. Since Minnesota, we’ve been fighting a constant battle to escape mosquitoes and biting flies. We joke that our work day begins when the helmets come off and the bugs come out. Here at our campsite the mosquitos are as numerous and tenacious as any we’ve seen over the last few weeks. Out on the dock of the lake, however, a stronger breeze provides at least some safety. Sitting on the dock we ate dinner, shared our daily high-low-buffalo reflections, and watched the sun set over the water.

After writing this blog, I need to make a mad dash through the bug gauntlet to the protection of my tent. But for now I’ll enjoy a few more moments of peace on the water.

Dinner, high-low-buffalo, and a sunset on Lake Milakokia

Day 44: Crystal Falls, MI to Stonington, MI

Jacob Friend

It’s been two weeks since we biked over 90 miles in a day. We hoped to end that streak today as we set our sights for Rapid River, a 93 mile journey from our campsite in Crystal Falls. The longer days on the road can be strenuous, but they often produce long-lasting memories, so I was looking forward to the challenge.

To start the morning, the highway did not hesitate to throw obstacles our way. The skinny shoulder forced us to become close neighbors with logging trucks passing us by. In addition to the bustling truck traffic, the rumble strips made sure to keep us in check. Michigan’s rumble strips are particularly effective at rattling every bone in my body due to their unique sinusoidal pattern. The harsh vibration delivered through my wheels up to my helmet was the perfect caffeine replacement I needed to kickstart the day. We kept a tight line, and after some quality time with the logging trucks, we passed LP Building Solutions. Here, the trucks would unload their lumber and head westbound back to the forests. As a result, the highway became quieter and our minds more eased. Good riddance.

Logging Trucks along the UP’s HW 2

Most of today’s ride was completely surrounded by trees with little indication of any nearby Great Lakes. The persistent humidity, scorching hot roads, and lack of water really made me question why the Upper Peninsula was so hyped as a vacation destination. Little did I know today’s route went through the only two landlocked counties in the UP, Iron and Dickinson counties. To add to my dismay, a swarm of black flies decided to join our ride. It felt like a punishment for having negative thoughts about the UP. We’ve had daily encounters with black flies for almost a week now. This one was by far the worst. While Usher was pulling the line, there were nearly 20 flies circling him at one point. Usher displayed a masterclass of maintaining his composure amidst the chaos. I cannot say the same for myself. Any buzzing in my ears alone is enough to send me into a frenzy. Today the bugs got the best of me and it took me until lunch to collect my sanity again. I’m sure the flies will be back tomorrow, maybe I can practice my patience then.

The UP flies stay in Friend’s slipstream to prevent a breakaway

The challenges of the road kept us motivated to pedal hard and stay focused. By the time we made it to lunch we had already biked 58 miles thanks to extra assistance from a terrific tailwind. We quickly devoured lunch at the Perronville Pub and set out for Escanaba to beat an incoming storm front. Along the way we entered the Eastern time zone, a huge milestone as we get closer to the Atlantic, and the last adjustment for my Casio watch.

In honor of being in the home state of Billy Strings, and in anticipation of our arrival in Escanaba, we jammed out to bluegrass tunes. The rich melodies from the wood string instruments of the folky jams blended beautifully with the rural ambience of the UP. As the rhythm continued, we felt the air become cooler and we sensed Lake Michigan drawing closer. Once in Escanaba, we stopped to take in views of the picturesque lake. However, we kept our Escanaba visit short once we learned that our hosts for the night lived ~15 miles outside River Rapid. One final challenge to cap off a mega day.

Escanaba, MI, Eastern Standard Time, and the crew’s first look at Lake Michigan

With the heat persisting into the evening and the previous 90 miles weighing on our bodies, we plugged in our earbuds and locked in to crank out the final 15. Our journey took us along Little Bay de Noc and through Hiawatha National Forest. Finally, after 104 miles of riding, our trip’s single-day distance record, we arrived at the beautiful lakefront house of Steve and Mary. We were super fortunate to be connected to them through our NC friend (Sean Harris 😍) and it made the extra miles of riding well worth it.

We were treated to drinks, plenty of vegetables, delicious burgers, a sunset over the lake, and wonderful company. After waking up in a pedal [sic] of sweat for the past three days, a home cooked meal and comfy bed has never been better. We’ve been so fortunate to have so many great hosts throughout the trip, and Steve and Mary continued this line of kindness and hospitality. 🌻

Unwinding from a long day with a swim in Lake Michigan, cold drinks with Steve, and a UP sunset

Day 43: Star Lake, WI to Crystal Falls, MI

Michael Richardson

There are a number of ways to be woken up on a cross-country bike tour. These might include your typical watch alarm, sun rays beaming through your tent, lightning storms and 60 mph gusts (as we experienced two nights ago), among others. Today, we had the privilege of waking up to an ill-mannered couple in the site next to us who was continuing an argument started in the late hours of the night. While I do love drama, the high temps and humidity provide just about all the heat I can take right now. We opted to take our breakfast down the road to a tackle shop which led us to chatting with a very nice store owner instead. He showed us photos of Star Lake from nearly a century ago and described the logging town that once covered the hillside. We also learned about Wisconsin’s Subcontinent Divide—a ridge separating watersheds that drain into the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. Supposedly Star Lake sits atop this divide.

Usher signs the cyclist guest book at the Star Lake General Store

Even with the earlier start, the heat wave caught up to us about the time we reached Phelps. Since it was a Sunday, only one store had its lights on—“Sweets, Treats, & More.” Cooling off in the AC, we had plenty of time to admire the glass case of donuts and by the time we left, Usher was stuffing apple fritters into his handlebar bag.

Sweets, Treats, & More in Phelps, WI

We found ourselves crossing a bridge into Michigan much earlier than I expected. Brian recreated a photo he had taken at the welcome sign six years ago, and just as quickly as it had arrived, Wisconsin was now behind us. We took our lunch break at a shaded gazebo in Caspian, but even hidden from the sun, we continued to “lose HP” as the kids say these days. The rest of the day was spent hunting for more shaded areas and water spigots like one behind a USPS building, which gave us a few seconds of relief.

Brian celebrates at the Michigan border, 2019 vs 2025

Usher and Michael cool off outside the Alpha, MI post office

Tonight we’re camping on the Paint River at a very pleasant campground with lots of tree cover. The bugs aren’t nearly as bad as they were the previous two nights and I was finally able to sit down and relax without thrashing around. Once we stop sweating around 10 o’clock, we plan to get a good night’s sleep and push tomorrow in order to stay with one of Usher’s friends beyond our previously planned destination of Escanaba.

Michael airs out his gear at the Crystal Falls campsite after a hot and humid day

Day 42: Glidden, WI to Star Lake, WI

Jacob Usher

The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald was a freight ship that sunk on Lake Superior on her way from Duluth to Detroit in 1975. This is a well known story today in part due to the Gordon Lightfoot song about it. The song starts with the line ‘The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down.’ The Edmund Fitzgerald has been in our minds a lot as we’ve gotten closer to the Great Lakes, and today we officially crossed the Chippewa River.

Gordon Lightfoot’s song also contains the line ‘the gales of November came early’. On this June morning, the gales came extra early. Michael, Friend, and I were camped on a roofed wooden platform. Our tents were not staked. I at least had my rainfly half on, but the others did not. I woke up at 4:40 am from water dripping on my face. I shot up instantly and tried to close my rain fly.

The wind hit us like an explosion and lightning started pouring down around us. Next thing I knew, we were out of our tents yelling and scrambling to stop everything from flying away and getting soaked. Lightning struck a nearby telephone pole and the street lights went dark. I picked up my tent to move it and it nearly flew away even with all of my stuff in it. Luckily I held on and ran to the other side of the platform. I pointed my tent into the wind, closed the fly, and dove in abandoning Michael and Friend who were still trying to get their flies out. 

The storm forecast for Glidden, WI—the ‘bow echo’ indicates high straight line winds

Brian camped in a more sheltered spot and stayed more dry. He was probably hotter when he went to bed though. We were able to laugh about the storm during breakfast. The start of the day was overcast and humid. We enjoyed the temporary cooler weather before the heat of the rest of the day and tomorrow. Eventually the clouds cleared, but the humidity stuck around. We followed gently winding roads over rolling hills with nice views of flowers and lakes.

Michael tries to salvage his tent after the storm had cleared

We ate lunch near Mercer WI. We found a park that met all our requirements for lunch. These are a picnic table, shade, and a lake to swim in. We ate lunch and cooled off in the lake.

Friend, Usher, and Brian cool off in Grand Portage Lake

We spent the rest of the afternoon on bike paths with lots of twists and turns and shade. This was super fun for me because all the dips and turns kept my mind super engaged. We also found some opportunities to exercise muscles we don’t use as often.

The Manitowish Waters Bike Path, and nearby shenanigans

We finished out the day on a nice low-traffic road. The wind must have gotten lighter because we got swarmed by the most black flies we’ve seen so far. They don’t bite much if you keep pedaling, but stopping is not an option. We made it to our campsite with another lake to cool off in. We are definitely feeling the heat right now and the ‘extreme heat warning’ will continue into tomorrow evening.

Day 41: Edgewater, WI to Glidden, WI

Brian Richardson

On a typical morning when our alarms go off we lay in silence for a while before starting to pack up. This “snooze” period gives us time to relax and mentally prepare for a busy day, and it ends not with another alarm but with the sound of the first sleeping pad deflating.

Today, however, was not a typical morning, and within two seconds of my alarm going off I heard a chorus of Happy Birthday outside my tent. I unzipped my rainfly to see Michael, Friend, and Usher singing and holding a blueberry muffin complete with lit birthday candles. They had apparently also woken up in the middle of the night to gift-wrap my bike.

After I opened my present and had a wonderful breakfast of blueberry muffins and donut holes, Friend clipped his speaker to my bike and turned on a playlist of mostly explicit birthday-related songs. We weaved along the shore of Lake Chetac and watched morning sun peak through retreating clouds to burn last night’s rain drops off of maidenhair ferns while 2 Chainz sang about what exactly he wanted for his birthday. I can’t think of a better way to start my 25th year—thanks Michael and Jacobs!

Brian wakes up to his first day of being 25

The roads in Wisconsin so far have reminded me a lot of those around Carrboro, NC, where I live and bike often. Both have forests of oak, maple, pine, beech, and poplar punctuated by corn fields and dairy farms and just enough hills to keep you honest. Several spots on today’s ride brought to mind my favorite Carrboro segments: Borland, Morrow Mill, and Damascus Church. Reminding us that we were not in fact in the NC piedmont were the Tamaracks and Aspens and Wisconsin’s myriad lakes. June is peak season for northern Wisconsin’s wildflowers, and most of our route today was lined with bluebonnets, daisies, and wood lilies.

Some northern Wisconsin flora

For lunch we stopped at the Farmstead Creamery and Cafe. Here we supplemented our usual tortillas with freshly picked salad greens and Wisconsin pepper jack cheese, and followed this with homemade sheep’s milk gelato. The owners of this family farm taught us the Swedish word “fika,” meaning a break for a treat.

Fika at the Farmstead Creamery and Cafe

Wisconsin gave me one last birthday present today: the town of Glidden. It includes the Chippewa River, where we could wash off the day’s sweat and sunscreen, and free camping at the Marion Park fairgrounds. Here in Marion Park, we have swing sets and seesaws for some post-ride fun, a spooky out-of-commission merry-go-round, and a covered pavilion to (hopefully) protect us from the forecasted thunderstorms tonight.

Marion Park: home for the night in Glidden, WI

Day 40: Balsam Lake, WI to Edgewater, WI

Jacob Friend

Our first morning in Wisconsin brought us a thunderstorm right as we were leaving camp. We delayed our start time and took the opportunity to watch the storm pass from the protection of the back porch of the campground bar. For an hour we listened to the rain fall around us and watched lightning bolts flicker in the sky. It was the perfect white noise to send you into a slumber which made it a little harder for us to regain the energy to begin biking after the skies cleared up.

Brian and Michael wait out the rain in Balsam Lake, WI

Every time a storm passes us I’m always sure to check every corner of the sky for a rainbow. After 40 days of biking I expected to see at least a few by now, but they continue to evade us. My fingers will remain crossed and my eyes peeled. Instead of a rainbow we were rewarded with bright puffy clouds which complemented the rich farmlands of Wisconsin wonderfully.

A lot of today’s ride included sections of Wisconsin’s Rustic Roads program. This is a network of scenic roadways intended for hikers and cyclists to explore the state’s countryside. These lightly traveled roads have provided great views of water lilies, wildflowers, and white-tailed dear! This makes for very serene riding and happy times 😊.

Scenes from Wisconsin’s Rustic Roads

Similar to Minnesota, a nice luxury of Wisconsin are the plentiful lakes. Every town we stop at seems to be nestled beside a different lake giving us an opportunity to dip our toes in the water. Today we stopped for lunch in Cumberland, a small lake town, and ate at the public lakeside beach. After our meal, Brian touched up on his front flip technique while the rest of us enjoyed quick naps on the picnic tables.

Brian takes a post-lunch plunge in Cumberland, WI

The rest of our ride to Lake Chetac featured more rural roads and beautiful skies. We arrived with ample time to jump in the lake, enjoy the campground, and eat as a family. A common ritual during our family dinners has been ‘High, Low, Buffalo.’ Round-robin style, each one of us will talk about our favorite, least favorite, and weirdest moment of the day. It’s a silly time for reflection that allows us to laugh about the good times and talk through the harder ones. I love High, Low, Buffalo time and it’s something that I hope to integrate into my routine after the trip is over.

As we were getting ready to sleep in our tents for the night, two new friends stopped by our campsite. They asked about our adventure and we learned about theirs. ‘Warren Girls on the Loose’ is a group of girlfriends riding on ATVs around Wisconsin. We exchanged some stories and they gave us a froggy with their names as a gift. Shoutout to them!

A souvenir for the road

Day 39: Minneapolis, MN to Balsam Lake, WI

Michael Richardson

Today was the perfect example of what we’ve been dreaming about on our way across the South Dakota prairies. With the fierce winds and raging trucks behind us, we could finally focus on enjoying the beautiful scenery and increasingly dense forest. Before that, however, we had about 15 miles left in the Twin Cities, almost entirely on protected bike paths. I didn’t really know what to expect when we arrived in Minneapolis on Monday, but I certainly didn’t anticipate a bicyclist’s paradise. Turns out I was wrong—this place is awesome. Bicycle highways below street level? Check. Bridges and tunnels? Check. Stop signs for cars, but not path-goers? Check. Tool stations, air pumps, and bathrooms? Check. Bike parking at every restaurant, park, or store? Check. Eclectic artwork, murals, and sculptures? Check. The list goes on. Everyone here rides their bike, and I couldn’t stop smiling because of it. After some research, I learned that PeopleForBikes gives Minneapolis a score of 71 out of 100 for bike network quality and safety. For reference, Amsterdam received a score of 89 and Raleigh received a 21.

The gang enjoys the bike infrastructure around the Twin Cities

By early morning, we crossed over the Mississippi River—another big milestone for the trip—and made our way through St. Paul. The historical aesthetic reminded me a lot of Charlotte—but these bike paths won’t rattle your teeth right out. Slowly but surely, we ducked under the tree canopies and out into the countryside. Instead of sharing the bike path with 20-somethings on their way to work, we were now alongside retirees on tandem bikes and horses. We passed many smaller lakes and Brian pointed out a Red-winged Blackbird perched on a log—often considered a symbol for protection and guidance.

Friend crosses the Mississippi River

Horses left!

Not long after lunch, we found ourselves at the St. Croix river and the end of our sixth state. Minnesota has been good to us, but we didn’t look back as we rode through the small village of Osceola, Wisconsin. I’ve continued to notice how friendly the people are around here, and the growing presence of trees and hills also put me in a good mood for the afternoon. Tonight, we’re staying at the “Do Nothin Campground” near Balsam Lake, which is ironic considering it’s the only campground we’ve stayed at with a Campfire Cove Aqua Park and inflatable “Blob” feature.

Just a few of the many trees in Wisconsin so far

Brian and Friend hit the Aqua Park at the Do Nothin Campground

Day 38: Minneapolis, MN

Jacob Usher

It’s finally break day in Minneapolis! Parks, Peaks, and Prairies is complete and now it is time for the North Lakes. However, today we get a hard earned day off in the land of 10,000 (but actually 11,000) lakes. We slept in this morning later than we have in the last month. Brian made a breakfast of eggs and toast and we quickly got to work on some chores.

Brian prepares a Bike-Loud-sized breakfast

I made a list, and the first three items on it were to dry my tent, wash my bike, and clean my dishes. Everyone did some combination of these tasks in the morning before we decided to split up and run some errands. 

Friend and I went to bike shops to get his bike worked on and to get new tires for me. I sought out the ‘most puncture-proof tires’ I could find after witnessing Friend’s frequent flat tires and a couple of my own.

Usher’s newly acquired tires

That’s enough about chores. We also had fun exploring Minneapolis! Friend and I got burgers for lunch at the Urban Skillet. Brian and Michael went to a ramen place. After lunch, Brian went canoeing with two of his friends who happened to be in Minneapolis at the same time as us. 

Friend digs in at Urban Skillet in Minneapolis, MN

Brian and a friend portage a canoe through town to Lake of the Isles

My friend works as a sailing instructor only a mile from where we were staying. I walked down to say hi and we went sailing on Bde Maka Ska with the city skyline in the background. The Minneapolis Sailing Center was really cool and I loved how community oriented it is. They really promote accessibility and we were on the water with probably 6 other boats on a Tuesday. In fact, all of Minneapolis was really cool. Everywhere I went had a lot of character and we were blown away by the infrastructure. I’ve never seen so many people riding bikes!

Usher sails on lake Bde Maka Ska

For dinner, we met up with a couple of Josh’s friends and ate Middle Eastern food at Baba’s. The food was really good. Michael pointed out that we probably eat too many chickpeas already. We got ice cream at a popular place called Sebastian Joe’s before heading home to get ready for bed. It was nice to spend time with folks around our age. Josh said he was intentionally trying to socialize us. 

Dinner with friends at Baba’s

Tomorrow we set off on the Northern Lakes trail. We will also cross into Wisconsin, the land of 15,000 (albeit smaller) lakes.

Day 37: Lake Allie, MN to Minneapolis, MN

Brian Richardson

It’s break day eve and we made it to Minneapolis. This is the largest metropolitan area of the trip and it was the light at the end of the wind tunnel for us all week.

After 370 miles of persistent headwind, it started to let up today. The wind wasn’t entirely gone, but while we Etch-A-Sketched through a grid of county roads this morning, gusts were relatively light and would occasionally be behind us on our northbound stints. By the afternoon, we were entirely on rail trail bike paths, which tended to be tree-lined and sheltered from the wind.

Our new obstacle for the day was severe thunderstorms. Before 10am we could see a storm cell developing north of us and we picked up the pace to try to make it to Hutchinson before the weather. We didn’t entirely miss the rain, but we did at least reach the Oak Heights Covenant Church to ride out the worst of the lightning in safety. Here Usher showed us a more detailed weather report: many dozens of lightning strikes in our area over the last hour, and warnings of supercells and possible tornadoes later in the day.

The gang tries to escape a storm headed towards Hutchinson, MN

As soon as the lightning had passed, we hopped onto the Luce Line bike trail, the first of many rail trails we took today between Hutchinson and Minneapolis. Throughout the day, we would see more storms developing nearby, and be warned by some locals that we “picked a bed day to ride bikes through Minnesota,” but we thankfully avoided the worst of the weather.

These rail trails are a mix of pavement and gravel, and they took us through farms and woods and city while keeping us away from wind and sun and traffic. Another win for bike infrastructure!

The Dakota Rail Regional Trail

Afternoon storm clouds along the Lake Minnetonka Regional Trail

80 miles and two flat tires—both from Friend, who is now at 12 for the trip—got us to Minneapolis. Some of us were motivated by the upcoming break day or by the end of the Parks, Peaks, and Praries ACA route; others by gas station hot dogs. Either way, we made it.

Usher and Friend fuel up for the last push into Minneapolis, MN

The last week of headwinds took its toll on the group. Over seven days we spent more than 51 hours actively pedaling which, in addition to wearing out our bodies, left little time to maintain bikes and other equipment. Michael has a Jerry-rigged tent that probably would not survive if we had to camp in some of the storms we saw today. Usher has a pair of tires bearing large sections with literally 0mm of rubber left.

Usher’s rear tire, circa mile 2,450 of the trip—well past time for a replacement

Here in the city, we’re staying with Josh, my old roommate and great friend. Josh is the kind of friend who would drive 45 minutes round-trip from our Carrboro, NC house to pick me up on Union Grove Church Road after my bike broke down and I got caught in a freezing rain—and bring homemade cookies to cheer me up. Tonight he cooked us a delicious dinner of curry with all the fresh vegetables we’ve been missing, followed by more homemade cookies. Being here with a friend like that has been a huge morale boost for the group. We’re excited to spend tomorrow exploring the city with Josh and other friends, not on a bike.

Day 36: Cottonwood, MN to Lake Allie, MN

Jacob Friend

This morning felt like we were clocking in for another shift of Midwest biking. We awoke to the same grey skies and inescapable fog we have become all too familiar with over the past week. The easterly headwind made sure to accompany us as we made it through one of our last days in the Great Plains. We didn’t pout or complain, we simply surrendered to the wind and continued along for a quiet and peaceful morning ride.

Morning fog in the Cottonwood, MN city park

On the bright side, the folks in the Midwest are very polite and sweet people. When we were packing up our groceries for lunch, we made a friend who was really interested in our trip. He ended up donating $20 to our cause! This random act of kindness brought some much needed sunlight into a cloudy day 🌞.

This is my first time in Minnesota and it’s been fun to learn about the state and more about the Midwest. Minnesota is nicknamed the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.” The over 10,000 lakes allow the land to be used for harvesting corn and soybeans. The abundance of standing water also makes for the perfect breeding ground for flies and mosquitoes. Now, any small break we take on the side of the road is no longer a peaceful moment of rest; it’s a state of paranoia that we will be eaten alive every second we stand still. Today we’ve had mosquitoes penetrate our socks, horseflies annihilate our legs, and deerflies swarm our panniers. No where is safe out here.

Flies hitch a ride on Michael’s pannier, ready to strike the next time he stops

Today was not the change in pace we were looking for, but we made it 80 miles to our goal of Allie Lake. Upon arrival we cannon balled into the lake to wash away our battle wounds and cool off from the humidity. Afterwards, we talked about our feelings for a bit over dinner. While our morale is low, we’re still proud of our efforts and are optimistic for a reset in Minneapolis. 36 days on the road is no joke, but I think we’re handling it well.

Friend rides the last few miles to Lake Allie

It feels like our break day in the Badlands was well over a year ago. My biggest motivator for today was the fact that it was break day eve eve. I never would have imagined that the long flat sections of the Midwest would drain me more than the steep Rocky Mountains of the West. But with enough headwind, overcast clouds, and hog manure odor, I’m about to my wits end with this part of the country.

Day 35: Oakwood Lakes, SD to Cottonwood, MN

Brian Richardson

This was our fourth day in a row of a relentless headwind—from mile one, there was a steady breeze against us. We were once again working 50% harder than usual in order to travel at 70% of our typical pace. If you’re thinking this headwind story is getting old, we agree.

Michael pulls Friend and Usher into the mist and wind

Thirty miles through this wind landed us at the Minnesota border. After the ten days and over 600 awesome but sometimes tortuous miles in South Dakota, we were happy to be moving on.

The crew at the Lincoln County line which, while there is no sign to recognize this, is also the Minnesota state line

Across the state border, we quickly noticed a change in dialect; “ope,” “jeez,” “you betcha” and “grocery beg” could all be heard at our brief stops in the towns of Hendricks and Minneota.

Friend catches a quick snooze in Hendricks, MN

Looking around as we biked, we could also now see that we were solidly in the Midwest. Along the road were farms of all types (corn and soy, hogs, sheep, windmills), numerous lakes, and ducks floating and flying along.

Wind and hog farms in Minnesota

Crossing the border into Minnesota was also a cause for celebration because this state line marks our estimated halfway point of the ride. We’re now five weeks and about 2,250 miles from our staring point in Florence, Oregon. After all the ups and downs of the last 35 days, it is both daunting and thrilling to think about what’s in store for us between here and Bar Harbor.

The gang chowing down on supper in Cottonwood, MN

Day 34: Huron, SD to Oakwood Lakes, SD

Jacob Usher

Another day of doom and gloom. The past two days of tough headwinds has taken a toll on us. We set out this morning and I was feeling pretty unmotivated. More easterly wind was on the forecast and it didn’t feel like we had a big objective to look forward to.

The wind wasn’t super strong to start out with, and we rode two-wide for a little while. The skies were overcast and it seemed to be getting colder out. Sioux Falls and the surrounding areas are known for Sioux Quartzite. This is a hard pinkish rock. Highway 14 wasn’t pink, but the railway stones to our left were. 

Pink Sioux Quartzite outside Huron, SD

We stopped at a store called the chop shop. It was a gas station, fast food, liquor store, butcher, and bar. It may have been more, but I can’t remember. It was surprisingly well stocked and the people inside were all friendly. A beekeeper asked us where we were heading for the day. He recommended going to DeSmet. Laura Ingalls Wilder (author of Little House on the Prairie) is from there and it has some attractions.

Going off route is something we usually are skeptical of. The ACA puts a lot of thought into the routes and usually there’s a reason they don’t send you down certain roads.  However, going to DeSmet would just keep us on Highway 14 longer and the man said the shoulders were good. Easy decision.

The shoulder was not great as it turns out. It wasn’t super wide and there were patches of rumble strip every 5 yards that took up the entire width of the shoulder. They weren’t super deep so riding over them was annoying but not terrible.

The ‘nice, wide shoulder’ on South Dakota’s HW 14

The temperature dropped and the overcast skies became more of a fog. It wasn’t really raining, but the humidity must have been 100%. It was dreary and damp. The wind also picked up. At the beginning of the trip I would have called it a strong headwind. It still wasn’t nearly as strong as the previous two days thankfully.

Farmland and foggy conditions

We didn't end up visiting any of the attractions in DeSmet. However, I spotted a gas station with indoor seating which was a lot more exciting to us anyways. We left Highway 14 after eating lunch and did get some time on a pink road. There was hardly any traffic during this time which was nice. There was also hardly anything else happening. I asked Michael what was wrong at one point to which he said I’m ‘bored, cold, bored, and tired.’ We noticed more and more trees throughout the day. I have never really thought about how much they can block the wind.

We passed a dog. It was pretty far away but decided to chase us onto the street. We all had wildly different reactions to this situation. Michael got aero and sped away. Brian and Friend hit evasive maneuvers. I jumped off my bike and scared it away. This wasn’t very graceful and I almost ran into a ditch. I am told it looked like I was excited to scrap with the dog. Really I just didn’t want it to run too far out into the street. It seemed like it wanted to play.

That little bit of excitement and a brief period of tailwind just about got us to Oakwood Lakes State Park where we are staying tonight. Today wasn’t as comically hard as the previous two days. Still a slog made less enjoyable by the weather. I am excited to get to Minnesota tomorrow even if the conditions won’t immediately change at the border.

The gang arrives at Oakwood Lakes State Park

Day 33: Fort Thompson, SD to Huron, SD

Brian Richardson

We are now nine days into South Dakota, and it continues to challenge and bewilder us. The state has an unfortunate reputation among some people as being ‘flyover country’—somewhere you pass over or through but don’t stop at. For better or worse, this is not possible on a bike.

The western part of South Dakota gave us scenery that rivals anything in the Cascades or the Rockies. We were warned, however, that east of the Badlands it would turn flat and boring. I can’t argue that the landscape since then has been as dramatic, but there is a lot to learn and appreciate from this region if you give it a chance. Since exiting the Badlands, we’ve gotten to witness the transition from shortgrass to tallgrass prairie and experience the precipitation levels rise accordingly. We’ve learned that the topography in this part of the state is not flat, but dips and climbs around the Missouri River and its many tributaries—we’re still climbing thousands of feet per day. East of the Missouri, we’ve seen farms and railroads interrupt the sea of grass with increasing frequency. By boring a tunnel from Wyoming to Minnesota, we’re getting a taste of the magnitude of the Great Plains and feeling firsthand the anemological consequences of so much area without forest to block the wind.

‘Flyover country,’ eastern South Dakota

Today, like yesterday, these Great Plains winds were in our face. For the morning at least, the gusts were only 20 mph. We classified this relatively weak headwind as a ‘South Dakota tailwind.’ Combined with a smoothly paved road, this wind allowed us to average 10 or even 11 mph to a lunch break in Wessington Springs. Oblivious to the growing breezes outside the shelter of the town, we took some time to visit the Wessington Springs Shakespeare Garden, a recreation of Anne Hathaway’s Shottery cottage accompanied by over 150 local trees, shrubs, and flowers.

Usher enjoys the Shakespeare Garden in Wessington Springs, SD

By the time we rolled out of the garden, the northeast wind was peaking at 46 mph. For the rest of the day, it was a constant battle for us to maintain just 7-8 mph against it. When traffic allowed, we took up the whole lane in a diagonal line (or echelon), shielding those in the back from the wind. When traffic got heavier, we had to ride single file in the shoulder, each person bearing the brunt of the wind.

20 miles short of Huron is the town of Alpena, home to 261 residents and the Jack Links beef jerky processing plant—literally the largest beef jerky processing facility on the planet. For several miles as we approached Alpena, the headwind was thick with the smell of dried meat. We passed the Jack Links behemoth just as the 500+ employees were ending their daily shift. Given Alpena’s residential population, this meant we would be sharing HW 224 with at least 239 Huron-bound commuters, which thwarted our plans for an echelon during the remaining miles.

Usher takes a quick rest in Alpena, SD (note the direction of the Jack Links windsock in the background)

We finally arrived in Huron at 7:45 pm, over 12 hours after starting the ride this morning, with 9.5 of these hours being in the saddle. This was without question the most demanding day of the trip for me so far.

We’re staying with a delightful Warmshowers host here who took us to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant and told us stories about Huron. We would have loved to take him up on his offer for a private pipe organ recital at the church—where he plays every Sunday—but since it was already well past our usual bedtime we settled for Beethoven’s Sonata No. 14 at his home piano.

Day 32: Presho, SD to Fort Thompson, SD

Jacob Friend

Sometimes we go to sleep knowing there is going to be an especially big challenge waiting for us the next day. Although we knew it was going to be our shortest day so far in terms of distance (45 miles), we knew it wouldn’t be easy as we were expecting to face our strongest headwind to date. I find mornings before a big challenge to be a little silly, it feels like we’re preparing for war even though we’re just a bunch of guys biking. Regardless, we played pretend and made sure to speed-run our morning routine to get a head start on the day’s 40+ mph wind gusts.

But first we had to appreciate the perfect sunrise we were spoiled with. Yesterday we jumped ahead an hour when we entered Central Time, thus the sun rises an hour later too, so our typical 6am wake up times just got a whole lot prettier.

Sunrise in Presho, SD

Our added motivation to leave camp early gave us the boost we needed, and we started pedaling at 7:15am. This get-up-early-and-beat-the-wind-trick worked well a few days ago in the Badlands, but the wind decided to wake up earlier today. That’s alright, we knew our wind dodging luck would run out at some point. We had tricks in our back pocket just for this moment. We tried all of them—diagonal draft line, drop bars for more aerodynamics, Liquid IV packets, screaming, yelling, begging—nothing could help us exceed 8 mph. After enough struggling we just had to accept the slower pace and grind it out. Eventually, over 3 grueling hours later, we had biked 23 miles to our first gas station stop. I never thought I would be so beat up after 23 relatively flat miles. My knees were aching, my arms were sore, and I wasn’t even excited that it was before noon and there were only 20ish miles left in the day.

Michael and Friend battle a headwind

I think all of us were dreading our return to the battlefield, but after enough procrastination, we bit the bullet and saddled up. Our destination of Fort Thompson was northeast of our gas station stop in Kennebec, so we had to get on HW 273 to begin making northbound progress. Instead of getting a brutal headwind going dead east, we thought this highway might give us a refreshing crosswind instead. We were so incredibly wrong.

Two minutes after our departure from our beloved gas station, the smooth roads we took for granted turned into “grooved pavement”. No worries, just a little section of road work, right? WRONG. 20 miles of tooth-rattling bumpy road for the rest of the day. YIPPEE! We had biked ourselves to the middle of what felt like South Dakota’s biggest DOT project of the century. On the bright side the horrible road quality took our minds off the wind for a little bit. As I was comprehending our miserable biking conditions I couldn’t help but start laughing. What am I doing in the middle of nowhere South Dakota biking in gale force gusts on the world’s bumpiest road? To be honest I don’t really know, but I do know that I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. This is the type 2 fun I signed up for when choosing to go on this trip. It may be really uncomfortable and not fun at times, but it’s really awesome to look back and laugh at doing stupid things like this.

Grooved pavement on the way to the Missouri River and Fort Thompson, SD

Once we made it to Fort Thompson, laughing at ourselves is exactly what we did. We put our bodies through bike war, but we made it out alive. We spent the rest of the day recovering with some beauty rest and lots of food. It looks like we’ve got another headwind in store for us tomorrow, but as long as the road is actually paved, I think we’ll be okay.

Friend recovers in the shade in Fort Thompson, SD

Day 31: Midland, SD to Presho, SD

Michael Richardson

We delayed our departure by an hour this morning (until 7:30) so that I could visit the post office and pick up my replacement tent piece. While this meant we would spend more time in the heat of the day, it also gave us more time to enjoy the Midland town park where we camped last night. It has plenty of water, electricity, clean bathrooms, and a jungle gym to stretch our legs out for the coming miles. The sprinkler system also gave my helmet a good douse so that I would start off with a cool head.

Michael stretches out his legs in the Midland city park jungle gym

After covering ourselves in a thick layer of sunscreen and locating a missing Friend, we headed south into some serious wind. The hour or two we spent in a diagonal formation had me thinking about all the different ways I’ve been calculating the wind direction. This is crucial knowledge for us to maintain an efficient pace line and take turns “pulling” each other through an unfortunate breeze. Rotating your head until the sound in your ears matches, wetting your finger, and monitoring the sway of the grass are all effective methods of determining wind direction, but my favorite (and most reliable) is to watch the birds. Birds of prey, like the American kestrel I saw above HWY 63, like to point their beaks directly upwind and hover while searching for food. This gave me some answers as to why I was huffing and puffing at the back of the pace line and I adjusted accordingly.

The gang fights a 10 o’clock wind by riding in a diagonal pace line

Before hooking a left into a gentle tailwind for the remainder of the day, Brian noticed a strange beast on the side of the road. Were my eyes deceiving me? A camel in South Dakota?? Actually, it made sense to see a desert animal today after melting in the 97° heat. Down the street, we picked up some snacks at a gas station, only to be snuck up on by a pack of goats hanging around the pumps. At this point, I was legitimately concerned about heatstroke and delirium.

Camel and goats in “1880 Town,” SD

We ate lunch at a small park in Murdo, sharing the picnic area with a bible study group. While we soaked our jerseys and buffs under a cold spigot, they inquired about our trip and shared some kind words for our journey ahead. Unfortunately, the biggest dangers we face are the ones we pose to ourselves—more specifically, the incompatible lunch items we’ve been eating like Usher’s quart of chocolate milk and mountain dew.

Friend and Usher recover from a serious lunch in Murdo, SD

Normally, we don’t stop in every town we pass through in order to stay on schedule, but the beating sun left us no choice when we passed the Sinclair dinosaur in Vivian. I turned 21 this past February and was thus able to enjoy a few minutes inside the walk-in beer fridge, cooling off with Brian. After some strange looks, we realized we only had an hour to make it to Presho before the grocery store closed for the night. Unless I wanted animal crackers for dinner, it was time to kick it into high gear and get moving. We made great time to the campground and even had enough sunlight left for me to repair my tent. It was fun to exercise my engineering brain after it had been dormant the last month post-graduation. I’m proud to say that after two patch kits, three zip-ties, one miscellaneous metal spacer, and one replacement piece from Big Agnes—my tent can now stand on its own again! Just in time to shield myself from the horde of mosquitos, too.

Michael escapes the Vivian, SD heat in the Sinclair walk-in beer fridge

These South Dakota Mosquitos are no joke