Entry for Friday, 14 August 1998

Sunrise with passing car in Interior, SD.

The Badlands in the morning light.

The BIG prairie dogs have arrived!

The frontage road near Kadoka.

Making hay.

Jeff Beecher, cross country cycler from Beaver Creek, Ohio.

A reception committee from Kadoka met me just outside of town.

Lunch at Okaton, SD, population 13.

Last Modified on 8/15/98 at 17:18:11

Day's Narrative: As I was leaving the motel there was a fantastic sunrise (Photo 1).

I got to the A&M Cafe when they opened at 6 am and had the large eggs and sausage breakfast. Later, a few miles down the road, I entered the Badlands National Park where the ranger on duty said I didn't need to buy an entrance permit since I had come through yesterday using my wife's disabled pass. In the park there was one last great view of the Badlands in the early light (Photo 2). A few miles down the road was the exit booth where I was supposed to show my entrance permit. I explained to the ranger why I didn't have an entrance permit. She accepted my explanation so I didn't have to buy my way out of the park.

Outside of the park I discovered a business which elevates the lowly prairie dog to god-like status (Photo 3).

There was hardly any wind and I made good time to Cactus Flats and Interstate 90. At Cactus Flats I took the Interstate frontage road, called a Service Road in South Dakota. Photo 4 will give one a feeling of what this road is like. Typically, I would meet a car or pickup very 15-20 minutes. Namely, the road was deserted. Along the way a Big, Monster Great Plains Tractor, taking up three quarters of the road came up behind me. As it passed I tried to pull up behind it so I could draft, but I couldn't keep up.

This is cow, hay and wheat country around here, as you can see in photos 5 and 7. However today I saw the first corn field, and I'm sure I will see many more as I get further east.

Just outside the town of of Kadoka, right in front of the Petrified Garden tourist trap, I met cross country cycler Jeff Beecher from Beaver Creek, Ohio (Photo 6). Jeff is the first bicycler I have met on the trip. Jeff left from Florida 24 days ago and is headed for Seattle. He said he's carrying 60 pounds of gear on his bike. We talked for a time and traded bicycle experiences.

Jeff expressed an interest in a short cut from Libby, Montana to Sandpoint, Idaho which bypasses the hills on US route 2. If Jeff's wife happens to read this and will send me an email message (rpoore@mdbdesign.com) I'll send her more details on the shortcut, which she can relay to Jeff when he calls next.

Connie caught up with me at Belvedere. She was driving along the frontage road too, since there was no reason to hurry to Murdo.

The wind was now blowing at about 25 mph out of the NNE. To me that was a strong head wind. It took me 3.5 hours to ride the remaining 20 miles to Murdo.

Along the way to Murdo I met some friendly cows (Photo 7), and had a microwave warmed cheeseburger lunch at Okaton (pop. 13) (Photo 8).

As I was coming into Murdo I met Connie coming back to look for me. It had taken me twice as long as we had expected so she thought something must be wrong. I got into Murdo (pop. 679) at 2:30.

Tomorrow we have reservations at the King's Inn Best Western in Pierre (tel. 605-224-5951). It's a Saturday, and we have learned from bitter experience that one should have reservations on Saturday.

On Sunday we will go to either Highmore or Miller, then on Monday to Huron where we will lay over a day and bicycle some on the tandem. On Wednesday we plan to go to Brookings, where we will again lay over a day and use the tandem to bike to the state line and back. On Friday we will start driving back to New Mexico.

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© Ray & Connie Poore, 1998