Day 23--Rapid City, SD to Wall, SD

Day 23—July 11, 2006—Rapid City, SD to Wall, SD—57 miles—1300’ climb

What a day this has been. Temps in the triple digits, a bridge out requiring a detour, and then 4 miles of fresh tar and oil on the interstate. Riders and staff alike had to rise to the occasion and exercise good decision-making skills and ingenuity.

The first glitch in the planned route came early in the morning when the lead riders found that the bridge over the Interstate to Hwy 1416 was out. They returned on the service road and met the following group, with whom I was riding. Sara led both groups back to the Interstate, which they used as their detour. In the meantime, I informed the staff and remained at the entrance to I-90 directing the rest of the riders to this detour. Some rode to the next exit and then found Hwy 1416, and others rode I-90 to New Underwood and SS#1, which was set up at Steve’s Superstore and biker bar at mile 24. After those who were riding Hwy 1416/CR414 passed Ellsworth AFB, it was rock-and-roll all the way. Up and down the rollers we went on this highway that resembles a piece of ribbon candy. Many of the rollers were just too steep or too tall to allow riders to roll down one side and zip up the next, but there were also plenty that allowed for nearly effortless climbing.

Tom loading bikes on the van to ferry 
cyclists past the new tar and into Wall

After SS#1, riders had about a dozen more miles of rock and roll before they got on I-90 (this time a planned part of the route) for 20 miles before exiting at Wall. It was on I-90 that the second route glitch occurred. The lead riders discovered that about 4 miles of I-90 were being freshly tarred and oiled. The shoulder and right lane were closed, and all eastbound traffic had been funneled to the outside lane. The lead riders called the staff to inform them of the situation. Then the flag person stopped traffic while these riders rode the left lane. Those who were following were not so fortunate as to be able to ride the lane while traffic was stopped, however. They had to make a decision: 1) ride unsafely on the rumble strips to the left of the left-lane and I-90 traffic as directed by the flag person; 2) ride behind the cones on the new tar and oil; 3) walk their bikes along the shoulder to the right of the newly tarred and oiled lane; or 4) sag. Most made smart and safe decisions. (At this reserve, I can report that many others did not use good judgement. Two of those who sagged wanted to be sagged only to the top of the hill (1000 feet?) to just beyond the tarred section but, as we were only a couple of miles from Wall, the sag driver (me, newly recruited off my bike) would not stop and unload the two bikes from the tangle atop the van; many--believe it or not--walked their bikes over the newly tarred section. A couple of these riders had to get new tires and tubes as theirs were so coated in tar. Susan 2016) 

The good news is that all made it to the hotel safely by 2, so had plenty of time to clean the tar from their bikes and explore Wall Drug, with its rooms and rooms of tourist treasures. Peter even chatted up a saloon girl (photo left). Note to Peter’s wife: Not to worry, Peter reported that the saloon girl was a bit stiff and standoffish and that she was a dreadful conversationalist.

OVERHEARD ON THE ROAD TODAY: 
*   “I’ll walk. It isn’t much more than the distance covered on a round of golf.” 
*   “Boy that heat beats me up.” 
*   “Wow! These rollers are great.”
*   “I rode to Wall in the party van. How’d you get there?”

SHOW & TELL: A lone antelope ran alongside of me and then veered off to join about 10 others of its herd; They disappeared over a hill, their white rumps, comically visible; several riders hired a car and went south of Wall to see the Badlands. They reported that the trip was well worth it; the jets thundering out of Ellsworth AFB were also worth stopping to watch