Day 45: Badlands!

Killdeer, ND to Watford City, ND

Stats!
Miles biked today: 64.5
Total miles biked on trip so far: 1798.5
Max speed: 32.5 mph
# of times we said "WOW!": 74

We left Killdeer this morning to forecasts of high heat, high humidity and weak breezes. The plan was to go 20 miles west on route 200, and then head north on 85, since 22 was apparently washed out. Since, distance-wise, it was 6 of one, half dozen of the other whether we went north on 22 or north on 85, we decided not to try to cross another closed road. We figured that would be easier.

We were wrong. Again.

The first 20 miles of the ride on route 200 was pretty nice. It was hilly and the shoulders were narrow, but we had gotten used to that yesterday, so no big deal. Plus, it was early enough in the morning that it wasn't too blazing hot.

Remember, now, that we had decided to take 85 to avoid the washed out 22. Well, 85 was crazy from road construction. We had to ride 35 miles on 85, and 27 of those miles were filled with various types of road construction. Sometimes the construction resulted in no shoulder for us to ride on at all. Sometimes it meant that we could ride along the shoulder happily while a mile-long line of cars and trucks had to wait for the lady to turn around her "stop" sign to "slow." Lots of people yelled stuff at us from cars and from construction vehicles, mostly about how nuts we clearly are. One passing truck had a passenger that shouted "GO HAWKEYES!!" at us, pumping his fists, since Dean was wearing his Iowa Hawkeyes biking jersey.

We stopped in Grassy Butte for lunch. It was HHOTTTT, so we lollygagged a bit. We made lots of jokes about grassy butts. Grassy Butte was a very cute, and very tiny town. The gas station attendant (did I mention we were eating at yet another gas station) was talking to a local about the influx of oil boom transients. They are not much appreciated, except that they always pay for what they buy, which is more than he can say for the locals.

After lunch we pressed on, and much to our surprise biked right into the badlands, at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. W-O-W. The badlands were more amazing and beautiful than I could ever describe, and way more breathtaking than our pictures could ever convey. Seriously, the pictures don't do them justice, but I'm posting some just the same.



It was broiling hot, so when we saw the visitor's center for the park, we veered off course, just so we could walk around the air conditioned visitors center, pretending that we might buy something. We actually were interested in the birdwatching books, but books are heavy! We each bought a sticker instead, and stuck them on our bikes.

After leaving the visitors center, we had to climb an impossibly steep and impossibly long hill. It was our first "walker" for several weeks. Tractor trailers just blew past us as we crept up the hill. We actually appreciated the breeze they brought us. When we were near the top, I suggested we take a short break. We stopped, but too late. Dean started hyperventilating, and he got really dizzy. It was some kind of heat exhaustion, and he didn't really get over it until well after we arrived into Watford City.





Speaking of which, when Dean and I have a hard day's ride and are climbing lots of hills, we often joke to each other at the crest of each hill, "And now for the long, slow descent into (goal town)." It's never a long, slow descent. But about 7 miles outside of Watford City, we crested a big hill, and way down at the bottom was our destination town!!! YAY! We said, "And now for the long, slow descent into Watford City!" and it was finally true.

When we got into town, every motel said "No Vacancy." When our destination was Killdeer, everyone along the way warned us that the hotels would be booked. When we mentioned our goal of Watford City, no one said boo about it, so I figured there'd be somewhere to stay. No such luck. Watford City is worse than Killdeer. It was absolutely crazy. We ended up having to camp at the "tourists RV park," which they should consider renaming "Brightly Lit All-Night Park of 47 Million Mosquitoes." Too long?

Anyway, by the time we checked all the motels and found a place to set up camp and rode back into town for dinner and back out of town to do laundry and then back to camp, it was well after 10 p.m., and our signal was patchy, hence the short post that this is replacing.

Tomorrow we hope to rent a car that will get us across most of Montana. Between both of us having knee problems, general road and weather fatigue, predicted headwinds, and terrible road construction and truck traffic for 100 miles out of Watford City, we just want to get the heck out of here. We hope to get a few days (at least) rest, get some miles in by car, and maybe (or not) get renewed vim for the bikes. But for now, we are in serious need of a break. Whew! What a day.