June26- Killdeer.

 

Leaving Killdeer this morning around 6.

Heading towards the dark had me second guessing my choice of riding today. So I stopped on top of the hill and snapped some photos and killed sometime waiting to see what the weather was going to do. As the sun rays were succombing to the shadows of the clouds I thought it might be a good idea not to ride today.

Returning to Killdeer this morning around 7.

As you can see the weather deteriorated as I  booked it back 5 miles to Killdeer for another night. The last picture  was taken from the back porch of the Motel I'm staying at, again,and arriving just in time ahead of this front. CabinFever!

June25-Killdeer

Thunder storms as I woke this morning so I decided to postpone my departure from Killdeer for a day.  Instead  and headed out for a 20 mile ride out and back to the foothills of the badlands  This is the top of the gate on the entrance of a ranchers acreage where the Killdeer battlefield is. It seems allot of these historical sights are on private land with agreements between the landowners and the public to keep them open.

The battle field was to the right of the S in the road. The sight was picked  for a  fresh water spring as well as Mt.'s and ravines to escape into if things didn't go well. This area is on the edge of the badlands and you can see how beautiful it is.

June23-24,Underwood-BeaverCreekBay-Killdeer

Some more friends I met while riding out here in the wide open. The usual,scratching there nose kept them around. As you can see in  the photo there's no end to there pasture. I couldn't see a house either that might of been there homeAllot  of open grazing for healthy ,happy animals. Theres plenty of land for everyone her in N.D.

As I was riding on 1806 west ( Lewis & Clark Trail)and  was checking out the chickens on this prairy farm along the road and out ran Janet from the barn and invited me in for some coffee and doughnuts which I gladly accepted. Margie ( Mom) just got done filling her orders of fryers and broilers for the neighbors.She's 82 and going strong  and I'm guessing from the good life on the farm. 35 she had ready by 9:30 with the help of Tim her son and her daughter, Janet, who drove up from Colorado to help out.

Who says farming doesn't pay! I see more oil wells as I head west.

This is Lake Sakakwea a added bonus on my 200 route west. I was going to go farther south and connect to T.R. National Park till I talked to a couple at a Tasty Freeze I stopped at  on my ride to Underwood They reccommended I see Garrison Dam. A 2 1/2 mile long earthen dam you can ride on  built on the Missouri R. which is Lake Sakakwea. Before getting here I had been looking at the map and noticed how close the spelling Sakakwea was to Sacajawea . Well I was informed that it had gotten mispelled out west at some time. Sakakwea was added to the expedition about 10 miles form where I was having coffee and doughnuts.  

June21-22 Cooperstown-McCluskey-Underwood.M-116.13,T-11:19,AVG-10.25,El-2031. M-35.89,T-4:34:38,AVG-7.84,El-896

Another McGoo decision took me away from the rains and road closures on 2. You can see the dark clouds in the picture of N.N.D.I decided to stay on 200 out of Coopersfield so I could visit Teddy Roosevelt Park on the west end of 200 and then I'll hookup on 2 again. Steady headwinds put me on the road longer than I wanted to yesterday. There wasn't any stops either so at he 60 mile pt.I could of turned around and went back to Carrington but decided to go to McCluskey anyway. So I'm a little burnt out but should be ready to go tomorrow.

An ag. bldg I came across yesterday while riding 200. The 1st damage I've seen of the Storm last thursday.

June20 Fargo-Cooperstown.M-101.78,T-9:03:34,AVG-11.23,El-1626

North Dakota. You can see the towns a hour before you get there. A water tower or grain elevator labeling them on the horizon.

A right turn is coming up in a 1/2 hour as a car or truck crosses the road ahead and as I verify it on my map.

Horses on the horizon  as I was entering Coopertown. A saving grace  for my photo shot as I was struggling  with what to take a picture of.

June19 Fargo

It was a quiet sunday morning as I was leaving Fargo. I hung out a extra day and took in Hjemkost. A replica viking ship built by Robert Asp a school  guidance counseler. Eventually to be sailed by his children to Norway.   http://www.hcscconline.org/ 

 A replica of Norway's Hopperstad Stave Church. 

I could of spent another day in Fargo but will have to return someday.Theres a certain attraction to Fargo with it's own culture and identity.

June16-17-18 Waconia-Montvideo-Wheaton-Fargo. M-104.07,T-9:36:54,AVG-10.82,El-1399. M-87.38,T-6:00:37,AVG-14.53,El-1539. M-81.08,T-6:45:31,AVG-11.99,El-946.

On the road again and heading west on 7 to Montevideo. Only a 2 turn day. Right on 10 leaving Waconia and then left on7 for 100 miles. I decided to straighten my route out and not back track though Minneapolis to connect with the AC route. Save some time and I enjoy mapping my way as I go. The appropriatly painted water tower as I was passing through Cosmos and then farther down road this brilliantly white crucifix caught my eye.

I was looking forward to my ride north from Montevideo to Wheaton as the weatherman was predicting 20 to 30 knot winds with higher gusts from the south. The weather forecast also helped with making up mind on which direction to go as I was opting to head west. It was a great day of riding despite the tornadoes that set down on  parts of Minnesota. I sailed along  most of the way hearing the wind howl in the cross wires as I passed through intersections and the shadows of the clouds passing me from above.  I could maintain 20 to 30 MPH at times with little effort.It was hard to stop riding today wanting to take advantage of these easy miles that don't come around very often.

I didn't have the same luck as yesterday with the wind. It had veered around to the southwest which helped a little with allot of leaning. I was always anticipating the turns in  the hiway to the east as I was heading north which brought the wind back to my back again for some easy riding. You can see the clouds congregate in the north in this pic for some fierce weather conditions shown below.

Luckily I missed this! A new friend I met in Fargo a couple of days later showed me this picture his brother had taken the same day only in the northern part of the state.

June14-15-16 Waconia

It's back on the road again after my stay with friends in Waconia an Oasis in the middle of my journey west. Bill,Kellie,Hailey,Claire,Jack and Dot made me feel right at home among there busy schedules of work, soccer games and school. We called my stop the "1/2 way house"and I must of passed as I was released yesterday and out riding again. I regrouped here. Took in some sights and just had some down time. Put a new tire on the bike. Shipped some excess weight home which I had been packing around for a couple thousand miles. 

 

Bill plays on a rec. league hockey team and we took in a game the night before I left. Hockey is big here in Minnesota just like Canada.

Pastoral backroads as I was riding out of Waconia yesterday morning toward 7.

Signs of the past!

June 11-12-13,Chippewa-Hastings-Waconia,M-97.07,T-8:57:20,AVG-10.83,El-4184. M-55.89,T-5:12:32,AVG-10.72,El-1683,

 I left Chippewa in the morning after one last stop at Irvine Park. 

 In 1906 William Irvine had a dream to establish a reserve that would enhance and protect the Chippewa Valley environment. Mr. Irvine then donated a number of acres to the city for this purpose. The size of the park has grown throughout the years and is now 318 acres. It has been a recreational resource of pride for Chippewa Falls residents and visitors for many years.

There is a continuous sound throughout Irvine Park-Laughter. Laughter of children playing at the numerous playgrounds in the park, at the monkey cages and throughout the zoo.

The sites are also numerous. Picnic areas, the historical pavilion often used for weddings and family reunions, the unique Irvine Park museum and Sunny Valley Schoolhouse which is over 100 years old.

Beautiful Glen Loch Dam is part of Irvine Park. With its scenic overlook it draws tourist during all seasons.The park also has many walking and cross-country ski trails. Hiking the trails is one of the best ways to truly experience the beauty of the park.

A misty morning ride to Hastings Mn. through Wisconsin. My last day in this biker friendly state. It wasn't the rolling hills I was use to riding in  the past few days but climbs that leveled off on to plateaus with descents leveling off again. 

Monoliths along 46 from Hastings to Waconia just south of Minneapolis. I can't quite figure out what these were for. Maybe a abandoned project. So if  you know drop me a line.

June10 Chippewa

I was hoping to leave to Hastings Mn. this morning but was awakened by the "BANG" of thunder and a deluge of rain along with  recent memories of my  trip-cut-short Abbotfords. I decided to postpone my departure a day and enjoy the lightning from my Motel room. It's nasty out there this morning.
I'm starting to figure out the weather reports around here. Usually everyday theres a  report of a chance of thunderstorms and rain. At first I was real cautious of these reports not being from here.. I think they just warn you to be on the safeside.  With no rain or thunder the majority of the time. But today the weather report went with Heavy Thunderstorms along with heavy rains following  They were right on the money, no "chance" today.

So today is my R&R day. Usually if I stay a extra day somewhere it's just a day-off from the bike with my time spent running errands,cram in a little sightseeing in and then pack up to get ready to go again. So today feels like a real day off.

I also spend sometime in my RouteWeatherResearchCenter below with all the latest technology.