----RIDING WEST OF THE MISSOURI RIVER ----
Trip three of the season
WI, MN, SD, IA to ride West of the Missouri River...
BIKE MILES: 2092 GPS MILES: 1620 TOTAL YEAR: 15528
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Day : 1 Date : 6.3.15 Wednesday
Str Cty : Home. Str Mls. : 62875
End Cty : Mankato, MN End Mls : 63166
Dly Mls : 281 Tot Mls : 281
Time. : 4:38 hr Notes : little sprinkles
On the road to the Home Land..of South Dakota.. Worked out at PC and left at 10 am. Rode Hwy 14 all the way from Cross Plains to Mankato. Sprinkles started just before Rochester just like last year and then the temp dropped. I beat the heavy rain by 20 minutes. Tired all day.. Applebee's wedge salad, a riding tour of Minnesota State University - Mankato (used to be Mankato State) and went for a walk.
Day : 2 Date : 6.4.15 Thursday
Str Cty : Mankato Str Mls : 63166
End Cty : Watertown, SD End Mls : 63367
Dly Mls : 183 Tot Mls : 464
Time. : 3:07 Notes : Paul catches up... In Mankato
Fell asleep early and awoke at 4:45 to read and txt. Cloudy from waking. Paul arrived at 10 and we loafed. Left in the clouds on 14 until we rerouted on county roads and mostly MN 68 for a short ride day. Arrived at 2 in Watertown at HIx almost out of gas. I was amazed by the corn rows ...only 12 inches apart and some fields had 2 rows every 12 inches.. The soy beans were spaced further apart. As we approached the SD line the terrain switched from flat crop land to rolling grassland with cattle in the fields.
Day : 3 Date : 6.5.15. Friday
Str Cty : Watertown, SD Str Mls. : 63367
End Cty : Ipswich End Mls : 63634
Dly Mls : 265 Tot Mls : 729
Time : 6 hrs Notes : 125 to Ipswich, Beebe, Roscoe, Ashley ND, and to Ipswich
Left late in grey overcast on Hwy 20. In 50 miles the sun was out and it began to warm. Up. We passed glacial lakes and we came over the glacial front and onto the flattest land I have every seen with huge, 640 acre fields of grain. Some winter wheat was calf high and headed out. This crop land continued all the way to Ipswich by 11am. We then went to Roscoe, stopping to find Johnny who was out of town, G and G's house and graves. The head stone is still perfectly straight. The special restaurant was open so we had a donut. Then we decided to ride north out of Roscoe to ND - ending in Ashley. As we approached the border the land went from crops to cattle and pasture. We got the lowdown on the roads from old codgers in the cafe because we were trapped by gravel roads. So we headed back south and east to Long Lake (very depressing) and on to Ipswich. Dinner at Subway cuz all 3 of the restaurants open last year have closed. Walked outside to the Yellowstone road overarch but retreated cuz of the mosquitos. This part of South Dakota we have toured looks extremely prosperous, except for the many little dying towns.
Day : 4 Date : 6.6.15. Saturday
Str Cty : Ipswich Str Mls. : 63634
End Cty : Vermillion, SD End Mls : 64428
Dly Mls : 595 Tot Mls : 1187
Time : 10 hrs Notes : 4 rains
From North Dakota to Nebraska ... Left without breakfast and had to wait to eat in Mobridge. After crossing the Missouri River/Ohau lake bridge we entered the Sioux Indian Reservation and turned north on road Bia1806. We inspected several villages and entered ND to 24 west. At Hwy 63 we turned south thru McLaughlin, Timber Lake, Eagle Butte, Murdo, and Mission on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. We then turned east on 18 into 3 mild rains while almost touching NE. We gassed in Yankton before we hit the big downpour and needing the dryer at Vermillion HIx. There was a deer in the median in the heaviest part of the downpour, so we passed slowly to let her cross. Need to get something ordered in to eat..PIZZA. Rained rained and rained thru a tornado warning. Great ride thru west of the Missouri River - Great Plains terrain.
Day : 5 Date : 6.7.15 - Sunday
Str Cty : Vermillion, SD Str Mls. : 64428
End Cty : Home End Mls : 64967
Dly Mls : 433 Tot Mls : 1620 miles
Time : 7 hrs Notes : home and lucked out-no rain
Left in grey overcast but no rain. 50 miles out the sun was out and stayed that way until we got home. We rode east on SR 3, which varied in surface, until we found it shorter to go to Prairie du Chen and come into WI on #18. One of the reasons we came home fast and early was because we were worried about Paul's tires, many miles and balding..but we made it home safely. It was a nice and tiring ride, particularly the last two days when we made distance and sampled the prairie and the areas from which our genes came. Marnie will be home tomorrow. West of the Missouri looked very healthy and much more productive than on other trips across the area.
