Plains to Lakes
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Week One



June 09 - the journey begins

Only by the grace of God and desiring to do His will, Charlotte and I have begun this year's 13th annual Bike for the Cure ride. My dear husband Ron adeptly packed the van for us, and after a prayer and a kiss, off I drove, out of the driveway of our house at 6:00 a.m.

The drive on the I-70 was very familiar, on the way East to Denver. The highlight (literally) was seeing the Colorado River roaring through Glenwood Canyon. For about 8 miles, Eastbound traffic was routed onto the Westbound lanes, 1 lane in each direction, due to road construction. This afforded a better view of the high water levels, where the river was flowing mightily and covering the paved bike path which parallels the I-70 which in this section is called the Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway.

It was misty/rainy off and on descending into Denver.

Traffic was light all the way to and through Denver. Took the I-76 cutoff to the I-25 Northbound. We exited the Firestone exit for a quick "meet and greet" with my younger son Justin and our granddog Seila.

Back on the I-25 North, through Fort Collins. A four mile section allowed bicycles on the Interstate, in the absence of a parallel surface road.

You know you're in Wyoming when you see all the signs for fireworks, as these kind are illegal in Colorado.

Stopped for take-out wraps at Wendy's and continued driving ,veering off onto US Hwy 85. Passed a sign for LaGrange, where Frontier School of the Bible is located. Continued North to Torrington (pop. 5776, elev. 4104) which is located on the North Platte River. It is the home of Eastern Wyoming College. It's only about 10 miles to the border of Nebraska.

Turned left and followed the Oregon Trail Historic By-Way, past the Goshen County Fairgrounds, to Lingle, continuing on 85N. This is part of the Can Am Hwy. Beautiful verdant prairies, lined in places with snow fencing. Passed the Rawhide Buttes rock formations, jutting up randomly.

Followed signs turning East on Hwy 16 crossing into South Dakota. Welcome sign had line drawing of Mt Rushmore with Presidential carved busts; South Dakota's motto is "Great Faces, Great Places." Straight wide hwy narrowed to curvy mountain road, lined with Ponderosa Pines. Passed through Jewel Cave National Monument (didn't stop because it was already 5:00 pm.

Continued into the outskirts of Custer, following signs for US 16 & 385. Saw signs for the Crazy Horse granite memorial, which is still in progress. Plan to go back there tomorrow. Stopped for gas in Hill City, bought a couple of frozen dinners, then continued North to Hwy 44 where we turned East.

Pastor Mike Hays from the Rimrock E Free Church was waiting for us at the intersection of Pine Cliff Drive and lead us to his home, split level ranch set among Ponderosa pine trees, lovely setting. Mike and wife Dee have been serving the Lord here for 22 years, and raised their 3 sons here.

Decor is somewhat country. Blue toilet/tub downstairs in Americana themed bathroom. Wall paper with Uncle Sams and Statues of Liberty, navy blue, tan, and barn red. Family room with old sports memorabilia (wood tennis rackets, old baseball glove, wood skate blade guards, etc.) Their upstairs living room has a lovely Hoosier cupboard antique, which was a gift from Mike to Dee for their 38th wedding anniversary.

Comfortable bedrooms downstairs, with high beds. My bedroom has a Flexible Flyer III sled in it - great decorations!

Tired after a 660 mile drive. So glad to be safe and warm.

With love from the road,
Marie


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June 10 - Touring in the Black Hills

Got to "sleep in" this morning - until 6:00 am!! Good night sleeping with velour sheets and under a fluffy blanket.

It's slow going typing on the mini keyboard of this mobile e-mail device called a Peek. It took about an hour to compose and type my first "Daily Message"; hope I get faster!

Pastor Mike fixed scrambled eggs with cut up veggies and Dee fried some sausages. OJ and nut bread completed the fare. Yum!

Left about 9:00 am for a day of touring. First stop was the Mistletoe Ranch Christmas Store, Quilt Corral quilt shop, and adjacent Prairie Berry Winery. I sampled the Bad Ass wine - 90% rhubarb, 10% raspberry (logo is a red donkey). Nice fabrics in quilt shop but didn't buy any; just bought a "Black Hills Gold" pattern.

Drove South on US 395 to view the famed Crazy Horse Memorial. Lakota Chief Henry Standing Bear knew of the work being done on Mt. Rushmore, and he stated, "My fellow chiefs and I would like the white man to know the red man has great heroes, also." He learned of sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski, a Bostonian of Polish descent, who won a popular vote first prize for his sculpture at the 1939 NY World's Fair. He invited Ziolkowski to come to the Black Hills to carve Crazy Horse. Ziolkowski arrived in the Black Hills on May 3, 1947 and accepted! Work began in 1948 and is a continuing work in progress. It is to become the world's largest mountain carving at 641ft long and 563 ft high. The project is not federally funded. He left detailed plans to be used with his scale models, knowing the project was larger than any one person's lifetime. He died in 1982 but his wife and children continue the work along with the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation Board of Directors. For more information go to www.crazyhorsememorial.org

After viewing the yet to be completed project, we drove on to Mount Rushmore, about 17 miles away.

The mountain is named after Charles E. Rushmore (December 2, 1857 – October 31, 1931 an American businessman and attorney) and is the face of the Black Hills of South Dakota. Admission is free, but an $11 parking fee was required. Massive granite sculpture memorializes four American Presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Lincoln. Work on the sculpture began in 1927 when sculptor Gutzon Borglum was 60 years old! His son Lincoln continued the project which ended 14 years after his father's death. It was amazing to me that 90% of the granite being sculpted was removed by dynamite! Borglum's method was Plan, Measure, Blast, Carve, and Finish. We walked the Presidential Trail (about 1/2 mile) which loops along the base of the mountain and affords a closer view of the faces. Very impressive!

Continued on Hwy 244 down to Keystone, a touristy little town just a few miles from Mt. Rushmore. Dropping in elevation, we entered Rapid City. On the outskirts I spotted Old McDonald's Farm. There were 3 full sized white goats grazing on hay on a wooden suspension "goat bridge."

Rapid City has a population of close to 70,000 people. It boasts being the "City of Presidents" since it is the only location in the world where all 42 US Presidents can be seen on street corner life-sized bronze statues. Charlotte and I took the City View Trolley on a one hour tour ($1 for those 60 & over - what a bargain! A great way to see a vibrant mid-sized clean city.

Got a phone call from Gary Heiman, our third rider. His bus from Minneapolis to Rapid City was running 90 monutes late, so he'd be arriving at 6:45 pm, not 5:30 as planned. So Charlotte and I drove-to Wal-Mart to get some food we'd be needing.

The Jefferson Lines bus carrying Gary and his bike/gear arrived. So good to finally meet Gary after months of communication and planning. Stashed his bike & gear in the van, then walked to a recommended Mexican restaurant called Ixtapa where we enjoyed the cuisine.

Filled the van's gas tank then headed back up to the Hays' home, about 11 miles West of Rapid City. Gary felt "at home" with Mike and Dee. Everyone enjoyed popcorn and conversation.

Two days "under our belts" now. Love what I've seen of the Black Hills; I'd like to come back with Ron some time.

With love from the Black Hills,
Marie


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June 11 - The transition

After a great breakfast of blueberry pancakes, eggs, and fruit Pastor Mike said a prayer with/for us. It was a special blessing to stay with this wonderful couple.

Three sets of gear, bicycles, and senior bodies all stuffed in and on the van, we rolled out of the driveway about 9:00 am, bound for Belle Fourche.

Travel went quickly on the I-90. We took a slight detour into legendary Sturgis, nestled on the northern edge of the Black Hills. Sturgis is the mecca for thousands of visitors the first full week of August when the community hosts the Annual Motorcycle Rally.

Turned off at Spearfish onto Hwy 85 and drove 10 or so miles North to Belle Fourche (pronounced Belle Foosh). More on Belle Fourche in tomorrow's message.

Easy to find Country Place Senior Living where we will spend the night. A member of the St. James Lutheran Church is the administrator. It is a lovely new facility and all the rooms aren't occupied yet by residents. Each of us has our own little suite!

After unloading some of our excess gear, we left for our planned "dry run" out on US 212. This is a Tri-State area where the NE corner of Wyoming and the SE corner of Montana border on South Dakota. We drove into Wyoming for about 15 miles, parked the van, and took advantage of the wind at our backs as we headed NW. After 5 1/2 miles, Hwy 212 leads into Montana; we rode another 2 1/2 miles to the first town, Alzada, where we turned around to ride back to the van. It was tough going both into the wind and slightly uphill. I could only get up to 6 mph. Gary, being the strongest rider, got back to the van first, and drove the van West a couple of miles to shorten the distance I'd have to ride. That ended up being a good thing, since I got a flat tire on the rear wheel and ended up walking my bike the last mile. Bummer!

Drove back past a couple of Bentonite processing plants into Belle Fourche, where we met up with Milo Dailey IV from the Butte County Post. He interviewed us and took a photo for their weekly newspaper.

Back to the Assisted Living where Gary and I worked on my bike tire. The Kevlar tire, Mr. Tuffy liner, and Slime filled heavy duty tire didn't keep a little glass shard from penetrating. We had promised to attend the 5:00 pm Saturday service at the Lutheran church which was hosting us, so we didn't finish the job until after we returned. The facility gave us the same-"breakfast for dinner" as they had prepared for their residents: Belgian waffles with berries and whipped cream, scrambled eggs, and sausage.

Gary and I continued to work on the tire. Between our knowledge and his skill, a new tube and my spare bike tire are now gracing my bike.

Plains to Lakes commences tomorrow as we start to work our way to Minneapolis for the HDSA National Convention. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers for a safe journey as we continue to raise awareness and funds for Huntington's Disease.

With love from Belle Fourche,
Marie


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June 12 - Belle Fourche SD - Mud Butte SD

Woke up via alarm clock at 4:30 am. Showered, got dressed for riding my bike, and packed the van. Gary left before Charlotte and me, since he is riding the full 60 mile distance. The 3 of us joined hands and said a prayer at 5:30 a.m. before he took off.

Charlotte and I had breakfast with Crystal, a resident of the Assisted Living. She is 42 years old, and her HD was obvious.

Before I write about today, I want to include some background material on Belle Fourche (pronounced Belle Foosh). It is French for "beautiful fork" (confluence of what is now known as the Belle Fourche and Redwater Rivers and the Hay Creek) and was named by French explorers when this area was owned by France, prior to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. The Louisiana Purchase encompassed all or part of the current US states and 2 Canadian provinces: all of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska plus Minnesota west of the Mississippi River, most of North Dakota, nearly all of South Dakota, northeastern New Mexico, northern Texas, the portions of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado east of the Continental Divide, and Louisiana west of the Mississippi River including New Orleans and a small portion of land that would become part of the Canadian Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The purchase doubled the size of the US, and incorporates almost 1/4 of the current US territory. My point in all of this is to show the French origins in South Dakota; another example is the state capital of SD (Pierre, but pronounced "Peer.") Belle Fourche is the site of the geographic center of the US; I saw the large marble marker in a park on the banks of the Belle Fourche River. The actual site is about 20 miles N of Belle Fourche off of US 85. Belle Fourche serves a large trade area (informally called the Tri-State area - SD, WY, and Montana) of ranches and farms. The wool, cattle, and bentonite industries have been important to the growth of Belle Fourche. It is the county seat of Butte County at elevation 3,022 ft. Finally, BF serves as the gateway to the Northern Black Hills.

As usual, Charlotte and I share bicycling and driving, leapfrogging each other, usually in 10 mile increments. Scenery was pretty much the same the whole way - rolling prairie hills, few houses, lots of Black Angus cattle grazing, a few antelope now andthen. Stopped to read information about the Civilian Conservation Corps camp at Orman Dam. The CCC was a federal relief program from 1933-1942 which gave jobless men work renovating abused lands. The Army built 400 of these 200 man camps in South Dakota alone. Food, clothing, medical care, pay, programs of education and religion were provided for single men 17-25. $25 of their $30 wage was sent to their families.

Passed through a couple of small towns - Nisland and Newell. Saw a sign in Newell that said, "A father is a banker provided by nature."

Arrived in Mud Butte at 1:40 p.m. It is an unincorporated community in northern Mead County. Meade is the largest county in South Dakota. Elevation is 2,871 ft.

Gary had already arrived (about noon). Had typical lunch (Charlotte's peanut butter and my tuna sandwich). No indoor plumbing at the St. Jospph's Catholic Church. Primitive compared to the last two nights but comfortable enough. Glad to be in from the elements, since it's now very windy.

Got caught up on e-mails and some journaling. Gary fixed Ramen noodles with either canned tuna or canned chicken in it. He used a little Sterno cooker; hadn't seen one of those in years! Actually, the meal was pretty good!

It gets dark earlier here because we are nearing the eastern edge of the Mountain Time Zone. The sun comes up earlier, too.

Ride stats:
Charlotte 34.31
Marie 25.69
Gary - 60
No road change

With love from the Plains fo South Dakota,
Marie


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June 13 - Mud Butte SD - Eagle Butte SD

All 3 riders got up at 4:30 a.m. After everyone ate breakfast, we said a prayer, loaded up the van and took off at 6:00 a.m., back up the dirt/gravel road to Hwy 212, and turned east.

Saw two herds of buffalo, 6-7 large adults and another herd of buffalo cows and their calves. Stopped at the Ban Ash Monument, which marked where the Trail Blazers from Bismarck ND first saw the Black Hills on their trip through Indian country. I stopped to move a pretty good sized turtle off the road. I think that's about the fourth time I've rescued a turtle from possibly being hit on a busy road. Stopped to read a roadside sign about the "People of the Prairies." A poem by Eva K. Anglesburg entitled "The Prairie's Own" was quoted.

Got to Faith (roughly our midpoint on today's ride about 9:45 a.m. Faith was named for Faith Rockefeller, one of the daughters of a major investor in the railroad responsible for founding the town. Sue, the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton known, was discovered about 15 miles NE of Faith. It was sold to the Chicago Field museum for $7 million dollars. Faith is called "The Prairie Oasis." It is the center of a vast cattle and sheep ranching area. Population 489. Faith celebrated its centennial Last year.

Angel Kennedy from the Visitor's Center/Museum had arranged for an interview/photo op with Loretta Passolt from the Faith Independent, a weekly newspaper.

Just 2-3 miles east on Hwy 212 we crossed from Meade County into Ziebach County. Almost the entire county lies within the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Ziebach County is the poorest county in the US, based on per-capita income. More than 60% live at or below the poverty line. It is alphabetically the last county in the nation. There are no casinos and no oil reserves or available natural resources.

Went through Dupree, the county seat. Ate lunch in a shady area alongside the highway.

Another 20 some miles to Eagle Butte, which is located in both Dewey and Ziebach counties. It is the tribal headquarters of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe on the reservation. The NFL Hall of Fame player and coach Norm Van Brocklin was from Eagle Butte.

We are being hosted at the Catholic Church, All Saints. Met Sister Anne when we arrived. We were able to take showers in the basement of the adjacent convent. We were provided with some tasty pulled pork and fixings for salad. Topped it off with some Blue Bunny Ice Cram from LeMars IA (where we stayed in 2006 during the "Midwest Meander for HD."

Sister Marilyn, who shares the convent with Sister Anne, wanted to tour us around the small Presentation College - Lakota Campus, but only I went. Only 40-50 students. A main course is the nurses' training. Most of the student body is Native American women.

No beds or couches to sleep on, so back to camping mats on the floor.

Two days "on the road" completed. We were graced with a beautiful day riding with a tailwind. Who could ask for anything more?

Route report:
Charlotte - 52 miles
Marie 36.44 miles
Gary rode the whole way!
No road change

With love from the Northern Great Plains,
Marie


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June 14 - Eagle Butte SD - Gettysburg SD

Everyone was up by 4:30 a.m. Since we are on the eastern edge of the Mountain Time Zone, the sun comes up earlier and also sets earlier. The Sisters invited us to the convent for an early breakfast. Gary declined in favor of 2 packets of instant oatmeal (which he sometimes refers to as wallpaper paste) and getting on the road by 5:30 a.m. Understandable since he rides the whole distance every day.

Nice breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, mixed fruit, and scones. Sister Anne is from Ireland so she has experience with making them.

Left Eagle Butte at 6:35 a.m. It was overcast, and it got foggier as time passed. I don't think visibility was more than 150 feet (maybe less). Drove the van with flashing lights on, because I had to drive so slowly. Passed signs for a couple of little towns, Parade and Ridgeview. I caught up with Charlotte and Gary East of Ridgeview. Lots of prairie out there. Some of the scenery looked like some fabric I used on the hostess gift potholders.

By the time we got to LaPlant, visibility had improved significantly, which was a blessing. Finally we could see the wide Missouri River in the background, with a suspension bridge across. The road is being resurfaced crossing the bridge, and traffic is restricted to one land in each direction, on a 10 minute schedule. Once we cross over, the time changes to Central Time. (The western half of South Dakota is on Mountain Time, and the eastern half is on Central, so we "lose an hour."

The Oahe Dam was built, creating a recreational area on the Missouri River. The town of Forest City was flooded in the process. Now the nearest town to where Forest City was is Gettysburg, where we are headed.

Loved seeing Lewis & Clark Trail signs like we have seen on other rides. Rides in 1999, 2006, 2008, and now 2011.

As we were riding this last 16 mile segment into Gettysburg, the skies were filled with dark clouds and the air was pierced by periodic lightening. I was driving the van (Charlotte and Gary were riding) when a torrential rainfall mixed with hail inundated us. C & G found shelter and hunkered down until the storm passed over. I arrived at the church in the middle of the storm. Had to drive carefully. I drove through intersections of standing water. Found Grace Bible Church easily enough. Pastor Dick came out with an umbrella and directed me where to park and unload. Had to stay holed up in the van for about 15 minutes until the downpour ceased.

Brought in quite a bit of everyone's gear (with Pastor's help). We ladies are in the junior high room and Gary is in the senior high room with lots of couches. Don't have to sleep on the floor tonight - praise God!

Pastor Dick used to serve in Rapid City, so I asked him if he know Pastor Mike Hays (with whom we stayed a few days earlier). He does! Small world!

A few words about Gettysburg. The town motto is "Where the battle wasn't." It is the county seat of Potter County. Gettysburg area historical tornado activity is 42% less than the overall US average!

Pastor's wife made a ground beef, potato, and cream of mushroom soup casserole for us to heat up. We were also given some frozen green beans, and Blue Bunny ice cream for dessert.

We feel very welcome and loved. There was even a blurb in their church bulletin on this past Sunday announcing our ride.

Ride review:
Marie 29.19 miles
Charlotte 47 miles
Gary 72.3
No road change

With love,
Marie


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June 15 - Gettysburg SD - Roscoe SD

Up at 4:30 a.m., got packed up while Gary was fixing breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, OJ, and toast which were provided by the Pastor. How handy and thoughtful!

Back to Hwy 212 for the last time on this ride. We have followed Hwy 212 from the western border of Wyoming-South Dakota. Turned N on Hwy 47 and went about 12 miles to Hoven, population 522. Hoven is the location of St. Anthony Catholic Church, which is known as "The Cathedral on the Prairie." It is a monumental structure, brick, stained glass windows, etc. It was built about 1921 and restored in about 1984. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Reminded me of the Basilica in Dyersville IA which we visited in 2006 during the "Midwest Meander for HD." Very "out of place" in a small town. Hoven seemed to be a thriving little town. High school mascot is the Greyhounds and the elementary school is "The Home of the Young Greyhounds."

Took a west jog about 1 1/2 miles following Hwy 47. Now we're in Walworth County. Quite a strong crosswind west to east, so going was slow. Prairie visible in all directions. Saw some more signs like I've seen all over South Dakota. The signs say, "X Marks the Spot. think! Drive Safely" on one side, and on the other "X Marks the Spot. Why Die? Drive Safely." My understanding is that these signs are erected on sites where a drunk driver was killed. Some of these signs are decorated like a roadside memorial.

After struggling N for about 30 miles, we were rewarded with riding Hwy 12 for about 25 miles with a strong tailwind. Now, that's fun! Went through Bowdle, the site of South Dakota's Tallest Water Tower. Arrived in Roscoe (population 329) a bit after noon. We are staying at St. Paul Lutheran Church parsonage. Pastor Win Schroeder and his wife Carol have 6 children, with 4 still at home. Pastor is originally from South Africa, of German heritage. He speaks 4 languages: German, English, Afrikaans, and Zulu. I don't think I've ever met anyone before that speaks 4 languages.

Teena Gibson from the Ipswich newspaper came to interview us. We are so pleased because townspeople will become more aware of HD.

Carol prepared a wonderful meal. Baked whole chicken, baked potatoes, uncooked baby carrots, and a salad buffet with spinach, iceberg lettuce, shredded cheese, cut up green peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers plus a choice of four salad dressings.

Got to do a load of wash, and hung everything out to dry on the clothes line. Between the sun and the wind, everything was dry by sunset.

Charlotte and I slept downstairs sharing a queen sized bed in one of the girls' bedroom. Gary slept upstairs in another of the girls' bedrooms.

Route review:
Marie - 31 miles
Charlotte - 31 miles
Gary rode the whole way
No road change

With love from farming country in Edmunds County,
Marie


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