Pedaling Pilgrim Blog Home

Miles to date: 1,517.0

In a riding sense, it was like night and day from start to finish. We had our earliest start ever: clipped into pedals at 7:15am, then straight onto I-94 for 9 miles. In Eastern Montana. Leaving GlenDIVE. It was the least inspiring start to a day.

But, the wondrous gift of laundry facilities at the Spark hotel was greatly appreciated. Having a shower AND clean wardrobe makes a big difference at the start of the day. This and a simple breakfast were a big boon to our spirits and tired legs (nearly 300 miles in 3 days is taxing for these aged gentlemen).

A few hours later, after our second bout with I-94, we exited to Old Hwy 10 in Beach North Dakota and entered a biking wonderland. They must’ve outlawed potholes and pavement cracks in this state; the roads felt polished. Even still on I-94 shoulder, you could tell instantly where the state line was by the quality of the road. There was none of the stray gravel and shredded tire detritus that normally accompanies our interstate journey. Every morning there must be some North Dakota fairies with push brooms keeping these roads clear and clean.

And the North Dakota small towns we went through were not trashy and forlorn. Most of the Eastern Montana small towns featured a lot of rubbish, ruin and rust. Beach and Sentinel Butte boasted cleanliness, community, care. Strangers waved. A family of goat farmers were excited to see us. It was lovely.

And back to the road… Old Hwy 10 again exhibited its beauty and care for us. We travelled 20 miles from Beach to the outskirts of Medora rolling through the rugged terrain of buttes, spires and colorful siltstone layers. We were passed by zero cars. Several days of toil and trepidation were now rewarded; this exceeded our expectations. The joy of these last 25 miles of the day will carry us forward with gratitude to Bismarck and beyond. All is well.

Our oldest daughter Sarah was born in Bismarck. She was one of 7,757 born in North Dakota in 1999. We loved the 2.5 years we lived in the Roughrider State. I called Sarah as we entered the state and was fortunate to catch her with husband Jacob and grandson Judah on a double date with my son Isaac and fiancé Ellie!

We’re camping tonight at the Medora Campground. We’re off in a remote “group camp” section away from the plethora of homes on wheels with their bump out sides and noisy generators. We also enjoyed “showers” at the campground, which should be titled “drizzles” or “trickles”, but we’re clean and taking the steeds into town for dinner and we have tickets for the Medora Musical.

Tomorrow we ride 75 miles to Hebron. When we lived in Bismarck my admin assistant was from Hebron; she drove 60 miles each way to the refine on Mandan. Certainly if she could make that a daily commute, it should be an easy bike ride on our Monday ride to Bismarck. Day 22: Medora to Hebron

Again I have two songs to add the the Spotify Pedaling Pilgrims Playlist. The first is a popular one, and I offer it after 11 days of riding in Montana; we’re definitely ready to move on: Time to Move On.

Medora is home to the North Dakota Cowboy Museum, which apparently is quite popular though we didn’t make it. And before the Theodore Roosevelt Library opened this year, the most popular thing in town was the Medora Musical. So, with cowboys and singers in mind: Cowboys and Chorus Girls.

Thanks to some of you who indicated your enjoyment of the playlist. I’m disappointed I haven’t been able to offer more lyrical Easter eggs. I’ve got time to rectify all the things that I should.