It was outrageously windy in Winnett and points west today (Wed. 6-5). There was a National Weather Service Advisory for the area both today and yesterday. Today the windy conditions were even more severe than yesterday, with 27 mph winds gusting to 45 mph. These were headwinds for me, and it took a lot of…

On Sunday morning (6-2), I learned from our dear friend Ralph’s wife Ardith that her husband had passed away the day before, at age 90. Ralph was a fellow runner and member of our church, and we ran together in a number of local running events in the Twin Cities over the years, including the…

I hunkered down in Jordan, MT on Sunday, 6-2, to rest up for the 78-mile ride to Winnett on Monday. As I’ve noted already, this is the land of the dinosaurs. The terrain between Circle and Jordan that I’ve covered is famous among paleontologists for its fossil beds. Although dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures once…

On Friday, 5-31, I left at 7 a.m. for a 67-mile ride from Circle to Jordan, Montana (pop. 343). Little did I know what troubles I would encounter that day! Thankfully, however, due entirely to the generosity and kindness of my new circle of friends in these parts, I made it through this ordeal. Let…

About five minutes before I reached Circle, MT last night, Wed., 5-29, another cyclist pulled up next to me and introduced himself. His name was Merlin, and he had biked here from his home in central Ohio. He mentioned that he too had bumped into Alex, the cyclist from Seattle I saw the day before,…

I had a 50-mile ride today, from Glendive to Circle, MT (pop. 615). It was a tiring ride–the tailwind I started out with quickly turned into a strong headwind, and the terrain turned increasingly hilly as I got closer to Circle. I finally arrived there around 6 p.m. On my way out, I stopped for…

I left my motel in Beach, N.D. around 11 a.m. this morning, 5-28, and the Montana border was only a few miles to the west. Once again, my map route took me on I-94, but thankfully, the riding conditions were much easier than yesterday. The wind was quite gentle and possibly even at my back…

Monday, 5-27, Memorial Day, I biked from Medora to Beach, N.D. (pop. 1,019), the westernmost city in North Dakota on my route. It was only a 25-mile trip, but it felt much longer than that. I will explain momentarily. First, I thought I would launch this post by sharing some words of wisdom painted on…

Today, Sunday, 5-26, was a rest day–no time on the bike other than to ride about a quarter mile to the bike shop in Medora. Today was Day 2 of the 38th Annual Dakota Cowboy Poetry Gathering in Medora, and there was no way I was going to miss it, especially with the encouragement I…

Saturday, 5-25, I rode back to the Saw and Bike shop in Dickinson to get my tire pressure checked before riding 40 miles to Medora, N.D. (pop. 112). I had a small headwind and for most of the day was on a stretch of Old Highway 10 with very light traffic. There were a few…