Bike Across America – Day 24

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Start: Wall, South Dakota
End: Kadoka, South Dakota
Mileage today/cumulative: 59 / 1,726
Elevation Ascended: 2,182′
Weather: Cloudy, 70° at start; partly cloudy, 84° at finish
3D Relive Video (approx. 1 minute)

After all of the sights we’ve experienced in the first 23 days of this two-wheel tour, we really weren’t prepared for what we saw today. Our route took us directly through the Badlands National Park and by the end we had run out of adjectives to describe what we were seeing. If you could build the perfect cycling day, it might look like this one.

Today’s route was one of the most unique and stunning on the entire tour. The Badlands is awesome in the true sense of the word, in that it inspires awe. Bev and I were both moved by our experience there and she does a much better job of explaining it than I can:

We rode into Badlands National Park early on Day #24 of the tour. There were few tourists in the park when we stopped at the first viewpoint, The Pinnacles. We had an amazing view of the massive geologic formations, with layers that were formed between 28 to 75 million years ago. The sky, with its cooling cloud cover, seemed to go on forever and meet the formations far on the horizon. So stunning.

I was able to stand away from other people and just take in the beauty that took so long to form. It was very moving, a true spiritual experience. We have had several things happen during this tour that have been a reminder that we should make the most of every moment, for we never know what the future holds. For example, during the first week of the tour, we learned that the site superintendent for our small development passed away unexpectedly at only 54 years of age. We had become good friends with Ricky while our house was being built and he stayed in contact with us despite being assigned to a new location. Ricky made a point of stopping by to wish us well right before we left for Oregon. He continued to text us after we left. Ricky’s last text to me said, “Take it easy on my boy”, referencing our ongoing joke that I make Greg do all kinds of crazy stuff when he’d really rather be hanging out at home.

Standing there in Badlands National Park, I said my goodbye to Ricky. It just felt if he could hear me, it would be in a place as otherworldly as this. I also sent my love to Chris, Sandy, Randy, and Monica and told them I was still trying to live my life as big as possible to honor them.

After leaving the Badlands, we went about a mile off route to visit the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site. The museum offered a history of the Cold War, the use of nuclear deterrence and the subsequent Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. The site offers tours of the silos, however, they require a reservation, so we’ve put this on our growing list of things to do when we return to South Dakota.

We have a long day tomorrow with 114 miles and the loss of an hour when we cross into the Central Time Zone. Time to get some rest!