Want to make Mother Nature laugh? Just tell her your plans! Bicyclists certainly know this adage, and it adds to the adventure of unexpectedness while on two wheels. 2020 was to be leg 3 of my coast-to-coast bicycle trek, but with closed borders and restricted travel, the planned segment from Sioux Falls to Niagara Falls would not happen this year due to the COVID pandemic.

Instead, a visit to Fish Creek Falls near Steamboat Springs served as a beautiful in-state proxy to Niagara Falls as Jackie and I resolved to hike, bike and boat all 42 Colorado State Parks (another multi-year challenge!)

I still managed to log 3500 miles in 2020, mostly within a 50 mile radius of home, criss crossing over paths and trails teeming with others seeking outdoor solace. It was great to see so many people using Denver’s fabulous network of multi-use paths. In fact, during the early height of the pandemic, it seemed the motorized roadways were less crowded than parks and bikeways. Kinda eerie, and I actually thought about bicycling down the interstate highway. People walking in the streets rather than sitting in traffic. Crisp air and the blissful sound of singing birds and playing kids. Briefly had me dreaming of a North America with more bikes than cars. Ha!

Mother Nature’s wicked 2020 curve ball put the coast-to-coast challenge on ice. But that’s alright, we’ll just dig in and try again in 2021 – with renewed determination and extra appreciation for the ability to experience America from the seat of a bicycle. Stay tuned for more coast-to-coast adventure!

A tough 71 miles into Sioux Falls to wrap up my 2019 segment of this multi-year coast-to-coast journey. Our planned 7am departure was delayed a couple hours due to heavy thunderstorms, wind, and hail. Not ideal biking weather. The thunderstorms moved out, but the wind remained – a brutal 30 mile per hour headwind, with gusts in the 40s.

A group of us formed into a pace line and took quarter-mile pulls into the ferocious head wind, crawling along at 10 miles per hour. A really tough slog. Slowly, steadily, we inched our way to the halfway point and enjoyed a sheltered lunch in a gas station deli. It was amazingly gratifying to hear sounds other than howling winds. And to be able to communicate by voice.

Fueled and rested, the team set out for the second half and found the going a bit easier. We either had a really good lunch, or the winds were starting to diminish. Maybe a bit of both. Miraculously, the winds vanished around mile 50 and the pace line was now zooming along at a 20 mph clip. What a difference.

At the small town of Hartford, I was warmly greeted by an awesome cheering section on the side of the road – my wife Jackie and mother-in-law Bonnie. It was a quick 10 miles into Sioux Falls from there, and completion of this 2 week segment.

A spectacular two weeks of riding – from the Tetons of Wyoming to the Badlands of South Dakota. Staying in small towns like DuBois, Lusk, Wall, and Murdo. Meeting new friends and sharing the spirit of adventure. Part of me wants to keep riding, and another part says it’s a good time to stop and save up for next year.

So let’s do it again next year! If all goes as planned, 2020 will be a two week ride from Sioux Falls to Niagara Falls. Thanks for following the blog, and stay tuned for more.

~Dan

The World’s Only Corn Palace lay beckoning at our ending destination today. So I loaded up on corn chips and rode a nice tailwind for 73 miles to the town of Mitchell, South Dakota.

That’s fellow rider Wally in the photo with me. The Corn Place 2019 salute to military theme was perfectly appropriate for Wally, a retired military veteran who served in Afghanistan and the Persian Gulf. After the photo, we crossed the street to an ice cream shop, dodging the 100+ degree heat index. It was a hot and humid ride into Mitchell – I was wondering if those corn murals might start exploding into popcorn.

The Mitchell Corn Palace is actually an operational arena for all sorts of events – from theater to concerts to sports (home of the Mitchell Kernels). The constantly changing corn theme also makes it a tourist destination, attracting 500,000 people annually. Ingenious.

On the way, I passed through the town of Pukwana – home of lawnmower races every Friday and Saturday night. The race track happens to be right next to the Puk-U bar. Like many odd-ball sporting events, my guess is this one started at the bar… “I’ll bet you a beer my new lawnmower is faster than yours”.

This part of South Dakota has been decimated with heavy rains and flooding this year. Standing water covers many low spots, and whole fields of crops have been laid waste by excess moisture. Frogs seem to enjoy the wetness – except for those unfortunate ones who venture onto the hot road. And for the cows – swimming!

Tomorrow marks the final leg of this 2019 segment. Could be an adventurous wrap-up, as the forecast calls for thunderstorms. Stay tuned.

~Dan