Day 56: Typing This Quickly so I can get to Bed....

I wake up with the sun and it’s too early. From here on out, according to my preliminary schedule, I have only long days ahead of me… so I better get used to it… and also as John Egan pointed out on my guestbook… I need to ride the early morning hours so as not to be beaten down by the winds.

Don and Carline make breakfast and it’s a nice change of pace from the usual… wolf down a muffin and chug a carton of milk, like I am used to. They’re a nice couple and really supportive of this trip… I need to remember to send them a postcard once I reach the coast.

Minot is inside a river valley and is protected from the wind… so the first fifteen miles is some pretty awesome riding. Eventually I climb out of the valley and onto the high plains again… the wind comes back with a vengeance, but it’s manageable.

In Berthold I stop at a gas station with a bunch of Novelty Junk. It's kinda cool. I change into my summer clothes for the first time in weeks, and it occurs to me that i will probably only get to wear them just a few more times. I know I kind of look like a douche, but I wanted to document my douchery before I had to switch over to having to wear 2 layers of thermal underwear at all times...

Matt P had given me heads up, but he was absolutely right about the scenery. At long last it feels like I am in the true WEST. It is MUCH more desolate and the population has thinned out considerably, but there are hills and grassland, and compared to yesterday the terrain is SO much more dynamic. I am excited while still nervous about the ever decreasing presence of other humans.

I get to Stanley pretty early in the day (short day – 57 miles) and take the time to inspect my bike, explore the town, call friends, set up places to sleep for the next 2 nights, and hang out in the park. It’s a really nice routine that allows me to enjoy the places where I will be setting up camp for the evening; I’m going to try and do this from now on. Where I am camping tonight is directly next to the train tracks… but it seems pretty safe, so I’ll deal with a little noise. Oh yeah… Speaking of noise… I forgot to mention that last night, the Andrews’ cat was desperate to get into my room for some reason and was meowing like crazy. When I woke up to see what the noise was… he was frantically trying to squeeze himself under the door.

Tomorrow I will wake up at 6:00am and be on the road the very second it is light enough to travel safely. This should help with the headwinds, keep me out of the heat, and also give me a few extra hours in the day to get a better vibe of the towns. So with that… I’m saying goodnight, because I have an early day tomorrow.

As I finish typing this… A lightning storm rages in the distance. Weather.com makes no mention of this anywhere… It looks really neat… but its foreboding as hell.