Wyoming: Part 1

After an extra rest day in Rapid City, we headed toward Sundance, WY, 82 miles away. It was one of the most enjoyable rides we've had yet. It seemed downhill most of the time and we had a nice tailwind that added to our speed. In addition we enjoyed the beauty of the Black Hills. By the time we got to Wyoming the soil had changed from the black dirt found in Pine Ridge to red. Though I saw a few fields of corn that had been planted quite late, most fields were hay. 

 

Sundance is not a place we will soon forget. Our hosts for the night were members of St Paul's Catholic church. It's a small parish that shares a priest with 3 other churches, and one woman told me that the 16 pews in the church are filled each Sunday. These generous people welcomed us as we arrived throughout the afternoon and took us to their homes. It was a special treat to shower in a real bathroom, using a real towel (as opposed to the quick dry towel most of us have). Getting to sleep in a real bed was also wonderful even though I'd been on the road for only 18 days. You can imagine how much it was appreciated by those who have been at this since June 5. Diane was my host and seemed delighted to have guests. She gave us a brief tour of the town where she has lived for over 25 years before supper, which was generous portions of beef and/or ham along with an assortment of potluck dishes. No one went away hungry. After we finished, Diane drove us up into the hills so we could get a close up view of Devil's Tower. 

Wednesday we rode the 61 miles from Sundance to Gillette. As we circled up that morning, Dan promised 100% chance of rain. "There is a green blob between here and Gillette." We ended up riding in the rain for about an hour. When I stopped briefly at the first rest stop it seemed to be more of mist and the 59˚ was more chilling than the rain. Though my legs didn't feel so good on the first uphill, once I got going I did fine. Rain is a good motivator to just keep pedaling. As the rain stopped I pulled into a gas station along the route for a bathroom break. Gerry, who was close behind, followed. We both wrung the water out of our socks, much to the delight of the motorcyclists looking on. As we set off, Gerry discovered a flat, so for the third time in three riding days, I "helped" someone change their tube. By the time we got going we were just in front of the "sweeps," the two people designated to make sure everyone stays in front of them. 

In Gillette we stayed at a Catholic school. One of the main events of the afternoon was the bike washing party on the front lawn. 

One of the women who helped prepare our supper that night brought along her 4 year old son. Little boys are always fascinated by the bikes and "Papa John" who is missing his own grandchildren, was delighted to teach him some things about the bike.

The Rez

Thursday was a short 51.9 miles from Martin to Porcupine, SD. After pedaling for more than 8 hours some days, the 4 hours spent in the saddle did seem short. Despite the shorter ride, we still had to work. There was a stiff crosswind from the south and I was thankful to ride with Gerry as we took turns sheltering each other from the wind as much as we could between the two of us. It helped to know that the route would turn north at mile 35. To be honest, I didn't see much of those first 35 miles. It was one of those days where you just put your head down and keep pedaling. Once we turned north, the wind was at our back and that made for a very enjoyable ride. It helped to have a long descent down to Wounded Knee on which I reached 35 mph. I did stop at Wounded Knee to be reminded again of that dark time in our nation's history.

Thursday and Friday we stayed at the local school in Porcupine, which is on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The unique thing about this ride, is having days set aside to help build/repair homes along the way. That is what the Fuller Center is all about--partnering with local groups to help meet the housing needs of the poor. We learned from the local partners that overcrowding is a major issue on the Reservation and a high percentage of the population is under the age of 15. Before becoming president of the Fuller Center, David Snell spent 6 years on Pine Ridge working to improve the housing situation. He and his wife spent some time with us and explained that it is easy to tell the difference between a home that is rented and one that is owned. As one might expect, home owners take better care of their property. The Fuller Center makes it possible for the poor to own their own home by providing interest free loans for the materials. In addition, the new owners work alongside volunteers as they are able to build/repair their home. On Friday our group worked in two different locations. I worked at the one-room home of a Vietnam Veteran who had come back to Pine Ridge to retire. By the time we left in the afternoon, the front door was replaced, there was a sturdy railing around the deck, and the outside had two coats of fresh paint.

Saturday morning we headed for Rapid City. Our 87.5 mile route took us through the beauty of the Badlands, which many in our group think is very poorly named. We were once again blessed with a tailwind in addition to a gradual downhill for most of the way. I rode with Leah and Melissa most of the way. On the quieter country roads, we were often able to ride three abreast which allows for some good conversation.

It was very nice to have two days off here in Rapid City. The 892.89 miles I'd put in over two weeks have taken their toll. My legs felt tired and sore just rolling over in bed. The rest was doubly needed for the 18 who have reached their half-way point in their journey all the way across the country. I've spent the time relaxing, reading, sleeping in (as possible), watching the World Cup final, cleaning my bike, and stocking up on necessary food items for the next couple of weeks.

Next week we head for Billings, MT via Sundance, Gillette, and Sheridan WY, and Hardin, MT. The wind forecast should be favorable, but the more serious climbing begins.

What a difference the wind makes!

What a difference the wind makes! Today we went farther and actually climbed more than on Wednesday but it was a much shorter day -- all because of the wind.

Tuesday, July 8: 97 miles in 8 hours 35 minutes saddle time (total time was 10 hours 20 minutes); avg speed = 10.8.

Wednesday, July 9: 103.42 miles in 7 hours 14 minutes saddle time (total time was 7 1/2 hours); avg speed = 14.2


Tuesday's route took us from Parkston to Winner, SD. There were 4 turns on our route sheet; three of them to get us onto the main road which led us all the way to Winner. The winds were from the NW all day and ranged from 10 to 20 mph. I did pretty well at first and managed to stay with others to get some protection through drafting. Thankfully my quad was feeling much better and I was able to pedal while being out of the saddle. The scenery changed from being flat fields of mainly corn and soybeans to rolling hills of corn, wheat, and pasture land. The area around the Missouri River was stunning in it's beauty. The descent down into the river valley was a sweet ride but the climb back onto the prairie was long and hard since we were fighting the grade as well as the wind.

On a day like Tuesday, Tom is always a welcome sight. He and his wife, Lois run the last rest stop out of their van.  On a "normal" day, Tom comes out to the road and cheers us on. However, on the hard days, he greets us with the cowbell and a little dance. Tuesday was definitely a "cowbell" day! He had also written "15.5 TO GO" on the road.

After Tom, the next most welcome sight is that of the town we are headed to. Yesterday we came up over a hill and looked down at Winner so I got out my camera for a picture -- which turned out to be of the road rather than the town. You'll have to trust me that it was a beautiful sight after all those miles. I did stop to take a picture of the flags in front of the Holiday Inn as proof of what we had been fighting for much of the day.

The Assembly of God church hosted us, taking us over to the school for showers and feeding us a great spaghetti supper with salad. By the time I had my things organized for the next day it was 8:30 and I was more than ready for bed.

This morning we got rolling at 5:50. Being this far west, the sun was just coming up and it was a chilly 51˚. The reflection of the rising sun on the clouds was beautiful and the prairie was stunning in the morning light.

Sometime around mile 30 the light crosswind/headwind shifted. Our first clue was looking down and seeing that we were going uphill at 16 mph. We couldn't do that yesterday going downhill. Most of the rest of the day was a breeze; at least the miles clicked away at a much faster rate than the day before. At the 3rd rest stop (about mile 60) there was a very dark ominous looking cloud up ahead with some lightening in the distance. After some debate about which way the storm was headed, I headed off with Leah and Lauren and were soon briefly pelted by small sized hail and huge rain drops. It didn't last long since the storm was moving south at a rapid pace. Later on we were rained on again for about a mile. I finished the day on quiet SD roads talking with Leah as we blew into Martin. Maybe the wind often blows from the east here, since the East Wind Casino was on the edge of town. Besides the tailwind, the best part of the day was having no pain/soreness/tightness/twinges in my quad. I'm stiff and sore but it's the normal stuff that works itself out after a mile or two on the bike.

Tomorrow is a short day (less than 60 miles) to Pine Ridge and the wind forecast is for winds from the SE or S. We can deal with that.

Flatness

My day began at 5:25. That is actually a little late since we are to have our bags out to the trailer BEFORE breakfast which is at 6:00. And since I'm on the breakfast clean-up crew this week, I really should be eating breakfast a bit before everyone else. After a bowl of oatmeal and a banana I helped fill water coolers and get all the tubs/bins and ice chests out to the vans. Our group moves pretty quick and we were pulling out of the parking lot at 6:50 headed for Parkston, SD.

Our ride was rather uneventful. Once we headed west from Tea, the roads were flat except for an occasional river that brought a change in the scenery. Somewhere around mile 27 we went through the town of Parker and that was the last non-cornfield-bathroom available for the day. However we did pass 16 miles from Scotland.

I felt quite good today though my quad reminded me that it is not yet 100%. I was able to get out of the saddle and pedal a few strokes without major pain which is progress.

Our ride seemed quite short today and I pulled into our destination about 12:30. Still it was glad to pull in and park my bike in the hallway with the others. Showers were a block away at the Wellness Center which also included a pool and whirlpool. We put all three to good use. The whirlpool felt awesome.

Two days ago we had a pile of at least 50 bananas. They are now all gone and the van that made a trip back to Sioux Falls to the nearest bike shop is to pick up a bunch more. It would be interesting to know how many jars of peanut butter and how many bananas this bunch eats over the course of the nine weeks.

Photos from week 1

 No wonder my quad is sore. ;-)

I had to stop and take a picture of this since it was an up and over kind of day with all the hills we had -- and we were in Iowa County, Wisconsin.

Here's proof that it was windy on Tuesday. (The actual cause of the corn being laid down was the 70 mph winds during the night.)

 This flag does show how windy it actually was.

 

Outside the church we stayed at in Cresco, IA

Week 1: Waukegan, IL --> Sioux Falls, SD

On any adventure there are many stories to tell. Though every day is spent on the same bike wearing the same bright orange jersey, the scenery, the weather, and the experiences vary. Every church we stay in is different and about the only thing the people who host us have in common is their warm welcome. Though the shower may be at the local pool, the high school locker room, the Y, or the church basement, we have always been clean by the time supper is served. Over this past week I pedaled 480 miles in about 39 hours and 20 minutes. (To save you the math, that works out to a 12.2 mph avg).

Day 1 was definitely the fastest for me. I felt strong and good and finished well. We spent the night in a beautiful old church in Evansville, WI. I found a small office to call my bedroom and slept over 10 hours on a cot provided by the church. It was wonderful.

Some of my fellow riders called Day 2 the most difficult day they had every had on a bike. We pedaled 82 miles, most of it into 20 to 25 mph winds with over 5500 feet of climbing. The hills were not long but the grades were steep (often over 10%). I spent most of the day facing the wind on my own and was glad to finish the last stretch with Mark. Some company always makes the miles goes faster. We were all very very glad to arrive in Lancaster, WI. Some of riders eagerly asked our hosts to give advice on the shortest and flattest route across the Mississippi into Iowa.

Day 3 was an enjoyable ride through the hills of southwest WI, down into the Mississippi river valley and back up the other side. Once we came out of the valley the scent changed from dairy cows to hogs. Welcome to Iowa! I spent most of the day riding with Melissa and Leah and was grateful to take less of the wind (even though there wasn't much.) The last 10 miles (of 97) were on a bike trail which was a welcome change. By the end of the ride, the accumulated miles and the effort from the previous day took it's toll and a knot in my right quad just above the knee made it quite painful to pedal. I limped into Cresco, IA and walking up and down stairs was a painful experience. After a bag of ice I could hardly move but by the time I headed to bed, it felt better.

The route on Thursday was to be 87 miles to Forest City, IA. My quad felt good over the first 20 miles of the day but after the first rest stop it started bothering me and I limped into the 40-mile rest stop feeling like I had at the end of the previous day. I can work through soreness, but the pain was telling me to stop and live to ride another day. I spent the rest of the day seeing the inner workings of the rest stops and icing my quad. Upon arrival at Forest City I headed to a bike shop with Mihai, one of the riders who needed to buy some supplies. I wanted some assistance with the height of my saddle which would hopefully resolve the issues with my quad. It was raised about 1/4" and I was told to take it easy. "You've irritated that pretty good so spin an easy gear for a few days."

Friday took us to Spirit Lake. I followed the advice I'd received and spun easy. That meant even Dad was pulling away from me. I had Mom advance me from mile 40 to 60 in the car and finished the rest of the 88 miles with little pain. The only time it hurt was if I got out of the saddle and tried to pedal.

Saturday's destination was Sioux Falls. We spent much of the day on roads that I've ridden on so I didn't need the directions until we got into South Dakota. We rode in a bit of rain early on but by the afternoon it was hot and I was pouring water on my head. My leg felt better and the heat actually seemed to help loosen it up. Hopefully the day off today and a shorter day tomorrow (only 72 miles), I'll be back to full strength.

One of the enjoyable things this week was seeing Iowa through the eyes of those who have never been there. Some riders from a very dry area of California commented about how green everything is. Cornfields and wind turbines became the occasion for photo ops. The countryside is beautiful in the early morning hours.

Our destination for the next week is Rapids City via Parkston, Winner, Martin, and Pine Ridge where we will be helping with a project.  The route includes three century rides and the forecast is promising some hot weather with some light breezes as nature's air conditioning.

Lessons learned

As part of my final requirements for the OT program, I wrote a "final reflections" paper. We are to write three of four pages based on some questions posed by the professors. Though I probably shouldn't admit it, by this point in my graduate school experience, I'm quite good at using the right key words mixed in with some blah, blah to meet the minimum number of pages and make it sound like I know what I'm talking about. Regardless, there are a few things that I learned through these internships (besides how to be a better OT) that are worth sharing.

•  Don't believe the media. During both internships I came to understand that what was reported in the paper was not the whole story. While articles may be factual, they tend to leave out  important elements and/or not provide sufficient follow up or comparisons. I have come to assume that there is ALWAYS more to the story and, without that additional information, I should hold any judgments loosely. Here's one article that raises some good questions regarding the situation at the VA.
• It is far easier to see improvement when a person is dealing with a physical illness than a mental illness. Some of the patients I worked with in rehab considered their morning shower the most difficult workout of the day. Yet within a week to 10 days, it wasn't as taxing and they requested far less assistance. In contrast, I saw little change in the Veterans with mental illness I was privileged work with for three months. A few made some giant steps forward. Some cycled out of mania back to their baseline. A few dealt with worsening symptoms. But most, were pretty much the same the whole time I was there. The therapists I worked with assured me that for many of them there had been observable changes over the course of 6 months to a year.
• A good supervisor makes work much more enjoyable and can take a lot of pressure off. The absence of one person from a meeting can completely change the atmosphere in the room. I also found that the more I understood my co-workers' stories, the better I was able to put up with/appreciate their idiosyncrasies. 
• The most interesting thing about going to work is the patients/Veterans. The diagnoses and symptoms may be similar but each individual is unique, requiring individualized treatment and interactions. Some are challenging, some are endearing--often at the same time.