Sunday, 7-15 Day 21

Start: Rapid City, SD
End: Kadoka, SD
Scheduled miles: 101.7
Actual miles: 103

A typical morning, wake up, shower and breakfast is at the school, eggs, bacon, french toast and fruit. Mike and I head out and the sky's to the back and side of us have dark thick clouds, but we head toward sunshine. The first 20 miles goes quickly and we are able to stay ahead of the rain. Than the wind changes to a cross wind and we start to feel the first rain drops. We enter a small section of the Badlands. The terrain, becomes very flat with with deep water carved gullies, there are also huge cliffs towering over some of the prairie. The soil looks like dried out grey clay. It is cloudy and cool with a smattering of rain drops, which is lucky for us as I've heard that it can be deadly hot in these parts.

Out of the badlands and into some grass lands. The prairie dogs here are numerous, and loud, like dog chew toys! It is so loud and goes on for so long, I yell at the top of my lungs for them to shut up!

Just before re-entering the badlands I see my only buffalo of the trip so far. A sorry looking specimen in a pen. I don't take any photos, it is just kinda sad.

At this point, the sky's clear and the temps soar to the mid 90's, by the time we are done with the day it will have hit 101 degrees.

We enter the badlands just below Cedar Pass. We make a quick stop in at the gift shop, for liquid refreshments. It is at these "touristy" places we make the most contact with the public and get to explain our purpose and method. That is always a lot of fun. We than go up Cedar Pass, 200' of climbing in less than a mile. It seemed higher. Once on top the landscape changes to the surreal. Just too bizarre, the shapes that Ma nature has formed this landscape into. Large gray piles of muck that has been shaped by the wind and rain.

From there we head towards I-90 and use the frontage road for the next 20 miles. This section is straight as an arrow, no steering required. Just one long hill after another, up and down. I still have chalk so after a whole lot of these hills, Mike and I leave a "bob henry": ONE MORE HILL? are we mean or what? When we get into Kadota. The people of the town really open up for us. Literally. the grocery store owner opens the store just so Polly can shop for lunch's the next day, than gives her a discount, a donation, and drives her back to the city park we are camping in. Harry is the self appointed mayor of the town and he is waiting at the park to greet us and make sure we have what we need. He has the keys to the pool where we will be showering tonight and assures us he will keep it open as long as we need it.

Dinner is at the H & H restaurant in town. We start to walk there, and another townsmen; Tony shuttles us and others back and forth in his van. Dinner was great! All you can eat buffet.

Back to camp to catch up on the journal and sleep.