Day 23: Heat Dome
This week there was a high pressure dome of air that had settled high above The Heartland, trapping warm air below and creating a massive heat wave across the plains states. I woke up at 4:30 in Hazelton in an effort to beat some of it. Lucky for me there was a low layer of clouds and fog that obscured the sun for the better part of the morning, allowing me several relatively cool decades before temperatures climbed into the nineties.
I rode quickly until the sun barged in and burned up the cloud cover. I was forced to slow down a bit or risk heat exhaustion. The day ended up being short however, as the distances between the next town (Gackle) and the one after that was over 70 miles, meaning a massive 140 miles if I linked them. I opted for 65 and stopped at noon in Gackle at a place called the Honey Hub.
The Honey Hub is the summer home of John Miller and family, a 4th generation bee keeper who comes to North Dakota to polinate alfafa and other summer plants. Himself a prior triathlete, when he heard the Northern Tier made it’s way through the town of Gackle he decided to build an in-law and allow people to stay. Importantly, the room had showers and a washing machine, for which I was extremely grateful after 60 sweaty miles. The AC was also incredible and I spent a good hour or two just lying on the bed enjoying the cool.
A few hours later a Welsh girl came, having done 120 miles through the inferno afternoon. I was impressed but “it was a bit difficult” was all I got from her in the form of bragging. She was sweet and we chatted in the air conditioning. The rest of that afternoon I spent wandering around town eating pizza and drinking beer, talking to farmers, feeling refreshed.
Mileage: 65
Day 24: Sure Why Not
I woke at 5 and quietly made breakfast while my bunk mate snoozed. I was entertaining thoughts of a big day but was worried about the heat. I got on the bike and road hard while the morning was still cool and ended up making it 75 miles to Enderlin before 12:00 pm. Very fast for me, and chaffed from sweating in the saddle.
I stopped in a cafe for a burger and a malt (calories galore) and met an older couple who were also on the Northern Tier. They had set out from Seattle on June 1st, about 27 days ahead of me and I had just caught them at around the halfway point. They were retired, taking their time and enjoying the slower version of the tour. We chuckled together and I had a mug of coffee before deciding to kick things up a notch and ride all the way to Fargo. with 75 miles done I was little more than halfway and psyched.
I changed shorts because my butt was already raw from the morning ride. I didn’t care. Fargo was in the sights and with the coffee coursing through my veins I could not be stopped. I spent most of the day on my drop bars, huffing on the lazer straight county roads, just slightly downhill. Just outside Kindred, two gents flagged me down and offered me a bottle of Powerade. I screamed and nearly jumped out of the saddle from pure excitement. I was over a hundred miles in, it was the hottest time of the day and suddenly appeared Powerade in the hands of two saviors. I wooped and took a deep draught of the nectar of the gods before talking about the tour with them.
Refreshed, the last 30 miles to Fargo were a breeze. I was tired and sore, rubbed raw from salt and toil but I finally made it after eleven hours of riding. I camped by the Red River and slept like a rock.
Mileage: 130
Day 25: The Wonders of Chamois Butt’r
I woke up stiff and sore from the super century the day before. It was hot before 9:00 am and getting worse. I ran some errands in Fargo, picking up groceries, a new debit card, and some bike supplies. Importantly, I purchased Chamois Butt’r. This stuff is an anti-friction cream with some cooling agents (think menthol) that you spread over your nether regions to avoid saddle sores and chaffing. Holy God it works. I had no idea how bad I had it until I rubbed some of this stuff on. Instant cooling action, smooth pedalling, zero discomfort. I highly recommend the stuff because it has improved my tour experience tremendously.
When I finally did get on the road, progress was very slow. Even with the chamois cream I was still beat up from the day before and the heat was making no indication of letting up. In my dazed state I missed several turns and added several miles. Eventually roads became a little easier to navigate as I warmed up to the day.
I stopped for a delicious beer in a town called Cormorant and finished the day in Pelican Rapids. Despite starting at almost 1:00 I still made a good distance and was happy to have a beautiful campsite by the river.
Mileage: 61 of progress, add 10 for idiocy.
Day 26: Art in the Park
The park I stayed at in Pelican Rapids just happened to be hosting an annual art festival, wherein local artists and crafts(wo)men display and sell wares and everyone has a day. I decided to forgo my planned early start in favor of seeing what the townsfolk were up to.
It wasn’t a beautiful day, but the festivities were enjoyable. I wandered around admiring people and things, with coffee and a blueberry scone quietting my eternally rumbling stomach. Something about the town felt familiar and I chalked it up to Pelican Rapids being like the towns and country that my parents grew up in.
I finally started the day’s ride at 11 and made quick time to Fergus Falls where I bought some of the most amazing peaches I have ever had. I ate half a dozen during the ride, which was also amazing from there on.
Minnesota has a habit of converting old unused rail lines to bike and walking trails. They are perfect for a number of reasons: There are no cars, hardly any people, the trails curve slowly, effortless if at all, the grades are miniscule and barely perceptible and due to the age of the trails, the trees growing overhead provide a lot of shade. They were beautiful.
The Land of 10,000 Lakes really lives up to it’s name. Along these paths there are lakes everywhere. I’m a bit amazed they were able to build a railroad at all through the minefield of water. I felt a bit like Frodo and Sam traversing the Dead Marshes, although the wetlands that I was traveling were beautiful and serene. The trees blocked a lot of the wind and the miles flew effortlessly by. It was enchanting.
I managed to avoid the thunderstorms passing overhead thanks to the NOAA radar app. I use it to cross reference what I can see in the sky and have been able to dodge a lot of hardship that way. The state rails to trails bike paths lead me to Sauke Center where I camped in Sinclair Lewis Park. A great day.
Mileage: 100
Day 27: Minnesota Gets Even Better
From Sauk Center I got back on the bike path and made 37 miles to Bowlus like it was nothing. A slight tailwind and some good music in one of my ears put me in a trance that transported me across the distance. I only realized my hunger when I landed in front of a roadside cafe. Of course I ordered a burger and a milkshake.
After Bowlus I was back again on county roads, flying through cornfields mostly. Huge silos dotted the landscape, the clouds were white and puffy and the air was still. I was checking my map for a place to stay the night and happened upon the Bicycle Bunkhouse. The note made it sound as if the place was a yard for pitching tents with an outhouse. What I discovered upon arrival was a borderline palace made from a converted barn.
The story on Donn Olson’s silo reads like this: Two cyclists in 2005 came to Donn after trudging through a torn up road under construction, asking if there was a chance they could camp on his lawn. He obliged, discovering that day that the Northern Tier runs past his doorstep. Him being an industrious man, over the next 10 years he built up his barn to include such ammenities as: Outhouse, Out-shower, three private rooms with 2 bunks each, a loft with more bunks, a living room with table, chairs, couch, TV, WiFi, and a Kitchen decked with two fridges full of beverages and treats, freezers with dinner’s and pizza, a pizza oven for said pizzas, toaster, microwave, stove, sink, counter space and shelves upon shelf of food and cooking utensils. It was a joyous discovery and when Donn showed up I could not thank him enough for his kindness. He offers the place free of charge to cyclists, charging a nominal fee for the food and drink with which he stocks the place. On his wall are two awards: Trail Angel and Best Bike Hostel of the Year, both of which he deserves.
Mileage: 100
Day 28: Minnesotans are the Best
I stayed longer than usual in the morning, reading, writing and enjoying the hospitality that Donn was providing. He came in during my breakfast and we chatted some more about bicycle riding and he offered an alternate route to the one that the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA) provides on their map. I set off on his route and spent the day in high spirits.
The route passed more lakes on the impeccable bike trails and eventually made it’s way to county roads again. I stopped for another burger in Harris. I was making good progress and in the afternoon I had made it past some torn up roads and construction to Stillwater, the end of the section.
Stillwater is an interesting place. It was the proto capitol of Minnesota for a while, functioning as a trading hub where furs and timber were shipped down the St. Croix River to the Mississippi. The age is apparent in the brick buildings that huddle close together along the cities few streets.
The Pub I was in had a timeless feel, with a real brass bar, thirty taps and chandelliers, all hardwood and classy. This was contrasted by the sign out front.
I stepped outside to watch the people (mostly tourists) walking down the street, eating a cliff bar and some mandarins, taking things in. Two women approached me, laughing about how one of them had snap chatted my bicycle. We laughed and got to talking about where I was from, headed to and the like. Callie offered to let me camp at her marina after I mentioned I was headed another 15 miles to a state park. I took her up on the offer and we loaded my bike into her skiff.
The boat was tiny but it held us all, bike included. We puttered up the river, with a nice breeze and the sun shining the entire way. She dropped me off by the jetty and left me to set up camp. Canada Geese were grazing but let me by without any trouble.
That night was peaceful. The water lapped lazily at the jetty and I was undisturbed the entire night, except for geese nibbling my tent in the morning. My stomach was full of pasta and my heart full of warmth and thanks for the kindness of Minnesotans.
Mileage: 65
Andrew Bondesson 