Today we "Rode" the
Our stay at the Circle View Guest Ranch last night on Wednesday night was great and deserves a story.The ranch sits high up on a plateau outside the Badlands and covers 2000 acres.
The views were spectacular. Sitting on the patio overlooking the range, sipping coffee early in the morning - Very Nice.
Too bad after one cup it was time to eat breakfast and get the metal ponies ready to ride.
Speaking of breakfast it was delicious!
We had a nice selection of food including wheat pancakes that were made from the wheat grown and ground right on the ranch.
South Dakota is plagued with grasshoppers at the moment.
At first we did not think anything of them, but after a while we began to understand why the locals hate them so much.
They actually are disgusting little creatures.
First of all - you have to understand that there are bazillions of them all over the place. (bazillion is a zillion cazillion)
When you are riding they are bouncing off of us like ping pong balls. They land on you or ricochet off the bikes. There so many of them on the road our tires rolling over them sounds like a popcorn machine working. The dead grasshoppers litter the road and the other hoppers are cannibalizing the carcasses. It is really sickening.
The ride today seemed uneventful compared to yesterday’s trip through the majestic Badlands.
The first leg of our route was without any services for over 50 miles.
When I say no services I mean NOTHING. No stores, houses, farms, people or stop signs. Just miles and miles of rolling hills of grass and bright sunshine to suck all the moisture out of us.We spotted a rattle snake on the road not long after we left. Be nice little snake...no biting. (whose toe is that in the picture?)
We don't have cell service and if we did who would we call for help? Buffalo Bill?
Snakes are plentiful in this part of the state along with deer, prong horn and prairie dogs.
Our day ended in Rapid City staging us for tomorrows ride through Custer State park and by Mount Rushmore on our way to Nebraska and Wyoming.
76 Miles
2160 Feet of Climbing
Temperature 80-93 degrees
Today is more tour through the Badlands and then pedal to Rapid City for the night.
Updates as they come
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