In Memory of Warmer Summers

July 10th through the 15th

The day after the storms in  Medora there were more violent storms forecast the next evening, so by prior arrangement, the Three Teachers, Greenbriar, Sallie and I made reservations for a motel in Dickinson.  The locals were all in agreement that the prevailing east wind of the last two days was nothing but bad news for violent evening thunderstorms once more.  Having lost a tent fly the night before, we thought it better not to take chances.

Ten miles of bad dirt road and riding into a storm. Sallie says, "The Northern Tier is not for Sissies".

Anne (one of the Teachers) had a huge surprise on the highway approaching Dickinson when her husband Ben (from the Boston area) showed up unannounced.  He was on his way to a ranch he was invited to near Missoula and decided to make a surprise appearance.  He pulled past the Teachers in a rental car, stopped and stood on the side of the road as they approached.Making it all the better, Anne didn’t recognize him and as she rode up and she asked him if he was the keeper for a set of bee hives in a field close by.  Great moments like that are the fabric of legends. 

Ben is an avid sailor and his assistance was greatly appreciated when I stretched out Sallie’s fly in the motel lobby with intentions of repairing the large tears with Gorilla Tape.  We got the job done however, Sallie elected to order a new tent shipped to Fargo and deal with the management of the campground and warranty issues regarding the tent at a later date.

Map strategy session in the motel hallway during a tornado warning

A significant storm did arrive that night complete with tornado sirens and starting the next day the winds changed back to westerly which is the norm for the area.  With the west wind blowing, it was time to lay down some miles and the six of us joined together and did our fair share.  We did 71, 80, 67, and 74 miles in the next four days pretty much finishing North Dakota in a week. 

Although discussed frequently, I got first-hand experience with the style of riding the Teachers do.  As with all touring cyclists, there is a central theme and of course it surrounds food (our calorie intake needs are incredibly high).  They routinely get up early, pack their gear and then have a meal of sandwiches that were prepared the night before.  They will ride for an hour and have a snack.  Another hour and if available, stop at a cafe or eating place for “second breakfast”.  To summarize:  Snacks every hour, two breakfasts, two lunches and sometimes two dinners.  That’s my kind of planning!

Sallie and I about to get overtaken by the Teachers. No checkered flag for me.

As previously stated, these gals are quite capable cyclists with a deadline.  They tend to go with lightweight gear and they are considerably faster riders than Sallie and I (we do not worry about the weight of our gear and tend to travel with luxuries other shun).  What this means is we’ll get passed by them if we start out first and we’ll catch them at their next roadside break.  It was pointed out to me that also means I’ll photograph them only when their eating.  Very true.  Just capturing the facts here – that’s all.