The Rise Up Ride: Day 18, Badlands, Great Cycling
Date: 10 May 2021
Start Location: Wall, SD
End Location: Interior, SD
Distance: 49.3 km
Time: 3:09
Total elapsed: 5:26
Elevation: 468 m
Today was a day of spectacular cycling in a starkly beautiful place, and wonderful encounters with folks at the overlook turnouts along the scenic drive through Badlands National Park. The photos tell the story without the use of superlatives. It's one of the premier cycling destinations in the world and today was a great day to do it; blue skies dotted with individual clouds that cast shadows on the craggy eroded vistas, giving so much depth and dimension to the landscape. About 10° by midday with a brisk wind from the east (my favorite while riding west for the last few weeks) but today it was in my face most of the day as the route backtracks to the southeast. It was a shorter riding day filled with dawdling. I was reminded of the Michael Franks song, "Ole Brazil"
Down in Brazil
It takes a day to walk a mile
Time just stand still
And when the people you meet look at you they smile
It was the people today that made it special. Most days I meet folks when I'm off the bike, after cycling at meals or in hotels. Today I'd pull into parking areas adjacent to the stunning views of the Badlands and there would be families with curious tourists (guys mostly) who wanted to know where I was heading, how far I'd come, and to let me know how lucky I was to be living their dream. I cycled, gabbed, was gobsmacked by the scenery, and talked cycling with several people for whom I may have sparked a dormant passion to get out on a bike and explore.
Tonight I'm in the Cedar Pass Campground, on the edge of the Park and about 124 clicks from Rapid City up SD-44 across the empty grasslands without a camping site or town with services. There may be a convenience store in Scenic, about halfway, but it's pretty desolate. With a tailing breeze all day and less than 600 meters of climbing, I'm going to attempt the distance in one long day. It's off at dawn!
