The Rise Up Ride: Day 19, Trail Magic Happens
Date: 11 May 2021
Start Location: Interior, SD
End Location: Rapid City, SD
Distance: 121.6 km
Time: 6:27
Total elapsed: 8:24
Elevation: 599 m
“There is a phenomenon called Trail Magic, known and spoken of with reverence by everyone who hikes the trail, which holds that often when things look darkest some little piece of serendipity comes along to put you back on a heavenly plane.”
― Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods
Today’s ride, across the Badlands National Park and Buffalo Gap National Grassland was a straight ride west down SD-44 for 121 km, my longest ride so far on this trip. The choice was not mine, however, since there is nothing but grasslands, prairie dogs and a fine two-lane highway with broad smooth shoulders for more than 120 km to Rapid City. There used to be a convenience store halfway in Scenic (which is as Scenic as Greenland is Green), but it closed a few years ago. I had no choice but to rise up at first light and pedal the distance in one long dash across the grasslands.
I had written to Tom to let him know that, thanks anyway, but I was probably going to get a hotel room in Rapid City and spend tomorrow doing laundry and looking for a sleeping bag liner after a cold night (-1°) in the Cedar Pass campsite.
Three days earlier, Tom, a local cyclist, climber and NOLS outdoor guide had passed me in his van near Quinn, stopped, and asked if I had a place to stay in Rapid City. Today in the afternoon he texted that they had a spare room, shower, laundry, and "Mom is making beef stew tonight." He and his family HAD ME at "beef stew." I punched the address into Google Maps and rode up to a house of strangers… but not for long.
My online cycling buddy, @yardenaagresta, and I were chatting online several months ago about this upcoming trip and she expressed concern about the imponderables of the adventure. I wrote back, "Wonderful things happen when you throw yourself out there for the world to catch!"
Tom, his Mom, Pat and father, Bob welcomed me into their home like an old friend. Delicious stew, wonderful conversations, and, even better, a renewal of my belief in serendipity and the magic that might befall you if you just throw yourself out there.
