RASDAK 2016
This year’s RASDAK route was close to home. We in the
Webster Biking Club were feeling spoiled riding so close to home two years in a
row. Last year we biked from Spearfish to Webster, and this year we are
starting at Fort Sisseton, just a short hop up the road.
I went to the Fort to have my biked checked over Saturday night, and I was
happy to find my peoples! Ann and Janna had a few new biking friends, and Dawn,
Dawn, and Lisa were all smiles. And like so many special friendships, although
we hadn’t seen one another since last year, we picked right up where we left
off. They were heading out at their usual pre-six o’clock ride time, and I was
sleeping in my own bed one more night with plans to meet up with them in
Britton. We had splurged on a hotel in Britton and Mobridge, and at the time, I
didn’t realize how wonderful a real bed would be. It was a heaven after a day
in the wind.
Monday, we
were faced with 100 miles to conquer to get to Eureka. We started early and stuck with it. We
had a tough wind again, so it wasn’t all smiles, but we made it. In the true
spirit of small town life, we found ourselves showering at a guy’s house who
offered his home to shower as the Eureka High School had no hot showers, so
there we three were walking down the street with our towels, shower supplies,
looking for a cream colored house just up the street a bit, as Kasey describes.
The fellow was very kind, even offering us his towels so we wouldn’t have to
carry wet towels back to the gym to dry. An interesting note about the gym, there
had been a city wide rummage in the gym, so there were tables all along the
perimeter still filled with leftover sale items. I decided to shop, and my
first find was a SDSU Sweatshirt for Hannah. I actually snagged several items,
which was a fun surprise. As we were sitting there, a guy commented about a
nice little black bag of chargers he found on a “free table”, which we would
find out later belonged to Dawn, who inadvertently left it on the table. As she
was telling about this lost bag the next day, both Lisa and I instantly knew
that this “tall guy” had commented about such a bag. Sure enough we recognized
the height on this guy a day later and the lost was returned, actually he ended
up to be one of the Aberdeen
riders. St. Anthony’s name definitely came up. Such a tale! As nights in the
gym go, this ranked at an all time low. A terribly loud air mattress crinkled
most of the night with every movement of its owner, and the snoring was out of
this world. Most everyone noted that the sleeping conditions were far from
ideal. Nonetheless, I did opt for the gym most nights, to avoid having to deal
with setting up and taking down my tent, and they improved as the week went on.
Tuesday was
an 80 mile day and the winds were a bit better. Little did we know, the climbs
would be tough and the road tougher! The Trail City
donut stop was the absolute best. I’ve never had a donut fresh out of the
cooker, still warm! That treat was a bright spot in the day, for heading south
on SD Hwy
1806 became rather interesting. I had just bumped my way down a really steep
hill which would have been lovely if you could take out the rough cracks in the
road. It was heavy duty jolting all the way down and then making the climb back
out. It was unpleasant to say the least. Then I could not seem to keep up with
my group. I pedaled hard, but just couldn’t seem to make headway. After the
next climb, I stopped at the top to catch a breath and realized my back tire
was rubbing on my brake, in fact, the wheel would not even spin freely. Okay, shouldn't I get credit for double miles since I rode with my brake on
for who knows how long! A fellow biker helped my tighten a bolt and off we
went. Well, at least I can say it was
the bike and not me that slowed me down! The ride into Mobridge as the river
came into view kind of made up for the earlier issues, plus we had a hotel room
at the Wrangler, so all would be fine! We had a group meeting down by the river
and a group photo, then enjoyed a cold beverage and great meal. I met up with David
again so we had a chance to chat a bit. Sleeping in luxury in our hotel room
was a treat. It takes but a few nights on a gym floor to make one appreciate a box spring!
Wednesday,
we had an easy 50 mile day into McLaughlin. Kasey wanted us to take our time as
the rest stops may not be open if we headed out too early. Crossing the Missouri River is always a highlight.
To Lemmon
we headed! This turned out to be a great overnight stop even though the gym was
not air conditioned and it was hot as blazes. The riding went well. Lisa wanted
to say she biked in North Dakota, so we went
to Main and crossed the railroad tracks to get
across the border. On our way back down Main Street we found an establishment,
the R Bar, which provided a driver to come pick us up at the gym after we
showered. Our new best friend in Lemmon is Sherry. The red beer went down so
well, I had three! That was my yearly quota in one night. We visited with Karen
and Kent from Sioux Falls.
I had met Karen last year in Union
Center when she, as a
nurse, and I were helping a young gal
with heat exhaustion. We shared stories and she talked a lot about her
backpacking trips on the Appalachian Trail,
another bucket list item of mine. It was a fun night and we had our meal at the
High Glass Museum.
They had several people dressed up in buck skin reliving the days of the fur
trappers and traders. It was another pleasant evening among biking friends.
Lemmon to Buffalo was our second
century ride of the week, and I was a little nervous.
We opted
out of riding the last day, as technically we made it across the state. Day seven
and I have not had the best relationship, so I was perfectly fine passing.
John, our dedicated chauffer, had arrived the night before, so all we had to do
was pack up and load bikes. I said my farewells to the two Dawns and Lisa, as
they were determined to ride this last day.
It was fun
to drive back over parts of our route, and oh how different the ride can be in
a vehicle. Once again, I feel blessed to be able to enjoy this week of biking.
We run the gamut from intense hill climbing to effortlessly coasting down the
rollers, but the one constant is the camaraderie. Friendships, both renewed and
brand new are gifts I cherish deeply. I’ve come to appreciate my connections to
others more and more. Blessed I am.
RASDAK 2016 Mileage
Day 1 Sunday – Ft Sisseton to Britton 45
Day 2 – Britton to Eureka
100
Day 3 – Eureka
to Mobridge 80
Day 4 – Mobridge to McLaughlin 50
Day 5 – McLaughlin to Lemmon 70
Day 6 – Lemmon to Buffalo
100
Day 7 – Buffalo to Camp Crook
and back, opted out with a smile 0
TOTAL 445 - Enough for me!
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