Orange City, Iowa to Vermilion, South Dakota. Thursday, July 15, 2021
I can’t explain it. Maybe taking that zero day and getting some things sorted out was just what I needed. Whatever, I was able to leave before 8, and cover 64 miles by 3. This is more like it. A nice tailwind didn’t hurt. It’s like Iowa was trying to say goodbye on a good note.
For all of its reputation for flatness, Iowa was surprisingly hilly, as my daily elevation figures will attest. Nothing too steep, but the gentle undulations added up. This was especially true today, when I passed through the Loess Hills, another odd remnant of the last ice age. The glaciers ground the rock into a fine dust, which later became soil that was blown by the westerly winds into dunes, made of dirt, not sand. This rich rolling farmland defines the Iowa-South Dakota border in this area, before giving out into the flatness of the Great Plains.
Crossing into my 11th state, I was amused by the way South Dakota chose as its defining feature. You could say Mount Rushmore was an amazing creation, honoring our greatest presidents. You could also say it was a desecration of the Black Hills, sacred to the Lakota.
I had plotted my route using the South Dakota bike website, which was fairly minimalist, and was surprised that it deposited me on Interstate 29. Fortuitously, a state trooper was monitoring construction at the on-ramp, so I could ask him if it was legal. He said it was, as long as I stayed on the shoulder, which was more than adequate. Not pleasant, with trucks whizzing by at 85 mph, but safe enough. Apparently, this is not uncommon in the west, where often the interstate is the only road available.
I had targeted Vermillion as the place to re-join the Adventure Cycling route, but it turned out to be the college town for the University of South Dakota.
My warm showers host tonight was Sean, a real kindred spirit. At 33, his job in digital marketing and his apartment in San Francisco were disrupted by Covid, so he spent last summer biking across the nation, from Oregon to Brooklyn. He passed through Vermilion, where he had friends, and decided to settle here for a while. His small house was sparsely furnished but quite comfortable, and he cooked me a fantastic meal, including cookies made from cricket flour. Tasty! Our conversation about long distance bike touring, life transitions, and the spirituality of our quests lasted well into the evening. How fun to make a connection with a total stranger!
Distance 64 miles, 3,890 total. Time 7 hours with stops. Elevation gain 2,244 feet.
©️ 2021 Scott Luria
The Ends of the Earth 