Day Thirty-Eight: Bracing for the Badlands

What a day.

The ride was hot! This Mid-West heat wave is taking a toll on us, slowing us down and pressuring the water van to make securing ice for water a priority (there's nothing worse than a bottle of warm water on a blistering day). The temperature today peaked around 104 degrees, though the soil and rock of the Badlands    can radiate heat, making the Badlands top around 120 degrees (note: this information was given to us by a local. The rocky land certainly radiated heat, but I question whether it was as hot as 120 degrees).

So it was a long day, and the group moved slow, making all the climbs that day more difficult (personally, it's more difficult for me to climb slower than to just push my way up a hill, but I'm part of a team and I don't want to create a gap or leave a rider alone to climb). Tensions were high as we turned onto a hilly dirt road...

Rolling Hills as far as the eyes can see...with the Badlands lurking in the far off distance.

But we persevere as always, and before I realized it we were entering the Badlands!

Turning into the Badlands; It's an awesome National Park for cycling! 

The Badlands stretch on for miles and miles. The park covers a total of 244,000 acres.

Rock formations like this one line the roads of the park, left by water long ago.

We had the rare opportunity to encounter a bighorn sheep up close!

The different colors indicate different types of soil.

Trees burst through the rock-soil down from the cliffs.

The Badlands terrain is commonly used for moonscape scenes in films.

Tonight we're camping in the Badlands. It's my first true camping experience (I don't count sleeping in the tent in the host's backyard in Mitchell, SD). I'm perfecting my ability to set up a tent, which will be a skill needed later in the trip. Due to a high fire danger, we won't be able to have a camp fire tonight. Luckily, we don't need to cook dinner because we were able to secure enough donations from the nearby town of Wall, SD. Some are calling tonight "luxury camping." For me, nothing about this is luxurious. You can take the city-boy out of the city, but you can't take the city out of the boy. Let's see how I adapt to nylon walls and a sun-thermostat.

Goodnight from Under the Rain-fly,

James

-----------------------------------

Today was dedicated to a man I met while driving the van into Chamberlain, SD. He saw our van parked on the street--we were lost and looking for our host--and came over to speak to us about his ongoing battle with cancer. He was inspired by our efforts and graciously thanked us for it. Wherever he is, I hope he is doing well and continues his fight.