Day 41: Manistique, MI to Mackinaw City, MI

Evan Malinchock

Waking up in the fog is something dream like, the world around you seems muffled and the air seems thick. The cars on the road in front of my tent appeared to be forming in the air and dissipating just as quickly. I was shaken out of my stupor by Brian reminding me that we had to bike 90 miles today.

Fog over the Manistique Bridge

After packing up an absolutely drenched tent we hit the road and stopped to eat a bike loud 19 trademark, the grocery store breakfast. Between stuffing my mouth with a bagel and cream cheese and washing it down with coffee I took some time to appreciate the moment. This bike trip has been everything I ever wanted and more and I was so fortunate to be here in this moment, no matter how benigne it may be.

After miles of unremarkable biking in gloomy foggy and overcast weather we stopped for lunch at a classic yooper (the name that upper peninsula people go by) restaurant. Wes and I stuffed ourselves with pasties, handheld meat and potato pies. The pasties were delicious and it seemed like the second we finished them off the sun came out brighter and hotter than ever.

After another 45 miles of putzing along Lake Michigan we pulled into St Ignace. It was here we caught a ferry across Lake Huron's crystal clear waters to Mackinac Island (pronounced Macki-NAW, don't ask me why). There we caught another ferry to Mackinaw City on the mainland. Mackinac Island seemed like a bizzare world to us dirtbag cyclists. There are no cars, so it seemed like every single inch of sidewalk was taken up by bikes. The houses, mansions, and stores, seemed like they were pulled directly out of Disney World, and the rolling hills in the background were as picturesque as the rest.

Wes enjoys the view from the ferry

Evan on Mackinac Island

After a short walk down Main Street we hopped on a ferry that brought us back to the lesser picturesque rv park that we're camping in now. The day was one of massive scenery changes.

Day 40: Felch, MI to Manistique, MI

Brian Richardson

We made it through our second of three big days in row across the UP. I was particularly worried about today since we had 100 miles to do and the forecast was calling for thunderstorms for most of the day. But when we woke up at 5:30 (one hour early to get a jump on the time change just down the road), the sun was out. I had envisioned this three-day push to be nothing but long, grueling hours in the saddle, but the riding today was pleasant and enjoyable.

Once we turned onto HW 69, the rolling hills got much more gradual. I felt fine doing 27 miles before stopping for a quick breakfast in Perronville. 15 more miles got us to Escanaba, where we had our first view of Lake Michigan. We stopped at a bike shop there to top off our tires with a floor pump and to buy enough chamois butter to get us to Petoskey. We followed the coast of Lake Michigan for another hour or so before having lunch in Rapid River. At Rapid River, the route put us back on HW 2, the same road that took us through Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

Lake Michigan

We checked the weather forecast at lunch and saw that a big storm was supposed to hit in the afternoon, so we ate quickly and got back on the road. There’s nothing like the sight of approaching storm clouds to add some spice to the last few miles of the day. We didn’t stop once for the next 40 miles into Manistique.

Storm clouds above HW 2

When we arrived, we called the local campground and found out that they were fully booked. Our next move was to go to the visitors center, where we met another former Eagle Scout working there who said we could spend the night right here. As soon as we set up our tents, the sky opened up and we huddled up on the covered porch of the visitors center. For the moment, we are trapped here and unable to get anywhere for dinner, but I feel very lucky to have some protection from the torrential rain.

Manistique, MI, pre-storm

Manistique, MI, peri-storm

Manistique, MI, post-storm

Day 39: Conover, WI to Felch, MI

Wes Malinchock

Today was really the first day of our final push into the long awaited Petoskey double break day. Last night we decided that we really wanted to make our July 3rd date, so we would need to do 3 long days more than 90 miles each, instead of taking 4 normal days across the Upper Penninsula (or the "U.P." as we now know the locals call it). We consider these days to be pretty big days because we have a lot more miles planned than we would typically like to do, and today definitely felt like a big day.

We woke up to a great breakfast at our Warm Showers host's house, and as soon as we were fueled up and ready to roll the rain started. It kept up until we reached the Michigan border, but didn't bother us too much. This surprised me because last time we got rained on it took a huge mental toll on me. However, today we could see clear skies off in the distance as we biked toward them and I knew that we had many more miles ahead of us so there was no time for complaining. What was really bad were the mosquitos that seemed to swarm in the morning rain. We needed to keep rolling or else our legs would be covered with them in a matter of seconds.

We crossed into Michigan and began to hit some pretty big hills. Wisconsin had some nice rollers, but to me some of these Michigan hills felt like walls. They slowed us down a bit, but I think we are finally starting to get to the point where our endurance is pretty high and we can pretty much bike over anything given enough time. Later in the day the hills mellowed out as we started to ride some more major roads and the sun even came out! We rolled into the tiny town of Felch with just under 7 hours of saddle time today. Now we have plenty of time to rest up before we get up tomorrow and do it all again!

Day 38: Butternut, WI to Conover, WI

Evan Malinchock

Waking up in Butternut was one of the easier nights as I planned ahead and woke up 15 minutes before Wes and Brian so I can get my moaning and groaning out of the way before they get up. After a short ride to the local diner and another pancake breakfast we were well on our way to our warmshowers host’s house.

Evan and Wes enjoy some shade in Manitowash

The riding was through beautiful forests and bogs that were extremely reminiscent of those in the 100 mile wilderness of Maine, but instead of ravenous blackflies it was the mosquitoes that made it feel like we were constantly under attack. The closer to the Upper Peninsula that we got, the steeper and larger the hills seemed to get. I began to find myself reaching for lower and lower gear ranges up climbs that looked like they should have taken me a few seconds on my road bike at home.

After reaching Manitowish Waters, WI we hopped on some bike trails and began to experience unrelenting heat for the remainder of the day! The remaining 40 miles of riding felt as if we were in an oven with temperature gauges reading 94° through the afternoon.

Mercifully we arrived at the Benson household where we spent the afternoon swimming in the lake that Dan and Barb lived on, showering, and feasting on homemade black bean burgers and corn on the cob. The Benson's told us about their son, Brian who did a similar bike trip to Portland and back a few years prior and how life changing it was to him and them! After dinner Wes and Brian went for a boat ride as I hung back to tend to a persisting upset stomach that has been bothering me the past few days, and catch up on a little rest. The kindness and hospitality that the Benson's showed us was second to none and we were so fortunate to have met them and exchanged stories with them, and we honestly could not thank them enough for the time we had in their home.

We took an interesting road to get to the Benson’s house

Looking forward we have three massive 90+ mile days in a row in blistering heat on the "U.P." but for now we are in a wonderful place surrounded by wonderful people and we could not be more fortunate!

Watching the sunset on Lake Buckanabon

Day 37: Stone Lake, WI to Butternut, WI

Brian Richardson

We woke up at the usual 6:30 this morning and biked 18 miles before breakfast. The three of us agreed that this is the perfect distance for a pre-breakfast ride. It’s long enough to make a dent in the day’s mileage and to work up an appetite, but not so long that you run out of energy and fall into a calorie deficit.

After having pancakes and oatmeal at a casino in the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation, we biked into the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Park. We left the wide open farms and dairies of western Wisconsin and entered a more densely wooded area. On either side of us, row after row of pines and spruces grew above a lush bed of ferns and wildflowers.

When I rounded one of the bends, I saw Evan up ahead on the side of the road, fixing something on his bike. It turns out that one of the screws on his back rack had fallen out and another had snapped from bearing the extra weight. We did not have any replacement screws, so he wrapped it up as best as he could with duct tape and prayed that it would hold until we could find a hardware store. Not one mile later, we took a turn onto Service Road 7, a “Rustic Byway” according to the sign. The next 5 miles were riddled with potholes and debris. It is a true testament to Evan’s ingenuity and to the strength of duct tape that his rack made it out without any more problems.

We stopped for lunch at a cafe in Clam Lake, where we met two locals named Tim and Crystal. After talking with us for a bit, they picked up our lunch tab and made a generous donation to our fundraiser!

At 2pm, the quarterfinals World Cup match between the US and France started playing on TV at the cafe. We had made decent time in the morning, so we decided to hang out and watch the game. At halftime, the score was 1-0, and we were confident the Americans could hold their lead, so we pedaled on to Glidden. There we found a hardware store where we got some screws for Evan and learned that the US ended up winning 2-1!

Tonight we are camped out in the small and pleasant town of Butternut (population 345). Our maps didn’t list any camping available, but a quick call the city hall secured us a place to pitch our tents at the local fairgrounds.

Butternut, WI

Day 36: Break Day in Stone Lake, WI

Wes Malinchock

It was a pretty mellow break day as far as break days go. We were able to sleep in and get a nice, easy start to the morning. I was finally forced out of my tent when it started to get warm outside and my rain fly began to trap the heat from the sun, turning my tent into a sauna.

The afternoon called for rain and we decided to head down the street to a coffee shop, The Whistle Punk, to wait it out inside. We spent most of the day there and were able to catch up with family (a lot of people out here recently have told us to call our mothers) and enjoyed some Wisconsin brats and great coffee. As I write this we are enjoying a beautiful sunset over Stone Lake, the second cleanest lake in Wisconsin, and being eaten alive by mosquitos.

In my head I think this was really more of a teaser break day. In 6 days we plan on being in Petoskey, Michigan to meet up with one of our friends and take a well deserved double break day. It has been a long term goal of ours since Washington, and it will feel great to finally make it. Even though we have technically broken the halfway point of the trip already, I think that we will really feel like we are at the tipping point when we make it there. It was a good chance to rest our legs and get out of the rain for the day, but I feel ready to take on tomorrow and start our final push!

At the biker bunkhouse a few days ago we crossed paths with another group of cyclists headed east to west. One of them has created a web app at www.tourbook.cc where you can visualize your bike tours if you log them daily via Strava like we do. I have set up an account for myself there, and you can view our trip HERE daily as we make progress!

Day 35: Cumberland, WI to Stone Lake, WI

Evan Malinchock

Break days are somewhat holy to our bike trip. Time almost doesn't exist in the traditional sense, instead we measure time and distance until we no longer have to bike. I'm saying this so when we all unanimously decided to forfeit our break day this morning for another early wake up with another 50 miles it meant something about this trip, who we are as riders, and the experiences we've picked up on the road.

After finding out that the forecast has only worsened for Thursday, we all groaned as we saddled up. None of the groans were as loud as mine when I reached for my wallet only for it to have been lost (or forgotten) at a Family Dollar the day before. This held me up an extra thirty minutes as Wes and Brian enjoyed fresh pastries and coffee at the local co-op down the street.

After downing some coffee and a cream croissant we hit the road on a slightly altered route that took us on some of the most fun twisty and windy back roads that Wisconsin had to offer. We rode through tunnels of trees along lonely lakes for miles to pop out at the small town of Stone Lake.

Stone Lake was never even a consideration to us, being 14 miles outside of our intended destination of Hayward. But this charming little town reeled us in at Marie's Hideaway, a bar and grill with some amazing grub and even better service. The folks at Marie's (mainly their hilarious and generous owner, Frank) offered up a patch of land behind the restaurant to camp in and then told us dinner was on the house! After which they suggested we head down to the lake a block behind our now campsite, to enjoy the 2nd cleanest lake in all of Wisconsin.

Frank and the Bike Loud crew after dinner at Marie’s

After the much needed baths and nourishing foods Frank joined us for a few photos and told us to make a campfire our by our tents to cap the night off. We have been so fortunate to have met the kind souls that have given us so much out of the kindness of their hearts. I just want to say that their generosity is not going unnoticed and that I hope I can even dream to pay it forward in my lifetime.

Day 34: Dalbo, MN to Cumberland, WI

Brian Richardson

The plan today was to ride 84 miles into Cumberland. On long days, we typically like to get some miles under our belt before breakfast, so we picked out a cafe in Harris (24 miles down the road) and set out with pancakes on our mind.

I had the maps and was in charge of navigating for the morning. About an hour in, I started to wonder if I had made a mistake somewhere; the road we were on was supposed to turn into County Road 8, but I hadn’t seen a CR 8 sign for several miles. We pulled over to try and figure out where we were and, indeed, I had missed a turn several miles back. I studied the map for a bit and figured that it would be quicker to continue the way we were headed than to double back. “Don’t worry guys, I got this.”

Flash forward 10 minutes and we were climbing punchy hills on a gravel road several miles north of the smooth, paved CR 8. In total, the detour added about 7 miles (and some gravel-grinding), which isn’t terrible, but it was definitely not my best move. We got to Harris, a little hungrier than usual, but our spirits were high. The sun was shining, the wind was at our backs, and big stacks of pancakes were on the way.

Around midday, we descended to the St Croix River, where we said goodbye to Minnesota and then climbed steeply back up to the start of a bike trail that we would ride for the next few miles. A woman who worked for the trail system asked about our route and gave us some pointers for the trail. Before she let us go, she made us promise to call our moms often and then told us where along the route we could find the best brats. That’s right, bratwursts- we’re in Wisconsin now.

After 10 miles on the packed dirt path, we were back on winding county roads. The small farms we rode by were separated by groves of beach, ash, and pine trees. The scenery was pleasantly similar to the roads around Chapel Hill, and I kept expected to round a bend and see Maple View Farms or the Saxapahaw General Store at the top of the next hill.

With our bonus miles from the morning, our total distance for the day was 91 miles. We were pretty tuckered out when we got to Cumberland, but not too tired not to take a dip in Beaver Dam Lake and go to Nezzy’s Restaurant for trivia night.

Beaver Dam Lake

Trivia Night!

Day 33: Little Rock, MN to Dalbo, MN

Wes Malinchock

Today really began a few hours before we officially got up and on the road. Specifically, at 3:30am in barn full of antiques during a thunder storm. I was awakened by howling wind against the side of the barn that our host had provided for us that night. Something outside was making a loud banging noise against the side of it and I was surrounded by old wedding dresses and antique furniture casting wild shadows. Needless to say it was a little freaky. Fortunately, I was able to get back to sleep and woke up to some sun beams filtering through the vents near the roof of the barn. This was a great sign that we had a nice and clear morning of riding ahead of us despite last nights weather!

We biked a couple miles down the road for breakfast at a bar. The forecast for today showed storms scattered throughout the day so we made plans to stop short at another biker hostel only 40 miles down the road in case we needed to bail out of the rain. At breakfast a light rain came through and we decided to stick around and play some cards with the bar owner while we waited it out. On trips we have taken in the past, the card game "Spades" has been a favorite of ours. Unfortunately, it requires four players so the three of us tend to drag any interested stranger into a game at any chance we get. Eventually the rain slowed enough that we were able to comfortably hit the road and ride some gorgeous country roads at a nice pace to the biker bunkhouse just outside Dalbo, Minnesota.

Dalbos, MN

We were greeted by the bunkhouse's owner, Donn, in the drive way and as soon as we stepped inside I knew this is where we were staying the night. Donn has created a great space for tired cross country cyclists with private rooms, a fully stocked kitchen, and a great living area to hang out in. Even though the weather outside was relatively clear, we all knew that we would regret it down the road if we didn't stop here for the day. We spent the rest of the day hanging out in the hostel and planning our next few days. Donn even showed us a way we could cut a couple miles off of our ride tomorrow, which made us feel a little bit better about stopping short today!

The Bicycle Bunkhouse

Day 32: Alexandria, MN to Little Rock, MN

Evan Malinchock

The quote and piece of advice that we have ignored the most this trip was "NEVER trade a dry place for a wet place". I like to believe that this extends to the idea that you should never trade a bed for a thin leather bike saddle and an 85 mile day, yet here we are again.

After begrudgingly waking up and leaving a comfortable warm bed in a room all to myself I was greeted by Jeff and Sue Meland with a piping hot plate of Keto pancakes and a cup of coffee. There is no finer way to start the day, than keto blueberry walnut pancakes, real maple syrup, and coffee. It was at breakfast that I vowed to never eat anything other than pancakes and syrup for breakfast for the remainder of the trip.

After a filling carbless breakfast, the Melands decided to ride with us (and in Sue’s case, dust us) on their bikes to the paved trail where we would remain for another 70 miles. It was there that we said goodbye to our much appreciated hosts and headed on our way!

Jeff and Sue say goodbye after riding with us back to the trail

The morning was exactly what I have always imagined bike trip life to be like ever since joining the troop, smooth flat bike trails linking many towns, multiple gas station breaks, and playful conversation among the crew, filling the miles with laughter and fun. The riding was easy and we were enjoying it, but the impending storm approached with each pedal stroke. Almost immediately, when we turned off the bike path the skies turned dark and rain began to fall.

The next 14 miles were marked with hallmarks of the past few days, exact shared pulls, headwinds, and wet feet. Fortunately we reached our destination before we got too miserable, Alice's Attic Antiques. Alice was kind enough to set us up with cots in the loft of her barn full of antiques where we will weather out the storms tonight and possibly tomorrow morning!

Alice’s Attic, 4 miles east of Little Rock, MN

Our accommodations for the night

Day 31: Rothsay, MN to Alexandria, MN

Brian Richardson

Since Bismarck, we’ve had four days in a row with a relentless headwind, and by yesterday afternoon it had really started to take a toll on our legs. Last night, Wes suggested that we make today “a chill day.” The plan was to ride 18 miles into Fergus Falls before breakfast and then decide how far to go from there. It was raining for most of those 18 miles, and there was a headwind the entire way. Each of us took a turn riding in front and blocking the wind for 6 miles. Our chill day was not off to a great start.

We found Fergus Falls to be a beautiful town situated around the Otter Tail River. We rode down streets lined with Ash and Oak trees (I’m still not quite used to seeing so many trees) to the Viking Cafe downtown. A leisurely breakfast of pancakes and hash browns put us back on track for our chill day.

Fergus Falls, MN

We decided to make Alexandria our destination, which is about 65 miles from where we started in Rothsay. Right outside of Fergus Falls, we picked up a bike path that goes for almost two hundred miles through Minnesota. The path is flat and smooth, it keeps us off of the busy roads, and it provides some shelter from the wind.

Wes and Evan on the Central Lakes bike path

We cruised along the path for the rest of the morning, passing through small towns every ten miles or so. It’s a nice change to have services so often, especially after being in some remote areas in North Dakota. In the afternoon, we rode through a particularly buggy section of trail where we once again had to take turns riding in front, only this time the leader was blocking the others from thick clouds of gnats rather than from headwinds.

We rolled into Alexandria at 5pm, later than usual after our extended break in Fergus Falls. Our typical strategy for finding a place to camp is to call the local police station and ask if we can stay in any of the town parks. A phone call with the Alexandria PD made it clear that this would not be an option tonight.

Alexandria, MN

It was now almost 6pm, and we were getting desperate, so we knocked on the door of the Calvary Lutheran Church, hoping to find a patch of grass where we could set up our tents. Before we knew it, we were being introduced to Pastor Hans and half of the Calvary’s congregation, including Sue and Jeffrey Meland, who offered to host us at their house for the night. We attended the Saturday evening worship service then rode over the Meland house for dinner, showers, and laundry. Once again, I am blown away by the kindness of strangers. We owe a huge thanks to the Melands and to the incredible Calvary congregation for their generosity.

Dinner with the Melands

Day 30: Enderlin, ND to Rothsay, MN

Wes Malinchock

Today may have been one of the most physically demanding days of the trip for us so far. I never would have thought while I was climbing mountains on my bike in the Cascades and Rockies just a few weeks ago that it would be a flat day crossing into Minnesota that would tire me out this much. The main reason today was so exhausting was the 15 mile per hour head wind pushing us backward all day long. Personally, I would also factor in the train depot we slept near last night for waking me up periodically throughout the night, but Evan and Brian were somehow able to sleep fine.

We were excited to cross over into Minnesota and put another state behind us, but it seemed like North Dakota was not ready to let us go. The winds started out slowly and blew from the east in the morning, but as the day progressed the winds picked up and actually adjusted perfectly to match our south east heading in the afternoon. Fortunately, we are starting to see small patches of trees again for the first time since leaving western Montana and they gave us a small break from the wind when they lined up right. However, as we got to the last 25 miles of the day we started seeing gusts of up to 30 miles per hour in our face or at our sides as storm clouds formed behind us. Luckily we ended up dodging the storm and ending the day with 6 hours and 25 minutes of biking, a long day even without the head winds.

I like to follow the days that we took on our 2013 bike trip along as we progress through this summer's trip. I'll check my list of towns we passed through 6 years ago and see what we were doing on this day of the trip. Interestingly enough, on our 30th day of riding in 2013 we also had one of our hardest days of the trip crossing from Minnesota to South Dakota. We faced strong head winds out of the west all day and I remember being just as exhausted after that day as I am now 30 days into this trip.

I think the hardest part of biking with a head wind is actually the mental factor. Today we had flat and smooth roads with good shoulders, but we could only go about 11 miles per hour maximum if we were really pushing it. This slow pace when you feel like you should be going much faster really starts to take a toll around hour 4 of biking. I would look at my bike computer and watch the miles tick by slower and slower throughout the day as we got more fatigued. The only thing you can really do is focus on the motion of your legs and remind yourself to keep the pace even and steady so you can make progress without expending too much energy. Eventually we got to town around 5:30 pm and are now able to settle in for the night. My legs are sore, my face is wind burnt, but I am ready to wake up tomorrow and see what a new day holds.

Day 29: Gackle, ND to Enderlin, ND

Evan Malinchock

I woke up with a massive crick in my neck due to the awkward sleeping position that I volunteered to take up on a mini couch. But today was not a day for complaints, today was Brian's birthday and my gift to him was an absence of complaining. We quickly packed up our stuff in the biker hostel and said goodbye to our westbound friends. We thankfully made it out on the road in a break in the rain, but after an hour or so of riding the downpour began again.

Trying to outrun a storm heading our way

The rain that we have received recently is the type that makes you forget that being dry was ever a concept. It soaks you to your bones and leaves your whole body looking and feeling like a raisin. Instead of being just another negative post about how rain is putting me down, here's some positives of the rain:

• You never get hot

• It hides your tears super well

• You never really need your water bottle

• ???

After grinding out 40 miles in torrential rain and powerful headwinds, we pulled off at a cafe in Marion where we drank coffee and played cards while waiting out the rain for a good three hours. Once we got kicked out of the cafe, we hit the road again but this time the rain subdued to a light drizzle! The next 36 miles zipped by as the scenery changed from fields to river valleys to forests and as our bodies began to dry out from the relentless winds!

We pulled into Enderlin, North Dakota exhausted from the long day, but after filling ourselves with pizza, cookies, and birthday cupcakes we set our tents up in a park near downtown. The day was a tough one but the prospect of a new state fueled us to continue on despite the horrid conditions.

Day 28: Napoleon, ND to Gackle, ND

Brian Richardson

In an article for the REI Co-op Journal, outdoor-adventure writer Kelly Cordes defines the term ‘type 2 fun’:

“Type 2 fun is miserable while it’s happening, but fun in retrospect. It usually begins with the best intentions, and then things get carried away.”

Today we had a lot of type 2 fun.

When I woke up at 6:30, it was raining. Our options for the day were to ride 38 miles to Gackle, where we could stay at a bike hostel, or ride 98 miles to Little Yellowstone, where we could stay at a primitive campsite. We decided to take the Gackle option and slept in a little longer.

When I woke up again at 9am, it was still raining. We slowly packed up our things; we were in no rush to leave the warmth of our sleeping bags to go bike in the cold rain. With only 38 miles to do, we figured we had plenty of time to grab breakfast at a bakery down the street. We sat inside, enjoying the warmth and sipping hot coffee for a long time before deciding to bite the bullet and head out into the weather. This was at 11:15, and it was still raining.

As soon as we turned on to HW 34, we were blasted with a headwind that would last for 37.5 of the day’s 38 miles. The wind made us work harder and ride slower, but it also brought on a deep chill when combined with the rain and 50 degree temperature.

We took turns ‘pulling,’ or riding in front to block the worst of the wind. I would pull until I got too tired, then rotate to the back of the line to draft until I got too cold, then rotate to the front and repeat. There were no services between Napoleon and Gackle, so we didn’t take any breaks during our 3.5 hours biking. We arrived in Gackle, drenched and freezing cold, and it was still raining.

Gackle got some rain today

In Gackle, we spent some time looking for the Honey Hub Biker’s Oasis that some other cyclists had told us about. It didn’t show up on our maps, but a local who saw us out in the rain looking confused showed us where to find it. We weren’t sure what to expect from the Honey Hub, so we were thrilled to find out that it had warm showers and a place for us to sleep indoors.

The Honey Hub, Gackle, ND

The hostel is run by a family of beekeepers who spend their summers here in North Dakota, where the weather is more gentle for their 12,000 bee hives.

Zoe and Gayle, two cyclists on their way from Maine to the West Coast, had already arrived for the night and had no problem making room for three more, soaking wet, smelly, exhausted, people. The five of us went to dinner together and shared stories from the road. It was still raining as we walked back from dinner to the hostel.

Gayle, Zoe, and Wes relax inside

It’s interesting to note that, in Kelly Cordes’ article, the first example of type 2 fun he mentions is “riding your bicycle across the country.” It’s also important to realize that a key word in the term is “fun.” From all my whining about biking in the rain, it may seem like I’m having an awful time, but the truth is I had a lot of fun today.

Day 27: Bismarck, ND to Napoleon, ND

Brian Richardson

We hit the road again this morning after a solid day off in Bismarck. A nice paved bike path kept us off the busy streets until we got out of town. Once outside of Bismarck, it didn’t take long to lose all signs of the bustling capital city. We are back in small-town North Dakota and our maps tell us that services will be few and far from here until Fargo.

The terrain today was more of the same rolling hills we’ve had for much of North Dakota. We passed by corn fields and cow pastures and enjoyed the mild temperatures. After a few days last week in the upper 90s, a cloudy 70 degrees felt great. We arrived in Napoleon at around 3:30 this afternoon after biking 73 miles with a decent headwind.

My grandmother sent me an email the other day with some questions that she wants me to answer in the blog.

“I’d like to hear what you three do in a typical evening. Do you have to search for a park to sleep in or do you know exactly where you will go? Do you eat at restaurants?  Sit with locals for meals? Do you stay up talking with other riders at campgrounds?”

The beautiful thing about the bike trip is that there isn’t really a ‘typical evening,’ but I’ll describe what we did today once we got to Napoleon to give you all a general idea.

The first thing we did was go to the local grocery store to stock up on food for the next few days since we’ll be in pretty remote territory.

Next, we had to find a place to stay tonight. Our maps said that camping is allowed in the town park here. We asked the owner of the grocery store about the park and she pointed us in the right direction. When we got to the park, we unpacked our stuff and took a little time to unwind from the day. I did some stretching (my legs are real sore from battling the headwinds today), and Wes switched his front and back tires (the back tire wears down more easily, so moving it to the front helps it last longer).

Wes swaps his tires

The town park has a shower (this is not always the case), so we rinsed off and then I washed my bike clothes in the sink and hung them up to dry. We still had some time to kill before dinner so we hung out at the park for a bit.

Brian playing on the playground

Around 6pm we walked over to The White Maid family restaurant. We did not sit with any locals tonight, but it’s not uncommon for people to approach us when we’re at a restaurant and ask about our trip. I have been cooking most of my meals myself (this is partly to save money, and partly because I love cooking), but I usually join Evan and Wes for dinner and then make mine afterward.

Back at camp, I read (A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson), journaled, and wrote this blog post. We’ll probably play cards soon (hearts is our go-to game, but if anyone has any recommendations for 3-player card games, they would be much appreciated). There aren’t any other cyclists staying with us tonight, but on nights that there are, we share stories about the trip so far and discuss our plans for the road ahead. Bed time is usually pretty early, around 9 or 9:30, and we could probably fall asleep much earlier if the sun didn’t stay out for so long.

Thanks for the questions Nana! If anyone else has questions or suggestions for the blog, feel free to email them to us at BikeLoud2019@gmail.com.

Day 26: Break-Day in Bismarck, ND

Wes Malinchock

I pretty much live for the break days on bike trips. After a week, or in this case ten days, of spending six hours a day on the bike it feels great to take a day off to rest and prepare for the next leg of the trip. This time we decided to take a day off in Bismarck, North Dakota. We normally like to take days off in smaller towns but we found a nice and cheap place to rent for our day off so we even got to spend our time off inside!

I got to sleep in this morning and take it easy as I enjoyed not having to pack up my things or be anywhere in particular. After getting up, I walked through the suburbs of Bismarck to grab some breakfast and groceries. Luckily our place came with a washer and dryer so we also got to do some much needed laundry! After we were all done with our separate morning routines we took a look ahead at our maps and planned out the road ahead to our next break day somewhere along the Wisconsin border in seven or eight days. We also planned our escape route out of the city tomorrow to get back on the Adventure Cycling route.

North Dakota Heritage Center and Museum

Later in the day Brian and I visited the North Dakota Heritage Center and Museum. It was a lot of fun to learn a little more about the state we had biked half way through already. My favorite parts were learning about the native peoples who live here, seeing the fossils that have been found in areas we biked through, and learning about the nuclear missile silos spread throughout the state. It does feel kind of strange breaking our daily routine of biking, and sometimes it gets a little boring just hanging around. However, I know tomorrow our legs will be much better for it and we can take on the next leg of the trip and start looking forward to the next break day!

Day 25: Richardton, ND to Bismarck, ND

Evan Malinchock

The Abbey was still fast asleep as we woke at the even earlier time than usual of 5:30. We woke up extra early to account for the time change that was just down the road not more than ten miles from where we slept.

Misty morning ride

Our groggy eyes and tired legs were welcomed to a beautiful sun rise ride where there was a cool mist rising across the plains. We could see antelopes galloping through fields and over hills. The morning was pure beauty that was followed up with amazing riding through sleepy towns that were closed on this Sunday, rolling "hills" that us North Carolinians would consider mountains, and pastures of cows seemingly judging us as we zipped on by.

North Dakota has been such a pleasant surprise in every single way. The towns have been so hospitable and the people have been absurdly kind at any given point. The scenery was something I would have never expected, over every crest of every hill there's another new wonder, from painted canyons (or as Brian calls them "nooks n' crannies"), to mountain ranges. We've experienced such natural diversity and beauty from a state that is often made fun of for being so boring, and once again my presumptions have been shattered by this amazing trip.

Day 24: Beach, ND to Richardton, ND

Brian Richardson

We’re only a day and a half into North Dakota, but I have to say it’s definitely a top-four state of the trip so far.

We were on the interstate again this morning, but as Wes mentioned, I-95 makes for really pleasant riding. The rumble strip and 10 foot shoulder gave plenty separation between us and the cars, which were few and far between. We traversed rolling hills with a strong tailwind for 26 miles into Medora for breakfast.

Repping Be Loud! out here in Teddy Roosevelt National Park

Medora is a small town inside Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It is surrounded by a stunning landscape of painted cliffs that looks like something out of a Dr Seuss book. We rode by the Cowboy Hall of Fame on our way to the bike shop there. Wes and Evan picked up some spare tubes since we had two flats yesterday.

Medora Cowboy Hall of Fame

36 miles down the road, we hit Dickinson, MT, which is the end of map #4 of the Adventure Cycling map set we’re using. Each section covers several hundred miles of the Northern Tier bike route, so it feels like a big milestone whenever we finish one. While we were sitting inside a gas station for a lunch break in Dickinson, a brief, but heavy rainstorm rolled in. Had it been 15 minutes earlier or later, we would have gotten soaked out on the road!

22 more miles of rolling hills got us to our destination of the Assumption Abbey in Richardton. A friend had told us that the abbey here, connected to St Mary’s Church, regularly hosts cross-country cyclists. We were welcomed in by Father Charles (Father Odo usually helps out the cyclists, but he was busy) and given warm beds and showers. Supper was at 6pm in the dining hall with Father Charles and all of the other monks.

Dinner with the monks

Today was our ninth consecutive day of riding since our last break-day in Whitefish. We’re planning to ride into Bismarck tomorrow and take a much-needed day off there. That means tomorrow is a very special day that I call “break-day eve.” I can hardly wait.

Day 23: Circle, MT to Beach, ND

Wes Malinchock

I felt well rested waking up in Circle, Montana after our shorter 50 mile ride the day before. We had breakfast at a gas station in town and hit the road around 8 am. Unlike the day before, we were expected to have a pretty solid tail wind all day. However, I was a little worried about doing a 90 mile day after we had two short days previously. We were also all starting to get a pretty fatigued from being on the road so long since our last break day.

Fortunately, the tail wind came as expected and we had a pretty easy time pedaling the first 40 miles. For the next half of the day we would be on the interstate which worried me a little bit. I had ridden the interstate before in Wyomong on my 2013 bike trip and although the hills were more gradual and the shoulder was wide, we got a lot of flat tires from debris in the shoulder and truckers were generally pretty rude. I guess the interstate culture here is much different, because I was very surprised to find how pleasant riding the interstate was today! Although, I did get one flat tire, the shoulder was very nice and the truckers seemed happier to see us there than sharing the back roads we had been on so far! Plenty of cars and trucks gave us a friendly honk and wave as they passed, which was a nice morale boost for us as we baked in the 90 degree heat.

Before I knew it we were at the North Dakota border and just three miles away from our destination town of Beach, ND. When we got there we found what I had called a "classic bike trip town" that featured a nice shady park next to a pool that we were able to use to cool off and a restaurant bar. Towns like Beach are exactly what I think of when I remember my 2013 bike trip, and when I look back on this trip I'm sure it will stick out to me as another perfect bike trip town.

Goodbye Montana!

Day 22: Wolf Point, MT to Circle, MT

Evan Malinchock

On paper today was supposed to be one of the easiest days out of the entire trip. On paper it was supposed to just be 50 miles of soft rolling hills in gorgeous blue bird weather. It ended up being one of the more physically exhausting days of the trip so far.

Wind is the biggest game changer on the prairie when you're 5'8" and weigh 135lbs (at the start). We had a massive headwind all day that persisted from the very first pedals of the ride that never did let up at any point in time. Climbing is manageable, you can put your head down and spin your legs up to the top of a hill, but with wind you're constantly in a battle of taking two steps forward and a hop back.

The thing that made today exceptionally rough was the brutal sun and heat that we encountered. Even at 8 am we were being baked by the massive Montana sun, and this was only the beginning. A bank's weather clock in Circle read that it was 99° today when I arrived, dripping sweat for the first time on this trip. It's insane that not even a week ago it was snowing in sheets and I was nearly hypothermic.

The road behind

The road ahead

The final little nagging thing about today was that there was a constant set of rolling hills that you could never get a rhythm on the climbs or descents. You'd spend all the climb fighting the wind, sun, and the grade just to be faced with many more hills like the one we just climbed marching on to the horizon. There wasn't even a break on the descent, the wind made going downhill almost as strenuous as climbing.

I'm quickly learning that a perfect day on paper is dooming that day for failure more often than not unless the mileage is 0.