Flat

What is this ground? Neither rising or falling sharply, but something else, something I knew back in Nebraska. Is this...flat? Well, it wasn't entirely flat, but these are the sort of hills I would see in Nebraska, the sort that I no longer consider actually hills. If you don't feel like crying on the way up and screaming on the way down, it's not a real hill. I came nearly 80 miles today, and it was easier than 30 in the Black Hills. No round and round, up and down, up and down, just straight, gradual slopes. It was great. I felt like superman again.

The storm I knew was coming arrived right as I reached Gillette. I was so close to where I needed to be, and the winds were growing fierce and the rain was picking up. I biked harder than I think I ever have trying to beat the storm. And luckily, I just barely made it before the worst of it started.

Joe wasn't so lucky. Joe, by the way, is my bunk mate for the night. He's another cross country bicyclist, from Gaylord, Michigan, biking from Portland to back home, who is being accommodated by the same wonderful hosts as me. He's a very interesting older gentleman in great shape who is doing this as his 60th birthday present to himself. He's been putting me to shame averaging 70 miles a day. Though he does have better equipment and through superior planning has come over a thousand miles only needing to camp thrice, using Couchsurfing and Warmshowers most the time. My hosts too are great. They have a wonderful home and they fed both Joe and I exceptionally well. I'm showered, laundries, and happy as can be.

Oh, yeah, I saw wildlife today. Living wildlife! I see lots of dead stuff, but rarely anything alive. There was an antelope that bounded away from me along the side of the highway, a rabbit, and a deer. It was nice. Other than that, didn't see much today. I passed through the audacious little town of Upton (refer to pictures) and saw its reconstructed "Old Town". But it was nothing terribly impressive. Today was a day about people rather than places. And I met some truly spectacular ones.

I could rest here another day if I wanted. I think I'll leave that decision for the morning.

This post brought to you by AT&T LTE coverage in Gillette.