Damn Wind Again

It was less miles to go today, but a harder day even still. It started out great. Lori treated me to breakfast and even provided me with a couple really tasty homemade granola bars. In the course of our talk she told me about a friend of hers who runs 100 mile races, and how she explained to her that most of the challenge was mental, not physical. It was something I ended up keeping in mind later in the day as I struggled. At the start though, it was all easy going, quiet roads, flatness or rolling hills, shoulder for much of it. I even rode a little gravel for a stretch near the border without it going badly, even though it still unnerves me a little. I was having fun.

Then almost as if a switch were flipped, it all went downhill (and not the literal, fun way) as soon as I entered Minnesota. Highway 23's narrow shoulder might have been just usable even with a rumble strip down the middle of it...if the wind weren't suddenly blowing me about. It was mostly headwind, with just enough crosswind to be all kinds of trouble. It seemed to come out of nowhere and then just got worse throughout the day. At one point my weather app claimed it was 20mph with 30mph gusts, and I wouldn't be surprised if it was understating a little.

At Jasper I got a real shoulder back and I literally rejoiced (there was an exclamation of "wahoo, shoulder!" that would probably would have bewildered anyone who might have heard it). But the wind of course just kept worsening, and I kept slowing. I made myself take a break in Pipestone. I reminded myself that being a tourist after all, I should actually, you know, tour something. I checked out the historic district (which wasn't much) and saw their somewhat unique water tower. Then I stopped in at their gift shop and talked to a very welcoming and informative Native American man. He told me about his years quarrying pipestone and the hard work it is, about the significance of Pipestone as a crossroads for many Native American people, and when I told him I was going around Lake Superior, he told me of some people he knew of who walked around the whole lake every year to generate awareness for what they see as the spiritual significance of the land. Even if I don't share those kind of beliefs, I can appreciate that sort of undertaking. And I think I can appreciate the basic concept of the Mother Earth as well. Take care of the earth, let it take care of you. There's very little to argue with in that. Seeing Pipestone monument itself was better for having had explained its significance by someone who cared so personally.

After that, it was back to the grind. I was really surprised when I got on Highway 75 and found it had no usable shoulder. But I was also relieved it didn't have as much traffic as I expected either. ...There was still enough though. And every semi that passed me going the other way required bracing, as it felt like a slap in the face. The wind was just brutal. Where I'd been going 12 to 14mph earlier in the day, by the end I was slogging all out to go 7 to 8. It's demoralizing when even as you get closer, your estimated time left to get there doesn't get any less because your pace keeps slowing.

But I made it here to Lake Benton at last. I found a couple trees, set up my hammock...then decided there was no way I was actually doing that in this wind. There's a really nice full-on heated shelter (with the bathrooms in it) here, which I am in right now, and if I wasn't worried about getting in trouble (even though it makes no sense I should), I would just throw down my sleeping bag on the floor in here and sleep. But as it is, I expect I shall be laying out my bag on a picnic table, again. Such is life. I'm sun-burnt, sore, and probably not going to get great sleep. But you know, I'm still excited for a new day tomorrow. I think as Lori and I were talking about, that's the mental part, and that's what counts.