It was another beautiful weather day for riding. I started in the town of Beach at the very western edge of North Dakota and hoped to make it to Taylor. The riding was a mix of Old Highway 10 and I-94. Despite what I said yesterday, I preferred Old Highway 10 over the interstate today. Even though there wasn't much shoulder at times, it was very lightly traveled and I think the speed limit was 45 mph (or maybe 55 mph in places). But it was the very little vehicular traffic that tipped the scales in its favor.

However, the day ended in a frustrating way. Just at the eastern edge of the city of Dickinson, I got a flat tire. I was only about a tenth of a mile past a gas station/convenience store, so I walked back there. I also texted Lailla who was very nearby in the Subaru. I patched that small leak in the shade and was soon on my way. About a mile later, I had a second flat on the same tire. Even though I had inspected the tire at the gas station, I missed a small piece of glass embedded in the tire. Lailla again came to my rescue. Since I was out of patches, my only option was to replace the tube. After pumping it up, I was working on putting the pump away when the tire blew. I don't know whether I had pinched the tube or whether it had a manufacturing defect or what. (Probably the former.) But by that point, I was fed up and decided to call it a day after only 66.4 miles, about 13 miles short of Taylor. Tomorrow is another day.

On to a few pictures:


Old Highway 10 east of Beach was a nice ride. Interesting bluffs and other scenery, good quality road, and almost no vehicles.

The Painted Canyon. I don't know if this is part of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, an adjacent state park, or a regional park, but I had a good view of it from the interstate. Unfortunately, it was on the wrong side of the interstate and by the time I cropped out all the highway lanes, it looks like a panoramic photo.

There is definitely a lot of agriculture in North Dakota:

Sunflowers.

Wheat.

Corn.


Oats (I think) being harvested.

I've also seen many people plant multiple rows of trees, usually around their house, presumably as a wind break.

Comments

  1. AlexAugust 27, 2025 at 10:47 PM

    Fantastic trip Craig! Love the narratives and photos. Hi to Lailla, Carrie and Sherri too!

    ReplyDelete

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