July 13, 2023
52 miles
1,610 miles so far
Today, our route gave us a little taste of the Black Hills, and we achieved another milestone, as we rode into South Dakota! We managed to get on the road before 8am - it helps when we’re staying in a hotel that offers breakfast - much more efficient.
We had checked the radar, and it looked like there were some storms and lightning in the direction we were heading, but they appeared to be moving in the same direction. Our thinking was that since we were going up hill, the storm would move faster than we would. As we climbed out of town, we warmed quickly, the roads were damp, and the air was heavy. I recall thinking that this was the first time, since we’d been riding that it felt like I was back in Florida for a moment (hills aside of course).
Our strategy played out though. As the storm moved in, the skies cleared, and so did the humidity. The rest of the ride was warm and dry.
Most of the climbing today was confined to the first half of the ride. The landscape was changing to the dark green evergreens the Black Hills are known for. About two thirds of the way, we passed through a town called Beulah and then noticed a sign for the Wyoming Welcome Center where we decided to stop for lunch. While there were no signs welcoming us into South Dakota, we assumed that we were crossing the state line and felt welcome anyway!
The first establishment we saw riding into Spearfish was a bike store which we of course stopped at. We were able to pick some more electrolytes powder, and got some good restaurant recommendations before settling into our little neighborhood cottage Airbnb.
Tomorrow’s a rest day in Spearfish!
Dark evergreens of the western edge of the Black Hills
Following the dark clouds
Lunch at our Wyoming Welcome Center as we cross into South Dakota!
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