BrianT USA 2013: Stage 3 part 1 Casper to Wall, South Dakota

'Total distance so far 2711 kms

Coffee milk shakes. 27

Ice creams. Lots and lots and lots !!

To day we left our second rest stop Casper. A more boring town I am sure does not exist.

We went to the movies yesterday as most of the town was shut. The movie was The Lone Ranger even that was a shocker.

First day out was 176 kms and if there is a god then he obviously likes me (at the moment). We had a great tail wind til the 150 kms mark then it became a strong side wind. We averaged 34 kms an hour for 176 kms !! We even overtook a coal train which was travelling beside us. Yeeha I arrived in Lusk and have had some shocking cramps, guess I need to drink more ( I know Jack will give me a hard time ). We have a ritual now for our group of 5 riders. If you get the first puncture or mechanical of the day then you have to buy Chocolate thick shakes for the group. One day Mark had a puncture and 2 mechanicals and ended up buying us all lunch !!

Lusk is a tiny town but very friendly it does look a bit worn down though

it is small but not as small as Lost Springs

We left Lusk with a thunderstorm and rain on the road. Luckily the storm was blowing our way so we flew through the morning, unfortunately I had a flat just before lunch so the shakes were on me for the day. We rode to Hot Springs which is in South Dakota yeeha new State, a distance of 133 kms.

Here is my riding group entering South Dakota - except the guy far left. ( Phillipe = HUGE KNOB )

We left Hot Springs with the thunder belting and rain everywhere on what should be a brilliant day.

We rode uphill for 1000m and into Wind Cave Park. It is a natural habitat park for Bison and Elk and Antalope and prairie Dogs. It's a beautiful park, rolling expansive and spotless. We saw a herd of Bison but did not get close as they had young.

Can you see the Bison ?? No well there aren't any I took the photo for the sun rays. But it is beautiful.

35 miles up the road we rode past the Mountain they are carving as a huge sculpture of Crazy Horse. It is huge. This project has been funded by some very wealthy guy.

It's about 680 feet x 600 feet it is expected to take 100 years to complete. This photo shows what has been done so far

This is what it will look like when completed with the horses legs in the middle of a large lake.

We then rode up to Mt Rushmore where the 4 Presidents have been carved into the rock face. Really this bit of the ride is amongst the best riding I have ever done. The scenery is spectacular and the roads in great condition. 3 million people visit Mt Rushmore every year. Talk about a Cash Cow !! For South Dakota and nearby Rapid City which is a really nice town. About the size of Bunbury but much nicer.

5 Great Men ??

How many heads do you count in this picture ?? - the answer is two, see the marmot on the rock in the foreground ??

We finished the day with almost 2500m and 110 kms.

Our pace line group went out for dinner in Rapid City and had a fantastic steak dinner. Wow wine is so cheap here. We paid about $35 for each bottle of wine which I think was a bargin as the wine was great as were the steaks. - Man cannot live by Pasta alone !!

When we returned to the hotel we were watching TV and a warning came on the screen. Saying warning in this area !!. 5 minutes later a severe wind storm hit the hotel. Amazing !!

Nice short day to Wall only 94 kms. Very strong cross breeze from the north all ride. I have learned from experience that because its a short day does not mean it is going to be easy. You must still be prepared to ride hard because something always comes along to stuff it up.

Wall is an interesting town. We have been seeing billboards advertising Wall Drug Store for the past 700 kms !! The town is very small and appears a bit like a fake town. Wall Drugs started about 100 years ago and struggled. The wife of the owner suggested that they put signs on the Interstate motorway offering free iced water. Travellers started pulling off the motorway and coming to town to get their free iced water. Remember cars had no aircon and its damn hot here. The store is now a Mecca for tourists, with over 2 million visiting each year. It is a large western style store selling cheap crap by the ton. Oh yeah, they still serve Free iced water and coffee costs just 5c.