Day 22 - Gordon to Valentine

Great ride - 95 miles to Valentine in 3 segments, and a big transition.

Today, a great 30 miles to Merriman with very light winds; cool enough for a shell for the first hour; rolling terrain after a steep hill at Mile 6. Nice conversation with the owners at the gas station / very small market.

24 miles to Cody - wind is picking up - and sit around the table with 4 local guys for snack #2.

30 miles to Crookston, winds now gusting from SE; Pop 80, and visit with the Postmistress for 20 minutes - she just finished watering the grass. Does Crookston really need a PO?

New strategy - make myself stop and eat every 25 - 30 miles. It really works.

Really enjoyed the day.

Transition Day - since last Sunday I have averaged almost 90 miles a day, against the wind, in really remote landscape ( think Shoshoni ! ) just to have a place to stay at night. Things change tomorrow as I head into Eastern Nebraska and towns to stay in are closer together.

I'll be returning to the profile of weeks 1 and 2, with daily mileage that allows me to leave a little later in morning and have downtime upon arrival to check out the towns. Feeling very relaxed tonight.

I am in CST ! And not yet 1/2 way thru Nebraska !!

I pass within 5 miles of the Rosebud Reservation today - one of the 3 options IBM presented for the Visiting Professor program in 1986. Seattle was the final offer, and I've often wondered, What If?

Northern Nebraska - I think I will soon be leaving the Sand Hills region. I'm really glad I chose this route. I'd like to get an elevation chart for Route 20.

Though I have continually dropped in elevation as I rode East, I've ridden up and down continuously. And some of the ups have been pretty steep. After 6 Mile Hill today the road finally started to smooth out some.

I've ridden thru some long remote stretches, but it has not been stereotypically boring.. Crops, ranches, grazing beef cows, rolling terrain, river valleys, Fort Robinson and more. Today, to my North, I saw rock outcroppings that reminded me of the Badlands - which are not far away.

I spent a lot of time pondering the Route 20 strategy in the Spring. Good decision; saw some great places; have met some great people.

To Bassett tomorrow - just 60 miles. And two stops planned that I am looking forward to.