We left Pierre, SD (after another rest day due to the weather) on a sunny but windy Sunday morning. The cyclists Charlie Porter and son had already departed and we never saw them again. We climbed out of the Missouri Valley to cycle on top of the hills with many views down to the Oahe Dam and the Lake Oahe, which reaches far north to within 20 miles south of Bismarck, ND. 

 

View of Oahe Dam

 

That afternoon we were the only visitors at the Cow Creek State Recreation Area. We selected a site under some shady trees, moved the table/bench every 30 minutes into the wandering shade and enjoyed. Nearby was a restaurant where we picked up coffee in the afternoon.

Next morning was sunny and warm. We dried out our tent while we had breakfast in the restaurant. That day we had a strong wind from ESE. Due to the layout of the roads (E-W or N-S) you either have a strong headwind or tailwind. That day we had both of it. We made it to a resort close to the Missouri River bridge on US Hwy 212. They had a nearby Gas Station/Mini Mart. Again we were the only tenters but 3 other RVs were also there.

 

View down to Missouri River and Hwy 212 bridge

 

Never in our lives we have seen so many trucks (and even fifth wheelers) pulling boats. We learned that "Going Fishing" is a Million-Dollar-Business along the many man-made lakes in the Dakotas. There are several communities that seem to depend totally on the fisherman. AND: You cannot go fishing with just your fishing rod. No, no, you have to bring a boat on a trailer (20 feet long). You go with three (3) motors: the first for the speed is not less than 200 HP, the second for start and landing is about 35 HP, and the third is powered by electricity and doesn't disturb the fish. And then all the electronics: Fishfinder, GPS, Cellphone, Echo and... and ... and. And then one or two armchair seats with can holders. Yes friends, I am not kidding! In many accommodation along the Missouri River and its lakes, Maren and I were the only ones who were NOT fishermen.

After a warm and sunny evening  a rain front crossed the place in the early morning. By 8 o'clock we escaped from our tent to the Gas station for breakfast and a warm up. 

 

Checking out emails in gas station during rain near Hwy 212

 

The short rain showers made for a late start. At first we had to make it some 12 miles against the wind to the East and then 22 miles north again against the shifting northerly wind. But it dried out and the sun came in the afternoon. We stopped for overnight in the tiny town of Akaska (appr. 30 people with a restaurant, a grocery, a campground, a motel and a bait-shop). We set up the tent, dried it out and went to the restaurant for dinner. The owner, Nancy Friesen, was very impressed when she learned about our trip. We showed her the maps from Adventure Cycling.

The night ended already by 3:30 in the morning. A storm was shaking our tent. It rained hard. After a while we evacuated the tent and took shelter in the bathroom with all of our gear. I secured the tent with some extra cords and stakes. So we had our early morning in the warm bathroom and dried out again. That was the reason why we were the first customers in the restaurant when we showed up for breakfast at 7 AM. We knew from our maps that we had to make it over 9.5 miles of gravel this morning. Nancy Friesen knew that the road had recently been graded and would make for very dirty biking. With the added rain, this would be hard for us. So she decided to give us a ride in her truck into the next town of Mobridge. 

 

Nancy Friesen driving us to Mobridge

 

We were very very thankful, Nancy, when we saw the messy roads from the truck! It ended up that we checked in into a small motel (all fishermen) in Mobridge very early that morning. There were showers and strong and cold NW-winds this and the next day, so we stayed for two nights.

 

Rest day in Mobridge

On Friday the wind was still blowing hard from the Northwest. But at least it stayed dry. We battled our way some 40 miles north to Pollock. We encountered one of the most interesting hill climbs in the Dakotas. (It is on the cover of map section 3 from Adventure Cycling) 

 

Long and winding road... Great hills in Dakota

 

In Pollock we found very friendly and helpful people. They gave us the best room in the only motel. The friendly lady, Vina, from the Visitor Center spent a long time showing us all the treasures she and the other locals had collected over time. Every visit in the Pollock Cafe ended with a longer discussion with the locals. Due to the storm we stayed for two nights again.

On Sunday morning (Memorial Day Weekend) before we left for North Dakota, the owner of the motel, Arthur Dienert, showed up during our breakfast with some 50 photos taken in Germany during his 16 month stay with the services. And the most interesting: HE KNEW ELVIS! He was in the same barracks in Germany and he worked with him occasionally and also met him at other friends'. 

 

 

We started under gray skies and after 10 miles we crossed the border to North Dakota. That day we made it to a campground  at Beaver Creek Recreational Area. Again we were the only tenters among many RVs. We had just set up our tent when a rain shower came down. We took shelter under a tree and walked to a nearby restaurant. Those people were very friendly and interested in our trip. They had a Bulletin Board on the wall with Polaroid photos of L&C cyclists, who had stopped there. Our photo was included. That evening there were a few more rain showers so that we had to retire into our tiny tent very early, listening to the tunes of our 1-Dollar-Radio.