Day 11 – Kathryn, ND to Fargo, ND

Distance 71

Total Distance 557.7

We had thunderstorms and lightning last night and I thought later in the night they ended, but rain came and it stayed.  I slept in a bit and then just delayed about an hour to see if the rain would let up.  It didn’t, so I decided I better get going.  We didn’t have cell coverage or internet, so we couldn’t look at the forecast. It was going to be a long day and it looked like the wind was somewhat at my back, so I took off.  It was a northwesterly wind and I was headed west, so during the morning it did push me along a bit.  It rained pretty steady until about 1:00 and during the day the wind switched to coming from the North and it blew pretty hard. I was on a two way highway, so when the trucks would pass, I pretty much got showered each time.

At 1:00 I started having to head north to Fargo.  The map was a stair step approach to the City and every time I turned north, the wind was terrible.  It was blowing at a sustained 25 mph.  I think with the rain and then the wind, my patience was pretty thin.

I stopped in a little town called Kindred and got the lunch special at a gas station/eating joint.  It was sloppy joes, mac & cheese & chips.  I was thinking the sloppy joes or mac & cheese were the options, but got the whole thing.  Actually it was very good and gave me the energy I so desperately needed.  The last ten miles into Fargo were heading due North.  I really was wanting to call Lyle and have him come get me, but I persevered (I know that surprises you based upon my past behavior ☺).  I got into camp about 4:15 and was spent.

I cleaned up and Lyle and I have been craving tacos lately, so we found the nearest Taco Bell and headed there for dinner. Today is the last day in North Dakota.  Here are some things I’ll remember about North Dakota:

1.       They have rumble strips on every road and most of them are a pin in the neck for cyclists.

2.       This time of year, this state is beautifully green.  Pretty much corn, wheat & soybean farms and grassland with many cattle grazing.

3.       Hilly in the west and flat in the east.

4.       Pretty remote.  You ride and ride all day (and day after day) and things don’t change at all.

5.       The wind blows nonstop here (and hard).  And it blows from all directions.  Hard to count on westerly or easterly winds to ride a certain direction.

6.       It is a long way across.

You can see the water logged fields from all the rain today.  This is it for pictures today.