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Mike Beck and Bill Zarakas, overaged men with a totally unfounded belief in their physical capabilities, have decided to bicycle across the country from Seattle, WA to Annapolis, MD. Why? Family and friends attribute this to their limited cognitive capabilities and a complete absence of common sense. Mike and Bill do not dispute this. But it is also an adventure, and who does not like an adventure? Follow us on ours. It should be interesting.
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Day 18: Riders On The Storm
Bismarck to Steele, 45 miles, 2200 feet of climbing - that’s all.
If there was a day on this trip that would break us, today would be that day. We spent nearly the entire day in a wild storm on the Great Plains, complete with 30 mph headwinds with gusts up to 70 mph, lightning, thunder, biting rain and hail. (No locusts, though.) It was quite a scene, and one that could easily have taken the wind out of our sails - if we weren’t battling the winds already just to stay upright.
We started out this morning from Bismarck after checking the weather reports for points east. Forecasts called for a hot day with winds from the east (of course) accompanied by intermittent thunderstorms and rain. It didn’t turn out that way.
The sun was out as we started out riding 18 or so miles east into a stiff headwind. We saw some weather ahead, as forecasted, and took shelter under an overpass to ride out what we expected to be an hour or so of T-storms. We suspect that any passing motorists might have thought they spotted a few trolls lingering about there, but it was only us. The storm just kept coming and the winds picked up significantly. We wound up staying there for over three hours until it looked like the worst of it was over. We also checked with the National Weather Service web site that seemed to suggest the same. We (and they) were wrong. It was far from over.
We headed out on Old Route 10 and after a few miles found ourselves in the thick of it again, but this time we were fully exposed. It turns out that the storm had stalled right over us or, as the NWS said, the storm “became stationary.” And due to the winds, we were almost stationary as well. Not the best combination. We were in for a pretty wild ride for the next 20 miles: constant wind and rain, periods of drenching rain and hail, lots of lightning and some very loud thunder. And, the temperature dropped down to the mid 50s.
We finished the day tired, soaked and cold, but in surprisingly good spirits. We had a few laughs throughout (like typical simpletons do in dangerous situations), a few scares, and more than one “how did I get here” thoughts. We were rewarded for our day of hard work and discomfort with a sandwich from Subway at the local truck stop. Can it get any better? We hope so.
And, we know that we can’t slip the other reason by you that we decided to end our day here in Steele ND. It is, of course, the home of Sandy, the world’s largest sandhill crane. We couldn’t pass him (her?) by without paying our respects.
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Comments
That must have been a seriously scary situation in the elements without any options for shelter after leaving the overpass (which doesn't sound that great either)! I've been on a boat with winds at 50mph and that felt crazy so on a bike with gusts to 70 sounds totally outrageous! So, so happy you are on the other side of this dreadful day! Great photo but I must ask you at some point to explain whether you are smiling because you reached your destination which is totally normal or you are beaming in the midst of a treacherous hailstorm in which case that might be, well, not as normal... You continue to amaze! Bettina
ReplyDeleteI really can picture you two trolls under the bridge for three hours just yucking it up! "Are we having fun yet?!?" Can we dream that the storm broke the heat at least for a few days, and shifted the wind in the other direction?
ReplyDeleteOuch! As a meteorologist, I agree this was a seriously botched forecast. Even the most state-of-the-art, high-resolution regional computer models missed the boat on the persistence of the storm complex and the strength of the easterlies. Glad you all are OK :-) —Bob
ReplyDeletePace yourselves guys. You’ve made some great decisions so far and done incredibly well. Enjoy the scenery and take in all you can about this beautiful Country. You’ll have the rest of the Summer yo reflect on your adventure.
ReplyDeleteWow, another memorable day. Good to see that you are both (apparently) no worse for the wear. Now you have another story to add to the list. Just ahead in Jamestown is the worlds largest buffalo. A must see.
ReplyDeleteMike, I see you have discarded the shaving kit. It was probably taking up too much room anyway.
Seriously scary! I could completely picture the trolls under the bridge LOL!!!! Hope tomorrow will be better and the wind gods will have mercy on you
ReplyDelete