Day 12 - To Fargo, ND

Leaving Detroit Lakes:

I spent the morning talking with Greg and Marcia about their travels. Iran and the beautiful people they have met and formed relationships through their travels there was a particular point of conversation, given the recent bombings and confusion with internet cuts and communication problems. It’s clear they are people who love people and they were more than kind to me in the short time I spent with them.

Before leaving I made sure they signed my wheel and that I took a “Big boy camera” picture of them for posterity:

Detroit lakes is officially a town of some 9,800 people but felt like a bustling town regardless. Even at 10am cars were moving all over, and I wend my way though the surface streets towards highway 10 out of town. In this region of Minnesota, it’s the highway or it’s dirt roads, and so I was back on the highway today. However with little fear because the shoulder is ample enough for a whole lane. Most people still tried to give a healthy space, even though it was entirely unnecessary. A few trucks maintained their position as they whipped by, but they neither frightened or endangered me.

Before hitting the highway though, I made an accidental but beautiful sidetrack along one of the dirt roads which afforded some great views of the stunning rolling fields around Detroit Lakes.

However the day was off and on light rain, and so I didn’t have many opportunities to bring out the big boy camera, or really take many photos at all. I put on my rain jacket more for warmth than to prevent myself from being wet. The air was just on the edge of chilly, and when the rain was coming down it would become uncomfortably cool. I left my legs exposed as I did the day before, but they were generating a significant amount of heat from pumping constantly.

Over the low hills, and with a decent tailwind I was making 17-22 mph and so the 52 miles between Detroit Lakes and Fargo scrolled by in the space of about 3.5 to 4hrs of actual biking to make it to Fargo. I can genuinely say after just shy of 100 miles I’m a bit sore, and so tomorrow’s ride might be difficult.

Fargo Proper.

Fargo itself is about the size of Winston-Salem, where I grew up and is in no way similar to the skewed version you may have received from Fargo by the Cohen brothers. The roads are wide and accomodating to cyclists. There were sections around the town in which they had crushed pink granite mixed with tar on the streets to make a crushed stone vias that in some way reminded me of the streets in colonial Williamsburg, but with more cohesion.

These streets, like so many Midwestern towns are overhung by towering trees, making the neighborhood lovely and shaded. Or in this case, less drippy.

These neighborhoods seamlessly blended into the campuses of multiple universities and parks within Fargo. It’s genuinely a lovely city.

Safe Harbor:

Tonight I’m staying with two former UMC pastors, one of which served as a District Superintendent, the other a teacher of Pastors and an experienced Geneologist. Gary and Debra Ball-Killborn of Fargo have graciously allowed me to crash on their couch after we enjoyed a meal and some conversation together. Their rescued chihuahua, Parker, might not be so happy I’m here though, even though he does like scritches. I know it was a particularly cold day for me today because when I stepped into the shower my hands and legs had that icy cold feeling when the hot water hit them that I’ve only experienced when I’ve been exposed to cold for a prolonged period. I may need to purchase a second set of wool socks just for riding — right now my socks are better used for a post-shower warm up.

Debra spent about 45 minutes calling folks down the road to see if they couldn’t figure out the next waypoint for me in terms of lodging. So I at least have lodging set for tomorrow, but I may have a few more lined up. Bob and Robin have also sent out some feelers.

Tomorrow there should be overcast skies, but little rain until around 11pm, when things might get severe. There could be tornadoes at night, but I think the next few days after are finally clear skies and mild temperatures so I can dry out.

The line I’m taking won’t follow the map I purchased simply because there were tornadoes last week that devastated the community that would have been my waypoint for tomorrow. So it seemed more reasonable to keep using the highway and adjacent roads to move along population cooridors rather than taking a road less travelled.

How’s that Bike doing?

So far the bike seems to be holding up amiably to the ride. I expect if my rain sealing job didn’t do what I hope I’ll see the results in about two more days. If it keeps on keeping on, then I’ll just assume the sealing job is good and stop worrying so much.

Tomorrow is a big mileage day, 67 miles at least. I’ve done that before and so I know that I can, but I can also feel my legs are starting to fatigue. I will likely need to do a couple hours of charging to confidently make it to Valley City where my host is tomorrow, so I plan to set out earlier, likely around 8:30 rather than 10. I expect to get there around 4 or 5pm… assuming all goes well.

The last time I expected to get a long distance I only made 42 miles rather than the projected 84. Of course I may have had a failing battery and a failing front bearing slowing me down.

We’ll see. A rest day is probably in my future. I’m hoping for Sunday but it could be earlier, especially if weather is bad on Saturday.