Northern Tier Cross-country Cycling Tour, NT Section 4

July 2 to July 7, Minot ND to Moorhead MN

NT Section 4 map

7/02/05 SaturdayRugby ND
7/03/05 SundayMinnewaukan ND
7/04/05 MondayCarrington ND
7/05/05 TuesdayHope ND
7/06/05 WednesdayMoorhead MN
7/07/05 ThursdayMoorhead MN

7/02/05 Saturday, Rugby ND 72 miles

Brendan and Eric eating ice cream at a counter Here are Brendan and Eric escaping from the heat. (Thanks Brendan for the photo.)

My rear tire has failed - the bead separated from the sidewall, eventually causing a flat. Now I'm riding on my 28mm foldable spare. It looks funny compared to the 37mm front tire. I tried to order from Nashbar but the only way they will ship to a post office general delivery is by ground. I guess I'll just hit a bike shop in Fargo, across the river from Moorhead where we have a layover in a few days.

Alan and Don at Rugby ND monument We're camping at Oakwood Inn and Canpground in Rugby. There's a free Internet terminal in the motel lobby. Rugby's claim to fame is that it is supposed to be the geographical center of North America. That's Alan (me) and Don in the photo.

Bill has left without saying goodbye to everybody. Very strange.

7/03/05 Sunday, Minnewaukan ND 61 miles

The only store in Minnewaukan closes at 1:00 so the cook crew (Don and Brendan) got up early and hammered. I rode with Eric and Maddy most of the day. We had strong tailwinds for the last two-thirds of ride.

Water almost covers the road The official Adventure Cycling route along the south shore of Devil's Lake is apparently impassable because of flooding. In the past few years the lake has risen 28 feet. We'll have to take a different route tomorrow.

We set up camp behind the baseball diamond in Minnewaukan. We had to hunt around for areas of dry land to set up the tents. You can see the lake from the campground - not long ago it was 8 miles away. A father/son team, Robert and Justin(?), arrived in camp. They are also doing the Northern Tier. Later another group of five cyclists doing the NT in the opposite direction came in. There are also several RVs here so there is quite a waiting line at the very minimal facilities.

7/04/05 Monday, Carrington ND 50 miles

Cyclists in the 4th of July parade Today is Independence Day. In Sheyenne we noticed a sign for a "Bull-a-Rama" today so we stopped and inquired. We found out that they also have a 4th of July parade and a pit-roasted beef dinner afterward. The 6 of us (Brendan, Jeanne, Ron P, Wes, Don and I), plus Robert and Justin, were entry nr. 42 in the parade.

The roasting pit The concrete-walled roasting pit for the beef takes 24 hours to prepare - the beef cooks for 12 hours.

The dining room We also had beans, cole slaw, baked potato, cookies and drink for $7.00. I believe the guy with the baseball cap between Brendan and Don is Robert, the fellow we met in camp yesterday, and his son Justin is on the other side of Don. That's RonP on the right.

Wes and Jeanne stayed for the bull riding contest after.

Don at sign 'Continental Divide, Elev. 1619' Before this trip I hadn't realized that there's a north-south continental divide as well as the better-known east-west one. We crossed it sometime in the afternoon.

Giant tractor in parade There was another parade in Carrington, featuring giant farm tractors. We're staying tonight in the city park which, compared to the one in Minnewaeken, is cheaper (free) and much nicer. We all went out to dinner in celebration of the holiday. I was hungry in spite of the big lunch.

7/05/05 Tuesday, Hope ND 75 miles

Maddy and Don riding with church on hill in background We had georgeous riding weather today.

Me standing in front of Hope ND post office Brendan, of Hope ME, likes to take photos of all the Hopes we go through. That's me in front of the post office.

The Hope ND city park, where we're staying tonight, is again much nicer than the one in Minnewauken.

7/06/05 Wednesday, Moorhead MN 71 miles

This was a long day with side and head winds. We're staying tonight in a dormitory on the Minnesota State Univ Moorhead campus, which is just across the river from Fargo ND. My cookmate RonE didn't get in until late so Maddy and I walked to the grocery store to shop. Since an oven was available, Maddy made home-made spinach-pesto lasagna.

7/07/05 Thursday, Moorhead MN 6 miles

Layover day in Moorhead. Don and I rode into Fargo.

Don, RonP, (?), me, and shop owner on 5-person tandem Don has been braking spokes in his front wheel. At the Island Park bike shop he bought some spare spokes and had the wheel re-trued. I bought a new tire and tube and had them re-true the rear wheel. They were very helpful and the prices way low.

The manager is a part-time frame builder. He let us (Don, RonP, and me) ride his 5-seat tandem.

Other errands: post office, Walgreens (bought Woolite), library (Internet), Don got a haircut, lunch at Chinese buffet. The Blue Angels are performing this weekend and we saw them practicing over the city.

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