D2 Pringle to Toalstool State Park


(Toadstool Park)
Another great day on the bike! I was on the road by 8:05, one minute different than day one. The day was 50% feeling pampered by the Mickelson Trail and 50% going back to the open road where you feel on your own. 
The day began rolling through forest gradually returning into more open country. Sunflowers lined the trail. Eventually, it lead into a beautiful canyon. While I was stopped to get pics, a couple came strolling down the trail. Faustine and Ted are from Fort Collins, but Trail regulars. After a few minutes of conversation they invited me to stay with them if I am ever in Fort Collins. More friendly, kind people.
It was downhill to Edgemont. The town needs some economic activity. They are down to one restaurant. The City Park was hosting a celebration of life. It felt like a service for the town. The waitperson at the Victory Steakhouse and Lounge warned me there was a lot of nothing south of town. Coming from her that meant something. 
She was right. There are two 'towns'. Provo is mostly a huge junkyard. Amazingly, my Chadron host met the owner in Lava Hot Springs soaking. It's actually a thriving business. He deals in old and rare car parts. If you need a door for a 1950's Studebaker, you go to Provo, SD. Naturally, the pavement ends in Provo. I was happily back to gravel until Highway 71. Back on 71 I passed through Ardmore which seemed like a ghost town, then soon after I was back in Nebraska!
Soon I turned off onto Toadstool Road. I rode past the vast Oglala National Grassland. The road was a nice smooth clay in the wheel ruts. Gradually these cool eroded buttes emerged to the west. I was getting close to Toadstool State Park. After 75 miles I was relieved to see the entrance road. I hustled in and grabbed the last spot, #6. 
Pat from Michigan introduced himself. He warned my that there was no water at the Park and gave me two liters. I had plenty but I would have been a jerk to say that. I think I had about 8 liters of water. 
I set up camp then went on the one mile interpretive walk around the park. Normally, those kinds of walks are tame, but this was very spicy. The trail zig zagged around cliffs, high steps, and strange rock formations. It was one of the coolest short walks I have done. It included a sod house and fossilized footprints.

Along the walk I met two young guys who were out exploring. They were at the Chadron Job Corps site and also going to Chadron State College. One, Dravon was from Omaha. He asked about the homelessness problem in Seattle. I knew the drill by now in rural areas. I said a lot of people who aren’t mentally ill or have drug habits are homeless which is when he told me he’d been homeless. I am glad he’s doing a lot better now.

Pondering the mysteries of the world in the strange landscape, I returned, made dinner, and went to bed under clear skies.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Consolation Tour - Seattle to Yakima and back - D1 Home to Carter Creek

Image
I am not sure who'll actually read this, but writing this is helping me get through my recent cancer diagnosis. I couldn't do the continuation of my planned cross USA trip so I did a five day trip from home to Yakima via the Cascades to Palouse Trail and back via Naches Pass. To paraphrase my brother, spinning my pedals was better than spinning my mind. Overview static map: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/48494574 Day 1 Map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/220754440 Animated Map: https://www.relive.cc/view/vwq1gzDDdLO (This was the only entry written the day of the ride. It was written in the dark at Carter Creek ). Today's ride begins with me nervously pondering which way to ride my big loop. Go counterclockwise to Greenwater or clockwise to Snoqualmie Pass. I flip flopped all the way up to my departure. I decided to ride my commute route into work to see folks in the office. Work is a comfort in these times. I was worried about the rain situa...
Read more

Consolation Tour D3 Yakima Canyon to Little Naches River

Image
Static Map:  https://ridewithgps.com/trips/221899884?privacy_code=Hrw5hypqs7SqCpXgaV4qYVyJRR6aVWVB Animated Map:  https://www.relive.cc/view/v1vjY87M8Jq I woke up a little after six. The sky was blue but the sun hadn't reached the canyon floor. I listened to the morning birds while I contemplated the day ahead. The Waffle Caffe in Yakima two hours away, beckoned. With just a mini breakfast of bars and dried fruit, I set off down the road. Beaufiful views abounded. I found myself stopping to snap pictures almost every mile. Traffic was light. Most of the time I had the road to myself. Despite the number of times I have driven the canyon, the experience was new. I thought about my mom who drove the canyon almost daily to attend classes at CWU to finish her BA while being a new mom and managing a marriage that was heading toward the rocks. The canyon walls seem to enclose us on our own personal journeys. The canyon is more developed than I remembered or ma...
Read more

Consolation Tour D2 Carter Creek to Yakima Canyon

Image
Static map: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/221188106?privacy_code=aq0uBAb1YD3hG0VxuuIfF4J5F4JOE5iy Animated map:  https://www.relive.cc/view/vXOnkz8kn56 The day began gray at Carter Creek. I slept well despite a visit by a small critter outside my tent. In the morning I found a stroupwaffel in my handlebar bag. It all made sense. The morning prep was easy paced and steady. I was on the trail by 8:17 on the nose. The sound of the creek pervaded the camp but as soon as you reached the trail you could hear I-90. It was a strange feeling being so physically cut off with the sounds of the modern world still present.  The trail continued up past the Lake Annette trail where I spent time with college friends, Kisho as a baby, and Jesse's family at various times. This was a different perspective having taken so long to reach it. I'd find that a lot of this trip. New perspective on familiar places.  I passed the snow shed where I'd been on my fir...
Read more