Riding the Straight and Narrow

Thursday, June 04, 2015
Enderlin, North Dakota, United States
75 miles

13 .2 mph average

Our second long day completed successfully! Last night's stay at the "Honey Hub" in Gackle was delightful. We got up about 7, and Chuck had our breakfast of eggs, bacon, and fried potatoes ready by 7:30. That is one of the nicest times of the day, as we’re not usually in a big hurry to get on the road, so we get to sit and visit while we eat breakfast together. Packed the camper and our bikes, and were ready to ride shortly after 8:30. Skies were clear, but there was a light breeze from the east, so we knew we’d face headwinds again today.

The road from Gackle rose slightly, so we warmed up quickly. After that we had a view of the longest, straightest stretch of road we have ever seen (hence the "straight and narrow" title - today would be 75 miles of straight east road with only a zig or zag here or there to get down/up at a river crossing). Most of it was flat or gently downhill, so the 10 mph headwind wasn’t too bad. The thing I think I’ll remember best about this section of North Dakota is the colors – bright green grass along the road, and bright green pastures contrasting with brown stubble or plowed fields and tan stands of dried cattails. There were lots of “ponds” along the way, most of which were actually flooded fields, but they made it look picturesque!

There wasn’t a lot of traffic on Hwy 46, but 75% of it was trucks . Big trucks that, when they pass you from in front, blast you so hard it nearly stops you in your tracks. However, when they pass you from behind, the draft lifts you along and is a lovely help! The drivers are generally very polite, giving us a full lane when they pass. Lots of big farm equipment, too, bigger than I usually see at home.

We took our first rest break somewhere along the side of the road in the middle of North Dakota farmland. We have learned to sit on the gravel at a field entrance instead of on a nice grassy, tick-infested hillside! Rode on generally downhill to the James River. Huge flocks of swallows swooped on either side of the bridge. A short uphill led us back to the flat lands. Lunch was to be in Marion, and I (Ann) suddenly lost all energy with about 2 miles to go. We’d been averaging something over 13 mph, and we dropped to riding 10-11 mph! But we made it to the intersection where Laura waited with the car. Ann chose to go in the car the 1+ miles into Marion, while Dave rode .

Lunch was at the Marion Community Café, where portions were big and prices were pretty cheap and the people were friendly. The rest was good, and we were able to fill our waterbottles with ice and cold water. Then they drove us back to the highway, we mounted up and rode on.


We had 34 miles to go, and with the headwinds, we decided we’d stop for a break every 11-12 miles. For some reason on the first 11 miles, we were really thirsty. I drank my full waterbottle in that 11 miles, and Dave drank part of his. Luckily, we hit a cross road where there was a little gas station/convenience store! We bought a Coke and sat on the bench outside the door for 15 minutes. It was a really nice break! We do carry a couple cans of Coke with us on the bikes, but we like to give business to the little places along the way; we know how hard it is to make a profit.

The winds had actually died down while we rested, so I was able to lead for almost the first time in 6 days! The road was still pretty level, so we made better time . The countryside remained flat farmland – huge fields with rarely a house in sight. Pretty, but hard to capture with a camera. So what do you do when you’re riding mile after mile of flat, straight road? You start taking pictures of each other! It gives a focus to the flat land. And you think up lines to songs, like “The road was long, with never a winding turn, that leads us to who knows where? – Enderlin.”  Not worth publishing, but it gave me something to think about for a while!

At mile 58, we had a nice downhill into the prettiest valley to cross the Sheyenne River. Of course, the other side was a 5% uphill to climb out of that valley, but the views were so lovely that it gave me a good excuse to stop a couple of times to take pictures (and rest my legs!). From there the road flattened again, the wind picked up a bit, but we were on the last stretch. Took one last break sitting by the side of the road (on the gravel, not the grass!), and rode into Enderlin at 4:45 .

Laura had fixed dinner, then left it ready to heat up a bit when we were ready to eat. We sat with them and talked for a bit, then they left us to head north to an “Air B&B” house where they had a room for the night. Becca and Rodney and the girls would arrive in a couple hours to take over staff duties. So we said good-bye to our good friends – they were so wonderful on this trip, and we’re glad they got to share it with us.

Ate dinner, rested a bit, and the kids pulled up a little after 7. There was no peace and quiet after that! But it is so wonderful to have them here – we haven’t seen Haydynne or Sammi since last summer. They quickly got the tent set up while I happily entertained the girls in the camper. Rodney’s sister, Kari, had driven them here, so she left quickly with their car to try to get back home tonight. We got everything settled, and now it’s quiet again – the girls have finally settled down now that Mom and Dad are in the tent too!

Tomorrow starts a new adventure – the first leg we will have ridden with any of our kids. Looking forward to it!-

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