Stage 21 - Glendive to New Town ND - June 13, Friday

Friday's adventure posted Monday ... sorry gang, I'm several days behind.

A LAZY START ...

The day starts at 9:00. After packing the car, we enjoy a delicious and sizable breakfast. We won’t ride till we travel 70 miles east. First we stop at Makoshika State Park encompassing badlands containing dinosaur fossils and rock from the Hell Creek Formation. We enjoy some amazing scenery. The day is off to a slow tranquil start.

We van into North Dakota. Yaaayyy! Great times were had in Montana but it’s time for a new State and new adventures.

“Old Man” by Neil Young plays on the radio. I love that song. I think of my Dad whenever I hear it. I’m not sure the lyrics all apply but it doesn’t matter. It’s the feeling the song evokes that resonates.

TODAY'S RIDE PART ONE ...

We arrive at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, South Unit. We are eager to ride the Park’s scenic loop. Once again Mother Nature plays with our plans. A four mile section is closed around where a section of road was wiped out by landslide.

The loop ride consists of several steep ascents and a number of gentle descents. I am committed to not play the rabbit today bounding away from David and Jonah and riding solo. I want to ride with them. We climb 1,800 feet over the 25 miles we ride. Our pace is a slow spin as we stop to take pictures and absorb the beauty. David and I enjoy the climbs; although steep sometimes hitting 10% they are short. Jonah’s legs have taken the day off and he’s struggling despite his best efforts.


The total ride takes much longer than it might have yet we are enjoying the warm weather, the beautiful views, and the pleasure of riding with the only destination ending where we started. With about 7 miles to go, I quicken my pace and ride ahead. I remind David I have plans to call my grandson Noah this afternoon and my time slot is shrinking.

Wait! Buck Hill beckons. It is a one mile mostly paved road to the highest point in the park. Surely I have time for this. I turn left and begin to grind. Did I mention the steepness? The road’s 8% to 11% grades make this adventure that much more invigorating. I settle in. I have learned several different pedaling postures to maximize different leg and ab muscles. My most amazing discovery is a new ability to get stronger as I ride uphill, driving a higher cadence and increasing my speed. It may sound silly but I feel I have reached cycling adulthood. I am now capable of doing hard things well over long distances or up great heights. I enjoy the climb up Buck Hill and even more the inevitable summit. The views are magnificent. Hiking trails offer even nicer views but I am a man on a mission. I need to descend Buck Hill and finish cycling where I hope to have cell service.

GRANDCHILDREN AND LOVE ...

I am about a half mile from where the road is closed when I decide to call Noah while I have cell service. The call is made. Noah is very happy to hear my voice, "Papa" he cries; "Where in the world are you? We talk for a few seconds before I lose service. When I call back on FaceTime, Noah and his friend are distracted by a neighborhood dog. Terri and I chat for a few minutes. Realizing the actual speaking part of conversation with Noah is over, I ask Terri to reverse the screen so I can at least see him for a few more seconds. Noah runs past Terri, shouts "Hi Papa" and disappears into the garage. Terri and I wrap up. I am happy. I know a call between Noah and I will last ten seconds or five minutes with the shorter call more likely. Hearing his voice full of love and enthusiasm for his Papa warms my heart and gives my step a little more bounce. We all need positivity in our lives. After a rough day yesterday, Noah's boundless love buoys me.

I have two grandsons and two granddaughters. I love each one of them intensely. I get in trouble because I talk more about Noah than Ryan, Sophia or Norah. I understand. Yet Noah and his mom lived with Terri and I for five years. Noah has been a constant part of our lives since he was one. He is a little boy without a dad and while I cannot replace the void, I am the man in his life for now. I am happy being his Papa and want nothing more, nothing less. Noah has a special spot in my heart that is indisputably his and his alone. What I give he gives back and more.

Science tells us that nothing is infinite. Everything has a limit or upper boundary. A person's capacity to love is boundless. My love for one does not limit my love for others. My heart's capacity to love my children and grandchildren knows no bounds.

RIDE PART TWO - THE GODS OF RANDOM ADVENTURES STRIKES ...

We are way behind schedule. As we van north, David evaluates our options. We will skip the loop ride in the north section of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It is getting late. David asks if I want to ride more; I say yes but I want to be at our destination by 10:00 p.m. We calculate we can ride 30 miles or so. We enter Central Time zone; what was 9:00 is now 10:00. I laugh to myself; we haven't started riding, are already past my 'deadline', yet I know that is forgotten. We leave the van and start pedaling; David happy to chaperone my first night ride. It is dark but not too bad; our lights leading the way. We maintain a nice pace.

Fifteen miles in, David's rear tire flats. We fix it. My knuckles bloody on my left hand; David's spokes sport a mean edge. We have no bandaids so I put one of David's medical gloves on my hand. I am a member of a distinct club: people who cut their hands fixing David's tires. The fix flats before we start riding. We call Judy to pick us up, David out of tubes. To our west we see an approaching storm with dramatic lightening spearing the dark sky. The wind blows hard and then harder. I comment we have't heard any thunder; David assures that is because the storm is so far away. Another lightening strike ... with thunder now! Ha! Not so far away, I say. The wind is blowing even harder. David and I joke it would have made a hell of a tailwind and contemplate the speeds we would have ridden with that behind us. Thankfully, Judy arrives just in time. After we secure our bikes atop the van, the rain starts coming down.

The evening ends uneventfully. I find it hard to sleep. Jonah and I talk cycling for a while and then call it an evening.