Kadoka to Oacoma

Hot and dry. That aptly describes the ride today, 115 miles of powder dry heat.

It was another windy day, though that was tempered by riding with a strong group. We rode in an echelon on a quiet road. When the wind is coming from one of your front quarters, the echelon formation is most effective in preserving energy when not taking your turn pulling the peloton. The main challenge is when you have six or more riders you are spread across an entire lane. And if it’s a busy road, it becomes an untenable formation. An option is to form 2 to 3 formations. But even then, the last rider has to be particularly attentive to traffic approaching from the rear, and when it does, move directly behind the rider in his direct front. It’s amazing how much energy can be saved, and speed can be gained, when working with a well oiled pace line.

We are now in the prairie land of central South Dakota. It is bereft of any remarkable features, unless endless miles of gently undulating prairie land can be considered remarkable. It’s like a sea of green. I’m not sure why a frontier wagon was called a prairie schooner. But I’d bet it had something to do with the similarities of the prairie schooner sailing through miles and miles of prairie grass, moving up and down with rise and fall of every hillock, just as a deep water ocean schooner would rise and fall with each cresting wave.

Road engineers weren’t particularly challenged in having to move a lot of obstacles in the building of roads. They go straight, they come to an intersection, then they go straight again. I kept thinking of the Robert Earl Keen song, ‘The Road Goes On Forever, and the Party Never Ends’. I can attest, this road did go on forever…never did find the party, though.

Until next time…