The bar fell dead silent, I apologised and left.
Caramel Pig
Peddling the Dirt across North America
Lake Wobegon
Stage 6
Horace, North Dakota – St Joseph, Minnesota
200.59 Miles – 320.94 Kilometres
Total distance ridden 2323.38 Miles – 3717.41 Kilometres
Mara had been excitedly preparing us for a big breakfast. After a deep sleep we eagerly hiked into the kitchen, expecting to be fattened. She served for us two eggs on toast, it was very delicious, but about a quarter of what we were expecting. They were such lovely, well-meaning hosts, that we didn't want to ask for more food. We left quite hungry.
Warren had rerouted us, which was great. This took about 20 km off the trip by pushing us over some gravel roads and dodging the built-up areas. However, we were relying on those built-up areas for shops to buy our day's rations. We stopped for our second breakfast and ate the last of our cornflakes with yoghurt, but still felt hungry. The only food we seemed to have on us was grapes, they didn't help much. I realised I was bonking.
Bonking is a cycling term for when our body shuts down and is unable to exert itself. It is caused by a functional depletion of glycogen and can hit quite suddenly. It is a truly horrible experience where a total lack of energy brings on melancholy and irrational behaviour. It can only be fixed by slowly replacing the depleted carbohydrates.
I was very aware that I was going downhill quickly and was starting to get quite desperate for carbs. The only option was to keep riding until we found food. Minnesota had quite a lot of litter on the wayside and cycling past all the food wrappings wasn't helping. Eventually, out of nowhere, we stumbled upon an expensive poncy cafe. We stopped, stormed in the door and ordered a large warm cinnamon roll and a coffee each. We didn't care about the price, we just sat and slowly stuffed our faces. As visibility cleared, I noticed how pretty and cutsie the eatery was. They were playing Christian worship music, it was lovely, though a little too feminine for me. The whole lack of food experience was a narrow miss, we were fortunate to get through it. We usually kept emergency freeze dry-rations on the bikes, I have no idea why we didn't stop and cook or if we even had them.
We cycled on to Pelican Lake, where we searched in vain for a place to cook. In the USA, people are able to buy lakefront properties and block them off so that other people cannot visit the water. Coming from New Zealand, this is a strange and selfish concept. We ended up cycling into a camping ground and after asking, used one of their picnic tables.
One of the interesting things we noticed about western Minnesota was that all the cars seemed to be registered in North Dakota. Minnesota was green, hilly and beautiful. It had lakes, corners, and again, lots of litter.
Horace, North Dakota – St Joseph, Minnesota
200.59 Miles – 320.94 Kilometres
Total distance ridden 2323.38 Miles – 3717.41 Kilometres
Mara had been excitedly preparing us for a big breakfast. After a deep sleep we eagerly hiked into the kitchen, expecting to be fattened. She served for us two eggs on toast, it was very delicious, but about a quarter of what we were expecting. They were such lovely, well-meaning hosts, that we didn't want to ask for more food. We left quite hungry.
Warren had rerouted us, which was great. This took about 20 km off the trip by pushing us over some gravel roads and dodging the built-up areas. However, we were relying on those built-up areas for shops to buy our day's rations. We stopped for our second breakfast and ate the last of our cornflakes with yoghurt, but still felt hungry. The only food we seemed to have on us was grapes, they didn't help much. I realised I was bonking.
Bonking is a cycling term for when our body shuts down and is unable to exert itself. It is caused by a functional depletion of glycogen and can hit quite suddenly. It is a truly horrible experience where a total lack of energy brings on melancholy and irrational behaviour. It can only be fixed by slowly replacing the depleted carbohydrates.
I was very aware that I was going downhill quickly and was starting to get quite desperate for carbs. The only option was to keep riding until we found food. Minnesota had quite a lot of litter on the wayside and cycling past all the food wrappings wasn't helping. Eventually, out of nowhere, we stumbled upon an expensive poncy cafe. We stopped, stormed in the door and ordered a large warm cinnamon roll and a coffee each. We didn't care about the price, we just sat and slowly stuffed our faces. As visibility cleared, I noticed how pretty and cutsie the eatery was. They were playing Christian worship music, it was lovely, though a little too feminine for me. The whole lack of food experience was a narrow miss, we were fortunate to get through it. We usually kept emergency freeze dry-rations on the bikes, I have no idea why we didn't stop and cook or if we even had them.
We cycled on to Pelican Lake, where we searched in vain for a place to cook. In the USA, people are able to buy lakefront properties and block them off so that other people cannot visit the water. Coming from New Zealand, this is a strange and selfish concept. We ended up cycling into a camping ground and after asking, used one of their picnic tables.
One of the interesting things we noticed about western Minnesota was that all the cars seemed to be registered in North Dakota. Minnesota was green, hilly and beautiful. It had lakes, corners, and again, lots of litter.
We rode on into Pelican Rapids and another Warm Showers stay. Our hosts, Andrew and Gretchen, earned lots of points by giving me ice-cream with licorice in it. They also lent us their car to go to the supermarket. It was a totally weird experience to be driving a car again, I didn't like it at all.
We still hadn't got our diet under control; after tea, I ate half a loaf of bread and still felt hungry, my body was still craving carbs. Late the next morning, after a good breakfast we departed. We had a very short day on the bikes, following the very uninteresting Highway 3. Our goal was not the journey, but rather the people we would be visiting in Fergus Falls. Surprisingly, this little city had the busiest city streets we'd been on during our ride and it took a bit of adjusting as we jostled with cars in search of a supermarket. We enjoyed delicious roast chicken and a roll for lunch before setting out to visit older friends who had been our colleagues years earlier in Lithuania. |
They now live in a rest home and we were able to park our bicycles right in the hallway just past reception. I got a kick out of this, it was the first old people's home our bikes had been in. It was great to see Rich and Bonnie again. Like us all, they had aged quite considerably since we had seen them last. It was special to share old memories, hear what they were doing and to see their room adorned with the familiar textures and patterns of our once-adopted country. Bonnie bundled us on the Otter bus and took us out to the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center, where I actually got to see otters. It was a lovely relaxed afternoon. For tea they ordered foot-long subs. I ate everything they gave me and at the end was not hungrier than usual. I had recovered and would now be cycling on a full tank.
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Bonnie's friend drove round to the village and on our bikes, we followed her the two miles to her home. It was a very quick pedal through undulating leafy streets. We conked out quite early and enjoyed a very warm night in a beautiful house.
The next day was started with a filling pancake and blueberry breakfast. Before long, we were on the Central Lakes Trail. Oh my goodness, this was great. Long, smooth, flat and totally free of cars. Riding two abreast, we sailed through forest and past lakes. We talked, filmed and I recorded a 'Wee Wednesday Blether'. It was just so relaxing to be off the roads and know that this would be our normal for the next few days.
We had only planned on going 35 km this day, but decided our legs were good, so we would push on. When riding on independent cycling paths, we just don't want to stop.
We had lunch in a little park in Brandon. I decided to visit the local pub and pick up some root beer to go with our feed. Some biker dude bowled up to me and point blank asked what I thought of President Trump. Empowered by knowing I was in a left-leaning State, and fuelled by too much time in Montana, I burst into a long rant about universal healthcare and actually looking after your people. The bar fell dead silent, I apologised and left.
We stopped briefly in the attractive town of Alexandria. They had a bike repair station right on the trail. This provided the perfect chance to put up our seats and get pressure in our tyres. The seats were easy work, but danged if I could get air in those tyres, in fact every time I tried, they deflated a little more. I was just starting to lose it, thinking 'I need a man with a pump', when a woman walked over and lent me her pump.
The next day was started with a filling pancake and blueberry breakfast. Before long, we were on the Central Lakes Trail. Oh my goodness, this was great. Long, smooth, flat and totally free of cars. Riding two abreast, we sailed through forest and past lakes. We talked, filmed and I recorded a 'Wee Wednesday Blether'. It was just so relaxing to be off the roads and know that this would be our normal for the next few days.
We had only planned on going 35 km this day, but decided our legs were good, so we would push on. When riding on independent cycling paths, we just don't want to stop.
We had lunch in a little park in Brandon. I decided to visit the local pub and pick up some root beer to go with our feed. Some biker dude bowled up to me and point blank asked what I thought of President Trump. Empowered by knowing I was in a left-leaning State, and fuelled by too much time in Montana, I burst into a long rant about universal healthcare and actually looking after your people. The bar fell dead silent, I apologised and left.
We stopped briefly in the attractive town of Alexandria. They had a bike repair station right on the trail. This provided the perfect chance to put up our seats and get pressure in our tyres. The seats were easy work, but danged if I could get air in those tyres, in fact every time I tried, they deflated a little more. I was just starting to lose it, thinking 'I need a man with a pump', when a woman walked over and lent me her pump.
This fabulous cycle trail was almost a turning point in our trip. For the first time since western Oregon, we could smell the roadside flowers. Also for the first time in the whole trip, we were not focused on finding our road legs, climbing mountains, dodging wildfires, keeping cool in heatwaves or surviving the tedium on long straight roads. At last we seemed to have the free mind space to miss our Lithuanian friends and home. Minnesota without cars proved to be lethargic and healing. We also knew that our next two day weekend was going to be spent with a friend from our church in Klaipėda, and this spurred us forward.
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We arrived in Osakis around 2 p.m. and ready for lunch. I didn't think we were hungry, but we quickly walloped down a sandwich and pizza. This was another lovely town, so we took our time searching for a loo and campsite. I think Sharon had spent most of the previous year dreaming of us pitching our tent in front of picturesque sunset lakes. Well this night, Sharon got to live that dream and have public toilets close by. No sooner had we settled and the sunset started to rise upon the lake, than did the nightmare begin. The national bird of Minnesota is the mosquito. They flew round the sky like albatrosses with chainsaws. They were huge, nasty things bent on doing as much damage as possible and sent us scurrying into our tent. Just before dusk, the sheriff came round and locked the toilets, which meant our bedtime pee involved blood. The grass underneath us was beautifully soft, but above us sounded like a squadron of fighter jets. Sleep was flitting. |
The morning was equally horrific. We were breakfast, for what felt like 10,000 flying insects. The two of us got dressed super quickly and tried hard not to take out our frustrations on each other as we packed the tent. The toilets were still locked, so we dashed to a gas station, to find that their bog was out of order. I suspect the mosquitoes and lack of loos were not in Sharon's waterside dreams.
This was not a good morning. We were becoming hangry and desperate for a mosquito-proof throne for our number twos. West Union was the next town and it was 7.5 miles away. We had a tail wind, so beelined for it. Whilst riding down the path, our almost-heated conversation was about who deserved to have their morning dump first and who would cook while they waited. I lost the deal and ended up on cooking duties. The village was perfect: right on the path was a gorgeous park, water pump, porta-potty and picnic table. Mercifully, Sharon didn't take too long and I managed to get in and let out the enormous amount of food we had eaten the day before. I had just finished securing the door shut and the smell on the inside, when a lady walked over to me and said, 'welcome to our town, it is lovely to have you here, the water from the pump is good to drink'. Then as quickly as she came, she disappeared. |
This is one of the reasons we tour cycle and one of the reasons we choose small towns and wee villages. I mean, here we were, two pock-marked, smelly cyclists wrestling over a Portaloo and this lady still felt the need to make us feel welcome and safe. I also noticed she had the common sense to get out of there quite quickly, it was probably something to do with the plastic-shitter that was beginning to steam and melt.
I so wish we had skipped Osakis and spent the night at West Union.
I so wish we had skipped Osakis and spent the night at West Union.
Coffee-d and fuelled up, we jumped right back on that fantastic independent carless cycle path and again it was blissful. On our way into Sauk Centre (and yes, bizarrely, it is spelt the non-American way) we rode over a bridge with a placard on it. I immediately hit my brakes, jumped off my bike and took a photo. The sign read 'SIGNS PROHIBITED'. Back in the campground in Bismark, Bill and Julie had recommended we stop at Jitters Java Cafe. We were well overdue for a rest, more coffee and a good quiet read. |
It is hard for us pull up on two packhorse bicycles, walk into a cafe wearing cleated shoes and sun-faded cycling clothes, and not draw attention to ourselves. We purchased coffee and cinnamon rolls. No sooner had we sat down, than some lovely person walked up and asked the dreaded question, 'you're not from around here are you?' We had a polite conversation with them, they left and another person excitedly walked up and asked about our trip, then when they had finished, a third person bowled on up. My book ended up being a table decoration. When cycling long distances, you get used to your own company and it is very hard getting back into polite society. Usually, we are happy to go into ourselves and to only come out when we want to. If I had had a prohibited sign to sit on the table, it would have read 'go away'. But I didn't, so instead I checked out the merchandise and spent my birthday money on a Jitters hoodie.
We were somewhat relieved, but not rested, when with great excitement we started the Lake Wobegon Trail. In Lithuania, our friend whom we were to meet that afternoon had given us a piece of plastic called a CD, and on it were the words 'A Prairie Home Companion Lake Wobegon Days'. This was the beginning of subzero-snow-filled hours sitting on our balcony listening to this podcast set in fictional rural Minnesota. When planning this trip, the next section of track was a must-not-miss. |
I don't really know how to explain the trail to you. Sure, it had wild turkeys running around, beautiful wild flowers and wide berms. Independent cycle paths have no cars, this makes them magical and almost mystical. They are a safe place where we belong. They are restful and relaxing. The Lake Wobegon Trail was flat, quite smooth, with the occasional covered bridge and had mile markers, signs to encourage us, repair stations and picnic tables. It was nothing short of fantastic.
We stopped in Albany for lunch and to my horror, discovered that they were having trouble with vandals destroying toilets attached to the police station.
Whilst sitting cooking our lunch, I saw another of America's many signs, this one read, 'Lake Wobegon Trail Gallery'. I waltzed on over, hoping to buy postcards. It was a lovely place with great photos from the trail and other places. I got talking to the owners and before I realised it, they had sent me on my way with the very generous gift of about $40 worth of cards. I was absolutely ecstatic and have filed some of them among my treasured possessions.
We had a rather unsatisfying couscous lunch and jumped on our bikes to enjoy the mild afternoon sun. We didn't eat enough carbs and Sharon tried her best to grumpily bonk her way into St Joseph, but it wasn't far and we got there.
It was so nice to see Nicole again and to meet her new husband. They gave us a high carbohydrate meal, cherry beer and lots of good, non-fundamental conversation. We slept well that night in a clean and cool room. It was nice to relax with friends again and celebrate the end of stage six of our wee trip.
We stopped in Albany for lunch and to my horror, discovered that they were having trouble with vandals destroying toilets attached to the police station.
Whilst sitting cooking our lunch, I saw another of America's many signs, this one read, 'Lake Wobegon Trail Gallery'. I waltzed on over, hoping to buy postcards. It was a lovely place with great photos from the trail and other places. I got talking to the owners and before I realised it, they had sent me on my way with the very generous gift of about $40 worth of cards. I was absolutely ecstatic and have filed some of them among my treasured possessions.
We had a rather unsatisfying couscous lunch and jumped on our bikes to enjoy the mild afternoon sun. We didn't eat enough carbs and Sharon tried her best to grumpily bonk her way into St Joseph, but it wasn't far and we got there.
It was so nice to see Nicole again and to meet her new husband. They gave us a high carbohydrate meal, cherry beer and lots of good, non-fundamental conversation. We slept well that night in a clean and cool room. It was nice to relax with friends again and celebrate the end of stage six of our wee trip.
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