Four Months

Day 122, August 1, 2011, Four Months

Route from New Richmond, WI to Rushmore Campground, Stanchfield, MN

76.9 miles, averaging 13.5 mph

Worst Moment – This area of Wisconsin/Minnesota is experiencing a violent thunderstorm.  It started about the time Neita and I arrived at the campground, and hasn’t really abated for the past 4 hours.   Some of the lightning is pretty close.  And the campground has a sign that reads “No Dogs.”  The weather is supposed to clear up tomorrow, but I did check the National Lightning Safety Institute website – only 8 people were killed by lightning in Minnesota between 1990 & 2003.

Best Moment – For the first several miles of the ride today, there was only light rain.  I thought that, “hey, I can handle a day of rain – at least it isn’t hot and I wasn’t dripping (in sweat.)

More farmland and more dairy farms are around the area.  Going into Minnesota, didn’t change the scenery a whole lot.  There are still lots of lakes - this is the land of 10,000 lakes after all.  Dad used to tease his Minnesotan sister that the folks up here counted every puddle to get to 10,000.   I can remember trying to count all of the lakes we’d see on family vacations crossing the state to go to Wisconsin or Minneapolis.  I know I never got close to 10,000.

So tomorrow starts the fourth month of the big ride.  Here’s a recap of some of the significant statistics of the ride:

8625 miles ridden

19 century rides

16 flats

7 new tires

3 new chains, one new cassette, one new set of brake pads

24 states – 8 left to go

18 rest days

1.5 big tubes of chamois cream (butt balm)

3 tubes of sunblock

100 different campgrounds

Good days - most of them.

Wow moments – at least 2 a day.

If you would like to donate to my ride, my link for the Lance Armstrong Foundation is http://grassroots2011.livestrong.org/billsbigride197.  I really appreciate your support.