After a cool night, Betsy and I packed our gear, riding three blocks to the White Maid Restaurant for breakfast. After breakfast, we rode back to Hwy 34 and turned east for 17 miles. The morning sun brought out the rich greens on the prairie grasses and wetlands (see photo). We passed many lakes, ponds, and marshes. We saw lots of ducks and blackbirds around the water. When Hwy 35 turned north, we stopped for a snack. The ensuing 7 mile ride ran directly into a north wind.
In happy spirits, we curved east on Hwy 46 for a 10-mile ride to Gackle. On the way, we met west-bound biker Nate from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. When we arrived in Gackle, we bought food at a convenience store, then rode into town to the Honey Hub Biker Hostel. We ate lunch and topped off our tires in the well-equipped room in the back of the host’s home. The lack of on-route camping options prompted us to attempt to ride another 57 miles after lunch to the Little Yellowstone Campground on the Sheyenne River.
After lunch, we returned to Hwy 46. We continued east and met west-bound biker John, from Sandy Hook, New Jersey. We passed by ponds and wetlands but not as many as we did before Gackle. The ups and downs of the road were moderate; we pressed on without help from the wind. About 6 miles from our destination we stopped at a convenience store for a snack and a rest. We chatted with two local guys. Finally, we rode down a hill to our campground, situated in a grove of burr oaks. Delightful! Dinner disappeared quickly; we retired to our tent to recover from our long day. Today we biked from Napoleon, ND to Sheyenne River, ND- a distance of 97.3 miles, one of our longest days yet.
