Pickston, SD July 16

7/16, Pickston, SD. We are getting so close to Iowa we can almost taste it. We have been meeting more and more people with Iowa connections and coming by more Iowa products (Sioux City sarsparilla!). Yesterday, my birthday, was made brighter by a meeting with another touring cyclist and Sioux City native, Rick. We met him at the restaurant at our campground after a challenging 75 mile ride from Ft Thompson to Snake Creek Rick had an interesting story-he had planned to be touring from Missoula to RAGBRAI (he's the captain of Team Road Booty) but his plans had been derailed when he was hit by a car in Okoboji on June 27. However, he deemed himself recovered enough to join some friends on a "Faces to Falls" (Mt Rushmore
to Sioux Falls) despite having a fractured skull and probably 50 stitches in his head. Rick, who now lives in Yankton, SD, invited us to stay at his house tomorrow when we go through Yankton. He also invited us to go kayaking on Sunday. Rick plans to retire next year and start a kayaking and bike touring business and we offered to be some of his guinea pigs. So, what could have been a just frustrating birthday was salvaged by the company of a random stranger. We breakfasted with Rick this morning and rode with him to the first time before he split off on his own route. We plan on seeing him tomorrow night in Yankton, though. That is, if we make it. We have an 80 mile day planned for tomorrow and it's supposed to be 100 deg. Today was close to that temp, but we only had a 55 mile ride to Pickstown. We plan on starting early (for us that means before 8...) and trying to get in as many miles as we can before it gets hot. If we end up kayaking and taking a rest day on Sunday, that will delay our arrival in Sioux City until Tuesday. But it will be
worth the adventure! (end)