Friday, July 12 2019
Alberto continues…
Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
This day started in the middle of the night. I’ll explain.
I think it was around 3:00 am. I hear near the window “wholly shit!”. Well, that got my attention. Laura has gone by the window, partly opened the drapes and I could see the lightning flashing, two seconds later came the loudest explosion I have ever heard. That’s not creative writing, it literally exploded in the sky, the room, my ear, wherever and everywhere.
Thunder that close surely overwhelms the senses.
Knowing it was a storm, i went back to bed, rolled over and I was a goner til the next morning. The storm by morning had completely passed.
John and Laura were up for the duration of the storm. This morning, lack of sleep, they were dragging a little bit. Quietly, I got out of bed, washed and left for breakfast. Must have been 6:00 am. Not until 8:00 am did they show up for breakfast.
So, I pack my bike. John and Laura akso, until John looks at Laura’s rear… Oops, I meant to say rear-tire. Announces, “this tire is shot!, you cannot ride it anymore”
To the phone. We must find a place to service the tire. Honda will do it. It will take three hours. OUCH!!
We talked about our planned day and decided that Laura can ride two-up with me. She’s never done that. A quick lesson and tips how to be a pillion rider. For me a quick review of two-up from days gone by (I have only had a passenger once or twice and remembered it not being so bad).
We left the bike, it was not an option.
Off we went.
The objective is:
Mount Rushmore
Crazy horse mountain (unfinished)
Custer National Park - and “goodies”
“Goodies?” - yes! There are some incredible roads to take, sights to see, etc.
MOUNT RUSHMORE. We went to it and realized that a tour of it would take too many hours. We were right next to it abd had a good view. John concluded… “skip the tour, we have seen enough, just keep going”. So much for the Four Big Heads! Next!
CRAZY HORSE. Okay, okay. It is unfinished, but now there is a museum, a movie, displays, etc. $7.00 bucks to get in. Worth it? No. But Laura said “the money is used to complete the project”. Yes, yes. She is a sensitive one, ready to embrace ANY CAUSE… and i mean “any cause”. So there we went.
As usual, I poo poo a sugestión at first, yet after I go, it always happens and find myself saying… “wasn’t that nice?” And it was. The Crazy Horse exhibit was worth it… and a worthy cause.
CUSTER PARK.
First, we had been suggested that NEEDLE MOUNTAIN RD, is a dream to ride. However is very twisty and a novice should not go there (Laura), she is a pillion rider, so off we went.
And what a road!! I could describe until I turn blue in the face and not do justice. A couple of photos is all I can do. But, you must find your way to this road and enjoy live.
Another road IRON MOUNTAIN RD. Less drama, but equally challenging and beautiful. It is hard to take pictures as you wind around up and down. It has the type of road that makes a hairpin-turn and goes right under itself. The bridge of wooden trusses like in olden days. Very cool! This happened three or four times.
CUSTER PARK. This is a Lolly-gaging road for the lazy. One lane, open country, with speed limit of 20mph. 20 miles mph You’ve got to be kidding. 19 miles of this! Is will drive me crazy!! Worse yet, every car is obeying the speed limit!
Don’t they know? the speed limit - if there are no cops - is “only a suggestion”.
Note: John just told me, and this be a word to the wise. National park tickets are $425 bucks! And you must go to the local magistrate whenever he comes around… good luck!
More Custer Oar goodies. Ee had been told there are herds of buffalo here. We saw a bunch of them about 1/4 mile away. Way too far. Then, if a sudden … Yes!! A buffalo, an enormous one. Solitary. Mating is out of season. He minds his own business. Grazing and being handsome.
Only one buffalo, but that was good enough. Smiles all around.
Also, a bunch of wild burros. They are so tame, hardly to calf them “wild”. But that is what they are. As it turns out there was a fire not long ago and most of them died from smoke inhalation. They just could not be saved. Today, just a small number of wild burros roam the planes. Worry not, there is some heavy duty burro-loving. They will come back.
MISHAPS. Of course no day is perfect and this is no exception. When riding the Iron Mountain Rd, the front part has recently been resurfaced. The gravel has not fully set. A little slippery but ok. 2/3 of the way, a highway worker stops us. Road repairs. She tells us “the road ahead is being oiled and new gravel added. Maybe you want to be cautious” - CAUTIOUS? What is wrong with this woman?! “John, make a U-TURN. I am not riding this. Bad enough as the last mikes were, more, with “fresh oil and gravel? “ No way!
So back the way we came, all 19 miles. The ride in reverse was just as beautiful. Loved it!
There were other mishaps, but I would only be bitchn’ no point in that.
It’s 5:00 pm. We must be back to the motorcycle store by 6:00 pm. There it was Laura’s bike. New tire. It looks so pretty.
It is now 6:15 pm, the plans for going to Deadwood are cancelled. We will stay a second night in Rapid City.
Deadwood, tomorrow.
That’s it.
