Math.Guy on 2 Wheels: August 8, 2023: Three years later in Garrison, ND

Wally, the Walleye, at Garrison ND

So what am I doing in Garrison, ND? Well, Garrison is the closest community to the point where I stopped my Lewis & Clark ride, three years ago. This year I decided I would take up the ride again, albeit just for four days. (I'm not riding on the Trans-Canada Trail this year, but decided I still want to do a bike vacation.) So to bring us up to date, in May, 1804 Lewis and Clark left from the mouth of the Missouri River (where it empties into the Mississippi, near St. Louis) on an expedition of the Louisiana Territory, commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson. They traveled upstream until Oct. 29, where they built winter quarters, and spent the winter. The winter quarters were in this area, near what is now Garrison, ND. At this point the Expedition took on a French fur trader named Touissant Charbonneau and his wife Sacagawea or Sacajawea or Sakakawea. Historians disagree on the correct spelling. Sakakawea turned out to be invaluable to the expedition as an interpreter to the Shoshone Indians who lived in this area. On April 8, 1805 the expedition resumed travel up the Missouri River.

My route this year continues my travel on North Dakota 1804, which is a rural highway which closely follows the Missouri River. There are few towns along this route, which makes it a great route for biking, but tough for finding lodging. I've decided to ditch the tent this year, in favor of staying at motels. So my pack on the bike is lighter which I am enjoying, but that has created a situation for me which will greatly reduce the territory I am able to cover. I discovered the next place for lodging beyond Garrison is at New Town, which is over 70 miles away. No problem in my younger days, but no way did I want to tackle that on the first riding day, especially having done minimal bike training this year! Yes, there was a resort and a bed-and-breakfast, but they were both booked solid. My only resort that I could think of, is to bring the pickup truck along, as I travel my route on bike. Which means, ride some miles, then at the end of the day, return to the truck. Move the truck to the starting point on the second day, ride miles, return to the truck. Essentially I have to ride a round trip every day which cuts in half the distance I can cover reach day.

But Lewis & Clark ran into difficulties that slowed them down and some days they made very little progress. So like them, I will have very slow progress this year.

I planned to start with an easier day to let the legs get accustomed to the work. I covered 41 miles, not bad. But the forward progress along the route is only 18 miles. And while I have been always referring to the Missouri River as the route, due to a dam built by the US Army Corps of Engineers, the river is now a huge reservoir, and the name is Lake Sakakawea. More on Lake Sakakawea tomorrow.