A very long ride today - leaving the slopes of the South Dakota Black Hills and heading eastwards over the flatter plains of the Missouri River basin. We didn't have time to visit the Badlands Park area, which looks like this:
Essentially 'badlands' is a term relating to areas where shale and soft sedimentary rock are eroding so quickly that a) this results in steep slopes and b) there is no time to a accumulate decaying organic matter in the topsoil conducive to crop cultivation. On the road out from Rapid city we could see a continuation of the 'erosion front' of grey shale to the north.
No definitive proof - but looking at the map of the Indian Reservations - one couldn't help concluding that they did not coincide with the more fertile farming land.
We rode across undulating fairly poor farmland and dropped into a flatter plain system before stopping for coffee at Midland, South Dakota (got the T Shirt).
We journeyed on through increasingly fertile farmland - miles of corn and sunflower fields. The land became increasingly flatter - real 'big sky' country - complete with an impending thunder storm which we could see in the form of ghostly grey veils of rain. Thankfully we missed most of this and arrived at Pierre before the big drops fell. Pierre is located on the banks of the mighty Missouri - much wider than I had expected.
We had lunch at the local Harley Davidson dealership and rode on after the rain.
The rest of the day was a long ride across open farmland - much of this on good secondary roads rather than the freeway.
We rolled into Sioux Falls by 5 pm feeling in need of rest, beer and food after 400 miles. Unfortunately for Dave and I - a mix-up at the hotel reception saw a lady pitch up at our room who had been double booked. Dave (by this time in T shirt and undies) diplomatically suggested she re-check with reception with the additional reassuring statement that at least she wouldn't recognise him fully clothed in the bar later on. Fortunately the response was a loud chuckle !
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