July 11th: Devils Lake to Cooperstown, ND

Mile 25: Collection of one room school houses relocated to remote site along Route 1 in North Dakota.

July 11^th Statistics – Devils Lake to Cooperstown, ND:

Today’s Biking Distance – 80.6 miles
Today’s Average Speed – 10.9 mph
Today’s Time In Saddle – 7.4 hours
Today Ascent – 1.017 feet
Total Trip Biking Days – 21
Total Trip Biking Distance – 1,643.2 miles
Total Trip Average Biking Distance/Day – 78.2 miles
Total Trip Ascent – 52,298 feet

Today’s ride started at 7 am due to need to take alternate route (regular route had many miles of gravel due to construction), length (80+ miles), heat (high 80s), headwinds (10-20 mph) and threats of afternoon thunderstorms (60%). Everything was as expected except thunderstorms which did not develop. The roads were good and lightly traveled – beautiful, if repetitive, scenery. Very slow ride and long day in the saddle. Excitement of the day was that I almost biked into the middle of a family of raccoons (mom and 3 cubs) sitting in the middle of the road. I yelled and mom ran off, but the cubs hissed at me as I swerved into the on-coming lane (no traffic for last 30 minutes) around them. Very tired and glad today’s ride is over. Red bull at end of the ride helped too.