Right now I am sitting in the Mandan Public Library in North Dakota and the forecast for rain until Saturday, with tomorrow being the worst. Which isn't so bad considering I move fast enough to speed everything up a day. Good news is that high 60's are forecast later this week so hopefully it will be where I'll be.
So far, besides the low fuel light in the middle of nowhere, and nowhere takes some time getting to in the first place, the ride from Roscoe didn't get interesting until I hit the Lewis and Clark scenic drive along the Missouri River. Getting up close to the Missouri was incredible. The whole ride north to Mandan was chillier with the crosswind but absolutely amazing terrain with few people to be seen. Though a fair amount of folks driving in the opposite direction have been waving which is pretty cool if you aren't used to folks acknowledging your existence. Take potential employers for example (did I mention I am technically unemployed?).
A few concepts that need to be reinforced: look at the map to plan gas breaks, wear the winter gloves when it’s colder, and plug the vest back in after gas breaks. Its not a great feeling seeing the low fuel light go on when you are in the middle of nowhere with so few cars and over every rise is another rise 10 miles away across a valley that doesn’t even have any cattle grazing. For once I slowed down to conserve gas and figured the worse thing would be to have to use the running shoes for mobile transportation. Obviously I was still entertaining the romantic notion of the westward tour and not having to experience the actual walking to a gas station an unknown number of miles away.
At one point I came upon a steer that was standing beside the road that spooked when I got right near. Luckily, I was right on top of him before he bolted a few feet and in the opposite direction I was heading. I'm sure he had some adrenaline running through his veins for a few minutes after I passed, though I am sure it's was also the most exciting thing he's seen in a long while. That is if its heart was still beating.
Anyway, got to go and plan what I am going to do about this rain thing. I'm making good time so perhaps I can outrun it since the wind seems to be coming from the SE, generally where I am coming from.

Route: Highway 12, west to North Highway 63, becomes Highway 6, to Highway 24, north to Highway 1806, to I-94 west, to Highway 25, north to Highway 3, north to Highway 200, west to Highway 85, north to Highway 23, east to Highway 1804, west, to 119th Road NW.