Day 11, Elk Point to Lewis and Clark Rec Area

Monday June 8, 2020, 68 miles (109 km) - Total so far: 667 miles (1,073 km)

I'm in a bad mood and there is no reason. Except I probably waited too long before eating and then was frustrated by the registration process for camping.

Again, the winds blew hard all day.

I broke camp at 5:45 and the winds were favorable. I was making good time. Vermillion a college town was still asleep when I went through so didn't stop. I rode through Gayville, and I thought Yankton would be next. With the wind pushing me along I was cracking the whip, chugging along at 18 mph. I saw a water tower ahead for Yankton--except it was Volin or something like that. I'd blown past my turn. No problem. I checked my phone and a course correction wasn't too awful. Temps were not too high and there was even some cloud cover. But turning back put me directly into the wind. I could make no headway. It ended up being time and energy-consuming. I wanted to get back on track, so didn't stop. I wanted to eat lunch in Yankton. I'd used up almost all my water.

I was not exercising self-care. I just didn't feel like stopping in the wind. I made it to Yankton wrecked, having done 55 miles. It was 12 noon and I looked forward to a restaurant meal, but most places only offered carry-out or were closed. I ate at a Tastee Freeze where when I gave the kid 2 water bottles and asked for ice he put like 4 cubes in each. Then, because of Covid I knew they couldn't refill my bottles, so I asked for a cup of ice water. Again, the kid gave me like a diixie cup.

So I figured my stopping point was only 4 miles down the road, I'd make it. But the area was confusing. Once I turned in there was a bike path that took me by campgrounds, but they were all electric for RVs. Of course no one was in the tiny booths. The area is huge with different names. I asked a campground host about tent camping and he sent me further down. Which made sense because my phone indicated there was camping there also. Every mile into the wind feels like two. The wind has whipped the Missouri river into waves.

Finally I flag down some girls cleaning out a shower house. They tell me to call 1-800 south Dakota and make a reservation. I'm like this place is empty. But there is no self-registration, no people. A ranger drives by and helps me find the welcome center where they tell me in the whole vast area, there are only like 2 tent spots, and then another attendant walks over and interjected: they are right by the dump and far from the bathroom.

For heaven's sake!!!! It's all too much. I'm in a bad mood. I tell them I'll take an electrical site for $27.90. The ranger said it's only a few dollars more. $12 I said, to be exact.

Checking weather---a real dousy tomorrow, all day rain and wind gusts up to 40 miles an hour. I maybe here 2 nights.

notice the waves. Remember: this is a river, wind from the west pushing water into east bank