Departing Pierre, we took a quick loop around to the Oahe dam and power plant, which is north of the city. It utilizes the largest earthen dam in the world, to hold back the waters of the Missouri River. The installation generates 112 MW of power and creates recreational options on Lake Oahe in addition to those normally available along the Missouri River.
Rejoining US-14 we followed through Midland towards Wall. Another morning of blue skies, mild temperatures and no traffic The time passed agreeably.
Normally we rely upon a hot breakfast at the hotel before starting out, however our options in Pierre were very limited due to a high school rodeo in town at the same time. A quick investigation using Google and we identified the ‘Wakin Bacon” in Wall as an establishment that served breakfast and had a 5.0 rating. When we arrived in Wall we found a food truck where we expected a restaurant, but there were picnic tables under an party tent so we gave it a shot. The eggs and sausage were passable but not really deserving of a 5 rating. Still it met our needs.
Food and shopping in Wall
Following SD-240 south we quickly came to the entrance to Badlands National Park (with a herd of bison there to great us. We paid the hefty fee ($25 per bike) and continued on. The next 40 km were great – nice twisty road with gorgeous scenery.
Dangerous wildlife kept us off the hiking trails
At Interior we left the park and picked up SD-44 towards Rapid City. The wind had picked up considerably and we were subject to extreme buffeting, particularly as we passed other vehicles. We were on the lookout for a Starbucks before continuing on our loop through the black hills via Mount Rushmore. However, checking weather reports over coffee it looked like thunderstorms were poised to move through our intended route. Driving in heavy rains and high winds is not the best way to enjoy the Black Hills, so we called it a day and headed to the hotel early. Just as well – just as we finished unpacking the bikes we felt a drop – so our record of ‘rain free’ ride days remained intact and continuing.