Through the Badlands up, up and up

So I have survived cycling through the Bandlands. It was bloody awful, bonking after having a pretty rubbish buffet lunch in Interior (tiny town kinda in the park) and spent a few hours, felt like i was going verticle, and got a punture, and didn't end up camping. That aside:

Had an absolutely fantastic time staying with Barry and Edna, who paint the signs for wall drug. They are beautiful and make you think of the old west. I got into Wall drug and saw the t-rex and all the memrobiliia and all of the cattle brands aswell.

So after Wall Drug (no 5c coffee for me, mind you!) I cycled on into rapid city, had a bit of hail outside the rubbish bike shop, although did manage to get a new mount for my bike computer (may seem insignificant, but quite important for rationing water on long stretches). So i cycle to keystone, a rubbish little city, created, it seems for the sole purpose of housing the tourists. laughed at a guy who wanted me to pay $25 for a night to camp, and talked to a very nice sherriff, who said i could camp by the old abandoned mine.

so in the morning, schlepped it up to mt.Rushmore, had a walk around, got given a knife by a park ranger. Rushmore is amazing, all of the exhibits and information really add to it. There's no gaudy stuff. Then to crazy horse, which is a tribute to a native american chief, its actually about 20x bigger than rushmore, and its the largest sculpture in the world, its also still incomplete, being funded completely by admissions and donations, no government funding here. met lance, who i have know been cycling with for two days. had a great camp last night, campfire cooked corn and soup and the like, only trouble is, the nights are getting real cold, so may look at pickign some stuff up at a salvation army store, fleece or something, just to keep me going untill my care package.

so, hopefully will be in billings, montana, not to soon, have had some crazy ascents, and hair raising descents, down 7% declines from 5500 odd feet to about 4200ft.

anyway, must go, more soonish.