Hot Springs SD to Buffalo WY

June 11, 2025

Wow day 10. It started out slow. The tent fly was wet, so I tossed it over the pcinic table to let it dry. I packed up mostly, then went up to pee and have some breakfast. The Hot Springs KOA was incredible except for the coffee. I think it is time for a new machine. They only charged a dollar for it, so I didn't complain. Today I brought my own folgers coffee tea bag and added it to their coffee. The breakfast was excellent again. As I ate, I plotted a course for today. The GPS was being finiky. When I got back to my campsite I put it on the bike and had it stop looking for old maps. I picked a route on the phone and then used the GPS Adventure 2 to plot a route and it was the same as on the phone. Yay. Before leaving, Richard checked in to see if I needed anything. He helped me check my oil and put a bit in to get me by until I was able to find some.

I started out taking route 385 through Wind Cave National Park. Along the way I saw 2 buffalo grazing. I then turned onto route 16. It took me through beautiful rolling hills withe pine trees, rocks, and curves. They were very nice biking roads. A sign said watch out for Big Horn sheep. Well, just up the road in a ditch, wasn't there a Big Horn sheep. Before, this I went through the town of Custer, SD. I remembered that Linsay and I had taken a walk here and eaten lunch in a nice cafe.

My first stop of the day was in New Castle to put air in my tires. This was a learning curve. I have special caps on the valve stems. the caps send a signal to an app on my phone, to let me know what the pressure is. The first thing I learned was that when you take the cap off it registers 0 pressure. After taking the side cases off so I had more room to work, I began the process of trying to put the air in. It took a few tries to actually put air in. I was better at letting it out. Eventually, I figured it out and the app registered the right numbers. A cup of coffe and some gorp and I was on my way again.

I got a later start than I wanted to today. On this trip, I learned that I just had to go with the flow. Things take longer than you think they might. Oh well. You will forget to put your earplugs in or need to pee again, just as you are all suited up. You will forget your keys in your pocket and have trouble getting them out. I have also learned to be my own cheerleader on this trip.(Though I know eveyone at home was rooting for me) "I 'm all right. Nobody worry about me." I would sing this to myself ocassionally as I rode. You can do this I would say to myself.

I continued along turning onto Route 14 heading towards Devil's Tower. When it finally came into view , there was a pull off with a plaque about the tower. After a quick photo opp, I continued on and arrived at Devil's Tower about 2 pm. The sun was out providing a beautiful view of the tower. The KOA there had a nice cafe, so I went in and ordered a cheeseburger and fries for lunch. While I waited I had a nice chat with the cashier a 10 year old boy. He was wearing a rodeo t-shirt so I asked him if he rode horses. He said yes, but the T-shirt was a hand me down, He doesn't do rodeos. He rides a 18 yr old Tennessee Walking Horse. He said his family just brought the calves down and will do the branding soon. He also said that they had several new colts. I ate my lunch and then went next door to the gift shop and bought an ice cream. It was my first real ice cream of the trip. When I was done with my cone, I remembered to buy my Devil's Tower sticker from the gift shop. I used the facilities , remembering to put more cold water on my neckie.

Back in the parking lot, I talked with a couple who were traveling from Indiana for a month. They were using an old fashioned Atlas to look for good roads. I used an atlas (a hand me down from Grammy Marge) to help me plan my trip. I also carried a paper map of the US with all the roads on it. I put a mark on the place I stopped each night. I took out my phone and made my reservation at the KOA in Buffalo, WY. I had hoped to make it to Sheridan, but it was just a little too far to go this late in the day. I continued on Route 14 to Moorcraft and stopped for gas and picked up a wrap for dinner. I then took 90 to Buffalo. When I looked at the weather earlier this am it showed only 20% chance of rain in Buffalo. Well as I drove on 90 the dark clouds were building. The speed limit on 90 is 80mph. 75-77mph seemed fast enough for me. I did have some anxiousness about trying to beat the rain. To no avail it started raining pretty hard, so I pulled off and hid under a gas station pump roof until it had past. The lady at the register looked at her phones' weather radar and it showed a bit more rain, but it seemed to be staying north of 90 and should be done in Buffalo by 7 pm.

I dawned my frog togs and got on my way. The rain started a few miles later light at first, but eventually heavy enough to turn my flashers on. Luckily , it didn't last too long and eventually the roads were dry again. The sky was still dark, but I hoped that the clouds were done raining for now. In some places the sun shone down through the clouds in large rays. The scenery was lumpy, open, green range land. It was a bit windy, but dry. I came over a rise and the scenery took my breathe away. The Big Horn mountains were in the distance tall and snow capped.

Eventually I made it to the Buffalo WY KOA. My site is down next to a small river. It was flowing strongly from the recent rain. It started to sprinkle, when I got to my site, so I got the tent up quickly. The rain held off while I ate my wrap for dinner. Umbrella at the ready, the rain started just as I was done eating. I headed to the bathroom and when I came out the shower was done but there was thunder in the distance. This site was nice and quiet. My only complaint was the newly gravelled road and parking area. Too much for me, so I parked on the edge of the road next to my site. I got in the tent to write, just as it started to rain again. What a day. This was a day of beautiful sweeping curves. Along the way I saw Buffalo, Big horned sheep, horses, cows, llhamas, and a cat. Wyoming is a beautiful state.