Day 9 - Red Lodge to Sturgis, South Dakota

Let me make this clear. I am not complaining. This is the first day since arriving in Carrington that we did not ride, at least some of the time, in rain (although it's raining here in Sturgis now).

Having said that, we rode in some of the most brutally cold weather I've ever ridden in. As we crested the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming, we rode Route 14A past pastureland covered in fresh fallen snow. Past the summit, we talked to a guy at a restaurant who said he came over that pass yesterday in the snow and had a heck of a time riding in slush.

Although parts of the road were torn up with construction (Obama's Dallahs at work), it was a beautiful road to ride. It towered over spectacular vistas and was full of twistys and switchbacks.

Much of the afternoon was spent highway riding on Route 90. We ended the day at a motel in Sturgis, South Dakota. Of course the rally has been over for a while, but there are still quite a few bikes around and many of the shops are still open trying to dispose of 2009 t-shirts. We had dinner at the Loud American.... good food and a welcome rest from the road.

Tomorrow we'll try to run a few of the scenic loops in the area, visit Mt. Rushmore and ride on toward the Badlands.

Hope to fill you in tomorrow.