Mt. Rushmore

The campground in Hulett had a groundskeeper named Willy.  Willy the Groundskeeper looked much like Willy the Groundskeeper from the Simpsons, except Wyoming Willy had twice the beard and a Colorado accent.  I went to the Hulett Rodeo with Melvin, the brother of Willy the Groundskeeper.  Melvin had been in town for about a month visiting his brother.  Melvin wore leather pants but didn’t own a motorcycle.  Apparently, he used to race motorcycles.  Willy and Melvin were in their late forties.  

Melvin and I got to the rodeo, then Melvin went to the bar.  I sat on the hill to watch the rodeo.  I saw Melvin about halfway through the rodeo.  He walked to the bottom of the hill, tossed me a water, and walked away. 

The rodeo was nice, not real exhilarating.  Cooler stuff has happened on Walker, Texas Ranger.  After returning from the rodeo, I chilled.  I burnt my left arm because I forgot to put sunscreen on it.  Grace brought me three hamburgers.  I had already eaten, but I ate the hamburgers anyway.  Willy stopped by to chat.  He talked to me about horse training.  

I left at about seven in the morning.  I made trail mix for the day.  So good.  I’m going to make some today, too.  Watch out Bobby Flay.  

I biked all day.  Lots of Hills.  They weren’t Black, but I used my imagination.

It got to be about 5:30 PM, and I had twenty miles or something before Mt. Rushmore.  I saw lightening in the distance.  The county was under a severe thunderstorm warning.  Flash floods, too.  I figured that I could risk getting rained on and go the distance, or I could pitch my tent and call it a day.  If Stuie was with me, we probably would have gone for it.  But I imagined getting struck by lightening with nobody around to apply any ointment, and the image wasn’t good.  I called it a day.  

I pitched my tent in a clearing a few hundred yards off the side of the road.  I threw down my last stake, and jumped in the tent, then rain started falling.  Rained for fifteen minutes and didn’t rain the rest of the night.

I fell asleep at seven.  I wasn’t even trying to sleep.  I was trying to write letters.  I woke up the next morning with a pen in my hand and my forehead on the paper.  That was 4:30 AM.  I felt well rested, so I bounced.  

Saw Mt. Rushmore.

I was exuberant when I reached Rapid City.  I’m about done with elevation, now.  And I went to Wendy’s for a Frosty.