Luckily the thunderstorms swept by to the East of us overnight, leaving us dry in our little corner of Dalton City Park. More locals came by to chat in the morning, with one friendly man bringing over some ice cold water which we drank while he told tales of other tourers that had passed through over the years. It seemed as if everyone in town knew of the British cyclists in the park.
A derailleur misalignment set us back slightly, and we finally left around 0820. This mattered little though as the wind had slackened off somewhat and the path was very smooth and fast. We followed the Central Lakes Trail and the Lake Wobegon Trail all day; Smooth crushed limestone packed into a solid surface. We averaged 13mph (10 on the up hill, and 17 on the down) which meant by lunch we had almost made it to our target destination for the day! With 60 miles down by 1330, we set our sights higher and aimed for St Joseph, the end of the trail. Not before Jake and Owen attempted the ten cheeseburger challenge at McDonalds... .
Towns are close together here relative to North Dakota and Eastern Montana, around 6 miles apart. They also seem to have a bit more life. With church spires to aim for, trees lining the path and rolling green hills, it was almost as if we were back in the UK cycling along one of the old railway lines.
We passed a few questionably named lakes (you can wait for the Facebook pictures to elaborate) and made St Joseph for 1730. After a little cycle around town trying to find the correct park where camping is allowed we pulled into the site beside the softball pitches. A local came by and informed us that the site was full and the police were moving people on, luckily just as I was about to pay! We rolled around the corner to a tuck shop for a soft drink, a chocolate bar and a think. I checked Warm Showers on the off chance there was someone within cycling distance with a phone number to ring. After 95 miles already, cycling much further was not a welcome prospect. It turned out we were in a hotspot for cycle touring and hosting, and were spoiled for choice! We picked the closest one.
After two tries I got through to Stephanie Hart from Waite Park. At such short notice she brilliantly offered us a place for the night when she got home from work. We took a leisurely scenic route to her house avoiding the busy main road, crossing the Sauk River again. We met her at the apartment block, a cheerful woman who had toured and hosted a number of times; A postcard from another couple of cyclists she hosted is laid on the table. She works for a non-profit connecting supply teachers with schools to help children get up to speed with their English and maths.
A shower, a clothes wash, a hot dinner of quinoa with black beans and vegetables and a cool root beer and hard cider (what they call alcoholic cider), and we are feeling human again. Tomorrow we should hit the Mississippi and follow that South for the day. A major milestone in our trip.
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