My Friday plan worked very well and although the drive to Fort Frances took an extra hour due to several construction delays, I was excited to cross over into International Falls, Minnesota. I got ripped off changing my Canadian money into American, but it felt good to be done with Canada for the moment. I started to drive toward Bemidji but within a few miles I saw a sign for the Falls golf course and I stopped to play. I was charged up but after a few holes I settled down and shot a 47 on a rather long course with a number of traps.
Back in my truck, I rode for an hour and then took a long bike ride on a state forest dirt road. It was peaceful and a good workout.
I got to Bemidji in time for dinner at a Mexican restaurant, and then found out that my motel reservations was in Black Duck, 24 miles back from where I came. It was really my fault—the motel person in Bermidji who recommended it didn’t mention that it was in Black Duck but I didn’t ask--so I drove back up to the Drake motel and it was fine.
At 6:15 I got up and decided to start driving right away and that was smart. By 9:30 I was on I-94 and I really started moving with the 75 mile speed limit, although I stayed at 70.
After a hour and a half, I stopped for a long bike ride on a paved road into town and saw 2 cars in 40 minutes of riding. The fields were full of windblown corn and the isolation felt great (very ironic since the day before I was fleeing isolation).
After the ride I drove another hour and stopped to plan the rest of my trip. I was sure I could make California, and I realized that if my friends were available, I could visit a week earlier and still get to Portland to see Jenny, kayak the McKenzie, and visit the Redwoods with a touch of the California coast thrown in. They were available and that meant that on the way to the coast I could also head to the Spearfish Canyon to fish (I know a fine spot on the stream) and visit the spot I found last year on the Ten Sleep in the Big Horns. I even considered going up to Freda creek on BC’s Sunshine coast, but I realized I would have great difficulty in wading Freda, and I would involve a lot more driving. I am now in Dickinson, North Dakota, and I am planning on playing golf at the municipal course. I must say that talking with my friends, Rob, Dolores, Louis, Gloria, and Gyorgyi, was a great help to getting me out of my funk. I am back in control and I should be in the Spearfish Canyon tomorrow.