A Long Ride

I used county roads to ride northwest from Fargo across North Dakota, and it's the first time in a while that I've been spooked by the lack of people. It's empty out there. There are many abandoned farmhouses and barns, but every field was planted with some type of grain. Someone is farming the land, but they sure aren't living on it.



Rural depopulation has been happening for generations, but it's scary to see that it's happened to this degree. I was worried I'd run out of gas between stations, but that's a minor problem. What happens if you live out here and need medical help?

I've heard people say "cold snap," but I never really understood what it meant until I rode through Minnesota. We stopped in Minneapolis, which was sunny and warm, then headed northwest toward Fargo. About halfway there we rode into some dark clouds and the temperature dropped 35 degrees in about a minute. I was doing fine until I stopped and took off my helmet and gloves (for some reason) and just about froze solid. My teeth were chattering within seconds.

We bought electric jackets before leaving, which did nothing but take up space in the saddlebags through the heat of Mexico and the southern states. We were happy to have them in Minnesota - we would have been blocks of ice without them. Once we got rolling again I just couldn't fully warm back up, even with my jacket on maximum heat, so we stopped in Fergus Falls for the night. I'll take a hot shower now, please!