Dispatch 15: Elkhorn to Port of Fortuna
Today is our last day on motorcycles. Before this trip, I was concerned about sleeping on the ground for 15 nights, but modern camping gear is amazing. Between my sleeping pad, camp pillow, and finishing each day exhausted, I’ve slept very well, except last night. It was in the 30s, and I was frigid. This morning, I crawled out of my tent with a sore calf muscle and limped to the picnic table where Madison, one of our film directors, sat. “You okay?” She asked. I rubbed my calf. “My head is pounding, and I somehow injured myself while sleeping.” She chuckled and handed me some Liquid IV. “I think you’re dehydrated.”
Our final miles through North Dakota’s Badlands were a display of dissected geology. We rode along a peninsula of prairie grass with layers of red dirt, limestone, and striated rock around us. As we proceeded north, the abrupt features softened into rolling hills with round bales of hay dotting the landscape.
We stopped in Cartwright and encountered the most posh convenience store of the trip. No, it wasn’t the premade breakfast empanadas from the warming tray that pushed it into luxury status. It was the robotic bidet-style toilet in the restroom. I’ll leave it at that.
Refreshed and rejuvenated, we headed towards the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers, where we rode to the bank and took in the massive waterways. It was time for the final push to Canada.
We pulled into the parking lot of the small and remote border crossing. The plan was to cross the border, turn around, and re-enter the United States. It was 5:39 p.m., and we discovered the U.S. side closed at 5 p.m., despite an earlier road sign indicating it closed much later. We could enter Canada, but we’d have to ride more than an hour to cross back into the U.S. Our crew was here. We wanted to finish with them, so we rode to the Canadian entrance, turned around, and finished with our team. They ran next to the bikes and cheered us all the way to the parking lot.
It was over, but this trip had been all about the journey, not the destination. I’ll never forget the people we met and the talented individuals I traveled with. I feel blessed to be a part of this exceptional team. I hope this inspires you to take the road less traveled and experience the wonders of the Great Plains. You will not be disappointed.
