Cycling a short 58 miles from Wall to Rapid City, SD might not seem like the most strenuous ride, and indeed, the ride itself was relatively straighforward. However, after biking two centuries in the past week through increasingly mountainous terrain and high heat, our group was more than happy to take a rest day in Rapid City.We rode in to our stayover (thank you Bethlehem Lutheran Church!) and were greeted with more than enough sleeping space as well as a washer/dryer and full shower across the street. Showering truly has become a luxury on this trip, and it is always a treat when the entire team can take advantage of high water pressure and hot water.Perhaps even more remarkable was the fact that a Dairy Queen was situated no more than half of a block away. It is safe to say that the entire team indulged itself on ice cream for the next day and a half thanks to the geographic convenience of the DQ.Much of the team took advantage of the rest day by sleeping in the next morning, but five team members took an early morning trip to a local cancer treatment center, thanks to Megan's effort to set up a tour. After spending the rest of the day at Buffalo Wild Wings and the local library as well as just roaming around Rapid City, we all got a good night's sleep and prepared to cross yet another state border in the morning.The ride into Wyoming was beautiful. The hot and bright morning led to a gorgeous view of Mt. Rushmore, where the entire team interacted with tourists from all over the country, spread word about our mission, and even received a few donations from curious and supportive people at the monument.After spending nearly two hours resting at Rushmore and just soaking the iconic monument in, we headed off through the winding mountain roads carved out of the Black Hills. The scenery was incredible and the climbs were gradual enough to be challenging yet not uncomfortable.As luck would have it, the wind was at our backs for nearly the entire afternoon, and the last 40 miles of the 80 mile ride felt fantastic. As we neared the town of Newcastle, a group of four riders took a detour on an adjacent dirt and gravel road and discovered a hidden lake amidst the mountains. The water was crystal-clear and felt refreshing and affirming at the end of such a hot day's ride. Finally, everyone rolled into Newcastle by dinner time, and we were happy to see that the day's cooking crew had prepared plenty of hearty food for the entire team.Now, off to sleep before heading out to Gillette tomorrow!