A short ride on a cold and blustery day to get me over the Colorado-Kansas border to Sheridan Lake where Angela was waiting for me (with some east bound cyclist; Maybe she has a cyclist thing going on?).
Yesterday evening I thought I was going to miss all the storm activity but around 11’ish thunder and lightning emanated from the western sky. A radar check indicated that I was likely to get some wind and rain so I crawled out of my sleeping bag and lashed the rain fly over my tent as best as I could to protect me from the blowing rain. It hit a little after midnight but I stayed dry.
When I crawled out of my tent at 6:30 I found Judy(L) and Karen(R) doing their morning swim (Karen has a key) even though it was 55 degrees out and windy. A hardy breed these west Kansas women are!
After the challenge of breaking camp while keeping my tent from blowing away I headed to the only place in town for breakfast, the Cenex Gas Station. Nothing says breakfast like a breakfast pizza. It actually wasn’t too bad and it got me into Colorado!
Low gray skies, and a stiff wind from the north made this short day probably my most challenging. Besides the less than pleasant conditions I think my state of mind that this was my 13th and last day of riding, kind of told my body to relax, it’s over, and it did.
I see road carnage all day long but this one caught my attention and made me a little sad that this antelope wouldn’t be playing on the range any more.
16 miles after leaving Tribune I say hello CO and good bye KS!! I enjoyed my solo tour of Kansas just fine and I’m glad I rode. I had better weather than I could have expected, no flats, no mechanical issues, no dropped bikes or fall overs, no wrecks, no saddle sores, no lost articles, and no sunburn. I met some wonderful and interesting people and only a few strange, weird or unpleasant ones. Drivers of both trucks and cars were probably 98 to 99% kind and considerate with only a few bad actors. My bike which I call The Beast, The Cracken or Flica, depending on my mood and if I call it by name at all, ran like a champ. I don’t think I could have asked for more.
Now reunited with my wonderful wife, who lets me do these strange things every now and then, I’m heading home to see our new 2 week old baby granddaughter Merritt who I’ve only seen once after she was born. And of course our grandsons Graham, Miles, daughter Michelle and husband Adam and son Ryan and his wife Mattie. I think one of the benefits of traveling like this makes you appreciate even more the important things in life; the ones you love, your friends and the joy of coming home again.
Song of the Day; Big Weekend by Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers
Nice trip all around! You are an inspiration.
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