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June 11 (cont) to Newton. 105 miles June 12 to Great Bend, KS 105 miles After lethargic start on hot/muggy day, we put in 30 miles before wilting at a local swim pool/shower, where a cold shower helped. Then hearing about road closures ahead at the next stop, we asked for conclusive info. Finding none, except, "don't go" we pondered options. Craig & Sharon foolishly decided to go for it...thru the road closures, see what happens. Rod, the smarter one, pondered longer, opened the map to see that we eventually had to go quite a way north, so using a good strong south wind, he opted to venture off route. Craig & Sharon had already gone Rambo, down the road to avoid any extra miles of detour.
One fellow in a little cafe told us the area we were going thru was very "wild, untamed", we should have a gun. I didn't tell Sharon, but knew he was likely just trying to get to me. We stopped at a farmhouse for resupply of water, since we were fighting a strong side wind in a blistering day. The farm lady told us of pending storms...another exciting development. Our energy was already on fumes.
We reached the chasm many miles for nowhere. A deep, muddy ditch where the road used to be blocked our progress. If clear water I might have forded it, but I recall the scene of water mocassins in the movie LOnesome Dove, encouraged me to find another route around. We fully unloaded the bikes and portages over fences, thru soaken muddy pastures to the other side. After several trips and congratulations hugs, we were back moving west.
Night was quickly approaching, 7pm, with still 20 miles to go with very muggy conditions and water so warm it was tasting putrid ... might be that we haven't cleaned our water bottles in 4 weeks. We were physically getting sapped. At a perfect spot, I retreived phone message from Rod, advising of his strategy. A quick glance at my map revealed his brilliance. We had an opportunity to also head north at this point to take advantage of a south wind, get to a closer town and end our day without complete exhaustion. We opted for another night in a motel. To recover for another 100 mile day ahead. We talked to Thuch tonight. He is leaving for Kenya/Sudan tomorrow. Sharon fixed him up with a hotel in Newark for a couple of nights, as he has to layover to make connections and no Lost Boy friends around in NY to take him in. He is very excited to go visit his grandma (99 yrs) who refuses to leave striken southern Sudan. Thuch will try to make connections with the right people/organizations to implement our relief. He and his cousin, friend will also try to get some video for a documentary to support the mission. END OF WEEK 4. Sharon notes the lack of foreign cars. I have not seen a Prius (she drives) nor a Subaru (I drive) The family car seems to be a BIG pickup truck. Birds. The red wing blackbird has been with us from the beginning. The cardinal has also been seen in every state, but not as frequent lately. I wish I could identify bird sounds. I try to copy their sounds, but so far have been unsuccessful attracting a feathered mate. Songs for the Road. I try to hum/whistle a state appropriate song as I peddle merrily along. Virginia, it was Shendandoah and Country Roads (blue ridge mtns). Kentucky Woman (Neil Diamond). MIssouri was tough ... maybe Kansas City here I Come...although I had no intention of going there. Illinois...we weren't there long, but Popeye the Sailor Man was with me every mile. In Kansas, I started with a song by the contemporary group Kansas (wayward son .... or something like that), with a little wizard of oz thrown in. And appropriately, The Wind they called Mariah. June 13. Day 29 to Dighton KS 96 miles Rod had also spent the night in Great Bend, just 1/4 mile from us, but we didn't discover until the next morning. We all gathered at Rush Center, on the straight line west into Colorado. Tornados and storms were predicted in the western Kansas region for that day. We were going to have a nice easy 60 mile day, stopping in Ness City, but as I sat in the library, Rod advised that it had cooled down and a very strong easterly had developed. We'd better keep going, taking advantage of a very strong tail wind. A blessing. So he took off immediately, and we followed about 20 minutes later. Only 30+ miles to the next town, Dighton. As we traveled into a very desolate western Kansas, we were excited to watch the pretty black sky build around us. We could see in all directions.
We were surrounded. But the tailwind was so strong we were going 20 mph up the small hills we passed over. In an instant we hit a wall of cold air, about 7 miles out of town. Then the first drops started to fall. LIghtning in the distance. Then the big drops fell quickly.
Not many options for cover in western Kansas. But fortunately a farmhouse was nearby that had a tree out front. I ducked in with Sharon on my heels.
We drug our bikes sorta under cover of the cedar tree, but not cover enough. Man did it pour, and wind blowing at least 50mph. Instant soaking. Sharon went to the farmhouse door to find a hospitable Howard and Elda Jean Richards, happy to dry us off and offer refuge. Even offered a ride to town, but we can't do that. Geez were we soaked.
The Richards said they have been needing rain. Hasn't rained like this for 5 years. We know rain, and brought it with us, but never see rain come down so quickly in the Pacific NW. Rod had made it to town just in time. Found shelter in a bathroom. Camping in the city park was out of the question. We shared a very spacious room in downtown Dighton. June 14 Day 30. to Tribune City 71 miles (a "short day") June 15, Day 31. to Ordway, Colorado 118 miles
Rod still hasn't showed up ... it's 8:20pm and getting dark. We haven't seen him since lunch .... 61 miles back. We did get a message that he was having dinner (where?) and would try to catch up. I saw several Subarus as we are now in Colorado. We are about 55 miles east of Pueblo (lower 1/3rd of Colorado, in the foothills of the Rockies.) We eagerly anticipate getting into the Rockies tomorrow. Oh, to smell a different forest, see clear streams, take a swim to cool off. I still have not seen a body of water (other than community swimming pool) that I would want to dip my foot in, let alone swim in. While Ordway is a pleasant, sleepy little midwestern town, it is downwind from the cattle feed lots. The stench is overpowering to us visitors. But we won't insult our hosts by pointing it out. June 16, Sat. Day 32. to Canon City, CO 95 miles Phone message from Rod that he had gone right thru Ordway to Pueblo, some 55 miles further last night for a whopping 175 mile total for the day. He left us a message of some concern that riding in a threesome just wasn't working. So he would go on ahead and be on his own in the mountains (Rockies) for awhile. Of course, this was a disturbing message, and left us both worried. We haven't been riding together, everyone at their own pace, but catching up by day's end.
At one very nice park we met Charlie and his 4 yr old daughter Gracie and wife Petra. Charlie invited us to pitch our tent in his yard. Showers, place to cook...all the features we were looking for. Charlie and Gracie enjoyed our company. Sharon and Gracie played with Playdo while I fixed dinner in the kitchen and Charlie bent our ears.
After a nice lunch at a western bar, we started another 21 miles uphill to Guffy, where we heard there were unique accommodations. Hard miles, hot, flies orbiting all the way. A flat tire (first and only on the trip) at start of the climb, slowed us down. We dragged into Guffey at about 7:30pm. Bill, a real character, has a collection of wild west cabins, bungalows, antiques, junk, treasures, all over this little village.
Guffey is at 8600 ft, so breathing is a little strained ... I woke up having to work a little harder for oxygen.
Day 34. Monday, June 18. to South Park, CO (Fairplay) No breakfast or groceries available, so we had to rely on our assembly of food we've been packing around for the 28 miles we'd ride, a lot up hill, to Hartsel, for a breakfast/lunch stop. More up, over a little pass and first nice view of snow covered Rockies peaks. The wind began somewhat gentle, but after our lunch we bucked fierce headwinds for 18 miles into Fairplay, CO. aka South Park ... the town used for the hilarious cartoons of the same name on the comedy channel. Very very tough riding. We really wanted to go further, to cross the 11,500 ft Hoosier Pass, 11 miles up the road, but the combination of tired legs, high altitude here (9600ft), more winds in the face, might encourage us to spend the night in this little village and enjoy a bit of acclimitization, history and fellowship with fellow cyclers, before making an early morning run at the biggest / highest pass we will encounter on the trip. The air is thin up here. A weather front is moving in this pm, so hopefully will mixup the environment enough to give us winds favoring travel north. 3 tents on a very small parcel of grass in an RV park...with a fine shower facility. Sharon and I had lunch with Ken from Gig Harbor and shared camp zone also with our new riding mates Nick & Dave ... about 2 years each out of college. Chinese food for dinner would not have been my choice, but the massive plate of fried rice is just what we needed to replenish after a grueling day ... and prep to cross pass tomorrow. In the sack by 8:30pm. Nightime cooled quickly. At 10,000 ft. Day 35. Tues. June 19 to Kemmerling via Breckenridge, Frisco & Silverthorn Early (6:30am) start. I led the caravan of Sharon, Nick, Dave and 3 retired policemen on a steep wrong way out of town. Thought I was on the bike path. They needed to warm up anyway, before we began the 11 mile climb to the Hoosier Pass summit and our first touch of the Continental Divide. We breezed downhill about 9 miles to Breckenridge. An impressive ski town with all kinds of shops. A nice feel. We stopped for a group breakfast, before moving down the bike trail to Frisco and Silverthorn. Leaving Breckenridge we stopped to ask a fellow day cycler to take our picture. Virgil Richardson is an ex pat Seattleite, retired from Boeing/engineer and moved to Frisco several years ago.
His sight is failing so he needed a nice recreational community where he didn't need to drive. The region has free bus service that covers a big area. He and his friend Karen rode with us into Frisco and treated us to a lunch and backscenes tour of Frisco. Mark this down, if you want to visit a wonderful Colorado mountain community with all the activities, shopping, services, sports, recreation, culture, etc. this is the place. The mountains surround . Big reservoirs for aquatic. Streams running thru town. Absolutely stunning. I hope we can get our picture services on the web working again so I can resume sending you some nice images. We still have about 35 miles to get to Kremmling tonight where we meet up with other riders. Then one more full day in Colorado and a partial other day until Wyoming.
FRISCO is definitely a place we plan to return to. Virgil offers himself as a host should we return. His son, lives in Lake Forest Park, so we promised to make contact with him on our return. We arrived in Kemmerling about 6:30p. Stopped for about 3 seconds before swarmed by mosquitos. Fierce hordes. We ran for cover. Opted to find a hotel on such a nice day. What a waste. Met two east bound cyclers. Bob and Gloria. Bob just retired from Center for Disease Control. Coincidentally he lead CDC field efforts to eradicate Polio, a very important partnership mission with Rotary International. In fact the key Rotary Polio Plus associate he works with was trying to join him for part of his ride. Bob had a fascinating career. Started out 32 years ago, as a "pecker checker" ... something to do with venereal diseases. He has traveled around the globe working with Rotary to supervise immunization projects. Several members of my local Lake Forest Park Rotary Club have been on missions to Ethiopia. |
He came out of the bar, where Nick and Dave spotted us, and welcomed us to town. Made us a deal on the "hog barn" cabin. Only $20- includes electricity and a tv/vcr. I won't try to describe it here. Hopefully I can start adding pictures again soon. There was a very pleasant privvy and semi-outdoor shower. 
