| Back to My Roots Week four Colorado to Kansas |
| Day 22 Sunday June 30 Pueblo to Lamar 122 miles The beginning our fourth week! It's called "Back to My Roots" because I am a native son of Kansas, but more about that later. Today was the longest ride of the trip, and it lived up to our apprehensions of a long and hot ride, complete with perverse head winds from La Junta. I had my second flat (I picked up a sizeable chunk of glass in my rear tire) but two flats in 20 days of riding more than 1,500 miles and I am not complaining. I actually rode to downtown Lamar so that I could com- plete a double metric century (125 miles). This is high plains, so don't expect much in the way of pictures. We have been on U.S. 50 since entering Colorado and will continue on through much of Kansas. Day 23 Monday July 1 Lamar to Garden City 104 miles Tough day today! The road was flat, but the winds were adverse and relentless. We had, I think, one mile of tail winds, and the rest of the long ride was head or cross winds. Even though the ride was shorter than yesterday's, everyone found it more challenging. Thankfully, tomorrow is a short ride as we are all really wiped out. Day 24 Tuesday July 2 Garden City to Dodge City 52 miles The winds were just as bad today, and we spent more time headed directly into them, but the good news was that the ride was relatively short. Tomorrow we head northeast, and we are all hoping to have some help from the wind for a change. Several of us went to old Dodge City tonight for some entertainment which can only be de- scribed as "beyond hokey." Day 25 Wednesday July 3 Dodge City to Great Bend 85 miles Kansas showed more hospitality today. The winds were diminished and it was a relatively fast ride as we headed northeast. It was also cooler as we had some clouds during the day. My average speed today was about 17.7 mph versus less than 12 for yesterday. One of my college buddies is coming into town for dinner tonight, so it will be fun to connect with someone from my past Day 26 Thursday July 4 Great Bend to McPherson 64 miles Happy Independence Day! A good ride today. It was relatively short, pancake flat, and the wind was not too bad. We had a special SAG stop in Lyons, hosted by one of the staff from last year's ride. My sister and her kids, all from Dallas, and my step-mother and her husband were waiting for me in McPherson. I am spending the after- noon and evening with them, so will post more pictures from today tomorrow. Day 27 Friday July 5 McPherson to Abilene 65 miles Great ride today. We had good roads, fine scenery and the wind at our backs! I think that I averaged almost 20 mph today. I rode hard and was the first to arrive in Abilene so that I could meet one of my cousins and his family who were driving across Kansas. We had a nice lunch together. Before I forget, I want to thank everyone who has sent me emails and given me so much encouragement and support. I also want to thank all of those who think that we are all nuts and need to be institutionalized for not sending me any emails. It's been great to hear from so many people, and I hope to meet many of you in New Hampshire. Day 28 Saturday July 6 Abilene to Topeka 108 miles Another week is over. Really hard to believe. Tomorrow we start our fifth week, and we will be passing into Missouri. Who would have thought that Kansas would be our biggest challenge so far? Kansas has it all - hills, heat, humidity and wind. Today was a tough day for me. Although the wind was mild today, the hills and humidity were new challenges. Near the end of the day, my cyclometer failed and I had to make a two-mile detour through city traffic to find a new battery. By the time I got to the motel, I was cranky, but after the nicest dinner we have had, I have mellowed back into my usual affable self. In spite of the adverse conditions we have had in Kansas, the people here have been the friendliest and most pleasant that we have come across. |
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| Our SAG stop at the halfway point |
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| A sunrise start today |