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Bike from Oregon to Virginia, June/July 1999 Day 33: Eads, Colorado to Scott City, Kansas So it finally happened, after several days of mulling over the idea I have finally acted upon my desire. I have gone ahead and broken up the group. OK, OK, stop the dramatic music, it's not like you think. You may recall that yesterday someone (I won't mention any names) was quite down in the dumps. This person went so far as to order maps so that they could finish the ride more quickly. Well, as I (oops, gave it away) rode yesterday, ahead of Kevin and Ned, I guess I was telling other cyclists I met that I was thinking of going ahead so when Kevin and Ned finally met up with me at the pool they kind of knew. Kevin and I had a good discussion (Ned doesn't say so much) and I went to bed feeling good. Things only got better as we rose at 4:00 am this morning and were on the road around 5:15 am. Of course the idea was to beat the heat and the wind and since we covered 80 miles before noon with a two hour break I must say we succeeded. But wait, if we all went 80 miles how did we get split up? Well, Leoti, Kansas is where we all reached around noon (actually we crossed into the central time zone so technically it was now 1:00 pm) and promptly inquired as to where the city pool was located. To our utter dismay we found that it was being repaired but as if to console us we were told Scott City has a pool. Leoti, at 1:00 pm, in July is quite hot (~ 93 degrees) and of course it was only going to get warmer so Kevin and Ned opted not to ride the extra 25 miles to Scott City; I did. When I arrived the temperature had climbed to 98 degrees but of course I didn't care. Quickly, a man on the street was asked to provide directions, which he did, and in no time I was floating in the air, traveling head first into the water. Tonight I will either camp in the city park or stay in the hostel and while Kevin and Ned are up at 4:00 am, again, I will be sleeping in, awaiting their arrival. Quick bonus: Transamerica cyclists get to use the pool in Scott City for free! What made today work out so well, several things: First of all, last night I told Kevin and Ned that no matter what I was leaving camp tomorrow as soon as it was light enough to ride safely (it turned out to be around 5:15 am, about 30 minutes before the sunrise). This was significant because usually at night we cook a pot of what we call "gruel" or "birdseed" in my pot, as it is the biggest. Basically all this meant was that if they were not done eating in time they would end up carrying the pot. Everyone finished in time. Secondly, and equally important was the wind. Even at 5:00 am it was already blowing (actually it never really stops) but as it turned out today the wind was from the south west (more south than west). Hooray, we had a tiny tailwind that we could really appreciate when we saw riders coming from the other direction. I couldn't help but laughing to myself at the disgust on their faces and think about all the wind they still had to encounter in Wyoming. At least I didn't tell them that wind builds character, if someone tells me that again I will show them how a fist breaks a nose! Before I forget, last night we camped with Kenny in the Eads city park. With green grass, water (non-potable according to the locals) and a picnic table it had everything, including a grain silo right next to it. It seemed like trucks were going to be collecting and depositing grain all night. That wouldn't have been so bad except that all of the truckers fancied themselves as riders of Harley Davidson motorcycles. What I mean is that somehow they modified their engines and also accelerated such that they made a lot of noise, as if they were trying to peel out. Luckily, the trucks eventually stopped and we all slept soundly.
Drafting behind Ned, perhaps I won't pay as close attention as I should and just maybe my front wheel will hit his rear wheel causing me to crash and allowing me to go home. Hey, when you don't want to ride, yet you are on the road for 6 hours, a lot of things go through your mind. But what prompted me to write this silly scenario? I was at the Scott City pool and decided to go down one of the four tube slides. As I dove down head first the top of my foot hit the entrance to the slide and boy did it hurt. As I hopped out of the pool and onto a bench I thought how mad I would be if I had to drop out of the ride because of a kiddie slide. Poor Kevin and Ned, as they swelter in the heat in Leoti (as of 6:22 pm it was 99 degrees) I am munching chips in a Mexican restaurant. While I sip ice water they fumble with unruly stoves and drink yucky warm water. Wait, it gets better (or worse depending on your perspective), I am staying at the "Athletic Club" which has a pool, spa, tumbling, racquetball, etc. in addition to a hostel room. Measuring about 20 feet square it has soft carpet, a couch and comfy chair, books, magazines and a TV. As I am the only one there tonight I think I will get a pint of Ben and Jerry's and kick back (I just finished a great carnitas burrito). Clearly I am happy. Day 34: Scott City, Kansas to Ness City, Kansas Good days, bad days, happy days and sad days; only someone on double doses of Prozac wouldn't experience these feelings and emotions on such a trip. Yet today was a new day for me, a blah day. Out of the northeast the wind blew in my face but I didn't really care. With the chain in the big ring in front and the middle to small cogs in the rear cluster I just chugged along. Semis going in the opposite direction tried to discourage me by slapping me in the face with their airstreams but I simply lowered my head and charged into it. Similarly, trucks going my way would literally blow my shirt off of my back (or at least up it), not to worry though, I just felt grateful for the wind. What really put me in my blah mood though, must have been my trip to the Dighton, Kansas post office. For the third time I was going to the PO expecting goodies and a letter from you and for the third time I came back empty handed. Kevin and Ned were also expecting items that never arrived. Once again we filled out cards to get our items forwarded ahead but this time we took no chances, I expect to finally get your package in Illinois.
Kevin and Ned showed up at the Athletic Club around 7:00 am this morning. As it turns out, they rode to Scott City last night around 8:00 pm and stayed in the city park; a large cloud blocking the sun gave them the kick-in-the-butt to go. I was fairly shocked to find that they chose the park over the hostel since I was only charged me $4.50 for the night. Since Hoosier Pass the riding and terrain has been… lacking. Aside from the moment with Kenny when I saw the plains for the first time the terrain has left me uninspired. But when looking back on this part of the trip there is something that I will remember very fondly about the Great Plains and Kansas, the community pools. Usually open from 1:00 to 6:00 pm, they are a great way to end the day and the last two pools I have been to let me in free as I was a transcontinental cyclist. Freeing myself from salt, sweat and grime is my first order of business upon reaching the pool, usually be means of a diving board. After a few minutes I feel sufficiently refreshed so that I can next spend 5 minutes or so washing my riding socks, shorts and shirt. Once I tried to wash my clothes before going in but found myself in such a hurry that I didn't do a very good job. Next the clothes are rung out and hung to dry. Soaking, swimming, sunning and writing are now the activities which occupy my time until the pool closes although I seem to spend most of the time watching the kids play. Back in Eads, Colorado I called Adventure Cycling and told them to send me maps care of the Alexander, Kansas post office. Pardon the pun, but if they are not there tomorrow I may go postal. Kevin and Ned don't know about the maps, since I haven't told them, and for that I feel pretty shitty. Don't really feel like writing but can't forget about white trash family and their son, Bodie. Chainsaw wielding husband invited us to his house about 20 times to use his hot tub, watch TV, sleep inside, and eat eggs from their chickens and meat from their cows and pigs that they butcher themselves. Chainsaw also told us that they have a bratty 14-year old daughter (Bodie was around 10) but we could just slap her across the face if she acted up. As they talked to Kevin and Ned, I kept my head buried in a map to hide my disbelief. Regarding food, today I ate on my own and enjoyed it but while I was in the supermarket getting more paper, an apple, an ear of corn and chocolate milk an unexpected swell of emotion came over me and I almost burst into tears. Nothing in particular or out of the ordinary happened but for some reason I was very sensitive. Going into this trip I had no idea that we would be going through so much yucky terrain that makes me not want to be here. The mountains of Santa Cruz are so perfect in the summer so why am I toiling away in Kansas? After 34 days most of the daily chores are just that, chores. Buying and cooking food, setting up camp and even riding are just becoming a drag because we have nothing to look forward to. The plains are flat and windy, the towns are small and depressing and of course one must not forget about the water, it tastes disgusting. I have come to the awful realization about the maps, which I ordered in Eads, Colorado, and expect to pick up in Alexander, Kansas tomorrow. First off, the population of Alexander is 130 people so the post office may have irregular hours. But even worse, tomorrow is Saturday. Could my luck with the post office get any worse? Well, kind of. You know that I ordered the maps so that I can break away and get home more quickly but Kevin and Ned don't. Tonight we are camping in Ness City that is only 20 miles from Alexander and I have to tell them I don't want to get up early because it doesn't make sense to get to the post office before 8:00 or 9:00 am. Just two nights ago I told them I wanted to leave as soon as it's light enough to ride and now I am asking them wait for me. Of course it is more of a big deal to me than them but it is just another little thing to show what a jerk I am. Speaking of little things that happen when you least expect them to. This morning I left my only boxer shorts in the Athletic Club (hostel) shower and also accidentally threw away my lexan spoon. Last night as I watched a great PBS show about 3 fellows climbing a mountain in New Zealand I was also secretly eating a pint of Hagen Das chocolate chocolate chip ice cream. Stealth mode was required because the room had at least five signs telling me not to eat or drink in it but to go out to the patio instead. I guess that when I finished I threw the spoon away with the container. But you must now be confused as earlier I wrote that I was going to get a pint of Ben and Jerry's. Yes, you are correct, I did write that but the store only had Hagen Das and just to show you how things have been going for me I didn't really like it. Sure the ice cream was great but the chocolate chips just got in the way. Plain chocolate or strawberry would have been much better. Day 35: Ness City, Kansas to Great Bend, Kansas He came back three times, once before we went to sleep and again in the morning. As we ate or packed the father of Bodie, Chainsaw, would watch us, conjuring up questions that he would ask us at one minute intervals. Being friendly is one thing but this man offered us everything from food and shelter to his son and daughter (the 14-year old bitch who you just slap if she gets out of line)! No need for me to set my alarm this morning as rising at 4:00 am would be futile. Only 20 miles were between our Ness City campsite and the post office in Alexander where I would get my maps. Although I was awake for sometime prior, I didn't get out of my sleeping bag until 7:30 am to wake up Kevin and Ned. Consisting of a banana and two bagels with peanut butter, I quickly finished and enjoyed my breakfast while Kevin and Ned shared a cantaloupe, carrots and two small cans of corn. Just as we were all packed and mounting our bikes to leave Ned noticed that he had a flat tire. As it was 8:45 am I could wait no longer and told them I would be waiting at the Alexander post office. The twenty miles passed quickly but as you might expect, upon entering the post office lobby I found the doors closed and read a sign which informed me that the PO hours on Saturday are from 8:00 to 10:00 am, currently is was 10:03 am! What rotten luck, post offices just aren't working out for me on this trip, but wait, what's that rustling in the bushes? It turns out that the postmaster, Judy, was behind the closed doors and turned out to be very helpful. Of course my maps had not arrived but she gave me a card to fill out so she could forward them when they did. After regrouping with Kevin and Ned, as we rode away I though about the four other instances when I filled out the same card with poor results so I decided a new approach was required. When Judy drove by I flagged her down and asked for the post office phone number. On Monday I will call her to see if the maps have come in and then and only then will I tell Judy where to forward the maps. Regarding riding on the plains, I would say I've taken a liking to it. For the first time my road bike is clearly superior the mountain bikes, especially when I put my hands low on the bars, tuck and go go go. As I go by mileage markers, I even sing a song, take a listen and pretend I am riding by mileage marker 175. Mileage marker 175 Mileage marker 175 Pass another mileage marker And that means One fewer mile to ride in Kansas Pretty catchy huh? Don't worry though, it won't infect you like other memes. Twenty times or more I sang the song yesterday and I still had a hard time remembering it so I could put it down on paper. Three other cyclists were encountered today, one so extraordinary I had to take his photo. Blaine not only had front and rear panniers and a large handle bar bag but also a Bob trailer with everything on it including a lawnmower. "Will Mow for Food" read the sign and he claimed to actually be doing just that.
A very Real World'ish conversation took place while eating sandwiches. For weeks Kevin has expressed an interest in riding at night; I was more than willing to give it a try but Ned didn't want to. Similarly, based on conversations with some west bound cyclists Kevin and myself decided it might be a good idea to find a more direct route through Kansas; once again Ned was not in favor of the idea. In reality though, the problem was more that Ned would just say that he didn't want to do something and any reason or discussion would have to be coaxed out of him. As it was Kevin's idea to ride at night most of the discussion was between himself and Ned and for the most part I watched and listened. In the end it was decided that Kevin should talk less and Ned should talk more. At that point I could not help myself and said "then no one is going to say anything". Knowing Ned and his stoic nature I am sure you understand.
Day 36: Great Bend, Kansas to Newton, Kansas So, what has happened since I last filled you in? First off, we rode at night, from around 2:00 am to 1:00 pm (with lots of breaks). Stuff not to forget: community pools keep getting better (two story high waterslides), lunch, movie and Dairy Queen with the New York girls (Catherine and Lucy), broke another spoke and want to fly home from Wichita. You know, I was awake for your entire birthday except for the last 90 minutes. Miss you terribly.
Day 37: Newton, Kansas to Augusta, Kansas Stuff that happened today: live bait, fixed bike, atomic burrito, guns and underwear.
After being awake for almost 24 hours we slept in till 7:00 am. I'm not joking, staying in bed until 7:00 am is now sleeping in, weird huh? Anyway, to Wichita we rode from Newton, both Kevin and myself on hobbled bicycles. As the population of this largest of all of the cities in Kansas is 300,000 people it took us almost as long to get to the bike shop once in the city as it took us to ride to the city. Well worth the trek is an understatement regarding the effort required to get to the shop, as it was probably the best one we have encountered. For $15 my spoke was replaced and wheel trued but to my dismay I discovered that the noise my bike makes while pedaling requires a new chain and rear cluster. As I plan to sell the bike upon finishing the trek, I opted not to spend the extra $80. Kevin's wheel was also repaired and luckily it was discovered that part of his bottom bracket was cracked. Had this gone unfixed Kevin could have ruined his frame. While discussing the route with a bike shop employee the topic of dogs came up, Kentucky dogs. One thing led to another and suddenly I found myself at Wal-Mart watching in disbelief as Kevin and Ned shelled out $50 each for 17.7 mm pellet guns. Scariest of all, these pellet guns (which use compressed air) look just like real guns. Kevin and Ned plan to ride through Kentucky with these in their jerseys, just tempting any dog to screw with them. I worry what might happen when a Kentucky hillbilly sees Kevin or Ned pull out a gun and shoot their dog, it could be exciting! We'll be rich; I have a great idea. Get a soda machine but sell live bait out of it instead of drinks. Oh, too bad, someone in Kansas has already done it.
Next door to the bike shop was "Atomic Burrito". If possible I would eat two or three large burritos each day, as they are so yummy with rice, beans, meat, veggies. At this particular shop I ordered a "Super Atomic" burrito that weighed in at over two pounds! Half was eaten for lunch and I couldn't wait for dinner to eat the remainder. Finally, while Kevin and Ned were pricing weapons I bought new boxer shorts. After not wearing cotton underwear since leaving them at the Athletic Club (hostel) it felt so good instead of the synthetic riding shorts! PS, camping is not allowed in the Augusta city park so we pitched our tents in the middle of some trees/bushes. One could walk 10 feet from us and not know we were there. Why are we doing this, well we haven't been following the map for the last couple of days so we didn't know where to camp. Good night (upon waking, I found my tent was now the proud recipient of a bunch of guano).
Day 38: Augusta, Kansas to Chanute, Kansas
As I sit alone in Elisa's Mexican Restaurant lets see what I can recall about today. First off, I set the alarm on my watch for 5:30 am but as I put in earplugs I didn't get up until around 6:30 am. The morning wake up/break camp/eat ritual took about 90 minutes although I was ready in 1/3 of that time. Maybe I should stop being such an idiot and just sleep an additional hour. We were on the road by 8:00 am. But were we, actually not, because Kevin wanted to go to Wal-Mart to look for a holster for his gun, which they didn't have. What we did find at the superstore though, to our dismay, was that Kevin's Bob trailer had a flat tire that delayed our departure another 1/2 hour. To sum up, I though we would be on the road by 6:30 am but we didn't really get moving until 8:30 am. But it didn't really matter as once we started I didn't stop until 12:30 pm (except twice to pee) so many miles were covered very quickly. After waiting at a junction and munching bagels with peanut butter and honey we rode 25 more miles to Chanute and you guessed correctly, the community pool. Here I learned to dive off of the high diving board. Not just walking to the end of the board and meekly jumping down but bouncing as high as I could and flying in full Superman style. It was scary but very fun! After our pool party we rode to the grocery store and while Kevin and Ned shopped I drank chocolate milk and talked with my parents on the phone (I would have called you but it was too early) and then we rode to Katy's. Katy is a great woman who lets cyclists' camp on her lawn. Pulling up and ringing her doorbell is very much like going to visit your favorite aunt or uncle. In fact, sometime tonight she is going to come out and play her ukulele and yodel for us. After that I plan on getting a treat at Wal-Mart and then hitting the hay. No sooner did I finish writing the above when Katy came out with her instrument and began singing songs for us. Actually, she sang one song and then we each picked songs for her to sing (all of the titles to the songs she knows are taped to the back of her ukulele). We were having such a good time that she probably sang ten songs in all and then took a photo of us in front of her limestone fence post. After a hug she gave us her card and a loaf of zucchini bread (below is a copy of her card).
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