Part 5

Over the last few days we've battled with some of Mother Nature's elements - heat and cold/rain/wind. With enough sunscreen and water the heat is bearable, but with inadequate equipment (ie gas station gloves) the cold/rain/wind not so much. Nonetheless, it's all about the adventure and experience, and the lessons learned from them. One of which is to always be prepared for anything - even if it seems like the most improbable of situations (like cold/rain/snow/wind on May 2nd in Kansas) it will happen when you're not prepared because Murphy's law says it will. I've also gone on a food eating binge and no longer seem to get full. Well, I get full because there's no more space for food to go, but I never actually get that sense of satiety - so I'm usually snacking within 15 minutes after a meal. Anywho, here's how the last few days have gone:

Day 20 - today went really well. I was getting pretty dehydrated and sunburned towards the end, but it was much better than the last few days. The temperature started in the 60s and was around 84 when we finished. We got in around 80 miles today and finished up in Everton, Mo. We were planning on camping at this inn/camp ground that was on our map but when we called the owner it turns out they don't allow camping and it's 25 bucks per night. We decided to stop at a saloon (the shaved beaver saloon)  on the way to the phony campground to grab some food and it turns out that the owner of the saloon allows cyclists to camp out back for free - score! So we've pitched our tents, showered in the women's restroom and are posted up in the bar until the weather cools off a bit. Tomorrow we'll head out of Everton towards Girard, Ks - it will be about a 75 mile trek and the start of my 6th, and most dreaded state. There won't be too much to look at in Kansas except what lies about 20 miles ahead. On a positive note it should get pancake flat soon so maybe we'll knock out a few good mileage days if the weather holds up. It looks like the weather will be nice again tomorrow and then back to colder temps and rain for a few days after that. My leg is feeling better, but still not 100 percent. After a couple of easy days I'm still on schedule to arrive in San Francisco with time to spare. Hopefully all holds up over the next few days. 

Day 21 - today went really well despite not getting much sleep due to the 10 or so trains that passed by last night (the saloon was only about 20 yards away from the train tracks). We got a super early start around 7:15 central and headed for Girard, Ks. There was nothing in Everton for food or water so we were cautious so as to conserve as much water as possible after the saloon closed last night. We were both running a little low, so while it was early and on the cooler side we made a beeline for the next town (26 miles) for some food and water. We had a couple small climbs going into Golden City before breakfast, but after that it was all pancake flat. We finally reached Kansas today when we crossed the border into Pittsburgh, Ks. While in Pittsburgh Dre and I were both able to snag a couple new chains for our bikes and get a quick tune up before finishing the last 15 or so miles to Girard. I've needed a new chain for probably the last 500 miles or so, so it was definitely a relief getting that out of the way - my bike is riding so much more smoothly now - it's amazing. We finished up the last little bit into Girard, Ks where we'll be staying for the night at a b&b from our map. As expected, there's nothing in Kansas, and it looks like places to stay/camp could be few and far between - it looks like we'll be riding 105ish miles tomorrow in order to find something cyclist-friendly. It also looks like our good weather will be leaving us soon - thunderstorms and rain over the next couple days and temps dropping into the 30s. I'm not looking forward to the weather, but I am looking forward to some flat terrain as we go thru Kansas. 

Day 22 - despite not sleeping well due to Dre's snoring and the 80 degree room we were in, today was a great day. The weather turned out to be amazing (80 with a slight breeze), my bike was riding super smooth, and I rode my first ever century (about 110 miles after our detour). We headed out of Girard this morning on into the flats of Kansas to Eureka, Ks. The riding was great. It was nice to finally have a break from climbing. We were also fortunate today to get a slight cross wind and occasional tail wind to help push us along. Everything went well with the exception of the detour we had to take - there was some bridge construction on route just outside of Chanute so we had to improvise last minute and head down a dirt road and a major highway to get back on track. We made a quick pit stop for lunch in Chanute and kept on trucking. I discovered today that Kansas is good for 3 things: 1) reeallly looong straight roads, 2) tons of gnats and other bugs that tend to stick to your arms and legs, 3) and perfect conditions for chaffing. We arrived in Eureka and promptly found a cheap hotel. I hate spending money on hotel rooms, but today we were exhausted and the forecast is looking rough for tomorrow - temps dropping into the 40s and 30s with a chance of rain and possibly snow. It could get interesting. Since we've arrived I've gone on a binge - an entire rotisserie chicken, a bag of tortilla chips, a tub of salsa, 5 or 6 cookies, some fruit snacks and half a gallon of water - all that on top of everything else I've eaten today - an omelet, 2 sausage patties, 2 english muffins, strawberries and a banana, a granola bar, a Clif bar, another banana, 8 more cookies, and 90+ ounces of water/Gatorade/juice. I'm probably forgetting something, but nonetheless I've eaten constantly all day. Hopefully we'll be able to knock out another 80-90 miles tomorrow- weather permitting. We'll see how it goes..

Day 23 - we ended well short of our 80-90 mile goal today - a mere 19 miles. Today was rough and a pure survival day. We started out around 815 with temps in the mid 30s, winds around 20 mph and rain. We knew it was going to be difficult, but didn't want to throw in the towel without trying to get some sweat on it first. By 10 minutes in my hands were already numb and I knew it was going to be a long ride. About 10 miles in the winds had picked up to about 25-30mph (if not higher) and it became way too unsafe to be riding on a major highway. I was literally being blown into the middle of the highway and there was nothing I could do about it - even being blown into the road while leaning against the wind and turning my handlebars. On top of that, the fact that these conditions make you lackadaisical while riding doesn't really help with the whole safety issue. So, with inadequate gear, my hands and feet numb and barely able to stand because of the wind, I flagged down a truck and hitchhiked the last couple of miles into the next town, Rosalia. Somehow Dre was able to make it into town - he said his extra panniers on the front of his bike gave him a more stable ride with the wind, but with the bad weather he didn't want to be out there any more than I did - I guess that's the price I pay for only having rear panniers. I'm a little disappointed that I had to flag down a car and couldn't tough it out, but with gear that wasn't suitable for the conditions, the cold, wet and wind got the best of me - it became more of a safety vs pride concern and I'm confident I made the right decision. I'm extremely grateful for the guy to picked me up, too. He dropped me off at the local school in Rosalia and from there the superintendent and his staff helped me contact a local church that is letting us stay for the night. About an hour after we got in to the church we went across the road to the only restaurant in town and had lunch. While we were eating it started snowing and right then we knew that we had made the right decision to stay. The weather has since cleared up a bit and the forecast is looking better for tomorrow, so we're hoping to get an early start tomorrow and knock out either 50 or 100 miles, depending on the weather and how we feel.