June 23

Eads to Leoti

82/1877

Leave Eads by 6 a.m. and make some great progress in the cooler morning air. In the town (?) of Sheridan Lake I stop at the only sign of life - a gas stop/pizza place - for a bite to eat. My expectations are low but the food is made to order and really tasty. I chat with a few other patrons that share their knowledge of the road ahead. One guy knows a young fella who was killed riding a bicycle just down the way. A native of Missouri tells me I haven't felt heat til I've visited his home state and describes the concept of "heat idex". A pair of old-timers drink coffee and enjoy breakfast burritos drowned in sausage gravy.

Grain elevators 'n' stuff ...

Outside of Sheridan Lake I meet a westbounder named Jason. We talk a bit and it seems we're quite alike in our traveling style. Jason lost his wallet the other day. Luckily, two westbound New Zealanders Graham and Kelly found the wallet in the road and bumped into Jason later. Graham and Kelly pull up a few minutes later and Graham praises me for staying clean shaven. They all mention another dude named Sang who they camped with yesterday. We say so long and just before I cross into Kansas I meet Sang. He's got a big smile and an even bigger mountain of stuff tied to his bike!


Kansas! I met a westbounder in Nevada who said Kansas was "so beautiful!". Sounds good to me...

The scenery across state line is abruptly different. Green fields and irrigation abound. It's also getting humid... Strange how crispy E.Colorado was while on the other side of an arbitrary line Kansas is booming with crops and enormous harvesting machinery.

 John Deere is king of the road in Kansas. Even big rigs slow down and make way for the big green beasts...

Tribune is my first stop in Kansas. I stop at a busy and wildly disorganized burger joint. Food is placed in front of anyone who raises their hand some folks just never get their food.

As I press on it's getting super hot so I stop in the shade of a grain elevator. Upon leaving I notice that I've picked up an angry swarm of thorns in both tires. Shit. I'm hoping that my no-flats streak will continue after picking out all the "goat heads" as they are known, but alas, my rear wheel feels fishy and a mile later I am patching my first flat in the full sun on a bridge over White Woman Creek. All patched up and now I've got a nasty "wump" going. Huh? Looks like I've got a chunk of tire missing in the rear wheel. I'm not carrying a spare. Let the overnight shipping begin!

After fixing the flat I reach Leoti and grab a cold beer at the Beer Barn. Folks look at me funny at first but we all end up getting along. Regulars help themselves when the bartender is busy.

After some super lame Mexican food I discover that my front tire is flat. Yay. I walk it to the city park to camp for the night. At the park I meet three bicycle touring guys from the New York/New Jersey area. They travel west and the winds have been greatly in their favor. Today they completed 140 miles. One hundred or more has been their daily norm through Kansas. I am so happy for them.

June 22

Fowler to Eads

82 / 1794

The host was right about the nearby rail line - the trains are loud! No big deal, I wasn't sleeping great anyway. I pack up just as fast as I can to escape all the mosquitoes and ride to a gas station for a champion's breakfast of Ding-dongs and coffee. As I enjoy my Hostess food product, a woman parks near the air/water station and climbs into the back of her car to change clothes for her shift at the gas station.
On the road again I am PASSED by another touring cyclist. He and his friend are heading for VA as well.

 I take a wrong turn into Ordway, but it's a lovely one. There are lots of shady trees and quiet streets and I stop to listen to church bells before asking for directions to Sugar City.
Sugar City isn't as nice and I almost give up on finding a bite to eat when an old timer walking down the street encourages me to check out the diner up ahead, despite the "closed" sign. I ask about the pot pie place and he says "they sellin' stuff but it ain't lunch."

Inside the diner I meet the owner. She is not one to mess with. She is open about her strong and unwavering dislike for cyclists and says they're all the same : hot, tired, grouchy and demanding. I tell her I'll try to behave and we blabber a bit while I check out old knick knacks that are on display all around the dining area. Before leaving I notice a "cyclists welcome" sign in her window. Huh? She even keeps a ledger for all the despicable cyclists.


Pushing on to Haswell is very tough. The wind is in my face and there's a mild and endless incline. The scenery is really neat, though. Dilapidated houses lean with the wind and old cars and school buses look like welcoming shelter in the event of a big rain storm.

Between Sugar City and Haswell lives one tree. Luckily, it is close to the highway and I take a break. Standing there I find a penny and wedge it into a road marker. I wonder how long it will take for someone else to rest in the shade and find the penny...

 There's plenty of time and space to goof off in Eastern Colorado....

 Pulling into Haswell is not fun. It is hot as heck and I haven't seen a lick of shade in miles. The incline is gradual but the headwind makes it a real chore. Thankfully Haswell features a gas stop with junk food and a shady picnic table.

 Bikers can't be choosers. This place is really gross and the burrito makes me sick but the shade and Pepsi help me get back into the game. Inside a TV blasts non-stop commercials to an empty room scattered with newspapers and an oily old couch. The sink in the restroom drains into a five gallon bucket.

 

 Haswell is at a hill crest and the final miles to Eads are much better than the last 20 or so. It is just getting hotter and hotter as I enter the town of Eads. I find a cheap motel room and head to the bar across the street. Two old guys sit and smoke cigarettes and watch Jeopardy. I join them for a few Coronas and attempt making small talk. They never respond to me nor do they ever speak to each other. "I'll take 'Get Me Outta This Weird Place' for $6.50, Alex."