Month: May 2022

Sleeping in Wetmore gave me an easy 32 mile day to Canon City Ridge campground so by noon I was settling in. When I turned off route to the campground I met Nancy at My Sister’s Place restaurant for lunch before riding the 3 miles miles to the site.

The next morning we hike a trail to the ridge above the Arkansas River. We spotted some rafts below and decided to book a river rafting for the next day. The wind here is strong enough to knock us around while walking, 50 mph gusts. I hope this wind ends before leaving in a few days. We have been told that in 30 years the wind has not been this strong for this long, two months now.

I left Fowler early to ride the two miles back to my route and head to Pueblo before the strong afternoon wind. Pueblo is a bit over 30 away and I will need to merge onto the divided highway 50. This road has doubled lanes with an 8 foot shoulder that is riddled with every kind of debris from chunks of retread tires to glass.

I got to Pueblo before noon, still feeling fresh and not wanting to stop for the day I decided to continue west. I knew that options to get food were few and a place to sleep would make this an 80 mile day.

Sixty mile into the day I was struggling to get to Florence, the next city on my map that shows places to sleep. I was tired from pushing into the wind and I had run out of water an hour ago. I used up most of my energy I had left climbing the steep U-turn hill into Wetstone and saw two people outside working on a house. I stopped and asked for water. I began talking with the woman as her son-in-law went inside to get water. She pointed to the bridge 50 feet away and told me that on the small dirt road on the left there was a small park next to a library that had restrooms and outlets for phone charging. She told me to set up camp there for the night.

After removing the panniers I discover that both tires were punctured but didn’t go soft. Tubeless rocks.

I graciously did and some of the 21 people in town came to talk and wish me good luck on my trip. Wetmore, CO. is a warm and welcoming small town. I learned some of its history and got to meets some of its wonder people.

Nancy and I left Eads at the same time after a pancake breakfast and packing our gear. She and the doggies headed for a campsite she booked in Canon City, CO., I was hoping to sleep in Fowler, CO. 78 miles away and 2 miles off route. The scenery would be more of the East Colorado prairie.

Eighteen miles up the road I see a couple heading toward me on a tandem pulling a trailer. Libby and Rex came from New Zealand to ride the TransAM east. Our nice visit revealed that they were heading to Eads to sleep.

Riding out of Sugar City on a slight rise opened up the horizon in the distance to my first view of the Rock Mountain range off in the distance under the cloudy sky.

My plans to pitch a tent in Fowler City Park fell through, the ACA map was in error. I could not camp there and with a bit of searching I found a motel .2 miles down the road. Tonight I sleep inside and I have a shower!

Sheridan Lake is close to the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site and I had been wanting to visit, so this morning we left the camper, bike, and gear at the Sheridan Lake Bible Church hostel and drove to visit the area.

This massacre by the US Calvary of peaceful Cheyenne and Arapahoe was the most despicable act of savagery, killing and desecrating hundreds, mostly women and children. It was a chilling reminder of European Americans’ mistreatment of the original inhabitants of this country.

Back at the camper we made lunch before getting back on the road. The early afternoon start would get us thirty miles west to a small town, Eads, CO. We are staying at the city park that hosts cyclists.

I don’t need many words to describe today’s 77 miles push into 30 mph wind.

Every inch was from pushing the pedals, no coasting.

Eastern Colorado

Ness City to Scott City is 54 miles, very windy miles. This push was into a strong wind coming into my left shoulder. I took a short break in a historical site to eat a few packets of peanut butter crackers and some Gatorade. George Washington Carver settled near here in 1878, this was also my halfway point to Scott City.

Once I arrived in Scott City I met up with Nancy at a laundromat and was shuttled 20 miles to Scott Lake for a few days R&R. On our way to the campground we explored Punished Woman Fork Battlesite.

The next day we explored Monument Rocks.

Then Little Jerusalem Badlands.

The following day was a relaxing lazy day waiting out the wind  and rain.

Today was more of the same but with a twist. I was the first cycling tourist to stay at the Central Baptist Church campground this year and many improvements were being made. When I arrived the concrete base for a new porta-potty was being formed. This morning there was much activity, the porta-potty was being installed, the lawn was getting mowed, people were busy cleaning out the shed, and many church members were here watching. My departure was late with all there interested in my journey.

On the roads at 11 AM so making the trip to Ness City would be around 6 PM. Today was 40° cooler than it has been and the wind was still blowing strong. Also the headwind changed direction so now it was coming at me against my right shoulder, not the left that I have become accustomed to. This new direction tried pushing me into the road, not off into the ditch.

After a long hard day I finally get to my campsite and cook dinner to feed my hungry belly. Next I setup the tent and now I am ready for sleep.

I’ll sum up today in a sentence. The razor wire wind cut through me slicing flesh from bone before pushing the flat roads into mountains.

I begin noticing some different landscapes mixed into the same old Kansas that has held me captive for days.

The wind was strong early in the day with the promise to lighten around noon so I waited to begin my 50 mile ride to Great Bend.

The campsite at the Central Baptist Church yard is inviting and friendly. I walk a few blocks and bought groceries for dinner. John and Donna, members of the church, stopped by to welcome me and visit.

The temperature is cool and the forcast is a low of 47° with 15 mph wind, I’ll sleep in my sleeping bag tonight.

After a nice dry and cool sleep, I cooked oatmeal with blueberries and coffee before breaking down camp. I woke up at 6:30 and checked the weather, “warmer than yesterday” was the forecast. I hoped I could add miles before the day hit triple digits again.

Twenty miles up the road I see a touring cyclist heading my way, we both instinctively slow to pull over and stop. Mark, from Hawaii, left Arizona and rode north to ride the TransAM route to Yorktown, VA with a few modifications. One variant would be the Katy Trail then south to rejoin the TransAM. Then he will head over sea to tour a bit of Europe.

The visit with Mark lasted most of an hour which seemed only minutes as plans and stories were swapped. Being close to noon and close to the small town of Buhler I turn off route and ride into town. I enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the sidewalk cafe while visiting with the local town folk.

Back on route the sun brought this day to another 100° trudge to the town of Sterling, KS. where I will meet Nancy and spend the night. After a large Cherry and Lime milkshake.

Last night a severe storm came through with lightning, pouring rain, and winds blowing 50 mph. We knew a front would come through over night so we pitch our tents under picnic shelters but I wasn’t expecting what would happen. I was startled out of sleep with rain pelting on my tent and wind  trying to blow the tent with me inside off the deck. Fortunately I had tied the tent to four of the posts supporting the roof. My tent was leaning and the closed vestibule could not prevent the wind from blowing under and filling the tent to the shape of a balloon ready to pop. It took both hand pull the cover to the flood to keep the wind outside. It felt like this lasted an hour before before the winds lessened so I could release my clenched grip and roll back to sleep. Crawling outside this morning I was not surprised to see broken wooden chairs and table in shambles on the deck.

Waking across the lot to the diner, this is also a truck stop and several semis had parked overnight, a trucker met us on the way. He a surprised that we stayed the night in tents, “My god, he exclaimed, my whole rig was moving around in the wind!”

Matthias and Tilo left a bit before me, they were going farther them I. I will be riding fifty miles to Hesston. More of the same arrow straight roads with slight grades and wind.

Twenty miles into the day I connect with another cyclist touring east so we visit.

Ten miles from Hesston I come across two cyclists with panniers, John and Mindy. They were not on tour today but last year they rode the TransAm.

 After a nice visit, I finish up the day at my campsite to relax in the shade.