Category: Tentist and the Teapot

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.

We woke this morning to the sound of wind, thunder, and rain. It was early, around 5:30. I began checking my weather app to look at the storm map. This would all be over within an hour so we settled in, me with coffee and Nancy with her Chai. Looking out the window I noticed our new touring friends from Germany were huddled under a small shelter so Nancy put on her raincoat and went over to invite them to join us. The four of us sipped our brews and enjoyed peach fritters.

The rain stops and the sun clears the sky so we all prepare to begin our travels. Nancy is leaving for her next campground, we three cyclists are heading to Cassoday, KS.

Today the unrelenting wind was a brutal force. I forced my way though the wind with all the effort of climbing an 18% grade. To get to Cassoday the road was a major truck route so these semi’s also added their force to the wind. There is a wide shoulder so I was not squeezed between a truck and the road’s edge, this was a blessing. But, the traffic was fast and when a truck would pass from behind the wind force would roll my shirt up up to my neckline while tugging me towards the travel lane. Truck passing in the other direction would add to the headwind when pushing the air into me with a quivering shake before the millisecond of stillness before the tail stream began pounding. I could minimize this by tucking in. This was a tiring day!

The headwind shielded the temperature so on the rare occasion I wasn’t riding into the wind I cooked in the once again 100° high of the afternoon. I made it to the campsite behind the Cassoday Country Store before it closed and ordered dinner and drinks.  My tent is set and now I will go relax with Matthias and Tilo.

The third try is the charm. It’s 8:52 AM as I begin my third attempt to make it to the campsite on Toronto Lake. The sky is quiet and clear, nothing but the sun beating down replacing the morning cool. I have 42 miles of riding today and should be done around noon.

The land beneath my tires ripples in long slow waves, gently up for a mile followed by a disappointing descent of the same distance.

Four hours later on my second day I arrived in Toronto. With the whole camping area to ourselves and I relax and eat lunch, a ham salad with pickle relish sandwich. Tomorrow will be another ride day so I go over my bike, check and add sealant, and lube the chain. Then it’s off for a hike on one of the trails. This walk through the woods and along the lake covered us with ticks so next on the agenda was tick removal and showers.

Back at the campsite we see two touring cyclists ride into a nearby site so we go over, they are the same two that Nancy met crossing into Kansas. We invite them, Matthias and Tilo, for dinner and conversation. If I had gotten here yesterday as planned this opportunity would not have happened.

I was planning to ride to Cross Timbers State Park for my next sleep spot and then I got Nancy’s text, she was also planning to set up camp there. It’s getting more difficult to find campsites in Kansas. I still have options every 50-60 miles with cyclists only and cycling hostel. I check the local weather every night and morning when planning my daily mileage. A storm front is coming through but it looks like that will be after 3 PM. My day’s ride begins at 9 AM with a stop 5 miles up the road in the center of Walnut, the only place to get food for the next 30 miles. I am told to be careful, there is a front coming through by noon with lightning, 40 mph wind, and the possibility of hail the size of a penny.

Twelve miles later, riding in the rain and watching lightning strikes in the distance, I came to a small picnic area with a pavilion. I head there and get under cover. The cold wind is strong and unrelenting, I am wet and getting uncomfortably cold. I wrap an 8×12’ trap around the corner post to hide from the wind. Nancy sent a text to let me know that she is on her way to the campsite. I let her know where on the route I am. She came by with a warm omelet breakfast and continued down the road to register, it’s a “first come” site.

I curled up out of the wind to wait out the storm. The front should move by in a few hours. I’m also checking my weather app, watching the map and now I’m on the edge so I pick up and leave. The storm is on my right and moving away and on my left is blue attempting to take over the sky. My overly optimistic departure brought me into rain but the lightning was off in the distance.

I used up 4 hours of riding time waiting out the storm so now, at best, I am 3 hours from camp and soaking wet as I ride into Chanute, KS. There is a motel on route so I  changed my plans to spend the night here. I book a room, shower, and do a load of laundry while eating. Tomorrow is another day and it looks dry, I will start it clean and dry.

An early wake-up with the sun. Getting to this campsite added 25 off route miles Nancy offered to shuttle me back to the point I left my route yesterday.

I am back on route at 9:15 AM and the sun is wasting no time cooking the asphalt and everything else in its path. To my relief, the steep hills vanished after 6 miles. The replacement, low grade wavy land. I begin climbing a mile long 2% grade and then down the other side with a 2% grade. This would continue the rest of the day so I am riding in big gears and zipping through the miles.

Also there are a lot of windmills so these must be a very windy place but not today, the day is calm as l trade Missouri for Kansas.

I arrived at my first option to camp in Giard, KS. and the park has no shade, the ground is scorched and the sun has brought the temperature to 100°. It is mid afternoon so I decide to ride to option two, Walnut, KS. a cycling hostel hosted by the Immanuel Lutheran Church. This brought my mileage up to 81 but I will have a nice sleep.

This day is set aside for replacing components and having some fun. A different kind of fun, kayaking with a tandem boat on a lake! This was Nancy’s great idea to bob on the water in the cool breeze. No pics, just relaxing together.

We also would need to change the campsite later today as this one had been reserved so we hooked to the camper and went to the other side of the lake for the night.

This is a great site on the edge of a bank overlooking the water.

I’m beginning to understand that even though this heat is not the norm for this area it is the norm for my trip. Today is another day with a temperature reaching 95°. I will go off route at mile 48 to ride north to Ruark Bluff Campground where Nancy has set up camp. This detour brings my mileage for today to 64 miles in shade less heat over long and steep hills.

I finally arrive to the joyful barks of dancy little doggies and a welcoming smile with an “I’m sorry this was so far off your route.” We went down to the lake and waded into the water for a core cool down. Once cooled we ate and settled down for the night. Yes, it was almost 8 PM when I finished riding.

The night was comfortable for sleeping and I was tired so the bright courtyard lights did not keep me from quickly falling asleep. The morning dew, heavy on the tent, dried as I cooked and ate breakfast. I also enjoyed a slow cup of coffee before packing up to ride out of town.

By 10 AM the sun quickly brought the temperature up to 95°. I just drank fluids and consumed ice cream. Ice cream not only provides fuel to keep my legs turning it also cools my core.

A constant forward grind brought me to my planned destination, the Fair Grove Historical cycling hostel. I cooled in the only shade of this day under the trees surrounding the historic Mill, a steam powered mill. I called the contact number and began looking over the site waiting for someone to come and open up the area for my stay. Gail shortly arrived on a scooter and offered to have me stay with her and Tom, her husband. So back on the bike I climbed to follow her to their home located less than a mile away. This very generous offer closed the day.

Today I cooked oatmeal with blueberries, thank you Garrett and Amy, for breakfast and brewed some Elbow Room coffee. It would be another short mile day so no reason to hurry. Still I would start riding at 9 AM to tackle the hills before the sun could begin baking the countryside and broiling me in the process. A good plan but a short lived one.

When morning tipped into noon the heat dialed up the amp to 11. I stopped into a small store in the middle of nowhere except being the middle of my day’s ride.

I ended my ride at the courthouse lawn in the center of Hartville, MO. This is the county seat with a population of 600. Most of the storefronts are boarded up or being torn down. Still, this town is bustling with traffic. The cars, pickups, and tractor trailers seem in a hurry to pass through without stopping. I sat watching the hustle until the day dimmed and the evening cool set in before setting up camp and cooking dinner.