Day 30 – St. Joseph, MO, Rest Day 30 Jun 2014

Map and Pics:  Click Here for Map and Pics.

Miles 2118 to 2118, 0 miles, 0 feet of climb, (but I did go on a 12 mile ride downtown and without trying found some of the steepest hills in the state)

One of the Churches for Sale

One of the elder statesmen of America by Bicycle came by the hotel today. This spry 80 year old is a veteran of many long distance rides, and is possibly Saint Joseph’s most energetic cheerleader. This morning he loaded up his car with as many bikers as could fit and took them around to the sights of the city, and there are many. The city has many parks, museums, historical sites, and great places to share some ale. A good time was had by all, and truly his excitement was contagious. Their stories inspired me to ride into town after I put in my telework hours. Before heading west, I detoured south through the very clean and modern Western MO State University and then directly downtown via Mitchel Ave. I delighted in seeing the Pony Express Stables, Jesse James Home, The Patee House (rityzzz hotel) and the parks. St. Joseph has all the earmarks of being ‘The Best Place in America to Live’ in the 1950s, but since then their big employers have left or been washed away by floods. The city suffers from a lack of new life and maintaining what remains. It has all the ingredients of success, such as roads, schools, infrastructure, but is desperate to bring the big employers back into town. It was sad to see magnificent churches boarded up decorated by for sale signs that had to have been ten years old. Many of the town’s majestic structures and homes seem to crumbling.

This is great artwork.

I had to be careful in my wanderings. The roads in St. Joseph rank second to Topeka as being the worst seen so far. I was forced to walk my bike or take the sidewalk rather than risk breaking a wheel or a frame. But in the midst of all this there was such beauty. The city loves its Victorian castles, its art in the park, its grand facades. As a city of 10,000 hills, there is never a spot where there isn’t something lovely to see. The item that caught my eye was the statue in front of the city hall. It is a monument to the pioneer mother that is just starting the journey west. There is such hope in her face, and the fountain bubbling underneath the art gives the image of living water as her spirit reflected that of the irrepressible American woman. I was really taken by it. It was almost haunting. Such were the many contrasts in this town.

This was a day of rest. I needed it. I still have a lot of things to do like clean the drive train on my bike. That can wait for later. The big things, like get my telework in, were accomplished, and finding time to see some of the local highlights was a bonus. Tonight I had dinner with Kevin, a semi-truck driver based out of Jefferson City, MO. He likes his job better now that he doesn’t crisscross the country anymore, but delivers furniture only within the state. He only stays away from home (and a whole herd of grandkids) one a night at a time. We started talking bikes, but ended up talking about crosswinds for a good piece of the evening. He had many stories to tell about his rig and loads being tossed around. For those who think driving a truck is easy, well, think again.

Bottom Line: Rest is a wonderful thing. Our next day of rest will be in Indianapolis, and my wife and daughter are coming up to visit. Now that is a good thought that trumps all others.

Day 29 – Topeka, KS to St. Joseph, MO via the KS Route 4 29 Jun 2014

Map and Pics:  Click Here for Map and Pics.

Miles 2049 to 2118, 89 miles, 2850 feet of climb, max speed: 37 mph, avg speed 14 mph (but first 57.2 miles in less than three and a half hours, including rest breaks)

Entering our next state!

The message came in from the Kansas Department of Motor Vehicles around 6 AM this morning that the Missouri River at Atchison had just hit flood stage of 22 feet. At noon, if the river rose to 22.2 feet KDOT announced they would close the bridge. Later news came in that a levee 4 miles north of Atchison had been topped. The message was clear: Get across the bridge before noon, and Dave, this is not the time to take any pictures! Get Going! At 11AM, and 57 miles later an exhausted Dave crossed the bridge into Missouri. Once up the bluff on the Missouri side I retired my biker persona and, armed with my camera, became a tourist again. I asked our staff about the Mississippi, and was told we will cross that bridge when we get there.

Armed with Fireworks in Dekalb, MO

While the real bikers kept that mercurial pace, not me! All others were restocked with food and water and ready to go when I arrived at our rest stop in DeKalb, MO. It was a small town that had seen better days. While having a peanut-butter and Frito sandwich I noticed several mischievous looking teenagers leaving church and walking past me going to the only store in town. I was curious, so after a while I went over to the store. They were all coming out of the store armed to the teeth with enough fireworks to take down the Missouri River Bridge! (I could not help but think the church offering might have been a bit light this morning). We started a conversation and I learned much about what it is like being a teen in small town America. They graciously posed for a picture. I was also corrected on my pronunciation. Their town’s name sounds like “D-CAB”. If they wanted an “L” sound they would have included an “L” in the town’s spelling.

The gem of the day was at dinner. I sat down with two grandparents, a very tired daughter, and two fully energized four and five year old grandsons. They were traveling west from Pittsburg out to Utah to work with Native Americans. They weren’t official Presbyterian missionaries, but about as close to being some as a family can come. The boys loved choo-choos, and for the next hour I showed them all my pictures of trains I had collected on my cell phone. Somewhere in all that we did have some adult conversations, but for sure, the boys each had a 1000 questions and I tried my best to answer them all. They could care less about bikes, and you know what, that is entirely okay.

Just two miles from the hotel tonight one of our riders and a pickup truck collided. Police and ambulance had already arrived on the scene when I arrived. The preliminary report is that the rider will be able to continue Tuesday and tomorrow the bike will be repaired. It reminded us all that we can’t let our guards down for even a second.

Bottom Line: Kansas and the Great Plains are behind us. Every day brings new adventure!

Day 28 – Abilene, KS to Topeka, KS via the Flint Hills 28 Jun 2014

Map and Pics:  Click Here for Map and Pics.

Miles 1940 to 2049, 109 miles (fifth century), 3300 feet of climb officially, really 113 miles with 4331 feet of climbing due to a challenging detour, max speed: 36 mph, avg speed 13 mph



The Flint Hills of Kansas



Two quick explanations for not posting: Poor internet at the hotel and I don’t take pictures during thunderstorms. The wet also made the colors come alive. I have never seen such green green as what I beheld coming through the Flint Hills. People here must be very forgiving of weathermen. We now have had two days in Kansas where the forecast has been totally wrong. Before was the full day of sleet (forecasting 10% chance of rain only in the morning). Today we were supposed to have rain worsening into severe storms all day. It rained only about half the time and the nothing other than random lightning strikes hindered our trip. It was cool and for the most part, great weather for riding, and for turtles. Lots of big turtles warming their bellies on the asphalt.

Sometimes I am just lucky. Just after the storm broke this morning about six of us pulled off the road in a (rare) cement driveway just south of Enterprise, KS. The owner of the home came out to visit and to ask us what we were up to. He too was a weekend biker and was interested in our stories. I just happened to notice as we were riding up to his place that a portion of his pasture may have another purpose. I asked him if by chance if that was a grass runway on his north 40. He said yes, and I asked the second question if the barn in the back by chance was a hanger. Yes again; there were four planes in that hanger. One of the other riders, who knows aircraft took the conversation from there. The man commutes to his work in Omaha, Nebraska. This prize farm in the Flint Hills of Kansas had been in his family for generations (of pilots) and he could not part with it. What an interesting conversation.

Water Tower, Woodbine, KS

The gem of the day was Woodbine, KS, and I wished I had more time to explore it. Approaching from the west the town looks like it’s on its last legs, but as we headed east towards the river, the houses started to look more lived in and the streets were decorated with flags. The only paved street was the main highway we were on, but a couple of the dirt roads pointed south towards an old business district, complete with hitching posts. In the middle of the street in the center of town was the flagpole. There was nothing old about ‘old glory’ on the pole either, new, as if today was the 4th of July. I wanted to ask somebody how the town got its name, but the rain kept the streets vacant. I guess nobody wanted to put new ruts in their streets, earn the title of the village idiot, nor wash the mud off their car later.

We knew the weather had been bad, but we didn’t expect to have a bridge washed out. The AbB worked hard to come up with Plan B, prepare new clue sheets, and send us on our way without missing a beat. Actually, when I saw the hills that Plan B featured, my heart did lose a few beats. Last night after hearing my concern about my left leg, Franz, one of the Flying Dutchmen, gave me a strategy for saving my knees. Today I was able to implement the new strategy and it really helped. I’m walking, but I certainly have a new set of muscles that are complaining. Basically it is converting from ‘mashing’ the pedals to ‘spinning’ the pedals. Typically I pedal at 60 rpm and put about 150 pounds of pressure (from my weight) down on each down stroke. The new strategy is to boost my rpm to 90 and drop the down stroke pressure to 100 pounds or less, concentrating on spin, not speed. I had a considerable increase in time in motion today, average slower speed, but I also have knees that will go another day. Two side effects: My heart was not used to the increase for such a long time (8.5 hours), and my hips are complaining. Let them whine.

Bottom Line: Tough century made tougher by a brisk wind, storms, and not a single inch of level ground. The rich beauty of the land more than made up for those inconveniences. I have never seen green so green before.

Day 27 – McPherson, KS to Abilene, KS via country roads! 27 Jun 2014

Map and Pics:  Click Here for Map and Pics.

Miles 1875 to 1940, 65 miles, 525 feet of climb, max speed: 30 mph, avg speed 16 mph

The arrow indicates the exact point

When our Cruise Director Michelle said she was going to mark the halfway point on the road for us I was sort of expecting a line across the road. No… she said point and a point is what she painted. “The Point” was just north of the town of Gypsum, KS, a sleepy little town whose only fire truck is a Ford F150 with a hose attachment welded to its front bumper. The town loves it parks and maintains them well. They have one on each end of town and another nice one in the middle. A lady from the garden club came by and ‘interviewed’ bikers for their weekly newsletter. What a sweet lady. While there, the town’s tornado siren went off (just feet from us) as a storm was rolling in from the west. I was a bit nervous, but the guy at the fire station explained it was a test for Monday. Monday weather is predicted to be rough.

I didn’t know Abilene KS was the location of Eisenhower’s Presidential Library. About three city blocks just south of town is its campus, which includes his boyhood home, official library, a museum, chapel, and a visitors’ center. Well done. Very nicely done. Abilene also has several blocks of outstanding Victorian Mansions. Wow. I didn’t think those things existed anymore. The biggest mansion is on the main street, and it belonged to the biggest con artist in the west. His fame was made with the circus, but his money was made selling an ill-tasting harmless elixir that was said to cure everything from warts to baldness. He proved that with the right marketing pork could be sold to vegetarians.

One Room School House near Solomon, KS

I rode with Jed today. He is always very pleasant company (and I hope I was for him). We talked about many things, and most interesting was his passion managing a vineyard on eastern Long Island, NY. One of the nice surprises today was the miles of riding along country roads. There were no shoulders on the roads, but there were no semi-trucks, road debris, noise, and gritty road spray either. One of the finds today was an old country school house that was happily situated between a couple houses and several farms. At first we thought it to be a church. We wondered how many happy memories were made in that small one roomed building. The other surprise today was all the dogs! Abilene is the National Greyhound Hall of Fame and everything else greyhound too. The dogs staying with their owners here are so well behaved. Most of the dogs are post-commercial grade doggies (they are past their prime for racing) and have been adopted. Greyhound races typically last only 35 seconds and the dogs can be at 45 mph in less than three strides. Wow.

Bottom Line: A fun day in the country! Rode at 16 mph and still came in last. All is okay, but my left knee still pains me.

Day 26 – Great Bend, KS to McPherson, KS via the Santa Fe Trail (US 56), 26 Jun 2014

Map and Pics:  Click Here for Map and Pics.

Miles 1810 to 1875, 65 miles, 650 feet of climb, max speed: 23 mph, avg speed 14 mph

Some of the nicest people in the world.

It’s the people that make the trip fantastic. During a weather break this morning I pulled into a business along the highway, the Elinwood Meat Packing Company. What was humorous was that I planned to get warm because I was freezing from the wind. I went in the store only to find it was ten degrees colder in there than it was outside! The clerk invited me into the head office to get dry and warm. In there I met the office staff and Jeff, the company owner/ foreman. They have 18 employees at the plant that processes both pork and beef. While getting warm I overheard the office staff making reservations for somebody’s Bosse and Porky to visit, and there weren’t any openings in their schedule until August. Jeff said they enjoyed a very good local reputation and a thriving business. The folks could not be friendlier and accommodating. They had mercy on me. I looked like a drowned rat. Four other people that made my day too: An engineer operating a switch engine outside the LP Gas facility in Conway, a mental health nurse who was getting ready for another interesting day at the office (10 people with 30 personalities), an Army Sergeant on duty getting ready for a big inspection, and a pipeline worker who was staying at the motel (homes sell in just a day in McPherson, the pipeline has made this a boom town.)

Flash, Bang, Swirl. The storm that never ended.

The good news today was that my suntan lotion worked flawlessly. The bad news was that we have yet to see the sun today. The storm system that met us this morning is still swirling around us tonight giving us a brisk south wind (sustained 24 mph, gusts 35mph), thunder, lightning, and a nasty horizontal stinging sleet/rain. During the sixty miles of riding my right ear took a few direct hits inside it before I wadded up a piece of paper to stop the washing of my eardrum. The cold rain managed to wet both sides of my glasses. When the weather turned severe AbB folks grabbed up all the bikers they could find (10 in one van, 8 in the other) but they couldn’t find me. I had already ducked into the park at Fort Zarah and found shelter in a pavilion. Eventually I got through on a cell call. Oh yes, the AbB folks were working hard this morning! The really fast riders stayed out of in front of the storm for over half of the ride – good for them! I also had a flat tire, and during the wobble to stop I was unable to unclip my feet in time and took a tumble. I am looking for a sewing kit right now to repair some clothing tears. The bruises will just take time. Oh well. They said this was a challenge, not a picnic.

Although I am on the adventure of a lifetime, I am quite homesick. I wonder if that is directly linked to having aches and pains, and missing somebody to help me through the hard knocks. No, it is much deeper than that. Every day I look forward to the texts and phone calls. I have to chuckle. It was here in Kansas that the phrase ‘There is no place like home’ was coined. It is true. This is a once in a lifetime adventure, but there really is ‘no place like home’. Today was half way point in terms of days; tomorrow in terms of miles.

Bottom Line: My most difficult day yet. Winds, storms, bruises. I’ll get over it. I got to. I have no choice.

Day 25 – Dodge City, KS to Great Bend, KS via US 50 and US 56, 25 Jun 2014

Map and Pics:  Click Here for Map and Pics.

Miles 1725 to 1810, 85 miles (plus 4 bonus miles), 280 feet of climb, max speed: 23 mph, avg speed 16 mph


A little bit different entry today. The special things that money can’t buy…

Gazebo in Garfield, KS

- Ladybugs hitching a ride on my jersey (they must love the salt)

- Redwing blackbird wanting to take my helmet off my head for over a mile

- Smell of newly mowed hay

- Talking to cowboys wearing real spurs.

- Seeing churches along the road again.

- Visiting a real sod house

- Climbing around the cab of a 2-6-2 Baldwin steam locomotive.

- Gazebo in the park, old time swings, American flag flown proudly

- Towns with only tree covered dirt streets (Offerle) with immaculate small houses and no junk anywhere

- Having one of my best days but still coming in dead last by over an hour, and not caring

- Getting my picture taken with our camera shy 'Cruise Director'.

- Watching grain railcars being loaded at the elevators, rail cars being put together into a train



- Passing Mid-Point USA (half way between Atlantic and Pacific on US50)



Michelle, our Tour Director, and me at a SAG stop



- Climbing Pawnee Rock, site of Indian rituals and half way marker on the Santa Fe Trail

- Taking time with the retired Dodge City Sheriff and his friend Fred, the local heating and cooling guy, before loading up for this morning's ride.

- Having a ‘daddy gene’ moment with the hotel clerk who didn’t know her shirt was unbuttoned until I said something.

- Quoting back to God what He quoted to us in the Psalms about the majesty of His creation

- Time to think about thinking, and experiencing the flood of ideas coming up out of the pavement.

This morning began with an unexpected touch. Instead of having breakfast with riders, I saw I guy by himself near the back of the diner. We struck up a conversation and discovered that Steve, his name, drove a truck that delivered parts to build and repair mobile homes. I told him that on our trip we have all noted that just like in the 60s, truck drivers have once again become the silver knights of the roadway. They were most courteous and obviously concerned about our safety. We talked about kids and he had a daughter that had just graduated and was offered a college soccer scholarship, and a son still in high school. He said he had suffered a divorce and was raising the kids alone. It was so obvious how proud (yet frustrated) he was of his kids. I told him how proud I was because first he was a cog in building the American dream, and second, stepping up to the plate with raising his kids. He deflected the praise and talked about the violent storm last night that made him stop in Dodge instead of driving home to Wichita. Eventually he asked what I did, and I mentioned I was involved with the Missile Defense Agency. What I didn’t expect was his response when I told him that this ride of ours had let me see once again the goodness in America, and that he was a prime example of what is right in this country. I told him that it was all the folks just like him that made going to work in Huntsville easy to do. While he was providing homes for the disadvantaged I was part of the team defending this country from those who wanted to destroy our way of life. He touched my life, and I touched his. Wow.

Bottom Line: I saw America today, to include God’s blessings on the amber waves of grain.

Day 24 – Garden City, KS to Dodge City, KS via US 50, 24 Jun 2014

Map and Pics:  Click Here for Map and Pics.

Miles 1674 to 1725, 51 miles, 650 feet of climb, max speed: 30 mph, avg speed 15 mph (easiest day of tour)

The air smells so good after a storm

The beauty of this open country is too much for the eye to take in. Others think this part of the country quite boring. For me, no, this is hands-on research for my books, and the ideas are just exploding in my thoughts as I pedal down the road. This certainly is a blessed land. The picture on the right is a remnant of the storm that blew through Garden City this morning. The headline in the morning paper at the hotel was “It Rained”. They really don’t care much about what happens on America’s coasts or in the Middle East around here. (Good luck finding a USA Today or Wall Street Journal around here.) Local news is the only news, and rain (when you only get 15 inches average a year) is big news anytime it happens.

Clark's Pharmacy, Downtown Cimarron KS

Mark our mechanic and I are getting to know each other better by accident. I had another flat tire this morning. There were four little pesky culprit steel belted radial time wires lodged in the tire. It took forever to find them and extract, but we must otherwise two minutes down the road the same wire will puncture the new tube. After the repair we rode almost all of the remaining thirty miles together. The highlight of today’s ride was enjoying a Sarsaparilla Shake (root beer float) with Mark at the Clark Pharmacy in downtown Cimarron, KS. I captured three of the four of our America by Bicycle (AbB) staff in the picture, Gene and Jane (married) and Mark (unmarried). The pharmacy was on the corner of Main and US50, and Main Street runs due north out of Cimarron with the next stop sign in Dighton (90 miles away, but it is flat enough here that you can still see it). Dighton was the home of my college roommate. We would fly from school to their home in Dighton in his dad’s twin engine plane and spend our long weekends there. I am not sure but I always thought that their grass runway in their backyard was too short. I do not know how we ever landed on their property without taking out a couple rows of corn, but we did.

The two accommodations we have stayed at have been phenomenal. Yesterday’s stay at the Garden City Comfort Inn had the best guest reception, to include iced down bottled water, sliced oranges, and large, cold, wet hand towels to put around our necks as we came inside out of the sun. Today’s accommodation is at the Dodge House Hotel. It has a closed in atrium the size of a high school gym full of fun things like ping pong, pool, swimming pool, volleyball court, bar area in Dodge City motif, and shuttle service to neat places to go (as long as the word Casino is in the destination). Breakfast in the morning is supposed to be great. This morning in Garden City we had real silverware and real plates with real food just cooked by a real cook. Sleeping in, and then a breakfast like that was a real treat for the beat like me and my feet.

Bottom Line: I needed this short day. I am really refreshed.

Day 23 – Lamar, CO to Garden City, KS via US 50, 23 Jun 2014

Map and Pics:  Click Here for Map and Pics.

Miles 1570 to 1674, 104 miles (2nd back to back century), 1000 feet of climb, max speed: 22 mph, avg speed 14 mph, crossed into Kansas from Colorado, and later into the Central Time Zone.

Another State Line!

I was totally worthless today, so tired after the mad dash to close out yesterday’s ride to beat the storm. I rode the morning by myself, too tired to talk, and after breaking a spoke on my back tire, rode with only the coyotes and the wind for the rest of the day. Everybody else was miles in front of me. The only pressure on me was to get a shower before our 5:30 rider’s meeting. After losing another hour to the time zone, this still was a big challenge. Nature helped immensely. The gnats were bothersome yesterday, but harmless. The flies today were carnivores and even bit through socks, shorts, and shirts if you didn’t outrun them on the bike. Stopping was done only when absolutely needed. There is also another certain motivation in the air when one came upon a cattle feed lot, and there were many of them.



Over 500 miles of US50 since Utah



Mark, our mechanic was very helpful with repairing my wheel. We could not fix it on the side of the road so he went to Plan B, which was to remove the cassette (gears) from my back wheel and put it on a spare one. This fix allowed me to keep riding. More on Mark later, but he, like me is on vacation from work to do this challenge. Another ‘more on this later’ event was watching the ‘Build and Bike’ kids ride by the other way across the country. About thirty energetic teens and twenties were riding their bikes east to west with build days once a week on Habitat for Humanity homes. I wish I had taken a picture, but they went by quickly. One of the staff got a group picture of them. They were so chatty going down the road, a stark contrast to my condition.

I love stopping at historic markers.

Left to myself I didn’t have the pressure on to refrain from stopping at all the historical sites. The one that particularly interested me was the wagon ruts from the pioneers’ wagons traveling the Santa Fe Trail. The rest areas, as well as the roads in Kansas, are well suited by bicycles. I am convinced that my broken spoke had much to do with the horrible tar-and-pea-gravel boneshaker roads of Colorado. Those early pioneers must have traveled before there was blood sucking flies in Kansas. If there had been flocks of man eating flies, all those folks would have turned around and gone home.

Bottom Line: I’m too tired to think today. I am going to bed. Tomorrow is only 50 some miles, which is almost like a day off. The AbB staff is great.

Day 22 – Pueblo, CO to Lamar, CO via US 50, 22 Jun 2014

Map and Pics:  Click Here for Map and Pics.

Miles 1450 to 1570, 120 miles (longest of tour), 1100 feet of climb, max speed: 33 mph, avg speed 15 mph, 5 bonus miles, making a 200km ride. Last 20 miles done in 46 minutes





Storm brewing behind the Post Office at Hasty, CO.

It never is a good thing when college students from eight storm chaser vans are checking into the same hotel standing in line in front of you. Less than an hour earlier the instructions I got from the staff at the last SAG stop (at Hasty, CO) 20 miles out from our destination was “Sign in, I’ll fill your water bottles, and you get on your bike and ride as fast as you can to try to beat the storm.” I did, and peddled against a stiff wind at close to 25 mph for 20 miles. The last two miles into Lamar I caught the outflow from the storm that pushed me well above 30 mph to get to the hotel just before the dust front of the storm slammed Lamar. The two riders behind me had to be sheltered in the van due to wind and dust. The lightning was impressive too, and hail was falling just north of us. If I hadn’t taken my time on the first 100 miles I would have never had the energy to finish that strong and would have certainly been caught in the storm.

Eastbound Burlington Northern Sante Fe coal train

I have been blessed by so many interesting people in the last two days that gave me much to think about over the long ride! This morning we stopped at the ‘Loaf and Jug’ (which is the real name of the gas station/convenience store) in Fowler, CO. While waiting in line for the bathroom four old farmers types (by looking at their clothes) sitting at the ‘Dead Pecker Table’ (I’m not sure what that means) started a conversation with me by commenting quite loudly that I was nuts to be riding my bike. Prior bikers had already told them we were riding across the country. I mentioned, not wanting to start a confrontation, that others have shared similar opinions and I was inclined to agree with them. I mentioned that farming wasn’t without its risks too. Another at the DPT asked, after we had started a conversation about farming, if we crop dusted in Alabama, and I mentioned that activity was something more dangerous than riding a bike. The guy turned out to be a pilot of a crop duster. We ended up with laughter before I was on my way again. Another instance that caused staff concern today was when I disappeared from where I was expected to be. I had ducked into the Valley Community Church in Rocky Ford, CO as services were starting. I got to meet a fellow Gideon in that church before I returned to the route. Thirdly I was very saddened that Steven and Heidi decided to abandon the ride for this year, and they said their goodbyes to the group this morning. Heidi was too broken up to even ride comfortably in the van, and Steven didn’t want to ride without her at his side. They were invited back by AbB to start over where they had stopped this year next year, and they decided to take that offer. The fourth neat thing was being able to communicate with engineers on some of the many trains today. What a great bunch of folks. Saving the best for last: I rode the first 100 miles of today’s ride with Sarge. What a national treasure that guy is. We didn’t solve all the world’s problems, but we certainly enjoyed the opportunity to get to know more about each other.

Yesterday completely caught me by surprise. While at Sam’s Club having pizza I sat at a table next to a pair of ladies. I was going to work on my book and that looked like the quietest place to concentrate. That is when the ‘wow’ happened. Jan, Bonita and I started up a conversation that lasted most the afternoon! What a godsend these ladies were. I had been researching tribal customs and personal interactions for my second book, and it turned out these two ladies were living lifelong resources to exactly what I wanted to understand. In fact, Jan was the daughter of a medicine woman and had many insights, and not just the knowledge but the discernment side of that Indian heritage. She freely shared with us her experiences. What a fantasic blessing to me! I thought about our time together most of today.

Bottom Line: The scenery is nice (and I really love the trains) but it is the people that put the spring into my step. I am so blessed!

Day 21 – Pueblo, CO, Rest Day, 21 Jun 2014

Map and Pics:  Click Here for Map and Pics.

Miles 1450 to 1450, 0 miles, 0 feet of climb,





Lincoln Home Orphanage, Pueblo, CO

Today started with a pleasant breakfast where nobody was in a rush. All I had to ask Jed (Jedidiah) was if he had kids, and for the next thirty minutes he told me story after wonderful story about road trips he had taken with his kids. It almost sounded like it was unfair that kids eventually grew up – he so enjoyed doing things with them. He has one child left in college, and they are thinking about another road trip with their youngest. What made the conversation fun was recalling not just the places, but significant events at those places and people that were met. Later Bill, Dan, and Bob joined and we spent an hour enjoying a very unhurried breakfast. The time reminded me of normal Saturday mornings at home where after Young and I have already done some work around the house we come back inside to enjoy taking our time to eat together.



Arkansas River RiverWalk, Downtown Pueblo



The riders can be easily segregated into two camps today. About half of the riders have family flying into town to spend a full day of activity and sightseeing. Those who stayed back to rest could be found downtown to enjoy the River Walk and artsy shops. I also rode down, about 10 miles round trip, and enjoyed the restored river front area that was modeled after San Antonio’s RiverWalk. It was nice but what really brought back the memories of childhood was going past the Lincoln Home Orphanage. Today's homes for children are nothing like what I recall from my early days. I remember so many stories about the orphange in Lake Bluff, IL, and the picture in my mind of that place was exactly like the Lincoln home - to include the bus and flag out front. Later today I treated my self to a special dinner. I walked over to Sam’s Club to get a slice of three meat pizza that I have been craving now for three weeks. I miss my time at Redstone where Lloyd and I share laughs and life on Mondays.



While riding over the repeating ‘rollers’ east of Cañon City I could organize my thoughts of a few new chapters of my third book. For those unfamiliar with the term ‘rollers’, that is what real bicyclists call hills that are about a half to a mile apart that have a deep (or shallow) valley in between. Real bicyclists love them because they pedal as fast as they can down one side, and then hope to have enough momentum to go up the other side. Obviously I am not a real bicyclist yet. I enjoy the ride down and then huff and puff back up the other side. The beauty of my strategy is that both the down and up allow me to day dream the day away. Day dreaming was one of the significant goals I had for myself on this trip, and given the week in Kansas, I should have my third book done (in my mind) by the time I cross the Missouri River. Coming into Pueblo I thought my mind was playing jokes on me. The barren landscape and heat from the road caused a mirage effect in the distances. I swore, instead of seeing oceans of water on the horizon, I was hallucinating by seeing a Walmart off on the horizon dancing as the heat distorted the image. Five miles later I discovered it really was a Walmart – one built on a roller on the edge of West Pueblo waiting for the community to grow up around it.

Bottom Line: A wonderful day of rest, and a day to remember stories from my past.

Day 20 – Salida, CO to Pueblo, CO via Royal Gorge Rise, 20 Jun 2014

Map and Pics:  Click Here for Map and Pics.

Miles 1355 to 1450, 95 miles, 2500 feet of climb, max speed: 42 mph, avg speed 17 mph (smokin'!)

Upper Arkansas River Gorge

We followed the upper Arkansas River this morning starting in Salida for 38 miles before we climbed over our last pass in the Rockies. Getting to the top took some huffing and puffing, but soon the climb leveled out turning into a high mountain meadow. Near the Royal Gorge Bridge turn off there was our last high point in the Rockies, and moments later we were burning down a six percent slope on US 50 towards Cañon City, CO. Al and I argued over what was the most spectacular day on the trip, and the only thing we could conclude was that every day the current one is. The upper Arkansas River was breathtaking. All I could think about was wishing my youngest daughter was along for the ride. She would have just loved it. While riding through the many gorges (with cliffs greater than 1000 feet straight up) we could see rafters hooting down the Class III rapids. On the far side of the canyon was the Rio Grande railroad that is famous for its trips through the Royal Gorge. Later in Cañon City I stopped by the depot as a tourist train with open gondolas and observation cars was getting ready for departure.

Fly-Fishermen at Cotopaxi Bridge over the Arkansas River

One of the stops along the gorge was a country store in Cotopaxi, CO. What made me stop was the pair of wooden Indians standing on the covered sidewalk near where horses could be tied up. Al took my picture and then we wandered around a bit to shake the fatigue out of our legs (we did the 38 miles in that section of the ride in less than two hours). I walked over to the river and found two fishermen making their last minute adjustments to their tackle before stepping into the river to start fly-fishing. They said it was the first time this week they could attempt going fishing now that the river was down from 5000 cubic feet per second to 1500. The quick snow snow melt on the divide made it rise that high. At ‘5000’ the river goes from Class III to Class V rapids, and the only ones allowed on the river are certified for that level. Now at Class III the professionally steered LBRBs (Little Bitty Rubber Boats) can take folks with stronger hearts than me for raft rides. I asked what they were fishing for. They said trout, but also said the fishing is the easy part, but bringing the fish into their nets was another story. At 1500 they lose a lot of fish to the current. Other folks I met in Cotopaxi were at a local church that was having a bake sale alongside the road. I got to talk to the pastor and some of the folks there. They were raising money to support their VBS program that starts Sunday.

Tonight we cheered when Steven and Heidi joined us for Route-Rap here at the hotel in Pueblo. Heidi had her arm in a full cast, a lot of road rash, and recovering from bruises to her face. Steven, Heidi's husband, helped her around due to some lingering dizziness. Steven and Heidi also joined us for dinner at a Golden Corral tonight, and like us plan to enjoy the scheduled rest day tomorrow. If all goes as planned, Steven will rejoin the ride Sunday while Heidi will keep our SAG folks company riding in the van. Their arrival was a remarkable lift for the team and staff. Heidi has an irrepressible spirit in her, and a love for life that is uncontrollably contagious.

Bottom Line: Another beautiful day, but the Rockies are now behind us and the miles of plains await us.

Day 19 – Gunnison, CO to Salida, CO via Monarch Pass, 19 Jun 2014

Map and Pics:  Click Here for Map and Pics.

Miles 1292 to 1355, 63 miles, 4080 feet of climb, max speed: 44 mph, avg speed 13 mph

Bob, Bryan, Paul, Al, Claire, Dave, Peter at Monarch Pass

Today was the big one! We crossed the Continental Divide at the 11,312 foot high Monarch Pass. This Sag Stop was a longer one than usual – we all needed to catch our breath before the long descent down the east side of the mountain into Salida. Jane, the Sag captain today, offered to take pictures and soon we had a crowd! The picture on the right is Bob, Brian, Brian’s dad Paul (Sarge), Al, Claire, me, and Peter. I was the last to leave the summit. The altitude and sheer drop offs on the side of the road on the way up was a sure recipe for vertigo. Al would say, “That’s deep!” and then ride his bike off into the center of the right lane. Trucks would just have to deal with it. There were very few guard rails because snow removal strategy is simple – push the snow over the 2000 foot cliff. I did not trust my own ability to react descending until I was below 9,000 feet elevation, rested, and then rode in alone. I averaged greater than 30 mph for the last 22 miles of today’s ride and I never caught up to a single one of the other riders. They were smokin down that mountain!

The surprise of the day was the ride getting to the base of the pass. For thirty miles we rode up the gentle grade of the Gunnison River and then Dawson Creek valleys. Every view could have been a post card photo. Eventually the valley tightened into a canyon, but then adjacent walls canyon broke wide into a high mountain meadow. On all sides of that thirty mile ride were snowcapped mountains seen in the distance. Wow.

Looking Towards the Atlantic Ocean

I seem to be an easy target for teasing. Those that told me it would be snowing up on the divide today and that the ski lifts were working… well that wasn’t quite so. It was a cold but yet a gorgeous day for riding! Yes, the lifts were working, but not to lift skiers but sightseers. Yes there was snow, but it wasn’t snowing. Yes, we did start out this morning with frost and ice, but soon it was confined only to shaded areas off road. The fun thing this morning was that along with everybody else we got our first opportunity to wear our cold weather clothes. What I brought to wear worked perfectly and I was very comfortable all day. Conversely, we were all saddened when the luggage was loaded this morning but we were short two bikers from yesterday’s accident. We all hope they will rejoin us later. Bikes only take money to fix. Broken bones take time.

Bottom Line: The joy of making the summit was even greater when we got to share the moment with each other.