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 The Eastern Continental Divide Waking up to a hard drizzle or maybe rain, I went to eat breakfast at the Sweetie Bakery next to the pizza place I got dinner with the night before. Buying some donuts and a bagel with cream cheese I checked my email and hoped the rain would stop. The rain eased up and was only something between a mist and a drizzle when I headed back out.
Before Meyersdale, was one of the big things on the trail today: the 1908 foot long Salisbury Viaduct. So not to lose elevation, the railroad made a big bridge to cross over a valley. The bridge is narrow — one track wide — which makes it seem even higher than it is. It looks too be about 100 feet off the ground (but probably only 60 or so) and only about 10 feet wide. Continue reading Day 78: Confluence, PA to Cumberland, MD (November 15)
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 Toronto Lake Reservoir Waking up at my usual 06:00, I got up and stiffly walked to the bathroom. I thought, “I don’t think I can do another 90 miles today.” Feeling a bit tired, I lay back down and instantly fell back asleep for a couple hours.
It usually takes me about an hour to an hour and a half to pack up in the morning. Partly to digest breakfast. Partly because I still think I have too much stuff and organizing it takes time.
The weather forecast for the day was good: west winds 5-8 mph, clear, 75+ deg. I started out wearing my legs, windbreak, silk turtleneck, cycling t-shirt and silk balaclava. In about an hour I was down to just my cycling T-shirt and cycling shorts. Perfect riding weather. Continue reading Day 55: Eureka to Chanute, KS (October 23)
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 My bike barely goes halfway up the wheel! Yesterday I was frustrated by the headwind. Today I accepted it. There is nothing to do about it but ride into it. I can’t control the weather. I am still not excited by only doing 35 miles on the flattest ground in the country, but that is the way it is. I have now done over 1800 miles.
Today the wind shifted to more of an eastern northeast direction so it was a real headwind. The flags in Ness City were straight out so again 15+ mph. Highway 96 heads pretty close to exactly where the wind was coming from. Once I had to play dodge-em with tumble weeds coming down the shoulder. Lots of tumble weeds that had been caught in the fences parallel to the road were rolling along. Continue reading Day 49: Ness City to Rush Center, KS (October 17)
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 High clouds from the front moving south I knew I was in trouble when I got up in the morning. The wind was whipping through the trees and flapping my tent about that was not secured only placed on the concrete in the city park gazebo. I left the park before the sun was up, but didn’t eat much. My stove was blown out by the wind so I didn’t make anything. At the edge of town, I stopped at the Dighton Bowl & Diner for some breakfast. I hoped that the wind would die down too. Knew it wouldn’t but hoped none the less. Continue reading Day 48: Dighton to Ness City, KS (October 16)
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 Massive grain elevator Last night I stayed at the Trail Ends Motel. It is the only one in Tribune. I needed to charge all my GoPro batteries, fix my flat, wash some clothes, plus reconfigure my bicycle for not wearing my backpack. Easier to do all those things in the motel.
I ended up buying the cheapest 2L plastic bottle of soda I could find at the gas station. I did not want one I liked so I wouldn’t feel guilty dumping it down the sink. If I had bought Dr. Pepper I would have wanted to drink it all. It was some sort of lime soda, and I did try a cup of it and only drank half before pouring it down the sink. The plastic bottle is to contain my water bladder that was in my backpack so I could put the bladder in one if my water bottle holders. After putting both in a stuff sack it all worked. Now I can drink easily from the bladder with the tube held on the handle bars using a retracting ID holder. That way the tube goes back to the same place each time I let go.
As soon as I got on my bike this morning I knew it would be a better day. I headed out of the motel parking lot to the southwest into a headwind. After crossing the highway an heading east I could feel the little bit of a tailwind. It was still something of a crosswind but at least not a headwind. A few miles out of Tribune the road turned to the northeast and it became a true tailwind. Continue reading Day 47: Tribune to Dighton, KS (October 15)
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 Kansas! I woke up about the time of the sun rise. Before it came up it was cold. I checked my little thermometer and it read about 30 degrees. So instead of hopping out of my sleeping bag and getting going I decided to review my my map. Since I was now on the Adventure Cycling TransAm route I have detailed maps again and don’t have to wing it quite as much. I figured I’d make it to at least Tribune, KS (60 miles) but was hoping for another twenty or thirty miles.
Before getting going I checked my tires. Great to see my rear tire was nearly flat. I probably ran over some thorns when I rode into the park. I figured I’d just pump it up and see what happened. I had no water and needed to buy some oil for my chain. (The lubricant put on by REI only lasted two days, and now my chain was making a lot of noise.) So my first stop was the grocery store. I rode up Maine Street and almost every store was closed. Out of about twelve or more store fronts only the grocery store, post office and tanning salon were operating. Continue reading Day 46: Eads, CO to Tribune, KS (October 14)
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 US Route 40 near Limon Leaving Limon it was just above freezing. I had gotten up earlier and checked the weather outside but it was cold — thermometer read below freezing — so I decided to wait for the sun to come up a bit. The day before I had not ventured into Limon. There was a bit more to It than the exit ramp off the interstate. Not much but a bit.
I got back onto Route 40 which turns to concrete and has a big shoulder. It is like a whole lane just for me. Continue reading Day 45: Limon to Eads, CO (October 13)
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 A bigger shoulder would be nice... I left my friend’s place pretty late to find a Fedex place to ship some stuff home since there were no nearby post offices. After a bit, I found it, and shipped home the extra tent, some maps, and a few other things. I don’t think I really reduced any weight considering my new tent, camera mount, and other stuff. By the time I was done with that, it was lunch time.
I stopped at a middle eastern lunch restaurant and had a big sandwich. Too big a sandwich. I felt bloated and had to sit there for a bit longer than I would have liked. The rest of the day riding I felt slow and unmotivated. I never kept a constant speed and my mind wandered from riding. Continue reading Day 43: Littleton to Elizabeth, CO (October 11)
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 Colorado high country I decided not to put up the tent last night. I woke up a couple of times in the night and marveled at the milky way and stars plus wished on some shooting stars.
Despite my new sleeping pad being so much more comfortable than my last, it is a bit slippery. Combined with the super slick new bivy I was sliding all over until I put the pad inside the bivy. I have heard that laying beads of silicone on the pad should help.
Waking just before dawn I started breakfast and watched the sun rise while drinking hot chocolate. The temperatures were not bad. It was not below freezing. I started riding at 08:30. Continue reading Day 34: West of Elk Springs to Craig, CO (October 2)
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 Welcome sign for Utah After a great breakfast cooked up by Pat, and some talk, I headed to the grocery store before hitting the road. The grocery store had small gala apples. I love that size despite it being a rarity in the USA to find apples that small. I bought four. I also bought orange Gatorade mix. First time I have seen any flavor other than lemon-lime in the one pound containers. I think that is a clever ploy by the stores to steer you to the more lucrative premixed drink.
Riding out of Vernal on the eastern end of town are all the oil field services companies. Considering these fields are not huge you can see what big business oil is. There was tons and tons of equipment and supplies. Acres of tanks and pipes and generators and prefab buildings. Pretty impressive. Continue reading Day 33: Vernal, UT to west of Elk Springs, CO (October 1)
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