At Last - Kansas

Wednesday
Ordway to Eads: 67 miles; 6:15 moving time

There is nothing to recommend this 70 miles: rolling hills running due East with a road that is punctuted by butt-wrenching cracks. The earth is hot and dry and the benefit of late afternoon clouds was more than offset by a persistent headwind. The difference from the previous several weeks is pervasive: I think the only reason one would choose to ride these roads is to get from the East to the West Coast. My cold is improving but still troublesome. The food choices were even fewer than the night before: hamburgers are becoming an evening staple.

Thursday
Eads to Tribune, Kansas: 60 miles: 6:00 moving time

The roads continue straight, with sight-lines of up to seven miles. You see your destination - a a grain elevator - and than commence to cycle for upwards of forty-five minutes to get there. The towns are different than those in the West: there is much less money and thus the availablity of decent foods is hit or miss with the emphasis on miss. It is really hard to get the nutrition you need for the rides. The gaps between places for liquid replenishment are challenging. The land is turning greener as I ride East and the road has improved somewhat, but you are still dealing with trucks wizzing by at 65-70 mph with you on some sort of shoulder.