Day 17
Distance travelled: 110.9 miles
Time in saddle: 8 hrs 46 mins
Overall distance travelled: 1537.4 miles
It was already very hot when I left the motel. I was already on 36 so it was just a case of getting on the road and peddling. I wanted to have an early night last night but I was after midnight before I finally got to sleep so I’m pretty tired before begin this morning.
I said in a blog the other day that the worst was over….I’m probably counting my chickens here. The rolling hills are tedious to say the least. There are some pretty big climbs and they seem to go on forever. I’ve been playing ‘what’s over the next brow’ game. It stood me I good stead over the Rockies….here it just goes on and on and on…It’s like the Duracell bunny, but not as amusing. The first couple of ‘towns’ I went through consisted of about four houses at a cross roads. No shops or anything. When the highway opened whole communities closed down…pretty sad really. Finally I came to Anton, not much bigger but at least it has a shop. I decided to have an hour’s rest; more to let the sun go down that actually rest, although I did fall asleep as I was ‘resting’ my eyes on the bench outside the shop. The shop owner has said that this is the biggest town for a while, so it looks like I’m camping out tonight. The landscape around here is very much like the desert, but grass rather than brush and sand. It is vast, as far as the eye can see nothing but grass. The road feels very similar to highway 50. This is probably the second loneliest road in America…I can pick them can’t I? As I cycled past two horses they stopped chewing on the grass and watched me as I went past….. that’s how interesting the road was…I don’t know if it was the wind or just my imagination but I am sure that they were singing ‘ go wayneo for the heroes wont you go’. Their lips were even in sync.
I’ve been told that the next town with a motel is thirty-five miles away. I intend to go for it. I need an incentive to get me to the next destination. Yes, I could camp by the road, but it doesn’t make me cycle faster. Now, a destination, no matter how far gives me focus. I peddled like a madman…I was doing sixteen miles an hour for over an hour and still wanting more…..then I had a puncture. It was very frustrating. A thunderstorm was closing in and it was getting dark. I fixed the puncture very quickly, which surprised me as I was knackered, with a capital F. As put the tyre back on the wheel I pinched the inner tube and had to re-do the whole change again…argh.
Eventually I started to ride again and got to the town…with a motel. It’s never as easy as that. The motel was closed and I had to go to the local bar to register…not a bad option. I had a couple of drinks and met the locals, which were great. They were very interested in what I was doing and wished me luck when I left. The bar tender was more camp than I was….I know how camp is that? I ordered a steak, which was very nice. The bar guy showed a lot of interest in my meat…..thank god I didn’t order the two veg as well. Unfortunately they motel doesn’t have Internet so I will have to submit this tomorrow.
As I cycled to my room the sky was lit up with the lightening…it was fantastic. I tried to film it but I don’t know if it looks as good on camera, probably not.
This afternoon was less ‘hilly’ which helped he mileage count.
Tomorrow I pass another state border. I leave Colorado and go into Kansas…wonder what’s in store there?
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