Tom's Cross Country Ride

Today we rode 85 miles from Dodge City to Great Bend Kansas. Our route for the day would be US Route 50 as we continued our trek east and later in the day following US Route 56 to our destination.

As we rolled out of the hotel we pulled on our rain jackets and other rain gear as storm clouds were over us and a light drizzle was falling. The precipitation was the first that we have seen since the sleet storm coming out of Flag Staff AZ twelve days ago. We’ve been pretty lucky in that regard considering all of the rain that has fallen here and in other parts of the country this spring.

And our luck continued as we rode on the edge of the storm for more than an hour, never getting more than the light drizzle. We did get an amazing view of the morning sky darkened by the storm however.

Our luck also continued with the wind as we had a gentle tailwind again pushing us along at a nice pace.

At mile 30 we pulled into the tiny village of Offerle KS for our first rest stop of the day. While we were there we had a nice conversation with a gentlemen tending a local store. He gave us a quick history of the village and the surrounding area including an interesting mural painted on the building next door. Like most small towns in this part of Kansas, Offerle appeared to be built around a huge grain co-op located just across the highway.

At mile 37 we arrived in Kinsley KS, a small town that claims to be located at a point that is equal distance from both New York City and San Francisco. True or not, it made for a great photo opportunity.

In Kinsley we turned onto US Route 56 and peddled to our second rest stop of the day at mile 52 in the town of Garfield Kansas. By this time the storm clouds from early in the day had given way to blue skies, rising temperatures, and a shifting wind. After a quick stop in a nice little park we continued east to Larned KS at mile 63. In Larned, a number of us stopped for a quick lunch break at a local Subway restaurant.

After lunch we found ourselves peddling into a headwind. Although not too strong, the wind was definitely slowing us down and making us work harder for forward progress.

At mile 72 we rolled into the small town of Pawnee Rock and took in an attraction just outside of the small town by the same name. Pawnee Rock is a natural rock formation that rises nearly 150 feet above the plains. Apparently the rock formation was used by the Pawnee Indians to track buffalo and approaching wagon trains. Today the rock and structures built on it provide a panoramic view of the entire area.

After our visit to Pawnee Rock, we continued on US 56, pushing into the headwind till we reached the hotel in Great Bend. It was another pretty good day on the bike as our luck with the rain continued and with the wind as well despite the fact that we had a bit of a headwind at the end of the day.

Tomorrow we’ll ride 65 miles to McPherson Kansas. Keeping my fingers crossed that our luck continues. Thanks for following along.

Today we rode 84 miles from Liberal KS to Dodge City KS. Our route was again US 54 but unlike the past three days, we exited that highway before the day was through.

The morning rollout was cool, but not as cool as it has been for the past several days. With temperatures in the 60s, sunny skies, and light winds, jackets and other layers were not needed. It felt so good.

US 54 took us on a northeasterly course and the light winds were out of the southwest providing just a little push and very pleasant riding conditions as we rolled past the wheat fields of western Kansas. Unexpectedly we found standing water in a lot of the fields apparently from the storms of the past few days. We also saw many many fields that were not yet tilled for this year’s corn crop. Later in the day, in a conversation with a store clerk, we learned that this part of the state received more rain in May than the average annual rainfall total. The crazy weather is apparently widespread.

At mile 39 we rolled into the little town of Meade Kansas for our first rest stop of of the day. Meade is famous for the home and hide out of the Dalton Gang, train robbers of the late nineteenth century. Our stop was at the Dalton home and the famous tunnel connecting the house and the barn used by the gang for quick getaways until they met their fate in an unsuccessful bank robbery attempt on October 5, 1892 when four of the five member gang were gunned down.

After the stop we continued our northeasterly route on US 54 until mile 61 where we entered the tiny village of Minneola Kansas. In Minneola we took a short break at a small convenience store and refueled with some sandwiches and other snacks. The store was pretty busy so we had an opportunity to talk to some of the other patrons, mostly local people. They were very curious about our ride and wished us safe travels. Talking to the local people has been another fun part of this trip.

When we left Minneola, we left US Route 54 behind as we headed due north on US 283 toward our destination, Dodge City. The road was smooth, although the shoulder was a little narrow, but the slight wind continued at our backs as we rolled through the Kansas countryside. Lots of wheat fields and lots of windmills, both old and new.

The final 20 miles or so into Dodge City went pretty fast and we arrived at our hotel in the early afternoon. A shower, laundry, some bike maintenance, and a little nap rounded out the afternoon before another nice group dinner this evening. A very nice riding day.

Tomorrow we’ll ride another 84 miles to Great Bend Kansas. The forecast is calling for pleasant conditions again that may give way to afternoon showers. Thanks for following along.

Today we rode 45 miles from Guymon OK to Liberal KS. The schedule and the weather turned out to be the perfect antidote to the ride of yesterday with its grueling headwind.

Although we began the ride with chilly temperatures in the low 50s, the wind of yesterday had subsided to a slight breeze at our backs and we rode under blue skies. Our route would once again follow US Route 54 which provided a wide smooth shoulder through the Oklahoma panhandle to our destination just over the Kansas state line.

The Oklahoma landscape was rolling, beautiful, and dotted with the evidence of the huge agricultural industry that is present in this part of the state.

At mile 18 we rolled into the first rest stop of the day at a small store in the little town of Hooker Oklahoma. And yes, they play up the name. Before we left the rest stop, the jackets and other layers that were used to fight the morning chill were shed as the temperatures had risen into the mid 60s, creating perfect riding conditions.

At mile 34 we said farewell to Oklahoma and crossed into Kansas. Six miles later we arrived at our destination for the day, Liberal Kansas. The short ride provided ample time to take in one of towns tourist attractions, a replica of the Gale homestead from The Wizard of Oz.

The ride today was easy and short and just what we needed. Tomorrow we’ll ride 83 miles to Dodge City Kansas. Hopefully the weather will hold and give us great conditions as we begin our six day trek across Kansas with the state motto in mind, ” To the Stars Through Adversity”. Thanks for following along.

Today we rode 72 miles from Dalhart TX to Guymon OK on US Route 54. Yesterday you may recall that we also traveled the entire day on US Route 54 following it’s northeasterly path from Tucumcari NM to Dalhart and being pushed along by a very nice southwesterly wind at our backs.

US Route 54 also runs in a northeast direction between Dalhart and Guymon Ok, our destination for the day. However, as I ate breakfast this morning several riders were checking the weather and warning of a difficult day ahead. Apparently overnight, a high pressure system settled in over the area behind the low pressure system that brought tornadoes to Kansas overnight. The high pressure system brought cool temperatures and strong northeasterly winds. For us, a headwind. A headwind of around 20 that would last the entire day. And it was cold. With temperatures staying steady in the 50s all day, the wind felt really cold.

So off we went, bundled up in jackets and cold weather gear, to face what would become a long and tiring day. From the beginning we used a pace line to help cut through the wind. One rider up front would break through the wind while everyone else would follow, single file, hoping to avoid some of the wind. Every half mile or so the point rider would peel off and fall to the back of the line and a fresh rider would take his or her turn cutting through the wind.

The pace line worked reasonably well but the wind was strong and the effort was exhausting. And it was cold. At mile 30 we had our first rest stop of the day. A point that took nearly three hours to reach as we could only muster about 10 miles per hour in the wind. After refueling with energy bars, fruit, and other snacks, the pace line headed out for more of the same although the line was shorter as a few riders opted to not go on.

With about 10 riders in the pace line we pushed on toward the Oklahoma state line, 20 miles down the road. Although the pace continued to be slow, around 12 miles per hour, it was too much for a few of the riders as they fell off the back of the line. When we arrived in Oklahoma, the pace line was down to 5 riders.

Our second rest stop of the day was just over the state line and once again we refueled ourselves to prepare for the final 22 miles into Guymon. When we left the stop, only three riders remained in the pace line, myself, Greg, and Howard, the rider from France. By this time the temperature had risen a bit and the wind did not seem as cold. There was also a very slight shift in the wind direction taking just a little bit of the pressure off. Our average speed through this part of the route picked up just a bit as we pushed ourselves through the wind and into Guymon.

Seven hours after the cold start we arrived at our hotel, exhausted from pushing into the wind for 72 miles. Unfortunately, on rides like this there aren’t a lot of opportunities to sight see or take pictures. If you stop and the pace line moves on, you’re left on your own to battle the wind. I did get a couple of pictures along the way and they are attached.

Today’s ride is one that I knew could happen on this trip at anytime. It was a challenge, it was exhausting, and now it’s in the books. They’ll be more challenging days on this trip but whatever the number turns out to be, there is now one less.

Tomorrow is scheduled to be a very short day of only 45 miles to Liberal Kansas with a couple of interesting stops. And the wind looks like it will subside. Should be a good day. Thanks for following along.

Today we rode 95 miles from Tucumcari NM to Dalhart TX. The route was almost entirely on US Route 54.

The morning was once again chilly, with temperatures in the low 50s as we rolled out of Tucumcari under cloudy skies. The temperature meant that layers of clothing were added that hopefully would be shed as the day warmed. The wind that made yesterday’s ride so difficult as we arrived in Tucumcari had subsided some but was still blowing out of the southwest. Fortunately for us, today was the day that our route that will take us to Boston, turned to the northeast and the menacing wind of yesterday became a friendly tailwind!

Before long, the morning clouds gave way to blue skies, the temperatures warmed to comfortable levels, and the ever increasing tailwind, found us rolling along a smooth Route 54 at a quick pace with little effort.

We took our first rest stop of the day at mile 29 but it was barely needed. I did take the opportunity to shed my jacket and make a phone call home to get more information on the devastating storms that struck last night.

As we rode along Route 54, we passed miles and miles of sparse grassland with a few grazing cattle. With some minor exceptions, the scenery did not change the entire ride.

At mile 54 we crossed the state line into Texas, our fourth state of the trip, and stopped for our second rest stop. After a few photos and a quick bite to eat, we were once again on our way being pushed along at a nice pace by the wind.

A few miles into Texas the smooth surface of Route 54 gave way to a rough chip and seal surface that was more pronounced on the shoulder of the road where we normally ride. After a few miles of bouncing over the rough surface, I and most of the riders, opted to ride the white line, where the surface although not ideal, was a big improvement over the surface of the shoulder. Most of the drivers that we encountered were courteous and gave us room on the road although there were a handful that were quite annoyed by our presents and let us know it by blowing their horns, yelling at us, and one going so far as swerving his pickup truck and horse trailer in our direction. Jerks.

Our final rest stop of the day was at mile 74. Again, the stop was hardly needed as the tailwind, growing stronger through the day, was doing most of the work.

Before long we found ourselves on the outskirts of our destination, Dalhart Texas, and riding past a huge cattle feedlot. For miles we rode past lots filled with thousands upon thousands of cattle being fattened for slaughter.

As we arrived in Dalhart, it was easy to find our hotel, as we were told it would be adorned by two rearing stallions. Only in Texas.

Over the last two days, we have ridden 204 miles. On both days we made no turns as we remained on the same highway each day. Also on each day, with the exception of the the towns we began and ended in, we encountered no stop signs or lights, nor did we travel through any other populated towns along the way. Strange traveling.

Our stay in Texas will be a short one as tomorrow we’ll ride 70 miles to Guymon Oklahoma. Thanks for following along.

Today we rode 109 miles from Las Vegas to Tucumcari on the eastern edge of New Mexico. The day once again started out chilly in the 40s but warmed quickly as the sun rose to meet us as we peddled east.

Our route today was the very lightly traveled New Mexico Route 104. As we left Las Vegas we did some climbing and soon found ourselves on high plains surrounded by cattle ranches as far as the eye could see. The ranches themselves seemed large but only sparsely populated with cattle and a few horses I suppose out of necessity as the grass looked pretty sparse.

At mile 27 we had our first rest stop of the day at an abandoned roadside service station. Standing there among the vast grasslands with only the sound of the wind breaking the morning silence, it was hard to imagine a time when the store serviced customers on this lonely road.

At mile 33 we began a very steep descent lasting nearly five miles that brought with it a complete change in the scenery. The descent cut through amazing rock formations on our left and opened up spectacular vistas of a valley below that stretched to the horizon.

As we descended and rode through the valley we found ourselves once again surrounded by Mesa, the large flat top rock formations, that were so common in the western part of the state.

By this time in the ride, the temperatures had risen into the 80s and the heat of the day brought gusty winds. For a time, the winds were quite friendly pushing us along and giving us a boost as we climbed some of the sharp ascents among the Mesa.

However, by the time we left our last rest stop of the day at mile 76, Route 104 turned into the wind and turned the final 30 miles or so of the ride into a struggle. Many times we found ourselves climbing the sharp ascents with the wind gusting directly into our faces. Even the downhills were a struggle with the wind. Needless to say, the final leg of the ride was a slow go and very exhausting.

I made it to the hotel around 3:30 after 7 hours and 19 minutes on the bike. A long day made longer by the wind, the heat, and the climbing. I’ll rest up tonight because tomorrow’s route is 95 miles to Dalhart Texas. Thanks for following along.

Today we rode 73 miles from Santa Fe to Las Vegas NM. The day started as all of our days do with a Route Rap session. During these sessions, Paula Farmer, the owner of Crossroads Cycling Adventures, goes over the day’s route with us pointing out things to watch for from both a safety standpoint as well as things that might interest us along the way.

When we rolled out of the hotel parking lot we found blue skies and pleasant temperatures in the 50s. The route to Las Vegas basically followed Interstate 25 but we only rode on the express way for 5 miles starting at mile 16. Fortunately that section of the freeway had a wide, smooth, and clean shoulder and no one experienced a flat.

At mile 21 we exited the freeway at Glorieta Pass, the highest elevation of the trip at 7,570 feet, and the site of a Civil War Battle. I had no idea. The exit also took us into the village of Pecos and our first rest stop.

The rest of the route found us on a frontage road parallel to Interstate 25 with a wind that turned more and more in our favor as the day went on. We did pass over many rolling hills accumulating over 4,000 feet of climb for the day but the tail wind compensated nicely and kept the overall effort very reasonable.

At mile 46 we rolled into the second rest stop of the day at Pecos River Station, a small store along the highway. The rest stop marked a milestone on the tour as it was located at the 1,000 mile marker. After the stop, the tailwind became even stronger and blew us into Las Vegas in short order. All in all it was a good day for riding.

Tonight we are staying at the historic Plaza Hotel in downtown Las Vegas. From the information around the hotel, it appears that hotel has been the setting for a number of movies, mostly westerns, and a number of famous actors have stayed here including John Lithgow of 3rd Rock From The Sun fame.

Tomorrow we’ll have a big day as we ride 109 miles to Tucumcari and spend our last full day in New Mexico. On Tuesday our route will take us to our fourth state, Texas. Thanks for following along.

No riding today as it is a scheduled rest day. A much needed rest day for me. After yesterday’s tough ride from Albuquerque I found myself with some stomach distress that needed attention. I think the cause of the problem was simply not being careful enough with my consumption of the sports drinks, energy bars, salt tablets etc. I think I have it all sorted out, am feeling better, and should be ready to ride in the morning.

Because of the stomach issues I spent the day in the hotel. I did my laundry, washed and serviced the bike, and took a nice nap this afternoon. I tried to rest as much as I could because we have nine riding days before our next rest day in Junction City Kansas on June 4th.

I did get a chance to go dinner and spend some time in the old historic downtown area of Santa Fe. The area is filled with shops, galleries, restaurants, a beautiful old Catholic Church and lots of history.

So far the ride and the experience have exceeded my expectations. The riding has been both more challenging and more rewarding than I thought it would be. The Crossroads crew has been fabulous in making sure the experience is a great one and the other riders have been a joy to be around as the story of this great big wonderful adventure is being written.

Tomorrow we’ll ride 73 miles to Las Vegas New Mexico through the Glorieta Pass at 7,570 feet, the highest point of the tour. It will be all down hill from there. Thanks for following along.

Today we rode 67 miles from Albuquerque to Santa Fe New Mexico. As we left the hotel around 7:00 A:M the temperatures were higher than the last several mornings at just under 50 degrees. More importantly the winds had subsided and we rolled out to a nearly calm day. As the temperatures rose later in the day the winds picked up a bit but nothing like the strong gusty winds of the past few days.

All in all it was a pleasant morning to ride. The word of the day however was climbing. The total climb for the day was 4,942 feet and it started pretty much out of the hotel parking lot. As the climbing started, my legs felt heavy. Probably a symptom of the cumulative effort of the past two weeks.

So far we have ridden 941 miles and have climbed 37,048 feet. Yeah, my legs are tired. Although I struggled with most of the climbing today, the route offered some spectacular views as we traveled scenic State Road 14 for most of the ride. The route took us through the little town of Madrid at mile 45, a recovered ghost town now known as an art destination. The town had lots of little shops, cafes, and restaurants and made a perfect lunch stop for the group.

After lunch there was more climbing over the last 20 miles or so into Santa Fe. My legs continued to feel heavy but I was able to complete the course by mid afternoon. Another factor that could be adding to my troubles is the altitude as we are now over 7,000 feet again. The air is noticeably thinner.

Tomorrow is a rest day and a much needed one at that. I plan to rest up, do some laundry, and perhaps take in a few sights here in Santa Fe. Sunday morning we’ll head to Las Vegas New Mexico. Thanks for following along.

Today we rode 79 miles from Grants to Albuquerque in New Mexico. The ride started, as all of them have this week, with chilly temperatures in the 40s. Today’s ride however also started with a strong wind.

The wind was the topic of conversation among many of the riders last night as it presented itself at the end of yesterday’s ride as a strong cross wind and at times a direct head wind. Today’s forecast called for more of the same over a longer distance with more climbing.

As today’s ride began the wind was blowing over 20 miles per hour with strong gust and seemed to get stronger with each passing mile. And a few miles into the ride the wind became a direct headwind. Many of the riders queued up in a pace line to battle the wind. But the wind was so strong that I found myself working way too hard at the pace of the line that I had to drop out. At that point I began to imagine how long the day’s ride would take me if I were left to battle the wind on my own. It would have been a long day.

Fortunately for me as the pace line pulled away I was able to tuck in behind Rick, a seasoned veteran of this tour (Rick has ridden the route something like 21 times) and a member of the support staff. I rode with Rick for several miles at a speed that I could handle in the wind. Also tucked in behind Rick were Howard and Elizabeth, a couple from England with vast amounts of cycling experience all over the world. Several miles later when Rick pulled off I stayed with Howard and Elizabeth and with their experience they helped me cope with the wind.

A few miles before the first rest stop at mile 31 we caught up with what was left of the pace line and rode in with those riders. During those last few miles, the wind or the course, shifted and the wind was then partially at our backs and providing a little push.

When we left the rest stop we merged onto Interstate 40 for what would be 26 miles. And the wind pushed us along at a nice pace. The second rest stop of the day was at mile 57. By the time we got there the wind had shifted a little more to a cross wind and was very strong. Sustained at 30 miles per hour with gust over 40. The cross wind really tested our riding skills with most of the riders rolling along leaning their right shoulders down and into the wind.

We rode into Albuquerque on Route 66 with the wind getting stronger as we went. This part of the course included some sharp climbs and steep descents that turned out to be quite scary with the wind. On most of the descents I rode my brakes and focused on controlling the bike.

We all made it in safely with a few riders opting to ride in the van rather that battle the wind. I respect their decisions because the conditions were unlike any that most of us had ever ridden in.

I did take the time to take a few photos today of the beautiful New Mexico scenery. A group of us also took the time to wait on a railroad bridge on Interstate 40 for a train to pass that first appeared as a single light on the horizon.

Tomorrow we’ll ride to Santa Fe where we’ll enjoy our second rest day of the tour on Saturday. The ride tomorrow will be 65 miles but will include just under 5,000 feet of climb. The rest day will feel good. Thanks for following along.