McPherson KS to Abilene KS

Miles: 62
Elevation Gain: 2600 ft

Yeah, we have reached Abilene KS and finally get a day off after 9 days of riding covering 681 miles. Boy do I need the rest. I think everyone feels that way.

Another great day of weather. Since the cold front came in last night, the morning was cloud covered. Even when the sun came out it never got above 90. There was a bit of a headwind this morning but it died out later in the morning.

The countryside was very pretty. The fields of wheat are starting to turn from deep green to having a tinge of yellow. We are starting to have rolling hills instead of totally flat terrain.

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Great Bend to McPherson

Miles: 42 (out of 62)
Elevation gain: 1000 ft

Another day on the plains of Kansas. My legs forgot to come to work this morning. From the first they did not want to go and I just couldn't get my speed up. So at 10 miles, I took a 20 mile bump in the van. I would have been out there until late afternoon otherwise.

The countryside was very pretty. The fields of corn were deep green. I tried to take a picture os the hay fields with the big circle bales but you can't really see them. The other picture was taken about 20 miles from McPherson. You can see the straight roads and it seems to take forever to get to the next town.

The skies were overcast today and there was the threat of rain. Bur fortunately we beat the storm in and it actually turned out to be a small shower.

One more day of riding and we get a day off. All of us will be glad for the rest.
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Dodge City KS to Great Bend KS

Miles: 85
Elevation Gain: 1200 ft
Another day in Kansas and this was a tough 85 miles. It was very hot, high 90s, and 20 mph winds. They were mostly cross winds but blowing all day long. So I had a pretty tough day. But was ridingv with another woman and we got each other through it.

The countryside changed a bit today. It was gvreener with more trees. The land is so flat and the roads are so straight, you can see the huge grain elevators for a town 15 miles away. They look like castles when they are so far away. Then it seems to take forever to get to them.

Today we went past a huge windmill farm. After that there was a large field with the very large windmill parts lying out there ready to be assembled. The picture doesn't really do them justice. We also stopped in Midway which is halfway between San Francisco and New York. We have a few more days of riding before we are halfway. But it does make me think about how far we have come.
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Liberal KS to Dodge City KS

Miles: 83
Elevation gain: 1200 ft

Another wonderful day for riding. We had sunshine, cross winds, and a wonderful tail wind for the last 20 miles. It is starting to get hotter and more humid. But it is still tolerable.

Yes, I found the Yellow Brick Road last night. It was kind of a hokey place but you can see the yellow bricks.

This part of Kansas is very pretty. There are lots of big irrigation circles with wheat growing on them which is already quite high. The picture is of two old grain silos. Seeing them brought back memories of one summer when my dad and I built one of them.

Our SAG stop was at the Dalton Gang Hideout. There is a lot of cowboy history in this area.

I had my first flat today caused by a small wire in the tire. Fortunately I was riding with the mechanic at the time. He got the wire out and we put CO2 in and made it to the van. The picture is of 4 Crossroads staff fixing the flat. Great service.
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Guyman OK to Liberal KS

Another day, another state. We crossed into Kansas today and will be here awhile. Today was an easy day of riding - just 39 miles. After downpours the day before, the weather was beautiful in this area today. So we are lucky we came through today.

The countryside today was much greener. There were a lot of wheat fields with circle irrigation. Liberal KS is a very small town. We are on the outskirts of town so there isn't much to do. But actually we don't mind just being able to sit around and relax.
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Dalhart TX to Guyman OK

Miles: 73
Elevation Gain: 500 ft
Another state crossing. Sorry about the double picture yesterday. I meant to put the TX crossing picture in. So here it is today.

The wind gods were not with us today. We started the ride in the fog. It only lasted about 10 miles and was overcast for a while after that. Although there was no climbing to speak of, it was a tough day of riding. We had a strong head wind today. Thank goodness for the Crossroad mechanics who were riding today. They slowed down and let me draft for at least 40 miles today. I would probably have not been able to do the whole ride without that help.

The country is changing again. It is much greener here and we are starting to see large grain elevators. Tomorrow is our shortest riding day - 39 miles.
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Tucamari NM to Dalhart Texas

Miles: 96
Elevation Gain: 2500 ft

We are now in Texas. This was a long day. Although the amount of feet we climbed was less than most days, it felt like we were climbing all day long. The road was a series of rollers. Unfortunately I couldn't get enough speed going down to make it up the other side. The countryside was consistent all day so there was nothing to take the mind off of the riding.

We rode past the XIT feedlot. It had to be a mile wide by a mile long. I felt sorry for the cattle in there. I wish these feedlots were more humane.

The weather was great again. We got to the hotel before the skies became menacing. There are tornado warnings around the area. And it will probably rain tonight. But I think tomorrow will be fine.

We cross into Oklahoma tomorrow. It is an easier day. Only 72 miles. I never thought I would say 72 miles is an easy day. We also leave an hour later which is a real luxury.

Oh yes. Some of the conversation every night centers on snake sightings on the road. Fortunately all I have seen are dead ones. Some of the riders have seen live ones.
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Las Vegas to Tucumcari NM

Miles: 88 out of 108
Elevation Gain: 4100

Another excellent adventure day. We climbed 4100 ft but ended up 2000 ft lower than last night. Along the way we crossed our 1000 mile mark. It is hard for me to believe we have ridden that far.
The sun was shining and the wind was blowing. A cold front was moving in so we got hammered with the wind. Mostly it was a crosswind or tailwind. But for the entire day you had to be constantly alert to what the wind was doing. So there was no relaxing on the bike.

I took a bump in the van for 20 miles. By the time the day was over I was really glad for that decision. I was plenty satisfied with 88 miles of riding.

We went through an area of red rock and sandstone. It was the most beautiful scenery of anywhere on the trip. Tomorrow we go downhill and cross into Texas. Only one night in Texas.
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Santa Fe to Las Vegas NM

Miles: 58 out of 72
Elevation gain: 4800 ft

A few miles out of Santa Fe we started climbing. I think our highest altitude was 7500. The altitude really got to me. I was huffing and puffing up the hills.

The first 44 miles were pretty with pine trees covering the land. At one point I could smell the pines. The rest of the ride was scrub desert. There were lots of small houses on very barren land. It has to be a tough life out here.

The winds really started picking up in the late morning. It was a tail wind most of the time. But crosswinds would appear and really throw you around. The prediction was for 50 mph gusts later in the day. When I got to the SAG at 44 miles, I was about an hour behind the other riders. I decided to take a 15 mile bump in the van and then rode in after that. We have a 108 mile ride tomorrow so I didn't want to totally deplete myself today.

The SAG was at the El Alto Bar. They normally don't open until noon on Sundays because they can't sell alcohol until then on Sundays. But he always comes in early when Crossroads is coming through so the riders can use the restrooms. I was there before noon. About 5 minutes to 12 the cars started arriving and they swarmed into the store when it opened. Local color.
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Albuquerque to Santa Fe

Miles: 66.4
Elevation gain: 5300 ft

Today was quite difficult physically but mentally it was great. Because we were going to climb all day, I knew I would be back at the end and decided to just enjoy the day.

Once we got 20 miles out of town the scenery turned spectacular. The cactus were in bloom and they are an interesting site. Look like little trees. Most of my day was spent in the granny gear. There were respites from the climbing but everytime we came down it meant there was more climbing to get to Santa Fe which is at 7000 ft. The weather as great again. There was a tailwind in the afternoon. Beautiful clear skies. But it did get above 100 on my bike computer. I was very glad to arrive at the hotel and very happy that I could do the day of climbing.

Tomorrow is a rest day and we are all ready for it.
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Grants NM to Albuquerque

Miles: 76
Elevation gain: 2500

Another beautiful day for riding. When we left the hotel it was 34. So we all put on extra layers. Fortunately we can put the layers in the SAG van after we warm up. The first third of the day was a slight downhill with the wind to our back. It wasn't blowing very hard but any little bit helps. I got chased by two dogs. Fortunately I was going downhill and pedaled really fast.

The countryside was spectacular in spots as you can see from the pictures. Other parts were quite desolate. We had to ride on the interstate again part of the way. There was construction at one point with a lane closed and no shoulder. They wisely loaded us up and drove us through that section. You can see us waiting for the van and the bikes being loaded on the van. It was quite an efficient process.

Oh yes, I turned 66 on Route 66 today. The two mechanics let me draft behind them for a five mile climb up the hill. Must have been their birthday present to me.
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Gallup to Grants NM

Miles: 67.7
Elevation gain: 2000 ft

Another beautiful weather day. The sky was clear and we had a tail wind again. What could be better.

Leaving Gallup we were able to ride 20 miles before having to get on the interstate. One of the guys started riding with me and we rode together all day which was really nice. The scenery was beautiful.

Then we had a tough ride on the interstate for about 20 miles. The shoulder was rough and full of gravel. You had to be extremely careful. The were repaving a part of the road. Unfortunately we got our tires loaded with tar. The picture is of one of the riders scraping tar off of our tires. We ended up walking the bikes for about an hour. Than back onto the rocky shoulder. We were very happy to see the exit for the Continental Divide.

The Continental Divide is at 7295 ft. Sorry about the picture being sideways. I can't seem to get a picture to rotate and stay rotated. The ride down from the Divide to Grants was a gradual downhill all the way. With a tail wind it was a pure pleasure. We stopped at a Dairy Queen and the burger tasted so good.

There are a lot of really long freight trains out here. Someone counted 155 double stacked cars on one of them. It is sad to see the dead towns on Route 66. You can imagine them as thriving communities before the interstate.

Today was considered a recovery day. For those of you who bike, I bet you never thought of a metric century as a recovery ride.
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Holbrook, AZ to Gallup, NM

Miles: 88
Elevation gain: 3300 ft

Great day with cool temps and a wonderful tail wind. The picture of my bike on the side of the road shows the flag on the back bent completely over the bike from the force of the wind. That is a beautiful site.

The country was pretty desolate the first half of the ride. When I saw a Hampton Inn sign which said it was 65 miles away, I knew we were in the middle of nowhere. The picture of the SAG van shows there wasn't much around at 34 miles.

About 15 miles from the NM border the country started to change and the mesa's and rocks were amazing. The picture doesn't come close to doing it justice. It was worth all of the work to see this sight from on top of the bike. We are now in our third state. Hard to believe we have actually ridden this far.

Oh yes, I did ride all the way today. I did a better job on the mental challenge and on hydrating. Thanks to the riders from past years who provided helpful comments. That was a big help to me.
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Flagstaff to Holbrook

Miles: 67.7
Elevation gain: 3100 ft

Biking across America is hard and not for sissies. This was a hard day for me again and I only rode 67 of the 94 miles. The weather gods were not really with us today. It was hot and there was a strong crosswind which was occasionally a tailwind and more often a headwind. The lightweight Trek is great most of the time but not in a crosswind. I was fighting against the wind all day.

We were on I40 all day today. It is quite desolute, uninteresting country the whole way as you can see from the pictures. I must admit I was feeling a bit sorry for myself when we left the hotel this morning and everyone left me in their dust. So I was riding alone all day and wondered at times why I was doing this trip. It is just a mental hurdle I need to cross. I will be riding alone a lot because I am the slowest rider. Just a fact and I can deal with it. Between the heat and the wind, I think I got a bit dehydrated. At 67.7 miles, I just couldn't go any farther and got in the van. I had nothing left to give.

These towns out here are pretty bad off. A lot of Winslow is closed down. This is part of Route 66 and I kept thinking about the movie Cars. The Jackrabbit picture is from a trading post out in the middle of knowwhere. The owners daughter has been greeting the riders since she was one year old. She is now in high school and took the day off to greet us.

Tomorrow is another day and I will be back out there.
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Glorious Rest Day

Rest day is a wonderful thing. We get to sleep in and just take it a bit easy. I am getting a massage at 1 and that will be wonderful. Of course we had to catch up on our laundry. The picture is of Janie and I waiting for it to get done. And the other big event of the day is giving the bikes a thorough cleaning.

On a riding day everything feels rushed. Breakfast is at the hotel or a restraunt close by. We bring our bags out to the truck, pump up bike tires, sign out and start rolling be 7:15 am. The cue sheets have been excellent. If you actually follow them, it is easy to find your way. The mileage on them is spot on. Because I am a slow rider, I don't get to stop much or very long along the way. That is my only regret. We straggle into the hotel several hours apart. As soon as we get in we have to find someplace with chocolate milk or some kind of recovery drink and some food to eat. There might be time for a dip in the pool. Route rap is at 5:45. That is when we learn aboute the route for the next day. Of course before that we have done laundry, even if that is just washing shorts and jersey's out in the sink. After route rap we are off to eat. Then back to our rooms to get everything prepared for the ride the next day. I am in bed by 8:30. It is a busy day.
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Cottonwood to Flagstaff

Miles: 47.7
Elevation gain: 6600 ft

What a day. I am still amazed that I completed the entire ride today. First of all the biking weather gods were with us again today. It was clear skies but never above 90. The was the most beautiful part of the trip so far.

The reason I was actually able to complete the ride was because Chip who helped me on the 116 mile ride day stayed back with me the whole day. I could never have done today by myself. I think the group has decided I really want to ride all of this and are helping out. I certainly appreciate it.

We basically climbed all day today. So even though the mileage was low the ride was tough. The picture of the road circling around was looking down from halfway up a 2.2 mile climb. I rode the whole way but did need to stop 3 times. I am finding the altitude to be a factor. I am so amazed with the country around here. I would like to come back and visit for a more extended period of time.

Tomorrow is a day off and we really need it. In the last 7 days we have ridden 521 miles and climbed 32,600 ft. All of us are feeling the effects. A day off the bike seems wonderful. I actually have bruises on my butt. The leaders say if we made it this week we will make it the whole way across. I cannot believe this body has accomplished what it has so far.
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Prescott to Cottonwood

Miles: 43.8
Elevation gain: 4500 ft

Today was a great riding day. The weather was clear, relatively cool, climbs were manageable, and the scenery was fantastic. As we went through the desert this morning, we saw Indian Paintbrush in bloom.

LaVern and Janie said they wanted to ride with me - the tandem. I know they felt bad I had such a hard day yesterday. It was so helpful to draft behind them on the false flats - such a difference. Then we had a 6 mile climb up Mingus mountain. There were some pretty steep switchbacks. But we took our time and stopped several times for butt breaks. The summit was 7023 ft. I could tell I was short of breath.

The descent down was pretty tense for me. There was 6 miles of descent to Jerome. It was steep with lots of turns. I was feathering the brakes all the way down. We stopped in Jerome for a burger. It is an old mining town right on the side of the mountain. At one time it was nearly empty but has been revived as a tourist spot. After Jerome we contined to descend with more curves for another 3 miles. I was never so glad to see flat straight roads in my life. My hands were going numb from working the brakes. Some of the riders loved flying down but not me. The country was so pretty I wish I could have observed the scenery more.

Tomorrow will be a big climb to Flagstaff and then we have a day off.
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Wickenburg to Prescott

Miles: 59 (51 for me)
Elevation gain: 7000 ft

The weather gods were with us again - overcast and cool. The scenery on the ride was fantastic. The desert is in bloom and the flowers on the cactus are amazing. The pictures do not do them justice.

Th ride was the most grueling one I have ever been on in my life. We started climbing first thing in the morning and had three long stretches that took there toll. We were warned about false flats the night before. This is where the terrain looks like you are descending but you are actually climbing. I started riding that section and could not figure out why I was working so hard and going so slow. I kept looking down to see if I had a flat. Then I remembered false flats and stopped and looked back and sure enough I had been climbing. This was the beginning of a 7 mile climb that had no flat area. Just constant climbing. I was exhausted at the top. But that wasn't even half-way there. There was another false flat climb and then a regular 9 mile climb to the summit. I got to about 2 miles from the summit and decided I was way too exhausted to be on a bike. So I took a ride in the van for 10 miles. So I basically decided to live to ride another day.
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