Liberal to Dodge City

As the winds in Kansas go, today was a relatively easy day. There were some headwinds, quartering tailwinds, crosswinds. The normal array of wind for Kansas. Luckily they were not very strong. So it was an OK day to be out for 43 miles. I drove the truck to the SAG at the Dalton Gang Hideout and rode in from there. That is such a green shady spot for a SAG that I hated to leave.

Kansas apparently has not had a lot of rain. The wheat we have seen so far is very short and looks quite parched. This is the part of the country with small towns and grain elevators. And the people are fun to talk to. One poor little girl in the convenience store hid behind the counter. She told her older sister she was afraid of me because I looked like a biker. Two women in the same store, when finding out I was going to Dodge City, expressed their condolences. I asked why. The answer was that a huge stench comes from the sewage treatment plant outside of town. And it is the Dodge City people who are creating all that sewage. Good reasoning I guess. Probably as logical as most of us are.

Yesterday one of our riders had to go home. Randy has been trying to ride with a very sore knee/leg since leaving LA. Finally he decided to drive home to Springfield and get it checked out. We are hoping he can rejoin. Such a sweetheart of a guy.

Alan the retired dentist made a discovery today. To quote Alan: "The big discovery today was an electrolyte rich food that I discovered and realized that for those of us unable to eat bananas, it is a fine substitute. It has 280 cal, 140 mg potassium, 75 mg sodium, 4 g of protein, and 24 g of carbs. A GU gel has only 100 cal, 35 mg potassium, 45 mg sodium, no protein, and 25 g of carbs. What is this delightful energy treat you ask? It's a Blue Bunny 'Big Alaska' (Blue Bunny's Klondike alternative). Now, you may say "oh, it's full of fat" and I would say that yes, all of the additional 180 calories over the GU gel do come from fat, but, WHO CARES when you're riding so many miles in the humid heat and it's a choice of ice cream or hot energy gel?" I am sure there will be a run on these in the little stores along the route today. And they will wonder about the sudden interest on them.

Dalhart to Guyman to Liberal

I spent the Dalhart to Guyman section working. I did a shift driving the truck to the SAG and then the sweep van to the hotel. The SAG was at a Dairy Queen. The generosity of people in this area was displayed at the DQ. The manager gave ice cream treats to all of the riders who came in. What a a generous thing for her to do.

When Carol and Elaine and I were finishing loading the truck in the morning, a lady came by and said: "oh, three girls and a truck." So we had her take our picture.

Today was a short 40 miles to Liberal. I was riding the whole way so I left early in order to arrive before Tom did with the truck and bags that needed unloading. It was a fantastic day for a ride. There was a slight tailwind and a smooth road with a wide shoulder and few inclines. After I was out for about 15 miles, Rik caught up with me and we rode together. Today was the crossing into Kansas. Liberal has a great air museum. Note the picture of the airmen from the 1940's sitting on the same Texas sign where we had our picture taken. The airmen would go to Texas to get away from Kansas.

Tucumcari to Dalhart TX

We are now in Texas. Even though this is a very large state, we only see one little corner and will be in Oklahoma tomorrow. The day started out with a bit of tailwind and a bit warmer than yesterday. Luckily I was riding the 30 miles to the first SAG because it turned into a headwind later in the day.

The ride to the SAG was quite uneventful. The major thing I saw was trains. There are a lot of them out here and they will usually blow their whistle if you wave at them.

After the SAG I drove the truck to the Texas state line. This is the best state sign on the tour. It is made of concrete and has holes in it that are rumored to be bullet holes. Of course everyone stopped and posed for a photo.

After the state line I helped Carol and Eilene in the vans. You never know what you might have to do. The second SAG was at a rest stop where there was construction. The rest area was closed but Carol and Eilene managed to get the vans in through the cones. They were back off the road and difficult to see. So I went back to the road and sat on the concrete barrier directing riders into the SAG. Today was the day we went past the feedlots and I could smell them 30 miles away as I sat there.

Las Vegas to Tucumcari

Typically this is one of the hardest rides of the tour. It is 107 miles and is usually very hot. This is one of the prettiest rides though.

As the days have been going all tour, there was nothing typical about this year. The riders started in 42 degrees weather. On my bike it never got above 71. There was a cloud cover most of the way. Storms were in the distance all around. But the riders skirted them all. Eilene got poured on breaking down a SAG. But all the riders were gone. And the last riders came in to the hotel just before a downpour hit. Those of you who have done this ride would never believe this was the ride to Tucumcari.

I drove the truck to the first SAG. As I was prepping the truck, some guy came by and said "nice office." Which it is. When I got to the SAG, I got my bike ready, loaded up on gels and took off. After having some Garmin issues and dropping the chain off the big ring in front everything smoothed out. I had a magical ride for 41 miles. The country was beautiful. It has been raining here so the rivers had water in them. I cannot remember when I last enjoyed a ride this much. I even got to do The Wall. This is 8-10% grade for .7 mile. Beautiful rock structures coming up that road. I was at the top before the riders, so I stayed there. Whenever a rider came up, I took their picture, rang the cowbell, and gave them Chocolate milk. They seemed to appreciate that.

Then the rest of the day was supporting riders on the road, shopping for the next day, and cleaning and stocking the vans.

I did not see this rattlesnake on the road but some of the riders did and heard his rattle.

Santa Fe to Las Vegas NM

Day of rest. Oh how wonderful. Well for the staff it was not a total rest day but was restful anyway. First task in the morning was for me to get checked out on driving the truck. That will be part of my duties the next 10 days. This truck is very easy to drive and my old farm girl days came back quickly. Then off to the laundromat with Rik and Tom. I desperately needed that trip. I think just about everything I brought was dirty. Then I went food shopping with Carol. That is quite a learning experience. She makes delicious and nutritious snacks for the riders. A lot of thought and work goes into what she puts out at the SAG. Unfortunately she goes home at Abilene and I have to take over that role. Poor riders. I am trying to learn but it does not come naturally. After all the work was done, Carol and I went to the Santa Fe plaza area and had a nice lunch and did some shopping. We got caught in a downpour trying to get back to the van.

Today was a beautiful day going from Santa Fe to Las Vegas. Other years I have ridden have been extremely hot. But today didn't get above 65. Add to that a bit of a tailwind and it was perfect riding conditions. I think every rider came in with a smile on their face.

My routine has changed. For the next 10 days I will be helping Tom with truck driving and luggage. Tom and I will each ride part of the day (20 - 30 miles). Then we go in together in the truck and deliver bags to the rooms. The riders get to come into a room with the bags on the bed and the air conditioner running. Although today we did not turn the air conditioner down very low.

Tomorrow will be the 1000 mile mark. Hard to believe. That black line is crawling across the map pretty fast.

Albuquerque to Santa Fe

First the weather because it is so different from 2010 or 2013. Those years were so hot that you wanted to melt. This year most everyone had a light jacket on as we left the hotel. There was a 30% chance of rain prediction. And it was cool enough to need a light jacket. Coming out of town was a headwind. And of course climbing. There were scattered clouds which kept the temperature down. At the SAG stop Carol had the food covered with an umbrella and before she closed it down she needed it. I got sprinkled on a bit in Madrid but could see where the rain had come before me. Going into Santa Fe you could see a huge cloud building. Carol and I were just ready to go shopping when a downpour hit. We decided to wait until the next day. Fortunately all the riders were in by that time but a couple of them just barely made it. As we were going to staff dinner another downpour hit with hail. Rik let us off at the front door and we were drenched after running in. This morning is still cloud covered so it might not be such a nice rest day for sight seeing.

I rode 44 miles to Madrid. That is a beautiful ride. It takes a bit to get out of town. But Tracy had a new route which was much superior to the old route. I was leading about 6 riders. I guess they thought I knew where I was going. But I missed the left hand turn at a very busy intersection. I knew I missed it right away. So we really were not lost. After that everyone took off ahead of me. Of course we were out of town by then. Coming out of town was false flats so we climbed for a long time this morning.

I guess Tracy thought the group needed cheered up this morning. She and the staff were out in their silly hats cheering the riders up a long climb.

The ride was fantastic scenery. I stopped to take a picture and the little lizard was sitting there watching me. I did not stop to take the picture of the rattlesnake sunning itself along the road. The nice long decline into Madrid was a bit nerve racking. The road was bumpy and there was a crosswind. I felt like I was riding a bunking bronco.

On one climb I was rescued by Alan and Ross. I made a mistake shifting and dropped my chain off the little ring in front. It jammed in between the front gears and the frame. They were finally able to get it loose but it was a struggle. I will have Rik look at it today to make sure it didn't damage the carbon frame. My thanks to Alan and Ross for their help.

At Madrid, as planned, I stopped riding and drove the van into town. This way Carol and Robin could stay and shop as long as they want. Shopping is not my thing so I was happy to sacrifice.

Rest day is not really resting for the staff. First thing is truck driving check out from Tracy. I have driven lots of big trucks before but I want to know the specifics of this one. Then a laundry party. Boy do I need that. Then grocery shopping with Carol and assisting her in making one of her delicious treats for the next two days. She is amazing.

Tracy, Larry, and Robin go home for 10 days. Tracy and Robin will return in Abilene. So my job will be truck driving and luggage delivery with Tom. We will work it out so we each get to ride part of the day. So I will learn another part of the job. And I love driving truck.

Albuquerque to Santa Fe

First the weather because it is so different from 2010 or 2013. Those years were so hot that you wanted to melt. This year most everyone had a light jacket on as we left the hotel. There was a 30% chance of rain prediction. And it was cool enough to need a light jacket. Coming out of town was a headwind. And of course climbing. There were scattered clouds which kept the temperature down. At the SAG stop Carol had the food covered with an umbrella and before she closed it down she needed it. I got sprinkled on a bit in Madrid but could see where the rain had come before me. Going into Santa Fe you could see a huge cloud building. Carol and I were just ready to go shopping when a downpour hit. We decided to wait until the next day. Fortunately all the riders were in by that time but a couple of them just barely made it. As we were going to staff dinner another downpour hit with hail. Rik let us off at the front door and we were drenched after running in. This morning is still cloud covered so it might not be such a nice rest day for sight seeing.

I rode 44 miles to Madrid. That is a beautiful ride. It takes a bit to get out of town. But Tracy had a new route which was much superior to the old route. I was leading about 6 riders. I guess they thought I knew where I was going. But I missed the left hand turn at a very busy intersection. I knew I missed it right away. So we really were not lost. After that everyone took off ahead of me. Of course we were out of town by then. Coming out of town was false flats so we climbed for a long time this morning.

I guess Tracy thought the group needed cheered up this morning. She and the staff were out in their silly hats cheering the riders up a long climb.

The ride was fantastic scenery. I stopped to take a picture and the little lizard was sitting there watching me. I did not stop to take the picture of the rattlesnake sunning itself along the road. The nice long decline into Madrid was a bit nerve racking. The road was bumpy and there was a crosswind. I felt like I was riding a bunking bronco.

On one climb I was rescued by Alan and Ross. I made a mistake shifting and dropped my chain off the little ring in front. It jammed in between the front gears and the frame. They were finally able to get it loose but it was a struggle. I will have Rik look at it today to make sure it didn't damage the carbon frame. My thanks to Alan and Ross for their help.

At Madrid, as planned, I stopped riding and drove the van into town. This way Carol and Robin could stay and shop as long as they want. Shopping is not my thing so I was happy to sacrifice.

Rest day is not really resting for the staff. First thing is truck driving check out from Tracy. I have driven lots of big trucks before but I want to know the specifics of this one. Then a laundry party. Boy do I need that. Then grocery shopping with Carol and assisting her in making one of her delicious treats for the next two days. She is amazing.

Tracy, Larry, and Robin go home for 10 days. Tracy and Robin will return in Abilene. So my job will be truck driving and luggage delivery with Tom. We will work it out so we each get to ride part of the day. So I will learn another part of the job. And I love driving truck.

Back on the Tour - Albuquerque

Norm and I finished our mini vacation. Yesterday we drove to Albuquerque and spent the night. We stayed close to Old Town. We were excited about going down there, looking into the shops, and having dinner. By the time we got there it was about 5 pm. Unfortunately many of the shops close at 5. I guess their busy season does not start for another week. We did find a couple of nice shops and galleries. But we never found a place to eat. So we ended up back at the hotel. The picture is of a very pretty cactus that was about to bloom.

I dropped Norm off at the airport early this morning and then backtracked to Grants NM in time to start the day. It was a cool cloudy morning which made it very nice for the riders. The picture of Carol and I shows the amazing bagels she served at the SAG.

Herm was wearing his U of Michigan jersey today. He found a Michigan State grad at the SAG. Small world.

Not much else to report today.

Another Great Day Off the Clock

Wow, being off the bike and off the clock is hard work. I am tired tonight. We left the Grand Canyon this morning and are now in Santa Fe. That was over 400 miles of driving.

One of the disadvantages of the cattle drive bike ride across America is that you have to get from one town to another as soon as possible most days. That is because of the heat and wind. And you usually don't want to pedal one mile more than you have to. So in past years I just saw the signs to the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert. So this year I was determined to see them. It was about a two hour detour and was well worth it. The pictures do not do justice but you get an idea of the magnificence of the areas. I have never seen anything like this before. Craters of the Moon in Idaho has a little bit of this and Yellowstone also. However this is unique. The little bright green creature was walking down the path. As we approached he very kindly posed on the rock and did not seem bothered by us.

Today the riders were going from Holbrook to Gallup. It was a very windy day. Fortunately mostly tailwinds. It was another day of riding on I-40. That means lots of flats because of the debris on the road (tiny wires from the blown truck tires embed themselves in the bike tires and puncture holes in the tubes.) We stopped to talk to Herm and Geoffrey at the New Mexico state line. I hope they sprinkled their sand. Herm said he had already had 4 flats. Rumor has it that Alan had that many also. The wind was really blowing and Geoffrey rescued my hat that had blown away. Further down the road we saw a group of riders fixing a flat and the van stopped at a safe pull off spot. Robin was in the van and Eileen had walked back to the riders with a pump. Eilene has spent the last two days getting training driving the sweep van. That will be her job when Robin goes home for a weeks break.

The evening was spent in the Santa Fe plaza area. Norm has been wanting a leather jacket for years and found one. Then we had a great Mexican dinner out on a second floor deck. It was a lovely night.

Great way to spend a birthday.

Off the clock at the Grand Canyon

My agreement with Tracy was that I would take a few days off when Norm came out to AZ. I knew from riding through here that I wanted to see some of the spectacular sights in AZ and NM. So this morning I said goodbye to the riders and staff as they left Flagstaff. It felt like I was saying goodbye to family. And the staff are family. And the riders are important to me. I wonder how their day went riding to Holbrook. I hope they had tailwinds.

Norm and I drove up to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. I have to say when you walk through the pine forest and then all of a sudden you see the canyon it is truly breathtaking. No words can describe it. We walked along the rim for quite a ways. The park service had great displays along the way showing the types of rocks in the strata. And some of the layers are over 1.7 million years old. At one spot there was a Hopi Indian center. We were there at just the right time to catch the dances. What a treat.

Tonight we are staying at Tasayan AZ. It is a very small town a mile from the entrance to the park. Last year I observed Brick Susko. He always took the time to talk to the people he met along the route. And he listened to their stories and shared them. This year I am really trying to follow his example. Tonight we were the only people in the bar at the hotel. In fact we had to wait about 20 minutes for the bar to open. That is because the bartender, Bob, was finishing up another job he had at the hotel. Anyway over the course of a couple of glasses of wine, we learned some of his story. And what a story. He was from Veracruz Mexico. After problems with the cartel he immigrated to Canada. He went back to Mexico four years later to get a permanent visa for Canada. After paying lots of money to a lawyer he never made it back to Canada. Now he is in the USA and working to send money to his family and get them here. He has such a wonderful attitude and works very hard to send money to his family in Mexico. What a wonderful story of someone working hard to make a life for themselves. The picture is of Bob and I behind the bar.

On to Santa Fe tomorrow.