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Charging eastward... September 24, 2008Leave a comment ;)
Did I say I was forgetful? I don't remember if I did or not. Oh well, it doesn't matter now. After watching my computer die last night right as I was starting to upload my photos for the day, it dawned on me that either I get creative and find a way to get my computer charger back from my folks in Texas or bite the bullet and buy another! Ouch, I ended up buying another. Chris in La Junta happened to have just what I needed. He is richer and I am poorer, but now I have a charge and can continue my blogging. "And there was much rejoicing... yea...." (Monty Python and the Holy Grail) I jumped out of bed early this morning knowing that I had a large distance to cover if I wanted to make Lamar before nightfall. At 121 miles, it was going to be a stretch. I was feeling great and made excellent time down Hwy 50. I've driven this road so many times, it was a bit of a shock that I was moving a bit more slowly and the mileage signs just didn't click down fast enough. Hwy 50 parallels the Arkansas River for most of it's length through eastern Colorado. Nice and flat with little wind and the temps getting up into the high 90's. I used copious quantities of sunscreen and ended up shedding my shirts in favor of just my yellow vest. The Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railroad also parallels the highway and many trains laden with coal slide eastward along the rails. I always try to get the engineer to toot the horn when he goes by (the kid still in me) and most of the time they oblige. Beside the railroad, Highway 50 has had the widest shoulder of any road that I have pedaled to date. Thank goodness for new pavement. Smooth, smooth, smooth... I found myself taking pictures of all of the signs for each town I rolled through. I would like to eventually put together a montage of all of the towns I visited alongside a map for the trek. One of the crops that is grown in this area, beside corn, is (are) onions. As the crop trucks trundle down the highway, they shed portions of their load which provides an aromatic obstacle that I have to navigate around on occasion. By the time I rolled into Las Animas, I realized that I had another 36 miles to go and only about two hours of daylight left. Not wanting to deal with trucks and night time, I opted for the Best Western on the far side of town. Tomorrow I will get an early start and try my best to make Garden City, KS. A bit ambitious, but worth a shot. I just have to keep charging eastward (with my new charger in tow). More Images: ;)
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good morning John, You are taking all the bumps in stride. Your ability to adapt and overcome has definitely be developed. I wish for you smooth roads, the wind to blow you at the pace you require to get to Garden city, overcast cool skies, and the synapses to fire when requiring a hypersense of awareness. Email me and let me know where your next stop is after OKC. Gotta come meet you on my Motorcycle!!!