Central Kansas

Sunday May 31st, Great Bend KS to McPherson KS, 64 miles

The winds died down this morning and only became a factor for the last 20 miles.  Coupled with a shorter distance, today was markedly better than yesterday.  Leaving Great Bend, we traveled due east and began to see a number of wheat farms.   Surprisingly in the second half of the ride the wheat farms gave way to a good deal of oil and gas activity.  Underground storage facilitates and even a large oil refinery made entering McPherson look closer to Houston  then what one would expect in central Kansas.

Coming into town most riders stopped for lunch at Braum's- a restaurant chain in this region best known for its ice cream.

Above:  Wheat farm in Central Kansas

Above:  Not a NASA launch pad, instead oil and gas infrastructure outside McPherson KS

Grinding Against the Wind

Saturday May 30th, Dodge City KS to Great Bend KS, 84 miles.

Today surprisingly turned out to be one of the toughest days of the Tour.   The terrain was about as flat as you could ask for and the day was sunny and cool.  All good except for a steady 15-20 mph head/cross wind for the entire ride. Even with pace lines we barely averaged more than 12 mph.   I've learned to much better tolerate steep climbing then wind.  With climbing you get a view, a sense of achievement, and in most cases a nice ride down.  With wind you just get beaten down.  Fair to say all riders felt really bushed at ride's end.

Along the ride we saw a number of large grain storage facilities/elevators.  Each small town has one and they typically operate as co-ops.  You can easily see them from 5 to 10 miles away.  They are always adjacent to the railroad tracks and the main highways.

Great Bend, I learned, is named after a bend in the Arkansas River. Dinner was at an Applebees.

 Grain tower in Dundee, KS

 Along the way we saw a half way sign between San Francisco and New York.  We still have a couple of riding days to go to reach our "official" halfway point between LA and Boston.

Right to left:  Steve, Mike, Matt, Liam

Dodge City and a Shout-Out to CS

Friday May 29th, Liberal KS to Dodge City KS, 82 miles

Today's ride was on relatively flat nondescript terrain heading northeast out of Liberal .  Sunny with moderate temperatures in the 70s, the only thing left to complain about was the wind, which for the most part was a modest 10 mph headwind.  Again we utilized pace lines for drafting purposes and were able to average 15 miles an  hour.  Not much agriculture beyond some low density ranching.  We did however pass several meat processing plants along the way- not a pleasant smell.

Dodge City is a small city which does its best to attract tourism by emphasizing its old western frontier heritage.  There is a Boot Hill Museum complex (I didn't have the chance to visit) that evidently contains some real artifacts and has recreated the western gun-slinging town with a Can-can show and gun fights.  Our hotel is located off of Wyatt Earp Blvd.

Unrelated, I want to send a shout-out to my neighbor, friend, and cycling partner Craig Stout.  I have ridden more miles over the past couple years, by far, with Craig then anyone else.  He was good enough to join me on many training rides this past cold and windy March and April.  Thanks Bro!  I'm also hopeful Craig will be able to join our touring group for a riding day in the Rochester area later in June.

 Outside the Boot Hill Museum in Dodge City

With my friend and cycling partner Craig Stout in September 2014, after completing a 135 mile one day ride from our home in Woodstock MD to Ocean City.

Yellow Brick Road

Thursday May 28th, Guymon Ok to Liberal KS, 39 miles

Tip for the day- Chinese buffet in Guymon- probably not worth a special trip.

Today was our shortest leg of the tour so far (possibly for the entire tour) at 39 miles. We quickly completed the OK Panhandle and at the 35 mile mark reached the Kansas state line, our third state crossing in three days.  Weather was overcast for the most part.  We will be in the state of Kansas for about a week as we transverse the state west to east.  We are staying tonight in Liberal, KS.  Liberal has a Wizard of OZ museum with "Dorothy's House", an apt reminder that we are entering tornado alley.  The road we have been riding on, US Rt 54, is called the Official Yellow Brick Road in Kansas.

I used my rare free time this afternoon to pick up some things at Walgreen and do laundry.  Off to dinner tonight at a local Italian restaurant.

 SAG stop at Hooker Chamber of Commerce in Hooker, OK ( insert own joke here).

 Co-rider Cynthia and myself at Kansas state line.

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A

Wednesday May 27th- Dalhart TX to Guymon OK, 72 miles

Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain.....well fortunately not too much today.  The ride today was easily the flattest terrain we have had on the tour.  And to boot the winds were modest and at worse a cross wind.  As such we made very good time, averaging in excess of 18 miles per hour.  After two really tough days this was most welcomed.

Not all that much to see along the way, mainly large sparse cattle ranches.  At the 50 mile mark we crossed into OK at a small town aptly named Texhoma.  Staying at another Best Western.  Chinese food tonight in Guymon.

The largest cowboy I have ever encountered, about 20 miles NE of Dalhart.  It appears the cowboy's private areas may have been shot off....well this is Texas after all.

A photo at the OK state line taken by Tracy, the owner of Crossroads Cycling Adventures

Deep in the Heart of Texas ( The Panhandle That Is)

Tuesday May 26th , Tucumcari NM to Dalhart TX, 96 miles

Fair to say today was not anyone's favorite ride.  Although the temperature was moderate we rode into a headwind the entire day.  Even utilizing a pace line (when cyclists line up in a straight line for drafting purposes) with 7 or 8 experienced riders for most of the ride, my group only averaged 13 miles per hour, which made for a long day.  And the scenery for the most part was monotonous. Everyone is pretty wiped out from the past two days.

However we did reach a major milestone, crossing the Texas State line.  We will only be in Texas one night as we transverse its northern Panhandle.  Dalhart  is historically a Dust Bowl town.  A few miles outside town we passed the XIT Feeders, an amazing sight (and smell).  I saw literally tens of thousand cattle tightly penned into enormous feed areas.  It was a bit disturbing.  But only a bit, as I has no problem eating a KC strip steak for dinner.

Above- pumped up after crossing into Texas

Above- a very small portion of the enormous XIT cattle feeders

It's A Long Way to Tucumcari

Monday May 25th, Las Vegas NM to Tucumcari NM, 108 miles

It is a long way to Tipperary- oops make that Tucumcari, 108 miles from Las Vegas to be exact. With over 4000 feet of climbing to boot.   A long day but with a spectacular backdrop.

The area we covered today was sparsely populated with long stretches without any services.  As we left the mountains we descended into the high plains with huge ranches  with sparse cattle . I don't know if it is accurate, but someone said it takes about 100 acres to sustain one head of cattle in land such as we saw.

The first SAG stop was at a privately owned property that was utilized in the film Dead Man Walking.  At about the 40 mile mark of the ride we went through a mountain pass that opened to a spectacular  view of the plains.  At the 70 mile mark we hit a short 0.7 mile but very steep climb affectionately called "The Wall".  It is a canyon that was blasted out of a mountain to make way for the highway.

The last 30 miles were quite difficult with climbing and rising temps.  Tough day but memorable and well rewarded.

The first SAG stop where a scene from the movie Dead Man Walking was shot

  Myself, Cynthia, and Jim

A switchback and gorgeous opening onto the high plains of eastern NM.

Vegas Baby!!!......(New Mexico that is)

Sunday May 24th , Santa Fe, NM to Las Vegas NM- 72 miles

I left Kari early this morning to continue my journey eastward.  Kari drove backed to ABQ in her rental later in the morning and is flying back to BWI tonight.  I wont see her again until Boston where Ben and Drew will be joining her.

Today was another significant climbing day with a lot of ups, followed by fast and fun descents.  Fortunately the winds were favorable (at our back for a good part of the ride) and the temperature on the chilly side.  We reached the highest elevation of the tour- 7500 feet- about halfway thru the ride.  Traffic was light given it is Sunday and the scenery was pretty.

From what I've seen so far..... what happens in Vegas (New Mexico) might as well stay in Vegas...as it probably isn't all that interesting anyway.   We're staying in a Best Western .  Dinner tonight is at a restaurant called K-Bobs.

A young foal nursing 

Off Day in Santa Fe

Saturday May 23rd- Rest Day in Santa Fe, NM

Kari and I woke up to a sunny and cool late May Saturday in NM.  After retrieving my bike from a local shop (I needed a new bike computer), we headed back into downtown which was hopping.  Santa Fe of course has numerous galleries, jewelry stores and other artisans.  Also several historic churches which date back to the 1600s.   We had lunch in the outdoor courtyard of a nice restaurant, Tabla de los Santos....pictured below.  I took a long nap after we got back from downtown....I'm sure my body is telling me something.

Courtyard of Tabla de los Santos, Downtown

Kari Lynn Staddon is in da house!!!

Friday May 22, Albuquerque to Santa Fe, 67 miles.

Late yesterday evening my lovely wife, who had just flew in from Baltimore, joined me at the hotel in ABQ where I had the pleasure of introducing her around to my cycling peers at a nice buffet dinner.  Kari will be spending three nights in total- one in ABQ and two in Santa Fe (where we will have an off day tomorrow) .

The ride today was very beautiful and challenging with over 5000 feet of climbing.  From Los Angeles to Santa Fe we have climbed an aggregate 42,000 feet!  Much of the ride today was on the Turquoise Trail (between ABQ and Santa Fe).  Kari met me midway at a funky old mining town called Madrid (pronounced Mad Rid).  We visited the historic Santa Fe downtown for dinner and plan to return tomorrow for more exploration.

Above:  A selfie in Madrid

Above:  A new friend Kari and I made in Madrid

Above:  Between ABQ and Santa Fe

Above:  A selfie at dinner in downtown Santa Fe

Into the ABQ

Thursday May 21st, Grants NM to Albuquerque, 77 miles.

Today out of Grants we headed East on Rt 66 into a stiff headwind of 15 mph.  After about 30 miles we once again picked up I-40 and stayed on it until the outskirts of ABQ.  Storm clouds gathered as we fought very strong headwinds into the hotel.  All in all a tough day.

Entering ABQ from the west.

Continental Divide

Wednesday May 20th- Gallup NM to Grants NM- 65 miles

Very pleasant weather today except the wind again became an issue in the afternoon.  The morning started with a 28 mile ride to 7275 feet elevation at the Continental Divide, where we had our SAG stop.  Then eastward on Rt 66 to Grants NM.  The last 20 miles were quite difficult with a robust head wind.  Most of the riders rewarded their selves on the way into town with a stop at the local Dairy Queen.

Grants is a small town with a population around 9000.  It has seen better days.  It is best know for the nearby uranium mines which made it a boom town during the Cold War era.

Staying at a Holiday Inn Express tonight with dinner at Denny's.

Near Continental Divide

Enchantment. And a shout-out to DF.

Tuesday May 19th, Holbrook AZ to Gallup AZ, 93 miles.

Similar ride to yesterday- same mileage,  mostly all on I-40 East, except one big factor......today, instead of a hostile wind, the wind was our friend.  We benefited from a nice tailwind and what a difference!  The riders have been getting a lot of flats in the past two days as the interstate shoulders are full of small wires which puncture even the most (supposedly) puncture resistant tires.  We are firmly in Indian country at present, specifically Navajo Nation.  We saw more livestock today, although for the most part the land is very rugged.  Very dry and arid land.    Towards the end of the ride we crossed into New Mexico- Land of Enchantment.

I want to take the opportunity for a quick shout-out to my friend and neighbor Don Farmer, who without, I may have never attempted this journey.  Don has been an avid road cyclist for sometime.  About six or seven years ago, when my only bike was a hybrid for tooling around, Don encouraged me to start road cycling.  He helped train (maybe over-train) me for my first century.  My first round trip to Frederick MD (about 60 miles) was among the hardest things I had ever done.  I have benefited from his experience.  Don had a serious unfortunate cycling accident in the fall of '13 that resulted in extensive hip surgery.  Don continues to recovery and I am hopeful he will be back on the road again soon (with Deb's approval of course).

Riding with the tractor trailers along I-40 East in Arizona

Sign at a SAG stop near AZ/NM border

Myself with the amazing Russ from Oregon, 76 years old and going STRONG.  Russ will be leaving us in ABQ.  With the LA to ABQ leg done he will have completed his cross-country trip over a several year period.

Standin' On The Corner in Winslow Arizona

Monday May 18th,  Flagstaff AZ to Holbrook AZ- 92 miles

This morning we left chilly Flagstaff and headed east on I-40.  Like I-10, the shoulder is wide and riding on the interstate wasn't all that bad.  As the elevation decreased the scenery went from Ponderosa forest to high desert brush.  At around the 50 mile mark we entered Winslow.  We had a good time having our photos taken at "The Corner" made famous in The Eagles song, "Take It Easy" (co-written by Jackson Browne and  Glenn Frey).  Sadly, no girl in a flat bed Ford slowed down to take a look at me.  The small town is doing its best to take advantage of its notoriety.   As an aside,  when we left the town we saw a very somber, and unexpected,  9/11 memorial (see pic below) with  two steel beams from the World Trade Towers.

The second half of the day was a bit of a slog with strong cross/head winds.  As we entered Holbrook we saw the "historic" Wigwam Motel on Rt 66.  Dinner tonight is at the local Pizza Hut.

Standin' On the Corner

A 9-11 Memorial in Winslow

Historic Wigwam Motel on Route 66

Flagstaff - Off Day

Sunday May 17th- Off Day

We enjoyed our first non-riding day in Flagstaff (Flag as the locals say).  The day was spent doing laundry, bike maintenance, updating the blog, walking around town, and yes, a nap.

Interesting town- the vibe is both western and off-beat.

 The snow capped mountains that frame Flagstaff, from our hotel

Large wall mural in downtown Flag

Sedona (in the rain)

Saturday May 16th, Cottonwood AZ to Flagstaff AZ - 47 miles

Today was a short day but with a lot of climbing- about 5500 feet- without much descent.  In the morning we rode thru Sedona.  Unfortunately it was raining so I didn't spend much time looking around before continuing.  There were some brief periods of clearing where I did  get to see the spectacular Red Rocks.  The SAG, again, was at the top of a mountain with a tough 2 mile climb (chilly).  Then it cleared as we continued into Flagstaff, elevation 6905 feet.  Our hotel is adjacent to the U of Northern Arizona where we will enjoy our first off day tomorrow (a Sunday).  About eight of us had a nice dinner in the historic section of town at a restaurant called Tinderbox.

Sedona (Red Rocks) thru the mist

Snow!

Friday May 15th, Prescott AZ to Cottonwood AZ -44 miles

Today setup in theory to be a relatively modest day with one Mountain climb and short mileage to Cottonwood. It turned out to be a very memorable day for everyone - riders and staff both.  The morning was innocent enough out of Prescott and subsequently climbing up Mingus Mountain to a SAG stop at 7023 feet elevation.  Then the weather quickly turned, at first snow (the first time in 20 years of Crossroads that riders had ridden thru snow) and then to hard cold rain.  The 15 minute descent down the mountain in rain turned out to be the scariest thing I've ever done on a bike.  My hands were frozen with a death grip on both brakes as I rounded corkscrew turns and switchbacks.  Not to mention a rough road in places, traffic, and little if any shoulder.  Very scary and cold.

At the base of the mountain was a small really cool historic town called Jerome.  Riders had prearranged to have lunch at the Haunted Burger.  We  arrived  one by one, soaked and shivering. The kind staff fortunately brought blankets and hot tea.  After everyone had warmed up with a meal we continued the remaining 10-15 miles in the rain to Cottonwood.  Dinner was at Sizzler.

Beginning the ascent up Mingus Mountain

Near the top

At the top of Mingus in the snow, before a terrifying descent 

A Serious Climbing Day

Thursday May 14th, Wickenburg AZ to Prescott AZ- 59 miles

Today's ride was the best one yet.  We welcomed cooler temperatures as we gained elevation.  Beautiful vistas.  We climbed slightly over 6000 feet (aggregate vertical climbs distance as opposed to a net change in altitude), the most I have ever climbed in a day.  Leaving Wickenburg we started a climb that peaked in Yarnell, the town where the 17 Hot Spot firemen who perished were based.  Then an exhilarating descent.  My speed topped off at in excess of 43 mph, the fastest I have ever been on a bike.  A second climb to Prescott followed.

I felt real good today.  My training definitely paid off.  The cooler temps certainly helped.  Happy to be out of the desert!  Nice dinner tonight at a local Italian restaurant.

A makeshift memorial to the firemen based in Yarnell.

Rugged land

A selfie before Prescott at elevation of 6100 feet (shaving has been a casualty of the Tour so far)

Arizona Hey Won't You Go My Way

Wednesday May 13th, Blythe CA to Wickenburg AZ- 116 Miles

Apologies to  Mark Lindsay (former Paul Revere and the Raiders for you rock oldies fans) for borrowing his lyrics.

Today was very long and hard- in terms of mileage the longest leg of the Tour.  In the morning we quickly crossed the Colorado River (which didn't look impressive at this juncture but amazing sustains life for tens of millions of people in the Southwest). All riders sprinkled Manhattan Beach sand  at the state line (and will do so at all other state lines) in order to appease the cycling Gods for favorable winds and other conditions (it didn't work today).  Each rider was presented at orientation with a small bottle of sand to carry with us to Boston.

Our route continued on I-10 east for a ways which included some climbs.  The vegetation did change from practically nothing to some cactus as we elevated. After getting off I-10 and proceeding on the rode towards our end destination of Wickenburg , we  picked up some significant headwinds and I picked up my third flat tire of the Tour.  At around 40 miles of riding it was a bit of a gut check as to whether I could complete every mile  or would need to get "a bump"  in the SAG wagon.  However we did benefit from moderate temperatures for the desert which was the decisive factor in allowing me to stay sufficiently hydrated and finish.  We finished the ride around 5:30 pm, exhausted all.

First State crossing, Arizona

First  desert cactus

Interstate 10

Tuesday May 12th, Indio CA to Blythe CA- 97 miles.

The route today was almost exclusively on Interstate 10, the major highway from LA to Phoenix. Evidently it is legal for adults to cycle on an Interstate highway if there are no other practical alternatives.  And to tell you the truth, once you get used to the tractor trailers buzzing by at 70 miles a hour, it isn't that bad.  The shoulders are wide and all in all it is pretty safe.  The main concern was watching for debris that could puncture a tire (primarily metal from shredded truck tires) .  Speaking of debris the sides of the road are littered with numerous plastic "urine bottles" from the truckers and other motorists.  Yuck.

The ride started with a 12 mile  climb- long but not as steep as yesterdays.  Staying hydrated was my major challenge,  I drank a remarkable amount of Gatorade .   The SAG stops also had V8 and pickle juice shooters.  Tracy, Crossroads founder,  and her team did a remarkable job supporting us today.  To keep our body temperatures in line we poured cool water over our heads and arms several times.  I also had a visor hat and sun sleeves on today (see pic below) which helped.  Fortunately the temperature did not exceed the low 90s.  We were told two years ago that on this ride segment the temp hit 115 ! and almost all the riders didn't complete the ride.  Glad to say I did better with the heat today than yesterday.

On to Arizona tomorrow.

Interstate 10 in  the California desert 

First Taste of Desert

Monday May 11th, Riverside CA to Indio CA , 92 miles.

Today we left Riverside and proceeded East.  Close to halfway into the ride we encountered a significant 6 mile climb considered one of the more difficult on the tour.  Although not the most difficult climb I've ever encountered it was the longest constant climb I've done.  The good thing is the grade was pretty consistent so as a rider you can lock in on one gear (in my case the lowest) and grind away to the top.  Below is a photo of the approach to the climb.

After the climb we headed to and quickly thru Palm Springs -didn't really get to see the nicer parts. Below is a photo of a wind farm outside of Palm Beach.   As the afternoon progressed the temperature shot up to 96 degrees and with a headwind to boot to make it even more challenging.  I had issues staying properly hydrated and learned that I will need to alter my methods if I am to get through the coming desert days.

We ended in Indio at an Holiday Inn Express adjacent to a large casino.  Had dinner at a buffet inside the casino.

Before a six mile ascent

Wind farm outside of Palm Springs

And We're Off

Sunday, May 10th, Pacific Ocean to Riverside CA.  78 miles.

He who deliberates fully before taking a step will spend his entire life on one leg- Chinese proverb

After what has seemed like an eternity of  training, preparing, and worrying the journey finally begins.  This morning we left the hotel in Parade fashion and cycled approximately 5 miles down to Manhattan Beach where we ceremoniously dipped our rear tires into the Ocean and started heading eastward.

As expected the ride was primarily urban sprawl.  Lots of intersections and traffic lights. Traffic was light by normal standards- Sunday morning (Mother's Day).   For much of the ride there were modest bike lanes on the road- in this regard California is way ahead of Maryland.  A couple of random impressions: seeing large concrete aqueducts is something you don't see often in Eastern cities,  Metro LA has a lot of McDonald's.  The last few miles into Riverside were the prettiest part of the ride.  Victoria Ave. has orange groves/trees.  Residences have trees with oranges laying on the ground much like apples trees.

All in all, glad to have the first day behind me- as much a mental challenge today as  physical.  Hoping to perfect my pre-ride and post-ride routines in the next few days which will be very helpful in having more time to relax.

Carrying my bike down to the ocean for "rear wheel dipping"

At Manhattan Beach

 Orange trees near Riverside CA

Orientation Day

Saturday May 9th, 2015, Los Angeles, CA.

Took my bike out today for a test ride down to Manhattan Beach to ensure that it had been assembled without issues- a couple of minor problems easily addressed.  The biggest adjustment is getting used to the safety flag (particularly the flexible hard plastic post ) that they attached to the left seat stays of the bikes. Everyone has been practicing mounting and dismounting their bicycles in a new way as to not trip.

Saw plenty of the SoCal Saturday morning lifestyle on display at the beach- lots of volleyball, surfing, jogging, skateboarding- along with many cyclists.

Orientation meeting this afternoon where I met the other riders and staff.  Surprisingly I think I am the 2nd or 3rd youngest.  Regardless of age  everyone looks amazingly fit.  The Crossroads owner and leader Tracy is very enthusiastic and quite detailed in everything- I feel pretty assured she and her staff have left nothing to chance.

Tomorrow morning we start for Boston!    Hoping for a good night sleep but given my excitement  level I'd be surprised.

Nervous but ready!

West Coast Bound

Friday May 8, 2015, Los Angeles CA

Off to LA.  Flight and getting to motel went relatively smooth.

 Waving goodbye to Kari at BWI this morning.