Jul/090
Day 28 – Lazy day (66.8 miles)
Intended to get up really early today, but ended up looking out the window at 5am, seeing a monster of a thunderstorm and going back to sleep. Either way we had Callum on alarm clock duty so we thought it was a pretty safe bet that we’d get a lie in. We almost sacked off the entire day to stay in the lodge again for another night, but it started to clear up and we hit the road.
It was a good thing we didn’t leave too early because we got a knock on the door around 9am from the wife of the guy who runs the ranch, asking for some help. Me and Dowds ran outside and found Bill (the owner) supporting a gun dog which had one of its hind legs stuck in the top of a chain-link fence. Apparently it didn’t like thunder so it tried to jump over. We pulled up on the fence to keep some weight off the dog’s leg until Bill’s wife found the bolt-cutters. I snipped it and we managed to free it. Another strange experience but quite a nice feeling to have helped out.
It turns out that it was pretty good weather for the ride we had. Overcast with just enough rain to cool us down. We had hills for the first 10 miles or so and then it flattened out and Dowds became an absolute monster; leading us at around 20mph for about 15 miles to our breakfast/lunch stop at Golden City. Legend.
Ate burgers and some pie at the famous Cooky’s Cafe in Golden City (very nice) before heading off for the second stretch to Pittsburg. Me and Dowds set off slightly later because we wanted some more pie. I think we’re really getting into the American eating habits. Felt it a bit, but took turns on the front into a slight headwind to catch up to Blake and Cal at some roadworks. Some Eastbounders had told us to just walk the bikes over this bit instead of taking the diversion, but they had encountered it when it was dry. We walked over a few hundred yards of wet clay and spent about an hour cleaning our bikes so they would work again. Not the most fun experience but it was pretty funny hearing Blake losing his composure and effing and blinding across a field of clay and gravel. We met an eastbounder just after the roadworks and advised against walking over it.
Only me and Blake have the maps, so only we know the exact distance to the Kansas border, but that didn’t stop Callum and Dowds racing about 8 miles to the border. We knew this so just sat back and watched them destroy themselves.
Reached Pittsburg and did the standard check for prices at all the motels. We ended up staying in a room booked for two people, and radioed Cal and Dowds when the coast was clear to follow us in.
Nipped down the road for a Chinese buffet and met up with a dad and his two kids cycling across. Did the standard exchange of good places/places to avoid and told them about the nightmare of the 80 motel in Hindman, Kentucky (we’ll fill in the missing posts when we can). They told us probably the most bizarre story we’ve heard yet: just before they set off, a random lady showed up to their door with the ashes of her deceased daughter – she had always wanted to do the Transam, but died before having the chance. The end result is that these three guys are travelling with an urn containing the bodily remains of a stranger – told you it was a bizarre story!
Check out their website at www.krem.com (click the link at the top which says “follow the Wild Hare Adventure”).
Walmart stop to pick up some new flip-flops to replace the ones Callum lost while crossing the construction work, and off to bed for an early start tomorrow.