Day 26: Eads to Leoti, KS

Ride Stats:

Distance - 80 mi

Avg Speed - 13.4 mph

Climbed - 500 ft

Temps - 55 to 78 F

After yesterday's adverse winds, I was motivated to get an early start; and at least shorten the afternoon portion of today's ride. The day started out with mild winds directly in my face, but I could average about 11 mph; so I wasn't discouraged. After about an hour of this, the wind died down, and I thought, "this is probably what happens just before a wind shift." I was right, and it shifted to a tailwind; increasing as the day went on. There were long flat stretches of smooth road that I was cranking along at 17 mph. It was fun.

I dined last night in the same restaurant as a crew of Oversized Load escort drivers, which I knew from the signs on their pickup trucks. I made a point of introducing myself as a bicyclist, and thanked them for watching out for my safety; because Oversized Load vehicles on already narrow roads and shoulders are my worst nightmare. They were reassuring in their comments, and gave some examples of how they respond when they see a bicyclist. I was just trying to plant a seed, in case it wasn't already there. Well lo and behold, if this morning an Oversized Load truck hauling a wind generator blade doesn't come up behind me with the same escort crew from the restaurant last night. The lead escort truck went way ahead into the curve to make sure there were no approaching vehicles, radioed to the big truck to use the opposite lane; and it gave me an extra-wide berth. Yes sir, that's what I'm talkin' about!

Here's a good example of a Prairie Horizon.

I saw just a few oil and gas wells today. This one was burning the gas off the top of that pipe, which could be seen from many miles away.

Talk about leaving your signs up too long after the election. This one looked about 30 years old.

This sign was pointing to a historical site about 20 miles down a dirt road. I have an interest in it, but it's too far out of the way for biking. If you've seen the movie,"Little Big Man," starring Dustin Hoffman; there's a tragic scene toward the end of the movie that's loosely based on the story of this massacre.

Every city along this highway has these signs, which must mean that it's too dangerous for even the snowplow drivers to follow the snowed-in roads in the dark.

This is a nicely refurbished vintage Ford Truck parked outside a Sheridan Lake restaurant I had brunch in. Met some friendly people there who gave me the lowdown on this area.

Colorado was a really big state. I'm hoping to get thru Kansas faster. Wind will have alot to do with that.

Speaking of wind, there are lots of these windmills around, but this is the first one I could get really close to.

It was really hooked up to a pump, and was pumping the water into a cistern for livestock.

I've never seen this before. This family decorates their fenceposts with their worn out boots.

This is a field of Milo, which is grown for animal feed.

This road striping machine came from the opposite direction while I was eating a snack on the side of the road. The driver yelled to me that when it turned around and came back I best stay out of it's way. It was moving at about 5 mph. He must think I bike or eat really slow.

I met the couple who have owned this Motel for 31 years. They encourage bicyclists to stay here by offering a discount rate, and offer all their guests a complimentary hot cooked-to-order breakfast starting at 6 am. On Wednesday nights, there's also a complimentary dinner, which was Beef Brisket tonight. It was very good, and The Hi-Plains Motel in Leoti now displaces my previous best value of the trip, in Rocky Ford.