Day 39 - Talking With Policeman (July 10th, 2024)
City To City: Great Bend - Newton
Miles: 92
Miles Total: 2,579
Flats: 9
We got up around 6 a.m., the first of the six (Mark, Matt, Neil, and us) to do so. We ate breakfast and packed up fairly quickly since it would be super hot. After saying glum goodbyes, we mounted our bikes and set out.
We could take two routes: one ninety miles with more traffic and lane shoulders could get iffy but more towns along the way, or we could go over one hundred with less traffic and fewer services along the way.
The morning was pleasant, and unlike most of Kanas, there were several good-sized small towns with good services. The morning passed quickly, and sixty of the ninety miles were over before we knew it.
We ate lunch on the sidewalk of a gas station and filled our water bottles with ice-cold water for free.
With thirty more miles left, we pushed through in the ninety-two degrees. Once we got to the city park, we went to the pool and took showers. The showers only last for about 7 seconds before pushing the ON button. So, the entire time we were showering, we averaged 35 pushes for a four-minute shower. The shower was cold and refreshing, but my dad forced himself to get under the cold water.
While Henry and I were sitting at a table videoing and blogging, and my dad was at another table stretching, a policeman patrolling around the park stopped and got out of his car. Henry's first thought was, "Oh no! Did we do something we weren't supposed to?!" But it turns out that the policeman, Stan, just wanted to know what we were doing and said he was a bicyclist himself but not super serious.
We weren't sure if we were going to see Mark and Matt, and they weren't going to take the shortcut. They made it to Newton and had a long, hot ride. They ran out of water and got water at a splash pad before continuing.
While we passed the evening talking, my dad mentioned that we were going to stop at a church about two days away. The church had a fully stocked pantry to make dinners, snacks, and simple appetizers. In the fridge and freezer, they had sports drinks and ice cream! Once Mark heard about it, he bounced up and down on the bench and excitedly exclaimed, "Let's go there! Let's make it happen!"
It would be super hot, so we didn't unpack our sleeping bags and just slept on top of them. Henry said he was super hot, and when I felt Henry's back, it was cold and clammy with a lot of sweat. Later, around three in the morning, I got chilled and had to get out of the tent, grab it, and unroll it.
Comments
Post a Comment