- Day 1 -1 Week
- Day 1 -12 Hours
- Day 1
- Day 2
- Day 3
- Day 4
- Day 5
- Day 6
- Day 7
- Day 8
- Day 9
- Day 10
- Day 11
- Day 12
- Day 13
- Day 14
- Day 15
- Day 16
- Day 17
- Day 18
- Day 19
- Day 20
- Day 21
- Day 22
- Day 23
- Day 24
- Day 25
- Day 26
- Day 27
- Day 28
- Day 29
- Day 30
- Day 31
- Day 32
- Day 33
- Day 34
- Day 35
- Day 36
- Day 37
- Day 38
- Day 39
- Day 40
- Day 41
- Day 42
- Day 43
- Day 44
- Day 45
- Day 46
- Day 47
- Day 48
- Day 49
- Day 50
- Day 51
- Day 52
- Day 53
- Day 54
- Day 55
- The End
- Retrospective
We got back to the room early, with the time change and the city locations. My glasses and now cell phone case are drying their freshly repaired glue fixes. I had already scheduled the post for yesterday’s ride and figured out a few more things in WordPress. I tried my hand at ‘The Oregon Trail’. It was really interesting, comparing my memories of elementary school to playing today. Especially, I got to Oregon! I don’t think I ever made it in school. I hope this is a good sign of things to come.
This morning we woke up and headed to the attached restaurant for the included breakfast. Jerry supplemented with more pancakes, while I got an extra egg instead of meat. I was happy that A) they didn’t give me meat even though I asked for none. B) they were happy to give me an extra egg instead of meat. I did mess up, in hindsight, that I asked for an egg instead of saying I’d take eggs and see what I got. Last nights dinner was good, but I felt the salt and that held me back from eating as much as I might have. This morning, I woke up hungry.
After breakfast, back to the room and soon enough we were ready to hit the road.
A quick stop at the ATM on the corner. Right before we left the ATM a man approached. He asked where we came from and where we’re heading. We told him. He said “Wow! Just so you guys know, around here, as you head north you’ll be heading right into the wind.” It was nice that he wanted to help, but at this point I don’t know that we needed this guy to tell us we are heading into the wind.
As we pulled out I noticed a road bike stuck at the light. I wondered just how long till he caught up to us with all of our gear. We headed through town, which quickly fell away to rolling hills out of town. At the top of the first hill the weather gave signs of rain, so we pulled over to get geared up. Luckily my socks were still wet from the last nights wash, so I wasn’t worried of any rain. As Jerry donned his booties I checked the road behind to see the road bike was just now catching up. As he passed he gave a look as if to say, ‘well I’m glad I’m not going your way.’ I questioned if this was because of the clouds ahead, the wind or was there yet something else I didn’t know about.
When we continued I saw what I thought was a mountain range a few miles up the road… However I soon realized that it was a cloud system… If that’s the right word. A seeming wall of dark and looming clouds looking impassable, at least with out getting soaked. But it doesn’t seem like a good a idea to go back to the hotel, recheck in and hope tomorrow will be better.
The wind did not feel as strong, but was some how louder. Jerry and I agreed, when it was we could speak, which, with this loud roar was not often. I was very happy that it wasn’t so powerful to make us work super hard, but it was loud and annoying, most of the day.
At one point the shoulder fell away and there was firmly packed stones only. It wasn’t the worst ever in that they were firmly packed, but there was plenty of loose stones as well. It slowed us down a bunch, but worse it was very bumpy. I tried to convince myself it was like shiatsu massage but thats a hard sell, as the saddle rattles your under carriage. We rode mostly on the shoulder while occasionally, when traffic allowed in the road. It was annoying to choose from the dangers of traffic and the dangers or loose gravel (sliding and flats), as well as the extra work needed to peddle trough the added resistance.
The digging and associated ripped up earth of the landscape smoothed out to large fields of low vegetation. Oil rigs still dotted the prairie but, more questions of how all this stuff out here works… Where does this oil go? We saw no obvious pipes or vats. This pumps swing up and down for miles and miles but what are they pulling up? Where is it going?
More of these large concrete buildings with a tube sticking out of the side for a truck to be filled. What are these buildings? Is this our food? Large vats of god knows what being dumped into trucks to be driven how far to be processed into something we eat? This all looks so much more industrial, but is this how concrete is made? I think it is telling of us as a society, if I may be so bold to say I represent the average person… I really do not know how bread comes from “America’s Bread Basket”. Yes we are currently in Canada, but either way grain is grown in large fields. And then… ?
After a seaming eternity the shoulder finally became a solid again. It is a short day, not by any want for an early day but the choice of this morning was 60 miles or 140 miles. This isn’t much of a choice, but I can’t make there be a hotel where there isn’t one. Shorter day it is. Hopefully the wind blew itself out today and tomorrows longer day will have less wind and less gravel shoulders. We picked the hotel at the far end of town, and I’m sure the hotel on the near side of town tomorrow. The road provides and we adapt.
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One thought on “Day 30”
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I love your comments about you and the train engineer as little boys when he blew the whistle! All of us have that inner child in us no matter what age we are…