Where Have All the People Gone?
- Jon Scott
- May 18
- 5 min read
A couple of housekeeping notes regarding the gambling aspect of this endeavor. I will include screenshots of the wind direction each morning from my weather app. That way you’ll know I’m not gaming the outcome. Second, and more importantly, when Erin posts the map in the comments this evening, you’ll notice several of the pins (5) have been removed. Starting with tonight, we will be eliminating any pins that are outside realistically achievable destinations. That is defined as 80 miles x the number of days remaining, so tonight the radius is 400 miles. This is not a prediction of outcome, just a judgment of what outcomes are no longer feasible. Tonight’s losers are Buffalo, WY, Wichita Falls, TX (hell yeah!), Cloquet, MN, Volga, SD and Rudolph, WI. Better luck next time, accept there isn’t going to be a next time.
Also, if people are questioning how I could get myself stuck on a gravel road in the middle of nowhere yesterday, you clearly don’t know me as well as you thought and also, I had two bad choices. I had ridden 51 miles and it was about 2:30pm. That seemed like a very lame first day, after I promised I could do 75-80 miles a day. I knew from looking at the map that it was going to be a struggle to make it all the way, but I figured it was worth a shot. What I didn’t count on was that the last 55 miles were virtually all on gravel. That should have been doable on paved roads, but the reality was I still had 26 miles to go when I called Fletcher.
On to today’s bingo card updates. Give yourself a point if you guessed I would pack more toothbrushes (3) than spare tubes (2). Give yourself another point if you thought I would get passed by a truck full of ducks. Finally, give yourself a point if you thought I would take a bath, and a bonus point if you thought I’d take two or more.
There is no explanation necessary on the ducks. As for the toothbrushes, I always have one in my shaving kit. I mistakenly tossed my regular toothbrush from home in the kit as well before I left. Finally, I found a travel toothbrush in a little zipper pocket in my front handlebar bag. As for the bath(s), I believe the last time I took one was early on during the ride 3 years ago, trying anything I could think of to soothe the painful ass blisters that had developed. The bath did not help in the slightest. More or less the first thing Kelly does after her long weekend runs is grab her book and a Diet Coke and lounges in the tub for an hour (or longer). After yesterday’s ride, the clerk at the front happened to mention that there was even a large tub in my room. If by large, she meant a member of the Lollipop Guild could fit in it, then she was bang on. Normal sized human beings would not be so fortunate. But I tried anyways, and finally figured if I went cross-cross applesauce with my legs, I could squeeze in there. Tonight’s bathtub was much more spacious, so I decided to give it another go.
I am pleased to report that the ride today was substantially better, although I found myself with about 15 miles of gravel in the final stretch. I estimated my tank was about 70% full after yesterday, so I wasn’t working too hard. I had a planned stop at a little grill I saw on the map, only to find it closed and for rent. The Pepsi machine out front was still plugged in but I had lost my dollar bills to Fletcher in a series of putting contest. Also, it was Pepsi. After sitting for a few minutes, I pressed on and found a town with a Casey’s. This was the first place for me to even think about spending money since I left the hotel this morning. 35 miles. Nobody. (I did have one young lady say “you’re killing it” as
I rode by and a few people waved). After getting a Coke and another Gatorade, I asked a local patron if there were any places to eat. He pointed out that the little cafe I could see from where I was standing was closed on Sunday. He suggested either the bowling alley or the Mexican restaurant. This was not shaping up well, as neither sounded like what I wanted to put in my belly before covering the last 41 miles this afternoon. It turns out it was not a choice at all as the bowling alley is also closed on Sunday. The chips and salsa were good, the iced tea was good, and I haven’t seen the enchiladas again so on balance, it worked out fine.
I have noticed a few things when riding out in this part of the country. First, the mailboxes - the few that there are - are almost always at the top of a hill. This actually gives me something to focus on besides the hill itself and for some reason, that helps on the little climbs. Second, the water towers are like the lighthouses of the Plains. But instead of warning you away from imminent danger, they draw you to them, as they represent civilization and hope. Sometimes, like this morning, that hope is dashed because the grill is closed and the only thing in the town is a grain and feed store. But usually, it ends well. Finally, you can always tell which way the wind is blowing - if it’s actually blowing. I can use all my senses except taste to help me figure out if I’m going the right way. You can see the grass or the trees or maybe an occasional flag blowing. You can feel yourself getting hotter. The headwinds at least cool you off a bit. The tailwinds do just the opposite. Same with hearing. With a tailwind, there is often nothing to hear, while a headwind means you can’t hear something happening 5 feet away from you. Finally, you can smell it. If you’ve got a good tailwind, the smell of the roadkill can linger for several hundred feet after you have passed it.
Today’s final resting spot - Paola, Kansas where the dinner choices were Arby’s, McDonald’s, Sonic, Burger King or Pizza Hut. There might have been something else farther into town, but I wasn’t getting back on the bike, and the pending t-storms meant a long walk was a poor plan. Unfortunately, there was such a complete lack of anything on today’s ride, that I only took two photos. It really was that dull.
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