Let's do some more of Route 54
Sunday June 2, 2019 Great Bend, KS to McPherson, KS. 65 miles
Ascent= 854 feet. Descent= 1,198 feet. Cumulative= 1,586 miles
We have been following US-54 since Okahoma, and again today we followed 54 all day. The temperatures have been gradually rising, and we left this morning at 62 degrees with a temp of 76 when we reached McPherson and it eventually reached 86, but temperature was not the meteorological factor we were most worried about. There was a 30-40% chance of a thunderstorm, but that never materialized. Again wind was the issue, and a nearly dead on headwind of 10-20 mph turned a short day into a longer and much more difficult slog. Again, a pace line was the order of the day, and about 8 of us stayed fairly close to each other through the first 30 miles to the only SAG stop. We left the SAG together, but the pace line only lasted about another 5-10 miles, and riders started to drop off to take pictures, eat or drink, or whatever (comfort stops). Overall we made slow, but not awful time, there were no museums or points of interest along the way and there was really no hurry to reach McPherson since our rooms would not be ready, until late afternoon. All the same, I was much more tired after our 65 miles today then I was after our 87 miles yesterday.
The terrain has not changed appreciably, but we have noticed that almost none of the fields have been plowed because they have remained too wet after all the flooding. We did see one seeder in a field on this Sunday. They are more than a month behind schedule at this point and there are towns not far from our route where the downtowns have remained flooded.
On a happier note, there was another Braum's next to our hotel, and I had yet another chocolate malt, this time with a quarter pound cheeseburger and fries. When I was done, my hotel room was ready and after a shower, I took a short nap, and have been able to FaceTime with my wife and all my children and grandchildren since last night. Life is good on the bike tour.
Ascent= 854 feet. Descent= 1,198 feet. Cumulative= 1,586 miles
We have been following US-54 since Okahoma, and again today we followed 54 all day. The temperatures have been gradually rising, and we left this morning at 62 degrees with a temp of 76 when we reached McPherson and it eventually reached 86, but temperature was not the meteorological factor we were most worried about. There was a 30-40% chance of a thunderstorm, but that never materialized. Again wind was the issue, and a nearly dead on headwind of 10-20 mph turned a short day into a longer and much more difficult slog. Again, a pace line was the order of the day, and about 8 of us stayed fairly close to each other through the first 30 miles to the only SAG stop. We left the SAG together, but the pace line only lasted about another 5-10 miles, and riders started to drop off to take pictures, eat or drink, or whatever (comfort stops). Overall we made slow, but not awful time, there were no museums or points of interest along the way and there was really no hurry to reach McPherson since our rooms would not be ready, until late afternoon. All the same, I was much more tired after our 65 miles today then I was after our 87 miles yesterday.
The terrain has not changed appreciably, but we have noticed that almost none of the fields have been plowed because they have remained too wet after all the flooding. We did see one seeder in a field on this Sunday. They are more than a month behind schedule at this point and there are towns not far from our route where the downtowns have remained flooded.
On a happier note, there was another Braum's next to our hotel, and I had yet another chocolate malt, this time with a quarter pound cheeseburger and fries. When I was done, my hotel room was ready and after a shower, I took a short nap, and have been able to FaceTime with my wife and all my children and grandchildren since last night. Life is good on the bike tour.
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