I bench myself (Postscript)

The wind dropped down to sub-gale level and the trucks all but
disappeared today, so everyone else DID make the right decision.
Excellent -- no fatalities; not even any close calls. But I didn't
know that starting out so, as planned, I rode with Michael in the van
to our destination, Eads CO (no more Kansas -- yay!). In Eads I got on
the bike and rode back east 27.5 miles to Sheridan Lake CO (pop 66),
about 15 miles from the KS border. I knew the town was going to be a
magnet for the gang because it was one of only two places on today's
route with food/beverage possibilities, and I figured the timing was
just about right to meet up with someone and ride back to Eads. Right
on both counts.

Even though we're only about 60 miles into the state, CO already looks
different than KS. There's sagebrush instead of wheat fields, and the
road curves and dips occasionally, instead of going straight and level
off into infinity. Still hot -- tho not like it was a week or so ago
-- and dry. As we biked along back to Eads this afternoon I felt like
the moisture was being vacuumed [sp?] out of my body -- 3 bottles of
water and 2 Gatorade-esque drinks were barely enough to get me back to
the start/finish line.

(Sent from my iPhone)