Day 25 Night is setting in here in Pratt, KS and the wind has not let up. It is whipping my tent back and forth. Reminds me of being in the bush in Africa. Good for sleeping.
The ride out of Dodge City was fine. I stopped to take a few photos at Ft. Dodge then proceeded to ride past another stockyard. From that point I didn't get to another town (Ford) for quite some time. One reason was the distance and another was the turn into the wind I took before Ford. I was only able to push 6-8mph. I stopped in Ford to fill my Camelbak with 70 ounces of Gatorade.
After Ford I continued to press into the wind. Four horses standing by the fence was a good enough excuse to stop and take a picture. This went on for almost two hours. At that point I decided to thank the Lord for the wind. I said, "it may be slowing me down but I know someone else is benefiting from it". Shortly after I thanked him the road had a big sweeping bend in it that took the wind out of my face and put it off my shoulder. This allowed me to raise my speed to 12-16mph. This stayed true all the to Pratt.
Thirty one miles before Pratt I stopped at the intersection of 54 and 183. I was hoping to cross paths with Scott, Marvin and Michael. I sat down in a nice patch of grass and answered e-mail for awhile. I didn't know where they were because we hadn't been able to communicate. I waited for 45-50 minutes then decided to go into Greensburg, KS because it was getting hot.
Greensburg, KS was sobering. Just over a year ago a tornado ripped through Greensburg and devastated the town. Much of that is still evident today. If you think you're having a bad day when the car won't start or you have appliance trouble, come to Greensburg or go to the Gulf Coast or stop in Windsor, CO.... Your day won't seem so bad after all. I was happy to see people so determined to press on and let everyone know, "we will rebuild!"
I left Greensburg after stopping at the one store that was open. It was a combination Convenience/Grocery store.
The ride into Pratt was good. I found the Campground right away and got checked in. I also took some time in the office to soak in the AC and answer some e-mail. Toni from Texas came in and asked about my trip. She is a Christian so she was excited for my journey and excited to share with me her God journey. We talked for a bit then she left and I made my way to my camp site. Great grassy spot with a picnic table. There was a pool close to my spot so I checked it out. It felt great!
After a few minutes in the pool I decided to dry off then check out Rick's restaurant next to the Campground. It was great and the people were super nice. Bill the cook began to ask me about my ride. I told him all about it. He then came and told me about his upcoming journey. Beginning mid June he is going to begin a walk that will take him from Colorado to Alaska. Boy did I have questions for him. He answered all my questions. He had this all thought out. Before leaving Rick's I met Joe and Jane from Mesa, AZ. They wanted to know about my journey. I shared with them then they shared some their family biking adventures, it was cool.
I came back to camp and grabbed my shower stuff. After cleaning up I went back to Rick's for dessert and to charge up my phone. I stayed till they closed at 8:30pm. I then set up my tent and put everything in its place.
The wind is still whipping and I am ready to sleep. Tomorrow, Lord willing, I will ride to Wichita and spend the night with David Welsh and family. David is the Sr. Minister at Central Christian Church, running 6,000 folks. Whew. He also is the one who was Chairman of the U.F. Christian Campus House Board and called me when I interviewed in 1999. It will be great to see him and spend time with them.
As always, prayers appreciated!
bob g
STATS Mileage today 77, Pace 12, Riding Time 4:30
Total GTD cumulative miles: 1,575
