Peaks and Troughs

Whenever asked what cycle touring is like, I always tell people it’s a rollercoaster; you can go from a great day to a terrible day in the blink of an eye (and vice versa).  The trick is to ride with the lows, knowing that a high may just be round the corner.

Well today I rode the Nemesis Inferno.

The day started well as the winds had shifted a little.  Still pointing at me enough to slow me down, but no longer blasting in my face all day.  I set off in good spirits.

My first stop for the day was a little town called Buhler, I stopped in the grocery store and had a pleasant chat with a few locals.  I was still riding high.

Next up, Hesston.  In Hesston I collected my maps for the final leg of my journey.  A quick look at the maps showed there may be few campgrounds ahead, so things may get a little expensive here on in, my mood darkened a little.

From Heston I found a nice short-cut to Newton.  After Newton was a stretch of 38 miles with no services, so I stocked up on supplies.  Before leaving Newton I asked a local guy about the weather as the sky seemed to be darkening, big mistake.  He told me to expect rain, maybe even storms.  My mood could have got worse, but I set off from Newton and discovered the winds had shifted and I had a tail wind, wohoo!

Taking full advantage of the tailwind I stormed to Cassoday, my intended destination for the night.  I arrived at 3:30; very early to finish for the day, especially as there was no restaurants or shops in Cassoday.  Full of good spirits, I decided to take on another chunk of cycling.  (Cassoday is Prairie Chicken Capital of the World!!!)

My next leg to Rosalia broke me.  It was 20mph into a strong headwind, having already spent 7hrs on the bike.  I arrived in Rosalia, with storm cloud brewing over my head to discover there was no campsite or city park.  I was depressed.

Then I was told that I could stay in the local church for free, where I could make myself at home and use the kitchen if required.  I decided to celebrate I would eat at the local café (that only sold pizzas!) and to top my night off a lady I had been talking to earlier in the night paid for my meal without me even knowing!  I now love Rosalia and it has been one of the nicest nights of my trip!

Home for the night!

So there you have it, a day of the peaks and troughs of cycle touring across the USA.  Roll on tomorrow’s adventure!