On the route across the flats of Middle America we leave on this day from Liberal Kansas, home of the Mid American Aircraft Museum and head for the high ground in the Mountains of New Mexico. So far we have done well and we are still alive, which potentially is a good sign, and we have cleared the Appalacian Mountains so the lower Rockies ought to be doable or one would hope. Yet all the 200-mile per day flats have taken their toll indeed.
Luckily now we are down to about 5% body fat and probably look more like stick figure than any resemblance of the well-muscled Lance Armstrong. We have not quite averaged the speed we wanted on many of the treks and yet we are still going. Sometimes we paid for it having to drive well into the night only to find ourselves with a few hours to sleep to start again. Was it General Patton who said you can sleep when you die? Well, I guess he was right, but God let us finish this journey first.
We head out from Liberal Kansas after sunrise, there is little traffic and occasionally a truck blows by providing at least a little wind as there is none today. Well that is good as the wind usually would be blowing against us here. The road out of Liberal Kansas sucks as it is completely bumpy with little ribs every few feet. So much for the rim tune up in Springfield MO.
For the most part the quick ride out of Kansas is uneventful and Highway 54 is not so bad, it has been good to us, ever since the 400 left us for Dodge City; that city stinks, no
wonder everyone says; “Get out of Dodge” too much manure for me, there must be a million head of cattle there, this is a much better way to go.
Well about 35 miles we hit the 412 to head East, but first a little Northeastward bend in the road for a detour, then it is a straight shot. Oklahoma State Trooper slows down to say Hi, wow people are nice out here in the middle of nowhere, they must be board as all get out? He offers us water and it is too bad we have been riding with full bottles since Liberal it would have been nice to save the weight and increase our average speed? Oh well, better safe than sorry I guess.
Forty miles later we are on Hwy 56 where we turn left and diagonal to New Mexico; boy does this Oklahoma Pan Handle last forever or what? 10 more miles to Boise City, OK and then we are only 20 more miles to the Border of New Mexico. Finally we hit Clayton, NM and 70 miles of no services to Springer, NM smack dab on I-25 running the length of NM. That sign sure says it all; No Services; as in no second chances, do or die and so we proceed where we will rest for the night in Springer, NM on our journey across the United States on bicycles. This sure is a long-way.
Lance Winslow - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/
Written By: Lance Winslow
