I am almost done with hills for a while. After almost 14,000 feet in 186 miles over the last three days, I have around 2,000 to go before I reach Kansas, 65 miles away. If I don’t encounter fierce headwinds, I think it will seem almost effortless! And Kansas itself looks flat and straight!
Just after I started today, I met one of the last TransAm racers, Rolf (https://trackleaders.com/transam19i.php?name=Rolf_Riley), who was fighting with his Garmin by the side of the road. We chatted for a while, and he told me this story:
While crossing Kansas, Rolf was 60 miles down a road when he came across a flooded depression. He talked to some locals and decided that he couldn’t turn back, so he emptied his water bottles, took off his shoes and waded across the flood to the hill on the other side. The water was as much as three or four feet deep, and there was a gentle current. When he walked up to the top of the hill, he saw that it was flooded on the other side. The water was still rising but now he felt committed to going forward, so once again hoisting his bicycle over his head, he carefully waded across.
After hearing his story, my experience of riding through a few inches of water in Illinois seemed too trivial to mention. Rolf is a badass. Maybe crazy too, but in a good way!
The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. I narrowly missed another thunderstorm that finally overtook me AFTER I had stopped for the night – with indoor shelter!
I am staying in Ash Grove, Missouri, which has a house in the city park that they open up to bike tourists. I met Jennifer at Ash Grove City Hall, and she gave me the key to the house. While we were chatting, her mom and daughter delivered her lunch. I have a shower, kitchen, air conditioning and electricity! Luxury!
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