Shaun Rides His Bike

Trans Am, Day 48: Nickerson, KS to Larned, KS

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Shaun

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I left before dawn, since that has been such an effective strategy for avoiding the hot afternoons.

But even if I hadn’t, I knew I had to leave without saying goodbye to my camel friends. There was a legitimate risk that I’d want to stay another day if I saw them lumbering over to see me. So I was careful not to look in their direction as I left in the dark.

Today I passed through Quivira National Wildlife Refuge (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quivira_National_Wildlife_Refuge). It was beautiful, but I didn’t see a lot of wildlife. Mostly little toads and a few deer. 😁

I have started seeing a LOT of grain trucks, but so far most are going in the other direction. I imagine that’s going to change. Because they have square trailers, they generate a lot of turbulence, which is a bit of a challenge, especially while dealing with the omnipresent side winds. Because I am not in a hurry, sometimes I just pull off the road when I see one coming and wave the driver past. So much less stressful!

Today I met Price Burlington, a west-east rider, who is raising money for the High Fives Foundation in honor of his son Carson, who died in an automobile accident. This charity supports the prevention and recovery of life-changing injuries in outdoor sports — something that many cyclists understand all too well. https://highfivesfoundation.org/teamcarson/

I am a spider buff, but I have never lived anywhere that has Brown Recluse spiders, so I was pretty excited to find TWO in my bedroom last night. Sadly, they were both dead. I didn't want to play with them, but I would have liked a picture!
I am a spider buff, but I have never lived anywhere that has Brown Recluse spiders, so I was pretty excited to find TWO in my bedroom last night. Sadly, they were both dead. I didn’t want to play with them, but I would have liked a picture!
Price Burlington, heading east. https://highfivesfoundation.org/teamcarson/
Price Burlington, heading east. https://highfivesfoundation.org/teamcarson/
I rode through clouds of gnats before the sun came up. Here's just one, embedded in my sunscreen and perspiration. I swallowed at least three. I don't usually bother trying to spit them out anymore. Sometimes I don't even take a drink. I just swallow them. Yum!
I rode through clouds of gnats before the sun came up. Here’s just one, embedded in my sunscreen and perspiration. I swallowed at least three. I don’t usually bother trying to spit them out anymore. Sometimes I don’t even take a drink. I just swallow them. Yum!
Joretta (https://www.instagram.com/jorettaburlington/) and Bailey (https://instagram.com/baileyburadventures), riding support for Price. Bailey was SO CUTE! When he saw me walking towards him, he barked quietly, but deeply (like "moof!"), because he was so happy to get petted! What a sweet dog!
Joretta (https://www.instagram.com/jorettaburlington/) and Bailey (https://instagram.com/baileyburadventures), riding support for Price. Bailey was SO CUTE! When he saw me walking towards him, he barked quietly, but deeply (like “moof!”), because he was so happy to get petted! What a sweet dog!
These clouds started forming straight ahead of me, the temperature started dropping, and the wind picked up and turned into a stiff headwind (it had been coming from the SSW but was now blowing almost perfectly from the W). I started to worry about some kind of freakish prairie weather occurrence, but 30 minutes later, the clouds were gone. Whew!
These clouds started forming straight ahead of me, the temperature started dropping, and the wind picked up and turned into a stiff headwind (it had been coming from the SSW but was now blowing almost perfectly from the W). I started to worry about some kind of freakish prairie weather occurrence, but 30 minutes later, the clouds were gone. Whew!
An interesting farm... thing.
An interesting farm… thing.
The large grain silos in Larned, Kansas. My bike is in the foreground.
The large grain silos in Larned, Kansas. My bike is in the foreground.

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