Booneville Bridge !

Boonville (of Daniel Boone Fame) , on the Katy Trail  Crossing over the Missouri River view the old railroad bridge. 

From Booneville headed east ... very nice, but it has been doing nothing but raining and thunder storming it seems since I left the Colorado border.

Missouri ! The "End of the Line" !

Most riders stopped at the picnic/final stop ... but some continued on the the might Missouri River to offically end the BAK.    As one fellow put it... I need to go throw my Bike in the river.    Leavenworth Kansas is very Historic with some wonderful architecture.   The houses that overlook the Missouri River are "stately" .

Now to find my truck.......    Lots of miles, lots of stories.

Rain

 Just plain raining hard.!    and the usual.... Odometer not working, and the Brooks Saddle soaked.

Leavenworth and still raining

After meeting back up with the BAK group in route to Leavenworth, the skies opened up once again. More Thunderstorms which seem to be the theme of the BAK this year.

With just a few miles to go, the rain was coming down so hard that many riders found shelter at a store making use of not only the store entrance but also the gas pump canopy.  Another example of a large group of riders overwhelming  a resource.  It was nice to see a few of the riders that I had riding with earlier in the week.    Found out that I was not the only one that had split off temporarily.  One guy got sick and recovered for two days before rejoining.

Riding into Leavenworth in the Rain

Moving on...

Weather is better, and making way through Kansas.  Wheat is just starting to turn ... Amber.
Phone able to do some things but not others.  The water did a number on it.   Talked to a guy that suggested putting the phone in a bag of rice.  May try that today.
All is well...  (looking forward to work !) 

Magical Waters....

Magical Waters....
part of the fun of bike travel is looking forward to stopping at the Historical Markers...  to read them and to take a water break.  this stop was the place of Indian Magical Waters.

In need of a break

I spotted a Pepsi Machine down a side road off of the highway in the middle on nowhere.. ...  it was on Elevator Road.   The were 4 people inside playing cards.   They offered me some cookies and and some coffee.   Nice people...  I asked them on a scale of 1 to 10, how crazy did they think that I was.....   they laughed and gave me an 8.

Rain, Storms & Flooding .... now solo touring

For the second night in a row less than 2 hours of sleep due to weather.   

First night of rain it was the high winds and rain,  My tent hung in there... others not so lucky.  "got up" at 4 am to pack up in the rain, everything is wet.  only to stand under cover for 2 hours awaiting the storm to pass.  Rode in the rain with lightening all around.   Not to smart, but feel the timeline.   bags feel much heavier  when wet.  My odometer stopped working in the rain....  did I mention it was raining.   It doesn't feel right riding in conditions that you normally would not ride in.  75 plus miles later.... made it.

Second night of rain looked like it might be a good night and I might get some sleep. Sleeping bag and tent were damp... but managable.   But once again about 2am, lightening filled the sky.... thunder and then the pouring rain and wind.   I looked out of my tent and saw another tent tumbling across the field.    I hung in there.... until about 3am when my tent got flooded.   about an inch of water came from the bottom..  I felt around and found my cell phone "floating"....  this can't be good.    I abandoned ship... grabbed the phone and charging equipment and ran to the locker room..   did I mention it was pouring rain.

Weather broke about 5am...   I packed up my soaking things and loaded my poor bike.   the leather seat soaked for the second day and the chain and gearing system again needing maintenance.... oil .  Went to Breakfast at 5:30 .. excellent beakfast put on by the local people.    At breakfast I heard that a number on people were dropping out.    My concern was feeling the "time preasure" of getting to the next location on schedule. ... and I needed to sleep.   I was self supported, carrying my gear with me (A few people were doing that), and what I needed was sleep.  so I made the decision to brake from the group and take a different route so that I could get off the timetable and find a motel.    Impossible to find a motel when with the group.  

So off I went riding solo again..... felt very nice.   The sun was out just a bit... not raining.   but my bike really feels loaded with the wet gear.  The goal was about 40 miles to a town with a motel.... sleep needed.  Not feeling bad... just sleepy. I do like the company of others at times when riding, I rode with a good number of people but still, it was nice not to be always passing people or being passed. And traveling with all those people made it hard to get a good feel for the local communities.  I road the first two days by myself and now at it again.   refreshing....    
I may link up with the group again toward the end of the tour,  They went south and I went straight east.

I made it !  but I don't think my phone did.....

Did I mention that it has been raining ?

Little red school house

Interesting site

Cottonwood House

Cottonwood house is a home build by a man from England in the late 1800s.   It is open for tours... never renovated.... but just lived in by family members.     Great place... even had it's own Baseball Field...   and a picture of the local team was inside the house.

I have seen it all !

l

Ball of twine... yep you got that right.

Palm trees in Kansas?

Osborne

More rain.... 75 miles... great little town, good food.

But tent flooded out.... 2 hours sleep.

Name says it all

After 2 hours of sleep due to thunderstorm... ( that and tent make for a rough night) it is now raining, have not even started riding.   Not smart riding with lightning.

Not sure of plan at this point

Sag stop

 The Sag Stops are placed about every 15 miles or so.  The "Sag Hags" seem to make a theme to the the stop.   This one had the ladies dressed in bathrobes and Hair Curlers.    The always had cookies and fruit ... and of course water.     One rule at the Sag Stop...  Always wash your hands !

Hoxie

A rain day for sure.
~Stopped into a church, I passed along the way....~    
I ended up staying in the church for about 30 minutes when the hail moved in.   I was able to put the bike under the shelter of a doorway.      This town was an example of a town with one cafe and one convenience store not being able to handle the 800 riders and probably the same number of support personel.   I had a Cliff Bar for lunch. 

Rain

Brick Streets

Kansas is know for the brick streets !
(Downtown Goodland, Kansas)

Community Fund Raising

Local Groups help to supply our needs.....

The sunflower state

Along the route from GOODLAND to colby... a sunflower business.

It was windy today.  I was able to join a group of 5 and we drafted as a group.. about 5 mph faster then not.  We moved along about 17 mph.

Leaving GOODLAND

Here we go .... First day of the BAK   ... note the giant replica of  the Painting "Sunflowers"

1st meeting

The first meeting for BAK.
A good start...

and my lodging for the night.....

Small Town ?

Kansas!

After ride about 60 miles... I reach the Colorado/Kansas Border..    Hot today.    my temp gauge read 102.  Most of the day was riding without seeing anybody....   until I saw the McDonalds Arches sticking up at Burlington CO.... boy was I hungry.

At the Border, there were a lot of BAK bikers....   During the 17 miles into the Goodland Kansas.... no one passed me.  I was feeling pretty good.

Almost there

Day 2

Leaving Cheyenne Wells.
Small town... not much but there is a nice court house.

Day one

Day one... about 75 miles and forecast calls for about 100 degrees.
Well is was hot, but a side wind...semi tail wind made it easier.  I went through a lot of water..3 bottles plus a half gallon.  I ate at the only option at mile 45 .. not much in the way of people in this area.  However, I did see a lot of creatures... snakes, turtles deer, prairie dogs, and antelope.
Found one motel open... clerk ask me how many miles I got in today (since the town of Cheyenne Wells is on the trans continental bike route, he gets lots of bikes) I road him about 75.. he said that is a lot, most people get less then 50.  I took a cold shower and soon will eat, then go to bed... is it okay to go to bed at 8 pm ?
Big day tomorrow

On the road

Unloading bike off the train

Unloading the bike off the train was easy...and the bike came together in about ten minutes.  Would have been faster if so many people wouldn't have stopped to ask questions.
The big surprise was my brother pulled up in his car...drove over to meet me.  Anyway the first fifty miles was done in a car!

Sleeper car - Amtrak

Amtrak

First leg of the journey
Boarded the Amtrak #3 at 10:55.  Had the LHT packed in a box.  Station master asked me to carry it down to the baggage car... no problem... they waved the handling fee.   We took the bike on a golf cart type thing.  I jumped in the baggage car and placed it carefully down.  I then helped unload a bike that was coming to KC.   The. Station master then dropped me off at my sleeping car... time for bed as I hear that long lonely train whistle.  Tomorrow morning La Junta Colorado....