After all the barren desert, windy valleys, and jagged mountains we had been through, we thought we had seen it all, but it turns out that we were not home-free after the massive Rocky Mountains. For Kansas, we had planned to do 6 consecutive century rides, broken up by 1 rest day. Overall we did about 650 miles in 7 days, quite a feat for a bunch of teenagers. Among these six 100+ mile rides, we experienced our coldest day, our hottest day, and our longest day of the trip. Due to the fact that we were in the saddle almost all day and spent the rest of the day trying to recover for the next, I was not able to find time to blog. So I will give you a short summary of our days in Kansas.
Day 34 (103 miles) Eads, CO to Scott City, KS
On day 34 we rode 103 miles from Eads CO, to Scott City, KS. It was the coldest day so far (the area is normally extremely hot but a storm was passing though). We continued to ride with the college racers we met the day before, and after the ride they put on a bike skills and handling clinic for us! It was very cool to have much experienced riders give us instruction.
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Day 35 (102 miles)
We rode 102 south miles from Scott City to Dodge City. There we stayed at Mandan Scout Lodge. It was a very nice facility with air conditioning and bunk beds; perfect for a rest day.
Day 36 (rest day)
This was our rest day in Dodge City. Although the place we stayed at was a few miles out of town, we drove into downtown Dodge City to check out all the historical western areas of the town. It was definitely an interesting place to check out.
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A mock gunfight in historic Dodge City
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Day 37 (102 miles) Doge City to Hutchinson, KS
Today we rode to BSA Camp Kanza. Although camp was out of session, the staff let us use the pool to cool off and gave us air conditioned cabins. Day 37 was also the first day I rode my actual bike, not my trike, on the trip. I didn't want to push it so I just rode the first 30 miles of the day on two wheels. It was still nice to begin the transition. Another first for the day, at least for me, was the fireflies. Coming from California, I’m not so used to the spectacular little insects, so it was definitely a cool thing to see.
Today we rode to BSA Camp Kanza. Although camp was out of session, the staff let us use the pool to cool off and gave us air conditioned cabins. Day 37 was also the first day I rode my actual bike, not my trike, on the trip. I didn't want to push it so I just rode the first 30 miles of the day on two wheels. It was still nice to begin the transition. Another first for the day, at least for me, was the fireflies. Coming from California, I’m not so used to the spectacular little insects, so it was definitely a cool thing to see.
Kansas scouts greet us in EL Dorado
Day 38 (100 miles) Hutchinson to El Dorado, KS
This day we rode 100 miles from Camp Kanza to a State Park in EL Dorado, KS (60 miles on my bike, 40 on my trike). There we stayed in some comfortable cabins and were able to meet a few boy scouts and cub scouts that came to join us for a bit that evening. They had brought ice cream, so we were extra friendly! This day we were also interviewed by a few reporters at lunch, which is always kind of cool.
This day we rode 100 miles from Camp Kanza to a State Park in EL Dorado, KS (60 miles on my bike, 40 on my trike). There we stayed in some comfortable cabins and were able to meet a few boy scouts and cub scouts that came to join us for a bit that evening. They had brought ice cream, so we were extra friendly! This day we were also interviewed by a few reporters at lunch, which is always kind of cool.
Day 39 (124 miles) El Dorado to Fort Scott, KS
This was our longest and hottest day of the trip so far. We rode 124 miles in 110 degree heat from El Dorado to Fort Scott. I rode my bike the whole way and actually felt pretty good, well, good for someone who just spent 8 hours exercising in the torrid Midwest. Although it was a long day, we were treated very well for the night. The adults all stayed at a very nice bed and breakfast and the rest of us were hosted by a few local scout families. I stayed at one house with 3 others, and we all got our own comfy beds, which was a nice luxury. The father and oldest son of our host family took us on a tour of historic Fort Scott in his classic 1975 Buick Convertible, and at the end we stopped at a local Hawaiian shaved ice shop. Our host was very knowledgeable about the history of Fort Scott, and it was a cool town to check out.
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Driving around Fort Scott KS
Day 40 (68 miles) Fort Scott, KS to Joplin, MO
After six 100 mile days, this 65 mile day from Fort Scott KS to Joplin MO seemed like a breeze. We entered Missouri and were greeted by a huge wind and rain storm. It struck suddenly and passed quickly, but we had to take shelter in a Honda dealership in Joplin for it to pass. It got so windy that the staff there actually felt the need to show us where the tornado shelters were, just in case. Luckily we never actually had to use them. That night we stayed at Camp Childress, another very nice cub scout camp. It was also nice not to arrive after 5:00 for a change.
After six 100 mile days, this 65 mile day from Fort Scott KS to Joplin MO seemed like a breeze. We entered Missouri and were greeted by a huge wind and rain storm. It struck suddenly and passed quickly, but we had to take shelter in a Honda dealership in Joplin for it to pass. It got so windy that the staff there actually felt the need to show us where the tornado shelters were, just in case. Luckily we never actually had to use them. That night we stayed at Camp Childress, another very nice cub scout camp. It was also nice not to arrive after 5:00 for a change.
Joesph handing the planning binder over to George.
The storm we encountered in Joplin
Taking cover from the storm at a car dealership.
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Day 41 (65 miles) Joplin to Marshfield, MO
On day 41 we rode 65 miles from Joplin to Marshfield. We followed the historic Route 66 for most of the day, and it took us through some beautiful Missouri countryside. Along the way we stopped to check out BSA Camp Arrowhead, a very nice boy scout camp that had a very friendly staff. They provided us with some ice cold water and very refreshing popsicles, a nice treat during a ride. During our day we also went through one of the largest towns we had been through in a long time, Springfield MO. Upon riding through Springfield we ran into a local 68 year old cyclist that rode with us for 30 miles. It is very unique to be involved with a sport that you can do with people of almost any age. That's one of things things I love about cycling!
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Route 66!
