Home Sweet Home

Yes, you read the post title correctly.  I am home in Colorado.

I decided to end the bike ride.  For a variety of reasons, the joy of riding was gone and it was becoming a chore to ride instead of a vacation.  The heat and the forecast of more heat was the final straw.  I have no regrets and am not disappointed, at all.  Thanks to all of you who checked in on my progress through the blog and your well-wishes.  Now that the bike ride is over I have the freedom to do whatever I want with the rest of the summer.  I think I will start by mowing the lawn!

Ken's House to Toronto, KS

Distance - 82.94 miles

Time - 5:01:05

Elevation Gain - 1462 ft

Max Speed - 31.6 mph

Average Speed - 16.5 mph

Trip Total - 2326 miles

Spent the Fourth of July weekend at Bekkey's Dad's house.  4 1/2 inches of rain one night. The ground is very soggy. Also said "goodbye" to Danny at the Wichita airport.

Got an early start this morning trying to beat the heat.

 

Roads were generally quiet and flat. Speeds were high as the wind was from the southwest and I was riding mostly east, with one section of about 17 miles riding south. There was an "excessive heat" warning for the area and even though I was making good time it was difficult on the body.

 

When the heat index reached 111° it was best to quit riding and get out of the sun.

Scott City, KS to Ness City, KS

Distance - 57.01 miles

Time - 3:59:48

Elevation Gain - 212 ft

Max Speed - 18.9 mph

Average Speed - 14.2 mph

Trip Total - 2243 miles

It was raining this morning at 5:00 AM so we slept another hour and a half in hopes that it would stop. It did, so we left around 7:30 AM in the sogginess.

 

Only made it 57 miles. 57 of the hardest miles  I have done so far. I'm having terrible luck with wind. I can't take advantage of the flat terrain, to gain miles and speed, because the wind is brutal. Legs and morale were both gone by Ness City so grabbed a chocolate peanut butter milkshake and called it a day.

 

Toured Fort Larned this afternoon to pass the time.