Before we left . . .
Deb writes:
We have been pretty miserable on our bikes.
I used to live in Western Kansas and I don't ever remember
sustained winds as high as these for this many days in a row.
It makes riding your bike difficult and oftentimes just downright dangerous.
Winds today were between 25 & 35 mph.
Cathy's tent was destroyed as the outfitting crew was trying to get it put up.
After a few more tents were lost, the ride organizers decided
that it wasn't safe to tent camp tonight.
We have been moved to an elementary school set up in the gym on aire mattresses.
Wouldn't you know that the guy next to me snores like an idiot.
I'm not talking about Lee.
Now if I'm lucky, I'll have snoring in stereo.
The Heartland of the USA . . .
We rode 45 miles.
The first 18 miles were directly into 25-35 mph headwinds.
We averaged just over seven mph for that first leg.
As soon as we made our turn there was a slight hill to make it up
and we were able to go up that hill at 23 mph without much effort.
The wind can be either your friend or your foe.
We are having a good time in spite of all the bad weather.
We are hoping for fair skies and winds at our back tomorrow.
Remember, light Aire Zen is what we need most.
We have seen the amazing donations come in today and we are so grateful.
Please support us with your dollars.
Your dollar$ pay for much-needed treatment
for the rescues all over the country.
We decided that someone placed these here, knowing that we would be near death . . .
This was at the turn after we rode 18 miles into a headwind.
Cathy writes:
The Kansas winds are like nothing I have encountered
while the the sun is shining.
I have been in tropical depressions, tropical storms,
and hurricanes with heavier winds. But at those times,
the skies are dark, the rain is pouring and you are definitely NOT riding a bicycle.
In order to understand what we faced on Saturday morning,
I must back up to Friday night. We are sleeping in tents.
Debbie & Lee have a big one, one in which you can stand.
Since the tent was only for me, I got the small one.
You enter on your hands and knees.
At the darkness fell on Friday night, the winds got faster and louder.
It would blow through our tents, making them shiver and sway.
The sides would flap like sails. Between blasts, it would be calm,
and then you would hear the wind howl a second or two before you were hit by it.
[SEE (AND HEAR) WHAT CATHY'S WRITING ABOUT HERE
[Thanks to Cathy Biersack for the movie & Neal Skrenes for the format conversion.]
The locals assured me that the wind is always worse in the late afternoon
and evening and that it would be better by the morning.
In fact, it was worse. We got on our bikes early to tackle the 53 miles.
The wind . . . . What looks like haze is actually dust.
I can't even describe what it as like.
Sometime it was near brownout. It was painful to ride through it.
We immediately encountered gusts
(later we were told that they were 35-40 mph)
and the sustained winds were 20+ mph.
It took all my strength to keep the bike upright;
my teeth were clenched in concentration.
I was sure I would be pushed by the crosswinds into the ditch.
There was no paved shoulder. I felt that a ragdoll being tossed to the side.
What made it particularly scary was there was no stopping the wind.
On top of that, the ground was flat as far as you could see on either side of the road.
So the wind just barreled through like a train with a schedule to keep.
I only now appreciate what Debbie meant when she said,
"Kansas winds are like nothing you have ever experienced".
As far as today, Sunday, we encountered very similar winds.
But this morning, it did not start as badly and I gained confidence
I wish I could have taken a photo to show you what it took
to hold the bikes up against a strong headwind/crosswind.
Debbie & Lee's bikes were leaning 20 degrees into the wind.
Yes, it was still scary at times, but we persevered.
Thankfully I had Debbie & Lee by my side.
Deb, Lee & Cathy write:
Lee, Cathy & I thank all of you so much for the support you are showing to us.
This is one of the toughest rides that I have ever done;
I have done this exact ride across Kansas before,
although the route was a bit different.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
The weather so far has been extreme.
We are hoping for gentle AIRE at our backs tomorrow
for our longest day so far. I think we have 65 miles to do from Hoxie to Logan.
Keep those dollars coming. They help us to pedal stronger.
THE ROUTE IS HERE
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