OUR THOUGHTS
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Highlights:
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Today was again difficult but not as bad as yesterday. The wind
was out of the South at 15-25 MPH. We did pretty well when
we were going East but it was a very slow and difficult time when
we turned right and had to ride South which happened four times
for about 15 miles.
We rode fairly hard ... but after the past couple of days we're
having a hard time getting much power to the pedals.
We continue to see what "Howling Winds" are all about here in Kansas.
We crossed the half way point today ... a major breakthrough.
Ken and I chose to take it easy today. We were real tired from
the prior back to back hard days and needed to "recover on the
bike", if that's possible.
We pulled into a small town called Belles Plains for a fruit bar
at the local market. The folks were really nice and very interested
in our trip including our route into Winfield. It was mighty hot and
humid out so the fruit bar tasted real good.
It was 95 degrees when we rolled into Winfield at the end of the
day. The Dairy Queen was a welcome sight for sure!!
Chuck and Ken couldn't get into their Hotel room ... the lock
mechanism was broken. About an hour later, the lady at the
Front Desk was finally able to fix the lock ... adding to
the excitement of another long day. You just never know what's
going to happen on PAC Tour!!
At 9:30 P.M., the skies were covered with extremely dark clouds.
The Weather Channel was reporting severe thunderstorms just North
of us in Wichita. It was so incredible: lightning bolts firing
off all around ... a full 360 degrees. Huge black bellowing
clouds lit up by firing bolts of lightning!! Of course, the
wind was howling at gale force ... 60+ MPH according to the
Weather Channel. It was hard to stay upright
as I walked out in the field next to the Hotel.
Hail was as large as nickels. As I went to sleep, I was
hoping for the best for the weather in the morning.
The forecast for tomorrow is for strong winds from the North ...
couple that with a 150 mile day and it will be a true test for us.
The day after tomorrow has 140 miles but includes 6,300 Feet of
Climbing. There will certainly be some howling wind added to
this day.
The weather forecast shows us just ahead of a cold
arctic storm which could challenge us even further. We have
concluded that this PAC Tour is becoming a very big challenge
for sure and that we're going to have to dig very deep indeed.
Chuck is falling asleep sitting up even as he writes this so we are going to
bed now.
Chuck
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Memorable Scenery:
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Now we're seeing a lot more trees
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Mechanical Problems:
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Chuck woke up to a Front flat tire this morning so he quickly swapped out the tire and
tube ... just to be safe.
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Biomechanical (Engine)
Problems:
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We were mighty tired today on the bike ... these winds are taking
a big toll on us
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What Worked:
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Dairy Queen Hot Fudge Banana Boat
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What Didn't Work:
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Heat and headwinds ... the headwinds were brutal when we turned South
directly into them.
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Quote of the Day:
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"All we are is dust in the wind"
See below
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Chuck's Song of the Day:
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"I close my eyes, only for a moment and the moment's gone
All my dreams, pass before my eyes a curiosity
Dust in the wind
All they are is dust in the wind
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do, crumbles to the ground though we refuse to see
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
Dust in wind
Everything is dust in the wind"
Kansas, 1977
"Dust In The Wind" on "Point of Know Return"
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