day 5

day 5

what a day.  what a day.

         ness city, ks public park

spent the night in an abanddoned city park shelter in ness city.  worked out great.  temps finally rose a little to where it was perfect in just the sleeping bag.  got up for my usual pee in the middle of night and went back to get my glasses.  the sky was clear for the first time in 3 nights and the stars were magnificent.  i've never seen the dipper that bright.

the morning started out well, sunny, a little cool.  a few miles out of town i noticed this cloud bank syraight ahead and to the north.  the wind had changed from yesterday's southern to out of the north, northeast.  cooler.  the bank moved in and soon i was riding in fog.  that lasted awhile, 30 min or so, then it broke up, but soon clouds descended and blanketed the area.  i had a cool, windy rain again.  after another 30+ minutes, i stopped at a convenient store in scott city, 50 mi, to get hot tea and a muffin.  while there, i plugged my phone in, it wouldn't accept the charger.  same one i've used for about two years, not to mention two nights ago.  tried several times including my tablet chord.  no luck.  shit.  weather, phone, i was not having fun.

 i wasn't supposed to be eating in the store, but i had nowhere to go.  i ate in a corner, they ignored me.  by the time i finished my tea, the rain had stopped.  back on the road and things improved, clouds broke up, sun came out, wind stayed at my side/back, nne.  then the clouds were totally gone, temps up in the 70's.  jacket came off for the first time whole trip, hate came out to give eyes some shade.  i was riding.  made leoti, still plenty of light.  got a quart of chocolate milk, found some shade under a tree and relaxed a bit.  thought of jim o'kane and his ability to take a nap.  back on bike, cruising toward tribune, which would make it a 100 mi day.  but just short of tribune, found a perfect roadside rest area.  great place to spend the night.  so here i am.


and i just took my portable battery out, plugged it in, and the phone likes it.  charging up.  that's a relief.


two days camping, no shower.  tomorrow i may opt for a hotel.  probably ead, co.  need to slow down a touch, colorado state parks don't open till monday.  would like to be able to stay at the one in wahlsenburg, co. at the foot of the climb up the sangre de christo mountains.

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