Kansas continues to be my least favorite state to bike in. Today featured high 90s temperatures, a constant 20-30 mph SW wind, almost no shade between towns, a constant uphill (only 10ft per mile but that's noticeable in straight roads and 10 mile visibility), and of course more trucks.
Another thing I don't appreciate about Kansas is the smells. They come in waves, but it'll usually be either manure, fertilizer (ammonia) or oil. The worst are the cattle trucks. Every time one of those goes by you get a strong blast of warm manure-smelling air. The only time it ever smells any good is if you're biking across a field that's being harvested. The problem then is that it's really dusty.
I wanted to make it to Tribune to set up three easy days to Pueblo, but I only got as far as Leoti: 48 miles. I need to give my thigh more of a rest. It's not fully healed. That combined with the conditions put me at 9.7 mph for the day: tied for slowest of the trip. Unfortunately, I've got to ride 80 miles tomorrow in similar conditions :(.
I see a lot of anti-abortion signs on the road. These people don't seem to understand that Republicans have a vested interest in keeping abortion legal (galvanizes the base and garners them votes) and that value voting is a ridiculous thing to do. Politicians and values go together like oil and water and voting on the off chance that the guy isn't a complete hypocrite is silly. For 6 years we had an incredibly pious president, Republican dominated House and Senate, and one if the most conservative courts in history, yet abortion remains legal.
I've been meaning to watch the documentary called "What's the Matter With Kansas" (based in the book) about how Kansas has slowly been destroying itself by voting against it's own socioeconomic interests. Maybe this trip will get me to finally see it.
Looking forward to a hot breakfast tomorrow. I'm in a really good motel for the cost.
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