Finally out of Kansas! Today we cranked 120 miles from Tribune, KS to Ordway, CO. Tomorrow I'll do a quick 50 into Pueblo. Tonight I'm staying at an amazing woman's house. Her name is Gillian and she is at work right now, but she leaves the house open for cyclists to make themselves at home until she gets back. She has all kinds of animals and when I arrived I helped Roory (an awesome Irishman I met back in Virginia) move some firewood and feed the horses.
I'm very excited to finally be out into what I consider the West. No mountains yet, but there is a palpable feeling of newness in the air (or, perhaps, just a lack of the smell of cattle yards. Its strong enough to make me consider being vegetarian). We've done centuries or more the past 3 days and I'm amazed at how well my body holds up after doing 300 miles in just 3 days. The legs don't even really get tired...its just a matter of hand, foot and mental endurance. Speaking of my body, I had a chance to weigh myself at a hospital yesterday. Turns out I'm down to 156 pounds. I believe I regularly weighed in around 170 back home. I wonder how many more pounds will drop with another month of hard riding (and more frugal eating at this point).
I booked my plane ticket today. It is very frustrating to find a good deal these days. There are like a bazillion ticket websites but all of them give you a run-around. I ended up just going to Delta's website. It was easiest and got me a cheaper fare than any of the other stupid travel sites. Now I just have to make it to Oregon on time so I don't have to pay a re-booking fee.
Speaking of making it to Oregon, there has been talk of us splitting up. I have mixed feelings on this. Part of me says go for it, the other says finish the trip together. I suppose it'll be up to the other two, but I'd rather just keep going on the journey whereas I think they'd like to spend a little time visiting friends. We'll talk it over and most likely make a decision before we leave Pueblo this weekend.
I'll put up some pictures I took in Kansas. If you find them boring, you'll have a good idea of what Kansas is like.
Take care...miss you all very much!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
Enjoy each day Rob. Good deal on the fat burning. Let us know how you get around Denver (east, through, west) and if you go through Boulder roll down "The Hill". Now that you are out West, remember the words of Del Gue: "I ain't never seen 'em, but my common sense tells me the Andes is foothills, and the Alps is for children to climb (compared to the Rockies)! Keep good care of your hair! These here is God's finest scupturings! And there ain't no laws for the brave ones! And there ain't no asylums for the crazy ones! And there ain't no churches, except for this right here! And there ain't no priests excepting the birds. By God, I are a mountain man, and I'll live 'til an arrow or a bullet finds me. And then I'll leave my bones on this great map of the magnificent..."
By the way, we received reports that you were spotted at Third and Pine in Elkins with Connie, Posh, Hitch and Fony Roy. Aunt Linda sends her love.
Under the skies of blue
Out in the great wide open
A rebel without a clue
"How to cycle away the pounds" by Robert J. Clites
the brown grass picture reminded me of Nebraska .. and Colleen spent 4 years in Lincoln..there must be some redeeming qualities for the Plains. Where were my sunflower pictures you promised?
Well now you are in to the funstuff
Do keep posting
Much Love , Your biggest fan.c
Glad to hear you made it through Kansas man, it should be nothing short of spectacular from here on out. Keep trucking brother.
Hey Rob!
WOW! I cannot believe how far you have "cycled'!!!
And to think that I "whine" about the plane trip to Arizona (to visit Wes)...We drive 1-1/2 hours to Pittsburgh, get on a plane, fly 4+ hours to Phoenix...and THAT seems like a big deal! To imagine you biking a similar distance is "unreal"!
I promise NEVER to complain about how long the trip is...or how uncomfortable the seats are on the airplane ... I am "humbled" by your perseverance and commitment to "finish what you started"...
You will be forever changed...
You are my inspiration Rob, to appreciate each day more than the day before, and to challenge myself to make tomorrow more meaningful than today!
Our love "each and every mile"...
aunt pat and uncle guy
Enjoy each day!
Rob, sorry I couldn't hear you well on your cellphone tonight. As Uncle Ev would tell you, even the best Mountain Men have trouble getting multiple bars in the rugged Rockies. Anyhow, Mom said that Bonnie has departed from your company. Looking back to last week's photos, I can understand why--looking carefully at the pictures I can see that the shorts you loaned her were the same ones that you wore while winning the gold doubloon competition! Yuk!
Love ya man,
Dad
Yo Rob,
I just read every one of your entries; they're fascinating. I'm in Mexico City right now, interning with the Associated Press. It's a great time, but I know that nostalgia/homesickness feeling all too well. Chapel Hill was good to both of us. My e-mail is pmkiernan@gmail.com; if you have an e-mail address that you check frequently I'd love to keep in touch with you that way.
Keep on truckin',
Paul
ROB!!! Reading your blogs inspires me to start cycling...yes I finally have a road bike up here, yay! It's so cool to hear all your stories espcially since my dad did this...I've heard a couple of his tales but obviously back in those days there was no blogging :)
I should have showed you this before you left...but maybe it's good to see now to for some extra inspiration as well as a means to reflect a little.
Ithaca by CP Cavafy
As you set out for Ithaka
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon-don't be afraid of them:
you'll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon-you won't encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.
Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbors you're seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind-
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.
Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you're destined for.
But don't hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you're old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you've gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn't have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaka won't have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you'll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.
love ya miss ya!
-lolo
Post a Comment