Today’s Date: June 24, 2024

Today’s Start Point: Ordway, Colorado

Today’s End Point: Eads, Colorado

Today’s Miles: 61.57 Miles

Cumulative Miles: 2,201.25 Miles

If you have been reading this blog expecting pretty pictures and expansive descriptions of my surroundings, I would now like to apologize. Today’s ride was as featureless as you can get, with the temperature in the upper 90’s/low 100’s. The burnt out landscape made it seem even hotter than it was.

My route was simple, due east on one road for 60 miles. There were no resupply points or much of anything else between Ordway and my final destination, Eads, Colorado.

With temperatures later in the day in the 100’s, I woke up before sunrise and set off at 5:30 am. There was not much of a breeze and the temperature was 65 degrees, not bad so far.

I was warned by the proprietor of last nights hotel that the road was filled with trucks and no shoulders, thankfully neither did I found true. Like yesterday, I made exceptionally good time, especially in the first hour. By 9:00 am, I had banked 40 miles, with only 20 miles to go.

For my first few weeks, the road invariably was flanked by a fast running stream, the look and sounds comforting as I rolled along. Today, railroad tracks ran parallel with the road.

Other than one encounter, I have to admit that not much happened. I kept my head down and tried to get as much water into me as I could. Not much else to do. The breeze I would create while moving kept the temperature reasonable, because by 9:00 am the temperature had already reached 90 degrees. Unfortunately, if I would stop to drink or get a snack, the combination of the full-on heat and the swarm of biting flies descending on me was quite unpleasant.

The positive story for the day is that I met Tasha, another bike traveler going in the opposite direction from me. Tasha is 27 years old and is from New York City. She left Virginia on May 17th, one day after I left Astoria, Oregon. As with all of these conversations with other bike travelers, we talked about places we had stayed or eaten, and other various tips. As always and since I seem to be fixated, I asked about the dogs in Kentucky. Tasha said it was bad and said that she had been bitten once. She had been keeping track of where the most aggressive dogs were and noting the dogs’ GPS coordinates (clever girl). Best of all, she sent me the coordinates. Although I realize this list is not exhaustive, it gives me some comfort as to the places where I need to get off my bike and walk (according to my sources, a dog’s chase instinct is triggered less if you walk, not ride). I thanked her profusely and wished her cooler weather.

I rolled into Eads at a little after 10:00 am , already feeling the effects of the heat. I was lucky that I had made reservations yesterday, because the hotel had no vacancies.

In Ordway yesterday, everything was closed because it was Sunday. Today in Eads, everything was closed because it was Monday. It didn’t really matter much, there weren’t many places in town anyway. Luckily, the hotel has a lounge that serves food as well as a guest laundry.

Thus, with 100+ heat, it is the perfect hotel in that I never have to leave the premises. Oh, did I mention it’s also the perfect place to take a nap?