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This is a historical archive of my daily writeups of Pactour Central 2000. To start reading from the beginning click here. To see other reports of the trip click here. Enjoy!

Orangeburg, SC to Folly Beach, SC - 105 miles

After a first and only French toast breakfast, we pledged to not go fast. We even said we were going to hammer today, just so we could trick ourselves into thinking we would be doing the opposite of what we always have been doing lately. Well, the first couple of miles we soft-pedaled it through and out of the forgettable town of Orangeburg. Keith jokingly said all he wanted to do was not have to pull today. Pulling is something riders do to help other riders. Taking a "pull" means you are in the front of a line of riders breaking the wind. This requires exerting an extra amount of energy, and is only done for a short distance before you pull off and go to the back to recover and let the next person "pull". As the traffic abated, a blur when by my left side. It was Alex. Alex does NOT like anyone in front of him. Keith, Gerald, Nigel, and I jumped on. Some others were on our wheels as well, but there were multiple surges by Keith, Alex, and I and we dropped them. As we passed riders, some tried to jump on, but we surged past them. This pace was out of hand. The terrain was flat as a pancake. We pulled into the first rest stop at 29 miles with an average of 22mph. We stayed for a bit, no one showed up. Larry whizzed by us without stopping.
Back on our bikes we toned the pace down a bit. We were still tooling along around 22-24 mph, but there were no more 27-30 mph surges because we already had passed everyone (except Larry). We were on some lightly traveled back roads. Swamps were common, as were moss covered trees over hanging the road. The sun was shining brightly.
Our consistent pace finally brought Larry into our view. He hopped onto our paceline. At the second stop at a Baptist church, some of the ladies came out to meet us and Jameison got a picture of us with them. Jameison was sagging today and was being his usual entertaining self. We left as a group of six - Alex, Keith, Gerald, Larry, Kimberly, and I.
The sky gradually got cloudier. The air was getting more and more humid. We were nearing the sea. At lunch, which was at a pretty crappy crossroads, we took our time again. More sandwiches.
We left as a group. It was starting to drizzle a bit. The pace had knocked back another notch. We entered the Charleston area and traffic increased. The last sag was going to be a staging area for all the riders. We waited for all the others. They came in one by one.
We all left as a group of 60 to head to the beach. The hotel is right on the beach. Pictures of the bike in the ocean then a group picture. Pacific to Atlantic on a bicycle. I finally have this out of my system. What is next?
I hope everyone enjoyed my messages.
Thanks everyone for the support.

Greenwood, SC to Orangeburg, SC - 120 miles

Again we were the last out of the parking lot. Both Nigel and Alex had flats they fixed after breakfast. We got going down the wide lanes of Greenwood - your typical Generica (Generic America) town. All the standard stuff - McDonald's, Walmart, strip malls, etc. After a whole bunch of turns we got into a rhythm. Keith pulled us along. He is an excellent rider and is so smooth it is like he is on rails. Everyone, including the "other fast guys" were at the first rest stop. We made the stop quick and left with them. Alex, Keith, and I picked up the pace to get some time on them. But not too much time. Jay was manning the second checkpoint. We made it quick again, and the other guys pulled in as we left.
We rolled up and down the gently graded hills. For the most part, we went through pine tree forests. As we neared (but did not go to) the town of Aiken, there were more and more horses out in the fields. Large slated wood fences held beautiful green fields and horses within them. I've heard that this area is popular for racing horses to winter.
Lunch was sandwiches again. Some pears and another excellent chocolate chip cookie for dessert. The other guys pulled in while we were eating. There were lots of pesky gnats bothering us.
We got to the next rest stop and had some snacks. Average speed on the bike was 20.3 mph for 120 miles. Had dinner at Pizza Hut. I had a whole medium pizza. Orangeburg is kind of a dump. The dog situation in South Carolina is a lot better than the days we've had since Missouri, where it seemed like every yard had a loose dog with a penchant for chasing bicycles.
Tomorrow's motel is supposed to be at a nice place on the beach. Tomorrow is the last day! We are all going to regroup at mile 100 and ride the last five miles in together. We may have to get a six-pack of beer to kill the time as the slow riders come in. Or we may just tone it down.
Tomorrow is the end.

Dahlonega, GA to Greenwood, SC - 140 miles

Once again today I pledged I would take it easy. I started out a little early to find a mailbox to mail a letter. I found one in a Walmart parking lot; unfortunately a few other riders followed me in! Back on the road, the sight of Keith, Alex, and Brian's wheels whizzing by me prompted me to hop on. Just up to the first rest stop I told myself. This is faulty logic however, because if by the first rest stop you have passed everyone, you just cannot now let any of them pass you. You have to make the lead even bigger. The section up to the first rest stop was awfully crowded with morning traffic. Herds of us cyclists were taking up the road and not letting cars pass. Keith took off with Brian in tow. Alex and I held back - Alex commented we do have 120 miles more to ride. After passing all the other bicyclists, the traffic situation got better. We started hauling to catch Keith. We passed by Brian, apparently Keith was on a tear. We picked up Gerald as we neared the stop. Keith was there waiting for us. He said the traffic had got him going and he just wanted to get past it all. We left as a group of four - Keith, Alex, Gerald, and I. The hills were gradually getting shorter and less steep as the day progressed. One town of note was Homer - home of "The World's Largest Easter Egg Hunt".
We got into the second checkpoint. A playful black lab puppy came over and was acting like a puppy - wagging his tail, rolling to show his belly, etc. Lon tried to teach him some tricks using beef jerky as a reward. Next stop was lunch. We had some grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches. Some four-inch high chocolate chip cookies were for dessert. Lunch was at a beautiful park on a lake along the Savannah River. The weather was fabulous - mid 70's, sunny.
Two-minute lunch Larry pulled up and ate. We left with him, but since he is crew, he brought along a paint can to mark the road. After we crossed into South Carolina, he peeled off our pace line to attend to the road markings. We worked together nicely as a unit, each of us pulling for 3-5 miles each. The miles melted away. The next stop was at a collection of five or six dumpsters. I suppose they are public dumpsters, we saw more of them along the road during the day. Maybe this stops people from dumping their garbage on the side of the road? Who knows?
We kept the pace geared up to the motel in Greenwood. We averaged 20.6mph on the bike for 140 miles. Keith averaged 21 on the bike because of his tear earlier in the day. We got in first at 3pm. Mexican and a large 32oz mug of Budweiser for dinner. Tomorrow is the second to last day. Only 121 miles and less climbing should be an easy day.
Then the last day. The smell of salt will soon be in the air...

Dayton, TN to Dahlongela, GA - 134 miles

We started out last to leave, as always. More fog this morning. We passed over the Tennessee River, it was framed with fog on either end, and it misted off of water. The first checkpoint Keith, Alex, and I pulled out onto the road. We had passed everyone again. Being in the front is a good feeling, even though this is not a race (and I don't think I want to keep doing). We made it to the next stop with Larry posting it. Some others pulled in as we left.
We started to climb up Old Copper Road gradually up through a valley. This is TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) country. We passed by a dam holding back an enormous lake. We stopped and got a good picture. As we snaked up into the valley, a river started to form next to us. There were riverboats and kayaks in the rapids below. It was very neat to have the river on our right as we snaked up through the valley. They release the water from the dams to control the water flow. This was the Ocoee recreation area. We missed the next stop, as it was not yet set up. The stop would have been nice; it was at a cool waterfall where rafters started out their ride through the rapids. Above this were the rapids (no water flowing) where the 1996 Olympics were held.
After the climbing, we passed through a dirty forgettable copper mine town with multiple awful slanted railroad crossings. Slanted railroad crossings are very dangerous because a bicycle wheel can get caught and a rider can go down (I watched three people go down in Kansas). This was our entry point into Georgia. Kudzu, a prolific groundcover brought over from Japan, but has gotten out of control, coated the sides and ditches along many roads.
More climbing up to lunch. We had to wait for the pasta to finish cooking, so we filled up with sandwiches. The follow pack was pulling in as we left. Alex pulled us up some longer hills. We were climbing and descending constantly. We were in a beautiful country here. We passed two locals riding red Cannondales while climbing a longer stretch.
The last stop was at an abandoned store doubling as someone's vegetable stand and cat refuge. There were six or seven lazing around, yawning, munching on a bowl of food. Looks like we have a cat lady here.
One more climb up to the head of the Appalachian Trail and a spectacular view. After a picture stop, we started a great descent. There was lots of traffic, in particular motorcycles. Since it was Sunday, this automatically makes everyone in so much more of a rush. Hey bonehead - it's Sunday - what is the rush? Sheesh. Anyway, we made it down the hill in one piece. Pulled into the small town of Dahlonega. It is on the historical register. We went to a nice restaurant called Wylie's and found out no beer on Sunday! Had a pretty good dinner (good biscuits) anyway.
Into South Carolina tomorrow, only three days left till we hit the Atlantic.

Lebanon, TN to Dayton, TN - 126 miles

Today we again were greeted with morning fog for the first ten or so miles. It is quite a spectacular site - low waves of mist cascading down on us, other bicyclists emerging out of the fog as we pass them. The sun shines through like a golden plate in the sky. At times the top of the fog is visible and you can see he blue sky above. Slowly the sun melts the cloud cover away.

The group was Brian, Alex, Keith and I up to the first stop. Another group formed as we pulled into lunch. Grilled chicken and potato salad for lunch. We had some great white stone picnic benches to eat on. Alex, Larry, and Gerald started off without everyone. Keith and I pulled out together. We had three major climbs ahead of us. Each was about four miles long. The first one Keith paced me, then the next one I paced him. The climbing was actually pretty nice, the road was graded well, and the pavement was good. We pulled into the last rest stop with Lon and had some more junk food. Yellow Spinergy Bob showed up and we took off as a trio to do the last climb. We pulled in as 4-5-6 after Alex, Gerald, and Larry.

Before the climb, however, we had a gorgeous descent into a beautiful valley. The town at the bottom was Pikeville. The other side of the valley came closer and we had to climb out of it. Bob set the pace for the climb. At the top we hit a few rollers then a nice screaming downhill into Dayton.
The days climbing was 7000 feet, the last valley we went through really made the day. We basically started at the top of one ridge, descended for miles, the climbed back out up the other side. The climb out was awesome because we climbed along the ridge and to our left was the valley slowly getting smaller and smaller.

There seemed to be a dog in every yard and they all liked to chase. There were also quite a few mountain families in pickup trucks and vans that just looked plain scary. This is Deliverance country.
We have two tougher climbing mountain days ahead of us. Almost all of the climbing tomorrow starts after mile 100. The next day isn't supposed to be any easier. Then we will start to get blasted with the headwinds blowing off the Atlantic. We are getting close to the end; the smell of saltwater will soon be in the air.

Madisonville, KY to Lebanon, TN - 131 miles

Today we started out shrouded in fog. We went through field after field of low misty clouds. The sun was slowly burning it off, its yellow shimmer slowly rising up over the hills all around us. Alex, who finishes in the top five everyday, pulled ahead and sat on his wheel. We passed everyone slowly but surely. The first rest stop had just opened and we filled up and got out quick. Up and down we went. The hills were a lot less steep than previous days. As we rounded a corner there was a barn with smoke coming out from under the eaves of the roof. Hmmm, this farmer is about to be minus one barn as soon as this fire gets going good. However up the road, another, and another barn was smoking. We had also seen several non-smoking barns with tobacco leaves hanging from them. The smoke smelled of sweet silky tobacco wafted across the road. The barns were not on fire, they were curing tobacco. We saw these smoky barns all day long. At the second stop we filled up again. Through the town of Elkton we missed a turn and we were lost. Alex got out his map and we cut over to get back on course, but not after adding on seven or so miles. As we pulled into lunch, we still were at the front. Steve and Dave pulled up ten minutes after us, but they commented others got lost too. We had a quick lunch. I had a hot dog, roast beef sandwich, potato salad, chocolate pudding, and a chocolate Zinger. We hammered it to the next rest stop. Larry was just setting up and assured us everyone was well behind. We cut back the pace, as we were the first two into the motel. It felt good to be first in. Alex does this everyday, but I will be taking it easy the next couple of days. We are climbing over the Appalachian Mountains for the next three days, and also doing some big mileage. Five more days and we'll be at the Atlantic Ocean.

Vienna, IL to Madisonville, KY - 105 miles

Today was a short day, and I used it to take it easy. We started out as a big group at a decent pace. Right away some people pulled ahead. The terrain was more rolling hills again. After a while we were all broken up and I was riding alone. As we descended into a valley some kids were yelling at us from a schoolyard. Yeah yeah yeah. The valley's morning fog shrouded everything as we pulled into the first stop.

We crossed a small stream and climbed out of this valley. Hopped on the Osman and Judy tandem train for a bit. I pulled off to check out the view of the Ohio River from the quaint little town of Elizabethtown. Lots of debris was floating down the muddy murky brown water.

The next town was Cave in Rock and there was a ferry to cross the river. I was the last one on, but then I saw the snack truck. As they were closing the gates I dashed off. I haven't missed a snack break yet; I was not about to start now! Had some soda and cookies and Lon explained to some locals we were biking across the country. "What the hell are you guys doing?" seems to be the standard question we are asked.

The ferry took us into Kentucky, our eighth state so far (if you count the few yards of Utah and New Mexico when we did a few laps around the Four Corners). The road was traffic free and the scenery was great. The weather was perfect. I enjoyed this nice stretch alone. There were same nasty little climbs thrown in. Saw an Amish family out in a field of mums with a horse drawn cart. They waved but I wasn't going to risk trying to take their picture. Lunch was tacos at a closed store (since 1960 according to old lady across the street) with an awesome porch. Strawberry rhubarb pie for dessert. The next stop was on the front lawn of a "Primitive Baptist" chuch. Lynnrd Skynnrd was playing on the CD player. The church lawn was beautiful, the sun was shining - all we needed were some cold beers to make this day perfect. We settled for Coca-Cola.

Puttering along after the stop, the tandem train - Osman, Judy, along with "Waterford" Rob and John whizzed by me. I hopped on for the last few miles into town. We saw more traffic on the last two miles than we saw all day.

Applebee's for dinner - French onion soup, Caesar salad, pasta alfredo, and chocolate brownie sundae.

Into Tennessee tomorrow.

Farmington, MO to Vienna, IL - 134 miles

Another chilly morning greeted us as we rolled out of Farmington's outskirts at 7am. I started out tagging behind Keith, a very strong rider. There were lots and lots of rolling hills, and some of them were very steep. At the first stop we had passed just about everyone. Gerald was riding with Kimberly so he was behind us.

Right before we descended into the Mississippi flood plain, we picked up Steve. We stopped for pictures with our bicycles on the bridge as we dodged semis. Steve added to the flow of the river.
We stopped at the second stop at the end of the bridge, and saw a six-foot bronze Popeye the Sailor Man. The creator of this cartoon character was from this town of Chester, IL. We picked up Brian and Alex at this stop, and went by Chester's attractions - jail, mental hospital, courthouse, and saloon. We continued to stomp up and down hills, and really got the pace moving in downhills and flat sections. We pulled into the lunch break at mile 70 a little after 11am. Lon and Wes pulled out before us, as they were marking the road because there were lots of turns.

We had tuna fish sandwiches, Jalapeno potato chips, and rice for lunch. We scooted out of there before sneaky Gerald could eat his signature two-minute lunch and pass us. We passed Lon on the road and then picked up Wes. We continued to hammer up and down hills into the next rest stop, atop a big hill in a scenic overlook park. More junk food - Twizzlers, M&M's Rice Krispy treats, Paydays, pretzels, etc.

We start stomping away again, this time with Wes. Dogs are chasing us left and right. We saw an outdoor sawmill in a field. They had a six-foot high saw blade. Looks like it was run by some sort of Amish type people - I think there some kinds that can use machinery. About ten miles from the end, Wes popped into his 56 tooth front chainring and took off with Brian in tow. Keith, Alex, and I held back to finish in one piece. Average on the bike speed was 19.8mph.
We finished a little before 3pm as the first bunch. Dinner was at great home cooking at Dolly's down the road. I had some pancakes, a ham and cheese omelet, toast, seasoned fries, and a slice of strawberry-rhubarb pizza with ice cream. The waitress was shocked at all the food we ate - seems to be a running theme of this ride.
Into Kentucky tomorrow.

Cuba, MO to Farmington, MO - 81 miles

Today was the shortest day of our trip at 82 miles. With the Kansas wind beating us up, and the previous two days of rain and cold, we all were relieved to wake up to sunny clear skies. It was still a little nippy out, but it was forecast to get up into the 70's. For breakfast, we had glazed Dunkin' Donuts, along with the usual choice of bagels, cold cereal, hot oatmeal, bananas, pastries, and OJ. I had two donuts, a bowl of frosted mini-wheat, and oatmeal with brown sugar and milk.

The terrain was going to be more steep rolling hills, which I really like to ride on. I started out after most everyone, and proceeded to pass just about everyone. Woody was only ahead of me at the first stop because he doesn't stop. While munching on snacks, Wes, Larry and Keith all passed me by. There was one steep climb after another, in and out of little valleys, through cow pastures, through forests. The scenery was beautiful. My rear tire was becoming more and more mushy as I whipped up the hills. The leak was slow enough so I rode it into the second stop. My rear tire was shot - cotton was showing, there were all kinds of gashes and cuts. It needed to be tossed in the garbage. I changed the tube and pumped it up with the available floor pump. The tire should hold for 30 miles. Meanwhile Gerald and Alex go through the stop.
More climbing into the town of Bismark where we had hamburgers for lunch. Again we had the usual gaggle of locals watching us. We were probably the most excitement they would have all year. Someone made some tasty homemade brownies for dessert. We also had some local Missouri fruit - a persimmon. It had a weird texture, was orange rust brown, and looked gross, but it didn't taste too bad.

Only 16 miles till the end of the day. It was mostly on a wide more trafficked road. Long, low climbs followed by long low downhills. Saw Alex fixing a flat along the way. Keith, Larry, Wes, and Gerald were back already waiting for the motel truck. A beautiful day for riding.

I changed out my tire (black Michelin Axial Pro). I should have changed it a few days ago, and I would not have gotten the four flats I did the last three days. The tire had about 2200 miles on it. It probably should have been tossed at 1900 miles. Went to a cool bicycle themed restaurant called Spokes (with a slightly grumpy waitress), and fueled up with French onion soup, pasta, then Dairy Queen for dessert.

We cross the Mississippi River tomorrow as we head to the lower tip of Illinois. We are slowly making out way south. Hopefully there will be no hurricanes or tropical storms waiting for us. We are going to enjoy this beautiful weather while it lasts.

Lebanon, MO to Cuba, MO - 92 miles

We woke up to a continuation of yesterday's dreary weather of rain and cold temperatures. It was about 40 degrees and steadily drizzling. I had on a long sleeve polypro long sleeve undershirt, a jersey, winter gloves, and my Gore-tex rain jacket. Shorts, leg warmers, and booties on the lower half. I was pretty comfortable. Under arm vents in my jacket allowed me to cool off when chugging up hills.

We started out going up and down rollers. We were riding alongside I-44 on parts of what used to be the famous route 66. Signs marked this, calling it "historic route 66". I'm pretty sure this is the road people took to go out west earlier in the last century. I was riding alone for the most part, group riding in hills is not easy due to the constant changing of pace, different climbing abilities, descent rates, etc. The first stop was quick. The next stop was after a nice downhill in the town of Newberg, where the center of town activity seemed to revolve around the local pool hall. Some curious kids watched us and posed across the street while us bicyclists drank tasty hot chocolate.

We climbed out of Newberg, passing through the town of Doolittle. Some of the houses along the roads are pretty run down and strewn with garbage and miscellaneous (lawn) furniture. Lots of lazy dogs, then a white standard poodle decided to chase us. His underbelly and front were filthy dirt brown from his tireless chases of all the passing bicyclists. A poodle chasing me for some reason did not strike the same level of fear into me as a Doberman would. I then got another flat. Phil "Moody Blues" from Florida stopped to help.

Rode up to lunch after passing through the college town of Rolla. Lunch was tomato soup, macaroni and cheese, and hot dogs. Pecan pie for dessert. There was an authentic two-seater outhouse in the back from where lunch was set up.

More rollers into the end of this short day. Had some time to catch up on my laundry, have a nice breakfast of blueberry pancakes, three egg omelette, toast, and hash browns. Today's high temperature was only in the mid 40's. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 70's. We are really having some screwy weather. But tomorrow sounds like excellent riding weather. Tomorrow will be our shortest day at only 81 miles. We will reach our final destination of Charleston, SC in nine more days.

Pittsburgh, KS to Lebanon, MO - 141 miles

Today we finally left Kansas. We still had a crosswind, but the terrain was rolling hills so the wind was not as much of a factor as when you are out in the middle of an open field with nothing stopping the wind for 200 miles except you. We entered Missouri early in the morning and we promptly got dumped on by steady showers. Grim riding up to the first rest stop in a cemetery.

We started out with a group leaving the first stop. Met up briefly with a local ride wearing no rain gear. Not sure what he made of us, but everyone on this ride is a decent rider, and we are all getting stronger every day. We may have intimidated him because he turned off he road.

We got strung out after the rollers started up. Up and down. Oftentimes you could see them one after another ahead of you like a roller coaster track. They are nice going down and if you hit it just right you can coast up part way the muscle over them. The rain made things a bit dicey - blinding raindrops at 40mph, slippery yellow paint lines, pickup trucks, bumpy roads; these add terror to the thrill of descending.

Lunch was hot pasta with tomato sauce and meatballs. Two different types of brownies and much needed hot chocolate. Rode through a town and saw the tractor fair going on. All your latest models and a limeade stand too!

Up and down more. Grinded up some longer hills. The rain had stopped for now. My big Gore-tex jacket was doing a good job keeping me warm. You could not stop long though, a chill would set in quick. Got my second flat of they day. Wet conditions always cause more flats due to more crap sticking to the tires. Filled up on snacks some more at the last rest stop. Back onto historic Rt. 66 for a bit then the rain kicked in again.

Today was not too bad even though the rain made things unpleasant. The scenery was good - lots of cows, horses, chickens, fields, streams, etc. More dogs although none seemed very harmful. We passed through about a half dozen trash burning smoke clouds -yeech.
Despite the bad weather the crew was extra nice to ward off our blues. Kansas has gotten to some people, and this rain is not helping. I don't think these long distances are helping either. But hey we all signed up fully expecting this. Tomorrow is a shorter day - 95 miles or so. More rain forecasted for morning.

Winfield, KS to Pittsburgh, KS - 152 miles

More Kansas today! Ughhh! I'm sick of this state. Started out as the last person to leave with Nigel. We caught up to Brian at the first stop. The weather today was in the low 60's, overcast and misty. Again the wind was blowing from the northeast, making riding perfectly miserable once more.
We rolled through one little town after another. Oftentimes a water tower was all there was to mark its place. Sometimes there was a closed gas station in town. You wonder how anyone could live here. What is there to do? The scenery has improved from previous days. They seem to have heard of trees in this part of Kansas, unlike the western part where you could look all around you for miles and not see a single tree. Added to the trees were some cows, horses, goats, creeks, ponds, and some rolling hills. At one point five horses were running in a field alongside us. That was neat.

We picked up Pat, Denise, and Mike as we rode to lunch. Lunch was noodles and hot soup, and a piece of strawberry rhubarb pie. Off into the misty road. My yellow tinted sunglasses were getting too fogged up to use. We hit some nice rollers and I went off on my own plowing through them. Stopped again at next stop for some delicious chocolate brownies. Brian's wife was in town so he sped up to get home. One last stop where we had some gorp with M&M's. A local told us about a college football game in town as we rode into Pittsburgh. Got in around 6pm.

Today was a long day. The wind was obnoxious as usual. I liked the cooler temperatures. It tried to rain on us several times but did not fully open up. Tomorrow it is supposed to rain for sure. Plus another vicious crosswind. Plus 140 miles. Plus 6000 feet of climbing. Plus Lon said it is the toughest day of the tour. More details tomorrow.

Pratt, KS to Winfield, KS - 129 miles

Today continued our brutal foray into a crosswind. The wind had shifted slightly, however, and was a direct south wind instead of a southeast wind like yesterday. Nigel and I pretty much stayed together all day. At the first rest stop, Terri was playing Bruce Springsteen's album Nebraska to get us in the mood for the monotonous grain silos, endless milo, corn, cotton, and sunflower fields. There were actually quite a few more trees today, which helped in sections to cut the wind down and add variety to the scenery.

At the second stop before lunch we picked up Clifford who hugged our wheels for the rest of the day. Lunch was chicken salad and chocolate Zingers. The fast guys who don't stop long left before we did. Nigel had some business to take care of in the woods, and then we pulled into the last rest stop. Refill of water bottles, some Fresca, and cookies.

We turned directly into the wind for the fifth time of the day. Crawled along to Winfield. Nice big town, what you would think of if someone said "Midwestern town" - Main Street, movie theater, furniture shops, etc.

The wind mentally taxed me again today, especially the headwind sections. One of them was on freshly paved, oily black asphalt. Gravel clinked against our bicycles, the heat rose from the fresh road, and the wind battered us like Ping Pong balls. Quite unpleasant. The road crew just shook their heads as we moved in slow motion past them.

Tomorrow we go into Missouri. We will start to get more rolling hills which will break up the riding.
This flat stuff is better than hills, but it is b-o-r-i-n-g.

Ulysses, KS to Pratt, KS - 151 miles

One person - six foot four British wonderman Nigel made today easier. He insisted on pulling Brian, Keith and I along through a brutal 30-40mph southern crosswind. We took turns sitting on his left side in echelon formation for most of the day. He says it is just as much work switching around in a pace line, and he likes to use his aero bars. Hey I won't argue.

Before this train started, however, on our way out of town at least four people were taken out by some nasty railroad tracks. Nobody was hurt, but a few wheels were put out of true (and egos bruised).

At the first stop we got a good group picture with some sunflowers in the background. After the stop the road was lined with people with disassembled tires and tubes. Little prickly burrs called goat heads had stuck into several people's tires to flatten them.

Nigel continued to power away pulling us along through this brutal flag stiffening wind. We passed some cattle feeding lots and we got about a mile of foul smelling cow shit dust in our faces. Semis plowed along the road passing us. We pulled off onto a less traveled road, which eased our nerves. More wide-open fields of milo and corn, and hardly any trees to break the wind. Lunch was grilled cheddar cheese, tomato, and red onion sandwiches. Yodels and brownies for dessert.

We muscled along through the wind. At one point in the town of Ford we met the wind head on and crawled along at barely 12 mph. Just horrible. Then a few more rest stops and we got back with an hour of sunlight to spare. A lot of people had to get sagged forward (rode in the support van) to make it back in time. Got a good group picture at the end of the ride.

This was probably one of the most difficult and mentally taxing days so far. The wind is extremely demoralizing when it is continually whistling through your ears, helmet and tossing you front wheel around. Several times we bumped elbows due to the jostling by the wind. When will this wind be at our backs? I thought a tailwind, bicycling east, and Kansas went together. Hopefully tomorrow.

La Junta, CO to Ulysses, KS - 162 miles

Today was the longest official day of the whole tour at 162 miles. We had a brisk North wind to contend with from the start. All flags were stiff as boards pointing straight across our path. We would have to contend with this nasty crosswind for most of the day.

In order to deal with it, we started out with a large group and rode a rotating pace line. Riders rode through on the right side, and then eased off when they pulled over to the left. This became very efficient, and the first 86 miles up to lunch melted away. Our core group was Nigel, Brian, Keith, yellow Spinergy Bob, Dave, Les, Steven, and I. After lunch, we had the wind at our backs for 35 miles. Keith blasted part of this section out and did not drop under 27mph. We regrouped at a rest stop, then continued to blast out the rest at similar speeds with a double pace line. We then turned into the wind again and started another rotating pace line, and did it riding echelon as well. Steve sprinted for the Kansas state line, but there was no welcome sign! We stopped at the last stop and refueled again. Excellent white macadamia chocolate chip cookies were available and eaten in quantity.

The last twenty miles were on a pretty busy road so we all rode in at our own pace. The on bike average for the day was 19.6mph. It was great to ride with such a strong experienced group of riders. Our teamwork made the day much more bearable than imagined.

Kansas is flat and there are lots of cornfields. We some cattle, and at one point, we saw a collection of llamas! Lots of farm machinery in the fields. There are still lots of small undulations in the roads as we dip down to creeks and gulleys. We are going to have to be very creative about sightseeing.
We had dinner at a museum sponsored by the town. The local residents were very nice and the food was excellent, plus the museum was pretty fancy. Dairy Queen topped the night off.

More of Kansas for the next couple of days. Another big day tomorrow with 150 miles.

Alamosa, CO to La Junta, CO - 146 miles

We were the last people to leave today at 7:15. There is supposed to be a staggered start with the slow people leaving first, then the fast riders. Some riders leave before everyone else though and are fairly fast riders. They don't stop long at stops either. Anyway, Nigel, Keith, Brian, and I started a good pace line as we rode into the blinding yellow morning sun. It was also quite nippy out; everyone was bundled up really good. We got a good rhythm going, we passed a lot of people, then Wes and Terri joined us. We got to the first stop at 30 miles. Lon was taking everyone's picture with our bicycles. Another picture of me in my bug-eye sunglasses.

We started our ascent over the 9400-foot La Veta pass. There was a good tailwind and I big-ringed it with a 53x23. Took some pictures at the summit sign. Nigel, my fellow fearless downhiller, went ahead of me, and I was right behind him. We whistled down the mountain. We both topped out at 50mph several times. Brown fields surrounded us. A fierce tailwind pushed us along at speeds between 25-40mph. We would descend over 3000 feet by the time we got to lunch. This section we did in record time.

Had a sandwich, potato chips, and a Chocolate Suzy-Q for lunch. We got another pace line going again. We picked up Spencer for a bit. Up and down through endless empty fields of brown grass. There were occasional scattered boulders and trees. A sign had warned of 72 miles without services, this was no joke.

We reassembled at the next rest stop and did not stay long. The wind began to turn on us. The next stop was at the top of a hill by a microwave radio tower. Refill of water bottles, watermelon, some Pringles and we are off again. We are taking strong pulls at the front to make this day over already. We start to enter some fields, and more populated area. The town line is declared as the sprint. Wes, Mr. 56 tooth front chaining, takes off with Brian and me in pursuit. We catch him, they draft me down a small hill, and then they both take off up it, leaving me behind. I watch Wes win the sprint up ahead. We need more of this to break things up. I just need to make sure the next town line is not at the top of a hill.

Tomorrow is our longest day at 161 miles as we go to Kansas. Hopefully the wind will be at our backs.

Pagosa Springs, CO to Alamosa, CO - 91 miles

The morning started out with winds whipping around, dark purplish blue clouds hovering over the mountain tops in the distance, and occasional raindrops sputtering down on us. We descended into the hunting town of Pagosa Springs. This is your typical Colorado postcard scenery - green mountainsides, small lakes, fields with horses in them, snow-capped peaks in the horizon. The dark angry gray clouds off in the distance looked extremely ominous. Several white jagged streaks of lightning danced on the top of one of the peaks. We were ascending up to a mass of earth that has its own personality, capable of changing at any minute. I just hoped we would not see any of that lightning. This was a scene out of Dante's Inferno.

Riders were all strung out. I stopped and got some pictures of the sky and a mountaintop. As we pulled into the first stop at 18 miles, it became apparent we would be veering away to the right of the lightning valley. Just eight more steep (7% grade) miles to the top. The fast guys were way ahead, as everyone left before me, and I like my kneecaps. Lon was climbing this thing on his single speed before everyone else. There were basically three turns to wind up over this pass. Some sheer rock cliffs were on our left hand side at one point, a sign warned to "watch for falling rock". The road was pitted from this falling rock hitting this concrete section of road. We went around the first switchback. There was a breathtaking view below of the valley we just climbed up. More pictures. There was a run away truck stop to our left, always a good sign you climbing (or descending) a monster hill. I passed quite a few riders. One last stretch through some work area. I look back and there is Spencer. All right, none of that. Drop, drop, goes my chain and I drift ahead. At the top, Lon is waiting with the van. There is no "Wolf Creek Pass" sign, however. This is a brown sign common in mountain passes that notes the name of the pass and the elevation. Great for taking pictures with. Someone supposedly stole it. Those damn kids! A "Continental Divide" sign had to do. I got my cold weather stuff on, as it was around 50 degrees. I put on booties, another jacket, big gloves, ear covers, leg, and arm warmers. Nice and toasty. The fellow with five chain rings in the front pulled in. I suppose they come in handy at some point, but possibly having 30, 35, or 40 gears would just confuse me. My 39x25 rarely got used as I mostly stayed in my 39x23 and 39x21. You sure can feel the burn of your legs when you exert yourself over your pace. The lack of oxygen has not bothered me too much, but you definitely have to be careful.

The long descent started. A semi passed me. I gained on it then whoosh I pass it. We go under a snow-shed tunnel and I slow things down a bit. Then out of it the speedometer says 52mph. The wind is buffeting me and I realize its time to feather the brakes a bit to slow down. The road narrows at one point and I stop to get a good picture. Then another stop to shed some layers of clothing. Jay and I whip along and almost pass lunch by. After a peanut butter, jelly, and BBQ chip sandwich, and some macaroni and cheese, we jump on the road. There is a screaming tailwind. The next stop is 25 miles, and I cover that in under an hour - and I had time enough to take a leak and a picture! A small group assembled at the stop. As a tandem leaves, we hop onto their wheel and the mileposts whiz by. Riding behind a tandem is a dream. You might as well have a truck in front of you.

We finished this short day around 2pm. Tomorrow is a long day - 146 miles, followed by a 161-mile day. Tailwind - stay!

Cortez, CO to Pagosa Springs, CO - 114 miles

Today started out with a nice climb up to 8000 feet (we started well above 6000 though). Rode part of the climb with Mike from California. At the first stop, recharged with some food - I'm getting a thing for Pringles - and Coke. Since today was going to mostly up and down, I figured I would ride alone. The next section was basically a screaming downhill into Durango. There were some slack jawed Billy Bob types in some of the pickups passing us. But everyone gave us a pretty good berth when passing.

After Durango, some more slow rollers into the countryside. Cows and horses were in fields next to the road. Tall mountains loomed everywhere as we snaked through valleys between them. Large billowy clouds hovered around some peaks, looking threatening, casting their shadows down their sides. There can be very localized weather patterns on mountains; hopefully we won't get caught in any.

Lunch was hamburgers! I woofed down two pickle, tomato, lettuce, and onion laden burgers and pondered getting a third. Phil from Florida did not ponder and helped himself to his third. Bisti the Pactour mascot dog got a burger dropped by the cook. Bisti likes burgers!

Left and we had more of the up and down. We had gone off the main road Route 160 on some back roads; they were pleasantly lightly traveled and very scenic. Pulling up to the last rest stop in the shadow of Chimney Rock, we were almost done. More grape soda, some chocolate chip cookies, watermelon, and Pringles. The last section had some climbing. Stopped at a historical marker before town. It was the spot where a frontiersman fought an Indian in a knife fight to settle a land dispute (the Indian lost - sorry!).

Tomorrow is the dreaded Wolf Creek Pass at 10,800 feet. Someone said it already has snowed up there. Keith has been up it on his motorcycle, and says the only thing he was thinking of when he went up it was how un-fun it would be to do on a bicycle. Lon said there might be a semi official race after the first checkpoint up the pass, at mile 18. Mile 26 is the summit, and we then drop to 4000 feet. This is going to be a fun downhill.

Chinle, AZ to Cortez, CO - 141 miles

We started this day early due to the long distance. I woofed down some oatmeal with brown sugar and milk, a yogurt, some cheese Danish, and OJ. I was a little nervous going out onto the road in the semi-darkness on this Indian reservation. Late night Thunderbird drinking, pickup driving Indians combined with us bicycle-riding idiots would make anyone nervous. Luckily we greeted the sunrise quickly, as a huge 15 or so rider pace line formed. There were beautiful red rock buttes and mesas all over the place and the red rising sun made odd beautiful shadows. We stopped to take several pictures.

I ditched the Camelbak at the first stop. That darned thing is annoying on your back all day. It was essential in the desert, but it has only been getting up to 90 or so in this high desert. Two big water bottles with ice would keep me for roughly 30 miles (A Camelback is a large plastic bag, typically 70 oz, of water covered with Neoprene for insulation, and worn like a backpack).

The next segment we rode by Half Dome Rock, an interesting butte. Then we whipped along in a tailwind into the next stop. I rode with Jay, who was on his every other ride day from crewing. Refueled at the next stop, then rode with Kimberly, the Serotta couple, and Stu. Had a nice big tuna sandwich with red juicy tomatoes, green sandwich slice pickles, cheese, and lettuce. A perfect sandwich. Some AZ state troopers stopped to warn us about nutty European tourist drivers who have a predilection for riding on the wrong side of the road (maybe they are just bad drivers?). Pat, who is an ex-New York City cop, was in her element chatting away with them. Susan said they were the nicest cops she'd ever met.

Hopped on a tandem for some nice descents. Turned off for the "four corners" stop - where Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado all join. Got my picture taken on the plaque. Had a bubble-gum flavored snow cone. A big group left and we descended into Colorado. A few climbs thrown in. Nigel and I rode together, and he added to his story about his three-month truck trip from London to Nepal in 1979. He said this trip reminded him of that one because of the mixed bag of people and every one's different story. To be able to physically do this ride is a feat in itself, but getting the time off is the bigger feat for most.

The last section was into Cortez. Nigel and I stopped for a Dairy Queen shake right before the motel. Mesa Verde, the famous cliff dwelling place is around here so this is a tourist town. Plus supposedly there is a large German speaking population here and we have some motel literature in German.
The dreaded Wolf Creek Pass is coming up on Monday. I met with my Great Uncle and Aunt for dinner and they told me the road up Wolf Creek Pass is in really good condition compared to what is has been like in the past. Hopefully it won't be snowing!