The Winds of the Prairies

On Tuesday we encountered our first serious winds. We were heading to Burlington--Colorado, that is. The first 44 miles were along the Interstate. The local police required that we speak to an officer before we headed out concerning safety (even though with the wide shoulders it is safer to bike on an Interstate than the last 32 miles when we were on a regular road without any shoulders.) They also put a warning sign about bikers along the road and patrolled the road, sometimes following bikers on the shoulder.

Throughout the day there was a cross wind. It was about 35 kph, gusting up to 50 kph. In the second half, they turned slightly against us. With that section having up and down hills, biking became more of a chore. When I came into camp, I was tired. But we actually did good time. The wind just tired us out.

We expected the same on Wednesday, though the ride was only 109 k whereas Tuesday was 126k. But the wind was less intense and it shifted from a crosswind to slightly behind us. What a difference that makes. It was also cloudy, which made it a little nicer to bike as well.

We crossed state lines today. We are staying now in Colby, Kansas. As for the scenery, we are in the prairies now. No dramatic landscapes. Just fields of wheat, corn or pasture. An open view, where one can see the next silos miles before you reach them.