Day 3

June 4, 2021

The lake was already beginning to show signs of wind, when we rolled out of our luxury accommodations and headed for some wheel ruts called county roads. The downhill portion was steep enough that Joe G opted to “Hike-a-Bike”. All three of us pushed our steeds up the west hill, out of the spillway section, until we reached some double track that was mostly smooth as silk. From there, it was back in to open range, with several cattle face offs occurring. You really have no choice with an animal that large, except to ask them politely to move, and then turn Paul J loose on them.

As we continued toward our lunch stop, Fowler, we looked west to the horizon and saw our worst fear. Another maintainer was headed our way, rolling loose rock and sand back across the road. We opted to bypass on a north/ south dirt road, then picking up Clark County F, which took us to the cemetery south of Minneola. Nine out of ten cemetery roads are paved, and luck was with us. This pavement took us to the highway, and we freewheeled with a nice tail wind into Minneola for an ice cream break. After talking with several locals, and observing a film crew shoot locals walking down the sidewalks, we decided to begin the paved section of US 54 towards Fowler. The shoulder is 12 feet wide in most places, so not nearly as bad as the traffic leads you to believe.

Fowler, KS, is a neat town, with a first class pool built during the Work Progress Administration. The center of the round pool is deep, but the outside water is a shallow wading area. Truly unique and probably one of a kind still in use. The signature round rock walls at the entry are done in classic WPA style. Across the street from the park, which also features a first class playground, is a gravel RV parking area that was sitting empty. Maybe when the pandemic is fully over, it will begin filling up. A stop at the cafe in town for enchiladas, tostadas, etc., and we were all feeling fat and sassy. Paul H had set up camp in Meade City Park, 11 miles down the road, and had ridden back to meet us for lunch. It was good to have him out suffering in the wind and heat with the three of us.

The city of Meade allows overnight camping in the City Park. They have clean and well maintained restrooms, as well as a pool, frisbee golf, sand volleyball, and lots of playground equipment. It’s a great overnight stop. Don’t forget to visit the Dalton Gang Hideout, which is truly unique. Sadly, several of the eating establishments in this town seemed to have fallen victim to the COVID shutdowns, and were closed with for sale signs in the windows. One such place is Bob’s Burgers, which we visited in years past and loved.

We packed up at Meade, and drove back to Texas, to begin planning our next adventure. This one was unique for us: using a motor home and leaving tents, cook stoves, and bags behind. It was a good way to allow Paul H to participate with us, and a real eye opening when discovering how hard it can be to maneuver one of these beasts around. It gave me a new respect for sharing the road with all forms of transportation.

Now at home, the fever to ride a section of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is burning brightly in my imagination. I just need to learn how to use bear spray.

Today's ride: 43 miles (69 km)
Total: 154 miles (248 km)

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