July 2, 2006
Day 31: Sterling, KS to Larned, KS
56.45 Miles, 4:53:58 Ride Time, 11.69 Average Speed, 21.10 Maximum Speed
I made an early escape from my tiny, tiny room, and despite the early hour, still fought a headwind as I rode south to get back on the route. The winds were starting to get me down.
Nothing had been open in Sterling this early on a Sunday morning, so I left without eating breakfast, and without buying any snacks... this would prove to be a pretty big mistake later in the day.
The back roads were even quieter than usual on this early Sunday morning. I finally saw my first field of sunflowers in Kansas, and spent a few minutes taking pictures. Last night at Paddy's restaurant, the owner had told me that the sunflower season was over, and that I might not see any. As it turned out, I would see an occasional stray sunflower the next several days, but this was the only large field of them that I would encounter.
The sky was overcast, and it was fairly cool as I rode toward Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. When I reached the boundary of the Refuge after about 18 miles, traffic on the already quiet road had completely disappeared, and I decided it would be safe to try listening to my iPod while riding - something I hadn't done on the trip so far. I tried it for 20 minutes or so, but it never felt comfortable, so I finally put it back in my handlebar bag. (Bringing the iPod and its 10,000 songs hasn't been a complete waste of time, since I often listen to it once I've stopped for the day).
The landscape in Quivira was different, although subtly so. It was still flat, but I saw several marshy areas for the first time in days. I stopped at one of the visitor information signs, where I learned that the area was home for over 350 different species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. While I was taking the break, I realized I didn't have any food with me at all - just a few power gels. I had forgotten that I had eaten the last of the granola bars yesterday. It was still 30+ miles to Larned, my destination for the day, and the next town on the route with any services. In hindsight, it would have been wiser to have done some grocery shopping yesterday evening instead of watching tv in my room.
There was nothing to do but ride on, so that's what I did. I met a couple of eastbound cyclists, Michael and Devon, who had been on the road for about the same length of time as me. I briefly considered asking them if they could spare a candy bar or something, but at this point my pride was stronger than my hunger.
Several miles later, I stopped at a church to check my maps to see if there were any towns off-route that might have a store. Hudson was about four miles off the route, and was supposed to have a restaurant. I thought about it for a few minutes, but I didn't like the idea of riding eight miles (round trip) in search of a restaurant that might not even be open.
By the time I crossed US 281 several miles later, it was noon, and the sun had finally come out. My map showed that Seward (pop. 63) was only a mile off the route, and was supposed to have a restaurant. I quickly rode the mile north (with the tailwind I'd had everytime I headed north the last few days), and was bitterly disappointed to find... nothing. Even the pavement ended.
I rode with some difficulty on the sandy road (it would have been impossible with skinny road tires; my touring tires are at least barely able to navigate dirt roads) past a few houses until I saw a couple in a pickup truck talking to a man in front of one of the houses. I asked about the restaurant, and they verified it was closed. I asked if they could spare some water (despite being pretty weak at this point, I just couldn't bring myself to ask if they had any food), and luckily for me, they asked if I needed anything else. That was my opening - "Well, I could use a candy bar or something - if it's not a problem."
The man, who introduced himself as Chuck Crump, led me to a garage in his back yard, and told me to get some cold water out of the refrigerator there, and to help myself to a candy bar. While I was talking to him, the couple in the truck came by with a cold pepsi and some cheese and crackers. They were Tony and Rosie Urban. I sat and talked to them for about 20 minutes while I ate, grateful for their help, but resolving not to let myself get in this situation again.
I felt much better as I rode out of Seward to get back on the route. The 20 or so miles to Larned on SR 19 went by quickly. I really liked the looks of Larned (pop. 4,236). The wide (typical of even the smallest towns I had seen in Kansas) downtown streets seemed to be thriving; I didn't see shuttered businesses or decrepit houses, as I had in some other small towns in Kansas. Rosie Urban had told me that the motels were on the north end of town, and I had no problem finding them. The Best Western was the obvious choice of the two, and, while it might just have been my much-improved mood or the contrast with yesterday's tiny room in Sterling, I found myself almost ridiculously pleased with my room.
I walked several blocks south to a Dillon's supermarket to load up on food that I could carry with me the next several days. On my way back to my room I saw a young couple riding loaded bikes, and stopped to talk to them for a few minutes. They were riding east (of course - I never seem to meet anyone going my direction), and were stopping in Larned for the day. They were camping, and I felt the usual mixture of relief that I could afford to stay in motels every night, mild guilt that I was staying in motels instead of camping, and regret that I was doing this trip alone.
I stopped at a Subway near my motel to get a sandwich, and ate a ridiculous amount of food in my room - chocolate milk, diet pepsi, the Subway sandwich, chips, an entire box of Little Debbie cakes, etc. I read the Sunday paper, whose front page featured a story about the decline in population in the rural counties I had been riding through the last few days.
Later, near dusk, it had gotten cooler, so I walked around Larned some more, and stopped at Wendy's for a chicken sandwich and fries. I went to bed fairly early (my appetite for television having been satisfied last night in Sterling), after making plans to get to Ness City tomorrow.
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Today's ride: 56 miles (90 km)
Total: 1,991 miles (3,204 km)
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