September 9, 2019
Day 2, a day late, No WIFI in the motel in Stafford
Crosswinds and rain
I was actually able to get out of bed the next morning in Kinsley, although with more than the usual number of moans and groans. After getting up and awake, I moved the bike out of the room and noticed it was sprinkling. Not a good sign. After resorting and repacking, I hopped on the bike and rode to the other end of town for breakfast. After returning to the motel and looking at the weather radar, which did not tell me much, I finally decided to head out about 9:45. I could see rain storms off to the south and to the west. Since the storms trend from SW to NE, I kept an eye on the storms to the south.. Before leaving Kinsley, I stopped and put the rain covers on the under seat panniers........just in case. About 9 miles out of town, it started sprinkling, and then got a bit more serious.
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I stopped to put on my rain jacket, and continued on. The sprinkling was "off-n-on" for several miles, and then stopped. The storm I had been watching was moving east faster than I was, so, I slowed down so as not to run under it. About 17 miles out, the storm either stalled or turned around. I ran up under the rain and got good and soaked. I was a bit more than a mile from Bellpre, and turned off when I got there. I found shelter for myself and my ride at the Alliance AG & Grain Coop. The bike got parked under the awning over the gas pumps and I hid in the garage of the coop building.......after checking in with the guys there. Having gotten soaked, I declined the offer of the fellows at the coop to come in and sit down inside. One of them offered me a cup of coffee while I waited, and it was a generous offer that hit the spot. 45 minutes later, I was dry enough to go inside and visit with the guys at the coop. Like everyone, they were curious about where I was from, where I was headed and how far I had ridden. Always interesting to visit with folks who are genuinely curious.
After about 90 minutes, the rain stopped and the roads were dry enough for me to continue on.
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The crosswinds continued. After checking in at the motel in Stafford, I discovered the WIFI did not work. I could log on, but as soon as I made any attempt to get on the internet, the signal would cut. Very frustrating. After getting a nice breakfast meal for my late lunch, I got cleaned up and went to bed early (7:00pm) and slept in to make up for it. I am doing this update at the McDonalds in Hutchinson. Had to look on the TV to see what the weatherguessers had to say. In the news, there was quite a bit of talk about the Kansas State Fair being underway here in Hutchinson. That can mean crowds and not-so-easy to get motel rooms. I got an early start out of Stafford (7:30am) and got to Hutchinson at 10:30, I am gonna head on out for Newton in a bit......just another 35 miles or so.
Today's ride: 48 miles (77 km)
Total: 111 miles (179 km)
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