Day 58 - ending near Keota, CO - The Great Plains Trail - Sort Of

July 11, 2023

Day 58 - ending near Keota, CO

Day 58 - New Raymer, CO to Keota, CO

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Up at 4:16am. Posted report for 2 days ago and then packed items in the tent. At 7:00am, I rode the empty bike to Pawnee Station Restaurant here in New Raymer for breakfast. Received free ice and purchased packaged food items (mostly candy is what they had) when I left.

I was back at my campsite at 8:04am, and ready to leave at 9:00am. Today I was going to try to make it to Oliver Reservoir State Recreation Area near Kimball, Nebraska. But first, on the way I needed to get to Pawnee Buttes in Pawnee National Grassland to rejoin the Great Plains Trail. I'd ridden from New Raymer to Pawnee Buttes before - in 2013. I checked that journal entry to figure out the routing for today. North on CR-129, which curves into CR-127. Then west on CR-110.

The road was the same as I remembered 10 years ago: crowded with all sorts of specialty trucks for work in gas and oil fields. Also ran into road construction like I did previously. The problem with today's ride was the strong northwest wind. Or maybe it's just because I'm 10 years older. Today was work, especially when I turned west on to CR-110 at 11:35am, into the now west wind. I wasn't very far along that road when I decided I'm going to have to stop at Pawnee Buttes for the night.

By noon, I'd logged 14.3 miles. Shortly after, when I came to a pull-off, I ate a bag of peanuts.

At 2:26pm, I'd finally made it to Grassland Road 685, the mostly uphill road to Pawnee Buttes Trailhead. I had to walk nearly the whole thing, but I see that was also the case 10 years ago.

At last, at the trailhead at 3:13pm. I celebrated by eating a bag of peanuts, drinking most of my ice water, and taking a 10 minute nap on a shaded picnic table.

Next I worked some on picture selection for yesterday. Down in this valley, I have no cell signal, but I did up on the hill. I guess I'll have to do some walking to communicate.

At 5:10pm I ate supper as the wind changed to the north and then died down. There's some hiking trails that lead to overlook areas for the buttes. At 5:55pm I hiked one of those.

Back to working on yesterday's report. I'd sure like to get that posted before I leave here.

I left this morning with two full gallons of water, so I think I have enough for my stay at Oliver Reservoir tomorrow night. I think I have enough food also, though it's mostly candy bars. The other option for tomorrow would be to go to Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, where I know there's a campground, and also restaurants. But going there is not on the GPT. I'll have to figure it out before I leave in the morning.

Jeff

Spent: $13.91 plus $4 (breakfast) + $28.84 (lunch bag items) = $46.75