Day 9 - ending at Lindsborg, KS - Diversion into Kansas

August 22, 2016

Day 9 - ending at Lindsborg, KS

Posted via email Tue Aug 23 12:57:02 2016 PDT

Determined to get an earlier start, I was up at 3:30am. Worked on report until breakfast, which was at 8:00am. Earlier, about 6:40am, I got to see the fish going after their breakfast of dog food.

Tire inspection revealed one thorn in each tire. Next I worked on fixing the connection on the generator. As designed, the stripped end of a wire is supposed to go through the spring-loaded connector. I hadn't connected that way, instead I had used a push-on terminal. This morning I inserted a short length of 12-gauge solid wire into the connector, and pushed my terminal onto that. I'll ride with the generator engaged today, and will be able to tell if it's working this evening.

One other issue bugging me was the brake arm clip (bracket strap). My clip should be one hole tighter to keep the arm from moving. The clip is too heavy-duty to bend with the tools I have with me. So instead, I jammed my quarter-inch nut driver attachment into the space between the screw and the chain stay. No more brake arm movement, I hope.

Left the camping area at 10:05am, riding back to 500 Avenue, for a ride west along the north side of Lake Herington. Four more miles after that, and one mile north on Oat Road, brought me to KS-4, at 11:01am. Eighteen miles straight west now to my next waypoint.

No shoulder to speak of on this highway, but not much traffic, either. At 11:36am, I came to Ashton Cemetery, a nice spot for a break. Gave my wife a call, since it was a good time to catch her. Ready to get back at it at 11:55am. Close enough for recording the noon mileage: 9.3 miles.

My destination today was the city park in Marquette, but I was now thinking the park at the south side of Lindsborg, to have an early-evening arrival time, rather than a late-evening one.

As I went up and down hills, I thought about how flat a straight-line road looks on a map. There was nothing too bad, however, and I passed by Elmo at 12:42pm.

At 1:09pm, I was south of Carlton where there is a marker for the Chisholm Trail. Just a little ways later, I stopped for a break at the intersection with Deer Road. I ate the last of the snack bars my friend Jim and his wife Dianne had sent along with me. I was dreading opening the wrapper, because I expected a gooey mess, after all this time squished in my front bag in the heat, but it was in great shape.

I was listening to farm reports on my radio, and later music on KABI-AM, when I arrived where KS-4 turns north. To continue straight west, you get on Assaria Road. It was my plan to take this road west, but if it is all like what I was seeing here, it was going to be work. I decided to stay on KS-4 for a fun ride north, due to the south wind. KS-4 curved a mile west, then north for another mile. I hadn't initially noticed that second mile north. Enough of going in the opposite direction, Jeff, get back on route! So I headed west on Tinkler for a mile, then back south on Kipp for another mile, this one slowly into the wind.

I was back at Assaria Road now, at 3:15pm. Let's do this! My inspiration was seeing what the view would be at the top of each new hill. One view surprised me. I saw ridges, looking like mini mountains, on the horizon to the southwest. The horizon had always been flat before.

At 4:47pm, I was in Assaria, and met back up at 4:59pm with what used to be KS-4. Present KS-4 is now routed with I-135 west of here. I turned south. Wow! That south wind is really making this work! Perfectly flat road. Five miles per hour!

Where I went under the overpass for I-135 is where present KS-4 departed the freeway. The highway was now southwest. A little better - 6.5 mph.

A long overpass brought me into Lindsborg at 6:35pm. There's a Pizza Hut ahead. That sounds good before I go to the camping park. A small size pizza wouldn't be over-doing it, would it? All but two slices and two root beers was my supper.

I had been seated where I could see the Viking Motel next door. The more I looked at it, the less I wanted to camp. I asked for a leftovers box for my two uneaten slices of pizza (I bet rooms over there have refrigerators), and walked across the parking lot to the motel.

So here I am, Viking Motel, room 121. A shower first. Then check the bike's battery: 12.7 volts. The generator is working again! Plugged in the radio and the smartphone to AC-charge, then microwaved my last two slices of pizza for a snack.

A long-mileage day tomorrow, and no report-writing started yet. How am I going to make this work? Anyway, I'm too tired to think right now. I'll set the alarm for 4:20am, and figure it all out in the morning.

Jeff

Spent: $10.93 plus $3 (supper) + $57.74 plus $5 (motel) = $76.67.

Day 9 - Herington, KS to Lindsborg, KS

Heart

Comment

Link

+ plus signs indicate pictures added after returning home from the trip +