Day 49 Holyoke CO to Sterling CO

June 29, 2023

Nighttime has been very exciting in these parts. We woke up to a major hail and thunderstorm again very late last night with hail up to 3” wide. The alarm went off so we checked our phones to make sure it wasn’t a tornado warning. It went on for about 30 minutes. Pretty terrifying sound on a metal trailer. Even Henry was alarmed and he is a deep sleeper. I went back to sleep and had very vivid dreams.

Morning was calm. We assessed the damage. One of the ceiling vents had a couple holes in it and will need to be replaced today. There are numerous other issues that need to be addressed soon and both car and truck got hammered. Peter spent a lot of time on the phone with the insurance agency. So it was a somewhat late start.

The first half of the ride was some form or other of headwind drudgery. Then there was a crosswind. The road remained flat and monotonous for the first thirty seven miles. In the first town I saw a truck filling up.

I stopped in the Haxton grocery store and noticed this as I was leaving:

Does this come from cotton plants or those pesky things from cottonwood trees?

The town of Fleming had an unusual water tower.

Is that crown of poles with wires to the ground for stability???

Aftet Fleming, the vista became more expansive. The road finally became rolling and the best part- the last ten miles into Sterling was downhill!

I rode about three more miles to get to the campground west of Sterling. The skies are looking ominous again. There’s a tornado watch until 9pm. Fingers crossed.

Today's ride: 54 miles (87 km)
Total: 1,927 miles (3,101 km)

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Ed SpeareThere has been a lot of heavy weather in Colorado with some truly viscious hail storms. Had some small hail here two weeks ago, but no damage. Picking cucumbers and cherry tomatoes from our garden, really tasty! Are you settled for the 4th or pressing on?
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