June 28, 2008
Day 47: Wabash, IN to Thrasher Woods Campground (Near Monon, IN)
69.21 miles, 6:22:10 Ride Time, 10.86 Average Speed, 24.64 Maximum Speed
It was cloudy and windy when I rode out at 10:00, after eating some of the cookies Joy had brought me yesterday for breakfast. I hadn't slept well - the massive hunk of peanut butter pie yesterday at dinner had tested the limits of my cast-iron stomach.
I found my way out of Wabash easily, after stopping to take more pictures of the Modoc mural. Somebody should make that story into a movie. Soon after getting back into the countryside, it began to rain, and I rode in it for about an hour. By the time I got to Denver (pop. 541), for a chocolate milk break, the sun was out and it was hot.
After Denver, I started a thirty mile section through flat farmland that would be the slowest riding I had done on the trip so far. This was definitely the strongest headwind I've ridden in since Wyoming a couple of years ago. I'd like to know just strong it was. After Fletcher (no stores, no pop machines, nothing), I rode for a while on gravel. I never determined if this was actually on the route - the map said to turn on 950S, so that's what I did, even though it's always disconcerting to switch to gravel. After about two miles of that, I flagged down a car, and the helpful couple confirmed I was heading in the right direction.
More slow miles of (now paved) narrow, almost traffic-free country roads. I stopped briefly at a junky-looking place (very rare for this neat area), where the owner had spray painted on a barn the following message: "Fulton, County of Thieves. Kiss My Ass. Robbed [four] Times and Counting." I'm not sure of the wisdom of announcing to the world that you're such an easy mark - it seems like asking for trouble. I left quickly, after taking a picture, but without stealing any of the rusty junk in the yard.
Several miles later, I was almost out of water, when a nice lady, Frances, called out from her yard to ask if I was thirsty. She invited me in, where I met her daughter, Paula, and her friend, Dolly. The ice-cold Cokes and brownies were what I needed to continue on to the next town, and the conversation cheered me up on a difficult day.
Thanks, Frances, Paula and Dolly!
It seemed to take forever to get to Buffalo (pop. 672), where I stopped and drank a quart of chocolate milk. I finally arrived at the campground near Monon at about 7:00. The campground was predictably busy and noisy on a Saturday night, so, after meeting Jordan Akselrad, another touring cyclist camping there, I moved to a more remote part of the campground, which although quieter, proved to be buggy.
I got to sleep around 10:00, after being awakened a few times by some juvenile delinquents setting off firecrackers nearby. Damn Kids!
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Today's ride: 69 miles (111 km)
Total: 3,403 miles (5,477 km)
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