Day 23 - ending at Medicine Lodge, KS - Tri-points on the Tri-speed

June 5, 2013

Day 23 - ending at Medicine Lodge, KS

Posted via email Wed Jun 5 21:08:02 2013 PDT

I got into my sleeping bag about 11:30pm last night, but my sound sleep didn't last. Loud thunder woke me at 1:35am. Checked the weather radar with the BlackBerry and was alarmed with what I saw. Turned on my weather radio, and that wasn't sounding good either - winds to sixty miles-per-hour and nickel-sized hail. Please, not a repeat of last night - or worse! I got dressed and rolled up the sleeping bag. Decided I might as well put some of the gear in the shower house/restrooms to give me more space to hold up the tent. Soon, I had everything - less the tent inside. Then I thought, "Why not the tent too?" So I got that down also.

At 2:20am, I was enjoyed the lightning show while waiting for the worst to get here (which was at 2:35am). It wasn't quite as bad as I feared, but still a good storm to be inside for. It calmed down to mostly just rain, which was going to be here for a while. Now what to do - stand here all night? Decided to unroll my sleeping pad and sleep on the floor (which was very clean - the place had just been repainted). So I got a couple hours sleep, until I woke up at 6:07am.

Just before I was done loading the bike, the place got busy - high schoolers gathering to run around the lake, and a park officer. The officer said the lake went dry due to the drought and fracking. He also said they discovered there had been a large population of good-sized flathead in the lake. Apparently, no one knew this, so no one fished for them. The officer was sure that someday the lake would once again have water.

I moved the bike over to the pavilion, since more rain was expected. Ate some cookies and called my wife to hear the latest home news. The rain was moving south, so I left at 8:51am. The plan today was to go north on KS-2, then west on US-160 to Medicine Lodge, where I'd get a motel room - I needed a good night's rest.

The wind was from the NNE today, which made the first five miles slow-going. Passed a cemetery with no monuments or markers - just a fence.

Turned onto US-160 at 9:57am and made better time. Arrived at the 'Dinner Bell' in Attica at 11:25am. It's a small place open from 11:00am to 2:00pm. All the tables had folks sitting at them. A fellow offered that I could sit at his table. He didn't talk much after that, except to answer railroad questions put to him by another diner. Ordered the special (Pan Fried Chicken Breast Dinner) with lemonade and chocolate sheet cake for dessert. I stopped next at 'Dark's Landing' gas station for more on-the-road snacks.

Continuing west, at 1:15pm, I believe the cold front blew by, because it got colder and breezy all of a sudden. Stopped at the city park in Sharon at 2:12pm for a quick nap. Left at 2:55pm. Just after 3:00pm, it got warmer as the sun tried to come out.

Arrived at Medicine Lodge at 4:15pm. Stopped at the COPA Budget Inn, and got room #168. Unloaded bike and checked - no broken spokes today! Took shower. Walked over (next door) to the Medicine River Truck Stop for supper (chicken fried steak dinner). Got a free cup of coffee to take back to my room. On the way back I noticed most all the pickup trucks around here are white, and splattered with rust-red mud. Also, all the older men are wearing cowboy hats.

A sign I saw on the way into town said "Welcome to the Gateway of the Gypsum Hills". I wonder if that means hills tomorrow.

Time for that good night's sleep (after I watch the Weather Channel).

Jeff

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Spent: $11.80 plus $2 (lunch) + $3.20 (snacks) + $60.39 plus $5 (motel) + $12.43 plus $2.25 (supper) = $97.07.

Day 23 - Anthony, KS to Medicine Lodge, KS

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