Day 36 - ending near Sterling, CO - Tri-points on the Tri-speed

June 18, 2013

Day 36 - ending near Sterling, CO

Posted via email Wed Jun 19 12:21:01 2013 PDT

There was a storm last night at 3:00am that lasted for about an hour. I went ahead and got dressed for it, but wouldn't of had to. Back to bed, then up at 6:30am. This was going to be a late-start day, since I still had yesterday's report to do, and two spokes needed to be replaced. I got that done, and the bike packed - ready to leave at 10:18am.

Rode back toward town for breakfast. The Bar Lo Cafe was open, though it was hard to tell at first. The menu listed a "1, 1, & 1" as "one egg, one pancake, and one sausage". I wanted double that. The waitress said I wanted a "2, 2, & 2" (which wasn't on the menu). Also had an orange juice and coffee. The firehouse siren went off while I was eating (emergency call), and I heard how Haxtun tests its siren four times a day - at 7:00am, noon, 1:00pm, and 6:00pm.

Left Bar Lo Cafe full at 11:15am. A sunny day with a south wind. Great shoulder on US-6 as I headed west, hoping to make it to North Sterling State Park before the storms that seem to arrive every evening.

Talked on the cell phone (while riding) to my wife and my father-in-law. Before I knew it, I was passing Dailey (at 11:49am). Arrived in Fleming at 12:31pm. Fleming has a very nice park for camping on the west side of town, next to their water tower. I stopped there for a break, and some colder water from their faucet.

Back on US-6 at 1:00pm. Arrived at my planned turn north on CR-61 at 2:21pm. This was a gravel road until I passed under I-76. Nearer the South Platte River, I began seeing irrigation ditches.

I made it to Iliff at 3:34pm. Decided to eat at the Iliff Grill ahead, and once I had the menu in my hands, decided to have what I had for breakfast again (minus one sausage and the orange juice). The menu had a write-up about the town. James Michener spent a lot of time in and near Iliff researching for his book "Centennial". While I sat there enjoying my lunch, a young girl came in asking what she could get for three quarters. Apparently, a lot at this place. She settled on an ice cream cone. The fellow who took my order and made my breakfast set down in front of me a glass of orange juice, saying it was "on the house." I was full by the time I was finished (at 4:25pm).

Rode north through town past a water pump set at the middle of an intersection. Continued on to a bridge on the west edge of town. Approximately ten miles to go, straight west on CR-46, but it was looking stormy. Stopped to check the BlackBerry radar against what I was seeing. A large storm to the southwest, a smaller one to the northwest, and an opening in-between. I decided to wait at the bridge awhile to see how things developed. At 5:11pm, the gap straight west was still there, so I decided to go for it.

Five miles to go at 5:45pm - still looking OK. Five minutes later I noticed that I was feeling the road surface more than usual. The rear tire was going flat! Walked over to a nearby farm lane on the south side of the road to unload the bike. Got the tire off and felt a thorn sticking through on the inside. It broke off before I had a chance to locate it. Was starting to look for the hole in the tube when I noticed the storm to the south was beginning to get closer. Maybe I'd better just get a new tube in this tire and get going. The storm was blowing up areas of dust, and some were getting closer. One dust cloud was turning into what looked like a tornado. I just got the tire back on the rim when a dust cloud headed my way. I threw the bike on its side and laid down on the wheel and the gear, which was close to blowing away. I tucked my head down and waited it out. It was an awesome experience. Where I was at was a little protected from the wind, though I didn't realize it at the time. Still, sand got everywhere - even inside empty butterscotch candy wrappers I had inside my shirt pocket (I discovered later)!

Time passed, the storm moved on to the east some, and I got back to work. Got the tire pumped up the rest of the way, and the wheel back on. Had to wipe dust off the axle nuts and the shift rod before putting them back. The shifter wasn't working right - wouldn't move to low gear. Took it apart, as much as I could. Full of sand. Got it working, but the nice "click-click feel" is gone.

Finally, at 8:00pm, I was ready to ride the last 4.5 miles - with a tailwind! The west was clear now - just one little cloud above me moving west. The cloud above kept getting darker as I went, and was thundering when I arrived at North Sterling State Park at 8:35pm. Took shelter from the lightning under a roof overhang at the park check-in building. The bike and I just fit. It started raining hard. Water off the roof was hitting the bike's water jugs, but most of the cargo stayed dry. The tops of my boots and the lower front of my pants legs got quite wet, however, from the roof run-off splatter.

The rain cloud moved on and at 9:05pm I went over to the self-pay station. Grabbed a pay envelope and took off to find a site. Checked out the campground with electric service (Inlet Grove). Sites here wouldn't work for me, since the outlet box was too far away from where I could set up the tent. So, I picked a site (#77) in the non-electric campground (Chimney View), and filled out the pay envelope. Went and deposited that, and was ready to get camping at 10:04pm. Tent was up and loaded by 10:45pm. Lightning shows to the north and southwest. Wind's picking up. I'm going to bed and not let anything get me up.

Jeff

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Spent: $14.10 plus $3 (breakfast) + $5 plus $3 (lunch) + $7 (park pass) + $16 (campsite) = $48.10.

Day 36 - Haxtun, CO to Sterling, CO

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