Day 10: Tour-de-Nebraska Day 1: Kearney to Alma

June 16, 2021

After a 1.5 day rest, I checked in Tuesday afternoon at Kearney High School. Saw a few people I rode with two years ago at the last TDN.

It was 98 degrees, and I was scheduled to stay in a tent for the next five nights, so I wasn’t exactly looking forward to a hot tent. Here is the campground at 9:30pm – still plenty light, and the temp was only down to 91.

I crawled in, set up my sleeping gear and took as much clothing off as I felt was ok with open windows and people walking past while I lay on my sleeping bag. Next thing I remember it was 2am and I had to open the bag and put it over part of me to keep warm.

Daybreak came early at 5:30, and the camp began to break up and pack up. Here’s that picture at 6:15:

Despite being on the road shortly after 7, I wished I had been out earlier. The whole route was south to Alma, but the light headwind that began the day slowly grew into a 15-20mph headwind by 1pm. Add to that the temperature grew to over 100 (by 1pm) and it felt like riding into a blast furnace. It wasn’t hilly, but even the “downhill” sections felt uphill due to the wind.

I got into Alma around 1pm and enjoyed a beer at the hospitality tent before a shower and a potluck dinner put on by a local church.

I learned after arriving, that almost a quarter of the riders had to be picked up and transported in. One planned water station didn't materialize, and with the wind and heat, lots of riders were running out of water and risking heat stroke. One rider stopped at a farmhouse to ask for water - the owner happened to be a doctor, who made him sit in his sprinkler spray for a while before giving him a ride into town.

Long, hot day, and apparently we have friendlier winds tomorrow heading to Red Cloud but possibly a high of 108. We will see!

Today's ride: 56 miles (90 km)
Total: 493 miles (793 km)

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