Sunday, September 30, from La Junta to Lamar.
Yesterday, the University of Iowa Hawkeyes beat Minnesota, 31-13, reclaiming the Floyd of Rosedale Trophy. This afternoon, the Denver Broncos defense showed up, and the Broncos trounced the Raiders, 37-6. You can hear the cheering from here. And in between those games, we rode from La Junta to Lamar. Tomorrow we roll from Lamar CO to Garden City KS. Here is our trip across Colorado, outlined on the weather map from today's edition of Chieftain and Star-Journal, published in Pueblo:
Our route across Colorado.
We detoured up to Denver, via The Little Darkness.
(Pagosa Springs location is approximate.)
Today we rode east on Colorado State Highway 50, part of the Historic Santa Fe Trail, for a quick 57 mile run from La Junta to Lamar CO.
Colorado State Highway 50, east of La Junta.
(Photos by Rod Riley)
Once again, Jody rode from the hotel and Rod ran me down the road ahead of him. Jody had a good morning, and caught me quicker than yesterday. Blew by me like I was riding a tricycle. (Today, at least, it wasn't like I was standing still . . . quite!) He waited for me in Las Animas, right after we passed the rodeo, where they were calling the Junior Girls Barrel Racing Competition:
Rodeo at the Bent County Fairgrounds.
Then we had the great pleasure of riding together for awhile. I'm faster on The Flying Fish than I was on The Fish, and Jody was willing to ride a little slower for awhile. I really liked riding with Jody, but couldn't match his acceleration when he was ready to get going again. Stronger every day, but not fast enough. Yet.
Jody and Janie, rolling east on Colorado State Highway 50.
I rode about 40 miles again today. Thought I'd have 50, but it wasn't to be. Once again, legs and lungs willing. Feet cramping a problem. (I wanted to ride through it, really I did. But I kept hearing Joe's voice in the back of my head: 'Lots of miles left to ride. Get off the bike.' So get off the bike I did.)
Rod has suggested that I change shoes, trying something with a stiffer sole. I'm happy to have any excuse to go shoe shopping - although those of you who know me know that they're all flats. Sparkly black for Rachel's wedding; something stiffer for the bike. And new shifters tomorrow, too, we hope.
I'll be sad to roll out of Colorado tomorrow. I've missed being here. I'm going to miss it again when we leave tomorrow. The plains of Southern Colorado are beautiful. The road has been straight, but there has been plenty to see along the way. I hope Kansas is as kind to the eyes. I'll leave you with this image, from the Southern Colorado roadside.
Sunflowers, along Colorado State Highway 50.
The members of the first exploring party, crossing the plains to Utah, scattered sunflower seeds as they went. The next summer, when the long trains of wagons came through with all the women and children, they had a sunflower trail to follow. I believe that botanists do not confirm Jake's story, but insist that the sunflower was native to those plains. Nevertheless, that legend has stuck in my mind, and sunflower-bordered roads always seem to me the roads to freedom.
~Willa Cather, My Antonia
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