I got up at 6:00 in order to avoid the wind and heat, which proved only somewhat effective, since the headwinds were still blowing, just not as hard. Still, my early start let me get the hell out of Newton before the rednecks started cruising the streets. From there it was an east ride to Buhler, which turned out to be a fantastic little town full of friendly people. After a night in Newton (the town that put the ass in... uh, in Kansass), Buhler was just the medicine I needed.
I did get a kick out of this sign, which was about 8 miles before Buhler (a town of 1300 people). I mean, why advertise? And why advertise at that spot?
It was another sweltering day, and services were few and far between. I passed through more rolling farmland and huge ranches. I think this is corn, but I live in New York, so how the hell would I know? The pipes are a mobile irrigation system. I wish I had one.
Some of the mirages out here in Kansas look freakishly realistic.
Here's a picture of flowers from -- I don't really know. I was almost out of water at this point and was starting to get loopy. A cafe that I planned on visiting was closed, leaving me semi-stranded on a desolate stretch of highway.
I found a church with an outside faucet and filled up my water bottles, then dropped in some water tablets. The tablets take 30 minutes to kill all the bacteria, so I had to struggle on for a while before I could drink. I did manage to find a bit of shade -- a rare commodity in this part of Kansas. I still ran out of water, but I eventually found a farmhouse and asked (begged) for water.
During that final stretch into Larned I started having problems. My rear wheel had developed a slow leak -- my first flat of the trip -- but since I was a bit delirious and dehydrated, I chose to pump it up every few miles rather than changing the tube out in the heat.
An exciting companion on the asphault. I took a wide path around this guy.
I finally limped into Larned, dehydrated and drained of energy, having ridden 113 miles -- 12 hours on the bike. Pedaling down Larned's main street, I spied an inspirational message from God himself.
AMEN, brother! I know this now.
I washed up and had a steak at one of those restaurants that offers a 72-ounce steak free to anyone who can eat the whole thing. I opted for a small ribeye.
Larned, I should mention, smells like total ass. Well, not ass exactly, but something closely related to ass, if you know what I mean. Think about it.
I mean cow crap, in case you're still wondering.
Moving on... Huge feedlots neighbor the town, and the wind carries the stench to my hotel. I hid in my hotel, unwilling to leave even for ice. It smelled that bad. I did some maintenance on my bike, including changing my flat tire. I tightened a loose spoke, which I suspect was the cause of the puncture, then fell asleep.