We've found some hills again

June 26: 130 miles from Nickerson, KS, to Eureka, KS

We awoke at the B&B & exotic animal farm before the official breakfast, but the night manager showed us the kitchen so we helped ourselves to fruit and cereal. It's nice to have the healthier stuff, especially when you're eating lots of it.

We needed to get an early start because again the temperature was at record high levels. The high along our route was 103, and it stayed above 95 from 11a until 7p. This heat combined with the humidity made for some very tough riding. We've been very good about staying hydrated, but my big issue comes from sweat and sunscreen dripping into my eyes. You can only wipe so much out before your eyes are very irritated, leaving you blinded, angry, and generally not happy with your ride. Wiping sweat from the eyes is a bit dangerous, too, as you start to swerve on the road.

During the last 25 miles of the ride, I began to have my first bough with insanity. Between my butt and eyes burning I wasn't moving too quickly, and this really drove my frustration to the tipping point. I knew there was a town called Rosalia halfway between where I was and Eureka, and I knew that I needed to take a rest and wash my face a bit. I started yelling out loud, either at my legs, the road, or my bike computer (or a combination of the above): "13 MILES AN HOUR!"; "I'M COMIN', ROSALIA!"

Anyhow, I was very glad to get to Rosalia, where I downed two bottles of water at the cafe. The owners were really cool and chatted for a while, which helped me regain my sanity. They also had a guest book for cyclists or other bikers, in which I found the autograph of one Jack Haar from his ride last year! Seeing something familiar is really a treat.

June 27: 125 miles from Eureka, KS, to Pittsburg, KS

The weather, yet again, was not our ally. It was again over 100 degrees with plenty of humidity, and again over 95 from 11a-7p (this is info is gathered from digital signs in front of banks telling the time and temperature). This experience was pretty similar to that of the previous day, with plenty of eye irritation. I even bought some eye drops later in the day just in case I have this problem again.

We ate a late lunch at a little convenience store/restaurant in the town of Walnut, after a not-too-smart stent of riding during the hottest part of the day. After lunch, Larry and I were both so sleepy that we took a nap right there at the table. The owners were very kind not to wake us. We haven't been getting as much sleep at night because of the long days (spending like 14 hours on the road), and I think that's adding up...along with the whole heat, biking, and food thing. We were rewarded with a Chinese buffet in Pittsburg, though. They were playing 80s music on Satellite radio, which made me like the experience even more. As I began my third plate of food, I needed a bit of help to finish the bounty, and "Heat of the Moment" suddenly came on the radio to drive my jaws on this last challenge of the day; how perfect, as this song is by the band Asia.

Let me move on to some more important business related to homemade pie, though. For breakfast we stopped in Toronto, and couple of Swedish cyclists riding East to West came in as well. They warned us of road construction, but also informed us of a wonderful restaurant called Cooky's in Golden City, Missouri. I made a mental note and went on to the rest of the ride...

June 28: 122 miles from Pittsburg, KS, to Marshfield

The weather was really good today. High was around 85 and the humidity wasn't as bad as the past few. This was really excellent cycling weather and I'm very grateful to have had it.

We left about the same time as a couple of other cyclists from the hotel riding East to West, and they strongly recommended Cooky's in Golden City. Another mental note was made. As we crossed into Missouri, we stopped to take a picture of the welcome sign and a guy yelled out of his truck, "Stop at Cooky's!" Now I was excited for this place.

Cooky's diner is one of the few (if not the only) restaurants in Golden City, and it would certainly put any bakery out of business. They have a large selection of warm and cool pies, and a slice will cost you only $1.75 (plus $1 if you'd like a dallop of ice cream on top). Larry and I each endulged in several pieces: I had a slice of blackberry and a slice of blueberry, followed by a slice of strawberry for dessert. These three slices plus a glass of milk cost a whopping $6.59. You just can't beat that!

As if the awesome weather and pie weren't enough, I also ran into a friend from high school who I knew was riding East to West. Jeff Joyce and 4 of his college buddies (Dave, Pick, Doug, and another guy who apparently can't be trusted to give accurate info, haha) were crossing a construction site at the same time of the evening that we were, so we stopped to talk for a little while. These guys just graduated from JMU and seemed to be enjoying themselves thoroughly. They know every friendly church to stay in, and also every good swimmin' hole from Missouri to the Yorktown terminus. They are keeping a blog, too: zoobikes.blogspot.com, so check out their trip as well.