We got a late start today. This meant we would be riding during the worst of the heat today. There was little cloud cover and the bicycle computer was reading 106 degrees F for most of the day. This temperature would include both the air temperature and reflection from the asphalt roadway. It was hot. It was important to drink as much as possible and get shade whenever. The winds were from the southwest at 10 to 15 mph. It really made for a miserable day.
There were two very helpful liquid recharging places in the middle of day. One was in Rush Center and the other at a rest stop just west of Alexander. However I was beat. By the time we got to Ness City, KS the heat was getting to me. I needed to stop.
We found a place to stay called the Derrick Inn. The place looked run down from the outside and was in the process of being refurbished. It still needed a lot of work but a hotel room with two beds, AC, a shower, and to be out of the sun for $60 was worth it. In the 1980s the Derrick Inn was probably the place to be. There was an indoor pool and hot tub and all rooms faced into a very spacious courtyard. Courtenay the manager was very accommodating to us and her husband told us of the best place to eat. It was Louie’s Bar and Grill. It was more than basic bar food and beer.
This part of Kansas is very flat. We have now passed the 100th meridian. It is at approximately this point where west of the 100th meridian it is dry and the landscape appears flat. Cropland changes to pastureland and cattle feed lots are present. The annual precipitation is 5 to 10 inches per year with low humidity. Whereas east of the 100th meridian the the land has some hills. Crops of wheat, soybeans and corn dominant. There is 20 to 30 inches of rain per year and the air is more humid.
Interestingly, Kansas is not all flat. There is over a 2400 foot elevation gain from the Kansas/Missouri border to the Kansas/Colorado border. We are now over 3000 feet in elevation and will stay this high until we hit Idaho.
Today’s stats: total mileage 63.34 miles, average speed 12.5 mph, elevation gain 525 feet, elevation loss 328 feet, maximum speed 20.4 mph.