The hot weather continued today, but the BAK riders persevered and completed their mileage, some even doing additional miles.

People are getting to know each other at this point and there's a real sense of community here. An observation by a local official from Norton was that she hadn't seen any other group participating in an event that was so friendly and trusting of each other.

Tomorrow the B route rides to Mankato, the A route goes to Downs and the K riders end up in Beloit. Tomorrow will mark the half-way point of the ride.


See the photos from todays ride

Report from "A" Route Director, Sherry McKee

Sherry McKee reporting from the "A" route of BAK 2000. Mother Nature has tested us from the very beginning of this trip. On our way out to the Colorado State line on Friday, the 50-mile hour winds made driving the big luggage trucks almost impossible. But we made it, and the winds let up only a little for the start of the big ride on Saturday. Local citizens in Goodland volunteered cleaned up and sanitized cattle trucks to haul riders 17 miles to the state line for the start on Saturday. Temperatures were fair and spirits were high. The wind blew like crazy, but the riders pressed on to Colby where we were greeted by an employee of Gambino’s standing on the curbside spraying us with a hose as we pulled in to town.

Sunday’s temperature rose to 100 according to the riders’ bicycle computers as we rolled into Norton after a 76-mile day. The wind seemed to change directions five times that day. The townspeople of Norton were ready for us and had free postcards and packets of information at their beautiful air-conditioned school. The local newspaper, courtesy of Dick and Larry Boyd, had a big front-page article about BAK and complimentary papers were also left at the school for everyone.

Today, Monday was especially pretty with the ride east out of Norton and then turning northeast towards Alemena and Long Island. Deer were spotted jumping crossing the road and standing off in the distance watching some riders pedal onward. The southerly wind was at our backs for the first part of our journey. Then we began to see some more challenging terrain as we pressed eastward past Woodruff and to our final overnight destination of Phillipsburg. The last 17 miles before reaching Phillipsburg certainly were challenging as we encountered hilly terrain accompanied by even stronger headwinds. We were greeted at the Phillipsburg Port of Entry by the American Red Cross volunteers with ice cold Gatorade, lemonade, water, and huge homemade cookies. This warm greeting helped make the last few miles into town more bearable in the 101-degree heat. Once again, Phillipsburg "put on the dog" for BAK, as they have done in the past. Their warm welcome has been well received by the bicyclists.

Day number three of BAK 2000 is now history. More later.