BAK Director's Report: June 10
The day started at about 5:15 after a restless night.
I guess I was ready to get this event started and it seemed like I was awake every hour
all night. After a quick shower and a cup of coffee I was on my way to the start west of
Johnson City. The temperature was even lower than expected and was a very chilly 50 degrees
with slightly overcast sky. And of course we were experiencing a gentle breeze from the east.
You know that the prevailing winds in Kansas, one of the windiest places in the United States,
are from the southwest except during the week of Biking Across Kansas.
In the school at Johnson City the Rotary served pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee
for $3.00 each for adults and $2.00 for children--all you could eat. The gear was placed
into the truck and off to the state line for the start.
The start was a promptly at 8:30 as posted, but because of the
temperature, many people left the start early, and of course there were those that rode
to the start on Friday, so they continued from Johnson City and didn't go to the
start this morning. As usual, the picture taking at the state line took much time
as each group had to have their pose. I watched one rider with six cameras taking
one picture with each camera, I suppose the cameras belonged to six different riders.
The group went swiftly, as they only had to go a few miles to lunch in Ulysses.
Many of us ate at the Peddlers Inn. After lunch we stopped at the Historical
Museum and experienced some quite interesting displays. For instance, they had the
usual period room displays. But these were different in that you were allowed to
enter the rooms and touch the items if you desired. Back with the auto displays
was a restored tanker--I thought wouldn't that be nice to deliver water to the
SAG or support vehicles along the way. Another thing of interest was that I
stopped for Gasoline at the Millers Station where they fueled, washed windows
and checked oil as standard service, much like "service" stations used to be.
This afternoon we only went about 30 miles, but along the way we had the
unpleasant experience to pass several "feed lots" where cattle are fattened
for market and are rather smelly. But we also passed miles of wheat fields
this year suffering from the excess moisture of this past season. Harvest
usually happens within a week or two of now, but this year they are saying
that the wheat may not be worth harvesting.
Our evening stop is Sublette this evening for the Bodacious Route.
A small county seat of 1,414 Inhabitants in Haskell County.
They sky started to cloud up as I approached the city and a few drops of rain fell.
The question for the riders tonight is do we sleep in the gym or take a chance
on rain outside...
Larry Christie, Director
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