This morning there were thunderstorms around 3 and 4 am. We could see flickers of lightening through the windows. Fortunately, they had calmed by the time we left shortly after 7am. We watched the dark skies as the storm clouds slowly moved southwards, hesitant about lightening. Fortunately, we were headed north. Because of the storms, the sunrise was a glowing red. The bluer skies to the north opened up into the horizon, scattered with lighter clouds, and with the more omininous dark clouds behind us. This resulted in a beautiful early morning, with the green and yellow hills of Kansas rolling around us.
Our route today would bring us through Steele City, the point at which the XL pipeline "diverges" on many maps. This is a town of about 82, and very sleepy though pleasant enough. We took 77 northwards until going east on 136 (All American Rd? 148?), crossed into Nebraska, and then 8 to Steele City. There is, just across the railroad tracks, a beautiful small stone church with a circular stain glass window, with many multicolored rays. It is dated from the late 1800s (perhaps 1887?). Other than that, there are some houses, a post office and a small park with a few trailers. We ate a little snack here. Getting back on the road, we heard what we thought to be a massive, slow moving truck overtaking us. In fact, it was a train racing along. It looked to be transporting some sort of tanks, and many of them.
Reflecting on Kansas, it was truly beautiful. They must have received decent rain this spring and summer (or so says my dad) as everything appeared quite green. The hills were not nearly so difficult as Oklahoma, and though more rolling than flat, Kansas was far smoother than than its climbing southerly sibling. There was gold and green and grass, cows and crop land, and pasture. The lands seemed to roll on forever, broad and open against the sky. And we were chased by almost no dogs at all! There were many folks with cowboy hats, and genuiene and happy speech.
As we crossed into Nebraska to reach Steele City, so far it has flattened out slightly more. It was a much shorter distance today, only about 55 miles, as we ended in the town of Fairbury. One problem we face is that often lodging, whether a campground or a motel, becomes spread out in distances that we can't always make 80 miles. Sometimes the distance to add one more town bumps things up in the 100 mile range, but otherwise we are left with a shorter distance. However, it looks like through the rest of Nebraska distances should add up to about 80 or so. We will be headed towards Stromsburg tomorrow, then Fullerton and Amelia and Akinson. Although I am looking forward to seeing the infamous Sandhills, I can't deny that I am intimidated to think of more hills!
Once arriving in Fairbury, around 1 or 2 pm, we left the bikes at the Capri motel (for $47 a night after taxes, it is really spectacular by the way!!) and walked the twelve or so blocks to downtown where we had lunch and explored the courthouse and park. Fairbury seems to be a lively town. For me, I was actually very grateful for such a low mileage day. We have biked without a rest day for two weeks now, over 860 miles, and I have been feeling worn out. The smoothness of many of the roads through Kansas helped me to recover some energy, although we are both concerned when the temperatures climb to the upper 90s. I often feel as though Laurel would like to push on and on and not take easier days -- this guess makes me feel stressed and overwhelmed, as my style of biking and my mentality for this ride is focused on seeing the land itself, and certainly not on speed or distance covered per day. I want to keep a good pace, but mostly I want to follow the pipeline and to see things. I would actually be very satisfied with 60 miles per day, which is a wonderfully comfortable distance even if 80 miles now at least feels more manageable at the start. I've never doubted my ability to cover longer distances per day -- but I've also never seen the purpose in self-induced misery and in jeopardizing the journey itself by missing out on the land around you, through things like exhaustion or speed and pressing onwards without pause. To do such things frustrates me, and so I am glad for a chance today to catch up on research ad reading about the pipeline, and perhaps for my body to have at least a little reprieve. Nonetheless, I must express my extreme thankfulness for the health and the safety we have experienced thus, to come so very far. We are half way there, and after reaching Steele City, I will be happy for however further we can get.
I've learned a lot so far and met many interesting people. But much more, my love for this earth has grown. I find my heart attached to the land in all places we have gone, and singing to gaze upon it, diverse and splendid, and to move across its contours.