Day 27: McPherson, KS to Abilene, KS

Day 27: 29 June 2007

McPherson, KS (1490 ft) to Abilene, KS (1155 ft). 
64 Miles.

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Day’s Theme:
Halfway there!!

Weather/Terrain:
Another dreary day in Kansas – cool (60s/low 70s), but humid, headwindy, and on/off rain/drizzle.  We left major roads for most of the day and had country roads – this was good….

How I feel:
Still A-OK.  Being careful to conserve energy, enjoy the ride, and keep my ass as smooth as a baby’s – these are my goals in life at this time………..

Notable Events:
The CCC Riders hit their mileage halfway point today! 


Rider Profile: Bill Reinert, 75, from Chesterbrook, PA.



Bill was born near Allentown, PA, and currently lives in Chesterbrook near Valley Forge, PA.  Bill is a actuary.  I don’t really even know what that is, so, look it up if you need to……
Bill is a veteran of several bike tours, and also enjoys dog sledding, and has a few travels to Pakistan/Tibet in which he did some trekking at over 20,000 ft!  Bill enjoys the Buddhist environment in that area.  Like many CCC Riders, riding “across the USA” has been on Bill’s mind for a while, and, this is his year.
 
Bill quotes a beautiful Buddhist saying “Everything is perfect exactly as it is”.
 

Pictures:
What’s Happening:



This morning’s start was as bad as it gets.  The Rocket and I have gotten in this bad habit of being the “last out”, and, today, that meant heading out into cool, rain threatening conditions….
 
 




One of my fans out there asked “Where do you go?”
This is one answer – The Station in Galva, KS.
Oh I went………..
Then I left……….






Approaching Canton, KS, we noticed these kids had a sense of humor.
I know you can’t see this from this photo, but these freaks had 2 water towers, and labeled one “Hot” and one “Cold”.
Crazy bastards!
 
 




Maybe not the “prettiest” brook I could have shot in the last 3 days, it’s just the one I did.
We rode over a dozen or so of these the last 3 days – tree lined brooks in the middle of these vast fields. 
It seems strange to have these trees and brooks in these areas, but, Rocket informed me that Kansas was heavily wooded BEFORE the land was cleared for farming.
Let me tell you, if all this land was cleared, that would be a lot of firewood!!






Wax on, wax off.
I made it to the halfway point so I celebrated with a little Danielson.
We are halfway through our mileage!! 












We are finally off the big roads and onto some nice roads!!  Little traffic, almost no trucks, minimal cow shit, and the opportunity to ride side by side and “talk”.
This is Gypsum Valley Road, near Gypsum, KS. 
 





Along Gypsum Valley Road.
 





At SAG today, Rocket, Marge Bull, and Christine from AbB and I had a nice little chat.
Christine had to wait for Rocket and I to get there, and finish.  Marge saw us and stopped in! 
Marge is the Gypsum Reporter for the  Lynnsburg Review Record.  She stopped and we told her all about the CCC and she took some statistics and the Rocket’s and my info.  She has lived in Gypsum her whole life.

 




Along Country Club Road.






We finally arrive in Abilene, KS.  Cute little town.
There is a museum here for President Dwight Eisenhower – a few folks went to that and said it was good.