It was a full 100 mile ride, on a day I would later find out hit 107 F (in the shade). The distance was more out of necessity than out of determination. Just after noon I made it to Nickerson. The next 58 miles had no services on route. The closest place to get food and water turned out to be Mom’s Bar & Grill, 40 miles from where I ate lunch.
The restaurant was only a mile off route, but the town sure didn’t seem like there’d be a restaurant there. The last quarter mile was a road with portions of sand as deep as maybe an inch. It was unridable, pickup trucks only. Out of the town of 63, I’d say I saw 30 of them during my time there.
The Bar & Grill was my rescue from the heat. The 40 miles to get there were brutal, and I was low on water. Thirty miles in, I came across an artesian well. Before this I had planned to jump into a creek or run across a sprinkler watering some crops. Neither could be found, the land was barren (explaining why nothing could be found out here).
The well felt like the spring of eternal life. Fifty-four degree water will make you feel that way on a 100+ degree day. A couple had seen me practically bathing in the water so they stopped and handed me a bottle of water. When they found out I was riding cross country the woman gave me the one she’d been drinking (germs were the least of my worries).
I can’t say enough good about the Kansans. One of the days when I had a flat, two separate Kansans pulled up to offer help. Today’s roadside water delivery put them over the top.
More heat, more Kansas, and more pedaling tomorrow. I’m cutting my writing short tonight. I’ve got to go find the park before the sun sets.
