because I'd forgotten what the S#%* sandwich tastes like...

...this tale has some happy moments but a bad ending, read on. Don't worry nobody gets "hurt".

Today was a business trip. Up at 3:00am, rolling down the drive @ 4:26. Had some equipment that needed to be put through real world testing. Lighting wasn't one of them, doesn't matter what system you've got when the fog's so thick you can only see about 30 feet. There was moments when I was pushing into the strong ESE that I couldn't exactly tell if I was climbing slightly or descending slightly, the gravel was so soft that it was offering resistance up & down, combine that with no visibility...strange.

Met these two as dawn approached, I would have offered some Clif Bar but the ditch between us had water in it...
glasses were useless, add that to the mix...

All B roads were impassable, not even a chance. No surprise with the rains we just had, but I lost count how many times I detoured, my fingers crossed that it wouldn't be too far before I would find a useable Eastbound path. Go left or right? I was about 50/50 on my choices, probably added 10 miles to the day with impromptu route adjustments. You can see my adjustments on the ride map below.

Allright...fast forward. I had a plan for the day, but it started to fall apart as I was twisting through IA along the Missouri River. All paths involved big detours & ultimately returning to where I started by retracing my steps. Road choices were limited. I'm not going to tell you the plan, it's sweet & I'm going to save it for another adventure. I did find some interesting double track along the levee. Whoops, that can't mean me?
Too much of this today...
Anyway...I did get the 3 stater, but that was part of my bigger plan anyway.
Did I see anything cool today? F yeah I did! I found this by accident as I was "checking out" that levee that your not supposed to be on:)

Cast iron...

then this right next to the stela...
the unhappy ending...Within 5 - 10 minutes after I left the border I started to experience a very sore neck & shoulders? Couldn't find a good position on the bike...hoods, drops, even straight upright with only my fingertips on the bars. Painful? No. Uncomfortable? Oh yeah. I'd ridden 90+ miles into the wind & now that I turn my back to the breeze this starts up. I limped into the convenience store in NE City (I wasn't planning any stops today, I had it all with me). Scored a throwback & some advil, stepped outside & started to feel light headed, neck still in discomfort. Not good. I've still got 45 to go & its going to be a hot crosswind all the way back. Fast forward again...I pulled the plug. Called my wife, only the second time in 9 years. Other time I got caught in a crazy storm down by Cortland. Sucked, but I never feel like this. Could I have made it back? Not sure? At what cost? How big a hole did I want to dig? Bummed though.

Waiting for the ride of shame photos. Did I eat enough, probably not. Drink, thought so. Hitting the e-caps throughout the day. Who the f knows. Hope it's the first & the last time I melt down.

I'm not going to classify this ride as a confidence builder going into the big one in 2 weeks. Ahhh big bite of the shit sandwich, yum!

bring it...

happy birthday biz...

put the needle on the record..

...when the drumbeat goes like this. Strava is a free ap on my iphone, a gps tracker. Start it when you leave & you end up with this loaded to their website, plus some basic stats from the ride like avg. mph & elevation gain graph. This embedded version is bare bones. The mileage difference between it & my computer is less than a mile. I think it's a pay service at some point but I was just messing around with it. Downside...it used 60% of my phone battery in a 9 hour sesh. I knew that would happen, just saying.

left early enough to get a jump, but late enough that I didn't need lights...

first mmr, s. 38th section, 4 straight miles of dirt. I saw some jack rabbits here 3 years ago, keep looking but haven't seen any since. All road conditions were perfecto, mmr was pristine all day.

it was fairly cool yet, had a good nasal drip flowing...

the wind & I struck up a deal yesterday...a gentle push part of the way down, switching to a manageable distraction in my face to my destination, & eventually an all out "lets get ya home" blast from behind. Thanks buddy, generally we grumble but yesterday we we're on the same page.
passed here on the way down, so paused on the way back to start the shedding of clothes. Eventually my jersey pockets were over-stuffed with every piece of layering I left Lincoln with. Not much left to Barneston, NE. We raced through here a few years ago, still a ghost town. I would guess this is local stone. This far South there is a lot of signs that you are nearing flint hills country.
I need to get my camera back in business cuz every time I want to take a picture I have to stop & dig out my phone, saw a bunch of cool stuff but usually decided to keep rolling. Below: entrance to a hilly mmr that was partly reminiscent of the easier bits of Little Egypt & partly like the climb after the creek crossing at Almanzo last year. Should have grabbed a picture of this anomaly for SE NE, but I was busy out of the saddle climbing & avoiding loose and embedded rock in the road...
a bit later...

pit stop in Cortland, then ghetto motor pace back to Lincoln on 77. Good plan on paper, but spinning a 42x12 with a 20 mph tailwind....

trip down has become an annual for me, but first time solo. good day.

Later,

TK

stop:)...

ya know...

...it feels like fall.

Later,

TK

minerals...

...LV had 'em! F-loop folklore.

money...

Both rides this weekend featured a mid-journey sesh @ Wagontrain. Saturday's trail conditions were nearly perfect, Sunday was money! I hate to admit this but that was only my 3rd & 4th trip to Wagontrain. That place is all kinds of fun.

If my pattern continues I won't be back for a year or two. Maybe it's better that way, it'll always be super-fresh when I come back to visit. Thanks to all the folks that keep it up, great job!

Later,

TK