Day 30 Eads, CO to Ordway, CO 62 miles

We really were in the wide open spaces of the western United States today. The vistas were beautiful. The cattle were feeding on the prairie grass.

I don’t mean to focus on the difficulty of the journey, but it is a major part of the reality of this adventure. At least it was today. After 23 miles there was water and a little snack food to be purchased. That was it for the day.

The next 40 miles were without water or services of any kind. We had a pretty strong headwind from start to finish today. Climbing to 4500 feet in elevation we dropped down to 4200, and then ended the day close to 4400 feet.

Our trip odometer crossed the 1,200 mile marker during today’s ride. The temperature of 100 degrees combined with the strong head wind and rough road surface made today an especially difficult ride. We are both exhausted this evening.

During the hot afternoon of riding we were just about out of water when a car flagged us down and the people asked us if we needed water. They jumped out filled our water bottles and drove on. Again, we find kind and inspired people helping us in amazing ways.

One of the exciting happenings today was the first sighting of the Rocky Mountains. I have read how the first explorers crossed the plains thought that the plains would extend to the ocean.

But, without warning they began to see these hills or mountains in the far distance only to realize as they came closer that they were very high everywhere.

We began to experience that today. Jake had especially wanted to see the mountains and was thrilled to see them again.

After leaving Eads with no breakfast to speak of, we came to Haswell, CO after 23 miles. This first picture shows the great eating establishments where we nourish our bodies with wholesome food. Unfortunately, this place is a repair and welding shop with minimal food.

From JakeTransAmerica

The second picture shows the very wide open spaces we rode through today.

From JakeTransAmerica

Fourteen miles after Haswell, we came to the next shade available on the prairie. It was very hot. We couldn’t really stop because we discovered normal looking house flies in Colorado, which bite and suck out blood much like a mosquito, only worse.

From JakeTransAmerica

Union Pacific has parked old cattle railroad cars across this whole county of 22 miles – something like 1,000 cars. I was counting on jumping into them for protection if the lightning storms began, which they fortunately did not.

From JakeTransAmerica

We finally reached a town which had a restaurant – so to speak. It is Sugar City, Colorado. We ate our first meal of the day after more than 50 miles of riding in the 100 degree heat and wind. The food was great.

From JakeTransAmerica