Day 14

DAILY REPORT:  Overcast, cool (High 50), chance of showers, light headwinds 5-10

I turned the weather channel on as soon as my alarm went off this morning.  We were expecting thunderstorms this morning and pretty cold temperatures for this time of year.  We had load scheduled at sunrise after breakfast so we could have plenty of time to battle the forecast headwinds today.  As it turned out, we skated.  The day was a piece of cake compared to yesterday.  The wind never materialized although it was in our face out of the NE and the rain held off until the afternoon.  As I was watching the weather radar, there was rain to the north of our route and to the south of our route all the way across KS.  There was a hole in the rain pattern just along our route...nice.  As I'm sitting here typing this as I'm waiting for the last rider about 14 miles from town, I can hear thunder to our southwest which is behind us.  The sky looks brighter in the direction we are going and if we can ride fast enough for the last 10 or so miles, we'll probably get in dry today...another great day on a bike. 

I wish we had more time to explore the history of Dodge City; but with as late as we got in yesterday and as beat up as everyone was, no one felt much like doing the sights.  The Santa Fe trail was a main trade route through this area 50 years before Dodge was born and the entire area around here was inhabited by Indians and millions of buffalo.  Shortly after Dodge sprang up about the time of the Civil War, it was used as a central trade center where hunters could make up to $100 a day shooting buffalo.  A hunter and helper could process over 3000 buffalo a month...no wonder the buffalo all but disappeared by the turn of the century.  Another attraction in Dodge is the famous "Boot Hill" cemetery.  The first burial was in 1872 and got it's name from "planting" folks with their boots on...the cemetery remains a popular tourist attraction today.  As Boot Hill can attest, Dodge was one of the most notorious towns in the old west where some of the most famous lawmen walked the streets and tried to bring order to a tough town...gunmen like Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Bill Tilghman, and Doc Holliday were tough hombres and were sometimes as bad as the outlaws they dealt with. 

Usually, when we get into Kansas we have winds...this trip has been no exception and usually it's pretty much a crap shoot as to which direction they are blowing.  I've seen them blow from every direction.  In light of that, Kansas comes from the Indian word "Kansa" meaning "People of the south wind."  So one might surmise the winds blow somewhere from the south...BUT NOT YESTERDAY OR TODAY (and maybe again tomorrow)!!!  Luckily, today's wind wasn't even close to as bad as yesterday and Jay even commented it felt like a tailwind after yesterday's hailing headwind.

On our way out of town, the first thing we passed was the local feed lot.  It didn't have nearly as many head of cattle that I usually see when we are here.  I found it interesting that, according to a marker, when cattle show up they weigh about 700 pounds and after about 140 days in the lot, they top out at over 1200 pounds...that's living on the fat side I'd say.  The processing plant in Dodge is the largest privately owned plant in the US and they process 4000 head a day!  And Kansas ranks first in commercial cattle production by processing over 8 million head a year and they provide meat all over the world. That's a lot of bull if you ask me.

Today we passed the "Mid Point USA" town of Kinsley KS.  It boasts a sign that states midpoint between New York and San Francisco which usually serves as a photo op for everyone.  The riders took time and  posed for a photo shoot while I was taking a break.  It's not our "official" half way point, but it's nice to know we are closing in on a milestone.  We have a SAG stop there so folks can enjoy the park and take some photos...there's a museum there too, and some of the riders took the time to visit and talk to the curator.  We were lucky as it just opened yesterday for the summer.  Some of the interesting exhibits include a sod house fully furnished and lots of antique house wares along with pioneer tools and artifacts.  There's also a bike that a guy rode from the east coast in the early 1900s...it still has the original tires and our riders would appreciate their saddles more after they saw what he rode on.

Today, being a bit on the short side, usually offers side trips to Ft Larned and Pawnee Rock.  To get to Ft Larned, we have to take highway 183 north for 7 miles and then work our way back to the published route in Larned KS.  Another side trip is Pawnee Rock, about 10 miles on route from our destination, which is the highest point within miles and was the midpoint on the Sante Fe Trail.  This high ground was a safe place to camp and gave early travelers shelter from Indian attacks.  No one knows why it's called Pawnee Rock.  Some say it got its name from the early Indian wars as the Pawnee used this area for protection and as a hunting ground while others say it was because Kit Carson accidentally killed his pack mule when he mistook it for a Pawnee Indian one night while Carson was on watch.  His companions laid that label on the area as a jab at his ability as an Indian fighter.  Maybe that's why we've seen Kit Carson monuments in Arizona and California.  He had to leave this area because he was a laughing stock...but he had to get a new mule to get him there.  Today, no one took the trip to the fort, but most of them stopped by Pawnee Rock for a look see.  It's an interesting sight and intriguing to try to imagine what it was like in the early 1800s when travelers stood on this high point and looked out over miles of buffalo and wagon trains...a harsh land in those times for sure.

Well, I think I'll close out today's entry.  Hope you have enjoyed reading of our journey.  We all got in dry today except for the last rider who got wet for about 8 miles...we're still in a wet pattern for the next few days so hopefully we can skirt through unscathed.  If not, we have rain jackets.  See you tomorrow.  M

Late note:  Robert has left the ride for medical reasons.  We wish him the best and hope he'll come ride with us again.  Possible allergic reactions and the high altitude prompted a medical checkup. 

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