Coast to Coast 2022 Adventure Day 22: Syracuse, KS to Dodge City, KS
This post is part of a series detailing my 2022 coast to coast cycling adventure.
Today was very hot (104 F) with strong crosswinds (20 MPH) but we did well and made good time getting to Dodge City.
Day 22 Highlights:
Song of the day: Carry on Wayward Son by Kansas
Start: Syracuse, KS
End: Dodge City, KS
Distance: 87.9 miles
Elevation: 1,119 ft.
Breakfast: Cobblestone Hotel breakfast (second one in a row!)
Lunch: Sandwiches a la Sue at Ingalls High School
Dinner: Firesides restaurant in Dodge City
Progress so far: 1,823.0 miles, 63,048 ft. climbed.
Here are all of the details on today’s ride:
Today was another hot one. This is getting a bit… ridiculous. But somehow we are getting through it by staying hydrated and thanks to Sue keeping us supplied with ice.
Doing an extra 16 miles the day prior, and shortening today accordingly, was also very helpful. We also are finally seeming to catch a break with the winds. Even though it was mostly crosswinds, the slight westerly component (winds were from the SSW) made a big difference, pushing us to a nearly 16 MPH average.
Dave and I continued our drafting rotation and are hitting a nice groove. Because we had that little tailwind we changed the rotation interval to two miles.
When planning the day, I typically try to pick a meeting spot about 60–70% of the way in to keep the after-lunch segment short. Sometimes we meet at a restaurant and other times we’re happy to find a definitive place with a bench and some shade. Today was the latter — Ingalls High School. The thing is, we ended up with so much more. Sue got there ahead of us, scouted things out, and found us a nice shady place to sit. Then the school superintendent came by and they got to talking. Next thing you know, he opened up the building and gave us the run of the place including comfy air-conditioning, chairs, bathrooms, and water. Thank you Randy!
We also chatted with Tyler, who has just returned to his alma mater as the new social studies teacher. Welcome back Kotter!
The landscape of western Kansas is dominated by agriculture, particularly grain silos and cattle feed yards.
Today went well but the heat was still oppressive. We are planning to be off by 5AM tomorrow to take advantage of cooler morning temperatures.
