DAY FOUR

It’s my last day. It rained last night, pretty hard. I was glad for a hard roof over my head. Today it’s partly cloudy with a forecast for more rain.

After a complimentary “warm breakfast” of eggs, hash browns and toast, I packed up and headed south, on down through Pittsburg to Baxter Springs, where I made my fourth and final turn in my Riding the Rim tour.

Now I’m heading west for Coffeyville and Ark City. It’s beginning to cloud up again and about Sedan, it starts to rain. I stop and put on my rain gear just in time. It really starts to pour. I can see the road OK but not much of the countryside.

By the time I pull into Ark City, it’s raining cats and dogs. I find an abandoned gas station and pull in under the canopy across the street from a grocery store. It’s about noon so I figure I’ll go stand inside the store for awhile. I guess subconsciously I was thinking about food. I walk over there and notice a Brahms a block away, so I walk on down and order a burger.

By the time I’m done eating, it’s raining less. I mount up again and head west. Within 20 minutes the rain has stopped.

And then I’m back. Caldwell. It’s my final destination. This is where I would have started if I hadn’t had to ride around the storm on day one. It’s straight south of the road I was on. I’ve done it. I’ve ridden all the way around Kansas on the outermost two-lane highways.

It’s not a life goal like climbing Mt. Everest or anything like that. But it was a great feeling to accomplish that goal. I had about 90 miles to ride north to McPherson. I was pretty saddle sore and glad to see the refinery, always the first sighting of home. I arrived home about 5:00 pm. I’d done 345 miles on this final day, for a total of 1468 miles. A friend said to me, “That’s all the way to Seattle.” “Wow!” I thought. “I should have ridden to Seattle.” But then how would I have gotten back? I was too sore to do anymore riding.

It was a great trip, a wonderful trip. I highly recommend it. But if you Ride the Rim, you might want to take someone along to help you pick up your bike when it falls over or if it’s the right someone to huddle with when the coyotes howl.

Kansas. What a beautiful state. Filled with beautiful people. I’m very lucky to have a home on the range.