Northwest Counties and Heading Home

The day started out calm with a cool temperature of 43 and went to a high of 85. By 10 AM there was a brisk south wind blowing and by the time I got to Goodland and St Francis it was really blowing. The air was full of blowing dust and especially one field north of Goodland. They must have worked it too much because the dust was really fogging off and covered about two miles. I really had trouble with my eyes this morning. I rode 482 miles and went to 13 counties.

I started out with a big breakfast at the Mitten Truck Stop in Oakley. I put on some extra clothes and stared out west on 40 hwy. I have heated grips and seat but don’t use the seat except when I arrived at the motel this evening my backpack was very warm and when I tied in on the bike I must have turned on the passenger seat heater. I also have wind deflectors so I can adjust how much wind I get to a certain extent. When I came to 25 hwy going south I decided to go to Russell Springs to see the old Logan County Courthouse. The County Seat moved to Oakley in 1962. This is pasture area and not much farm land around Russell Springs. It was so quite when I stopped. There was not a sound except some turkeys talking. Two of them were near the courthouse. “Lola” was really agitated that I went off route but she ended cooperating and routing me out from the courthouse. I did not want to go back north as it was 11 miles and it looked like the paved road headed west for several miles before turning south. I could see that 40 went southwest so I ended going west across county to save backtracking. It worked pretty well except I had about 12 miles of dust and gravel roads. Shortly after leaving the courthouse more turkeys ran across the road and then further down I took pictures as a flock crossed in front of me. Then in about a half mile there were about 30 more in a field by the road. I also saw several antelope in a field.

I got back on 40 hwy heading southwest to Sharon Springs in Wallace County. There is some desolate county in this area.

From there I headed north on 27 hwy again. This has all been repaved and some of the road moved. It is really a nice road. I came out in Goodland in Sherman County.

I continued on north on 27 and this ride from Sharon Springs to hwy 36 near St Francis was a dream. With the wind at my back it was like floating and no noise. Then I turned west on 36 for 4 miles to St Francis in Cheyenne County and the wind was terrible again.

I headed back east on 36 hwy to Atwood in Rawlins County. The dust along this stretch was bad. I stopped and took Benadryl and more eye drops and it helped some. I had to dodge tumbleweeds several times to keep from hitting them.

Then I headed back south on 25 highway to Colby in Thomas County. This ride wasn’t too bad as I was heading into the wind. What a majestic courthouse this is. It may be my favorite by outside appearance.

I then headed northeast on hwy 83 stopping for gas at Rexford and then arrived in Oberlin in Decatar County.

It now seemed like I was heading home as I continued east on hwy 36 to Norton in Norton County. The wind did not seem as bad since there were more trees in this area.

I continued east on 36 hwy to Phillipsburg in Phillips County.

I then headed south on 183 hwy to Stockton in Rooks County. I stopped for a break and an ice cream bar and water that I called lunch.

I continued south to Hays in Ellis County.

I went further south to LaCrosse in Rush County.

I then headed east on 96 hwy to 56 hwy in Great Bend which is in Barton County.

Continuing on east on 56 hwy brought me to Lyons in Rice County and I am spending the night here. I should be home tomorrow. Once again I ate Mexican food since there was a restaurant by the motel.