RecumBum

Saturday, June 7, 2008 – 43.67 miles, 03:07:25, 13.98 MPH average

Knowing it was going to be a short day, we deliberately dilly-dallied around and got a late start, leaving Saint Francis at around 8:30am. There was a mild north-easterly wind, greeting us with a moderate headwind for a few miles. The terrain here was a mixture of flat fields with center-pivot irrigation, and dry grasslands dotted with yucca plants.

Terrain East of Saint Francis

The first town we hit was Bird City, and by then the winds had shifted to the northwest, giving us a welcome boost as we traveled due east on highway 36. Bird City was pleasant little town, with wide streets, a downtown cafe, and a beautiful city hall made of native stone. Contrary to my first assumption, the town was not named for the abundant avian population, but for Benjamin Bird, president of the Northwestern Land Cattle Company, which founded the town in the 1880’s.

City Hall in Bird City

The terrain was rather flat for awhile, and the town of McDonald was a welcome break, especially once we realized that they were selling home-baked pies, cakes, and cookies at the town park. I indulged in the first of many pieces of pie, enjoying a great slice of chocolate pie at the park, and packing a brownie in my bag for later.

Hills east of McDonald

East of McDonald we encountered a few long hills. Many of these had very gradual grades, and seemed to go on for miles. The one shown above was one of the shorter and steeper hills, but with the gentle tailwind and fresh legs, they were no problem at all.

Further east we came across an American Flag and cannon perched on a rocky ridge south of the highway, among grass and yucca, I’m not sure what its purpose is, but it was rather stirring with the flag flapping in the breeze.

American Flag and Cannon

Pulling into Atwood, we dropped into the Beaver Creek valley, and there was one final steep little hill to climb before turning south to find the high school.

After setting up camp, we showered, then grabbed a quick lunch of BBQ pork and cowboy beans before hitting the town, touring around the city lake (which the locals were excited about, because it had water, and is often dry in the arid land of the high plains) and through the little downtown.

We stopped and enjoyed a beer at the steakhouse/pub before continuing our tour with chips, salsa, and additional libations at the Mexican restaurant. Next stop was the pool hall, where we played 8-ball for a couple hours and consumed additional refreshments.

By about six we were back at the school for a dinner of bratwurst and entertainment provided by a local band. Finally, I attend the group meeting and learned of the next day’s forecast — crosswinds but no headwinds for 62 miles into Norton. Good enough!