Goodland, KS

Day 58: Monday, July 15, 2013
Vona to Goodland: 63 miles

My hidey-hole in the shed was pretty scuzzy. I was glad to be up early and gone.

The thunderstorms had brought cooler weather. That was fine with me. The past few days in the high 90s weren't that bad, but I'm a Seattleite.

As I moved east and down the slope of the high plains, the fields continued to become greener. Some of it was due to irrigation, which is becoming more and more prevalent as I move east.

In 1981, I commented that eastern Colorado was boring. I didn't mind it so much this time - the rolling hills were a welcome change from the grades of the Rockies. But yes - it's crops and grain elevators, and that's about it.

The rolling hills of eastern Colorado

The storms had been accompanied by strong northeast winds. But after the morning calm, persistent south winds returned - the south winds I'd wanted, but not had, on the ride up from Eads. Crosswinds can be almost as much an impediment to progress as headwinds. The sixty-some miles to Goodland were plenty. At least I'm in Kansas.

In 1981, in Goodland, we camped in the rest area across from the KOA, because the KOA charged $7. The rest area is still there. But it's roped off and marked PRIVATE PROPERTY. So I'm in the KOA. (I wonder if the KOA bought it from the state. It would be a good deal for both of them.) And it's 2:00 in the morning, and how am I ever going to get up and make the 70 miles to Hoxie tomorrow?

This poster was on the wall at the KOA.